Read The Golden Symbol for Free Online Page B

“One of Onyev’s tricks, I suppose. Probably triggered by my Makalo blood.”
    Akeno continued forward, but then stopped abruptly. “I can’t walk. Something’s stopping me. It’s stopping me.” He smiled, looking at Jacob. “The tree is still alive. The antidote has to be here—the Kaith tree is rejecting me.”
    Jacob returned the smile, but couldn’t stop the shiver that crossed his scalp. What sorts of tests would he have to endure? His nerves were almost shot already from the weird feeling in the city.
    Akeno backed off and Jacob created a new link to Taga Village, closing the old one. Tani didn’t even look up from her book.
    He turned and surveyed the massive trunk he was supposed to dig into. It was bigger by far than the tree in Taga Village—branches extending hundreds of feet, then coming together, twisting and turning.
    He took one step forward, then another. Jacob knew the tree was supposed to test him, but he wasn’t sure how. He didn’t want to mess up and lose the antidote, however, and figured going slow would be the best thing.
    He’d taken only four steps when something stopped him. It felt like a hand on his chest and Jacob jumped backward, swiping at his shirt.
    “What was that?” he asked.
    Akeno looked at him, alarmed. “What happened?”
    “A hand stopped me.”
    “That didn’t happen to me—I simply couldn’t move forward. Maybe it’s part of the test?”
    Jacob nodded and proceeded forward again. He wasn’t about to chicken out when he’d barely started.
    Once again, a hand pushed against his chest. He looked, but couldn’t see it. Then it felt like the hand was grabbing at his skin, scratching, fingernails digging into him.
    “Ouch!” Jacob’s voice cracked. “Akeno, this is really weird!”
    “I can’t see anything,” Akeno said.
    Then Jacob did. Someone—a man—flickered into view, a wicked grin on his face. White hair. And white eyes. Staring at him. More people appeared, surrounding Jacob, passing through him, grabbing his shoulders, arms.
    Jacob whirled, trying to shove the people away. They were pushing him from the tree. He struggled against them. “Knock it off!” he shouted, shaking his hands and legs, jumping, jerking. But they kept pushing him away.
    Jacob pressed forward. The ghosts increased their attack. He started mimicking their actions, pushing against them, forcing them toward the tree. Scratching, clawing.
    Suddenly, with a pop, everyone was gone. Jacob took a deep breath. He was only about five feet from the tree. Was that the only test? Was he clear to go forward? He hesitated. There were more tests—he knew there were.
    Jacob took another step. Everything went completely black.
    Goose bumps popped up all over his skin. He turned. Akeno wasn’t visible.
    “Hello?” he called.
    “He can’t hear you,” a voice said.
    Jacob whirled.
    Onyev, the patriarch, stood in front of him. Actually, it was more like Onyev’s shadow. Or a sort of see-through version of him. The Patriarch didn’t look right—his skin was a ghastly green, and it looked like his eyes had fallen back into his head.
    “Onyev?” Jacob’s heart refused to calm down. This was way too creepy.
    “ I can hear you,” Onyev said. “And I command you to go back. If you continue forward, you’ll lose more than the light around you.”
    “Onyev, it’s me, Jacob. I need to get the antidote for the Lorkon.”
    Onyev snarled. “You must fight me for it.”
    Jacob’s mouth popped open. No way was he going to fight this patriarch, dead or alive. He wasn’t comfortable fighting any patriarch.
    Onyev pulled a short sword from his robes and lunged forward. Jacob jumped out of the way at the last minute, but Onyev’s sword still nicked his leather armor. Jacob pulled out his own sword, ready to defend himself.
    “I can’t fight you,” Jacob said.
    Onyev didn’t answer. He struck out so hard that when Jacob blocked the blow, his arms shook from the impact.
    “Um . . .