“I understand,” Meaghan said, setting her mug down. “Garon has destroyed many lives, but we’ll have retribution for what he’s done. Your son’s power, though shameful to Zeiihbu now, will bring honor in time.”
Faillen met the determination in her eyes with equal conviction. “It’s important for your family to be restored,” he said. “Your mother brought Zeiihbu a peace it hadn’t seen in generations and I want to see that returned. Will you honor the treaty she and my father signed together?”
“I will,” Meaghan promised. “And I won’t forget your loyalty.”
Faillen nodded, and then reached his hand across the table, palm down, fingers splayed. “A Zeiibuan custom,” he told her, “to seal the promise we’ve made today.”
She mimicked his gesture. He interlocked their fingers so they both had fingertips above each other’s knuckles and then brought his other hand on top of their intertwined hands. She did the same.
“From my lips to the death,” he said. “Please repeat it.” She did and he smiled, releasing her hand. “A new pact for a new day."
Meaghan leaned back, returning the smile, and then picked up her mug again, resting her elbows on the table as Nick addressed Faillen. “Before the new day can start, we need to ensure your family remains safe. Who else knows you’re here?”
“A Guardian named Cal,” Faillen responded. “Do you know him?”
“I’ve known him most of my life. He’s trustworthy.”
Faillen nodded. “He helped set us up here and he provides supplies we can’t make, grow, or hunt. He also gives Aldin lessons for his power.”
“Good,” Nick said. The news brought relief to his face, but something in Faillen’s statement troubled Meaghan. She sipped from her mug again as she mulled over his words.
“Who else knows?” Nick asked.
“There was another man by the name of Delvin,” Faillen said. “A Guardian Cal brought to live in the third hut. He left to get supplies one day and never returned. Cal found his body a few miles from here.”
“The Mardróch got him?”
Faillen looked away as remorse washed over him. “We believe so. Cal said it was evident by the level of torture on his body that he kept our location secret. No one else knows we’re here, not even my father. When the power surfaced and I realized the danger in it, I contacted Cal. I had met him several times when my father and I visited the castle during the good days and I understood his power and loyalty to be strong. He agreed to help and brought us here. He only told Delvin and since his death, Cal is afraid to trust anyone else.”
“That’s wise,” Nick said. “Cal will protect you and so will I, if you need me.”
“Thank you. I’ll remember that.” Faillen stood. “You should sleep. We’ll wake you for dinner. There’s fresh venison prepared to roast and vegetables ready for harvest.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Nick said and rose from his chair, but Meaghan remained seated as Faillen’s words finally settled into understanding. Cal brought them what they could not grow. Grow. The garden. She realized the source of his deceit.
“The vegetables are ready for harvest?” she asked. “They shouldn’t be.”
Shame washed over Faillen and he sat down again.
“You said Aldin only started using his power two months ago. Your garden shouldn’t be ready yet.”
Faillen looked away.
“What are you hiding?”
“I’m not surprised Aldin’s powers appeared so early,” Faillen said. He brought his eyes to hers and the pain in them matched what she felt from him. It seemed his wife was not the only one ashamed of their son’s predicament. “It probably would have taken longer if he didn’t know it could be done, but he’s fearless and he’s always accomplishing things earlier than most kids. I think it’s because he likes to mimic what his brother does.”
“Caide,” Nick whispered, understanding what Faillen meant before Meaghan did.
“Yes,” Faillen admitted. “Caide is a Spellmaster too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
NICK’S SKIN poured sweat despite the chill in the air. He threw the pelt off his body and sat up, but the sweat still came, as did the panic driving his heart into frantic beats. He could not make the scene from this morning stop playing in his head. He could not stop seeing the Mardróch in the field as they bore down on Meaghan, as they attacked her with lightning, barely missing her as she ran. He could not stop seeing her fear and feeling his own as he remained frozen and helpless, watching her die. Not her, he realized as he turned his head to confirm. She lay motionless on a straw mattress across the room, a pelt covering her breathing body.
Her breathing body, he repeated, and drew a deep inhale. She still lived.
It was not her he had watched die. Her face had dissolved into another’s in his mind and it froze him in his tracks, froze him in his memory when she needed him most. It tore at him that it had happened. He had let her down, but he would not let it happen again.
He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and focused on calming his heart, attempting to erase the images from his head in the process. When they faded enough so he could ignore them, he climbed from his mattress. Crossing the room to the door, he opened it, and then leaned against the wood jamb as he examined his surroundings.
The boys still played in the field flanking the Guardian’s empty hut. The sky had taken on a crimson red glow as the sun slinked below the horizon. He watched it darken before his eyes and knew he would need to wake Meaghan soon. It would be good to have a hearty meal, and then they would travel again. Another day, if Cal’s calculations were right. Or perhaps two, if they were not. Most likely, it would be the latter. Cal had a way of forgetting details he found unpleasant, shortening distances when he did not want to think about how much they would hurt his feet.
Cal’s view of the world could be frustrating, and his disregard for common sense and safety downright infuriating, but when it mattered most, he came through. He was one of the most dependable men Nick had ever known, a trait that had served Nick well growing up. Whenever Nick needed the Guide, he only had to call into the wind and within days, Cal would show up. At least he had until the Mardróch made his visits too dangerous.
Nick had been surprised to find Cal in the wilderness after so many years. It seemed fate had a way of offering a helping hand when needed. Although Nick did not feel comfortable relying on that, he appreciated it, especially after this morning.
He looked back at Meaghan, verifying she still slept. He had grown up around Seers his entire life, yet he had had no real understanding of fate until recently. Learning what Vivian had known about her own death had made him realize how fragile the future could be. While the universe could line up opportunities, they could also be misaligned with a single decision. Vivian’s understanding of what the wrong decision could do humbled him, and still brought an ache to his heart.
The pairing of Nick and Meaghan’s powers also spoke to that. The Elders had had a choice. They could have kept someone else as her Guardian and when she had arrived on this world, she would not have had any way to block the emotions overwhelming her. Nick did not want to think about what would have happened in that case.
His eyes trailed back to the boys playing in the grass. Caide grabbed Aldin’s wrists and swung him around. The younger boy flew through the air, squealing with joy. The older grinned, the camaraderie between them serving as evidence of their closeness. Nick could not guess what their fate would be, but he did not doubt the universe had special plans for them. He had never heard of two Spellmasters so close in age and he had heard of only a few times when two were alive at the same time. The fact they were brothers only reinforced his belief that their powers would bring great things. It was only too bad neither of them would be strong enough to help with the war before it was over. It would have been nice to have their aid against Garon’s army.
“They’re wonderful, aren’t they?”
Nick turned hi
s eyes from the boys to view Meaghan, who stood beside him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She had slept well and it had eased some of the stress from her face.
“Yes,” he agreed, turning back to watch them. Caide dropped Aldin to the ground, falling over in the process, and both boys howled with laughter. Nick turned to face Meaghan. “I owe you an apology,” he said.
She made no motion to speak, but instead, watched him, waiting for him to continue. “You were right to want to save him. Not because Cal told you to and not because of his power, but because the Mardróch have already taken too many lives and it was the right thing to do.” He tightened his fists at his sides, curbing his renewed fear. “I just didn’t want you to be another one of the Mardróch’s victims.”
She tilted her head, studying his face for a minute and then nodded, accepting his apology. “I know I’m not making your job any easier—”
“It’s more than a job,” he told her. “You’re important—”
“To the people, to the future of this world,” she finished for him, and then looked away. “I know.”
“To me,” he whispered, though he had to force the words out. He did not want to confuse the situation any further by admitting what he felt, but he needed her to realize how her actions affected him. “You’re important to me, Meg,” he said with more conviction. “It’s hard enough to protect you. When I have to worry about what you might do, it makes things worse.”
“I know,” she said again. This time, remorse filled her voice and tears filled her eyes. She closed them. “This is hard for me, too. I don’t know how to react or what to do.” Her voice failed and Nick wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into him. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder. “I miss the way it was between us on Earth. I miss my life. I had everything planned out. I was confident in what I was doing and this,” she brought her hands to his chest, and then turned her face into his shirt. Her voice came out muffled. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“You do,” he told her, though he doubted his words would convince her. Over time, as she gained experience, she would convince herself. He brought a hand to the back of her head. “You’re doing fine, Meg. We just need to figure out how to work together here, as we did on Earth. I don’t mind the heroics, but if we intend to save people, we need to consider a careful plan. Losing our lives in the process is not an option.”
“We?” she stepped back and rubbed the tears from her face with her palm.
“Of course.” He lifted a hand to her shoulder. “You may not believe me right now, but I’m not trying to work against you. I’m here to help you in any way you need me.”
She nodded. Her eyes sought the boys again. “I miss my parents,” she said, then blew out a frustrated breath. “I hate that I can’t call them that anymore.”
“You can always call them that around me. I miss them too.”
“I need their advice,” she continued. “I don’t want to lead this kingdom. I don’t want to be Queen, and I’m not sure how I would even be able to do what these people need.” She shook her head and brought her eyes back to Nick’s. “But I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“We always have a choice,” Nick said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “You can walk away from this, Meg. I don’t want you to, but you have the option.”
“How?”
“You can abdicate. The people could select another ruler, or you could.”
“Wouldn’t that be better?” she asked. “There has to be someone with more experience, someone who grew up here, who could do a better job.” Nick remained silent. “There must be.”
“Aunt Viv didn’t think so.”
“Why? I know nothing about this world, nothing about being a leader.”
Nick shrugged. “She could see the future. More importantly, she could see the present. She watched you grow up and knew your character. You’re strong, Meg. You’re smart, and you’ve always done what’s right, like today. From what I’ve heard, those traits also marked Adelina’s rule.” He paused, studying the doubt on Meaghan’s face. “But Aunt Viv didn’t simply believe you might be a good ruler. She gave her life protecting you because she was certain you would.”
Meaghan’s eyes grew wide. Her lip trembled but she controlled the reaction, preventing tears from forming again. Though the words were true, Nick wished he had refrained from saying them. He had not intended to cause her pain.
“Few people know you’re on this world right now,” he told her. “Until you’re formally introduced in my village, you won’t have to make a decision, so take time to think about it. And trust yourself. You’ll make the right decision when you need to.”
“I hope so,” she said, and turning from him, reentered the sleeping hut.
§
THEIR BELLIES had not held so much food since the night before they left Earth. The feast Ree and Faillen had provided had bulged their eyes and their waistlines. The table had been overloaded with corn and potatoes, salad, green beans, and beets, as well as the promised roast. For dessert, Ree had made a traditional Zeiihbu celebratory cake laden with nuts, dates, and fresh picked apples. The delectable treat had been meant as a good luck gesture, but it weighed on Meaghan as a reminder of the promise she had made to Faillen. What would happen if she abdicated? Would the next leader uphold her promise? She knew even if he did, the foundation she had laid with Faillen in one day, a bond that had formed when she saved his son, could not be repeated by another person, no matter how skilled or knowledgeable that person was as a leader. And she wondered if maybe there was more to being Queen than she had initially thought.
After dinner, she and Nick walked again by moonlight, their words as scarce as they had been the night before. As the sun crested the horizon, they approached a pile of boulders that broke the flat surface of the field. Nick moved around them and then disappeared. At first, Meaghan thought he had found another protected area, but after circling the rocks, she could find no crystals. Her muscles tightened in panic and then she saw the top of his head appear from below the rocks. She jumped in surprise, and then cursed at him.
“Sorry,” he chuckled. “I needed to check it out and I didn’t want you to come in case it was still inhabited. I should have told you.”
“Check what out?”
“The fox hole.”
“A fox hole big enough for a human?” she asked, peering down at him, curiosity bypassing her irritation. “Are you kidding?”
“You haven’t seen our foxes yet,” he said and then laughed when she caught her breath. He ducked his head back down to avoid the playful swat she aimed at him, and then she followed him, moving cautiously in case he was wrong about the inhabitants. After dropping her body into the hole, she stood still for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to the minimal light streaming in through the opening.
The space resembled more of an underground cave than a fox hole, with rocks above them and a packed dirt floor below. Although Meaghan could stand upright with an inch or two to spare, Nick had to crouch to avoid hitting his head. He spread out the blanket and sat on the floor. She joined him. There was enough space for them to sit parallel to each other, but not enough to lie down. It would be uncomfortable, but they would be safe.
“Is this really a fox hole?” she asked.
He shrugged and then reached into the backpack to pull out two cloth-wrapped bundles. He handed one to her. “It’s hard to say. It is too big for a fox. It could be a bear cave from when these fields were forest, or it could be natural. Either way, it’s ours tonight.”
He untied the cloth around his bundle, opening it to reveal several hunks of bread and cheese, food Ree had packed for them when they had left. She had apologized for not having more than a meal’s worth apiece to give, but Meaghan doubted the family even had this to spare.
Her package contained the same food and she ate it slowly, enjoying the creamy texture of the homemade cheese and the crunchy crust of the freshly baked bread. No matter how m
uch she missed the convenience of grocery stores, nothing could compare to this. The love and care Ree put into her food came through with each bite.
When she finished, she folded the cloth and stuck it back into the backpack. Nick did the same. For comfort, and out of a habit they had formed while watching movies in his apartment on Earth, she leaned against him, lifting forward so he could slide an arm around her shoulders. Then she rested her head on his chest and fell asleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“DOES THE kingdom have a name?”
Nick turned his head to look at Meaghan and smiled, glad a full moon and clear sky kept tonight’s journey well-lit. She had begun the night in silence, as she had on the other two nights, but once they had found the cover of trees again, she had started asking questions. Her questions were general at first. She asked about the history of the world and about some of the fruit and plants she saw. But then they had turned more specific. As soon as he finished one answer, she had another question waiting for him. He felt battered by her words and her quick-fire curiosity, but he took it as a good sign and he held hope her interest meant she had begun to accept her new home.
“It does,” he answered.
She waited a beat. “You don’t expect me to guess, do you?”
He chuckled, and then reached down to pick several bright orange berries from a bush as they passed. He handed them to her. “These are spice berries. Guessing could be fun.”
“For you, maybe.” She popped one of the berries into her mouth and he could tell the moment the plump fruit exploded. A slow smile spread over her face. “It tastes like cinnamon and nutmeg,” she said. “And something else that reminds me of pumpkin pie.”
“You should try them with laitte. It’s a fruit that looks like a large grape, but it tastes like sweet milk. Every time I had pumpkin pie with whipped cream on Earth, I felt like I was eating fruit salad here.”
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