“Yes.”
“Sometimes for fun.”
“We have a court around back. Liam put it in.”
Liam shrugged. “We needed an alternative to constant fencing.”
“I bet.” I tried to relax. At least a few of these guys were from my world.
“I’m Henry.” A guy with blond hair smiled. “Otherwise known as the most important on the Guard.”
“He is not full of himself at all.” James put a hand on my back. If I didn’t know any better I’d have thought it was a possessive gesture.
“And you already met me.” Nathaniel smiled. “You look much better than the last time I saw you.”
I forced a smile. I didn’t want to think back on what happened in those woods. “Nice to meet all of you.”
“The pleasure is all ours.” Henry smiled.
James pulled me in close. Definitely possessive. For some reason he was nervous about Henry. He didn’t need to be.
“I have already filled the Guard in on the current situation,” Liam started, “but we would like to hear more from you. Have you come up with any reason that you would be targeted?”
I looked at James, waiting for him to answer until I realized Liam was talking to me.
“Oh. No. I mean how would anyone from here even know who I was?”
“Can you tell us anything about this professor?” Kevin asked. “I don’t remember my father ever talking about someone with that name, so they can’t be that close.”
“He was my advisor. I housesat for him a few times and watched his cat.”
Kevin smiled. “You do cat sitting too?”
“I’m a bit of a kiss up, what can I tell you?” I wasn’t sure where the honest words came from. I wasn’t usually the self-deprecating type.
“Weren’t you nervous?” Charlotte asked. “I mean about moving into a house owned by people you didn’t know?”
“Yes, but my housing fell through, and I didn’t have other options I could afford.”
“What do you mean it fell through?” Kevin asked.
“She doesn’t have to answer that.” James jumped in. “What matters is she had a reason to take the opportunity.”
“Is it too personal for you to answer?” Charlotte asked carefully. “I understand if you want to keep personal details to yourself, but we must be sure not to miss anything.”
“No, just a bad breakup.”
“Gotcha.” Kevin nodded.
At least I hadn’t had to go into detail about why we broke up. It was embarrassing enough sharing those with James.
“And my mom took care of all the paperwork?” Liam asked.
“Yes. She gave me the keys. I probably should have found that weird, but I was too busy feeling relieved.”
“Hopefully my parents get back soon.” Charlotte ran a hand through her hair. “Until then we are going to have to ask you to stay.”
“That’s what I gathered.” Part of me was anxiously awaiting their return, but another part was hoping for more time with James. I was losing my mind.
“I was hoping you might take her on a tour.” James nodded toward Charlotte. “Or Samantha.”
“Where will you be?” Charlotte asked suspiciously.
“I have to check on a few things. Talk to a few people.”
“Don’t get yourself killed.” Charlotte waged a finger at him.
“I promised Ainsley I would be back for dinner. No need to worry.”
“I can take you on a tour, Ainsley. I gave Charlotte her first one.” Henry grinned.
James scowled. “I think Ainsley would prefer the company of females.”
“Ainsley would prefer it, or you would?” Henry teased.
“I would love to show Ainsley around.” Samantha jumped in. “If you are busy, Charlotte, I am sure we will be fine on our own.”
“I technically need to do some Source meditation this morning to continue stretching my abilities. Is that okay with you, Ainsley?”
“We would not want you missing those, Char,” Kevin teased.
She rolled her eyes.
I smiled. “Perfect. I heard you are the one to talk to about pants anyway.”
Samantha laughed. “Absolutely.”
“There is nothing wrong with that dress.” James put a hand on my shoulder. “It fits you well.”
“Maybe it looks pretty, but it is hard to move around in.” Samantha flipped her long blond braid to her shoulder. “She needs to change before we go exploring.”
James shook his head. “Who said anything about exploring? You are supposed to be giving a tour of Bellgard.”
“Do not worry, James. Your friend will be safe with me.”
“Let us hope she is still talking to me.” James stiffened.
The whole room laughed. I didn’t get it. “What’s the joke?”
“James is worried Samantha will turn you against him,” Kevin explained.
“I wouldn’t worry about that.” No matter how much I wanted to stay away from him, I couldn’t. Nothing Samantha could say was going to change that.
“I love that confidence,” James whispered in my ear.
“Be back by dinner.” I leaned slightly into his arm.
“Enjoy your tour.” He started for the door.
“Be careful, James.” Charlotte warned.
Something about Charlotte’s warning set me off. If she was that worried about him, should I have been too?
21
James
I despised leaving Ainsley at the castle, but I knew she would be safer there. I would be able to cover ground faster and ask the questions that actually needed to be asked if I went on my own, and that knowledge made the decision easier. Hopefully she would enjoy her time with Samantha. If nothing else, it would show her that Energo was not as sexist and traditional as she thought.
I ran by the stables for my horse before riding directly toward Icentris. The place held bad memories and was easily the coldest place in Energo, but it was where I would find my best shot at information. There was an arctic wolf-shifter up there who seemed to always know what was going on first. He had a keen eye and the ability to get information from the most difficult sources.
I enjoyed the fresh air as I road across the open plains. I knew there was something sinister out there, but I focused on the journey and the girl waiting for me back at the castle. No one was searching for me yet, at least not openly.
I rode on, putting on a coat as the temperature continued to drop. I welcomed the cold generally, but this kind of cold was more than I enjoyed. The ride took several hours. I crossed though the plains into a more wooded landscape that finally gave way to the arctic terrain of Icentris. My horse slowed down, about as excited to be in the frigid cold as I was. Neither of us had a choice.
I stopped in front of the old ice prison: the one that had held Charlotte’s mother for years while her family believed her dead. Seeing the completely metal fortress sheeted with ice riddled me with guilt. I had helped my father execute his plan and for that I would spend the rest of my life repenting. One day Ainsley would find out, and she would never look at me the same way again. Even a lifetime of trying to make things right cannot erase a past riddled with mistakes.
I dismounted my horse and walked past the prison. I wanted to make sure the locals knew I didn’t mean trouble.
I heard the howl of a wolf, but I never saw one. Instead a man walked out from around the side of the building. I was positive he’d been the one howling. The arctic wolf shifters were the only creatures, man or beast, that lived in this icy land.
“And to what do I owe this honor?” Talon grinned. He was not half bad for an Arco, and Arcos were the one kind of shifter I liked.
“I need information.”
“And you think I have this information you seek?” Talon tried to act tough, but it was all an act. He would help, especially once he found out it involved my father’s followers. We had all learned the hard lesson of what happens when evil ha
s the time and space to grow.
I cut right to the chase. “Have you heard anything about an uprising?”
“Uprising of what?”
“Do not play dumb with me.”
“Then be straight with me. What are we talking about here? If you came straight from Bellgard, this was a long trip to ask questions.”
“Exactly. Which is why I need you to answer me.”
He cleared his throat, and gave me a long look. “There has been talk.”
“Talk of what?” I looked around at the snowy landscape. Icentris was a dream for arctic wolves, not so much for people.
“Talk of building another gate.”
“Another gate?” That was not what I expected to hear.
“Yes. A new gate to the hidden world being built by men touched by darkness. ”
“So you have seen them? You are sure they had the darkness?” I already knew my father’s followers were rising up again, but hearing it from Talon made it worse.
“Yes.”
I fought to keep my expression level. It would be foolish to show Talon any fear. “That is not what I wanted to hear, but it is information I need.”
“I was going to tell you.”
“Oh yeah? Get lost on the way to Bellgard?” I detested games, and unfortunately Talon liked to play them.
“You know we have to be careful.”
“Of course you do, but careful means keeping the Essence and Gerard in the know. That was part of the deal of you living here.” I knew considering I had been part of the negotiation process.
“Your father destroyed our home.” He scowled. “The least they could do was give us a new place to live.”
“I know, and no one cares that you live in this icy, frigid place, but if you want to keep it you have to keep us aware.”
“Are you the representative for Bellgard now? No offense, but I never took the Essence and her Gerard for being stupid.” He smirked. Talon was skating a thin line.
“That had better not mean what I think it does.”
“You are his son.”
“And I nearly died saving the Essence.” And I would have done it again ten times over. My role as a Guardian and my affection for Charlotte went far beyond any familial bond I ever felt to my father.
“Still, we would not be so quick to welcome back the son of darkness.”
“The son of darkness? Is that how you see me?” The name stung.
“Blake is a Cipher. He is darkness. You are his son. Is there a better name?” Talon used the term I had wanted to forget. My father had welded himself to darkness in a way that few ever had and hopefully ever would.
“You said it in present tense, but he is dead.”
“Dead in the physical way, but a Cipher cannot die.”
“How would you know?” Part of me had always questioned it, but it had been eight years. He was gone.
“My people keep meticulous records. We have stories. Those stories are things your people should learn.”
“The Essence knows all.” Even if she sometimes did not realize it.
“She knows most, but not all. She became the Essence too quick. She lacked formal training and could not acclimate appropriately.”
“That was not her fault.” My defensive side took over.
“No, it was the fault of your father.” He gave me a steely gaze.
“Yes, I am well aware. Care to turn the knife some more?” I was losing patience.
“I am merely giving you a warning. We all know his men cannot be acting on their own accord.”
“Someone must have stepped up. They are following someone.” I pulled my coat tighter around me.
“Or something.” He smirked, wisely holding his tongue about how cold I was.
“My father is dead.” My hands balled into fists. I was done with this conversation. “He no longer exists.”
“Evil cannot be destroyed that easily. Quit being so naive.”
“Is that how you view us? Too naïve?”
“Not all of you.” He looked off into the distance.
“What are you implying?”
“I am not implying anything, but you are not the first man from Bellgard to come through this way.”
“Who else?” This was news to me, and I assumed it was also to Charlotte and Liam. They would have mentioned if they had sent anyone else.
“Stan and Emma. Her appearance took us by surprise. We never expected Emma to return here.”
Returning to Icentris could not have been easy on Emma. “Why were they here?” I knew the vacation story was strange.
“Stan had some concerns. It is why I know about the new gate. He asked us to keep a closer watch.”
“Why are you just telling me this now? We could have avoided the circles of this conversation.”
“Because I was not sure I was supposed to.”
“You are supposed to tell me everything. I am on the Guard.” I stepped toward him. “I have the authority to act for Energo.”
“Yes, the Guard. I usually trust the Source, but sometimes I have my doubts.”
The Source was what selected us. The Source determined everything. “Where are Emma and Stan now? They have not made it back Energo.”
“They were continuing on to Alak.”
“To Alak? But Kevin was just there.” Alak was the political meeting spot for all of the nations united with Energo.
“You asked me where they went, and I am telling you.”
“Where is this gate?”
“No one knows.”
“Then how do you even know it exists?” I was close to losing my temper.
“I am not revealing all my sources, but by the large number of men I have seen, I would expect it is somewhere near here.”
A large number of men? We needed to respond quickly, but the problem was how. First I had to figure out who was organizing the new insurgence. “Is that all the information you have?”
“Yes, but the question remains, why are you asking me for this information? I would expect an esteemed member of the Guard to know where the former Essence and her partner are.”
“No one knew.” It had to be true. There was no way Charlotte would keep the truth from me.
“Believe what you want, my friend.”
“Friend? Do you really consider me that?”
“I would want you on my side in battle. It is the only way I know how to define the term.”
“By that definition I view you as the same.” The Arcos were fierce warriors.
“Very well. As I already promised Emma, I will watch the construction of the gate, but you would be wise to watch it too.”
“I will. I must return to Bellgard, but I will come back.”
“What is the rush to get back?”
“A personal reason.”
He seemed to be deep in thought. “Is she pretty?”
“Why does everyone assume it is a girl?”
“Because your face gives it all away. Bring her to meet me next time.” The air shimmered as Talon transformed back into his wolf form and ran away. That was one way to end a conversation.
22
Ainsley
“How do those fit?” Samantha called from outside the bathroom door. She’d brought over a pair of pants for me to try. I’d argued I had jeans, but she swore these were more comfortable and would make me stand out less. Everyone was concerned with that. I guess knowing about another world didn’t mean you accepted the people from there.
“Perfect.” I walked out of the bathroom. I’d had to fold over the waist once because they were too long, but she had been right about the comfort.
“Great. Ready to go then?” She bounced up on her heels. She was definitely the constantly on the go type of personality.
“Sure.” I was wearing a green cotton shirt with the black pants. I say cotton, but it was softer than any cotton I’d ever felt before. If it was up to me I’d have spent the rest of my life in that material.
“Did you have enough to eat?” She asked as we walked out the door.
“Plenty.”
“Great, then we will not have to hurry back for an early lunch.”
“Where are we going exactly?” My ankle was better, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to walk far.
“Nowhere too interesting” She grinned, and I knew we were probably going somewhere pretty cool. Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted a girl I barely knew, but I trusted Charlotte and James, and they both seemed to think she was safe. Besides, there was something real about Samantha. Like what you saw was what you got. There were far too few people like that in life, and when you found them, they were usually keepers.
Samantha waved to some guards as we made our way out of the castle. “I assume you have seen markets before, but we need to stop and get one thing first.”
“Sounds great.” I followed her into the densely packed market. Rows of vendors went on for at least the length of several city blocks. Samantha slowly wove her way through the market until she stopped in front of a man with a weathered face selling all sorts of wooden goods. “Good day, do you have a cane we could purchase?”
“A cane?” The man looked us over. “Is one of you injured?”
“She has a sore ankle.”
“Why not take her to the springs?”
“That is the plan…”
“Oh.” Understanding that I didn’t feel washed over the man’s face. “You can borrow this one. Bring it back when you no longer need it.”
“Thank you.” Samantha handed over a coin. “We will return it.”
“What is the spring?” I asked as soon as we left the table.
The cane helped me keep the weight of my ankle. It had been a great idea.
“You will see when we get there. Speaking of which. We can ride if you prefer.”
“Oh…”
“You do know how to ride a horse, right?”
“No…”
She shook her head, but didn’t comment on my lack of horse riding experience. “Ok. The springs are just outside the city. Do you think the cane will be enough?” She gestured to where I had the cane settled under my arm.
“Yes. I can definitely make it.”
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