“I want you to find Charlotte and take her this letter.” I passed William the paper that felt like a weight in my hand.
“Of course, but should I not simply retrieve her? Or do you wish to do that yourself?”
I could sense William’s excitement. I did not want to take her by surprise. Recognizing that William would not understand, I gave him no explanation. “This is the way I wish to proceed. Will you do it, or must I find someone else?” It was an idle threat. There was no one else I trusted.
“I will dispatch immediately. I only wanted to ask.” William looked at me strangely before grabbing his weapons. “Where is she?”
“She is north of Malian. I assume that she will camp in the Drewberg forest.” I trusted William, but allowing anyone from Bellgard close to her worried me.
Once William was ready, I followed him out to the stables. He prepared his horse without another word.
“Be quick and be well.” I watched as his horse disappeared into the night.
I hoped that my written words would be enough to persuade Charlotte to trust me. I assumed the physical pull existed for her, too, and maybe she would find it in herself to forgive me for my past mistakes. If nothing else, she needed to trust me. Our very lives depended on it.
Chapter Eleven:
Charlotte
There had been many times in my life when I would have loved pretending to be Liam’s girlfriend. The entire time I was in Alaska, I thought about the one time I had kissed him and what it would be like to do it again. Somehow, it wasn’t quite as comfortable to pretend at the moment.
“Remember the story and stick to it.” Monty found it necessary to remind us of the same thing about twenty times as we headed toward the checkpoint. He was only watching out for us, but I was tired of him treating me like a silly little girl who couldn’t follow directions. Between Monty’s overprotectiveness, James’s weirdness, and how awkward I felt about pretending to be with Liam, I was about to lose it.
“It is okay to feel doubt, Charlotte.” Lawson gave me a reassuring smile as he shifted his pack.
“Doubt? What do you mean?”
“I realize we do not know each other well, but I can tell that none of this has been easy on you. Becoming the Essence is difficult for one raised for it, and you did not have any warning or preparation. May I speak candidly?”
“Yes, of course.”
Lawson took a deep breath as though debating whether to continue. “You are too hard on yourself. You expect to be perfect, but that is unrealistic. Perhaps if you focused less on potential failures, it would come easier.”
I didn’t answer right away. Although I was thrown off by Lawson’s words, they made complete sense. I needed to stop beating myself up. I wasn’t perfect, nor would I ever be, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be successful. “Thank you.”
Lawson smiled. “You are welcome. I am glad I did not offend you.”
“No, I appreciate the honesty.” Even though I had only known Lawson a few days, I really enjoyed his company. He had the same good-natured personality as Henry, but with more maturity. I was glad to have him with us.
The rest of the group hung back so we could catch up, effectively ending my conversation with Lawson.
“Charlotte and Liam, from now until we are through the checkpoint, you stay glued together.” I didn’t wait for Monty to repeat himself. I moved over to stand next to Liam.
“Not a problem.” Liam grinned at me as he arched an eyebrow. Only Liam could keep his sense of humor in such a tense situation. If he felt as awkward as I did, he didn’t show it.
“So you really think this is going to work?” I asked, hoping Monty had some words of encouragement.
“We have no other choice.” I was startled by James’s response. He had said barely two words to me all day.
“I get that. I was trying to get some reassurance.”
“You are not a child, Charlotte. Reassure yourself.” James’s words hurt. He had the unique ability to make me feel like nothing with only a few words. I couldn’t figure out why he was acting even harsher than usual. Wasn’t it just two days ago that he was kissing me?
“Ignore him.” Liam put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. “Everything is going to be okay.”
I leaned into Liam and hoped he was right.
***
No one had to tell me we were getting close to the checkpoint because I could feel it. The fear in the pit of my stomach grew, and I had goose bumps all over. I pulled the hood of the cloak tighter around my head, grateful it was cold enough that I looked normal doing it. Liam’s arm tightened around me, and I took a deep breath.
Set up in the middle of nowhere, the checkpoint consisted of a line of soldiers. Blake knew our destination; that was the only explanation for the checkpoint. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I was sure Blake assumed that James would tell me where my mother was. My body went cold all of a sudden. What if I had been wrong all along and James was still in league with Blake? What if it was all a setup? I tried to quell the thought, but it wouldn’t fully disappear.
Liam must have felt me stiffen. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” It was better not to give Liam any more of a reason to hate James. I would have to deal with my sudden suspicions on my own first.
We hadn’t run into any other travelers that day, so I wasn’t surprised to find the soldiers alone. The nearly thirty men composing the stop all wore the black uniform of the Bravado. I hoped that none of the men were ones I had met at the castle; that would make it even more likely they would recognize me.
Monty led our group toward the line.
“What is the nature of your travels this far north?” a large redheaded guard asked.
“My brother and his promised are to be united at the Falls. We want to make it before the end of the season,” Monty explained.
I willed my eyes to remain fixed on the ground so I wouldn’t inadvertently ruin the charade.
The redhead did not seem convinced. “Where is the rest of your party?”
“The girl has no family, and my brothers and I are all that is left of ours.”
“I see.” As Monty and the man conversed, the other Bravado guards circled, scrutinizing us.
“Take off the cloak.”
I glanced up automatically, startled to see a man with a large scar across his face staring at me.
“She will do no such thing. I will not have my betrothed exposed to the elements.” Liam gave the man a steely glance and pulled me closer. His use of the word betrothed surprised me. He stayed in character so well.
The cold air shocked my face as the scarred guard pulled back my hood. “I see why you were hiding her. Pretty girl.” The man reached toward my face, but Liam captured his fist in his hand.
“Do not touch her!” Liam bellowed, hesitating a moment before releasing the man’s fist. We had the attention of all of the guards.
A blond man sauntered closer and started to laugh. “She is about to become yours forever, and you want to deprive us a peek?”
Liam struggled to push me behind him. I didn’t mean to fight him, but I was too nervous to move. I was surprised James hadn’t gotten involved yet. Once again, I felt a seed of doubt grow in the pit of my stomach, but then I realized James also had to hide his face. The Bravado would be sure to recognize him.
“You have had your fun. Now we must be on our way.” Monty spoke with an air of authority I rarely heard him use.
The man with the scar gave Monty an appraising look. “Why in such a rush? We have barely gotten to know you.”
“It is cold. We must make it to camp before nightfall.”
“Well, it is getting late. Why not join us for your camp tonight? I assure you we will take good care of your precious cargo.” I didn’t need to look up to know he was talking about me. I instinctively moved closer to Liam. A strong hand settled on my back, and I realized Lawson had moved to my other side.
�
��That will not be necessary; we will be on our way.” Monty started to move forward, but the red-haired soldier blocked him with his arm.
“I must insist. It looks like a storm is coming, and I cannot in good conscience leave a girl out there in the weather.” He gave me a smile with implications I didn’t like. I wished I could change the weather, but that would give me away.
Monty nodded toward Lawson and Liam. “Her welfare is not your concern. She is with us.”
“You do not really believe that, do you?” The red-haired man moved within inches of Monty.
“Of course we do. As I said, she has no family. She chose to agree to the union.”
“You can stop the pretense. We know who you are. Or shall I say, we know who she is.” I shivered as the scarred man ran his fingers through my hair.
Monty wiped his forehead. “I do not know what you are talking about.”
“The girl belongs to the Gerard. And the welfare of the Essence is certainly our concern.” The blond man appeared ready to try to touch me again.
James jumped in front of me. “This is only going to end one way.”
“I thought that was you. Still playing games, James?” Scarface asked.
In the blink of an eye, everyone had their swords drawn.
“What do you need to let us pass?” James’s voice was hard, and I felt guilty for my earlier doubts.
“Like we want anything you have. Too bad she is off limits.” The man’s smile was cruel, and I cringed.
“I can pay you a lot more than you are getting from my father.”
“And how much is that?” The red-haired man sounded curious, and I became hopeful.
James pulled a small black satchel from his bag and held it toward the soldiers. Red-hair looked into the bag, but James pulled it away before he could grab it. “Shall we discuss terms?”
A confused expression crossed the soldier’s face. “What terms do you want? We let you go, and you give us the gold.”
“That might be enough for one bag. What can we negotiate for two?” For once, I was relieved to see the familiar smirk on James’s face.
“What do you want?” Red-hair asked.
“You report none of this to my father. You never saw us.”
“And how do you expect to hold us to that?”
“Do you really want to question me?” With his sword raised, James moved toward the man. “Do you know what my father would do to you if he knew you were accepting a bribe?”
“Give us both bags, and we never saw you.”
“My pleasure.” James pulled a second pouch from his pack. He threw the bags of gold into the woods. “Have a nice night.”
Liam and Lawson pushed me forward, and I tried to calm my shaking. The thought of going back to Blake terrified me, as did the thought of failing my mother. We had to get to her. We moved at a quick pace, but I couldn’t help constantly glancing behind me.
“They are not following us, Charlotte. Trust me,” James said.
“If you say so,” I responded barely loud enough for him to hear.
Evidently, he had good hearing. “I do. Come on. We have to keep moving so we can get far enough away to make camp.”
James disappeared in the distance, presumably to seek out a good campsite. Liam and Lawson were both still tight against my sides, and I could feel Monty behind me. For all my complaining, I was glad to have so many strong guys with me.
Chapter Twelve
Kevin
I woke up stiff as a board from sleeping on the floor. I could have asked for the bed after all of the excitement with Ollis agreeing to back us, but considering Bry was the one who had gotten us the room in the first place, I let him have it. My body protested, making me regret the decision.
I stood and stretched. “So what are the plans for today?”
“You meet the rest of the council. But first, we have breakfast.” Bry smiled. Evidently, he had slept well.
After a quick shower—it was nice to see that Alak had indoor plumbing—I followed Bry and Henry downstairs to the lobby. We walked over to the front desk and were each handed a brightly colored drink. Mine was red. I was prepared for something disgusting, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that it tasted like a fruit smoothie. Between the plumbing and the smoothie, Alak started earning serious points with me.
Unlike the night before, tables were set up throughout the large glass room. We immediately walked over to where Samantha, Naomi, and Ada sat with their own drinks.
“Good morning, Kevin.” Samantha’s cheerfulness caught me off guard.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” I hoped I didn’t sound too lame.
“Very well. Thank you for asking.”
After an awkward silence, I asked, “So what happens when I meet the council?”
“Ultimately you need to persuade them to join us, but for today, your goal is to convince the council to hold a public hearing.” Bry said that as though he actually believed it answered my question.
“You don’t have any other advice?”
“Don’t stare, and try to hide how little you understand of our ways.” Naomi pushed back her chair and stood.
“Are we ready to go?” Bry sounded calm and collected. I wished I felt that way.
“Sure. I mean I’m so prepared. Why wait?” Sarcasm wasn’t my best trait, but I couldn’t hold back. No one even responded.
***
Bry, Naomi, and I headed out to the meeting. Henry and Samantha wouldn’t be allowed into the council meeting, so they stayed back. I was relieved Samantha wouldn’t be joining us—one less stress. The streets were crowded again, but I enjoyed the city feel. It didn’t take long to arrive at the dome that housed the council’s chambers and meeting room. Steep steps led up to the grand entryway, and I felt as if we were walking into a NFL game rather than an important meeting with heads of nations.
We followed Bry down a long hallway before coming to a stop in front of an arched doorway. We entered an enormous room filled with stadium seating. It reminded me of the large lecture halls at school. There was one long table at the front surrounded by chairs, all but four taken by men and women wearing serious expressions. I recognized Ollis and nodded at him. He smiled slightly in response. The stadium part of the room was completely empty, making me feel as though I was either really early or really late for an event.
I took my spot, seated between Bry and Naomi, and tried to prepare myself as I did before a game. I failed miserably. With a game, I knew what to expect. I had no idea what the council meeting would involve. I nervously tapped my fingers on the smooth metal table. I turned toward the door when a tall man with waist-length blond hair and piercing blue eyes sauntered into the room. I had a feeling he was not a guy to mess with, but I couldn’t hold back a small chuckle. He looked like he had stepped off the cover of a romance novel.
“Is something amusing you, Winthrop?” The blond asked.
“No, nothing.” Once again, it seemed strange that someone knew who I was before I introduced myself. It felt even stranger in Alak than it had in Chapel Hill. I preferred the notoriety of basketball.
“I am surprised you were willing to grace us with your presence. I would have thought you were too busy with your infantile existence.”
Bry grabbed my arm before I could bolt out of my seat. I already disliked that guy, and he evidently felt the same about me.
“How nice to see you again, Alexander,” Bry said, but didn’t appear too pleased about it.
“Quit the pleasantries. I see no reason why we are even holding this meeting.” Alexander exuded annoyance as he took the last remaining seat at the table.
“We are here to decide whether to hold a public council meeting on the issue of aiding Energo’s Resistance. This is an issue that requires the full council, as you well know.” The ancient guy sitting at the head of the table addressed Alexander in a strong voice that seemed odd coming from a man his age. With his long white beard and dark eyes, he loo
ked like a textbook example of a wizard; all he needed was the hat. Less than five minutes into the meeting, I’d met Fabio and Dumbledore—the day was getting better and better. I wished Liam was with me because he would be thinking exactly the same thing.
Naomi elbowed me. “That is Marquis, the senior councilman.” From her tone, I could tell she respected him. I’d have to keep the wizard references to myself.
I looked around the table. An eclectic mix of people represented the different nations. Ollis sat to the right of Naomi, who sat next to a Zale. I was pulled from my musing by Alexander’s angry voice. “I see no reason why we should involve ourselves in the politics of Energo.”
Surprised that we had jumped right into the debate, I didn’t know how to respond. Luckily, others weren’t as tongue-tied.
“The politics of Energo? Are you blind to the destruction Blake is bringing to all of our lands?” Bry thundered.
“Regardless, we have nothing to gain from backing this young Winthrop.”
“Nothing to gain?” Naomi said incredulously.
“I am sure he is weak, just like the rest of the recent line,” Alexander sneered.
I didn’t get the connection at first. Once I realized he was trying to put down my sister, I had to jump in. “You know nothing about Charlotte. How could you call her weak?”
“She is weak like her mother. Emma ran away when we all needed her, and she caused half this mess. At least she had the excuse of a dead Gerard. This new Essence chose to leave her Gerard. How can we trust an Essence who cannot be loyal?”
My blood boiled, and I couldn’t stay in my seat any longer. The guy was putting down both my mother and sister. “My sister left her Gerard because he was supporting a corrupt man. The same man you all know is behind the destruction.”
“What do you know of our situation, Winthrop? You were raised in the lost world, and from what I hear, you spend your days playing for sport. What kind of leader could you ever hope to be?”
“I may not be from Energo, but I’m still part of it. I care about the outcome as much as the rest of you.”
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