“Gary, something is wrong, and I need your help.”
That gets his attention. He squeezes me. “Does it involve that man over there? He looks at you as a man looks at his wife. When did you meet? How long has he been in love with you?”
I smile. Gary recognizes the love Arland and I have for one another. “For a while, but Arland is not what I need your help with now. I need you to go somewhere with me, with us, and to promise to not go running away thinking we’re crazy.”
Gary narrows his big, brown eyes. “Could you be a little more specific?”
“Not until we get there. I need you to trust me.”
A diesel truck sputters up the drive, popping the gravel under its tires. Mr. Tanner. My mom knows everything. Everything.
Gary heads through the barn, and the rest of us trail behind him, remaining at a short distance.
“He is quite protective of you, Kate.” Arland laces his fingers with mine.
“He knows you love me.”
Muriel takes my other hand. “Do I still get to stay here?”
The goats yell at us as we pass by them. Birds chirp in the sky, horses neigh in the fields, and chickens cluck away. Life has returned to Carlton Farms. Muriel will have food, she will have shelter, and if we convince Gary to come with Arland and me to Encardia, she will have freedom.
“I think so.”
“We really need to get on our way. I assume this is the Mr. Tanner your mother’s all-knowing letter mentioned. He is here; should we read the rest?” Arland points toward the front of the drive, where everyone parks right in front of the house.
Gary has his arms on Mr. Tanner’s window, leaning in and chatting. Neither of them appears too happy. Gary was under the impression I never wanted to see him again, but what does Mr. Tanner think about Brad?
Guilt fills every corner of my body. I’m going to kill Mr. Tanner’s son, and I’m going to ask him to come help me. No, I’m asking him and Gary to come and be killed, too. I stop walking; part of me wants to turn and run. What am I doing here? We shouldn’t have left. I’m not going to be able to convince either of them to come with us, and I’d prefer for them to stay safe.
“Calm down. Open the next flap and read,” Arland says, rubbing his hand up and down my back.
Gary notices, so does Mr. Tanner. They glower at us.
Pulling the letter from my pocket, I fight back tears. I’m so weak.
“You are strong, brave, and really taking too much time.”
“This isn’t exactly easy.” I take a deep breath and unfold the second piece. “Open their eyes, their hearts, erase the lies, let the process start. No more traveling shall they endure; bring the entry home to Carlton’s front door.”
The breeze picks up, whipping straw through the air. Dark, rolling clouds blow in from every direction. This is more like it—what I expected to happen when we unfroze Gary. Lightning strikes in the pasture, blasting up the dirt where the energy hit the ground.
Mr. Tanner gets out of his truck and runs for the house. Gary motions for us to join, then cups his hands around his mouth, shouting for us to hurry up.
The sunshine is gone, leaving the sky black. Birds fly against the wind but make it nowhere. Horses gallop toward the barn and likely into their stalls. Somehow, none of this fazes me, Arland, or Muriel. We slowly make our way to the front porch. The lightning won’t hurt us, maybe blind us for a moment, but not hurt us. There’s nothing to fear. We’re going to leave—well, maybe there is fear in that.
“Come on,” Gary yells, battling to keep the screen door open. “We need to get into the cellar.”
Lightning cracks a tree along the driveway, charring the trunk down the middle, but no rain falls from the sky.
My stepfather grabs my arm. “Get inside. Hurry.”
I shake my head. “No. This storm will not harm us.”
Mr. Tanner crosses his arms over his chest, silently brooding behind Gary. I wish I knew what Mr. Tanner thinks of Brad, where he believes his son to be. “Leave them, Gary. This storm will tear the house from its foundation.”
Gary shifts his gaze from me to Mr. Tanner and then back. “Kate?”
“I need you to trust me,” I yell over the wind.
“I do trust you. I have always trusted you.” He slumps his shoulders.
“Then I need you and Mr. Tanner to stand outside with me. My friend Muriel will go inside. She’s going to stay here and care for the animals while we’re gone.”
Both men step outside, casting weary glances up at the sky.
Muriel kisses my cheek, then quickly hugs Arland. “Will we meet again?”
“Time will tell,” Arland says, then he points to the letter in my hands. “The last part of the spell, Kate.”
“What car are we taking?” Mr. Tanner asks.
Arland laughs once. “You will understand soon.”
Unfolding the paper, I hope leaving Muriel here is the right decision. “Forever this portal shall remain, providing an entrance for all, even though those who leave now might never return here again. Trust in each other and work together, and what your heart desires, you will receive. Open the door. Now.”
Gary snatches the paper from me, before I finish analyzing what Mom’s words mean, whether Gary won’t return, or whether I won’t return, or Arland, or … . “What is the meaning of all thi—?”
Crack.
The hairs on my arms stand at attention, and beside us, the rippling portal appears. “Take my hand, Gary”—I latch onto Arland so tightly, he’ll definitely lose feeling in his fingers—”and you take Mr. Tanner’s hand.”
“You want us to hold hands, Kate?” Mr. Tanner turns up his nose.
“Look. I don’t know what my mom said to you about where your son is, but let me tell you, where we’re going, you’ll see him again. Nothing will be as you expect, but you will see him, and I need your help to bring Brad back. I can’t promise your safety.”
He does as I instructed him, then pushes on my stepdad. Mr. Tanner loves his son; he’s all the old man has left.
Arland leads us to the edge of the porch, near the swaying swing my mom and I spent so much time on when I was little. The portal shakes with energy, shifting with the winds. Completely see-through and at least ten feet wide, the portal is like a welcome mat. I’m ready to go back.
“You will return here, of that I am sure,” Arland says, stopping just before the magical barrier between our worlds. “I cannot speak for these two or myself, but you will return.”
I blink hard. “I know. I’ve never admitted it, but I’m not sure we can avoid what I’ve seen so many times. This”—I let go of him, grab the paper from my armor pocket, then wave it in his face—”is just one more reminder your life is on the line.”
A pained look crosses his eyes as they flick from me to Gary and Mr. Tanner. “I adore you and your strength, Kate. I would speak it aloud, but these men are already lost.”
“We should go.” I can’t bring myself to say I love you; the words are too much like goodbye. The clues in my mom’s letter only echo what I’ve felt since the celebration the night before we left Willow Falls: Arland might not make it out of the war, he might not live with me, raise a family, Lead Encardia, run a horse farm. There may be nothing more for us. I’ve known this since I began dreaming about him six years ago, before I even knew he was real.
Returning the letter to my pocket, I take a step closer to Encardia.
The wind blows so hard I feel as if the gods are forcing us to return.
“Gary, Mr. Tanner, you may not be able to see what we’re about to walk into, but trust me when I say things are about to change.”
They exchange a look that I’m sure means they’d like to have me committed but tip their head anyway, and Arland and I walk through the portal, each of us holding hands. The trip doesn’t take long. Within one breath of air, we return to Encardia. The sharp smell of death is the first thing I breathe in, and it turns my stomach. Glancing aroun
d, I find we’re in the exact place we left, but we’re alone. No daemons. No signs of the others. No signs of battles.
Thank you, Griandor.
All four of the other portals shimmer against the black night.
“What kind of dark magic was that?” Mr. Tanner asks, dropping the link between him and my stepfather. “Where are we?”
“Magic? Why would you assume magic?”
“Do you notice how dark it is? Hell, I can’t even see but a foot or two in front of my face.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s dark magic. This is Kate we’re talking about.” Gary narrows his eyes and looks around, and all the color drains from his face, as if he’s just realized how dire a situation we’re in. “Kate, would you, please, explain where we are and what’s going on?”
“I need to communicate with the others,” Arland says, half-smiling at the arguing men. “The first spell hid this place from Dughbal and the daemons, but I have no idea if it still stands or not.”
“Look at all these magical things floating in this forest.” Mr. Tanner reaches out his finger to touch one of the portals.
“Don’t touch that,” Arland and I shout together.
Brad’s dad withdraws his finger like a child scolded. “What is it?”
“An opening to a world potentially darker than this one.” I have no idea where it leads, and I have no idea how he can see it when Brad never could.
“Can you handle them and a concealment?” Arland winks. He knows I can. I have to, and for him, I will do anything.
I stand on my toes and kiss his cheek. “Hurry back.”
Taking a seat against a nearby tree, Arland closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“What’s he doing?” Gary points at Arland.
“Making a phone call, and he needs us to stay as quiet as possible.” I plop down on a blanket of pine needles. “Sit with me. There are things we need to discuss.”
They exchange an odd look but do as I asked.
Focusing on my love, I release magic from inside, allowing it to ripple across my skin, then I recite the concealment spell.
“For the love of God, Katriona Wilde. What’s wrong with you?” Gary jumps to his feet and looks at me as if I have fangs and two heads and am snarling.
This is not the time to tell him I’m no longer Katriona Wilde. The fact I’m Bound to Arland would surely scare Gary more. “Do you trust me?”
He nods, but his movement is jarred, shaky.
“I will tell you everything, starting with what I am—”
“Kate. Please, if you can hear me, respond.” Brit’s voice floats through my head, scared, defeated, weak.
“Brit?”
“Oh … .” Instead of words, I sense relief mixed with a deep sadness.
“What’s wrong?”
Gary reaches out as though he wants to touch my arm, but quickly withdraws his hand. My fire won’t hurt him, but he doesn’t know this. “You were saying … ?”
The connection between me and Brit starts to fade, tearing at my heart. I picture her in my mind, try to bring her close to me again.
“You’ve been gone so long. So many of us have died. I’m hungry and tired but am so happy you’re alive. We thought … . Two months, Kate. What took you so long?”
Blood speeds through my veins, pulsing in my head. Two months? How is that possible? We weren’t frozen in time. Brit’s thoughts shut off to mine, and my emotions spiral out of control. What if we’d stayed another night? What if … . Oh my God, who’s died?
A warm, shaking hand grips my shoulder. “They are in a cave near here.”
I can’t move. All I can do is tremble, my fire blazing wild and bright. Gary and Mr. Tanner stare open-mouthed at me, surely in awe of the Draíochtan magic they’ve never seen before. Maybe no regular human has seen this power. The letter said something about opening their eyes … . Well, we know my mom’s words worked.
Hooves clop against the dry earth. I look over my shoulder and spot Mirain, glowing white and beautiful, standing next to Bowen and two other horses within a dense growth of trees, her light surrounding all of them.
“Incredible,” Gary says.
I’ll have to explain why I brought them here on our quest to find the others … the ones still alive … but I won’t have a chance to share all the incredible things there are here, only the bad. There’s never enough time.
Lead fills my heart. Arland’s thoughts fill my head. Every five minutes or so, he reminds me we’ve done nothing wrong, I shouldn’t feel guilty, we don’t know the extent of the losses, but even his thoughts are traitorous. There’s no wall between what he’s thinking and what he’s showing on his face.
A first, and that scares me, especially since most of his consciousness is screaming he should have stayed here and allowed me and Muriel to go alone. We would have been safe.
Now my Coimeádaí doubts his place by my side.
“I do not doubt my place by your side. You are my wife, and I love you with everything I am. You are a part of me, and I am a part of you. What I doubt is my ability to do right by you or anyone in this world. What I doubt is my decision-making while we were gathering these two men. You wanted to return, and I forced you to stay.” He shakes his head, struggling with his inner demons.
We should have known. We shouldn’t have showered or eaten or slept together. The comfort of a world without war was enchanting. We were foolish, but it was not his fault, or mine, it was ours together. At least we can claim the failure as a team.
The flames flicker, diminishing with each selfish, scared notion, but I guess that’s just who I am: selfish, scared, and foolish.
Arland turns his head, holding my teary-eyed gaze. “You are the least selfish person I know.”
“Do you two do this often?” Mr. Tanner asks.
I glance at him. “Do what?”
He waves his hand around. “It’s like you’re carrying on some silent conversation, and then you’ll suddenly speak aloud.”
“We are,” Arland says, a little humor playing into his voice. Being around people who don’t know everything about us, about our love, our futures, our place in this world, is awkward. “Kate and I are connected on many levels.”
Gary growls, clearly misinterpreting what Arland means, though we’re connected that way, too.
“Arland and I are Bound to each other, Gary. You haven’t freaked out about anything yet, so I might as well tell you that you were frozen in time for over a month … three if you count the time Brit claims we’ve been gone just to bring you here—”
“Bound?” Gary asks, narrowing his eyes, looking from me to Arland.
“We’re married. My mother never shared any of this with you, me, or Brit for reasons I don’t understand, but I’m not even human, Gary. Neither is she. My mother and father were Leaders of Encardia—the world we’re in now—and before I was born, they were told to take me away to keep me safe, that I would one day come back here and fight in a war against a dark god named Dughbal. Arland and I are the key to saving this world. I am Light, and Arland is my protector, my Coimeádaí.”
Mr. Tanner tugs his horse’s reins, the skin around his eyes twitching. “Where is my son? What have you done to him?”
Of course. Mr. Tanner still assumes Brad and I are together. Maybe that’s why my communicating with Arland bothers Mr. Tanner so much.
Arland circles back, riding up behind Brad’s father, eyes to the forest. “We need to keep moving.”
“Tell me where my son is!”
“I will show him to you—”
“No!” Arland shouts, abandoning Mr. Tanner. “You cannot.”
Bowen trots alongside Mirain, and Arland leans closer to me, melting me with his gaze. “I will not allow it. We have no idea how powerful he has grown since we have been gone. You are drained, barely in control of your emotions. You have spent the last hour doubting us. Do you really believe you have the energy to protect yourself and this man if
I am not around?”
His words cut like daggers. I don’t doubt us, not our feelings. I can’t believe how confused I am, how tormented I’ve been since we left Encardia to return to Earth and then come back again. What’s wrong with me? I’m hurting, worried, consumed by fear, frustration, anger. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Putting myself out there for Dughbal to see is too dangerous.”
Arland’s shoulders relax, and he reaches out, cupping my cheek in his palm. “Thank you,” he whispers.
“What does Dughbal have to do with Brad? I’ve always trusted you, Kate, but right now, you should begin explaining the rest of what’s going on.” Mr. Tanner rides his horse, joining us. “Please.”
Mirain walks without my guidance—she knows where we need to go; I’m sure of it—and everyone else follows.
I look back as we travel, holding Mr. Tanner’s angry stare. “The war is between gods, but they cannot fight each other without destroying life. According to prophecy—and a god named Griandor—I’m the only one who can fight Dughbal, but only with the combined strength of my husband and me. So, I guess if you look at it that way, we’re the only ones who can fight him.” As soon as I say it, I know what we did on Earth wasn’t wrong. We couldn’t have known time for us moved slower. Maybe we weren’t supposed to know. Everything happens for a reason; our moments of happiness spent in my family’s home can be no different.
My spirit lifts, allowing fire to be free again. The sense of right travels to Arland, too. He smiles as though all my thoughts and feelings just jumped into his head.
My husband turns and takes in the two men as well. “Unfortunately, Dughbal found out about Kate’s prophecy and traveled to the world you come from. He attempted to taint your son but failed. However, when Kate, Brad, and Brit stumbled into Encardia, your son was attacked by daemons, allowing the poison Dughbal once tried to use on him to filter through every memory of his life.”
“I tried to save him, to get him home, but we had no idea he was affected by Darkness. When we brought him to the portal, daemons attacked again. We thought they—”
Mr. Tanner chokes and clutches his throat. “A-are you telling me my son is dead?”
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