Brit all on their hands and knees as close to the rocks as they can get. “Why did you scream?” I ask, maintaining a quiet tone.
Brit rests her trembling hand on mine. “D-daemons.” She stares up the cliff.
Arland exits after me, and the calm, cool demeanor of his Leader self oozes from him. He straightens his back then looks around in all directions before acknowledging Cadman and Flanna. “How many?”
Arland didn’t even question
if
. He already knows.
“All of them, sir,” Cadman says. “We watched them enter, but I do not believe they saw us.”
All of them
. That means there are at least thirty. What does that mean for—”
Perth
… . ” The name escapes my mouth and hangs in the cool, dark air like the threat of death we continue to face.
“They have that little traitor,” Flanna says, nose turned up.
“Traitor?” Brit asks, glancing at my fiery friend.
Flanna puts her hands on her hips, her red hair pale next to the anger coloring her cheeks. “He has to have something to do with this.”
How can she make that assumption about Perth? I look between Arland and Flanna.
He doesn’t take his eyes off the hill of rocks between us and an exit—or death. “Flanna is angry because she holds out hope for you and me, Kate … amongst other things.
And
she knows nothing of what you told me about Griandor and trust.”
Flanna tears her gaze from my sister then turns to me. “Trust? Do not tell me you trust him? I am sure that little weasel had a hand in setting us up.” She’s angry, but her voice never goes above a whisper.
“I didn’t trust him at first, but I do now—and I don’t think he had anything to do with our set-up. There were two working against us. Lann was one. Do you guys have any idea who the other was … other than Perth?”
Flanna scowls then returns to face the cliff.
“Lann did not have anything to do with it, ma’am,” Cadman says.
“I saw with my own eyes … well, through Brit’s mind.”
Brit shakes her head. “I was wrong, Kate. I’m so sorry. That wasn’t Lann—he shifted into something else soon after you left my mind, and I forgot to say anything when you came back. Somehow they knew about our connection. They tricked me. Just like when the daemon threatened me with his blood. As soon as the connection faded, we could hear your screams from here. That’s when they brought Arland and me down to that s-snake thing.”
Information swims inside my head. Every time I feel like I know something, everything changes. “So Lann isn’t a spy?”
Arland grits his teeth. “No, a shifter in the form of Lann was the spy. He is the one who allowed the daemons to enter the base while we were sleeping. When I came out to see what was going on, I saw his true form.”
“But you said they only shifted into animals. How come we couldn’t tell?”
“I do not know the answer.” Arland shakes his head. “It certainly explains so many of our own turning against us.”
“Does this mean the real Lann may be out there somewhere, and we still have no idea who the other spy was?”
“Are you sure there were two?” he asks.
“I’m not sure of anything, but a certain someone said he had two daemons working against us.” I’m keeping details about my meeting with Griandor secret from as many people as possible. Knowledge is power, just like Arland’s father always told him, and what I know, others will want to as well.
“Well, if there were two”—Flanna rolls her eyes—”I have a pretty good idea one of them was Perth.”
She’s getting under my skin. “Are the other soldiers still up there, or did they leave before the tairbs and coscarthas got here?” I ask, pointing up the cliff.
“Where would they have gone? You were taking care of Arland and Brit. None of the soldiers had weapons; there was nowhere
to
go.” Flanna’s tone borders on hostile.
I know she loves her people, but she acts as if I should have left Arland and Brit to die. No
Brit rests her trembling hand on mine. “D-daemons.” She stares up the cliff.
Arland exits after me, and the calm, cool demeanor of his Leader self oozes from him. He straightens his back then looks around in all directions before acknowledging Cadman and Flanna. “How many?”
Arland didn’t even question
if
. He already knows.
“All of them, sir,” Cadman says. “We watched them enter, but I do not believe they saw us.”
All of them
. That means there are at least thirty. What does that mean for—”
Perth
… . ” The name escapes my mouth and hangs in the cool, dark air like the threat of death we continue to face.
“They have that little traitor,” Flanna says, nose turned up.
“Traitor?” Brit asks, glancing at my fiery friend.
Flanna puts her hands on her hips, her red hair pale next to the anger coloring her cheeks. “He has to have something to do with this.”
How can she make that assumption about Perth? I look between Arland and Flanna.
He doesn’t take his eyes off the hill of rocks between us and an exit—or death. “Flanna is angry because she holds out hope for you and me, Kate … amongst other things.
And
she knows nothing of what you told me about Griandor and trust.”
Flanna tears her gaze from my sister then turns to me. “Trust? Do not tell me you trust him? I am sure that little weasel had a hand in setting us up.” She’s angry, but her voice never goes above a whisper.
“I didn’t trust him at first, but I do now—and I don’t think he had anything to do with our set-up. There were two working against us. Lann was one. Do you guys have any idea who the other was … other than Perth?”
Flanna scowls then returns to face the cliff.
“Lann did not have anything to do with it, ma’am,” Cadman says.
“I saw with my own eyes … well, through Brit’s mind.”
Brit shakes her head. “I was wrong, Kate. I’m so sorry. That wasn’t Lann—he shifted into something else soon after you left my mind, and I forgot to say anything when you came back. Somehow they knew about our connection. They tricked me. Just like when the daemon threatened me with his blood. As soon as the connection faded, we could hear your screams from here. That’s when they brought Arland and me down to that s-snake thing.”
Information swims inside my head. Every time I feel like I know something, everything changes. “So Lann isn’t a spy?”
Arland grits his teeth. “No, a shifter in the form of Lann was the spy. He is the one who allowed the daemons to enter the base while we were sleeping. When I came out to see what was going on, I saw his true form.”
“But you said they only shifted into animals. How come we couldn’t tell?”
“I do not know the answer.” Arland shakes his head. “It certainly explains so many of our own turning against us.”
“Does this mean the real Lann may be out there somewhere, and we still have no idea who the other spy was?”
“Are you sure there were two?” he asks.
“I’m not sure of anything, but a certain someone said he had two daemons working against us.” I’m keeping details about my meeting with Griandor secret from as many people as possible. Knowledge is power, just like Arland’s father always told him, and what I know, others will want to as well.
“Well, if there were two”—Flanna rolls her eyes—”I have a pretty good idea one of them was Perth.”
She’s getting under my skin. “Are the other soldiers still up there, or did they leave before the tairbs and coscarthas got here?” I ask, pointing up the cliff.
“Where would they have gone? You were taking care of Arland and Brit. None of the soldiers had weapons; there was nowhere
to
go.” Flanna’s tone borders on hostile.
I know she loves her people, but she acts as if I should have left Arland and Brit to die. No
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