matter how hard I try, I cannot protect everyone.
Arland towers over his cousin. “Control yourself.”
Her expression softens, and she covers her face with her hands. “I am sorry, Kate. We have never had anything like this occur. I love Lann and cannot imagine anything happening to him.”
“You
love
Lann? I wouldn’t have known,” I say, trying to calm my frustration. Love certainly explains her current behavior, and maybe even some of her others.
Brit gives me a pointed look. “See what I mean about hiding things?”
Flanna drops her hands; her face blanches, making her blue eyes blaze in the Darkness. “Kate, I have been sharing a room with a daemon for … I do not even know how long.”
I wrap my arms around her, and she sobs into my shoulder.
“We can discuss our love lives later. Right now we need to come up with a plan—one that does not involve us standing here waiting to get caught,” Arland says.
Flanna backs away and scowls at him.
Cadman casts a weary glance in the direction of the cave. “Is there another way out?”
“There must be, but we have no reason to run and hide.” Arland tips his head in my direction, and for a moment, I get an urge to turn and run the other direction. But this isn’t just my life in danger; it’s everyone in the world.
Cadman holds up the claymore. “Other than this sword,
we
have no weapons, sir.”
“Kate, how do you feel?” Arland asks, rubbing my arms. “Do you think you can handle what is up there, or would you prefer to go back into this cave?”
So many dreams I’ve had of us dying in a cave, or rather just outside of one. I’d like to get as far away from the rocks … and, well, daemons in general as possible, but I don’t want to hide. Both stowing away in this cave and fighting in the one above hold consequences I’m not sure I’m ready to face; however, with Arland beside me, I don’t feel weak. “I say we fight.”
A grin spreads across his face. “Are you sure? Once we start we cannot stop.”
“We can’t leave everyone up there in the hands of daemons. They’ll kill them when they find four captives missing. Besides, we need to get to Willow Falls and work on that other thing.” That
other
thing being my army.
Arland takes my hand in his. “Cadman, give me the sword. Would the three of you feel safer waiting here or coming with us?”
Cadman hands the sword over as if he’s giving up an arm or a leg. “I would prefer to fight, sir. I just wonder what use I will be without a weapon.”
“When Kate’s fire burns, think of the things you love. Connect your mind to those things then command the magic to do your will. It will be the only weapon you need, but we must work fast. The magic drains her. She has not had enough rest, but if we all work together, it should make her job easier.”
My mouth hangs open as I stare at Arland. “How do you know all of this, Arland?”
Glancing sideways, he smiles. “What do you think I was thinking about in every battle we have endured so far?”
Flanna groans. “Love lives later, right Arland?”
I hate how upset she is. I know it’s not my relationship with Arland bothering her; Flanna did her best to push us together, but I can’t worry about her right now. My sister is trembling.
“Brit, are
you
going to be okay with this?” I ask.
She wraps her arms around herself. “I-I d-don’t know how to use the m-magic or a sword. The only thing I do know how to use is a b-bow, and I don’t have one.”
Freeing my hand from Arland, I embrace Brit and rub her back, trying to ease her nerves. “Stay behind me and Arland. Do you understand? Not in front, not to the side, but behind me—within inches.”
Teeth chattering, face pale—she nods.
I lace my fingers with Arland’s again then lock eyes with him. “Let’s go.”
He leads us along a path running about a quarter mile around the left side of the ledge. The daemons are quiet, and so are we. We creep up the hill,
Arland towers over his cousin. “Control yourself.”
Her expression softens, and she covers her face with her hands. “I am sorry, Kate. We have never had anything like this occur. I love Lann and cannot imagine anything happening to him.”
“You
love
Lann? I wouldn’t have known,” I say, trying to calm my frustration. Love certainly explains her current behavior, and maybe even some of her others.
Brit gives me a pointed look. “See what I mean about hiding things?”
Flanna drops her hands; her face blanches, making her blue eyes blaze in the Darkness. “Kate, I have been sharing a room with a daemon for … I do not even know how long.”
I wrap my arms around her, and she sobs into my shoulder.
“We can discuss our love lives later. Right now we need to come up with a plan—one that does not involve us standing here waiting to get caught,” Arland says.
Flanna backs away and scowls at him.
Cadman casts a weary glance in the direction of the cave. “Is there another way out?”
“There must be, but we have no reason to run and hide.” Arland tips his head in my direction, and for a moment, I get an urge to turn and run the other direction. But this isn’t just my life in danger; it’s everyone in the world.
Cadman holds up the claymore. “Other than this sword,
we
have no weapons, sir.”
“Kate, how do you feel?” Arland asks, rubbing my arms. “Do you think you can handle what is up there, or would you prefer to go back into this cave?”
So many dreams I’ve had of us dying in a cave, or rather just outside of one. I’d like to get as far away from the rocks … and, well, daemons in general as possible, but I don’t want to hide. Both stowing away in this cave and fighting in the one above hold consequences I’m not sure I’m ready to face; however, with Arland beside me, I don’t feel weak. “I say we fight.”
A grin spreads across his face. “Are you sure? Once we start we cannot stop.”
“We can’t leave everyone up there in the hands of daemons. They’ll kill them when they find four captives missing. Besides, we need to get to Willow Falls and work on that other thing.” That
other
thing being my army.
Arland takes my hand in his. “Cadman, give me the sword. Would the three of you feel safer waiting here or coming with us?”
Cadman hands the sword over as if he’s giving up an arm or a leg. “I would prefer to fight, sir. I just wonder what use I will be without a weapon.”
“When Kate’s fire burns, think of the things you love. Connect your mind to those things then command the magic to do your will. It will be the only weapon you need, but we must work fast. The magic drains her. She has not had enough rest, but if we all work together, it should make her job easier.”
My mouth hangs open as I stare at Arland. “How do you know all of this, Arland?”
Glancing sideways, he smiles. “What do you think I was thinking about in every battle we have endured so far?”
Flanna groans. “Love lives later, right Arland?”
I hate how upset she is. I know it’s not my relationship with Arland bothering her; Flanna did her best to push us together, but I can’t worry about her right now. My sister is trembling.
“Brit, are
you
going to be okay with this?” I ask.
She wraps her arms around herself. “I-I d-don’t know how to use the m-magic or a sword. The only thing I do know how to use is a b-bow, and I don’t have one.”
Freeing my hand from Arland, I embrace Brit and rub her back, trying to ease her nerves. “Stay behind me and Arland. Do you understand? Not in front, not to the side, but behind me—within inches.”
Teeth chattering, face pale—she nods.
I lace my fingers with Arland’s again then lock eyes with him. “Let’s go.”
He leads us along a path running about a quarter mile around the left side of the ledge. The daemons are quiet, and so are we. We creep up the hill,
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