Perilous Light (6 page)

“
Yes, we have received word that Blake is planning an attack.” Theodore awkwardly let his arms fall to his sides.

“
What can we do?” Kevin took a few steps further to join Monty and Theodore.

“
I wanted to talk to Monty about this first, but we have a big job for you, Kevin.”

Monty put a hand on Kevin’s arm. “What kind of job? Theodore, should we speak about this privately first?”

“
We cannot defeat Blake on our own. We need to get the support of the other nations. We need the Pact behind us.” Theodore ran his hands through his hair, a nervous habit he shared with Monty.

“
And you think sending Kevin is the answer?” Monty raised his voice to a level just below yelling.

Liam nudged me. He caught my eye, silently asking me if I knew what was going on.

“
As the Essence’s brother, Kevin is technically second to the Gerard. They will at least have to give him an audience.” Theodore’s voice had risen to match Monty’s volume.

“
What you say is true. But who will accompany him on his journey? I am not leaving Charlotte’s side.” Monty started to pace. Five minutes with his brother and Monty was already talking formally.

“
Will someone please fill me in here? I’m the one you’re talking about.” Kevin was obviously getting annoyed. I understood the feeling. Few things were more frustrating than having people make decisions for you without asking for your input.

Monty stopped pacing long enough to question Kevin. “Do you know what the Pact is?”

“
Yeah. It’s something like the United Nations. But what do I have to do with it?”

“
You need to convince the other nations to join with us, to stand against Blake.” Theodore lowered his voice after taking a few breaths to calm down.

“
And you really think I’m the one to do it?” Kevin asked.

Theodore didn’t hesitate. “You are the
only
one to do it.”

Monty nodded. My nerves kicked in. I understood that anything we did in Energo could be dangerous, but I didn’t like the idea of Kevin being sent to meet with leaders from all those other worlds. I wondered if they were all shifters like the Zatamanians, Naomi’s people.

“
I agree Kevin should do it, but you never answered my question, Theodore.” Monty’s face didn’t reveal his feelings, but I assumed he was nervous, too. “Who will accompany him? You can hardly expect him to find his way alone.”

“
Naomi has been with us, and she has agreed to escort him, as has Samantha.”

Kevin noticeably flinched when he heard Samantha’s name. He tried to look around nonchalantly, but I noticed his response.

Theodore laughed. “She is out training some new recruits, but she will be at dinner.” He must have figured out what the rest of us already knew; Kevin was totally into Samantha.

“
I am willing to accompany Kevin as well. I will stay with Charlotte if you think it is best, but I went to some Pact meetings with my father and may be of use.” Henry appeared excited at the prospect of joining Kevin. I would miss having him with us, but if he could help Kevin, I wanted him to go.

“
He is right. Henry used to tag along with our father frequently. He is the only one of us who showed interest in Father’s ambassador work.” It sounded as though Lawson regretted his own lack of interest in the Pact.

“
Are you all right with that, Monty? Do you think one Guardian is adequate?” Theodore asked.

“
As much as I believe Charlotte needs protection, if Kevin is going to pull this off, he needs all the help he can get.” Monty shifted his weight back and forth between his feet.

“
If I’m going to pull this off? Great way to instill confidence.” Kevin shook his head. “And I want to make sure Charlotte is safe. Liam is staying with her if I can’t.” Kevin exchanged glances with Liam.

“
Sure, that makes sense.” Liam smiled at me.

I decided it was time to ask my questions. “So we’ve discussed what Kevin is doing. Where do I fit in?” I touched Monty’s arm to get his attention; he seemed far away.

Theodore answered for Monty. “I thought you knew. You are to go to Icentris to retrieve Emma.” Theodore’s words sounded flat and emotionless, but the pain in his eyes suggested guilt and remorse I couldn’t imagine.

As Theodore’s words hit me, I felt ambushed by a wave of emotions. I realized that returning to Energo meant we were going after my mother, but I hadn’t really accepted how soon we would do it. I was excited, but also nervous. James said I was the only hope of saving her, but I couldn’t shake the fear of failure.

When I didn’t answer, Theodore continued, “How have you fared using your abilities?”

“
Not great. I mean, sometimes they work, but they aren’t very predictable.”

An expression of horror crossed Theodore’s face. “What do you mean, ‘they are not predictable’? You were doing so well with Ruth back at Bellgard!” I took a step back, walking right into Liam. He put his hands on my shoulders to steady me.

Before I could say anything in my defense, Henry said, “She has had no one to teach her. Essences are usually trained by their predecessors for many years. Without Emma or Ruth, how can we expect Charlotte to master her abilities?” Henry turned to smile at me encouragingly. I’m not sure what caused it, but Henry seemed to have matured considerably in the few hours we had been back in Energo. Maybe he wanted to appear more adult in front of his brother.

“
Henry is right. It merely reinforces how important it is to retrieve Emma immediately. I want to keep our party small, and with James’s knowledge, we do not need a guide, but I would prefer one more man for our journey. Can you spare anyone?” Monty asked.

Lawson raised his hand. “I can go with you. It would be an honor to protect the Essence.” Ruth hadn’t been kidding when she told me the Ashwells were loyal to the Essence. Even though we had just met, I was glad Lawson would be accompanying us.

“
That sounds reasonable. So it is settled. The two groups will leave in the morning,” Monty stated.

I didn’t wait to hear how everyone responded to Theodore. Needing air, I walked out of the cave entrance without glancing back. I knew I was being followed, but I didn’t care. No one had warned me how emotional returning to Energo would make me. All of my hurt and confusion over Calvin multiplied tenfold until I felt like it could strangle me. Discussing our journey only reminded me that Calvin and I were still separated. I started running, not concerned that I was heading back into the jungle.

James’s rough arms encircled me from behind. “Charlotte, where do you think you are going?”

“
I need a minute, okay?” I didn’t bother struggling; even if I got free, he would just catch up to me again.

“
What is wrong? We leave to go find your mom tomorrow; you should be happy.” James sounded frustrated. I turned around in time to catch Liam scowling at him.

“
Can you give us a few minutes?” Liam looked just as much to me as at James for agreement. I appreciated that.

“
Fine. I will be nearby, though; she should not be without a Guardian.” James insinuated that Liam’s protection was inferior to his own.

“
I get it. We’ll be back soon.” Liam didn’t even glance back at James; his eyes stayed on me.

“
I’m not going to pretend to understand exactly how you feel right now, but I’m here for you. Remember that, okay?” Liam broke off some bark from the tree I leaned against.

“
Thanks, I appreciate it. I feel so overwhelmed. My emotions are almost supercharged here, and I have no idea how to control them. I don’t remember it being so bad last year, but then again, I didn’t have much time to think about it.”

“
Well maybe when we find your mom, we’ll get some answers.”

“
I hope so.” I smiled. “I’m sorry you have to come with me instead of going with Kevin. I’m sure you would rather be with him.” I wanted Liam to know that I understood.

“
Why would I rather go with Kevin?” Liam looked puzzled.

“
He’s your best friend.”

“
You’re my friend too, you know. Besides, would I really give up the chance to annoy James some more?”

I laughed. “Good point.”

“
So you think you’re ready to head back?”

“
Sure, I just needed a minute.”

“
We all do sometimes. Shall we?” Liam gestured toward the path.

We walked back and met up with James. The guards at the edge of the cave entrance stepped out of the way to let us enter. A large crowd had converged around a fire, and I noticed Kevin, Samantha, and Henry huddled together. I figured they were discussing their plans for the next day.

I watched Samantha for a moment. It wasn’t hard to see what attracted Kevin. She was gorgeous, but she also had a strength about her that I envied. I just looked at her and knew she was completely confident, but not in an obnoxious way.

“
Charlotte!” Tearing my gaze from Samantha, I saw Tara running over to me, hand in hand with a guy who had to be in his mid- to late-twenties.

“
Tara! It’s so good to see you.” I had missed my cousin a lot. She had been a real comfort during my time in Bellgard, and it was wonderful to see her outside of the castle. She appeared so different from the last time I had seen her. She was full of life and contentment. Tara could have easily been the one in my position, forced apart from the man she loved and with the weight of Energo on her shoulders. I swallowed down the jealousy I felt at her happiness, and smiled.

“
Charlotte, this is Owen.” Tara patted the arm of the man by her side.

He beamed at her before turning his attention to me. “It is an honor to meet you, our Essence. I am Owen Ashwell.”

“
Ashwell? So you’re another one of Henry’s brothers?”

He chortled. “Yes. Although it is not often that I am referred to as Henry’s brother. He is the baby of the family while I am the oldest.”

“
Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your brother has been a good friend. It’s nice to meet more of his family.” I was beginning to see a pattern with the Ashwell boys—tall, blond, and attractive. I could understand Tara’s interest in him, even though he was so much older.

“
We will be family once Tara and I are officially united. With the current state of affairs, we have had to postpone, but it will be soon.”

“
Wow. That’s great.” Uniting was the Energo version of marriage. Calvin had talked to me about it during our few days together in Bellgard.

“
And you must be Liam.” Owen reached out to shake Liam’s hand.

“
Yes. You’ve heard of me?” Liam wrinkled his brow.

Owen nodded. “I heard you are quite the shot with a crossbow.”

“
Oh, that. Yeah, well, you step up to the challenges life gives you, right?”

“
I agree completely. But come now, you both must be hungry.” When he said
both
, I realized James wasn’t with us anymore.

Dinner was bland with small portions. There were lots of mouths to feed and not a lot of food. It really wasn’t a problem for me. I was so nervous and on edge that I probably couldn’t have eaten much anyway. I did make sure to finish off my plate; I didn’t want to waste what little we had.

After dinner, Theodore led us to a crowded room with at least fifty cots. It had the feel of a rescue shelter during a hurricane. I had felt the tension at dinner, but it was magnified by the emptiness of the large sleeping area.

“
I’m sorry I cannot offer you better accommodations, Charlotte, but space is limited. I assume you will be comfortable enough for tonight?” Theodore braced himself for my response, as if he expected me to complain. I wondered if my mother had been high maintenance.

“
Yes, that’s fine.” I slipped under the blankets of one of the cots, and Monty and Kevin took beds on either side of me. I said some goodnights and closed my eyes, knowing I was getting ready to face a long day.

Chapter Six

Calvin

“
I have already explained it to you, William. I know that Charlotte loves me and that any kiss she had with James meant nothing.”

I was tired of having the same argument with William. He had only been back a few hours, but would not relent. Even though the words were true, I hated to speak them. The thought of Charlotte kissing another man, especially one of the Guardians, made me ill. Already fighting the agony of her absence, having to worry about James touching her did not make it any easier.

“
I do not understand why you refuse to retrieve her. She is your Essence, and it is fully within your rights as her Gerard.” William took out his frustration on me as we sparred in one of the interior courtyards.

“
I am not bringing her back against her will. I will never force Charlotte into anything again.” One of the many things I learned from Charlotte’s absence was that she was not like the other girls I knew. She would not be told what to do; she had to make her own decisions. William was not the only one practicing more aggressively that day. He momentarily lost his footing after I nearly sliced him with my sword.

“
You cannot mean to allow her to stay with James. What if he tries to do more than kiss her?” William might have been my friend and confidant, but he was pushing the limits of my patience with the insinuation. If I were a less honorable man, I would have drawn blood for that comment, but I controlled my anger. I had no doubt that I would kill James if he took his advances further. Charlotte belonged to me whether she chose to stay away or not.