Perilous Light (8 page)

“
I mean no disrespect to the Essence. I am merely trying to warn you of the welcome you should expect.”

“
Can they not get settled before you start barraging them with your concerns?” Ada asked. Her voice sounded like it belonged to a fairy. It fit her small size.

“
All right, we can continue this conversation later,” Bry relented.

With another perfectly timed entrance, Captain Everling joined us. “Would you like a tour?”

“
Yes, thank you.” Samantha smiled politely.

That was all the encouragement the captain needed. “Believe it or not, the Ulta Storm is a historic
misa
.”

I was tempted to tell him the Ulta Storm looked prehistoric, but I kept my mouth shut. The captain must have taken our silence as an invitation to keep talking, as he continued to drone on about the history of his boat. I tuned him out once he started discussing famous passengers because I had never heard of those people. I watched distractedly as he pointed out a small kitchen and gestured to two large bedrooms that we would be using. I hoped we weren’t expecting more passengers because no matter how large the bedrooms were, it would still be a tight fit.

It didn’t take me long to realize that, with no engine or motor, the sail would be our only means of power. We had a long trip ahead of us, and I hoped someone knew something about sailing; I wasn’t sure how much I trusted the captain. Although a lot of my friends were into sailing, I had always been so busy with basketball that I never had time to learn.

It turned out that Samantha and I were the only ones onboard that lacked sailing experience. Bry took charge immediately, and Naomi, Ada, and Henry all seemed eager to help.

***

There was tension in the air as we squeezed into the tiny kitchen to discuss our plans while eating dinner. After a few hours on the deck, it was apparent that I wasn’t the only one worried. Everyone felt nervous about how things would go when we reached our destination, the city of Alak, and faced the committee. I tried to play it cool, but I was getting anxious. So far, no one had told me anything about how we were going to convince the committee to side with us.

“
So pretty much everyone hates Energo because Blake has been breaking all the rules, right?” Naomi gave me an icy stare.

“
Blake has been doing more than breaking the rules. He has been murdering innocents, and destroying cities,” Ada said in her singsong voice. The contrast between her words and voice threw me off for a minute.

I paused from inhaling the fish on my plate long enough to ask, “I get that. So why won’t everyone want to join us and fight against him?” We hadn’t eaten all day, and I was starving.

“
It is not that simple, Kevin. You are a Winthrop. You represent the royalty of Energo, and it will be hard to convince the other leaders that you can be trusted. For years now, your mother’s Guardians have been working with Blake, and they may believe you are no exception.” Samantha explained.

“
So why pick me for this job? Why did Theodore want me to go?” I struggled to keep the anger out of my voice.

“
You were picked because you are our only chance. Being a Winthrop means some will not trust you, but it also guarantees you respect. Besides, you are brother to the Essence. As angry as everyone is with Blake and Energo, they still owe allegiance to the Essence. They need her.” Naomi seemed tired.

I was afraid to press too hard, but I needed more answers. “So what happens now? What do I do?”

“
You let your instincts take over.” Ada’s voice might have sounded like a fairy, but her brother’s certainly didn’t. With his deep baritone voice, Bry would have a successful career in narrating movie trailers back home.

“
My instincts?”

“
It is in your blood to lead. You need to listen to yourself to know what to do.” I seriously had no idea what Bry was talking about and turned to give Samantha a quizzical look. She acted as though she didn’t see it.

Frustrated that I had no inkling of how to persuade the Pact to join us, I struggled to fall asleep that night. I decided to get some air and went up on the deck. Bry was examining the single large sail, but he didn’t seem to notice me.

I saw Samantha at the back of the boat, and went to join her. “Hey.” I wished I didn’t always have to feel so awkward with her. I actually started to feel guilty about how much I’d nagged Charlotte about being antisocial. I had developed a new understanding of feeling uncomfortable.

“
Hello, Kevin.” Samantha turned toward me momentarily before returning her attention to the water.

“
You ready to face the Pact leaders tomorrow?”

“
Ready may not be the correct word, but I am determined. The Pact might not want to help, but I think in the end, they will realize that our cause helps everyone.”

“
Blake’s been pretty ruthless, huh?” I asked, struggling to see anything in the dim light.

Samantha turned toward me again. “Percy had his suspicions about what Blake had become, but Blake killed him before he could tell me. I think Blake is pure evil.”

“
Pure evil? That’s an intense accusation.”

“
As I told you, Percy never explained it to me, but I think he is tied with some higher power. As children, we were told stories about a man who was able to stand against the Essence. It seemed he had been imbued with a power much like the Source, but rooted in evil, not good. Everything has its opposite.”

I was too stunned to answer for a moment. Defeating Blake if he were merely a powerful man was scary enough; finding out he might be even stronger threw me. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I remembered how skillfully and almost super-humanly Blake had fought at Bellgard. I had assumed it was just from years of experience.

“
So if Blake is that powerful, how are we going to defeat him? I mean, even if all the nations join us, is it going to work?”

“
We are not ready to defeat him yet. Right now, all we can hope to do is hold him off. Our only chance is to get the support of the Pact and to find your mother. Charlotte has enormous potential, but if she is not properly trained, her abilities are limited. Only another Essence can teach her.” For the first time, Samantha looked vulnerable. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but I was afraid of her reaction.

“
So what you are telling me is that if either Charlotte or I fail, Blake wins?” It was scary even to say it.

“
Yes. So failure is not an option. You must convince the Pact nations to join us.”

“
But what if I can’t? Everyone keeps telling me how hated I am. How do I get supporters?”

“
You can do it. As Bry said, you need to go with your blood. It should come naturally.”

“
Whatever that means.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

“
Figure it out, and fast. We should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day.” I watched Samantha walk across the deck. She disappeared into the darkness as she headed to the lower level of the boat.

Go with my blood
? Maybe if I could figure out what that meant, we’d have a fighting chance.

Chapter Eight

Charlotte

The river appeared out of nowhere. One minute we were moving through a dense forest, and the next, we stopped in front of rushing water. The wind moving through the trees must have masked the sound. I loved water, but the thought of getting wet, especially wearing a long dress, didn’t appeal to me. After a few hours of hiking, I wished that the traditional women’s clothing in Energo included pants. Horses would have been a faster travel option, but we were afraid of attracting any unnecessary attention. Even if Blake discerned I was back, we didn’t need to give him any additional advantage. Although I didn’t voice it, I worried that Blake knew we were heading for Icentris. He must have known that James would lead us to my mother. I tried to shake my fears aside. Thankfully, the morning had been quiet, with no sign of Blake or his men, but we all realized that could change at any time.

Liam stopped beside me at the edge of the river. “Are you sure I can’t help you with that pack?”

“
No, that’s okay, but thanks for the offer.” My pack was heavy, but I didn’t complain. I was the one who’d insisted on not being treated differently because I was a girl. I wasn’t going to go ahead and prove them right. I could just imagine the teasing I’d hear, especially from James.

“
Who wants to cross first?” Liam asked.

“
Wait. We’re crossing here? Isn’t there a bridge or a more shallow section?” I didn’t know what I was expecting, but definitely something that didn’t involve treading through water.

James smirked. “It is only three or four feet. If you are worried about getting that dress wet, just take it off.”

Monty smacked James in the back of the head. “The dress will dry, Charlotte.”

“
I will go first.” Lawson pulled out a rope from his nearly overflowing pack. Throwing the bag down, he wrapped the rope around him and dove into the river.

I watched expectantly as Lawson pulled himself out on the far shore. Tying one end of the rope to a tree, Lawson tossed the other end over to Monty, who secured it to a tree beside us.

Lawson grinned, shaking out his damp blond hair, and called, “I hope someone will pick up my pack for me.”

“
Showoff,” James mumbled while attaching Lawson’s pack to his own. “Do you want me to hold your bag, too, Charlotte?”

“
No, I don’t need your help.”

“
Well, then, I will go next. You should follow.”

James grabbed the rope and started crossing the rushing river. I tentatively grasped the rope. James made it look easy, but the current was strong, and I knew that one misstep would have me floating downriver. Crossing itself would have been challenging, but doing it while wearing a bulging backpack made it even worse. By the time I reached the other side, my hands were raw from holding the rope so tightly. Nearly frozen from the cold water, I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a nice warm bed. I had to settle for taking a deep breath while we waited for Monty and Liam.

“
How are you holding up?” Monty asked, watching me squeeze water from the bottom of the skirt of my dress.

“
I’m fine.”

“
Fine? Please, at least let me help you with the backpack. I know you can handle it, but I would feel more useful if—”

Before Monty could finish the sentence, I had swung off the pack and placed it on the grass. “If it would make you feel better, take whatever you want.” I wasn’t letting the opportunity to lighten my load pass again.

Monty smiled as he shifted gear from my bag into his own. “I appreciate the thoughtfulness. It is just like you to worry about how I feel.”

With a much lighter pack on my back, walking was tons easier. It was getting colder, so I pulled on a cloak over my dress. It helped keep out the cold, but nothing could quell my disquiet. The closer we got to Icentris, the harder it became to pretend that I didn’t know the end result of our journey. I wanted to see my mom desperately, but I also wondered if I would be strong enough to save her.

“
I still cannot believe I am walking with the Essence.” Lawson surprised me with his comment.

“
Very funny.” I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, so I decided to assume it was a joke.

“
My entire childhood, the Essence was missing, and then we went through a period of darkness. It is incredible that you are here. I do not really know how to behave around you.”

“
How to behave around me?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “I think you’re doing fine. Pretend I’m any other girl.”

“
Any other girl? If only it were that easy. It is strange, though. I am not used to feeling so much respect for such a young woman.”

“
Respect? Um, thanks… I guess.”

“
That is enough awkwardness.” Lawson smiled as Liam came up behind me and pulled on my ponytail.

“
You are so much like Kevin, it’s scary.” Kevin was the only other person who would have dared pull my hair like that.

Liam looked a little bit upset. “You think I’m like Kevin?”

“
You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“
I just didn’t know you thought of me that way.”

“
I never said I thought of you like Kevin; I said that you
were
like Kevin. Get the difference?”

Lawson seemed amused. “Liam, I see you have no problem talking to her like any other girl.”

Liam shrugged. “I’ve known her forever. She’ll always be just Charlotte to me.”

As the sky darkened, we came upon a small village that reminded me of Rawlins, the town where Calvin grew up. It was nothing more than a dozen buildings and lots of farmland. Still, there was something charming about it. As I looked around, Lawson pulled Monty aside, and they gestured for me to stay with James and Liam. Exhausted, I sat down on a tree stump.

A few minutes later, Monty returned and motioned for us to follow him. We walked over to one of the small homes around the village center. Monty would only take us to stay with someone who was loyal to our cause, but I couldn’t completely shake the nerves.