The Marked Son (Keepers of Life) (20 page)

She pulls me along, and I notice she’s concentrating on getting somewhere and not on what I’m saying.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“To Faldon. He’s our sage, my father’s advisor.”

It doesn’t seem wise to involve someone else. I wrap my fingers more securely around hers and pull her to a stop. “Does he know you’re a half-blood? Does he know about me? About us?”

“He knows more about me than anyone. And what he doesn’t know, he’ll soon figure out.” She glances around. “We can’t stop here. Please, trust me.”

I don’t have any choice, and we quickly slip back toward town. When we break through the trees, we come to a field with tightly-bound, straw targets set out for practice shooting. In the far corner, a large barrel reeks of ash. Kera pulls me along until we’re at a gate inserted into the wall. Its door is wide, but thick, its lock a heavy thing made of brass. She taps the lock with her finger and mutters a word I’ve never heard, then pushes on the gate. It’s doesn’t budge.

“Damn the man. He’s changed the spell.”

As she works on the lock, I see a massive house in the distance that’s ten times bigger than any I’ve ever seen. Its gates are imposing and solid. I point and ask, “Who lives there?”

She barely gives it a look before turning back to the lock. “I do.” She rattles the gate and curses again. “My father is lord here.”

“You’re kidding me.” I shouldn’t be surprised—Kera is the epitome of a young lady of wealth—but I am. “You’re like nobility?”

She nods, turns, and slides down the door until she’s sitting in the grass, her head in her hands.

“This isn’t the best hiding place.” I whisper near her ear. At her scathing look, I straighten and shrug. “Just saying.”

“I’m thinking.”

While she thinks, I peer through a hole in the door. Candlelight flickers in one of the windows. I hear a cow low and chickens cluck. There’s something about the place that’s more than quaint. It’s archaic.

I pull back and notice the sky is changing from black to blue. The sun is rising, but there’s no sound of a morning TV show or buzz of a clock radio. All I hear is the sound of the earth slowly waking. It’s a calm that calls to me. A serenity which is in complete contrast to the
chaos
of my mother’s life.

Manic, I understand. This deep, sweet peace feels foreign. I prop my back against the door, and slide down to settle beside Kera. As she rests with her hands cupping her ears and her foot tapping impatiently, I let go of my fear of silence and let it sweep me into a moment of relief.

I really, really like it here. Life has never felt so… right.

Without warning, Kera leaps to her feet, mutters another unrecognizable word and taps the lock. It clicks, and she pushes the door open. The door I’m leaning on. I promptly fall back into the yard and catch myself on my elbows.

She throws me a wide smile. “He’s clever, but not clever enough. Stop lolling about, Dylan. We have to find you a place to hide before everyone is up and about.”

A quick assessment of myself makes me wonder how I appear to her. I never thought my vanilla taste in clothes would mark me as a stand out, but if the men dress as differently as the women do here, I must look strange.

“Faldon’s home.” She points to the light coming from a window. It’s a large home, set apart from its neighbor by a spacious yard. We pass a carriage house, a small barn, a shed, and a vegetable garden encased by a stacked, rock wall. The place is pixel perfect. Not a crumble of mortar or a misplaced bucket can be seen.

It’s a quick dash to the back of the house where Kera raps on the back door and gives me a worried glance.

“What?” I ask.

The door flies open. “Kera!” The sound of her name booms across the yard. “By God, you’ve given me a fright. Your father is beside himself. He demands to know where you are, and in all honesty, I couldn’t give him an answer.”

“I’m sorry. I had to leave, but I’m back, safe and sound. And not alone.” She turns and waves me closer.

I step into Faldon’s view, and we both blink our surprise. From the sound of his forceful, deep voice, I expected him to be big and barrel-chested, but this man has thin arms, stick legs, a bony chest, and an abundance of long, gray hair that’s spiked at odd angles. I’ve got a fairly decent imagination, but “old crazy science guy,” dressed in dirty brown pants and a white shirt, stained and riddled with burn holes under a flowing lab coat, isn’t what I expected a trusted nobleman’s advisor to look like.

The color drains from his face. “Baun?” he says, and clasps his hand to my arm.

What’s up with this old guy? Kera seems just as confused. Faldon’s grip tightens. His eyes fixate on me, which raise the hairs on the back of my neck. The light from the rising sun accentuates the sharp planes of his face, yet reveals a glimmer gathering in his eyes.

His trance lasts for more than an awkward moment. When he realizes he’s staring, his eyes harden, and he looks me up and down, and not in an I’d-like-to-be-your-friend kind of way.

Though he’s thin, he’s strong. And quick. He yanks me and Kera inside and slams the door. I stumble into the cool darkness of his home, catching myself on the scarred top of an old, wooden table littered with all kinds of glass apothecary jars. In the middle of the table, strung out like an octopus at a science fair, a bulbous vial with coiled pipes jutting from it sits atop a flame. Amber liquid bubbles through the pipes, which drip into small flasks.

It smells like death.

Kera gasps and waves the air in front of her nose. “Where’s Percy? She’ll have your head for messing up her kitchen.”

“She took that silly maid home. Said she was allergic to cats. Families shouldn’t lend out children if said children have leaky eyes, hiccups, and cry for their mother nonstop.”

We’re in a
kitchen?
Behind the chemistry-set-gone-wild are pots and pans, hanging like hats on the wall. Floor to ceiling cabinets line another. A massive stone basin fills a far corner, looking more like a bathtub than a sink, and next to that, an ancient stone oven spreads its bulky legs and pot belly into the room like a sleeping giant.

Underneath the herbs hanging near the fireplace, a belligerent clatter rises. Instead of a bird clinging to a stand, I see the impossible—a tiny, red and gold tipped dragon. Its barbed tail snakes around the post, and its beady eyes lock onto me. With a hop, it swings free, darting to a lower perch where it stretches into a display of scrawny, scaly arms and paper thin, iridescent wings. Its claws rake the air as its scaly back curves into a high arch, and it lets out a steamy hiss.

This is a dragon? It’s so…puny. Who’d be scared of this little thing?

While Kera explains her absence to the old guy, I round the table and reach out to touch the dragonette. A tiny arc of flame spews from its mouth, and I rear back as the smell of burnt hair rises from my forearm. “Hey!”

Small plumes of smoke curl from its nostrils, and it sucks in more air, readying itself for another hair-singeing spark. “Be silent, Blaze,” Faldon says, waving the dragon quiet.

I turn to the old man. The azure blue of his eyes darkens. His chest puffs out regally, and he says in that deep, proud voice, “
Who
is
this
?”

Kera moves to stand next to me and places a hand on my arm. “This is Dylan. He’s—”

“The one you’ve been seeing?” Faldon interrupts. “The one who has the council in an uproar?”

Kera shoots a quick, apologetic glance at me before nodding. “Yes.”

The old man’s shoulders droop, and he shakes his head. “And you brought him here? Oh, child. What have you done now?”

I don’t like this guy. Can’t he see Kera’s hands shaking and the fear shining in her eyes? I pull her close, and as soon as she’s tucked under my arm, she relaxes and closes her eyes. I glare at Faldon in his dirty pants, burnt shirt, and boots that are covered in a rank-smelling substance. “If you want to help us, great. If not, then we’re gone.”

Kera jerks back. “Dylan!”

“I’m telling you, we don’t need him.”

“Silence!” Faldon’s eyebrows arch, and he looks from me to Kera. “Love? Is this the reason?”

She nods. “I didn’t search for it. It came to me. You’ve always said it would come when least expected. You were right.”

“But a half-breed?”

My jaw hardens. “How do you know what I am?”

His nostrils flare as if
I’m
the one who stinks. “I would not be much use as a sage if I didn’t use my gift.”

Kera nods. “He’s like me, Faldon.”

“Like you.” The old man turns his gaze on me, and a thoughtful expression enters his eyes. “That would make sense, but he’s nothing like you, Kera. You’re special.”

She breaks free, and latches onto Faldon’s wiry arm. “They already search for him.”

“You should not have brought him here.”

“She didn’t,” I say. “I followed her.”

“Promise me you won’t reveal Dylan to those who are looking for him.” She turns to me and says, “When
firsts
make a vow, they are honor bound to keep it.”

The man’s cheek spasms a few times before he asks, “Will you tell him all our secrets?”

“All of them, unless you promise me you’ll keep him safe.”

He cups her cheek with a speckled hand. “Is this your final choice? Think clearly. Once made, it can never be broken, for when our kind fall in love, it’s forever.”

Her violet eyes soften, and her cheeks pinken and glow with confidence. “Yes.”

In that one word, the power of her love is like a living caress.

Faldon sighs. It’s a heavy thing, weighed by grief, as if she’s just signed her death warrant. “Then I give you my word.”

She relaxes. “There’s much to discuss.”

“Not now. Your father’s on the hunt. Go to him, though I don’t know what you’ll say to explain your absence.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll figure out something.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “A lie?”

“A more palatable truth.”

When he opens his mouth to argue, she shakes her head, and he sighs. “You’re a stubborn girl. Be careful it doesn’t lead you wrong.” His meaning is as clear as if he’d shouted, “
Save yourself and dump the guy.
”

She comes and stands in front of me, her eyes sparkling with a determination that sets me on edge. Her dad may not have had options before when the
firsts
turned against half-bloods, but that isn’t the case now. I take her hands in mine. “You don’t have to do this, you know. We can leave.”

Faldon snorts from where he rummages in a corner of the room. “There’s no hiding from those who search for you.”

My jaw flexes. I’m about to tell him off when Kera’s fingers caress my cheek, bringing my attention back to her. “Stay here. I’ll come back as soon as possible. In the meantime, do as Faldon tells you.” When I frown, she smoothes the lines away and pleads, “For me.”

How can I say no to that? I pull her into my arms. “I’ll do whatever you want, for now. Do what you’ve got to do, but when you get back, you’re going to have to start trusting me.”

I pull her close, our lips touch, and she melts against me. The kiss is one I have a hard time ending.

Faldon clears his throat, which finally pulls us apart. Kera gives him a quick hug. “Take care of him. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, she’s gone. I want to go after her, but I don’t.

Why do I get the feeling letting her go will be the biggest mistake I’ve ever made?

The Truth Hurts

Taking the horse and cart into the woods was a gamble Kera had convinced her father they needed to make. She needed to see Signe. She needed to know the people in the caves were properly stocked. Though if one of Navar’s men saw them, they’d be hard pressed to explain why it was laden with so much food.

They reached the caves without incident, but it didn’t ease her father’s mind. He sent a few of the men to watch for intruders as he called others to help unload. A boy in pants with deep cuffs because they were too long, and shoes with the toes cut out because they were too small, ran through the cave. He had the role of calling people to the store house, an area carved out of the rock near the entrance. Kera smiled, hearing his excited, high-pitched voice echo within the cave.

While the supplies were doled out, Kera took Signe’s portion and went in search of her friend. As she moved among the people, she noticed a difference in how they were treating her. Like she was someone special. She couldn’t figure it out, until one woman bravely stepped forward and congratulated her on her betrothal. “With you by his side, he’ll listen and stop this madness.”

The woman sounded so hopeful. Kera’s heart twisted. Those surrounding them spoke up. Everyone felt so sure she was exactly what was needed to bring their misery to an end. She had no idea how she broke free, but the rest of her journey to find Signe was done with her head down, avoiding anyone else who thought to “congratulate” her.

She found Signe in a back area where they’d set up a makeshift market. The people of the caves had created a miniature town, a way of life that imitated, as best they could, what they’d had when they were free—before Navar, before the Lost King. So many of the younger people didn’t know any other way of life. They rarely went out, and when they did, it was mostly at night.

The marketplace was emptying fast by the time Kera entered the area. Signe’s business of selling reworked clothes was a favorite, so it didn’t surprise her when she saw her friend bartering with a customer and the customer’s eight-year-old daughter. Signe saw Kera and waved her over.

When she came closer, she heard her friend say, “Yes, it’s used, but what isn’t? I’ve taken only the best thread from the least worn garments and covered any flaws the dress had.”

The woman clucked her tongue, and pressed her daughter forward, saying they had to collect their food, but her little girl wouldn’t be budged. She only had eyes for the dress. The mother saw the stubborn set of her daughter’s chin and quickly came to a price, a half tin of coffee for the exchange.

The mother and daughter hurried off toward the front of the caves like everyone else, and Kera handed over the bags packed with essential food and a few luxury items, and gave her friend a disapproving smile. “I’ve brought you coffee and tea. Whatever you need, just ask me,” she said, and then remembered, this would most likely be her last visit. That realization had her biting her bottom lip.

Signe stored the supplies Kera gave her out of the way and tucked the tin into a threadbare carpet bag. “I know, but a full tin of fresh coffee is worth three times as much, and I can barter it for something I really need.”

They both fell silent.

“I know you know,” Kera said. The whole cave was buzzing with the news.

Signe clutched Kera’s hand. “It’s horrible. How could your father do this to you?”

“I don’t know.” Kera gently pulled her hand free. “I don’t want to think about it.”

She fingered the garments her friend had made, the work intricate and worth ten times what she was selling them for.

“You must hate me,” Kera said, looking back at her friend. “We’re exactly the same, yet I’m free to come and go while you must stay in here.”

The old Signe would have let loose a playful quip, but the new Signe was sullen. Hopeless. “I don’t have room to hate anyone but Navar.”

Kera nodded to a woman who hurried past, feeling the same as Signe, but Dylan had given her hope. Hope for a life far away from Navar’s madness. She stepped around the display, her nerves on edge. “Will you feel the same after I tell you what I’ve come to say?”

Signe locked her fingers with Kera’s and pulled her down onto the rock beside her. She searched for eavesdroppers, but most of the people had left, so she turned back to Kera. “You’ve not done anything stupid, have you?”

“No.” Had she acted that unstable of late? “Not in my opinion.”

A thoughtful expression crossed her friend’s face. “But in your father’s opinion?”

“Well,” Kera hesitated. “He won’t be happy. Not at first. But once he knows…”

She brought their joined hands to cover her face and let out a soft moan. When she peeked out from behind their hands, she couldn’t stop the smile from popping to her lips.

Her friend’s attention heightened, and she squeezed Kera’s hands, pulling them away from her face. “It’s about the boy, isn’t it?”

Kera nodded. “Dylan.”

“You saw him again?”

“He’s here, at Faldon’s.” Just saying it made her smile grow wider, and her heart beat faster. “We’re running away together. Somewhere safe.”

The smile that had matched Kera’s suddenly disappeared. Hands that had clutched hers in excitement now dropped away. “Oh, Kera. There’s no such place.”

“You’re wrong. Wherever we go, he’ll make it safe. He’s amazing. It feels like he has unlimited power. I don’t know where he gets it, but I’ve seen it, and I just know he’ll do anything for me. For us.”

“And that sounds normal?”

The bitterness in her friend’s voice was unmistakable, and it cut into Kera’s euphoric mood. “What do you mean?”

“Navar has the same trait.”

A deep frown cut into Kera’s forehead. “No, Navar thinks only of himself. Dylan is nothing like him.”

“Only that he’ll do anything he can to get what he wants, and he wants you.”

Kera’s back grew rigid. “That’s not what’s happening at all. Why are you acting this way?”

Signe’s face softened. “I’m seeing what’s happening with clear eyes.”

“No, you’re seeing it through a haze of mourning. I know you miss Lani. I do too, and I don’t want to leave, but I can’t marry Navar. I can’t. I have a chance at happiness, Signe, and I’m going to take it. Nothing you say will stop me.”

She stood, and her friend’s shoulders caved. Kera paused. She couldn’t add to Signe’s sorrow. “Just so you know, I never intended to leave you permanently. We’ll come back and get you. I promise. I’d never leave you to live the rest of your life like this.”

Signe’s raised her head, her eyes drawn with sadness. “What about the others?”

With that simple sentence, Kera’s world crashed.

There was no way Dylan could save everyone. It was an impossible task. Yet she finally saw what she didn’t want to see, the hopelessness behind these people’s routine of living. They’d scratched out a life as best they could amid the worst conditions possible, and Kera’s willingness to turn her back on them made her gasp for breath. She was being selfish. A true
first
.

Shame heated her cheeks. Shame for considering leaving her people and shame because she couldn’t do what she feared she must. Panic rose within her chest. “Don’t ask me to give him up. Please don’t.”

Her friend stood and gathered Kera in her arms. “Never. If he’s as strong as you say, he’ll find a way to be with you
and
help save us all.”

Kera clutched her friend close. “I want that, but it seems impossible.”

“Not every good thing comes easily. In truth, very little does.”

Neither of their lives could be classified as easy. They both lived in constant fear of being caught. Kera stepped back and dabbed at tears that threatened to fall. She’d made her share of mistakes, and she’d almost made the biggest of all. “He’s good, Signe. He really is.”

Her friend cupped her cheeks and smiled that sweet smile Kera thought she’d never see again. “Then he’ll do what’s right.”