Whisper and Rise (22 page)

The tall pillars seemed to spin and mock me while I sank to my knees, staring at the darkening clouds above them. Nothing in my memories had prepared me for this. Stone Meadow was sacred; created a thousand years ago to welcome the sun, the moon and the stars.

I stumbled to my feet and ran to the Season Stone. “Darian?” Scraping my fingers on its rough surface, I checked my senses.

He was gone.

“Darian?” My breath fell as I collapsed on the grass.

I knelt and stretched toward the stone again, this time searching the air with my fingers. Perhaps this was a living thing. Maybe Darian dwelt inside. I felt the shaking of my hands and the pulse in my fingers, but not the magic I hoped to reach; the magic that left me empty and took my only hope of redemption away.

I wasn’t allowed long to linger. Cameron’s voice reached the meadow before he arrived. I called to Maeia and climbed onto her back when she met me. Then we dashed from the stones toward the safety of the trees, away from the man and his arrows. When we reached the main road, I didn’t stop. I kept pushing Maeia toward the trail to my parent’s home. The home of ashes. The only protection that remained. The men had seen me in Aisling. They knew I was alone. I needed help; I needed my parents.

My return to Aisling had been a frantic upheaval of memory. Arriving home added to the swirl of confusion and regret. It didn’t feel like home, nor did it look the same. The gate was gone—only a barren gap between the waist-high stones announced the entrance. Dead trees stood with their limbs dripping to the ground, their leaves melted from heat. The oak I remember climbing as a child was no more. A charred mass of black soil, stones, and a few fresh blades of grass were all that remained of the comfort I had once known.

“Father?” I dismounted Maeia and led her toward the barn. When I reached the door, it swung open to reveal Michael. “Father!” I jumped back and gripped Maeia’s mane.

“Rhiannon, come in.”

Father’s voice welcomed me, but all I saw was Michael’s face smirking in the open doorway.

“Father, I need you.” I leapt onto Maeia’s back, preparing to flee again, my father burst through the doors.

“Rhiannon, what’s wrong?” Father shoved Michael back inside. “What’s happened to you?”

“Father, I need to speak to you.” I ignored his shocked expression as he stared. I knew I was in bad condition.

“What’s wrong?”

Was he mocking me?
“Father, please?” My voice shook as I nudged Maeia backwards.

“Rhiannon, come inside.” He didn’t ask.

He might have said more, but I couldn’t hear it. My heart leapt into my throat and pounded its worry into me. It was all I could hear. The beating, the warning, something was terrible and my own father wouldn’t listen. I closed my eyes to fight back tears and climbed from Maeia’s back.

“Yes, sir,” I answered. There was no place left to run.

Father ducked back inside the barn. “Ethan, come care for Maeia. She needs food and a brush.”

My brother arrived at the doorway and grinned when he saw me. He scrambled from under Father’s arms and rushed to Maeia. “I’ll take her,” he told me. “I’m glad you found her.”

I smiled back. It was comforting to see Ethan in good health. A tiny spark of hope flickered inside as he took Maeia away from me. Perhaps everything would be okay.

The spark died as I entered the barn. Like everything, it looked different. Most of the hay was gone, replaced by chairs and blankets dotting half the space. Mother stood at a table made of split logs, chopping something. I hadn’t expected her to do anything different.

“Rhiannon, it’s wonderful to see you. I’m glad that you’re safe.” I hadn’t expected to see Colin there, but his voice reminded me of what had once been pleasant in Aisling—something that I missed. “Michael told us you might arrive.”

The boy seemed to be ignoring me. He had darted across the barn, and was now washing a pot for my mother. He didn’t look or turn when Colin mentioned him.

“I need to speak to you,” I whispered to Father. “It’s urgent.”

“Of course,” he bellowed, opening his arms wide to welcome me. “We welcome your tales of adventure.”

This time, Michael turned.

I pulled my father’s arm and leaned close to him. “I must speak to you alone,” I said, whispering as forcefully as I dared—the eyes in the barn watched me. “Please?”

Father’s smile faded. “Michael, help my wife with anything she needs. Do a poor job and you can forget about seeing Leila later.”

Leila. Terror, like ice, froze my senses.
Where was my sister?
I shot frantic glances around the barn, past my father. “Father, where’s Leila? What’s happened to her?” I grabbed his arm. “Tell me she’s all right.”

“Let’s go outside.”

I feared what was coming. I wiped my palms on my dress, but it only made them darker, and the sweat returned as quickly. I couldn’t breathe. My throat felt on fire and my eyes burned—perhaps the smoke lingering on everything was making me teary. I gasped for air and stumbled outside.

“What’s wrong, Rhiannon? Tell me what happened.”

“You’re in danger,” I said, coughing and choking. “They found me.”

“Who? Why are we in danger?”

I coughed again and fell to my knees.

“Ethan! Get your sister some water.” Father pointed past me, indicating my brother was returning. He grabbed my shoulders and rubbed them with his fingers. “Take a deep breath,” he told me. “What trouble found you?”

I glanced at the barn. “Cameron Barry,” I said, “and David Dunn, and—” I stopped speaking when Colin opened the door.

“Who?” Father shook me.

I sealed my mouth and watched Colin approach us.

“Is there trouble?” Colin asked. “Do you need help?”

I realized I was shaking. My hands, despite any effort, wouldn’t hold still as I stared at the Chief Elder and my father, searching for the words to say. I stopped trying to block my tears. “Someone’s trying to kill me. They found us and said they had ways to hurt you. I came to warn you, but they stopped me on the road. Where’s Leila?”

“You dear thing.” Colin’s voice was warm and caring. “Your sister is at the Faerie Temple. There’s a gathering tonight. They’re discussing replacements for Dylia.”

I whimpered and opened my eyes to look at him. “Leila is okay?”

“She’s with the Fae at the temple. There’s no place safer. No one can find it.”

“That’s good,” I told him. “But there are men coming. They chased me to Stone Meadow.”

“Who?” Colin looked serious.

“Cameron Barry,” I told him. I glanced at my father, who shook his head in warning. “And Cael Bauer. There are other men from the village, and some I’ve never seen. They tossed spears and threatened me.” I grabbed my dress and showed them the blood. “One of their arrows pierced me.”

Colin’s face turned paler than normal.

I took a needed breath of chilled air. Then I told Colin and my father what had happened. I started with the fire and described as much as I dared about my adventures out of Aisling. Colin asked many questions, digging for details that I couldn’t remember with certainty. I tried my best to tell him, and even told him about David Dunn, the Elder who was involved. I didn’t want any secrets. Colin was the Chief Elder and needed to know everything.

When I finished, Ethan handed me a wooden cup of water. I stared at it. It had been so long since I had tasted water from a cup. It seemed so simple, so easy. Just lift it to my lips and drink. I emptied the cup with a single swallow.

“Rhiannon, you’ve lived through too much pain,” said Colin. He reached around my shoulder and pulled me close. “We need to confront the danger and end your suffering.” He turned to my father. “Send the Dunn boy home. He’ll have no part in what will happen tonight.”

My father nodded and rushed into the barn. I heard him yell before Michael scrambled out the door and toward the forest. We watched him disappear into the darkness. When my father returned, he cradled Mother under one arm.

“Rhiannon,” she cried, leaving him when she was close enough to grab me.

Colin released his hold while I embraced my mother. I couldn’t remember the last time we had hugged. She carried the comforting smell of carrots and onions.

Colin studied the forest before speaking again. “I want you to spend the night in my home,” he said. “Go there now.”

My parents looked at each other, confused, but didn’t argue with Colin. They knew better. And Colin was right; we needed protection.

“What about Leila?” Mother pulled away from me enough to face him. “Will you send someone to watch for her?”

Colin nodded and looked at my father. “We need men at the entrance to the aspen grove. Get your brother and have him gather other willing men to make sure the Fae get an escort home. Then meet us back here.” He lifted my hand. “You will be safer with me.”

I didn’t understand and questioned him with my eyes.

“We will resolve this tonight. There’s no need to wait until morning.”

“Ethan, take your mother across the trail.” Father pulled up his pants and straightened his tunic. “We’ll join you later.”

Colin answered the questions in my mind. “Rhiannon and I will visit Cael, along with his employer. These men with him are most likely Owen’s hirelings. I think he can control them better than any of us.”

Colin was right again, but it didn’t help me feel better. I squeezed my mother again.
Why did I have to go?
More than anything, I wanted to hide in a room with walls and sleep the night in peace—though I knew it wasn’t possible.

“Rhiannon will confirm her story to Owen,” said Colin. He lifted my hand again. “She is the witness to the crimes, and we’ll confront the men with her story.”

I started shaking. I didn’t want to confront anyone. I wanted peace. I wanted danger to pass by me like a swift summer rain, and then leave me to discover the sun the following morning.

“It’s okay, Rhiannon.” Mother’s voice was as warm as her offering. “No one will hurt you.”

I refused to speak; I was terrified. The pressure behind my eyes burned the tears as a few escaped. This wasn’t a plan. This was a horrible, horrible nightmare. I wished it would end. Wake up, I told myself.
Wake up and you won’t have to go.
I closed my eyes and repeated the words in my head. When I opened my eyes, my family and Colin were still there.

“Face your enemies,” said Colin, leading me by the hand away from my family. “They won’t run from you, so you mustn’t hide from them.”

My feet didn’t want to go, either. “Goodbye,” I said, choking out the word to my family. I offered them a weak smile before quickly turning away. We only had a moment together and I didn’t want the moment to be like this.

I was still shaking when I entered the darkness of the main road.

“Can you see?” asked Colin, still leading the way. He didn’t have my hand, but guided me with his arms along the night trail.

“I’d rather not see what’s coming,” I told him, smiling at the gesture. It didn’t stop my stomach from twisting. “There’s comfort in not knowing. I’m starting to like the dark.”

Colin nodded. “You’re facing a fear tonight. There will be comfort from that.”

“I don’t want to face anything,” I admitted to him. “I want my life back. I want to be left alone.”

“You’re not alone with your fear,” said Colin. His tone didn’t change. “I’m helping you.”

I didn’t speak again and took twice as many glances as steps, watching the woods for a sign of Cameron, or David Dunn, or anyone. I didn’t know whom I could trust anymore. I didn’t want to trust Colin, and I was angry with him for making me do this. I had no choice in the matter. I was relieved that he didn’t speak either, though it didn’t make the walk through Aisling peaceful. My heart pounded, my fists dripped sweat, and my stomach continued its twisting grip on any chance of calm inside. My tongue felt numb and I could taste my own terror. It was dry.

Colin’s pounding on Owen Dorsey’s door shook me as much as the carved orange wood. Its noise echoed off the trees and sent back sharp reminders that we were disturbing the night. If Cael didn’t know we were coming, the pounding announced our imminent arrival.

Owen grumbled a curse through the door, but his face brightened when he saw us. He grinned at me and swung the wide door open. “Rhiannon, what happened to you? Please, come inside.” He bowed to Colin. “What brings you to my home?”

“Find your boots,” said Colin. “Then follow us.” His voice carried undeniable authority.

We waited in the courtyard while Owen scrambled to prepare himself. It wasn’t a cold evening, but you wouldn’t know it from the way he dressed. He entered the night wearing a long leather coat with a foxtail belt. He had tall boots and a scarf to match his tunic.

“Where is Cael Bauer?” asked Colin, when the door closed behind Owen.

“Cael?” Owen stepped back onto his porch. “Is there trouble?”

“That’s what we’re here to discover,” answered Colin.

“He’s trying to kill me,” I said, refusing to soften my words. “There are men with him and they tried to take me captive.” As I spoke, I felt confident. I was glad that Colin made me come. The way
he
had spoken, made it seem as if I had conceived the story in my head.