Wilde's Army (38 page)

“These people are under some sick impression my presence has saved them, yet your father doesn’t want me to fight. He doesn’t want
you
to fight. He just wants the power. He’s led by pride.”

“His father is under a spell just like the rest of them. Deep in his heart he wants our people to be united. Did you hear him in the great room? When he wanted to condemn me, I asked him if he wanted to unite our people … .”

I purse my lips. “I heard. But what I don’t understand is why he isn’t hurting you.”

“Did you forget I am the only person alive who can perform your Binding?”

“I guess I did. So is everyone under Foghlad’s spell?”

“Yes,” they say in unison.

I look at Perth sitting with his arms crossed over his chest. “But your father is worse than the rest of them.”

“If the spell is ever broken, he may still be a cruel, heartless man, but I do not know that for sure. And pray it is not his truth.”

“I should go.” Mom stands, smiling down on me and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You have done well, Kate. Your father would be proud of your strength, of your courage, of your pureness.”

“Do you really have to go so soon?” I stand then wrap my arms around her.

She holds me at arm’s length. “This will be our routine. You and Perth will spend every day together. He will come for you in the morning, you will keep your head low, try not to say anything that will give you away to anyone, smile at one another, hold hands, kiss, whatever you must do while we figure out what it is that will bring us together.”

“You mean whatever it is that will break the spell?”

“Yes.” Mom crosses the room then presses her palm on the door handle. “Spend the evenings together as well. And Perth—”

He looks up, no emotion on his face, but his features are even more colored. His cheeks appear rosy, and his eyes are a deep shade of gorgeous green. “Yes, Leader Wilde?”

“I’m trusting you to keep her safe.”

He smiles, eyes turning even darker green, and places his fist over his heart. “I promise not to let either of you down.”

Sleep is the furthest thing from my mind. It’s been fourteen days since I’ve seen Arland. I don’t blame him for not coming around, but I miss him. Miss his hands, warm and strong, wrapped around mine. Miss his lips, full and sweet, trailing along my skin. Miss the smell of the morning forest drifting off him. Miss his emerald eyes always radiating with love, locked with mine.

I cannot stand holding hands with Perth, cannot stand the quick kisses in front of our captive audience. He plays into it so well. All the smiling, waving, and telling everyone how excited he is about our Binding—sometimes I forget he’s acting. Sometimes I think he doesn’t want to be.

The lie is more difficult for me.

I’ve had to profess my love for Perth in front of my true love.

The torment on Arland’s face when I ignited in flames during that kiss with Perth has not stopped haunting me. Every day I exit my room and expect to see Arland there, guarding me with his life the way he swore he always would, but the same two Ground Dwellers who’ve followed me everywhere for the last two weeks are the only ones who greet me.

Sitting next to High Leader Maher during meals hasn’t helped any. Our conversations haven’t gone beyond two words—good morning, good afternoon, or good evening—but everything about his appearance reminds me of Arland.

And that’s as far as the similarities go.

The highest, most powerful Leader of Encardia is a fool. He’s weak and scared. I’m not sure how my mom and dad could have ever been friends with him, and I’m not sure where Arland inherited his strength. He and his father are complete opposites. If Leader Maher was different in the past, his current self does little to prove it. Dufaigh walks all over him, all over everyone. He and his people—and some of my own—revel in the glory of having me, Katriona Wilde, deliverer of Light, attached to the Ground Dwellers’ side.

Arland’s soldiers—
my soldiers
—have been non-existent in my life since we arrived. The few times I’ve run into any of them, they barely looked in my direction. They know this is all smoke and mirrors, but the respect they have for Arland is far greater than what they have for anyone else.

I’m betraying their greatest Leader on a daily basis.

Someone taps on the heavy wooden door. The rolled-up wool sock I’ve been throwing at the ceiling hits my face. Tossing the makeshift ball aside, I prop myself on my elbows then create a flame in my hand. The light illuminates the door decorated with gold-lined carvings of ivy and jasmine—proving yet again how lost these people are.

“Katriona?” my mom whispers.

There is no Kate at Willow Falls—I’m so tired of the lies, but we haven’t come up with a single idea for uniting our people. “What do you want, Mom?”

“May I come in?”

I don’t know why she feels the need to ask … I haven’t locked the door for days. “Sure.”

The rusted hinges squeak like nails raking down a chalkboard. Mom pokes her head through, holding something behind her back and wearing an expression I haven’t seen since the caves by the river. She’s standing tall, shoulders squared, and she’s smiling. “It is time.”

I bolt upright; the crimson silken covers fall around my waist. My fingers tingle, and my legs fill with the urge to flee. “Time for
what
?”

She crosses the room, takes a seat on the edge of the bed, then places a hand on mine. “Arland is waiting. It is time for the Binding. Are you ready?”

“Where is he? Where has he been? Isn’t he mad at me? Are you sure now is the right time? How are we supposed to get away with this?” Millions of questions swim inside my head, but those are the only ones I can put into words.

Mom squeezes my fingers—her way of reassuring me. “Now is the only time, and he has never been upset with you.”

“Where has he been? Where has
everyone
been?”

“You are not even aware, are you?”

I scowl at her, heat flaring in my cheeks. “Aware of what? You wouldn’t tell me anything. Brit wouldn’t let me in her head. Perth didn’t have a clue. So no, Mom, I’m not aware of anything.”

“After your vision, on the evening you kissed Perth, you looked at Arland in a way so powerful no one could ever doubt you had feelings for him. The fact any of us remain alive is beyond me, but if Dufaigh had been in the room when that happened, I am afraid we would not be. We may have a few more people on our side than we think.”

Rhoswen
… she mentioned
we
, but I didn’t realize there are so many.

“So he knows I didn’t betray him … he knows about the vi …vision?” My heart pounds wildly in my chest, sending blood thrumming in my ears.

“Brit saw the vision when you did. We thought it would be safer for everyone you have formed a relationship with to stay away—allow you to truly feel alone, so if there was another vision, your eyes could not endanger our mission. It has worked well; to our knowledge, the Dufaighs suspect nothing.”

“What would have happened if I had another visit from Darkness?” I ask, running my hands up and down my goose bump riddled arms.

“Arland has never been that far away, Kate. He has spent every moment with Brit in her quarters, or they waited in the halls while you ate dinner, drummed up conversations with people outside the washroom doors. His time with her has not only helped to build their lie, but has also given him direct access to you in case she sensed something was wrong.”

Mom stares at the wall separating me from my sister. “We know her prophecy.”

Taking in her blank stare, I gasp. “And?”

She keeps looking at the wall. “And your sister is happy with her news.”

“You aren’t going to tell me?” My sister lying on the ground in ruins … blood draining from her mouth, telling me to kill Dughbal … .

“It is not for me to say, and now is not the time. You have a wedding to attend.” Mom tilts her head to the side then locks eyes with me.

I put my hands over my cheeks to force the smile from my face.

“Now, we do not have much time. At this point, we all feel it will be better for you two to go on your own to seek out Darkness. I will perform the Binding spell, you will return inside while we will prepare those on the right path for departure, then you will leave tomorrow before Dufaigh has an opportunity to force you into a life without choice.”

“But Griandor said I have to unite everyone. And what about my army?”

Mom cups my cheek with her hand. “Things will work out the way they are supposed to, and if they do not, you and Arland will at least have each other. He is outside the base. I’ll ask again, are you ready?”

Arland waits for me …
to marry me
. I run my fingers through my hair, look down at my clothes, suddenly feel like I’m the ugliest, smelliest woman in the world. Of course with the velvet robes Dufaigh has dressed me in, I’m far from hideous, but wearing these things doesn’t feel right.

Mom watches me appraise myself, giving one of those mother looks—the kind that says she’s proud, she’s sad, and happy all at the same time—then hands me a package wrapped in brown paper, tied with twine.

“What’s this?”

She pushes the package at me. “Something Brit, Flanna, and Shay have worked tirelessly to create for you. Go ahead, open it.”

I feel like a child on Christmas day, tearing at the package in a hurry to see the treasures locked inside. The last bit of brown paper falls to the floor, and what I’m left holding takes my breath away.

White silk.

“Other than Binding Spells, Encardia has no marriage traditions. Brit was desperate to dress you up. I imagine if we lived in Virginia, she would have planned a huge wedding for you, but I think we are all aware you would rather not have that. She was insistent you have something beautiful to wear. Brit described wedding gowns to Flanna and Shay, and the three of them sewed this for you.”

Mom takes the silk from my hands then stands and allows the material to unfold, revealing the most stunning dress. Real white jasmine flowers line the scooped neck and thin shoulder straps—the fragrance so sweet I taste it. The bodice ties are also made of silk, and from the waist, the dress flows to the floor. “We had to sneak the flowers from the gardens. The children work very hard to use magic to grow them, but I do not believe any of them would mind if they knew their hard work was for you. So what do you think?”

There are so many things I think; I’m not sure which is the most appropriate to say first. Brit’s a genius—the best sister in the world. Flanna and Shay are wonderful for risking their lives to make this for me. The gown is gorgeous. Let’s go now. I can’t wait. “Thank you, Mom. It’s beautiful and … .”

My words stick in my throat. I’m about to get what I want: Arland. Our time together may not last forever. The visions, the warnings, the war, all of these things have shown me how easily life can be taken away, but for now, my little piece of heaven has arrived.

She hands me the dress. “You will have to wait until we are outside to put it on, but everything has been arranged.”

More potential problems with their plan pop into my head. Every night we’ve been watched, Perth and me, watched by guards, watched by Leaders, soldiers, whoever’s interested in our affairs. What would someone say if they caught me outside the base with my mom, wearing a white gown? Then I think of Perth as an issue, too. “What about Perth? He usually makes a nightly visit, to keep up the pretense of our love. It must be about time—”

“Everything has been arranged, Katri-Kate,
everything
. High Leader Maher is aware of our plan. He informed Dufaigh you and I will take a walk to discuss a Binding Spell with Perth—his father wants you and Perth Bound by tomorrow night, remember?”

“I know.” Perth told me his father has pulled him aside every evening for the last week to discuss us finally taking that step, and every time Perth came up with another reason not to. He cannot continue to go against his father without suspicions growing.

“I stopped by his room on the way here and told him you would be out for a while and there would be no need to pop in here this evening. Now are you ready?”

“I am.” I grab the dagger Perth made for me, shove it down the front of my dress, then stand, legs trembling below me.

“Ground Dweller magic?”

“Yes. Perth made it for me.”

“He was wise to arm you, and with something no one else can see. Cheilt,” Mom whispers, running her hand across the silk. The gown disappears. She takes it from me, slips it under her belt, then wraps her arm around my shoulders and ushers me toward the door.

“I have to apologize, Kate; Perth has surprised me. It appears trusting in him was the right thing to do. I am sorry for ever doubting you.”

We walk into the hall at the same time.

Brit, Flanna, and Shay stand huddled with wide eyes looking everywhere but forward, hands clenched in fists at their sides.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask. “Where are Deverell and Cyric?”

Brit responds with a squeal and a hug, knocking me into Mom with the force of it.

“Are you trying to kill me, Brit?”

She steps away, but rocks up and down on her toes. “Sorry,” she whispers. “I’m just so excited for you. And your guards are off duty.”

Shay places her hand on my shoulder and grins. She’s never been a woman of many words.

Flanna hasn’t moved or spoken; she waits behind Brit and Shay, glancing around our small group of women.

I take a few steps in Flanna’s direction.

She offers me her best sarcastic smile—one that I’ve missed since Lann died. “It is about time you and my cousin have your alone time. Sorry for all the interruptions before. Part of my prophecy was to make you wait until the right time, which is now.”

“Oh, Flanna, I always wondered if you interrupted us for a reason.” I wrap my arms around her neck, soaking in her warmth and her heart-warming smell of potatoes and chicken worn into her from years of working in the kitchen.

We hold each other for longer than a quick hug, but Flanna has been so distant, so missing from my everyday life, I need to hold her.