Wilde's Army (4 page)

We arrive at the river after several grueling miles traveled in the densest forest I’ve ever seen, but now the trees are behind us. The ground is no longer covered in leaves and dirt; instead, rocks line our path. We lead the horses up a steep hill.

“This is it,” Perth says after he reaches the end of the stone trail.

“You’re kidding, right?” We’re on a ledge above the river—out in the open where bats or coscarthas or any type of daemon could find us.

“Do you trust me?”

“Not entirely.”

He sucks in a sharp breath. “Have I done anything deserving of your distrust?”

“Not yet.” I clamp my hand over my mouth.

“If you would prefer, we can make camp down in the forest where the daemons would expect to find us,
or
we can set up here. Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the best plan.” Perth slides off the horse.

I climb from Mirain. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. What should we do with the horses?”

Perth turns his head in the direction of the river. “We can tie them to some trees about twenty feet below us—by the water. We will cast a few spells to protect them from being seen.”

This sounds like a problem. Arland never showed me how to cast complicated spells. I was so horrible with the simple door opening and closing and spark creating, we never moved beyond to more important magic. “I don’t know how.”

“Do not worry. I will take care of the magic, as long as you take care of the animals.” Perth hands me the reins to his borrowed horse.

“Deal. You lead the way.”

The trail to the river is winding, but thankfully not as steep as the one we climbed to get here. At the bottom, a twenty-foot mossy area spreads in front of us with a few trees sprinkled around.

The animals walk up to the water’s edge, then take a drink.

I sit in the middle of the damp area, listening to the river rush by while Perth walks the perimeter and whispers spells to the wind.

Griandor and Leader Maher’s words repeat themselves in my mind: “Trust in those around you; most importantly, trust in those you love. That trust will be your guide,” and “Ground Dwellers are all bad.” Everything seems like a cruel joke. I feel not only a pawn in Perth’s father’s game, but I also feel like a pawn for the gods.

If I’m so powerful, why not tell me exactly what I need to do to unite the Draíochta, so we can end the war; or better yet, deliver me to Dughbal so I can burn him with my fire? It’s wrong to question higher powers, but I cannot help myself. With everything I’ve ever loved gone, I’m beyond worried about who I am. I’m angry.

“Katriona?” Perth says beside me.

I look up. “Yeah?”

He offers me his hand. “It is done. The animals will be secure. We should head back up.”

“Why don’t we just stay here? It seems safe enough. You just cast protections over us … .” It
seems
like a waste to go anywhere with such a nice, secluded spot by the river.

“While we would be guarded against anything getting in, we are not guarded if the animals get loose and run out. If that were to happen, our position could be compromised. If daemons discovered us here, we would be trapped … unless you wanted to use the river, but I do not believe either of us would enjoy swimming in
that
,” he says, giving the river a fearful glance.

“What’s in the river?” I follow his gaze to the water, barely visible through the blanket of Darkness.

“Serpents.” He shudders.

I take his hand, and he helps me up.

“Can serpents get out of the water?” I ask, ready to high-tail it back up the ledge.

“I have only ever seen them in the water.”

“So, the horses should be fine?” The thought of leaving three innocent animals here does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling, but I’d rather be as far away from the serpents as possible.

“I told you.” Perth laughs, probably amused by my sudden fear. “We are safe from anything getting in.”

I turn on my toe then head up the trail—back into the open.

He follows behind me.

Perth still gives me the creeps. His eyes are always watching. Even his blonde hair seems spooky in contrast to the Darkness, but he has lived up to his word so far, and I’m supposed to trust those around me.

I stop in the center of our
hiding
spot. “What now?”

He takes a seat next to my feet. “We wait.”

“There isn’t any time. We need to get to the others now!”

Crossing his legs, Perth clasps his hands and places them in his lap. “Daemons rest as we do. We will leave at three in the morning. I will take the first shift if you want to sleep.”

I cannot stand this. Daemons have my family and my heart. Sitting on this ledge out in the open for fifteen hours is
not
in the cards for my day. “
No
. We will not waste time. How many daemons did you see leaving with the others at base?”

“Too many to count.” Perth draws circles in the dirt with his finger. “When you were in your sister’s mind, what did you see?”

“Why?” Propping my hands on my hips, I stare down at him the way my mom always did when she was punishing me.

He doesn’t meet my eyes. “I want to see if you were given clues about the trap you want to run into.”

The first thing I heard when I was in Brit’s thoughts was Lann telling the daemons to kill me, they had to use Arland and Brit against me. Giving up, I sit down.

“So my suspicions are correct?”

I’d like to smack the satisfaction out of his tone. “Yes, Perth, you’re right. Lann told the daemons to use Arland and Brit against me.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Nothing about your mother?”

“No. My mom wasn’t mentioned.” I don’t remember seeing her in the cave either. There
are
forty-five soldiers, and tallying them and their locations didn’t cross my mind, but now I’m worried about her more than I already was.

“I believe you should try to use your connection to your sister to learn more about the situation. It will be the safest way to gather information. We will move in when it is safe to do so.”

Uhh, great, but I’m not sure how that connection works. “Is this going to be like the chatter box? Do I have to figure everything out on my own?”

Perth stops drawing in the dirt like a two-year-old and locks his cold gaze on me. “You seem to have quite a bit figured out already. Why do you doubt yourself so much?”

I ignore him and close my eyes.

“I will keep watch,” he says.

“Keep quiet while you’re at it, please.” I know I’m being unfair, but I’m annoyed by how he’s taking everything in stride—like this is no big deal.

Taking deep breaths, I clear Perth from my mind and think of Brit. All these years, she’s sensed my emotions because we share a connection. Before I had left for college, she used to come to my room almost every night. The nightmares—which I now know to be visions—occurred more frequently than ever before. Mom and Gary didn’t bother going to her room to wake her in the mornings because she was always next to me, sleeping with her arm draped over my back.

My legs tingle, but I don’t fight against it like last time; I welcome the transfer of myself to Brit, then open my eyes.

Perth isn’t in front of me.

I’m inside the cave.

Control over my hands and feet returns, but it doesn’t feel anything like what I’m used to—they’re not my own. There isn’t enough time to think about how weird being removed from my body is. Brit is tied up to a cold cave wall, her mouth gagged. It feels as though there are a thousand cotton balls on my tongue. The wet rocks send chills up her back … my back.

She aches, she’s tired, and she’s starved for food.

The torches on the walls are still bright with flames. The air smells so strongly of rust and mold, I find it hard not to vomit. Brit’s chest hurts as she holds her breath. She pushes the stench from her thoughts, but when she does draw in a deep, ragged gasp for air, it has to pass through her nose—starting the cycle again.

“Brit?”

“
Kate
? Kate!
Can you hear me
?” Even her thoughts sound frantic. She cringes; she needs to breathe. When she does, it takes everything in me not to let go of our connection.

“
Is everyone . . . a-alive
?”

“
Yes. T-the d-d-d-daemons are torturing people for information about you
.”

I swallow hard. “
How many daemons are there
?”

“
I-I don’t know.”
She scans the room, but I only see soldiers. “
I think I saw twenty? Are you coming for us
?”

“
I’m trying. Who is the second person who betrayed us?”

“I only know about Lann.”

“There is someone else. Try to figure it out.”

Tears well in Brit’s eyes.
“Please, hurry, Kate. I’m scared.”

“Can you show me where everyone is?”

Brit turns her neck. Sharp pains radiate from my shoulder up the back of my head. I want to rub the spot, but my hands won’t move. My wrists burn; rope is intertwined between them. She shows me Arland.

My breath hitches in my lungs.

He’s worse than when I saw him earlier. The bruises have turned purple. Arland’s shirt is gone, and his chest has multiple cuts. Blood stains the ground beneath his feet.

I shake in my very core. “
Oh God! Tell me they haven’t poisoned him!”

“No, b-but he’s been hurt the worst.”

“I can’t stand this. Show me the others.”

The children. Please God, let the children be okay.

Brit squints as her eyes reach out into the dark cave. Tristan and Saidear are next to Arland. She stares across from where she’s tied, showing me Enid and all the children. Next to them are Mom, Gavin, Dunn, Flanna, Cadman, Ogilvie, and everyone else—they’re alive, but their heads sag and shoulders droop. Except for Mom; she stares at Brit.

Hooves clap against the stone floor of the cave, echoing around us.

Brit stiffens, and her stomach turns. “
Someone is coming
.”

“
Stay calm.”
I’m not sure if I’m telling her or me.

Two tairbs come into view. “Aengus was wrong about the affection the girl possesses for these pathetic Draíochtans. If she wanted to protect them, she would have been here by now. Kill them all. We will find another way to get to her.”

The taller of the two daemons pauses and looks over at Brit. “Start with that one first; make it slow and painful. Maybe the girl will hear the screams from where she hides.”

He smiles wickedly and walks away.

The other tairb grins, turning his red eyes to my sister.

This cannot be happening. Griandor, please stop this. Help me. Help them. Please kill the daemons for me. Give me the power I need to stop him
.

Tears threaten to spill over Brit’s eyes. Thinking of her fingers, her toes, her heart, I search for a way to take control of her, for a way to take her place so she doesn’t have to feel the pain of death. I have to find a way to make this end.

The vile creature walks up to my sister, licking his blackened lips. “I am going to enjoy this.”

He rips open the front of her shirt.

Trembling, she screams through her gag. Her heart races and sends so much blood to her head, it resonates as it throbs through her temples.

The daemon draws a knife from a pouch on his back then cuts a small hole into his hand. “Do you know what my blood will do to you?”

She doesn’t respond, but I do. I shake my head back and forth. Brit’s head moves with mine.

“My blood contains a poison so strong, it will eat through your flesh in minutes and allow me to feed on the magic locked inside your worthless soul. One day, we will be powerful enough to overthrow the gods you so absurdly worship. You do not see the gods here now, do you?”

He raises his hand and shows her the blood dripping from it.

I cannot believe this hideous beast believes
we
are worthless. They feed on innocent lives for what? For the magic we possess? Is he so stupid he thinks they can actually overthrow gods? Does he believe Dughbal will come through on his promise of new life for them?

The rumbling feeling always preceding the flames builds in me, more powerful than I’ve ever felt it, but before it can take full control, the connection to Brit begins to fade.

My vision fills with black spots as the daemon collects his blood on the knife and lifts it to her face.

“
Please help me, Kate!”

And in an instant, I’m back in my body.

I’m screaming. I have no control. Opening my eyes, I jump to my feet. Flames erupt from my chest and spread to my arms and legs like fire on dry straw. I run to the winding path leading down to the horses, without sparing a second to tell Perth what’s going on.

He calls to me.

I’m vaguely aware of shrieks coming from the forest, but I don’t care. That monster was about to kill my sister, and I couldn’t do anything to stop him. I’m not going to cry. I refuse to let anything happen to Brit.

The gravel on the path crunches and echoes inside my ears as my feet make contact with the ground.

A hand clasps my shoulder, pulling me to a stop.

“Where are you going?” Perth asks, breathless.

“I told you there wasn’t any time, but you didn’t listen. Now they’ve probably already killed Brit, and I couldn’t keep the connection to her. I’m going to stop this. Let me go, or I will kill you, too.” I knock his hand from my shoulder and run again.

Perth follows.

Mirain waits by the edge of his perimeter, facing toward the south.

I turn my head toward the sky. “Thank you, Griandor, for sending her to me.”

Her body glows a brilliant-white, and she rears. When she returns to all fours, I jump on her back then look at Perth.

He stares at my horse; his eyes ask questions before he even speaks. “Did you just thank a
god
for your horse?”

“There’s no time. I heard the daemons in the forest. Your hiding spot didn’t work either.” I kick my heels into Mirain’s sides and take off … alone.