Wilde's Fire (Darkness Falls #1) (29 page)

“Yes, of course I believe it will work. We will take Flanna and Cadman with us again. Let me go speak to Lann. Wait inside the corridor, so no one sees you.” Arland pushes open the door, pulls me through, then runs to the communications room.

I’ve daydreamed about our first kiss since I arrived here; this was not what I thought we’d be doing after our moment. I definitely didn’t expect to be riding off to the clearing afterward, but I’m excited at the prospect of us getting through this time.

Arland entered the communications room alone, but he comes out with Cadman following on his heels.

“Flanna,” Arland yells.

“I hear we are going to the clearing again,” Flanna says, poking her head inside the doorway.

I smile broadly at my little spy friend.

“Whoa, you are radiant.” She grabs my shoulders and looks me up and down.

“Since you have been eavesdropping, I do not need to repeat the mission to
you
. Go ready the horses,” Arland barks at her.

Flanna practically skips from the room.

“Cadman, we are riding to the clearing again. I believe we may have found a way to get through.”

Glancing at my glowing body, Cadman nods, then heads up the stairwell.

Arland grabs my hand and pulls me toward the communications room.

Lann meets us outside the door, offering a short bow to Arland, but doesn’t look at me. How could he not find my appearance strange?

I stare at my hands for a moment, smiling as the blue fire dances on my skin and up my arms.
I
find my appearance strange.

“Gather any soldiers remaining outside, and bring them in. Leave only the best fighters to hunt down the rogue daemons, then reset the spell. If we do not return, you are not to come looking for us. If you do not hear from us by tomorrow, send word to my father, then leave for Willow Falls.” Arland’s instructions are clear, as usual.

Lann nods. “I am sorry for failing you, sir. I am glad you two are okay.”

“We were lucky, but I am worried we need to move sooner. We will discuss this upon our return.”

Arland laces his fingers with mine again, and we head down the hall. Instead of him leading me up the stairs into the stables, I lead him. We run up, still full of energy from the kiss, fight, and power—at least, that’s how I feel.

Mirain’s wild neighs fill the stables. Rushing toward her, we round the corner and discover she’s only being miserable for Cadman.

“Mirain! Calm down, girl,” I say, keeping my voice firm.

She looks me over, snorting and shaking her head.

“I’ll take her from here, Cadman. Thank you.”

We all mount our horses and wait for the doors to open.

“Kate, follow close on my right,” Arland shouts. “Cadman, Flanna, I want you two to flank us. Ride fast!”

“Uh, Arland, why are we riding in a tactical formation?” Flanna asks.

“We were attacked in the woods by daemons. I am concerned they will communicate our location to the others. Now, we need to move.”

“Why are we riding to the clearing, if the base may be attacked while we’re gone? What about Brad? The children? If we leave them while the perimeter is down, will they be able to fight off the daemons?” I ask before I can stop myself. More than anything, I want to go; I’m desperate to get to my family, but I don’t want anyone here to get hurt.

“There are plenty of soldiers here to protect everyone. My men are scouring the forest as we speak. They will reset the spell, and everyone will be safe.”

“What if—?”

“I do not know how it broke. Spells can fail, but they can also be reset.” He leans over and presses his hand to my thigh. “And we are going because I promised you would see your family again. If your mother has any shred of this world left in her, she has been waiting for you on the other side of the portal since your sister returned home.”

“The dream I had a couple weeks ago—Mom was the one who told me about Griandor’s sister. She also said she and Brit were waiting for me. Even if that was real, do you think they’ll still be there?”

He nods. “Yes, I believe they will still be waiting for you.”

Anna’s smile, and her big brown eyes, flash in my mind. I cannot risk everyone’s lives for another possible failed mission. They’ve already lost so much. “Do you honestly think this is going to work?”

“Kate, until tonight I did not know how we were going to re-open the portal. The way old magic swirled around you was incredible. It did your will without instruction from you. The daemons were scared. Right now, they are probably telling the others about the incident in the woods, which means we have very little time to test my theory on the portal,” Arland rushes out his words.

Blinking away Anna’s image, I push my reservations aside. “Then, let’s go!”

“Oscailte!” he says.

The doors swing open. We walk the horses out, take our positions, then immediately urge them to a gallop. There are no daemons, no sounds other than our horses’ hooves hitting the earth and heavy breathing through their nostrils.

We speed down the trail, the wind blowing past my ears.

In what seems like no time at all, we arrive at the perimeter checkpoint. Any normal horse wouldn’t be able to run at a pace like this, but as with most things in this world, they
have
to be magical. We don’t waste a moment’s pause to explain to the soldiers what we’re doing.

My body is not glowing as brightly as it was earlier, but my skin still radiates blue light. I wonder what it looks like to the soldiers, or if they notice anything at all. I’ll have to make sure Arland speaks to them about keeping quiet.

At the edge of the forest, he draws Bowen to a stop. The rest of us follow his lead. He looks from me to Flanna to Cadman.

“Ready?” Arland whispers.

We nod in unison.

“Ride as fast as you can.”

We break through the last of the trees into the clearing, stressing the horses to run harder than before.

At the spot where the portal is located, I jump from Mirain’s back.

“Be a good girl for Cadman.” I pat her shoulder.

Arland hands Bowen’s reins to Flanna. “Keep guard over a twenty-foot perimeter. If anything attacks, leave Bowen and Mirain and head back to base to warn the others.”

“We will see you soon.”

Arland takes my hand and leads me to the portal. We fall to our knees next to it. I see the glistening edges better than the last time we traveled out here, but it’s still not open. He pokes his finger at the center, but nothing happens.

This was all for nothing.

Arland smiles. “I want you to concentrate on what you need the magic to do for you. Imagine the portal opening, and seeing your family.”

I close my eyes.
I need the portal to open, so I can get home, so I can see my sister and mom again
.

Nothing happens.

Please, open the portal, so I can see Brit and my mom again.

Nothing, still.

“I am sorry it took me so long to figure this out,” Arland says.

I open my eyes, looking back into the dark reality of our situation.

The magic may have responded to me earlier, but it certainly isn’t now.

I give up. “Arland, you have nothing to be sorry for. You have done everything you could to help me see my family again. I could never be upset with you over this, but it’s just not going to work. We need to get back before something happens to the others.”

A grin plays across Arland’s face. “It is going to work. Now kiss me.”

I laugh. “Yes, sir.”

He leans forward, and our mouths meet with so much depth and love, I have to pull away. Arland takes me by the waist and draws me into him.

I give in and kiss him, longer and harder, until I feel our bodies meld into one. I’m not worried about Flanna and Cadman watching us; they won’t share what’s happening between Arland and me with anyone else.

“Well, look at that. You are both radiating fire now,” Flanna says, staring at us. Golden yellow light reflects in her eyes and gleams on her skin.

The blue is gone, and we both burn in the same brilliant, golden-yellow fire that swirled around me in the woods before.

Smiling, Arland looks down at himself. His eyes widen.

“Close your eyes, and ask the magic to open the portal, Kate,” he says, his voice smooth, calm, knowing.

God, I need you, please open this portal. I need to see my sister and mom.

“Incredible.” Arland’s word hangs in the air.

The glow is so bright it appears in my vision, even before I open my eyes. When I do, my jaw falls slack. The beautiful light from our bodies shimmers through the portal, illuminating the water on the other side. I can’t move. My legs are useless. I’m stuck where I kneel, clutching tightly onto Arland’s hands.

Sensing my nerves, he lifts me to my feet and chuckles.

I squeeze his fingers between mine. “Step through at the same time as me, please. I don’t want the door to close and lose you, too.”

Arland holds me steady and meets my eyes. “I promised I would never leave your side … unless you want me to.”

I shake my head. “Hold your breath.”

We each place one foot through the portal. Warm water soaks through my boot. Thrusting the rest of my body into the rippling wave between two worlds, I hold tightly to Arland’s hand.

he water is warm and inviting. We could stay here forever, be happy, be free, be at peace. It would be so easy to run away from everything. But we can’t. Everything depends on us.

We swim the short distance to the surface. It’s midday. The sunshine sends delightful tingles over my skin; the earthy smells of living trees and plants fill my nose, easing my nerves.

Arland squints at the sky and smiles. The sun has a captivating beauty I could get lost in; I think Arland is already lost in it. He looks back at me, his skin glowing. The worn look in his eyes has been replaced with a healthy, youthful one. Arland is beautiful. He catches me watching him; I shake my head at the déjà vu feeling.

Was I not staring at Brad in this swimming hole a few weeks ago?

“The sun makes me want to leave it all behind and stay here with you, forever,” Arland says, looking at me with hungry eyes.

“We would never get over the guilt that would cause us both.” I lead him from the water to one of the rocks along the edge of the river.

“I have not seen the sun in such a long time. I was only five years old when Darkness began stealing our light, Kate. Although, since I met you, Darkness has not seemed as lonely.” Arland takes my hand and spins me around, as though he’d like to kiss me again, but there will be time for that later.

“We’re going to fix it all. Then, we can live wherever we want,” I say, trying to pull Arland out of his obvious desire to sit in the sunlight the rest of the day.

“Come on, let’s move. If Brit and my mom have been waiting for us, I know exactly where they’ll be.”

My feet are so familiar with this trail, I run at a full sprint, with Arland behind me. We jump over vines, duck under branches, run harder and harder until we make it to my family’s “reserved” spot in less than ten minutes.

Blue and red tents grace my treasured place in the forest.

“Mom! Brit!” My heart races at a rapid pace from the run; sweat and water drip from my forehead.