Aerenden: The Child Returns (Ærenden) (41 page)

“Lucky
to be alive after this past week,” Angus said. “He’s young and foolish, and
she’s no different. They’re a good fit. Let him protect her. If he gets her
killed, it’s better for all of us.”

“Angus,”
Miles warned.

“Are
you really going to keep defending her?” Angus snapped. “Her presence cost
several dozen lives tonight, maybe more. Not to mention your entire family. Is
their sacrifice meaningless to you?”

Anger
flashed over Miles’ face, turning the corners of his mouth hard. He grabbed the
front of Angus’ shirt. “You don’t think I know what this night cost us? You
don’t think I harbor that pain? All of us do. Sam lost his daughter. Nick lost
one of his closest friends. But it’s not our Queen’s fault. It’s the fault of
whoever let the Mardróch into the village. If anything, the fact they came for
her tells us they consider her a threat. Why do you suppose that is?”

“Because
they don’t realize how useless she is,” Angus countered. He locked his hand
over Miles’ wrist and twisted, forcing the other man to let go. “They will
soon. How many lives do you think her incompetency will cost us in the
meantime?”

“She’s
not incompetent,” Nick said and stepped into the circle of Elders. Sam moved
out of the way to make room for him, but Miles frowned at the intrusion. “She’s
only been on this world a week and a half, and she’s learned a lot during that
time. More than you could, I’m certain.”

Angus
swept his hand through the air, pushing Nick back with the gesture. “How dare
you talk to me that way,” he said. “Have you forgotten your place? Do you truly
think you can question an Elder’s judgment because you guard that joke of a
Queen?” He moved his hand again, and knocked Nick off his feet. When he raised
his hand a third time, May stepped in front of her son.

“Enough,”
she hissed. “You’ve made your point. And so has he. It’s a valid one. Meaghan
needs more time.”

“Time
we don’t have,” Angus replied.

“The
final battle isn’t upon us,” Sam told him. “She has time and I’m willing to
give it to her. As to her Guardian’s status, protocol calls for a vote.”

Nick
rose to his feet, nodding in concession before stepping back. Meaghan drew up
to her knees.

“A
vote then,” Miles agreed. “I think Nick has done the best job he can, but this
situation needs a more experienced Guardian. I vote that May takes his place.”

“Fine,”
Angus said, and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I concede to the Head
Elder’s judgment.”

May
crossed her arms over her chest. “Well I don’t. Miles is wrong.”

“Noted,”
Miles said and turned to Sam. “And you? Where does your vote lie?”

“Between
the two options,” he responded. “Nick is a good Guardian and I think a lot can
be said for the trust he instills in Meaghan.”

“But?”
Angus prompted.

“But
he lacks the experience May holds. I think removing Nick might prove to be a
mistake, but for now, it’s a necessity.”

“Then
it shall be,” Miles determined. He turned to Nick and held up his hand. His
palm appeared to shimmer white as he spoke. “Nick, from this point forward, you
are relieved of your duties as Guardian over the Queen.” He addressed May next.
“You are henceforth granted the powers of Guardian over Meaghan.”

No
sooner had the words left his mouth then May frowned and Meaghan realized her
new Guardian now sensed her. “She’s awake,” May muttered.

All
eyes found Meaghan. With their focus on her, only Meaghan saw Angus slip his
left hand from his pocket. A flash of purple radiated from between his fingers
and Nick’s eyes widened with fear and confusion, matching the emotions Meaghan
sensed from him.

He
did not have to say anything for her to understand what had happened. She felt
it. She felt everything from him and from everyone else.

This
time, there could be no mistake. He had lost his powers.

“S
PYING AGAIN
?”
Miles asked Meaghan,
not bothering to mask the displeasure in his voice. “How long have you been
awake?”

“Long
enough,” she responded and stood. She could feel the pain building. It tore at
her muscles and pounded within her head, but she ignored it. She fought past
it, focusing on the threat in front of her instead. “What did you do?” she
asked Angus.

“It
wasn’t his choice alone,” Sam said, stepping forward to lay a hand on her
shoulder. “We voted to remove Nick as your Guardian.”

She
kept her eyes pinned on Angus. “Tell me,” she said. “Tell me what you did to
him.”

“I
didn’t do anything,” he responded. “You’re mistaken.”

“Don’t
lie to me.” She advanced on him, her steps slow and deliberate. Angus began
backing away. She smiled, though the gesture held menace instead of joy, and his
Adam’s apple bobbed fast in his throat.

“You
don’t think I can sense your deceit?” she asked him. “Your hatred toward me?
Your
fear
?”

“I’d never—”

“Did
you bring the Mardróch too? Was the raid your idea?”

He shook his head.
“Please, my Queen, I—”

“No
more lies!”

Angus
backed into a tree and froze. Meaghan pressed forward.

“Did
you think I wouldn’t figure out your plan?” she asked. “Did you truly believe I
wouldn’t sense your betrayal?”

“I
haven’t done anything,” Angus protested. His eyes grew wide with innocence, but
she could sense the anger and panic he fought to hide.

She
halted her advance in front of him and he shrank against the tree. “If I’m
wrong, then show me your left hand,” she said. “Show everyone your hand so they
can see what you hold.”

“But
I...” His throat constricted. His panic swelled, and he tore his eyes from Meaghan’s
face to seek out May’s. “Please,” he begged. “She’s gone crazy. Control her.”

“I’d
be happy to,” May responded. “Just show us your hand first.”

Angus
tightened his fist around the object in question. His eyes darted to Miles,
beseeching. “You can’t expect me to entertain her request, can you? It’s
insulting.”

Miles
nodded. “He’s right. Meaghan’s not making much sense. Angus has been with us
from the beginning. He’s given us no reason to doubt him.”

“He
hasn’t,” Sam agreed. “But she’s our Queen. Insulting or not, it’s a simple
request. Show us your hand, Angus.”

Angus’
eyes widened again, his fear no longer guarded, and Miles nodded his consent
for the request. Angus raised his hand, but rather than open it, he pushed it
forward. A wave of power hit Meaghan like a surge of water, knocking her
backwards. She landed flat on the ground. Air rushed from her lungs. White
stars flashed in front of her eyes. Her head screamed, pain surging from the
lump that had formed earlier. She heard Angus running away and rolled onto her
side, but did not get the chance to rise to her feet before she began sliding.
She flipped onto her stomach, struggling against an invisible force as Angus
drew her behind him with his power.

Clawing
at the ground, she sought anything that would slow her movement. Leaves
crumbled beneath her fingers. Limbs brushed by, scratching her arms. Nick and
the Elders chased after her, but Angus ran faster. Desperate, she dug into the
dirt, sifting through grass and pebbles until her hands grasped the withered,
brown rope of a dying vine. She gripped hard. The vine wriggled around her
fingers, but lost the will to fight as Angus’ pull increased.

She
felt his power tug her ankles, yank on her legs, then finally lock on her
waist. She twisted the vine around her arms, using it to anchor her. Pain
surged through her body as Angus increased his power, and then the pressure suddenly
eased. Nick caught up to her. He pulled her to her feet, unraveling the vine
from her arms to show red welts indented into her skin.

“Angus!
You traitor!” Miles bellowed. He raised his hands and Meaghan turned in time to
see the air shimmer in front of Angus. Angus skidded to a stop, and then turned
to face them.

“I
only do what’s best for the kingdom,” he said. “She’ll bring our deaths.”

“Don’t
confuse her with Garon,” Sam responded. “Meaghan is the rightful heir. She has
the blood of your ancestors, and the wisdom.”

“Not
my ancestors,” Angus growled. “My mother was the true heir and now I am.
Adelina was an imprudent offshoot of the family line, an impulsive ruler who
brought about her own death and the deaths of many others. Meaghan’s no
different.”

“Istera
would never have made a good ruler,” Miles said. “She was selfish. She chose
your father over the kingdom and its people.”

“You
have no right,” Angus barked, punching a fist forward. Miles staggered back a
step, but held his ground. “You betray my mother by speaking of her in that
way.”

“I
guarded her for many years,” Miles said. “I knew her better than you did, and I
also know she chose her love over the throne because she felt Adelina would
make the better ruler. She knew her own selfishness, and she had enough wisdom
to recognize it. That wisdom would do you well.”

“You
lie!” With a flick of his wrist, Angus launched a rock through the air. It
sailed toward Miles’ head, but the Elder did not move. He raised a hand
instead, and the air shimmered again. The rock met his force field and fell to
the ground.

“You
know I’m telling the truth,” Miles replied. “And you also know you can’t win
this fight. If you try, you’ll pay with your life.”

“We’ll
see about that,” Angus responded and lifted his hand. Miles did the same,
pushing back a barrage of stones with another quick force field. A boulder and
a log met his shield with the same ease. Angus narrowed his eyes. His face
flashed red with anger, and then he raised his hand once more. Miles did the
same, but before he had the chance to use his power, Angus turned and fled.

“No!”
Meaghan cried after him. She did not care if he escaped justice. Nor did she
care that he had tried to kill her. She only cared about the object he still
clutched in his hand, and what it would do to Nick if Angus got away. “Use your
force field,” she told Miles.

Miles
raised his hand. The air shimmered in front of Angus, but he dodged it. A second
force field hit a tree to Angus’ left. By the time a third missed its mark,
Meghan realized Miles’ power would be useless in catching Angus. But hers would
not.

She
dropped to her knees in the grass, waited until Angus had run a few more steps,
then grabbed onto the creeper vine, surging her revival power through it. The
thin, brown plant turned green, and then lashed from her grip, snapping in
anger. Angus’ next step landed beside the vine. It whipped around his ankle,
yanking him to the ground. He writhed, snakelike, as he tried to escape, then
grew still when the vine cocooned his body to his shoulders.

Meaghan
jumped to her feet and ran toward him. Bending over him, she dug through the
vines to clear his hand, and then pulled at his fingers. He tightened them.

“Give
it to me,” she commanded.

In
response, he spit at her. The vines crawled up his neck. His breathing turned
to wheezing. His eyes closed halfway and his grip loosened. The object fell to
the ground, but before Meaghan could reach for it, she flew backward.

“His
hand is free,” Nick yelled and she understood her error. She had unbound Angus’
hand, allowing him the chance to use his power. She rolled onto her elbows in
time to see a large tree branch lift from the ground and fly at her head. With
no way to escape, she moved to cover her face with her arms, stopping when the
air shimmered in front of her. The branch hit the ground.

Miles
walked around her, holding his hand in front of him as the shimmering pushed
toward Angus. “Did you bring the Mardróch?” Miles asked. “You didn’t answer her
question.”

“Not
this time,” Angus snarled in response. May gasped and charged toward him, but
Nick caught her. He locked his arms around her waist. She struggled, but could
not break from his grasp.

“You
killed them,” she sobbed, her grief sharp in her voice. “How could you? They
trusted you!”

“I
was after Meaghan. Vivian and James got in the way.”

“Monster!”
She surged forward again, but when Nick did not let her go, she collapsed
against his chest.

Sam
moved to May’s side to console her. Miles glanced over at her, and while both
men remained distracted, Angus inched across the ground. Though the vines
tightened their hold on him again, he fought them, stretching his hand toward
the object he had dropped. It wiggled, sliding across the dirt in response to
his power, and Meaghan dove underneath Miles’ shield, reaching the object a
moment before Angus did. Her fingers tightened around it. His fingers closed
around her wrist.

He
smiled, and then the forest disappeared.

T
HE WORLD
bled back into focus, streaking across Meaghan’s vision in patches before turning
solid. Trees stood tall in front of her, ominous in their posture. Dried leaves
and the scent of fresh dirt greeted her from a forest floor no different from
the one she had left. The grip on her wrist released, but she knew the reprieve
would not last long. Angus had teleported her away from the others. She had no
protection and no way to escape, but she would fight. She had too much of Adelina’s
personality within her to allow Angus to kill her so easily.