Aerenden: The Child Returns (Ærenden) (42 page)

Tensing,
she flipped onto her back, set to spring to her feet, but paused when four
faces she did not expect stared back at her.

Nick
pulled her to her feet and she felt relief wash through him. “That was stupid,”
he said. “You’re lucky I was able to pull you out of Angus’ grip before he
could finish teleporting you. You could have been in the middle of a volcano by
now.”

She
pressed her lips together at the thought, but chased it and the image of molten
lava from her mind as fast as it had formed. The hard object locked within her
fingers reminded her she had done the right thing. “I didn’t have a choice,”
she told him. “I had to save your powers.”

“And
you almost lost your life in the process,” he lectured before nodding at the
ground. “Watch out for the creeper.”

Meaghan
looked down at the tangled mass of wriggling vines, and then stepped to the
side when a tentacle shot toward her. Another snapped at her leg and she moved
out of its range before opening her hand. A five-sided gem lay on her palm,
glinting varying shades of amethyst in the sunlight. She focused on it, on the
heat emanating from it, and it flashed. Nick smiled and the emotions fighting
to overwhelm Meaghan’s mind ceased to exist.

“Is
that what I think it is?” May asked. “Is that the Reaper Stone?”

“It
is,” Sam replied, stepping to May’s side to examine the object. “Do you think
Angus has had it this whole time?”

“Most
likely,” Miles answered, and then addressed Meaghan, though he kept his eyes
locked on the stone. “How did you know he had it?”

“I
saw it flash. I think he took Nick’s powers with it.”

Miles
frowned. “I didn’t realize,” he said, looking up at her. “I’m sure he planned
on killing Nick after he killed you. Have you returned Nick’s powers to him?”

Meaghan
curled her fingers around the stone. The warmth continued to pulse against her
skin. “I did, but I don’t know how I did it.”

“Perhaps
the ability is innate.” Miles said. “I’m sure you’ll learn how to control it in
time. For now, keep it well. You’ll need it on your journey.”

“What
journey?”

Miles
looked from her fingers to her face. “You aren’t safe with us any longer. You
need to go.”

 “Go?”
she asked, though her voice sounded hollow to her. “Go where?”

“It
doesn’t matter.” Miles turned his gaze on Nick. “You need to leave, too.”

“I
understand,” Nick said, slipping an arm around Meaghan’s shoulders. The thought
of travelling again, of spending nights in the woods and days attempting to
avoid death made her feel week. She leaned against him to keep steady.

“I
don’t,” she said. “There are people here who can protect us—”

“And
one of them tried to kill you tonight,” Miles reminded her. “Unless Angus was
lying about letting the Mardróch into the village. Was he?”

Meaghan
did not respond. She did not want to utter the truth, but Miles nodded and she
knew her face had given him the answer. “I was afraid of that,” he said and
turned to Nick’s mother, “do you have your commcrystals?”

“I
do.”

“Bring
them here. We don’t have much time. Angus will return soon if he has
reinforcements.”

“Time
for what?” Nick asked.

“We
have two things to accomplish before you go. I need to gather the villagers so
you can teleport safely. I’ll send groups in different directions.”

“And
the other thing?”

“We
need to ensure your safety,” Miles answered. May returned and he took two
oblong crystals from her, rubbing them together with a flick of his wrists.
They shifted from smoke-gray to bright white, then back again, and he handed
one to Nick before giving the other back to May. “Two people can hide better
than three. I’m reassigning you as Meaghan’s Guardian, but I expect you to be
smarter about it this time. Stay firm with her safety, and use the crystal to
communicate with your mother. Keep us up-to-date on everything, save for one
secret you’ll be required to keep.”

Nick
clutched the crystal between his hands. “What’s that?”

“Your
location. Only tell us if danger requires it. May will be your Guardian going
forward.”

“My
Guardian?” Nick shook his head. “I don’t need a—”

“The
King always needs one,” Miles interrupted. He took Meaghan’s hand in his,
lifting it so he could see the stone still nestled in her palm. It flashed
again.

“But
I’m not,” Nick started to protest, stopping when Sam chuckled. Nick’s eyes grew
wide before falling on Meaghan.

“This
stone belongs to your family,” Miles said, drawing Meaghan’s hand closer. “It
was taken from Adelina’s amulet the day she was murdered. We believe it’s for
protection though no one outside the royal family knew its full purpose or its
origin.”

“So
it does more than steal powers?” Meaghan asked.

Miles
nodded. “Istera told me as much.”

“Shouldn’t
we destroy it then? It could be dangerous if Garon ever got it.”

“He
wouldn’t be able to use it. It only works for members of the royal family.
There are only two of you left, about to be three.” Miles gestured toward Nick.
“Place your hand on the stone, please.”

Though
Nick’s hand trembled, he did as Miles requested of him, covering Meaghan’s
fingers with his own. Miles pressed his hand on top of Nick’s, and the stone
flashed, sending light through his fingers. It glowed for a full minute before
the light went out and Miles released their hands. “It’s done.”

“What
is?” Nick asked.

“The
stone has recognized you as the rightful King. It can’t be used against a royal
family member, so you’re now immune to it.” Miles passed his hand in front of
his waist and bowed low. A smile spread across his face. “And now it’s my honor
to officially recognize you. Welcome, King of Ærenden.”

T
HEY LANDED
in another endless forest. Rough bark blended into dark shadows and Meaghan
closed her eyes against it. She had hoped Nick knew of a place where they could
settle, a place where a bed would greet them when they were weary, and a
fireplace would warm them when they were cold. But they were back in the woods,
which meant they were back to misery until she learned to control her powers.
She pressed her lips together, releasing them with a heavy breath when Nick
kissed her forehead.

“We’re
alone here,” he said, drawing her against him. “Would it be okay if I didn’t
use my power?”

She
nodded and then sensed him again as she had on Earth. His emotions lay open to
her. She felt relief and understood it well. It had been no small accomplishment
to live through today. And she felt grief, too.

“I’m
sorry about Cissy,” she whispered.

Nick
tightened his hold on her, but said nothing. She reached for the amulet now
sparkling around her neck and closed her fingers around it. There would be more
dead before this war was over. She turned her head to press it against Nick’s
chest. His heart beat a steady rhythm and it paired with the calm she sensed
from him. She held on to that. They stood still and quiet before his lips found
the top of her head. Then he let her go.

“We
shouldn’t stay here,” he told her, and laced his fingers together with hers.
“Do you smell anything?”

She
closed her eyes and inhaled. Her stomach rumbled. “Something’s roasting,” she
said.

He
laughed. “I meant anything bad. I don’t sense any Mardróch, but you can sense
them better than I can.”

She
shook her head. “They’re not around. Where are we?”

In
response, he tugged her behind him through a group of trees and into a
clearing. A small cabin appeared. Smoke curled from the chimney and sitting on
the front porch, several packages waited. A quick scan of the surrounding woods
revealed a dozen crystals glowing blue against the sky.

Nick
smiled. “I didn’t want to teleport directly here in case there were Mardróch
around, but I couldn’t think of a safer place for us.”

“Neither
could I,” Meaghan responded. Her eyes drew to the smoke again and her hunger responded
to the roast she had no doubt would be waiting inside. “Who’s been here?”

“You
mean you haven’t guessed?” Nick asked. She shook her head. “Cal. I’m certain
he’s known all along where we would end up. And I’m just as certain we won’t
see him for some time, because he’ll also know I intend to find out what else
Vivian told him. Come on.” He led the way across the clearing, and then scooped
up the packages from the porch step. “He left clothing and supplies, all the
comforts of home.”

She
sighed. “I’ll kiss him next time I see him.”

“Another
reason he’ll stay away,” Nick joked. “Let’s eat and then watch the sun set. We
need a break after today.”

Meaghan
nodded. Swinging open the cabin door, she stepped aside to let him pass. “And
tomorrow?” she asked.

“Tomorrow,”
he said and paused on the threshold long enough to study her. His eyes locked
with hers. “I’m going to turn you into a warrior.”

John Donne once
penned, “No man is an island” and in this regard, no book is the creation of a
single person. Without the efforts of so many,  the world of Ærenden would
have been no more than black print on yellowing pages, lost to the back of a
closet for eternity. I owe a hearty Thank You to my friends, family, and beta
readers for their amazing support and guidance. In particular, I must mention
my sister and mother for reading and providing daily feedback on work in
progress, even when chapters were less than scraps and bones; my husband for
refusing to let me stop believing; Jessica Lux, my editor, for her firm hand
and never-ending patience; Jaime Palmucci of Debutante Media for having faith
in me, and for lending me her expertise and courage; Lisa J. Yarde, the amazing
author, my mentor, for teaching me to think of sentences and publishing in ways
I never dreamed possible; and, of course, my Grandfather, the man who first
introduced me to storytelling and encouraged me to create.

Born in Bangor, Maine,
Kristen Taber
spent her childhood at the feet of an Irish
storytelling grandfather, learning to blend fact with fiction and imagination
with reality. She lived within the realms of the worlds that captivated her,
breathing life into characters and crafting stories even before she could read.
Those stories have since turned into a wide range of short tales, poems, and
manuscripts in both Young Adult and Adult genres. Currently, she is working on
the Ærenden series from her home in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Learn more about Kristen and her work at
www.kristentaber.com
.