Perilous Light (10 page)

“
Maybe?” My head started to feel foggy, and I couldn’t come up with a coherent response. Those were some serious drinks.

Several hours later, the table was littered with empty glasses, and Ollis was once again shaking my hand. “Kenset will give you our full support. Please give my regards to the Essence.” I watched in stunned silence as he got up from the table and walked to the door.

“
Good job, Kevin.” Bry slipped into the seat Ollis had vacated. Looking around, I saw we were the only ones left in the bar. Somewhere after the third drink, I had quit noticing the crowd.

“
I didn’t do nothing,” I muttered in unintelligible grunts. My thoughts were hard to organize.

“
You showed Ollis that you could come to his table and that you would not back down; that was sufficient.” Samantha looked exhausted, but I ignored that and focused on the fact that she had complimented me. She no longer seemed angry about my insinuation that Energo was technologically backward.

Although it was difficult to stand, it felt good. I had gotten us another ally, and had impressed Samantha at the same time. Somehow, I knew that convincing the rest of the nations wasn’t going to be quite so easy.

Chapter Ten:

Calvin

I left the barracks and walked back to the castle, ignoring the drizzle of rain that hinted at a larger rainstorm to come. Nodding at the guards, I walked through the massive stone entryway. I found no humor in the realization that the structure that once represented such promise had become my prison. Since Charlotte left, everything about the castle seemed gray.

I listened to the deep echo of my boots on the stone floor, as I headed toward the library. Once there, I stopped and peered inside. Blake sat with another member of Emma’s Guard, Norman. Something about Norman had never set well with me. From the first time I met him, I questioned his loyalty to Energo.

“
Calvin! Precisely the man we were waiting for.” Blake’s words sounded perfectly sincere, but I sensed something entirely different was behind them. The longer I spent in Bellgard, the easier it became to see behind the gilded façade Blake created. There was a darkness about him that became increasingly visible over my months at Bellgard. Even armed with that knowledge, I was unsure of my next move. I was not a weak man and did not hold back out of fear, but I was cautious. Blake had an uncanny power of persuasion, and I struggled to even remember my concerns once he engaged me.

“
What news do you have?” I sat down across from Blake, but I did not meet his eyes. I had discovered that it was easier to repel Blake’s influence if I avoided eye contact.

“
I have received word that your Essence reentered Energo.” I could almost feel Blake’s gaze boring into me, imploring me to look up, but I resisted.

I let out a small gasp and hoped it came across as shock and not fear for Charlotte’s welfare. “When? Where is she?” Blake studied my reaction, and I could not afford to let him know of my prior knowledge. Since Blake had not been Emma’s true Gerard, he might not have been aware of the real power of the crystal pendant.

“
She was last spotted heading north with a small group.” Blake’s voice was even and held no emotion, so I dared to look at him. His eyes appeared empty. I turned away again.

“
Is she attended by all three Guardians who left with her?” I was scared for Charlotte, and until I could be with her, I needed to know she was protected. As thrilling as the knowledge of her return was, I understood that in Energo, she was exposed to greater danger. Energo was at war. No one was safe, let alone the Essence.

“
Surprisingly, no.” Blake laughed dryly. “It seems her Guardians may not value her quite as much as we would expect.”

“
What do you mean? How could they leave her unprotected?” I blurted without thinking. I knew that Blake was only trying to upset me to ensure my compliance.

“
I do not know why, but my son is the only Guardian with her.” Blake made it sound like the word
son
was painful to say.

I felt ill. James the only one guarding Charlotte? “I must get her at once. My Essence must be protected.” I hoped Blake did not sense that his men getting hold of her was what I feared most. I had stayed at Bellgard when Charlotte left because it was my duty, but I would never allow her to fall into his hands again. Blake viewed her as a pawn. Charlotte had recognized Blake’s ulterior motives so quickly, I cursed myself for doubting her.

“
We will not let anything happen to her, but I understand your concern. I will be sure to keep you updated as I receive reports.” Blake did not try to hide his amusement. He enjoyed watching the effect his words had on me.

“
What do we do until then? Do we just sit and wait?” That was exactly what I wanted to do, but I did not want to tip Blake off to my growing unease.

“
We have her where we want her. It is possible that she will lead us to more traitors. The Resistance has help all over Energo that
must
be vanquished.” Blake slammed his fists on the wooden table, making the pile of books in front of him topple.

I caught sight of a few of the book titles but they were written in an old language rarely used. I did recognize one title—
Mortis Resurgam
. Before I could try to decipher more, Blake pushed the books away forcibly. I flinched when they hit the floor, and it took me a moment to regain my composure. “And you will alert me when you are ready to move in on her?”

“
Absolutely. As always, any decisions regarding the Essence are entirely up to you.”

“
If that is all the news, I will go work with my men.” I needed to get away to organize my thoughts. I pushed my chair out, nodding to both men. As soon as I walked through the entryway, Norman slammed the door behind me.

I paused outside the doorway, letting out a breath I had not realized I was holding. Even though I did not wish to speak with Norman, I wanted to know his intentions. I pressed my ear against the door to listen. I did not expect to hear much, since Blake had not bothered to post a guard outside the door, but any information could be important.

“
What are we going to do with them when we find them?” Norman asked.

“
Kill them, of course.” Blake’s voice was hollow and completely devoid of emotion.

“
Even the girl?” Norman sounded surprised. I could hardly breathe as I waited for Blake’s response.

“
We will put her with her mother, but allow for entrance so we can take her out often enough to stop another Essence from being born.”

Anger engulfed me. He discussed Charlotte as though she were an animal. I tensed to reenter the room, but held back, aware that I would accomplish nothing if I were too hasty.

“
James must have told Charlotte where her mother is being held. They are headed straight for Icentris.” Blake’s words took time to sink in. All of the time Charlotte had been robbed of her mother, Blake had been keeping Emma in a prison. How he was able to keep the Essence against her will evaded me, and I knew that the answer would not be pleasant.

“
And what of her Gerard? Surely he will figure it out.”

“
It is not as though I have never had to slay a Gerard before.” Blake laughed dryly. Blake was readily admitting that he had killed Emma’s Gerard, a crime he had pinned on a Zatamanian, setting off war.

I heard the scratch of a chair move and quickly walked down the corridor. I wanted to hear the rest of the conversation, but I did not want to risk Blake’s wrath. I had to make sure Charlotte was safe.

Rage swelled inside of me. Blake had admitted to kidnapping Emma, intended to do the same to Charlotte, and planned to kill me. I knew he was dark, but I had no idea how cruel and macabre he could be. I wanted nothing more than to march back into the room and kill him, but I understood that, Gerard or not, I did not have the means to dispose of him. Blake held the power in Bellgard. In my
naïveté, I had believed Blake was only trying to mentor me and would eventually abdicate.
I could not have been more wrong. I forced myself to continue walking back to my room, even though it hurt to fight the natural urge to kill the person who wished to harm my Essence.

I needed to see Charlotte. I had to protect her, and I knew we would both be stronger if we were together. Charlotte’s departure had played right into Blake’s hand, weakening me and strengthening his stronghold. I went to my room and penned a letter to Charlotte, imploring her to meet with me.

Understanding that I would arouse suspicions with an immediate departure, I went in search of William. I found him in the barracks, preparing for bed. “I have an important job for you.”

“
Anything you need.” William put on his tunic and eyed me seriously.

“
I want you to find Charlotte and take her this letter.” I passed William the paper that felt like a weight in my hand.

“
Of course, but should I not simply retrieve her? Or do you wish to do that yourself?”

I could sense William’s excitement. I did not want to take her by surprise. Recognizing that William would not understand, I gave him no explanation. “This is the way I wish to proceed. Will you do it, or must I find someone else?” It was an idle threat. There was no one else I trusted.

“
I will dispatch immediately. I only wanted to ask.” William looked at me strangely before grabbing his weapons. “Where is she?”

“
She is north of Malian. I assume that she will camp in the Drewberg forest.” I trusted William, but allowing anyone from Bellgard close to her worried me.

Once William was ready, I followed him out to the stables. He prepared his horse without another word.

“
Be quick and be well.” I watched as his horse disappeared into the night.

I hoped that my written words would be enough to persuade Charlotte to trust me. I assumed the physical pull existed for her, too, and maybe she would find it in herself to forgive me for my past mistakes. If nothing else, she needed to trust me. Our very lives depended on it.

Chapter Eleven:

Charlotte

There had been many times in my life when I would have loved pretending to be Liam’s girlfriend. The entire time I was in Alaska, I thought about the one time I had kissed him and what it would be like to do it again. Somehow, it wasn’t quite as comfortable to pretend at the moment.

“
Remember the story and stick to it.” Monty found it necessary to remind us of the same thing about twenty times as we headed toward the checkpoint. He was only watching out for us, but I was tired of him treating me like a silly little girl who couldn’t follow directions. Between Monty’s overprotectiveness, James’s weirdness, and how awkward I felt about pretending to be with Liam, I was about to lose it.

“
It is okay to feel doubt, Charlotte.” Lawson gave me a reassuring smile as he shifted his pack.

“
Doubt? What do you mean?”

“
I realize we do not know each other well, but I can tell that none of this has been easy on you. Becoming the Essence is difficult for one raised for it, and you did not have any warning or preparation. May I speak candidly?”

“
Yes, of course.”

Lawson took a deep breath as though debating whether to continue. “You are too hard on yourself. You expect to be perfect, but that is unrealistic. Perhaps if you focused less on potential failures, it would come easier.”

I didn’t answer right away. Although I was thrown off by Lawson’s words, they made complete sense. I needed to stop beating myself up. I wasn’t perfect, nor would I ever be, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be successful. “Thank you.”

Lawson smiled. “You are welcome. I am glad I did not offend you.”

“
No, I appreciate the honesty.” Even though I had only known Lawson a few days, I really enjoyed his company. He had the same good-natured personality as Henry, but with more maturity. I was glad to have him with us.

The rest of the group hung back so we could catch up, effectively ending my conversation with Lawson.

“
Charlotte and Liam, from now until we are through the checkpoint, you stay glued together.” I didn’t wait for Monty to repeat himself. I moved over to stand next to Liam.

“
Not a problem.” Liam grinned at me as he arched an eyebrow. Only Liam could keep his sense of humor in such a tense situation. If he felt as awkward as I did, he didn’t show it.

“
So you really think this is going to work?” I asked, hoping Monty had some words of encouragement.

“
We have no other choice.” I was startled by James’s response. He had said barely two words to me all day.

“
I get that. I was trying to get some reassurance.”

“
You are not a child, Charlotte. Reassure yourself.” James’s words hurt. He had the unique ability to make me feel like nothing with only a few words. I couldn’t figure out why he was acting even harsher than usual. Wasn’t it just two days ago that he was kissing me?

“
Ignore him.” Liam put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. “Everything is going to be okay.”

I leaned into Liam and hoped he was right.

***

No one had to tell me we were getting close to the checkpoint because I could feel it. The fear in the pit of my stomach grew, and I had goose bumps all over. I pulled the hood of the cloak tighter around my head, grateful it was cold enough that I looked normal doing it. Liam’s arm tightened around me, and I took a deep breath.