Wilde's Meadow (Darkness Falls #3) (10 page)

Perth straightens. “I think so. Are you ready, Katriona?”

“Yep. You finished showing me what a jerk you can still be.” I urge Mirain forward, and we leave my husband and my former betrothed behind. Arland didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m sure Perth’s attitude toward Rhoswen will only convince Arland that Perth is still out to get me. And I don’t need anything else to be frustrated about right now.

Mirain runs me into thin, low-hanging branches; instead of galloping away, she walks between the trees. She’s a stubborn, disobedient horse. My guess is she doesn’t want me to ride far from Arland, being a gift from the gods and all. Mirain must know he needs to be near me.

“Do you know where you are going?” Arland laughs. “Or that you are putting yourself in danger?”

I glare at him and his cute I-already-know-you’re-mad-because-I-can-hear-your-thoughts-smile. “Maybe I should put myself in the open so we can get this over with. I should have killed Dughbal by the stream, Arland.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Didn’t?” He’s talking like me now, using words from Virginia, from a place and time that seem so far away. It’s my turn to laugh. “I think I’m rubbing off on you.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Arland points to our right; the blazing, warm light of a new fire flickers in the distance, casting shadows through the trees. “The others are that way.”

Tugging Mirain’s reins, I turn her and then start toward the camp.

“It’s not a bad thing.” Weird, maybe. Usually when people immerse themselves into a different culture, they are the ones who come out with a new accent, not the other way around.

“I will not say what it is you know I am thinking, Kate. Soon enough, Perth will either give up, or you will put him in his place. But what I will do is protect you from any more of his attempts at redemption.”

“He broke his promise to you? The one he made before the Crossing Caves?”

Arland shakes his head. “Not yet.”

“Hey, Kate!” My sister jogs by the trees, staring at her hand, seemingly unaware of most of the world around her. A blue flame covering her palm illuminates her wide eyes and huge grin. “Look what Cadman just taught me!”

The last time I saw Brit this excited was when Lann—or a shifter posing as Lann—taught her how to use a bow and arrow.

“It’s about time.” I wink but doubt she sees me. Brit’s too busy closing and opening her palm—and giggling every time the fire reappears.

“I’m going to see if I can light a fire or something.” She runs back in the other direction, jumping over a patch of thicket.

I’m not going to waste my breath telling her she shouldn’t spend all her energy tinkering with magic; she’s too happy.

Arland smiles and stares after my sister, then climbs from Bowen. “After I communicate with the other groups, we should work on teaching the soldiers old magic. Love may be difficult for a few of them to comprehend.”

“Speaking of love”—I slide from Mirain—”thank you for saving me in the caves.”

A low, rumbling growl escapes Arland’s mouth. “I thought I was going to lose you to the evil in those caves.”

He drops Bowen’s reins, then marches to me. Arland presses his chest against mine but keeps walking forward, backing me up against a tree. Threatening, yet I know he won’t hurt me. He’s absolutely furious though.

“You were about to
jump
when I got to you.” Arland places his hands on either side of me, holding me captive in his presence, and brings his face so close his breath warms my lips. “I do not know what I would have done if I had been too late.”

“K … kill Perth?” I wince, imagining exactly what Arland would have done. Push Perth into the ravine? Beat him? Feed him to the daemons? None of those would have been fair.

“You trust him, and there are times when I do as well, but your life is too precious to put in his hands again.” Arland brushes his lips against mine, melting my insides.

I want to kiss him, soak in his touch, but … . “You didn’t answer my question.”

He trails kisses along my jaw, working his way to my ear, then pauses. “Not kill. Severely injure, maybe.”

Gasping, I press my hands to Arland’s sculpted chest and push against him, even though I desperately crave feeling his skin close to mine. “Don’t say that. He tried to do the right thing.”

“Perth will not have another opportunity to fail you, not while I am alive at least.” He takes my wrists in his hands and pulls me against him. “May I kiss you now?”

“Only if you promise not to hurt him.”

“I promise,” Arland says through clenched teeth.

I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his nose. “I’m going to find Rhoswen.”

Groaning, Arland brushes his thumb across my cheek. “I will check in with Cadman and then communicate with the other groups.” He glances around the small campsite. “Do not go far, and stay where Brit can see you.”

Being the most powerful Draíochtan who also needs a babysitter seems like an odd combination. And unfair—at least for everyone else. “Save that kiss for me?”

Nodding, Arland flashes a half-hearted smile and trudges off toward Cadman and Tristan gathered near a cluster of trees. I don’t need to hear Arland’s thoughts to know he’s concerned—I’m concerned, too—but there are just so many things I need to figure out.

Rhoswen is at the top of my list, and she’s pouring water into an iron pot over the fire.

“Hey, Rhoswen,” I say, standing on the other side of the pot. “Anything I can help with?”

She raises her gaze to mine, then quickly looks to the side.

Flanna drops a few potatoes in the water, tears streaming down her face, then turns and heads to her horse.

“She’s in a lot of pain,” I say.

“Flanna experiences pain the way we all do, and I am glad she shows it. Sometimes I believe Leaders are too strong, too held together.” Rhoswen hands me a ladle. “Would you mind stirring while I gather more water?”

“I’ll stir,” Brit says, bumping me with her hip. “You should go with Rhoswen and keep her safe.”

“
Thank you
,” I project to Brit. I hand her the metal spoon, then follow Rhoswen to a stream a few feet away from camp. “May I ask you something?”

“Is this about what I did in the caves?” She submerges her bucket in the water. “Because I did not do that for him. Well, I saved him for my people.”

I smile. “I
was
going to ask you about that.”

“Ground Dwellers lived through the curse far too long. I do not want to be free of that evil and also condemned because a hate-filled man killed our only chance of the sun shining again.” Standing, she holds the bucket with two hands in front of her, as if it’s too heavy.

“You still don’t trust Perth?”

“Why should I? He is his father’s child.”

Water splashes from the bucket, crashing against the debris on the ground.

“You want me to carry that for you?” I ask.

She narrows her eyes, then walks faster. “You are close with Perth, I understand this, but I do wish you would be more careful.”

“He said the same thing about you once.” That gets her to stop and look at me. “He feared you worked for his father, that you would get us all killed at Willow Falls, but he was wrong, just like you’re wrong about him. I’ve seen him grow, Rhoswen.”

“He loves you. Any man capable of loving another man’s bhean chéile is not a nice one.”

“He doesn’t love me; he just thinks he does. And he is a nice man, but enough about Perth. I just want to thank you, and I want to apologize. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

She sets down her bucket and props her hands on her hips, taking a deep breath. “When you turn against your Leader, a few bumps and bruises are minor repercussions. But maybe you
can
carry this for me?”

“Gladly.” I swipe the bucket before she changes her mind, then walk the last few feet to the pot. “How
did
you turn against him? Were you not cursed?”

Shrugging, Rhoswen takes the ladle from my sister and returns to stirring. “I always hated him. He was mean to my parents, mean to my siblings, and of course, mean to me. Maybe all servants feel that way; I am not positive. But I saw through his lies.”

“And your family?” I ask, genuinely interested in her story, and genuinely hoping I find a way to fix how servants are treated.

Her face blanches, and she looks at the stew. “Perth caught them speaking against his father to other Ground Dwellers, and he had them executed.”

How could he
? “I’ll be right back.”

I whirl around, scanning the surrounding area for Perth. I spot him sitting by a tree, staring in my direction.

Perfect!

“Kate, wait,” Rhoswen calls, but there’s no way I’m stopping.

Magic bursts from my chest, casting flickering blue light onto the trees, and I run to him. “Why’d you do it, Perth?”

He jumps to his feet and backs away. “Do what?”

Taking a step forward, I draw my sword and point it at him. Fire arcs around me and encompasses Perth in my rage. “Why did you kill Rhoswen’s family?”

Kent, Muriel, Tristan, Cadman, and everyone else gather around us. Let them watch.

“Kate … I … .” Perth looks behind me, his face flaring with red. “I am not the one who killed them.”

I move forward again. “But they died because of you! How could you do that?
Why
would you do that?”

Two warm, strong hands wrap around my biceps, preventing me from running over the cold-hearted murderer.

“Calm down, Kate. Our people do not need to see this,” Arland practically growls next to my ear.

“This is exactly what these people need to see, Arland. A Leader standing up for what’s right!”

“And they have seen you do the right thing time and time again.”

“What’s once more going to hurt?” I struggle against him, but my efforts are useless. I sigh, my grip tense around the hilt of my sword. “I promise not to hurt him. Just, please, let me go.”

Arland releases me but stays close, admonishing me from the corner of his eyes.

“If I could change the past, I would, Kate.” Perth holds up his hands, and a grimace spreads across his face. “You know the real me, and you know I fear my father. Everyone does. I did not mean for her family to suffer.”

“Kate,” Rhoswen says, placing her bruised hand on my shoulder, reminding me of what
I
did to the poor girl when I told Leader Dufaigh how she spoke about their family … at Perth’s demand … when he tried saving my life. “What happened to my family happened a long time ago. I did not tell you that to upset you or harm your relationship with him. I told you because you asked about my family.”

Perth steps forward, eyes focused on Rhoswen. “I am truly sorry.”

She digs her nails into my armor, nostrils flaring. “
Sorry
? Because of your actions, my family lies in the ground.
Sorry
is not good enough.
Sorry
does not raise the dead.
Sorry
does not fill the emptiness inside me. I do not trust you, but Kate does, and because she does, I tolerate you. If you let her down, you let Encardia and our people down. Prove you are worthy of my trust—prove you are worthy of
hers
—and maybe I will forgive you.”

What can Perth say to that? Every word she spoke is true, heartfelt, and more than I could ever offer anyone who killed my family.

“I did not mean to upset you, Kate.” Rhoswen storms toward the fire, Brit, and Flanna, then resumes stirring dinner.

He stares after the only other Ground Dweller amongst us, mouth hanging open, eyes wide. “I will not let you down, Kate, and I will not let her down either.”

My flames recede, folding in over my heart, and my confidence drains. I can’t believe someone I’ve grown to trust could be so terrible. I don’t care how long ago Perth did what he did; curse or not, people don’t change that quickly. “Prove it.”

I leave him where he stands before he sees the tears welling in my eyes. Arland stays by my side, so I’m sure he sees the waterworks, but he’s seen me cry so many times before.

“For what it is worth, I believe he feels a great deal of guilt for what happened to her family,” he says, wrapping his hand around mine. “Your anger upset him.”

“Are you going to start with that again? If so, I’m going to run away from you, too.”

Tugging me closer, he chuckles. “I am not talking about his feelings for you in that way, but in the way of you being his friend, the first person who saw good in him. He does not want to lose that.”

“I understand.” A tear slides down my face.

“Hey, Arland, would you mind if I borrow Kate to help serve dinner?” Flanna asks.
She’s
not crying anymore, but her cheeks are puffy, and her eyes are swollen.

“
Remember Perth for the man he is becoming, not for the man he was
.
I fear if you lose faith in him, trouble will be the only thing gained
.”

Will Perth change back if I lose faith in him? That hardly seems right, but I get what Arland’s trying to say. Don’t give the man any reason to revert, especially when he has done so much right.

Arland nods. “You may borrow her, Flanna. I still need to contact Brice.”

“Has anyone else come across daemons?” I ask.

“No.” He kisses my cheek, then heads to the edge of camp, close to Cadman and a steep hill serving as a protective wall for our temporary home. Arland sits and rests his head in his hands while Cadman stands guard beside him.

“Brit is gathering the others, and I sent Rhoswen to collect more water. Can you hand me bowls?” Flanna holds out a piece of rounded wood, the inside hand-carved. A stack of similar items rests on a burlap sack by her feet.

I grab a couple then hold them out, allowing her to spoon stew, then turn and hand the archaic bowls to Brit. My sister carries dinner to the soldiers sitting on nearby logs.

“I know how she feels,” Flanna whispers. “Leader Dufaigh is responsible for many deaths, but I realized something when you exploded.”

“What’s that?”

She fills two more bowls, then I pass them to Brit.

“Being angry is not worth it. My mother is gone. Her family is gone.” Flanna takes a deep breath and blinks hard. “Lann is gone. Our loved ones would not wish for us to go through the rest of our lives miserable.”