Wilde's Meadow (Darkness Falls #3) (30 page)

“Please … .”

Perth holds out his hand, palm up. “Give it to me. I will help you through this. If there is one thing you have learned, is it not that people always know more than you? Whatever this is, Brit wanted you to have it.”

I pull the gift from Brit away from my chest, loosening my death grip on it. A folded piece of yellowing paper is inside the sandwich bag. I pass it to him, hand shaking like someone having a seizure.

He closes his fingers around mine, calming but not stopping the nervous fit. “This will help to heal.” Pulling apart the zippered bag, he slides the paper out, then unfolds it. “It is a note.”

“Read it,” I say, heart racing, balling the quilt in my hands.

Perth clears his throat. “Kate, If you’re reading this, it means I’m either really clumsy and dropped it somewhere, or I’m dead. I hope it’s not the gloomy ending for me, but I’m scared it might be. Anyway, I love you. As far as sisters go, you’re probably the best in any world. You saved my life countless times, before you even knew what you were getting yourself into, and I’ll never forget that. Without you, there would be no life for me, and I don’t want you to be sad if there’s no me in your life. I believe in the afterlife now, and I believe I’ll be looking down upon you with the gods by my side.” He pauses, flipping over the piece of paper. “You have transformed into an amazing woman since you’ve been here. Watching you fight for a cause you have little reason to believe in, watching you smile at Arland and blush when he smiles back, watching how defiant you are against that asshole, Dufaigh, watching
you,
is incredible.”

I hide my face in my hands, tears spilling from my eyes.

“I’m proud to be Brites Wilde, sister to Katriona Maher. But I didn’t write this letter just to tell you how much you mean to me. I know you were interested in my prophecy. When that crazy Seer delivered the message, I didn’t have a clue what to make of it. Mom said sometimes the prophecies are clear like yours and sometimes they only hint at what will happen. Since I didn’t understand it, I wrote it down … and since you were mentioned, I’m pretty sure I’m meant to give this to you—”

“S-she wrote it down?” I ask, lifting my gaze to meet Perth’s.

“Would you like to read it yourself, or would you prefer I continue?” His voice is soft, soothing, as if talking to me above a whisper would break my fragile state.

“Go on.”

“Your life you live in shadows cast, by siblings who are meant to last. Gods and mortals mixed to create, a family bound to separate. Communication will be your clue, to spark knowledge of what you must do. A time will come for you to choose; sacrifice or they will lose. New life lasts forever, old life spared if you are clever. Love breaks the pattern then, for everyone including Katriona will win.” Perth licks his finger, then separates the paper from another piece. “This lady was seriously odd, Kate. She grabbed my forearms and dug her nails into my skin, eyes so wide I’d have sworn someone taped them open. Anyway, she said,
Upon your demise, she will see this with her eyes, but in the end, her heart must mend. Katriona needs her memory, if she plans to find the key.
Then that was it. I’m running out of time, and paper—I’m not sure I want to live here if we make it out of this alive. Do you know how great a shower would feel right now?”

I laugh, and my eyes fill with tears. She must have been so serious when writing this letter. I can picture her using a pencil and thinking how old fashioned it was to actually
write
something. Brit was such a modern girl. Even helping on the farm was far beneath her, and she’d already mentioned she wanted to go home.

“What is a shower?”

“I’ll show you when we take Mr. Tanner and Gary back home.” My lungs deflate. What if they didn’t make it? What if they’re more victims of this tragic war? And it was Arland who was supposed to take them back with me, not Perth. What if he doesn’t even want to go?

“You okay?” Perth leans forward.

I swallow hard. “Yes.”

No. Not at all.
Please, let them be alive
.

He smiles nervously and returns his gaze to the letter. “When you see Brad, tell him about me, tell him how I felt. I love you, Kate. Remember to hug Mom.”

Perth places the pieces of paper back together, then hands them to me. “Do you have any idea what the prophecy means?”

I turn the last words of my sister over and over in my hands, memorizing her chicken scratch, hoping to get something more from the paper, something I’ll never have again, a touch, a sarcastic laugh, a glimpse of her smiling face. “We’ll have to read it a few more times be—”

“Do you hear that?” Perth sits up and grabs his weapon.

“Hear what?”

“Horses.” He smiles and darts out of the room, leaving the plastic bag beside me.

I carefully fold the prophecy, secure it inside my pants pocket, grab my sword, then follow Perth out to greet whoever has arrived first.

He points his sword toward the rocking chair I’d promised to sit in hours ago. “Go sit by the fire.”

“I’d hardly call that a fire,” I say, staring at the heavy clouds of gray smoke rising from the squealing, water-soaked logs. “And since when do you give me orders?”

I cross the room then join him by the door, weapon clutched in my sweaty grip.

“Katriona, you carry life inside you, and you lost many you love today. If what approaches is not friendly, you do not have the energy it will take—”

“If what approaches involves a daemon, I have all the energy I need to kill it.” I raise my claymore with two hands, ignoring my burning muscles, welcoming the anger in my core, and put my back to the wall. I will not stop living now. “Open the door, Perth.”

Running his fingers through his blonde hair, he sighs. “Stay behind me at least?”

I nod.

Perth turns the knob and slowly pushes open the door.

“Were you trying to alert any surviving daemons of your whereabouts with that fire,
sir
?”

“
Cadman
!” I abandon my weapon and shove on Perth’s back, trying to get to the familiar face of Arland’s number one, of someone so close to family I’m not sure there’s a difference anymore.

The graying soldier stands on the stone porch, crimson covering him from head to toe, clothes ripped, armor full of holes, and his narrow-eyed gaze on Perth.

I close my eyes, searching for daemon tricks, for pulsing bands indicating an imposter, but there’s nothing to be seen.

“You’re not a shifter,” I say, relief rushing through my veins.

“Nor are you.”

Despite Cadman’s agitated appearance, I run and wrap my arms around him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” I glance over his shoulder and see too few others. “Where is everyone?”

Young Tristan hobbles from behind a brown mare, blood seeping from an open wound on his shin, face pale and sweaty. “This is everyone, aside from Saidear who went … .” He coughs, deep and raspy, body jerking forward, leaving him hunched over.

Everyone
? I count the people standing around Arland’s boyhood home. Twenty-five mixed Draíochtans, Bheagans, Morans, Mharans, but where are Mr. Tanner and Gary? I suck in a sharp breath. “Did my stepfather or Mr. Tanner … survive?”

Cadman steps back, eyeing my stomach for a moment. “Saidear went to inform the Leaders here of our arrival.” He turns to face the others, arms outstretched at his sides. “Anyone who is injured, please come inside so we may tend to your wounds.”

Did I manage to kill my stepfather and Brad’s father, too? Is whatever happened so horrific Cadman is afraid to tell me? Does he know I’m pregnant? I’m not sure I can stay out here. Perth was right; I don’t have the energy it takes to fight. I’m not whole. I may never be whole again. “Cadman … ?”

He peeks at me over his shoulder, eyes watering, then returns his attention to the others. “Rhoswen—”

Stepping onto the porch, Perth smiles, eyes wide and scanning the very small crowd.

Hooves clop against the stone road, bouncing echoes off the wooden walls of the shops and houses. Rhoswen appears leading two horses out of the darkness. One horse carries a body draped across its back. The other has a man slumped over. Quivers start in my chin then work their way through my chest, through my arms and down my legs, bringing me dangerously close to falling to my knees. Both men are dressed in Earthly clothes, but from this distance, I can’t tell who’s who.

“Cadman?” I whimper, holding back the question. I don’t want to know which of those two men is my stepfather or my best friend’s father. Any answer will only rip my heart to shreds, destroy what little bit of sanity I have left.

Cadman hangs his head and sighs. “I am sorry, ma’am. Mr. Tanner was severely injured by a hound.”

“
No
.” My heart races. I look over at the horses again, squinting to try to make out the two figures atop them. Running down the stairs of the stone porch, I sprint toward Rhoswen. Trails of blood stain the ground behind the horse on the left; my stomach flips at the sight. “Please don’t let it be Gary. Please, God, let Cadman be wrong about Mr. Tanner.”

She stops, tears streaking her dirty cheeks. “You should not look, Kate.”

I walk to the side of the animal and fight back a scream. Gary has puncture wounds covering his torso and arms. His skin is pasty-white. His brown eyes are wide open and frozen in a frightened state.

Turning my face to the sky, I drop to my knees, rage and agony fighting for control of my muscles. “Why? Was everything else not enough? Take me! I don’t want to live anymore. You’ve stolen my soul, you piece of shit. I don’t care about Light and Darkness, I care about the people I love, and you’ve killed them all!”

Perth and Cadman slide their arms under mine, but I have no energy to help them, no energy to fight them either. My body falls slack in their grip while the world around me fades.

Cadman takes up my legs, then transfers me to Perth’s arms. “Take her inside. I will make sure all the others get settled.” Cadman places a light kiss on my forehead. “You will be okay, Katriona. Time will heal your heart. We will prepare to have a funeral for all the fallen as soon as the Leaders arrive,” he whispers.

I close my eyes, trying to push the images of Gary’s death, of Arland’s, of Brit’s, of so many deaths out of my mind. “Time won’t heal this, Cadman. It’s impossible.”

“Rhoswen, Perth will need some assistance with Kate. She needs food, a bath, clothes, and sleep. Help her before the Leaders arrive. They will require Kate for restructuring meetings,” he says, lowering his voice.

Restructuring? They honestly want me to restructure? Right now? Who in their right mind could ask me to do anything besides cry? I can’t imagine facing Murchadha, Dufaigh, or Maher, but I would love to see my mom. To mourn with her.

“And keep her secret just that. Do you understand? Both of you must know if anyone finds out, our lives will be in more peril than they ever have been.”

“We understand,” Rhoswen and Perth whisper together.

Cadman knows … they all know, but why would my pregnancy bring so much danger? “Why—?”

“We will discuss everything once the wounded are cared for.” He pats my arm, then turns and walks away.

I lean my cheek against Perth’s chest. “I guess you’re not going to tell me what he means, are you?”

“You heard Cadman, Kate,” Rhoswen says, “We will discuss this later.”

The short, blonde Ground Dweller heads toward the house without another word.

“I am sorry.” Perth shakes his head and follows the others.

“Me too.” I’m positive we’re sorry about much different things, but all of them are negatives regarding my life, and for that, sorry isn’t good enough.

Chapter Twenty-One

“When the war is over, I will see to it that his life is returned to him, that he is sent home, and that his heart will be mended from the loss of you in it,” Griandor says, smiling down upon me.

The only light I see comes from the sun god, golden and warm, wrapping around us in swirling torrents. Beyond us is black. We’re nowhere, yet right where we are all at once.

“The war
is
over. Where’s Brad? Why haven’t you made good on this promise?”

His form fades, leaving transparent remnants of the man floating in front of me.

“Remember … .” Griandor disappears, forcing me to be alone in this empty space.

“Kate?”

Arland’s deep, seductive voice causes me to pivot around, but no one is here.

My heart pounds against my ribs. “Arland?”

“I am here,” he says closer to me this time.

Spinning in circles, I try to spot him, try to imagine his face, his touch, his warmth. Chills prick my skin. I shudder. “Where?”

“I will always be here.” His voice trails off, sounding as though he’s on a cell phone with a terrible connection.

“Please don’t leave me again. Please, stay here with me. I don’t want to wake up. I know this is a dream, but I just want to feel you, to see you. Arland?”