Wilde's Meadow (Darkness Falls #3) (40 page)

Mom steps closer to the god, the biggest grin I’ve ever seen striking across her face. “Thank you, Griandor.”

He nods. “I do believe your desire is to return home to Brian Wilde, and he desires the same for you.”

“What about Gary?” I blurt. “He gave his life for me, he raised me, he
loved
you.”

“I do love Gary, Kate. Falling for him was both the easiest and most difficult thing I have ever done. Watching him care for you girls as if you were his own, watching him play games with you and worry for you, these are the things that made me love him, but during all that time, I desperately missed your father.” She wipes under her eyes. “I hope Gary understands I did everything for you, and he will one day forgive me.”

Griandor nods. “When you return home, Katriona, your stepfather will find his ultimate happiness.”

“How? How is that possible when the woman he loved used him?” I close my eyes, and images flood my mind: Gary taking me riding when I was nothing more than a little girl, Gary teaching me to drive, helping me with homework, urging me to go to prom, helping me fill out college applications. “Doesn’t he deserve real love?”

“As Brad told you, death here is not the end of life.”

“Will he be alone until I die?”

“He will never be alone in the Heavens, and he will never be upset. Gary Carlton willingly sacrificed his life because he loves you, because he wanted to help you, and because he understood the importance of unity for this battle. Be at peace now, child, and say your goodbyes.” Griandor snaps his fingers, making everything but me, Mom, Brad, and Arland disappear; though Arland is still lying in the same spot as before, covered in the same amount of blood and dirt.

“Mom?” I wave my hand in front of her glazed eyes; she’s staring at the endless amounts of white around us, like we’re standing in the in-between as I did when the hound bit me. “You’re going to leave me? I’m pregnant! I know nothing about parenting or childbirth or—”

“You knew nothing about fighting a war either,” Mom says, stroking my face with the back of her fingers, eyes red, nose running.

I don’t know why she’s crying; the decision to leave this world is hers. I’m the one losing a mother, a sister, a friend or two, a father … . “Why didn’t you prepare me for anything?”

“You were born to live a specific life, Kate. If I shared any of your prophecy with you, would you have done everything the same way? You made the choices you made without being influenced by some stupid prophecy. You fell in love, made a Ground Dweller your best friend, united most of our people, taught many of them how to use old magic, and you did these things on your own! Knowledge would have made you feel as though you
had
to do those things, but no, you, and you alone, chose to be the amazing woman you are.” Mom wraps me up in a tight hug. “I love you, Katriona Maher. We will see each other again. I’m so proud of you.”

“And I’ll see you again, too,” Brad says, joining in on our embrace. “I love you, and I would live this life a thousand times over for you, Kate. Take care of your heart, and take care of that baby.”

He kisses my cheek.

“I love you both, too.” I break down, tears flooding my eyes and falling down my face. Brad, Mom, Brit, Gary, my dad,
everyone
died so that I could live a happy life with the man I love, so that in some odd way, their deaths would serve as repayment for all
my
right choices.

No one should have to die for me, but they all chose to; they all want their end so my life can go on.

Golden light swirls around our small group, casting a warm blanket of the god’s powers over my skin. I know he’s telling us time is up. I squeeze them one more time, chin quivering, heart breaking and rejoicing all at once.

“Your wish for Lann came true,” Griandor sings, calming every unsettled nerve in me. “Flanna asked me to inform you of that, and she said thank you and that she will sing her song from the Heavens for only your child to hear. She also said to watch out for goats.”

I burst into laughter, a crazy, maniacal laughter. “Thank you. Tell Flanna she will always be my Confidant.”

“You have done well, Katriona. We will meet again soon.” The light of Griandor floats in the air around me, cocooning me in his love.

“Griandor?” I ask, staring at the golden orbs of the god.

“You must restart Arland’s time. My sister, Morgandy, and I have tried telling you: Remember.”

Crack
!

Mom, Brad, and Griandor are gone, leaving me in the early morning light, surrounded by all my friends, all my people, and half-smiling in front of a motionless Arland. I feel like we’re at a funeral, all staring glassy-eyed at the dead man not in a casket. But this isn’t a funeral; this is his awakening.

Remember his last words to you
. That’s what my sister said in my dream. I kneel beside Arland, take his cold hand in mine, and close my eyes to search my memories. I was afraid on the battlefield, afraid because my sister died, Flanna died, and Dughbal threatened Arland. He told me to fight and that no matter what, he would always love me.

A warbled laugh escapes my throat, choked by my sobs for all my losses. Things in this world are always so easy, yet so hard. Leaning forward, I press my lips to Arland’s and whisper, “I love you, too.”

Warmth explodes around me, and he gasps for breath. I waste no time in wrapping him in a huge bear hug, holding on so tight for fear he’ll go away or stop breathing or I’ll wake up.

“I hear I’m going to be a father.” Arland slowly sits up and pulls me into his lap, rocking me back and forth, caressing my arms with his worn hands.

“I’m?” I plant kisses all over his face and finally his lips, ignoring the gathered, cheering crowd.

He pulls back and looks at me with those blazing emerald eyes, staring right through me. “Are you going to point out every time I speak like you?”

“Yes. For the rest of our long, happy life together.”

Epilogue

Former High Leader Maher allowed Arland and me to push off restructuring discussions until after all the Draíochtan bodies were collected, identified, and buried. The search took weeks, and the reward was a mixture of deepening and repairing our wounds.

Brit’s and Flanna’s funerals were the most difficult; they were also the last. In those seemingly endless days of mourning, I realized so many things about my life: why my mother always seemed closer to Brit, why she always distanced herself from Gary, why she kept everything from me.

Mom was right. If I’d known any of the future—that my sister would give up her life to spare my unborn child’s and my husband’s, that my stepdad would die, that Brad would turn and walk out of the life he was promised, that I’d have to live with a large chunk of guilt on my heart for every piece of happiness I have—I’m not sure Encardia would have Light. Fear does funny things to people, so does knowledge. I’m not sure how my mom lived a normal life with what she knew.

“Are you ready?” Arland asks, placing his work-worn hand on my lower back, ushering me through the squeaky screen door of our family’s farmhouse.

I nod, and we step onto the front porch of our home in Albemarle, Virginia. The bright morning sun peeks through the thick white flowers of the dogwoods and warms my skin, quickly melting away the bite of the chilly, springtime air.

Every morning hints at summer, at another year passed since the horrible nightmare we endured during Dughbal’s reign. Birds sing and rush from branch to branch, collecting sticks and hair and whatever else they need to make nests for their growing families. Bees buzz around the yellow and purple wildflowers cropping up all over Maher Farms.

“Mommy!” my precious little girl screams, covered in straw and dirt, running to us with a frantic Muriel rushing behind. “Mommy, Mirain had her baby! You have to see her; she looks just like Bowen.”

Muriel presses her palm to her chest, dragging in deep breaths. “Sorry, Kate. I know you have meetings this morning and I promised Brianna would be clean, but she was just too excited.”

Arland and I share a smile. We brought our horses through the portal when we decided to move to Earth, and our eldest child is as attached to them as Arland and I have ever been.

So is the general public.

People from all over the world come here seeking training, breeding, or just a small glimpse of the animals who’ve won us so many awards. But today, we’re due in Encardia, as we are every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Part of our agreement with High Leader Dufaigh and his wife is splitting duties. Arland and I tried stepping down after the elections, but no one would permit us—not even Perth. He refused to take the position unless we took it with him.

I have to admit: the responsibility of rebuilding Encardia is much easier when we work together.

“It’s okay, Muriel. The Dufaighs know her no other way,” I say, kneeling.

Brianna launches herself into my arms, nearly knocking me off balance. When you have a stomach the size of a bowling ball, it’s not difficult to do.

“Brianna, we’ve talked about this. You will hurt the baby,” Arland says, peeling our daughter from my arms.

She hides her face in the crook of his neck, covering her beautiful blue eyes. “Sorry, Mommy.”

I kiss her cheek then push her curly, brown locks behind her ear. “Don’t ever be sorry for loving me.”

Arland winks, warming my insides. We’ve said the same thing to each other many times.

“Are you bringing Cadman home today?” Muriel asks, clasping her hands under her chin.

We’ve had to build a guesthouse for the amount of visitors we always have here. Cadman splits his time between leading Encardia’s military and serving as an extra farmhand for us. The kids love him. And I wouldn’t be alive without the aging soldier.

He’s family now, and I’m pretty sure he always has been.

Arland shakes his head. “I believe he is still in Draodín. The Bheagans are a forgetful bunch and once again wish for payment for their war-time services.”

I stomp his toe. Muriel doesn’t need specifics; she needs the peaceful life we’re providing her. “Where are Anna and Marcus?”

“Coming,” Anna calls. She and her brother jog away from the busy barn.

“They helped me with Mirain. I wish you had time to see the foal.”

“Me, too, but we have to get going.” I kiss Muriel’s cheek and then head for the portal. “See you tonight.”

We step through the glimmering door to Encardia and right into the field where we fought our last battle with Dughbal. I used my mother’s letter to move the doors where they would be most effective. Wilde’s Meadow is always the first place I visit in Encardia, so it only made sense to move the portal to my sister’s memorial.

Arland puts Brianna down, then takes my hand. She zips off with Anna and Marcus, squealing and running through the tall wheat grasses, playing a game of tag. The sun’s rays make the field glow like honey, and my heart swells.

My dreams have come true.

We walk through the field and stop where my sister gave her life for us, and I choke back the tears that always come—they
always
come.

“Thank you, Brit. I miss you more and more every day. Brianna is such a mixture of you and Flanna. I wish you could meet her. The baby is due in a few weeks. The doctors said we’re having a boy. Can you believe that? A boy! I don’t have a clue of what to name him. I considered mixing Brad and Gary’s names like I did for you and Flanna, but nothing I’ve come up with does anything short of make Arland cringe.”

Arland laughs and rolls out a blanket next to the wooden sign marking this as Brit’s spot. “Barry is not acceptable.”

I sit and stare at my daughter, at Anna and Marcus who are so close to my children I can never let them go, and breathe in the fresh air. Sometimes I feel my sister’s presence here, like she’s sitting next to me, her arm over my shoulder, a smile on her face. Sometimes I think I hear her telling me everything will be okay, that one day the guilt for all the lives lost will go away, that no one resents me, but until I get to Heaven and see for myself, I’m not sure I’ll ever let go of the pain.

Grady
… . The name floats through my thoughts and sounds perfect.

“How about Grady, Arland?”

“Grady,” he says, trying out the word on his tongue. “Grady Maher. I like that.”

“Did you hear that, Brit? Your nephew’s name will be Grady. Tell Flanna she’ll need to sing to him, too.”

Arland draws me near, and we sit in silence, enjoying an hour of peace before we go about our day. There will always be time for politics, but there will never be enough time for family.

Never.

The End.