mouth beside my ear. “Kate, I know you are angry. You have every right to be, but you need to rein in the fire before everyone wakes up—everyone who is not already listening, that is,” he whispers.
I’m burning. Bright blue light fills the cave. Flames stretch from me in all directions, illuminating tiny beads of water sliding down the moss-covered walls, and revealing the clenched eyes of a few soldiers.
Heat fills my cheeks. I cannot believe I allowed my emotions to get out of control. “Sorry.”
Mom clasps her hands in her lap.
Arland watches me and rubs my shoulder.
Closing my eyes, I focus on the magic, the power, the anger that released the Light and fold it in over my heart until the fire is gone.
“So … .” I clear my throat. “Instead of just allowing things to happen, Mom, I think it would be wise to tell me what you know. I’m not going to walk away from what I have to do, no matter how hard my future may be.”
She purses her lips into a thin line. “Fine. I only know about you, Kate, and not about everyone else. Something happens to Arland at Willow Falls, something that makes you angry with the Leaders. I do not know what it is, but it is enough to provoke anger in you that will define Encardia for generations to come. That is assuming you do not fail in the remainder of the war.”
Revolutionize
comes to mind as well as Griandor’s other words, “You could still fail.” They twist and warp around in my head until I’m dizzy. What could I revolutionize? What is it I’m missing? If I am ready, willing, and fighting, why might I still fail?
Arland leans in close to Mom. “Why would you want to Bind us if you already have a good idea we are going to be punished for it?” His words come out like a growl.
Mom offered us what we want, but as always, it’s just a part of the game. I’m beginning to think Arland is right … there will be no future for us. We are doomed before we even begin. He and our children always died in my visions … I’ve been warned. I reach for his hand, and, for a moment, sickness rises in me. If I don’t figure all this out, hand holding, occasional kissing, and a short-lived marriage could be it.
Betrayed. That’s how I feel.
Again
.
She rests her back against the wall. “Because, Arland, do you not want as much time with Kate as you can get? I would kill for one more day with Brian. For one more whispered
I love you
from him. I can give you something no one can ever take away. Some may try, but a Binding spell is permanent. We would be breaking laws, but would a proper marriage not be worth it?”
Arland squeezes my hand. “Every moment with Kate is worth it, but I do not want her to be exiled for our union.”
Maybe she’s not playing a game with us. Maybe she truly does miss my dad and wants us to be happy like the two of them were. All I know is I couldn’t care less if I’m exiled, punished, or put to death for being with Arland. He is exactly what I want.
“Arland, Kate will be fine. That much I know. She will give some sort of speech—”
“Wh—?”
“Before you ask”—she shakes her head—”no, I do not know what you are going to say, Kate. You will give a speech that wakes everyone up and somehow unites our people.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “How did you know I have to unite everyone?”
Mom mirrors my action. “I know a lot, but I still do not know what this war is about.”
She went from being a concerned mom to know-it-all again. I’m still not sure if I can trust her. “You know a lot, like you knew about Brad? Why did you lie to me about him, Mom?”
Leaning forward, she takes my hands in hers, but I yank them away then slide closer to Arland. Whatever her justifications for hiding things and confusing me about my future with Arland are, I don’t understand why she would let anything happen to Brad. He was a victim, made to look evil and used against me by Dughbal.
“Do you know how hard it has been
I’m burning. Bright blue light fills the cave. Flames stretch from me in all directions, illuminating tiny beads of water sliding down the moss-covered walls, and revealing the clenched eyes of a few soldiers.
Heat fills my cheeks. I cannot believe I allowed my emotions to get out of control. “Sorry.”
Mom clasps her hands in her lap.
Arland watches me and rubs my shoulder.
Closing my eyes, I focus on the magic, the power, the anger that released the Light and fold it in over my heart until the fire is gone.
“So … .” I clear my throat. “Instead of just allowing things to happen, Mom, I think it would be wise to tell me what you know. I’m not going to walk away from what I have to do, no matter how hard my future may be.”
She purses her lips into a thin line. “Fine. I only know about you, Kate, and not about everyone else. Something happens to Arland at Willow Falls, something that makes you angry with the Leaders. I do not know what it is, but it is enough to provoke anger in you that will define Encardia for generations to come. That is assuming you do not fail in the remainder of the war.”
Revolutionize
comes to mind as well as Griandor’s other words, “You could still fail.” They twist and warp around in my head until I’m dizzy. What could I revolutionize? What is it I’m missing? If I am ready, willing, and fighting, why might I still fail?
Arland leans in close to Mom. “Why would you want to Bind us if you already have a good idea we are going to be punished for it?” His words come out like a growl.
Mom offered us what we want, but as always, it’s just a part of the game. I’m beginning to think Arland is right … there will be no future for us. We are doomed before we even begin. He and our children always died in my visions … I’ve been warned. I reach for his hand, and, for a moment, sickness rises in me. If I don’t figure all this out, hand holding, occasional kissing, and a short-lived marriage could be it.
Betrayed. That’s how I feel.
Again
.
She rests her back against the wall. “Because, Arland, do you not want as much time with Kate as you can get? I would kill for one more day with Brian. For one more whispered
I love you
from him. I can give you something no one can ever take away. Some may try, but a Binding spell is permanent. We would be breaking laws, but would a proper marriage not be worth it?”
Arland squeezes my hand. “Every moment with Kate is worth it, but I do not want her to be exiled for our union.”
Maybe she’s not playing a game with us. Maybe she truly does miss my dad and wants us to be happy like the two of them were. All I know is I couldn’t care less if I’m exiled, punished, or put to death for being with Arland. He is exactly what I want.
“Arland, Kate will be fine. That much I know. She will give some sort of speech—”
“Wh—?”
“Before you ask”—she shakes her head—”no, I do not know what you are going to say, Kate. You will give a speech that wakes everyone up and somehow unites our people.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “How did you know I have to unite everyone?”
Mom mirrors my action. “I know a lot, but I still do not know what this war is about.”
She went from being a concerned mom to know-it-all again. I’m still not sure if I can trust her. “You know a lot, like you knew about Brad? Why did you lie to me about him, Mom?”
Leaning forward, she takes my hands in hers, but I yank them away then slide closer to Arland. Whatever her justifications for hiding things and confusing me about my future with Arland are, I don’t understand why she would let anything happen to Brad. He was a victim, made to look evil and used against me by Dughbal.
“Do you know how hard it has been
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