by Mary Swift
Lucy began plucking arrows from Arden’s body. Killian knelt next to her. “I’ll do it.”
She glared at him. “You go back to your new friends.”
“Lucy-” He stopped and looked at the Founders. They came forward and began taking the arrows from the other men. As Bryn pulled one from the center of Beal’s chest a hunk of flesh came with it. Rowan felt his stomach turn.
“You don’t have to stay here son.” his father told him.
Rowan swallowed. “No, I want to.” Arden and the other protectors had been so nice to him, it didn’t seem right to just walk away.
Once all of the arrows were out Killian knelt next to Beal and put his hands on him. Rowan assumed that he had chosen him first because his injuries were the most severe. Killian closed his eyes. Several minutes passed. He opened his eyes. “I can’t do it.”
“Try a different one.” Charles advised.
Killian stood up and looked at the three remaining protectors. Declan had an arrow in his throat, the wound gaped open. Killian sat on the floor and put his hand over the hole, blood oozed between his fingers. Time passed slowly. The only sound that could be heard was Lucy’s soft crying. Killian took his hands away and wiped his forehead on the back of his arm. “It’s no use, I can’t heal the dead.” He reached out to take Lucy’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
She pulled away. “You should be. If you hadn’t brought the house here this wouldn’t have happened. You’ve killed the only person I ever loved.”
As Rowan watched her he suddenly had a thought. Lucy loved Arden with every part of her soul. Declan and Beal had no one around who loved them like that, they had no one to come back for. “Dad.” Rowan said. His father looked up at him. “Try Arden. He has someone to come back to.”
Killian stared at him for a few seconds. “You’re right.” He scrambled across the floor to Arden. He pushed Lucy off of him.
“Why did you have to bring us here?” she screamed at him. She was shaking. Rowan suspected she hadn’t heard what he had just said to their father.
“Lucy, you can yell at me all you want later.” Killian told her. “I’m going to try to bring him back.”
“You can’t.”
Killian put his hands on Arden’s chest. “Your brother just gave us the answer. Arden has someone to come back to. Now move out of the way.”
Lucy wiped her eyes and looked at Rowan. “Did you say that?”
He shrugged. “It’s just an idea.”
Charles helped Lucy to her feet. As soon as she stood up she pulled away from him. “I don’t need your help; you’re taking my father away from us.”
“And you’re distracting him.” Dylan told her.
Killian put his hands over two of Arden’s wounds, then he changed his mind and covered two others.
“Try his heart.” Rowan suggested. Killian placed both hands on the left side of Arden’s chest. He closed his eyes. Rowan took Lucy’s hand. “Keep thinking about Arden.” he whispered.
They watched as their father pressed his hands down on Arden. After a few seconds Killian’s fingers become translucent, Rowan could see through his skin to the bone. A minute passed. Suddenly Arden’s head moved.
“He’s alive!” Lucy cried.
As soon as she spoke he stopped moving. Sweat was breaking out on Killian’s forehead. Arden’s leg twitched. Killian let go and looked at the Founders. “I can’t do this alone, it’s too much. I need you.”
The three circled around him and joined hands. The air became electrified. Sparks flew in every direction, they bounced off of Rowan’s skin. A strange humming sound permeated the air. He heard someone cough. The sparks stopped.
As the air cleared Rowan saw that Arden was sitting up. The arrow wounds were healed. He was rubbing his eyes and blinking. Lucy threw her arms around him. Next to Arden Charles was holding Killian up. Bryn was giving him a drink from a small silver cup.
Arden had his arms around Lucy; her head was buried in his shoulder. “What happened?” he asked.
“You were killed.” Dylan said. “Killian healed you, with some help from us.”
Lucy let go of him and wiped her tears. She looked at Killian. “Are you all right Daddy?”
He nodded weakly.
“Are you going to heal the others?” Arden asked.
Charles pointed to Beal and Declan. “He’s tried with those two. It didn’t work.”
Arden looked at Paul. “What about him? He’s my best friend.”
“I’ll try.” Killian said. Charles and Bryn gave him another drink. Killian looked at Rowan. “That was smart of you to think of that son.” He slowly crawled across the floor to Paul.
“You’re a lot like your father.” Charles told him. “You have his intuition.”
Rowan pulled the red strands of hair in front of his eyes. The Founders were already surrounding Killian as he attempted to heal Paul. The sparks started flying through the air again. He had intuition like his father. That was something no one could make fun of, unlike being short and having two different hair colors.
After a few minutes Paul gasped. Charles helped him sit up. Killian collapsed on the floor. Bryn and Dylan took him into another room. Paul looked around in confusion. “Where’s Constantine?”
Chapter 32
Nora and Dante were gone for over an hour. The rangers became restless and began talking about leaving. Gareth warned that anyone who left would be arrested for treason. Nora was lucky to have him, he was remarkably loyal. All the while Constantine sat in Nora’s sedan chair and read a book that he had taken from his pocket.
When Nora and Dante returned Finnegan was still tied to a horse, but Nora seemed to have forgotten about him, she did nothing but stare at Constantine. Eventually he looked up from his book. “Did you two have a nice talk?” he asked Nora. “I’ve been wondering when you would get back. I’m getting hungry.”
“We’re going to war.” Dante said. “There’s no time for that.”
Nora looked at Dante. “I want a divorce.”
“I thought you would have changed your mind after what I told you.”
“I haven’t.”
Gareth wove his way between the horses and rangers. “Master Enchanter, shall we proceed?”
“I don’t care what we do.” Nora said.
“There are still several hours of daylight.” Gareth told her. “We can get to the next river by nightfall.”
“I told you, I don’t care.” Nora said coldly. Finnegan wondered if she was beginning to remember, there was an expression on her face that he hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“If we divorce I get the robe Nora.” Dante said.
“Write one of your crappy poems and make it so.”
A look of annoyance crossed Dante’s face. “My writing has been compared to Shakespeare.”
“When? In your dreams? Just write the damn poem so I can be through with you.”
Dante took a crumpled scrap of paper from his pocket. He patted himself and then looked at her. “I don’t have a pen.”
Nora rolled her eyes. She reached into the pocket of the robe and took out a pen. “And I want Constantine.”
“Nora-”
“You owe me that much.”
Constantine continued reading his book. He was either unaware or uninterested in the debate over his future whereabouts.
“Nora, I told you that because-” Dante began.
“Shut up and write.”
“I have to be sure that you’ll give me the robe.”
To Finnegan’s surprise Nora unbuttoned the robe and tossed it on the ground. “Take it, take everything. Destroy it all. You’ve already destroyed me.”
Dante looked like a mortal kid at Christmas as he picked up the robe. He slipped it on, closing his eyes as he did. Finnegan could sense the shift in power. The rangers automatically directed their attention to their new Master Enchanter.
“You haven’t written the poem yet.” Nora said.
D
ante scribbled something on the paper. It took him less than a minute. He handed it to Nora. She quickly read it and handed it back to him. “I told you, I want Constantine.”
“You’re not going to like him. He’s lazy and he doesn’t do a thing.”
Nora clenched her fists. “Just do it!” She pushed Dante aside and stood in front of Finnegan. She looked into his eyes. “I think I know you. I can’t remember how.”
“You will.” He was afraid to say anything more with Dante so near.
“I have to give you to Dante, everything has changed.”
“What happened?”
Nora began crying. Dante threw the paper in her face. “It’s done, he’s all yours. We’re leaving for Darkhill. When this is over Constantine will die for me.”
“You’ll have to kill me first.” Nora said bitterly.
“It will be a pleasure. Gareth!” Dante waved at the head protector. The two of them stepped aside to speak.
Nora leaned in close and whispered in Finnegan’s ear. “You’re the true Master Enchanter of Firesea. Possess his soul and take the robe.”
“Nora!” Dante shouted. “You got your divorce and that useless boy, leave Murphy alone.” Dante dragged Constantine out of the sedan chair. “You’re going with her.” He shoved him at Nora.
Constantine shrugged. “Fine with me. I’m still hungry by the way.”
Dante shook his head. “See what you’re getting Nora?” He sat in the sedan chair and the men picked him up. The rangers mounted their horses and the entire force minus Nora and Constantine got underway. Finnegan walked awkwardly alongside the horse he was tied to. He turned back to catch a glimpse of Nora, stripped of her title, and the boy that she suddenly wanted.
Chapter 33
Nora and Constantine watched Dante and his men march away. As soon as they disappeared around the bend in the road Constantine turned and looked at her. “So what do we do now?”
That was a good question. Nora sat on the ground. The air was still and quiet. High overhead a hawk was soaring. In the distance the hills were covered in trees, their leaves were starting to change colors.
Constantine sat beside her. “It’s all right if you don’t have a plan. I’m used to stuff like this happening. Just let me know when you come up with something.” He took a book from his pocket and began to read.
Nora watched him. He was her son. She had carried him for nine months, given birth, and then Dante wrote a poem that made her forget her own child. She had forgotten about his very existence. She was disgusted with Dante and more so with herself.
She unfolded the piece of paper that Dante had scribbled his latest masterpiece on. It granted their divorce and gave her Constantine. It was what she wanted but now she didn’t know what to do. The gaps in her memory were so wide she couldn’t put anything together. The only thing she knew for sure was that this was her child.
Constantine looked like Dante with his dark hair and eyes, but Nora saw something of herself in his expression. She noticed that he had her long fingers. He turned the page and looked up. “Are you ready?”
“Aren’t you curious about why I asked for you?”
Constantine closed the book and put it back in his pocket. “Not really. Father shuffles me between people all of the time. I’m used to it.”
“Where is your home? Firesea?”
“No, I hate it there. I don’t have a home. I just go where I’m told.”
“If you could go anywhere, where would it be?”
“Somewhere without war.”
A memory flickered in Nora’s mind. Arrows flying by her head. A large rock rolling onto her leg. “I was in a war, I think.”
“The last one? Nearly everyone was. Don’t you remember?”
Nora shook her head. “No. I barely remember anything besides wanting to be the Master Enchanter. I’m a mortal. I’ve been made into something else.”
“I’m a half mortal. I can make fire with my spell but otherwise I’m pretty useless.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“It is. I’ve never had to do anything for myself. Father used to make me order people around, now I have to because I don’t know how to do anything. That’s why Father hates me. He doesn’t care if I live or die.”
“I won’t let him hurt you.”
Constantine leaned back on his elbows. “What do you care what happens to me? The only ones who cared about me were my protectors, and they’re all dead.”
Nora’s insides were shaking. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I’m your mother.”
Constantine sat up. “What?”
“Dante just told me. He erased my memory of having you.” She ventured to reach for his hand. He took it. “I’m your mother Constantine.”
“Are you sure he wasn’t lying to you? He’s a bastard.”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t believe so. When he told me something inside of me changed. All the ambition I had to be the Master Enchanter went away. I don’t think that would have happened if you weren’t my son.”
He knitted his brow for a moment and then smiled. “Rowan is my brother. I have a brother.”
“Rowan?”
“I thought you at least remembered Rowan.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You’re really my mother? I never knew who she was. Father said she took one look at me and threw me away.”
Nora shook her head. “No.” Tears started streaming down her face. “That’s not true.”
“You already have a family, you don’t need me.”
“Of course I need you, and I don’t remember the others.”
“I’ve met them. I can tell you about them, what little I know anyway.”
“I’d like that, but first we should decide where we are going.” She looked over her shoulder. There was a mortal farmhouse nearby. It seemed abandoned but looks could be deceiving. “Where do you want to go?”
“To Darkhill.”
“Darkhill? To stop your father?”
“No, that’s beyond my skills.” Constantine said. “Your family is in Darkhill, you’ll want to be there once you remember them.”
“They’re your family too.” Nora brushed the hair from his eyes. There was a pleased look on his face. “All right, let’s go to Darkhill. You can tell me about our family on the way.”
Chapter 34
Beal and Declan were buried in the old Darkhill cemetery. It was a gloomy place overgrown with weeds and scrubby trees. Killian said a few words over the graves while the Founders clung to his side. Lucy was still angry with him despite giving her back Arden and reviving Paul. Darkhill was claiming her father but he couldn’t see it.
She wanted to leave but she didn’t know where to go, nowhere seemed safe anymore. Arden thought they should stay. “The Founders said that Nora is coming. She’ll try and take over the circle.”
“I’m not hurting Nora.”
“I don’t want to hurt her either, but this ends when the robe is in Finnegan’s hands.” They were in her bedroom. The weather had turned cold and she had reluctantly found him some warmer clothes to wear. She hemmed a pair of trousers of her father’s and had him try them on. She wasn’t much of a seamstress and one leg was shorter than the other.
“Oh dear.” she moaned. “Sorry.”
Arden shrugged. “What does it matter? I got my life back, that’s what counts.”
“If you hadn’t come back-”
“No more crying about that, we agreed.”
Lucy sighed. “No more crying.” She picked up one of her father’s old shirts and handed it to him. Arden put it on, the fabric puckered over his arms. He tried buttoning the shirt but it was too small across his chest. “I’m afraid you have too many muscles.”
“Are you complaining?”
She grinned and pulled the shirt off of him. “No. Remember when I saw you again? I couldn’t stop gawking at you.”
He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. “I liked
it. I could feel your eyes on me the whole time. Do you want me to have your father get rid of the rest of my scars? I’m sure if he can bring me back to life he can take away a few scars.”
“Of course not, you know that.” Killian had purposely not healed Arden’s old wounds. How he was able to do it Lucy didn’t know. He told her that Arden would regret it if they were gone. She loved reaching for him in the middle of the night and feeling those fine lines. “But if it would make you feel better about yourself then you should have him do it.”
“Do you know what would make me feel better?”
“What? A shirt that fits?”
He smiled. “I don’t care what I wear. I was thinking of something else. I thought you might like to get married.”
Lucy’s heart skipped a beat. “Did you just ask me to marry you?”
“I think I did. Were you hoping for the mortal thing? You know, down on one knee. And don’t they give the girl a ring?”
“Usually.” Lucy had read a lot of mortal novels growing up. When she was younger she used to dream of flowery proposals, but she wasn’t a girl anymore and she knew things like that weren’t important. “You know, I’m way past the marriage age.”
“So am I. What do you say?”
“What do you think I say?” She took his face in her hands. “I’ll marry you anytime, anyplace.”
“Let’s ask your father right now.”
Lucy opened the curtains and looked out of the window. Killian and Charles were in the circle directing the new enchanters to haul away debris from the burnt buildings. “They’ll never let him go.”
Arden put his arm around her. “Why don’t you go down and talk to him? Ask him about the wedding.”
“All right.” She kissed him and ran downstairs. Logan and Kip were in the parlor arguing. Kip wanted to leave Darkhill and go back to Wildbush. She went out of the front door and down the steps. To her surprise Killian and Charles were nowhere to be seen. The new enchanters were standing motionless with their hands at their sides.
Rowan came running towards her. “Where’s Kip?”
“In the house.” Lucy told him.
He went inside.
