by Cathi Shaw
“No,” Kiara answered evenly, “I can hunt and find food in the mountains.”
But Bellasiel was shaking her head. “We can’t afford to have you traipsing through the mountains. You are needed here.”
Kiara lifted her chin. She would not send Deanna back to the horrible existence she’d rescued her from. Kiara remembered all too clearly the hatred the child’s mother had thrown her way.
“Sending her back would not be in her best interests,” Kiara said firmly. “She stays. I will share my rations with her and she can sleep in my room if you have no bed for her but I will not send her back. If you make her leave, I will go as well.”
Kiara knew they couldn’t afford to lose her, especially with her sisters not having arrived yet and with the troubles with Teague and Caedmon.
Bellasiel tapped her index finger against her mouth studying Kiara and the girl for a few minutes.
“Does she have any useful skills, at least?” Bellasiel asked finally. Kiara felt a thrill of relief go through her. She was worried that Bellasiel would call her bluff and have Deanna removed from the Refuge.
“I don’t know,” Kiara admitted. Then she remembered all the younger children in Deanna’s house. There were sure to be some skills the girl would have had to learn in order to survive in such an environment. She kneeled down in front of her. “Deanna, what can you do that’s useful?”
The little girl looked down at her feet then looked up at Kiara doubtfully.
“You want to be useful here, don’t you? We all must do some kind of work. I would be so happy if you could tell us how you could help.”
Deanna swallowed and then nodded. “Ma made me cook, although I don’t think I’m very good at it,” she admitted shyly. “And I had to keep the young’uns quiet less I got walloped from Ma. So I ‘spose I got pretty good at that.” She braved a glance in Bellasiel’s direction. “I know how to keep real quiet so I won’t be seen or heard. I got good at that, too,” she admitted.
Bellasiel leaned forward at the last statement. “How good?” she asked suddenly. “Child, how good were you at not being seen?”
Kiara didn’t like the eager gleam in Bellasiel’s eyes. But Deanna answered her steadily. “Real good. Ma would beat us real bad if she knew we was there. ‘Specially if she’d been in the gin. I got real good at it else I might have ended up like Tommy-Rae.”
“What happened to Tommy-Rae?” Kiara asked, a sick, uneasy feeling in her stomach.
“Ma walloped him so hard cross the head with her iron, his skull cracked open and he dropped down dead right then and there.”
Kiara stared at Deanna in horror. How could a parent do that to her own child? And what’s more, Deanna was recounting it so passively, as if it was just part of life. Kiara felt a sudden flood of relief that she’d got Deanna out of that home.
But Bellasiel was smiling ever so slightly as if Deanna’s story had peaked her interest in the girl. “What is your name, child?” she asked.
“Deanna.”
“Deanna, I think we may have a use for you after all.” She looked satisfied and Kiara didn’t like it. What was Bellasiel up to now? “Kiara, take Deanna down to the barracks where the other children sleep. Find her a bed and some clean clothes. Then after she’s had something to eat, you can start.”
Kiara looked at Bellasiel sharply. “Start what?” she asked.
“Start training your little friend to be a spy.”
#
“Did you sleep in the dorms last night?” Kiara asked Deanna, being careful to keep her tone as neutral as possible and not betrayal the anger that was threatening to erupt at Bellasiel’s last words.
The little girl nodded trustingly.
“Okay, go back down there and I’ll come find you soon. I need to speak to Bellasiel.”
The little girl darted a nervous look in the Elder’s direction and then hurried toward the door. Kiara waited until she heard the door close and the pitter patter of Deana’s feet running in the opposite direction before she turned to Bellasiel.
“She is just a child,” Kiara said, anger making her voice rough.
“They are all children, Kiara,” Bellasiel said calmly as she turned to some scrolls on her desk, effectively dismissing her.
“Yes, they are. So why are you treating them as if they are pawns in a game?” Kiara paced the floor. “I thought we were bringing these children to safety, not setting them up to be trained as … as what?” She remembered Teague’s frenzied words and Caedmon’s growing suspicions. “An army?”
Bellasiel poured herself a cup of tea and observed Kiara over the rim of her mug. “They need to learn to defend themselves,” she said blandly. “You, of all people, should know that.”
Kiara shook her head in frustration. “Yes. Defend themselves but from what I saw yesterday, you’re teaching them a lot more than defensive moves.”
“We don’t know what they will be up against in the long run.”
“And what are your plans for Deanna? You’re training her to be a spy at age six?” Kiara shook her head remembering how horrified her sisters and she had been when they realized that Caedmon and Teague had been sent off for training in their respective careers at that age. She thought the Refuge was going to be different than the rest of the Five Corners but it seemed as though Bellasiel was doing the same thing as the Army and Draíodóir had always done. “They should have a chance to be children.”
Bellasiel looked up, her gaze hard. To Kiara’s surprise, she nodded. “Yes, you’re right, Kiara. They should have a chance to be children but they’ve had the misfortune to be born with a Mark that denies them the luxury.”
Kiara laughed bitterly. “You’re saying childhood is a luxury?”
“For some it is,” Bellasiel acknowledged coldly. “These children will not have mothers and fathers to care for them. They need to learn to care for themselves and each other. You and Caedmon can help them to do that. Or you can focus on one child - one who isn’t even Marked -and ignore the others.”
“That’s not what I was suggesting,” Kiara protested, not liking the way Bellasiel was speaking about the Marked Ones. As if they were different than other children.
“Good. Then we are in agreement. I recommend you use your considerable skill set to help all the children we have here. They will get used to the living conditions and their homesickness will fade. Those are not your concerns. These children, even that unmarked one you’ve adopted to The Cause, can learn much from you. I suspect your little Deanna can teach the others a lot about survival.”
Kiara couldn’t argue with that. She had a feeling that Deanna’s entire live had revolved around learning to survive. But she didn’t like how Bellasiel was now talking about a “cause.” There had been no such talk when they’d followed her from Séreméla to the Refuge. Kiara suddenly had a strong sense that Teague’s suspicions might be right.
“I believe that everything happens for a reason, Kiara. You didn’t stumble upon that little girl by accident. There is a reason you found her. And her knowledge may be it. She is here for a reason, of that I’m certain.”
Kiara felt a shiver run down her spine at the tone in Bellasiel’s voice. She sounded almost mystical, as if she was utterly convinced that there was some kind of predestination to their lives. Kiara studied the Elder steadily. She’d never noticed the harshness around the woman’s mouth before. Still Bellasiel was right in a lot of what she was saying, even if Kiara didn’t like it.
Finally Kiara turned and left the chamber. She needed to find Caedmon and see if he could help her make sense of what Bellasiel had told her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kiara found Caedmon as he left Teague’s room. She noted the lines of fatigue around his eyes with concern and she wondered if he’d slept at all the previous night.
“How is he?” she asked even though she could tell her question was rhetorical.
Caedmon ran his hand over his face and shook his head. “Walk with me.
I need some air.”
Kiara followed him as he climbed through the dark, steep passageway, up to the entrance of the Refuge. As they emerged from the Refuge, Kiara took a deep breath of the late summer air. The Eastern Mountains weren’t as harsh, weather-wise, as the Northern Mountains but the jagged peaks and grey rocks were not inviting. Nonetheless, after being in the mine the fresh air made the mountain passageways seem almost homey.
A warm breeze lifted the hair on Kiara’s neck. She’d continued to let her hair grow despite her usual practice of keeping it sheared close to her head. Caedmon never told her what he thought of her hair but she’d noticed that he liked to run his fingers through her locks when he was distracted. So she’d continued to grow it for him and she found that she was starting to enjoy the sensation of having hair again. She couldn’t imagine caring for hair as long as Mina’s blond waves but her short style she could handle. And if she were honest, it made her feel more feminine.
Caedmon led her to a large flat rock that was big enough for both of them to sit on.
“Did you sleep at all?” Kiara asked, his fatigue even more obvious in daylight.
Caedmon shook his head. “I’ve moved into Teague’s room.” He ran his hand over his unshaven cheeks once more and looked unseeingly across the meadow in front of them. “He’s bad, Kiara. I’m starting to think that his mind has been permanently damaged.”
Kiara stared at him. Dismay welled up inside her. Even though she had warned Caedmon that something was wrong with his brother, deep down she hadn’t believed that he could be permanently damaged.
“Maybe Bellasiel and Omen are right about the Draíodóir slowly corrupting his mind.” The despair in Caedmon’s voice made Kiara’s heart twinge painfully. She put her head on his shoulder and gave him a hug as she tried to think of a way she could tell him about her own fears concerning Bellasiel.
Kiara licked her lips. “Or …” Caedmon down looked at her. She took a deep breath. “Maybe Teague is right about Bellasiel.”
Caedmon furrowed his brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Kiara sighed. She knew that this was going against everything she’d argued with him about the previous day but her feelings about Bellasiel were starting to change. She told Caedmon about her conversation with Bellasiel that morning and the doubts that had started to creep into her mind.
“I told you we should have left that girl. We can’t waste time or resources on all the unwanted children in the Five Corners, this place would be overrun.”
Irritation pricked at the back of her mind. Caedmon was missing the point of what she’d told him, fixating on Deanna again. Kiara nodded impatiently. “I know. I know. It wasn’t just that Bellasiel was complaining about Deanna. It was …” she paused searching for the words to explain the uneasy feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach. Then she shook her head. “The way she talked about the Marked Ones, it’s as if they are things not people.” She looked at Caedmon. “And we are Marked Ones, too. Does she think we’ve forgotten that?”
Caedmon didn’t reply instead he focused on the vista in front of them again.
“I guess I don’t have a good reason for suspecting ill of her and perhaps if Teague hadn’t said anything I wouldn’t have been suspicious but I just have this feeling. I don’t know how much we can trust her. And remember Meldiron said the only ones we can trust are other Marked Ones.”
Caedmon focused his dark eyes on her again. “That was before we knew about Bellasiel and the sympathizers, Kiara. They have put so much into helping us. How can we truly doubt them?”
He did have a point. But Kiara could shake the suspicions that were prodding her. “I know. But there’s another thing that worries me. Look at this place, Caedmon.” She sat up straight and gestured towards the mine behind them. “How long do you think it took to prepare this Refuge? We’re not talking about a few weeks or even months. This would have taken years to build. And to organize all the people working here and all the Helpers?” She shook her head. “Clearly this had been in the works for a long time. Obviously Bellasiel and the others knew we weren’t the only Marked Ones,” she laughed mirthlessly. “Why else would they have created such a large place for us? It means that Brijit and the others knew the entire time that there were others. But they sure didn’t tell us that, did they?”
Kiara remembered how her mother, Brijit, had let the girls believe they were special for most of their lives and suddenly her feelings were mixed into an unreadable mess, like a pile of paints spilled over the ground. Brijit had kept so many truths from Kiara and her sisters and yet … Kiara remembered her mother lying in her lap, dying. She blinked back her tears. Brijit loved them right to the end. Nothing that happened could change that. But the lies still stung. Kiara felt Caedmon’s arm suddenly around her, pulling her back until her head was on his shoulder again.
“How many lies did they tell us, Caedmon?” she sniffled trying to hold back the tears.
Caedmon didn’t answer her but Kiara didn’t expect him to. Their relationship was like that. He listened to her and only spoke when he needed to. Often it was like they communicated on a level where words weren’t necessary. They sat for a long time in the warm sun until Caedmon stood up and held out his hand to pull her to standing.
He stared down at her as if he were trying to figure out how to say what was on his mind. “I have a favor to ask of you, Kiara.”
She looked up at him, wondering what he needed.
“I need you to look after Teague for me.”
“Why?” Kiara asked, confused. Caedmon had moved into Teague’s room. What more could she do?
“I have some business to take care of that will take me away from here,” he said evasively and Kiara noticed that he suddenly wasn’t meeting her eyes.
Fear prickled along her skin. Caedmon and her did not keep secrets. Why was he suddenly so standoffish. “What kind of business?” she asked.
Caedmon turned his gaze to meet hers. “Please don’t ask, Kee. I can’t answer. Just trust me on this one. It’s necessary and might provide us with a few answers as to what is going on here.”
She didn’t see why he couldn’t tell her what he was up to. Kiara opened her mouth to argue.
“And please, don’t argue,” he said, gently covering her lips with his finger. “I don’t have the energy today.”
Kiara looked at his tired, handsome face and her heart melted a little. And she hated herself for it. Caedmon was her weakness.
“You know me too well,” Kiara said irritably. “Okay. I won’t ask what business you are up to. But I will ask why I can’t come with you, Caedmon? We make a good team. You could use my help.”
He shook his head sadly. “Not this time. I need you here guarding Teague.”
“Guarding him?” Kiara frowned at his choice of words. “Do you think he’s in danger?”
Caedmon’s face hardened. “If what you say is true then he is in more danger than we can imagine,” he admitted. “I need you to do this for me, Kiara. Stay with him and keep Omen away from him.” Caedmon had never trusted the old Draíodóir but he had believed he was helping Teague until now.
Kiara was surprised. Omen was supposed to be helping Teague break his link with the Draíodóir. “Do you think he means Teague harm?” she asked, worry suddenly making her feel a bit ill. Omen had been given free access to Teague. If he actually was harming him instead of helping him ... Kiara closed her eyes. She didn’t want to think of what it could mean.
Caedmon stood and turned toward the entrance to the mine. “I don’t know,” he admitted as they started walking. “But Teague becomes almost irrational when Omen is around. It’s clearly not good for him to be with that Draíodóir.”
“Former Draíodóir,” Kiara reminded him softly but Caedmon pressed his lips together and did not reply. Kiara wondered if Caedmon’s choice of words were not unintentional. Could it be that he suspected Omen still worked for the Draíodóir?
“When
do you have to leave?” Kiara asked, hoping he would delay for a while so she could try to learn more of what his suspicions might be.
“Tomorrow morning,” he said. Then he stopped and pulled her into his arms. “Thank you!” He whispered before he lowered his lips to hers.
Kiara sighed into the kiss. It had been so long since Caedmon had shown any affection toward her. But too soon he was pulling away, albeit a bit reluctantly.
She watched him head toward Teague’s chamber and hoped that they were both wrong about Bellasiel and Omen. More than anything Kiara wished that the Elder was on their side and not another distrustful enemy they had to watch out for. If she wasn’t what she appeared to be, who would be left for them to trust in the Five Corners?
#
Caedmon left before Kiara was even awake the next morning. She went to Teague’s chambers hoping to say goodbye to him but to her dismay she only found Teague there. She tried to hide her disappointment from Teague.
“Has Caedmon left?” she asked, looking at Teague closely and suddenly noticing the grey hue to his skin.
Teague nodded despondently. “I know Caedmon told you to keep an eye on me, Kiara, but you don’t have to.”
Kiara tried to catch Teague’s gaze but his eyes rarely stayed focused on any one spot for anything length of time. They would flit from one object in the room to another almost constantly. This was so different from the playful and happy Teague who’d been quick to befriend everyone back at the Inn.
And he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Instead he looked at her ear, her elbow, her feet, her left hand and then the bed frame, his shirt, and so on. It was almost as though his mind was cycling through the different things in the room, trying to find an anchor to focus on but unable to do so.
“Teague,” Kiara said gently but his eyes didn’t stop their roaming and his hands were shaking ever so slightly. “Teague, when did you sleep last?”
He stood up and started pacing the room. “Sleep? I’ve not been able to sleep for weeks. I don’t remember. Ever since Omen’s last session with me.”
