Wilde's Fire (Darkness Falls #1) (45 page)

“But Dughbal said he had servants here. People have been hurt. Brad died. Am I not on the path of Light?” I ask, shaking my head.

”You are on the correct Path, child.”

“I’m s-sorry. If you are a god, why do you not end this war yourself?” I hope not to sound petulant, but having humans fight a war between gods … ?

Griandor’s smile falls. Yellow flames burn in his distant eyes.

Balling the bed sheet in my sweaty hands, I wait while he formulates his response.

“During a battle, many centuries ago, we fought brutally against each other. One of our worlds, Elysia, was obliterated from the path of destruction forged between the gods. It was our most prized world. The inhabitants were beautiful, peaceful, loving. There were endless treasures to be found there. After we decimated Elysia, we vowed never to directly battle each other again.”

“Why did you fight?”

“Balance.”

“
Balance
?”

Griandor nods. “There are eight primary gods. Before destroying Elysia, there were eight worlds, and then Heaven. A constant shift of control must be made in order to maintain balance in any world. My brother wanted permanent control over Elysia. He began spending more time with the mortals of that world, hoping they would pray to him. But Dughbal was not kind, and therefore the people prayed against him. He refused to leave. Fear multiplied in Elysian hearts. My sister and I tried to convince him to return home … . That is when the war began.”

“So, if he vowed never to battle again, why are we here?”

“After Elysia died, we lived in peace, but over time Dughbal grew restless. Desiring conflict, he began causing trouble in the heavens. Our father punished him, sending Dughbal to dwell with man in all forms for three centuries.”

“Your father sent him here? If your brother wanted conflict, why send him somewhere people are easily destroyed?”

Pursing his lips, Griandor scowls. “His punishment was intended to make him grow fond of life, not want to destroy it. My father knew not the depths of evil in his son.”

“I-I’m s-sorry.” I look away. I cannot bear the shame his scowl makes me feel.

Placing his finger under my chin, he turns my face toward him. “You are intelligent, Katriona. You should never be ashamed to ask questions.”

His touch is comforting, similar to how Arland soothes me, but a million times more powerful.

“In the underworld of Daigre, Dughbal whispered to the corpses of beings from old worlds. He promised the souls power, magic, and most importantly, new life, if they would agree to fight for him. Dughbal expected his actions to bring us out of our vow of peace and fight against him. When we did not, he punished this world, for it is closest in beauty to Elysia. Since the magic of the gods was no longer being used here, it was easy for Dughbal to take over.”

“Old magic is magic of the gods?”

“Yes, child. The Draíochtas’ intentions to protect themselves from the Daonna were honorable, but in doing so, they separated themselves from the ways of old magic. Over time, most lost faith that old magic ever existed. Many lost faith that
we
ever existed. There were a few who continued to practice, like your father’s family, but not enough to protect the world from my brother.” Griandor pauses, shaking his head.

“I don’t understand. How would practicing magic keep us safe from a god?”

“How many daemons have you fought since you have been here?”

“Too many.”

Griandor laughs. “I agree, you have fought more than a fair share. Had you ever fought
anything
before coming here?”

“No.”

“Can you imagine how easy it would be to fight the daemons if everyone possessed the same power as you?”

“So why not give everyone the power to do the same as me?”

“Katriona, these people made practicing old magic a crime. Most of them forgot it ever existed. We needed someone who would not be afraid of the punishment the leaders of this world would inflict upon them.”

I lean forward. “That’s why my parents had to leave with me? Why not more? Why didn’t you send thousands of us away?”

He sighs. “Our powers cannot be split, and we felt putting them into one Draíochta would be better than two.”

“But if there are seven good gods, you could have made at least five others like me.”

“My father cannot give his powers away; it would be foolish. And my other siblings feared that, if they did as my sister and I have done, Dughbal would kill them first.”

“What have you and your sister done?”

“We gave you our magic, our strength. Years before the battle began, Gramhara and I were given a prophecy of what was to come. We searched long and hard for a soul deserving enough of our powers of Light and Love. When your mother and father conceived you, we knew you were the right soul. You have a pure heart, courage, fire.”

I wonder whether they picked the right soul or not. I have not been courageous. My heart has been broken repeatedly. I guess I might have fire, but only in a literal sense … and that’s not even mine.

Griandor purses his lips again. “Do not doubt yourself, Katriona. Have you questioned your place in this world since you arrived?”

Before I answer, I think back over all the time I’ve been here. “I don’t know.”

“We have been watching you. Even yesterday, while sending your friend away, you told him this was your world. Could you not feel the power flowing through you at that moment? The moment when you realized this is where you want to be?” His voice rises.

Is he growing impatient?

“I-I c-could feel the flames grow stronger, blinding, but I have no control. I couldn’t save Brad.”

“You try too hard. You over-think what you need to do. When you first discovered your powers, did you think? No. You reacted to the situation as it presented itself. Since then, you have begged for help, questioned the power, tried to silence your emotions. You should control your emotions—as your mother has instructed you—but do not subdue them. It is the fire, the love, the rage, the
passion
inside you that will end this war. And you did save your friend. You asked for his forgiveness before he was killed.”

“I did?” I don’t remember asking for that.

“Logh dó,”—Griandor says—”means forgive him. And we did forgive him, not that he had much to be forgiven for.”

I might rip the ball of sheets in my hands to shreds. “
What
? He hit me. He hurt me for many years. All the memories Arland took from him were awful.”

“Your Brad did not do those things. Dughbal tried to taint your friend years before the two of you ever entered Encardia. My brother heard your prophecy. He traveled to Earth, hoping to find you, but your mother’s protections over you were powerful. Dughbal found Brad in the forest, but was unable to turn him. The boy’s mind is strong. However, the poison of the coscarthas was stronger.”

“So, when he was lost in the forest when he was ten, really Dughbal had captured him?” Another lump forms in my throat.

Griandor nods.

Tremors take control of my hands. Brad was so frightened. I thought he’d never go in the woods again. “Why didn’t he remember anything?”

“Your mother erased the memory of the encounter.”

She lied?
Why didn’t she tell me the truth? I understand why she didn’t tell me before I came here, but why not now? “Did my mom know Brad was going to be a part of this war?”

Griandor arches his eyebrows. “Your mother knows much. She is a fool to keep it from you, but I understand why she has. Her desire for you to stay on the path of Light is her way of protecting you. Find a way to forgive her; she has lost everything, much as you have.”

I nod, but Griandor’s plea for forgiveness does not make me any happier. Mom may have her reasons, but she needs to keep me in the loop. I don’t want to be surprised. I want to know if someone else I love is going to die, so I can spend as much time with that person as possible.

“What about Mark Evans?” I ask, remembering I still have a reason to be mad at Brad.

Griandor places his hand on my shoulder. “That was a misunderstanding, Katriona. Mark Evans had intentions for you Brad was not fond of … neither was I.”

My heart sinks to my feet. I shouldn’t have doubted Brad, or thought he was a monster. I shouldn’t have brought him here. Tears fill my eyes. I cover my face with the sheet.

“None of this is your fault. Brad was not right for you. I believe you are aware of that, but you can still help him. 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 is mended from the loss of you in it.”

I stifle my tears and look up at the kind god. “How do I end the war?”

Griandor smiles. “What Dughbal does not know is our father stripped his immortality from him when he was cast down from the heavens. Dughbal may have great power, and continue to steal great power from innocent lives, but he can be killed. You must seek him out, fight him, burn him as you do his daemons,” he says, eyes flashing with golden flames.

“You need to stop him soon. Daemons draw the magic out of their victims and become stronger with each new life they steal, making Dughbal more powerful. We fear he may venture into the remaining seven worlds and decimate life there, the way he has here. The gods and goddesses are at an impasse with Dughbal. If we fight, our battle might destroy worlds, and the life they carry. If we do not fight, our lack of interference could do the same.”

Overwhelmed. That’s how I feel. “How am I supposed to get to him? I couldn’t even kill his bats.”

“You need to establish your own army. It will not be easy for you to convince Maher, Dufaigh, and Murchadha to follow you—”

“Who is Murchadha?”

“He is another Leader of Encardia. The three have grown fearful of Dughbal and are afraid of any more blood being shed. You must do
whatever
it takes to convince them.”

Putting my head between my knees, I swallow hard. “I have to work with the Ground Dwellers?”

Griandor places his hand on my head. “You must find a way to unite
everyone
.”

“And the others? Dughbal said he captured them,” I say, not wanting to think of the Ground Dwellers or of a marriage to Perth. Instead, I worry about the children, my family, and my heart.

“It will be your first test to find them and save them. There will be many more tests along the way.”

“How—?”

“Going forward, you must trust in yourself and those around you. Most importantly, you must trust in those you love. You will need no other guide. You could fail, Katriona, but we hope you do not.” Griandor removes his hand from my head and clasps his fingers in front of him, eyes staring beyond me again.

“My sister predicts you will revolutionize this world. She predicts you will surprise many … even yourself. Be strong, child. We will be watching, and will send messages when we can. However, the closer you are to Arland Maher, the harder it will be for us to communicate. He protects you in more ways than one.”

Griandor grins, then fades from a man back into the swirling golden light.

“Wait!”

He pauses, not returning to his human form, but floating in the air around me.

“Who betrayed us? Dughbal said there were two of his servants living amongst us.”

“Katriona,” Griandor says, his melodic voice vibrating on my skin, “you must discover this on your own. Trust yourself.”

Before he disappears, his light touches my face, taking the pain out of my eye. My skin is still swollen, but the ache is gone.

I’m alone.

I don’t have to leave this room to know Arland is gone, Brit is gone, Mom is gone,
everyone
is gone. Pulling clothes from the drawers that have been maintained for me by dedicated soldiers of Arland’s … of mine, I get dressed.

Sliding my claymore through its holster, I walk out of the bedroom, probably for the last time ever. I turn to close the door, but cannot see it. It’s as if no room exists on the other side, just as the stables didn’t appear until Arland whispered
Nochtann
.

I’m not sure what everything Griandor told me means, but I
will
go forward. I
will
find the soldiers, my family, and my heart.

I
will
seek out Dughbal and destroy him for hurting those I love.

My name is Katriona Wilde, and I have fire.

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