Outside the cave, almost everyone stares up at the sky—some with wide eyes, others with mouths hanging open.
The children point and giggle.
The soldiers talk amongst themselves as they look at the stars.
Arland and I share a smile, then take a seat on either side of Brit. She pulls her knees to her chest, face red and swollen from crying. Seeing my sister this way rips my heart in two. Her rock solid strength has always reminded me of Mom. It was Brit who calmed her older sister when the nightmares struck, who lent an ear when school was rough. Now I need to be
her
rock.
I need to be everyone’s rock.
Brit leans into me.
Wrapping my arm around her, I let her cry. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise, Brit. I will always be here for you.”
My words only make her sobs louder, so I don’t say anything else. She cries for so long, I think it must be about more than just Mom. I suspect Brit is crying for some of the same reasons I did when I first arrived in Encardia.
Arland comes around Brit then sits behind me. I rest my head on his shoulder and stare up at the sky while there are still stars to enjoy. We’ll probably be here all night, but this is not how I envisioned us sleeping under the stars.
“Sir!”
I startle awake and scream.
Arland brushes my arm with his palm. “It is only Cadman, Kate.”
Looking over my right shoulder, I see Cadman and follow his ogling to the sky—which is now one of the strangest sights I’ve seen. In the ever-present black night, a small round patch of the most brilliant blue cuts through, reminding me of the waters surrounding Hawaii. Not a single white cloud dots the gift from above, and just like last night, everyone stares, captivated by the sight.
Groups of children and soldiers have gathered near the edge of the cliff overlooking the river, smiles and excited murmurs abound. Smells of the sun’s warmth fill the air, like a promise offered by the first day of spring after a long, snowy winter. I inhale a deep, renewing breath. Surges of energy course through me. I’m happy … at peace. This is where I’m supposed to be. Fighting this war. Bringing Encardia Light.
“Enjoy it. This is a sight none of these people will soon forget.” Arland slides his arm from my shoulders, kisses my cheek, then stands. “I will be right back. I need to speak with Cadman.”
“Okay. I’ll be here … staring.” I smile and watch Arland walk down the path toward the river to join the others. When he’s out of view, I return my gaze to the sky.
Repositioning myself against the rocks, I nudge Brit’s shoulder. “Brit, wake up.”
She groans.
“The sun is out. It reminds me of your favorite part of the forest back home.” I run my fingers through her tangled waves, separating the knots from each other.
Brit rolls over in my lap and looks up at me with her big green eyes, puffy from a night full of crying. She squints, then rubs her eyes with the back of her hand. “Oh. You weren’t kidding. The sun really is shining.”
“No, I wasn’t kidding. The stars were out last night, too, but you probably didn’t notice.”
Brit shakes her head. She sits up, then leans back into my open arms. “It’s not fair, Kate.”
“What’s not fair?”
“You know
what
. I want to know what my purpose is in the war.” With a disgusted sigh, Brit digs at the dirt under her nails.
“I talked to Arland about that. He said if we find a good Seer, we can get your prophecy. If you really want to know, we can try to find one. Maybe one will be at Willow Falls.”
Brit pops up then faces me, biting back a smile. “Really? You’ve already thought about this for me?”
I nod.
Wrapping her arms around me, she squeezes the air from my lungs with a huge hug. “I love you, Kate. You’re the best sister a girl could ask for.”
“Uh, cheese?” I laugh.
“Yes, but I mean every single slice of it.”
“I know you do.”
“I am sorry to interrupt, but the children need food,” Enid says, tapping my shoulder with her cold hand.
Brit and I both start. I turn around and wipe the tears that escaped during my hug with her, then put on a happy face for Enid. She rubs her hands together, glancing back at the soldiers, then looks up at the sky.
“Is everything okay, Enid?” I ask.
“Yes. It has been so long since I have seen the daylight.” She turns her head to me. “Do you know where we can get food? I would have asked Arland, but I cannot find him.”
A broken chicken neck falling limp in Perth’s hands comes to mind. “Perth brought a chicken.”
I glance over at the small crowd on the edge of the cliff and spot Saidear. “Saidear?”
He turns, wearing a huge grin. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Where are the horses?”
“They were tied to a tree over there,” he says, pointing down the path I climbed to rescue everyone yesterday.
“Thank you.”
Saidear gestures at the sky with his hand. “No. Thank
you
.”
I laugh and return my attention to Enid. “I’ll go grab it and be right back.”
She raises her arms and leans to the side like a yoga instructor gearing up for class. “Do you mind if I come with you? I need to stretch my legs for a bit.”
“Of course not. Do you want to come, too, Brit?”
My sister shakes her head. “I’m going to sit here and work on my tan.”
There may be sunshine, but not enough for tanning. “Uhh—?”
She shoots me an evil look, narrowing her eyes. “Don’t ruin it for me. I know it’s not a lot of sun, but it feels great.”
“At least you don’t need sun block.” I get to my feet. “I’ll be back.”
Enid stumbles over her boots as we quietly head down the path toward the horses. She’s never been much for talking, so the silence between us doesn’t bother me. Her constant fidgeting and clumsiness, however, does.
“Are you feeling alright? Your hands are shaking.”
She raises her eyebrows as though she wasn’t expecting me to speak. “B-being out here, so close to my home, so close to where … where—”
I pat her on the shoulder. “You don’t have to say it. I understand, Enid. I am truly sorry.”
I’ve only been awake for a short time, but today has been full of perpetual reminders as to why I’m here. Pain. Loss. Everyone experiences them at some point in their lives, but here, people live and deal with them every conscious moment.
We reach the bottom of the stone path and find the horses tied to a tree. Bowen, Euraid, and Luatha stand still with their heads down. But Mirain flattens her ears, and she snorts.
“Hey, girl. It’s just me.” After crossing the short distance between the edge of the path and tree, I lift my hand and allow her to nudge my palm with her warm, rough nose.
She lets out a deep sigh.
“Good girl. I have to get a chicken from Bowen’s saddle then take it to the children. We’ll visit later.”
At his spoken name, Bowen lifts his head.
“That’s right, Bowen. I’m talking about you.”
I trail my hand down Mirain’s neck, along her side then stop at her hindquarters and give a pat.
“Y-you do have a w-way with horses,” Enid says.
I look over my shoulder.
Her face pales. She has dark circles under her eyes, and her hands tremble even worse than before. Enid looks like a diabetic on the verge of a coma.
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Y-yesterday. B-before b-b-bed.”
“Do you often get weak from not eating?”
She tilts her head to the side. Her blue eyes and dirty-blond hair do little to add color to her pallor. “Y-yessss.”
“Well, let me get the chicken, and we’ll hurry back to cook it.”
Enid crosses her arms over her chest as if she’s holding back the trembles.
The chicken dangles by a rope over Bowen’s saddle. I rush over, then work to untie the knot holding the bird. I hate knots. I don’t have long fingernails, so getting the tightly wound twine to come apart is nearly impossible.
“H-here.” A shiny silver blade appears over my shoulder.
“Use t-t-this,” Enid says.
I grab the blade and cut the twine. “Thanks.”
Now the brown chicken dangles from the rope I hold in my hands.
When I turn around, Enid is gone.
A loud scream resonates through the air, hitting my ears and matching the misery welling inside me.
The chicken falls from my hands.
My legs lock in place. Black bands of pulsing energy crackle as they climb my body, burning and slicing through my skin like knives. I cannot move, cannot open my mouth. I want to scream, want to cry out for someone—
anyone
—to help. Pain constricts my breathing as the bands blanket me with Darkness. The wild beating of my heart pounds in my ears. If only it was loud enough for someone else to hear. Control of my fingers, my toes, of any muscle that would give me flight, vanishes.
White light flows out of me and into the bands of the shifter. Growing from the feet up, the daemon takes my form with a wicked smile. I’ve never seen such a perfect replica of myself—not even a mirror could provide quality so astounding—but I look tired. Small, swollen circles rest under my green eyes. My hair is mussed around my face as if I just crawled out of bed.
The imposter waves, turns, then takes off with my body.
My vision fades.
Brit! Help me
!
Fingers, toes, mouth … I cannot feel any of these things. No smells fill my nose. No light shines in my eyes. I don’t know where I am; I’m not even sure if I’m alive.
Wake up, magic. Help me. Free me. Kill the Shifter
.
I’ve repeated these commands a hundred times since the imposter turned and walked away. Although, I don’t know if that’s true—keeping count is not at the top of my agenda, and memories are fading in and out. I think something, then the thought disappears. No control. I have no control.
Brit, Arland . . . anybody
?
Where am I? Why isn’t anyone helping me? I want to scream, want to run for help, but I remain paralyzed. My thoughts are the only sounds I can make.
Brit
!
Maybe I’ve gone insane. Maybe I’m drugged. Why else would I not be able to feel or see?
“
Kate
?”
A flash of the daemon stealing my body sweeps through my mind.
“
Kate
!”
Maybe this is just a dream. How could a shifter take me over? You can’t be trapped inside yourself. I must be dead.
“
Kate, snap out of it. I’m here. Arland is here, too
.”
Brit’s voice keeps popping into my head. I’m imagining things … or answering myself. This is how a ghost must feel when trapped between worlds. No body to cling to. No purpose. Nowhere to go. I’m a ghost. That’s what I am.
“
Kate! Shut up! You sound nuts
.”
I don’t know why I feel the need to give in to my lunacy, but I do. “
Brit? Is that you
?”
“
Of course it’s me! Who else do you talk to in your head
?”
Maybe I’m not dead. Maybe I am actually hearing Brit’s thoughts.
“
Listen to me. You’re not going crazy. You’ve been attacked by a shifter
.” The voice sounds just like Brit’s; her tone even has a nervous edge to it.
How could I not believe what I’m hearing is real?
“
Where am I
?” If I am talking to Brit, maybe she’ll have a reasonable explanation for me.
“
By the horses. Do you wanna know what happened?”
She sighs.
“
Yes. I remember the shifter, but—
”
“
On their way back from base, Cadman and Perth found Lann and Enid—the real Lann and Enid. They were covered in those same nasty daemon tentacles Arland and I had on us. When he realized Enid wasn’t Enid, he came up to find her, and when I told him you had just gone off with her to get a chicken, he freaked. Cadman was carrying Enid in his arms when it happened. It was . . . I don’t want to tell you what it was. Just . . . well, anyway, Arland grabbed his bow and ran over to rescue you. It was amazing to watch him release arrow after arrow into the daemon. Arland loves you, Kate. He really loves you. The shifter thingy is dead, but the tentacles are still covering most of your body. We don’t know how to get them off. Not even Mom knows. Are you listening to me? Kate
?”
There’s no way I’m imagining this. I know my sister’s voice. I can almost feel her presence locked in this formidable place next to me. “
I can’t see anything. It’s dark, Brit. It’s lonely. I thought I was dead
.”
“
You aren’t dead. Can you not see through my eyes like you did last time
?” Pity. If I had to describe her voice, it’s full of pity.
“
I don’t pity you, Kate. I feel bad, but not pity. Can you see through my eyes or not
?”
“
No, I cannot see through your eyes
.”
“
Think, Kate. Think hard. What were you doing last time
?”
“
I don’t know, Brit. I . . . I can’t remember
.” I try to think, try to force my mind to remember how I got into her last time, but it’s no use. It’s as though no brain exists to tell me what to do.
“
Maybe if I stay quiet and let you concentrate, you’ll find your way into me again, and then you will at least be able to see
.”
“
No! Don’t leave me, and definitely don’t be quiet. I can’t handle being alone again
.”
“
Relax. I won’t leave you. I won’t be quiet either, but you need to think; think of how you got into my head before
.”
Her calm, soothing tone brings me back to Virginia, back to the early days of my nightmares. She’d always tell me to relax, always talk me to sleep, but this is different. I’m not having visions of my future; here I may not have a future. I’m trapped. My body a prison.
“
Magic won’t even respond; I don’t think I can get into your head
.”
“
Okay, okay, don’t get so jumpy
.”
Jumpy
? I’m not jumpy. Maybe I am. It’s not like I can feel anything. I’m practically floating in space. Or nonexistent. Honestly, I can find no accurate words to describe this.