Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)(45)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“Charlotte, what is this all about?” he asked, as soon as he saw me looking.

“What is all of what about?” I asked innocently. That only annoyed him.

“Why are you doing this to Calvin? You know that you belong by his side. Why are you down here?” William leaned one hand against the door.

“Why don’t you ask Calvin why I’m down here,” I said as calmly as I could. “He’s the one who issued the order.”

“He only issued that order because you provoked him. What did you expect to happen when you accused him of keeping you a prisoner, when you refused even the most minimal contact? You are Calvin’s Essence; you owe him more respect,” William said angrily. I couldn’t help but notice that he had emphasized Calvin’s name before the word Essence.

“I wasn’t aware that the Essence was supposed to answer to anyone,” I said with an edge to my voice. I had no idea where this was all coming from, but I knew what I had to say.

“The Essence should be wise enough to realize that her Gerard only has her best interests in mind and should understand that she must trust her Gerard without question.” Even in the dim light, I could see that he was looking at me attentively.

“Maybe you’re right.” I felt that was what Ruth wanted me to say.

“Did I hear you right?”

“I should be with my Gerard. I am sure we can come to an understanding,” I added, trying to make my change of heart more believable. “Could you please send Calvin down to me?”

“I will call him immediately,” William said excitedly. “I am so glad that you have come to your senses,” he added, as he turned to hurry down the corridor.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kevin

The training only intensified once we got our sword and crossbow. I found it exhilarating to use my new sword. It was like I was somehow more powerful by holding it. It made me wonder what Guardian training usually entailed because so much of it seemed intuitive. It was like my natural strengths were just enhanced. Holding my sword also made me feel closer to Charlotte. I never asked Monty or Percy about it, but I was convinced that there was something of Charlotte in the sword. I wanted to ask Monty if Guardians who were also brothers of the Essence had a stronger bond than usual, but I was afraid that it would only upset him more by making him think about my mom.

Monty sure knew how to use a sword. He fought against Tomas, demonstrating maneuvers, and he moved with such ease that it gave me more confidence in myself. Since becoming a Guardian I had felt stronger, and I assumed that I would be able to match Monty’s abilities eventually. I only hoped I could catch up fast. Although Liam primarily used a crossbow, Percy also showed him how to use a sword in case he needed to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Liam took to it easily, but I could tell that he was as nervous as I was about an actual fight. Samantha switched back and forth between a sword and a bow, clearly comfortable with both. It seemed like nothing ever fazed her. If she was nervous about our journey to Bellgard, she didn’t show it.

Liam must have noticed that I had been looking at Samantha a lot because he called me on it. “Do you always go for the girls you can’t have?” he asked, smiling just a little.

“Like you should talk, Liam. You’re the one who thinks my sister is gorgeous. Yeah, I think that there might be some competition.”

Liam didn’t respond, so clearly he got the message. I hadn’t given him too hard a time about it yet, but he had pretty much asked for it.

As we were packing up our gear, Percy introduced us to a woman named Naomi. After my experiences with Samantha, I didn’t doubt it for a second when he assured us she was an incredible warrior. I did almost choke when I watched her change into a cat. So far, everything else had seemed somewhat normal, but that blew my mind.

After leaving the cave, the seven of us moved in silence for a short time, each lost in our own thoughts. I was trying to process everything I had learned in the past days. Charlotte was a prisoner, but also powerful and might be so in love with some guy I hadn’t met that she would rather stay with him than come with us. I tried to stay positive, though. Naomi told us that Charlotte had been successful in her mission, which made me hopeful that she would leave willingly. Percy and Monty seemed surprised by Naomi’s news. Percy explained that it was especially difficult in the beginning for an Essence and her Gerard to separate. I had to give it to Charlotte; she seemed to know how to take care of herself. It also made me nervous to see how surprised Percy was, considering he had told us that our success largely depended on her.

I thought Monty was going to be sick when he found out that Charlotte was in a dungeon. Monty had always been protective of her, maybe even more than I was, more like Dad. Or really, he was protective in a different way. I couldn’t picture Charlotte in a dungeon, and clearly Liam couldn’t either. He just kept repeating how it didn’t seem possible that a guy who loved Charlotte could lock her up. I didn’t have anything to say because the idea seemed so foreign to me, too.

Ever since Percy had told us that he had been a Gerard, I had been trying to picture it. It made sense; it was why Monty thought he was our best hope. The crazy part was that, out of nowhere, Percy started to look stronger. He still looked old, but he could move easier, and he didn’t seem nearly as decrepit. He said that Charlotte must have given some of her power to his Essence. The whole Essence/Gerard relationship was beyond me; I figured I would understand it better if I saw Charlotte with hers, although I wasn’t looking forward to seeing them together.

On top of the fear I had for my sister and the battle I was about to enter, I also had to deal with my feelings for Samantha. Even with everything going on, I just couldn’t get her out of my head. She was so different from all of the other girls I knew, not interested in me in the slightest, but that just made me want her more. I knew this was hardly the time, but I swore that if I somehow survived this battle and got Charlotte back, I would find a way to impress Samantha someday. I didn’t want Samantha to think I was weak, so I tried to hide how terrified I was. I could see that Liam was nervous. He kept looking over at me, but I really didn’t know what to say. I was glad that he was there, and I knew more than ever that he was a loyal friend, even if I was pretty convinced that he was into my sister.

Naomi told us that the best entrance to take into Bellgard was through the side wall closest to the mountain on the west side. We would have to scale the wall and enter the grounds in the dark. Charlotte was going to try to get released from the prison and find a way to leave one entrance to the inner castle unguarded. She would hopefully be able to get down to the dungeon after we arrived and release the prisoners.