Destined

Laurel hoped it was a good one.

“David?”

Chelsea’s voice was laced with concern, and Laurel turned to see David staring at his free hand — stained red — turning it this way and that. His clothing was equally bloody and he gingerly felt his face, which was streaked the crimson-brown of drying blood.

“David?” Chelsea repeated as his eyes seemed to lose focus and he put a hand to his forehead.

He gave no indication that he’d heard anything.

“David!” Laurel said, as sharply as she dared.

He looked up this time and Laurel’s stomach turned at the hollow horror in his eyes. “Laurel, I–I don’t—”

Laurel took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. “It’s OK. You’ll be all right,” Laurel said. He must have only now comprehended what he had done. It took a few more seconds, but finally his eyes calmed. Laurel knew he was pushing his dismay away — he’d have to deal with it later — but for now it would have to do. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the sword again and repositioned himself in front of the Garden entrance.

Laurel turned her attention back to Tamani, who had laid Jamison on the ground and was listening at the old Winter faerie’s lips. “He’s really out. We need to find a way to wake him up.”

“We have to go to the Academy,” Laurel said. Surely someone there could wake Jamison. Should have brought my kit, she thought ruefully. And then, something else occurred to her. “They don’t know about the immunity! They’ll be helpless if the trolls get through.” Thinking about the damage even one elixir- immune troll would do in the Academy was horrifying enough. Get a whole group in there…

“They’re not the only ones,” Tamani said grimly.

“We have to go now,” Laurel said, clutching at Tamani’s sleeve. “We need to get to the Academy and warn them! They can wake Jamison, I’m sure of it.”

“There’s no time!” Tamani growled. “And zero cover. Carrying Jamison uphill, we’d be fruit ripe for the picking for any trolls that come through. Even if we get to the Academy, you’re right — they’re helpless. We can’t risk losing Jamison. He’ll be safest if we take him to Spring. There are sentries there and plenty of ingredients for you to try—”

“I appreciate your confidence,” Laurel said evenly, wondering whether Tamani was trying too hard to protect her. “But if anyone can wake Jamison, it’s Yeardley. And even if he can’t, someone has to warn them!”

“All my men are back there!” Tamani snapped, pointing into the green mist that filled the walled Garden. “And the sentries here are refusing to fall back. There’s no one to send. Unless…” His voice trailed off and he looked at Chelsea. “You’re fast,” he said.

“No,” Laurel said softly.

“Chelsea,” Tamani said, facing her fully. “I need you to run.”

Chelsea nodded. “I’m good at that.”

“Up this path, the huge grey structure on your right — covered with flowering vines, you can’t miss it — go in the front gates, right up to the main doors. If you’re fast — faster than you’ve ever been in your life — you can save them.”

“No,” Laurel said, louder this time.

“Tell them about the immunity, start them building a barricade at all of the entrances. As high and strong as possible. And the windows; bar them somehow. They’re smart — like you — they’ll figure it out.”

“I’m gone,” Chelsea said, rising from a crouch.

“No!” Laurel said, and felt David step closer behind her.

“She can’t go alone,” David said, brandishing the sword.

“She has to,” Tamani retorted. “I need you to help me guard Jamison, and I need Laurel to try to wake him up. The Queen won’t help until it’s too late, so he’s still our best chance at victory. We can’t let him die.”

“I’m doing this,” Chelsea said, setting her jaw as she faced Laurel and David. “If you want to offer anything helpful, do it now. I’m leaving in ten seconds.”

“Find Yeardley,” Laurel said, hardly believing the words coming out of her mouth. “And Katya. Tell them I sent you; they’ll listen.” She hesitated. “Don’t tell them you’re human,” she added softly, hating that she knew it would help. Hopefully they wouldn’t see it for themselves in the commotion.

Chelsea nodded, then looked up the hill. “Runners set,” she whispered. “Go.”

Laurel’s chin quavered as she watched her best friend looking very alone on the vast hillside. “I don’t know if I can forgive you if she dies,” Laurel said.

Tamani was silent for a long moment. “I know.”

Chapter 12

“I’ll take Jamison,” Tamani said. Chelsea really was fast, and that gave him hope — but he couldn’t spare another moment to worry over her. “We’ll circle Spring through the trees. That’ll keep us hidden long enough to get to my mother. Hopefully between her Gardening experience and Laurel’s Mixings, we can do something for him.” With a little help from Laurel, he manoeuvered Jamison across his shoulders. “Laurel, follow me. David, watch our backs.”

As they started toward Spring Tamani wondered — not for the first time — whether they should stick to the main road. But they’d seen how fast the trolls could overrun the Gate Garden; this time, there would be no one to push them back. The remaining sentries might keep them contained a while longer, but Tamani wasn’t optimistic, and once the Garden fell, securing the main road would probably be Klea’s next priority. As long as he was carrying Jamison, he couldn’t really run, so that meant picking their way down the barely visible footpaths where he had played as a sapling.

He tried not to think about the sentries he was leaving to die.

They sacrifice themselves for the greater good, he repeated to himself, again and again, as they trudged through the woods, moving slowly but steadily downhill. For years Shar had pounded that concept into his head — the greater good — but he had never completely understood it until this moment.

Shar.

He couldn’t think about that right now.

It took them less than an hour to reach the glade behind his mother’s house, though each step felt like an eternity; Jamison wasn’t a large faerie, but he seemed to grow heavier as the journey progressed, and Tamani struggled to stave off exhaustion. He was running on entirely too little sleep.

“Stay low,” Tamani whispered, scanning the grassy expanse between them and the house. The streets were empty and the trolls didn’t appear to have made it into this part of Spring quarter, but Tamani knew better than to let that lull him into dropping his guard. On his signal, the three of them launched into the open clearing and fairly flew to the rounded tree Tamani’s mother lived in. When they reached the back wall Tamani twisted at the artfully concealed latch and pushed, but nothing moved. He pushed again, but still nothing. With a growl he raised one foot and kicked as hard as he could and the hidden door swung wildly on its hinges as it gave way.

He stepped forwards and barely managed to stop before the knife at his throat pierced his skin.

“Cradle of the Goddess, Tam!” His mother withdrew her knife and made way for them to enter. As soon as they were through she glanced out at the field and pushed the door shut again. “I thought you were trolls. Young Sora just came through here, said trolls are making their way into Spring. I thought I’d go join the sentries at the barricades.”

“I have a more important job for you now,” Tamani said, striding to his mother’s room and laying Jamison down on her cot.

“Earth and sky, is that… Jamison?” his mother exclaimed, already pulling off her arm guards and dropping to her knees by the side of the bed. “What happened to him?”

Tamani explained as quickly as he could. “We have to wake him up. I thought you might assist Laurel with that.”

“Of course,” his mother agreed, stripping off the rest of her armour. “It’s a shame old Tanzer joined the Silent