“How did you do that?” Donnan was standing a few yards away and didn’t come any closer.
“Shh.”
“We’ve been back over an hour. I’ve been looking for you. Why hide yourself here of all places?”
Kaetha kept her voice low. “We find it easier, in the quiet, in the dark.”
“We?” Donnan’s voice echoed harshly through the cave.
“I’m going to become an Appointed one, it’s all arranged. The ceremony’s tonight.”
“What? And who arranged that? Meraud?”
“I’ll be saying my vows, they will mark my face to show that I am Chosen by Fire and then I will stop my voice, to hear and learn all the better.”
“Kaetha, listen to yourself! Still better, I’ll take you to Mairi. Maybe she can talk some sense into you.”
“I’ll gladly see my stepmother. But she will not deter me from my purpose. You must understand, I have to do this.”
“I certainly do not understand,” he said, gruffly.
“Perhaps you can’t understand because you don’t have magic.” Donnan’s tight grip on her arm surprised her as he marched her out of the cave.
Upon entering the hall, Mairi rushed over to her, wrapping her arms around Kaetha in an embrace.
“What’s wrong, lass?” Mairi said, looking her over as if she saw something the matter with her.
“I’m quite well, thank you,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m—” Mairi looked as though she didn’t understand her, her eyes darting to Donnan, then back to her, “I’m well enough . . . now. I’ve been worried.”
“Branna, there’s something you must know,” said Donnan, his tone seeming, to Kaetha, far too familiar and urgent than could possibly be necessary. “Meraud has done something to Kaetha, I’m sure of it. She’s made her feel, all of a sudden, that she’d be happy to give up on her family and become one of your silent servants.”
“What?” said Mairi, looking at Kaetha as if she’d just received a slap. “Is this true?”
“It’s not like that,” said Kaetha. She walked a little away from them, gazing up at the great windows which glittered like water in the torchlight. “You really don’t need to worry about me. Meraud did nothing wrong. She helped me realised that my place is here now, where I have the chance to reach my potential, where I am truly accepted for who I am.”
“What about our journey? Going to your aunt? You wanted to find out about your father, to see if there was a way of saving him.”
“If I left now, with no proper training, what good would I be to him anyway? What chance would I have? I may not be able to help him but perhaps, in the future, my gift might be used to help others. I’m sorry, Mairi,” she said upon seeing her stepmother’s face fall, “but we have to accept that there’s nothing we can do for him. We must let him go.”
“Let him go?” Mairi shouted, her shrill voice resounding around the stone walls. She came to Kaetha and gripped her by the shoulders. “These are not your words – they can’t be!” Tears welled up in Mairi’s eyes.
“This is my decision. I wish you’d try to understand,” she added, giving Mairi’s arm a reassuring squeeze.
“I understand that this isn’t you, Kaetha. Look, you know I never thought marching into Ciadrath was a good plan. I preferred the idea of finding somewhere like this, protected from the dangers we escaped from. I want you to be safe.” Softly, she held Kaetha’s face in her hands. “But not like this. Not if you’re not yourself anymore. I know you and I know that you’re not thinking the way my Kaetha does and I won’t see you caged like this in your own mind.” She turned to Branna. “Is it the one Donnan spoke of? Does she have the ability to do this to her?”
“She wouldn’t,” Branna shook her head, a twitch of her features betraying her uncertainty.
“She has,” said Donnan, striking his fist against a pillar.
“Kaetha,” said Branna, “I didn’t ask your permission before but I ask you now. May I hear your thoughts?”
“Certainly. You needn’t ask,” said Kaetha.
“Listen to her,” Donnan muttered in an undertone to Mairi. “She wouldn’t say that.”
Branna looked steadily into her eyes. “Kaetha, I want you to recall what passed between yourself and Meraud earlier today, before you decided to stay. Relive it in your mind in as much detail as you can.”
The glint of light on water – my rudeness to Meraud – how I am sorry for that now – Meraud’s hands on my head – being freed from what had pulled me down – the feeling of floating – fears and worries gone – contentment in my new-found loyalty to the Appointed – desire to train and be one of them. Meraud’s eyes looking into mine, like my mother’s.
“You see?” said Kaetha. “This is what I want.”
“It’s clear that, even before you spoke alone with Meraud, you wanted to explore your gift.”
“But joining you is not what she really wants!” shouted Donnan.
“Yet,” continued Branna, ignoring Donnan’s interruption, “I see that your feelings have been . . . tampered with. Manipulated. You can’t know what you truly want.”
Kaetha put her hands to her temples as if this might help her think more clearly. “No. Meraud
