Read Wilde's Meadow (Darkness Falls #3) for Free Online Page B

you fear caves.”
    “Are they as bad as Flanna made them seem?” I imagine our army forming a single file line and huddling together to avoid falling into the black abyss.
    “Worse.”
    “Do I even want to know?”
    “As a child, I thought my fears of entering the caves were because of Darkness, but now with the information Cadman provided us, I know my fears to be from the Nefarious spells.”
    “Could you be a little more specific?”
    “Images of evil beings, nothing like Dughbal’s daemons—these were worse, much worse—flooded my mind every time we entered the caves. The monsters whispered for me to jump into the ravine, promised what I would encounter at the other side would be more frightening than anything imaginable. Many people did jump.”
    Perth’s back straightens. Hearing Arland speak of the dark magic, of how it pushed people over the edge, must bring back so many memories. I wonder if Perth was there and what he experienced. I wonder if he considered jumping into the ravine with his mother; they were practically forced by their own people’s magic.
    “If anyone spoke or screamed, the fear grew into something so powerful it drowned out all thought. I nearly went into the ravine the first time, but my father saved me.”
    I look away from Perth and stare at Arland. His will is stronger than most; if he almost committed suicide, how will the rest of us survive?
    “ I was five, Kate. Since then, I have traveled through the caves at least three times. I do not expect I will have an issue, but many will. And to answer your question from before, I plan for some soldiers to come with us, some will remain close to the caves, while the others will run scouting missions through various parts of Encardia.”
    “ Is there anything else I should worry about? ”
    “ Not unless you are afraid of the dark.”
    I laugh aloud.
    Everyone glances at me as though I’m crazy.
    “ If I was afraid of the dark, we’d be in big trouble, Arland. ”
    He smiles. “ Good, because we cannot use light of any kind in the caves, and I am sorry I did not warn you about the dangers. ”
    “ It’s okay. I feel bad for Perth though. His mother.”
    “I believe I see them, Arland.” Perth points ahead, leaning forward on his horse. Like that will help him see better.
    Arland and I follow Perth’s gaze, and for once, I see into the distance. Magic swirls around the soldiers, white and glittering with the flapping of the sprites’ wings.
    My palms sweat, making the leather reins colder than the air around us. “This is it. We have an army, and now we’re going to war.”
    “We have always been at war, Kate,” Flanna says, voice sounding kinder than before.
    “Do not fear what the future holds, and do not allow any of them”—Arland tips his head toward the soldiers—”to see your concern. Be strong. Be the Leader you were born to be.”
    Be strong. I can do that; I have done that. The hard part will be hiding my feelings from everyone, but I will do what I must. ”Let’s go get them then.”
    Arland makes clicking sounds, persuading Bowen to ride faster, and everyone falls into line, following him into the beginning of the end.

Chapter Five
    We ride upon the soldiers staring at the wall of magic surrounding them. No one notices our approach—which concerns me—but somehow the way they all smile at the sprites fluttering their tiny wings makes me smile. So many of these soldiers haven’t experienced old magic; they haven’t traveled with us between bases or fought against hundreds of daemons. For many of these Draíochtans, this may be exciting, liberating, and yet it may also be their death.
    Arland passes through the Light, the tiny beings parting to make way for him, and the rest of us trail behind.
    A sprite flies to me, blonde curls bouncing in front of her cherub like cheeks. Her humming wings are sweet songs to my ears.
    I reach to touch her, to see what part of nature she represents, but the sprite