Silas led Marigold out of the cathedral.
Her heart hammered inside of her chest with excited anticipation. For all these months, she'd always felt an emptiness when her energy met Gwydyr's, like it wasn't fully in bloom yet.
But as she stepped into the sunlight, the world had blossomed unlike anything she'd ever seen.
Everything was golden and buzzing with life. There were no signs of decay or rot, only fruitful trees, lush grass, and rolling landscape.
There were animals Marigold had never seen before grazing in the open fields and rooting around trees. Some of them had large, spiraling horns with daintily long faces. Others were rabbit-like, but nearly four feet tall with deer antlers.
The whole scene was close to sparkling.
"It could be yours."
Marigold flinched at Silas's voice. She'd almost forgotten he was there.
When she turned to face him, she realized that the cathedral was gone and she was standing in the middle of a flower-clustered glade.
"Mine?" she repeated.
"Gwydyr repays blood for blood...and gold for gold," Silas replied.
Even he, with all of his dark storm clouds and violent features, looked beautiful in the golden light. There was a trace of the young man he could've been if nothing bad had ever happened to him. His dark eyes changed to a honey color in the sunlight and his sharp jawline relaxed for the first time.
"What are you saying?' Marigold asked cautiously.
To her shock, Silas held his arm out to her like some sort of Regency gentleman. Marigold hesitantly placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her through the glade.
Birds sang clear notes from the treetops above and an otter flipped around in a creek nearby.
Silas came to a stop and tilted his head to the sky.
"What--" Marigold began.
"Shh," Silas interrupted, "listen."
Marigold swallowed hard, her stomach twisting, but she inclined her head like Silas, allowing the sunshine to warm her face.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling everything around her. There was energy and magic and...and the heartbeat.
For the first time, Marigold realized that the forest's heartbeat matched her own. Was her own.
"It's part of you and you're part of it," Silas said.
Marigold opened her eyes and blinked, looking at him with astonishment.
"Years ago, the forest was destroyed by those who were supposed to protect it," Silas said. "It has survived so far, but it's dying."
"How could it be dying?" Marigold asked, gesturing to the grandeur before her. "Look at it."
Silas gave her a sidelong glance.
Without warning, the landscape around them whooshed past in a flurry of leaves and wind.
Marigold gasped and clung to Silas, tucking her face into his shoulder to ward off the sting of the debris flying around them.
When the world stilled once again, she risked a peek.
Everything was black.
Behind the rows of gray, skeletal trees, was endless nothing. What bark the oaks had left were seeping with dark ooze that dripped into the brown grass below.
There was absolutely no energy crackling through the air.
Marigold had been surrounded by some sort of power her entire life and now that there was nothing, she felt cold inside. Empty.
The air smelled of rot and decay and all around them were the remains of the animals Marigold had seen just seconds ago.
They were all curled up as if they'd seen death coming and had decided to take a nap. It was peaceful, almost, and it made Marigold's blood freeze in her veins.
Then she realized that the heartbeat she's felt against her feet had stopped.
"It's dead," she whispered, her voice hitching.
"This is what lies beyond the forest you know," Silas said, a deep sadness in his words. "The darkness is closing in around us as we speak. You and your sisters attempted to heal it, but it wasn't enough. Gwydyr is still sick. Still dying."
"What do we do?"
"There are guardians that have lain dormant in Gwydyr for centuries," Silas explained. "Some say they're gods. Others say they're spirits."
"Why hasn't anyone woken them up?" Marigold asked.
"Because whoever awakens the sleepers becomes one of them," Silas said. "They become a living part of Gwydyr--not dead, but not human. It's as much of a punishment as death, but perhaps not as terrible, depending on your perspective."
Marigold tried to swallow, though her throat felt like sandpaper. "Someone needs to awaken them."
"Too bad the forest's king is too weak to do it," Silas spat.
"Wyatt's supposed to awaken them?"
Silas nodded, his glare settling past the dark treeline. "He is. But the risk is too high. Wyatt has too much to lose. And he doesn't care enough about the forest like we do."
We. The word sent a chill down Marigold's spine.
She asked in a small voice, "Could it save him?"
Silas contemplated it. "It could. But..."
"But what?"
"It was Wyatt's family who destroyed Gwydyr."
Marigold went to gasp, but all of the air had been sucked out of her chest. "What?"
Silas told her about how Gwydyr had been burned after the Best's reign and how Wyatt had to pay for his family's actions.
Afterward, Marigold said nothing as she processed this new piece of information. Everything made so much sense now.
"Does he die because he awakens the sleepers or because he doesn't?" she asked.
To that, Silas shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know."
As the puzzle pieces began to fit together, an idea came to her. It was vague at first, but the more she thought about it, the more resolve settled in her chest.
She'd lost her taste for everything else in her life besides Gwydyr.
Her future was dim, it seemed. It was far away and pointless compared to the forest. School, for the first time, was a chore and she found herself wishing that the cars would just fix themselves for once.
She thought of Wyatt, who would never belong to her, but belonged to her dearest sister. Wyatt, who dreamed of being a farmer. Wyatt, who wore sweater vests and made bad attempts at humor. Wyatt, who didn't know who he was or who he would become.
Wyatt, who was a king and who didn't deserve to die because of what his family had done.
Marigold didn't know how long she stood frozen, staring at the blackness that unfolded before her.
"I'll do it," Marigold said, half-surprised to find Silas still there with her.
He looked at her, shocked. "You will awaken the sleepers?"
"Gwydyr owes me," Marigold said. "We summoned it and we awakened it. I'll make a bargain with Gwydyr that if I awaken the sleepers, Wyatt's debts will be paid."
"You'll take his punishment?' Silas asked. It was the first time Marigold had ever seen true emotion on Silas's face. It was an expression of genuine confusion and wonder.
Marigold lifted her chin. "Yes."
"Do you realize what it means?" Silas clarified. "It means you'll become a spirit of Gwydyr, sworn to protect it for...forever."
Marigold weighed her options. "Will my family be able to visit me?"
"Well...yes. Your sisters will be able to. But your parents..."
"That's my one condition," Marigold said. "My parents must have access to Gwydyr."
Silas blinked and shook his head, his confusion turning into shock. "You can't make demands of Gwydyr."
"Gwydyr is dying," Marigold retorted. "And it's dying without hope. I'm the only hope it has and if it doesn't want me, then so be it."
Silas sat back on his heels.
And then he kissed Marigold.
In any other situation, she would've been caught off guard or maybe even pushed him away. But here, standing at the end of the world, she kissed him back.
There was only one thing that knitted their hearts together. It wasn't love or desire or even fear. It was Gwydyr.
Silas had never met anyone other than himself who was loyal to it. And for Marigold, she knew she'd never meet anyone else who would understand her decision.
The kiss, they realized, was a pact. A promise to protect the one place they loved.
When Marigold pulled away and opened her eyes, she was back inside the cathedral.
She turned towards the sleepers.
~~~~
Hi guys!! Things are getting complicated <.< I'll be posting an extra chapter on Wednesday so hopefully the wait won't be too painful, lol!
~What do you think of Marigold's decision?
~Do you think Silas is up to something or is he innocent?
~General thoughts?
Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to comment, vote, and share!