The lovebirds swing into view as they lead the horses into the stables, and I fight the urge to run and warn them. Michael’s withering look lets me know there would be no point.
‘He knows already?’
Michael’s nod is slight, just a fraction slower than a human blink.
‘This is not right, Michael.’
‘It’s protocol.’
‘You wouldn’t be here with them,’ I jerk my thumb at the giant soldiers, ‘if it was only protocol. You’re treating Thane the same as you would a dangerous criminal.’ When he doesn’t say anything, not only is my guess confirmed, but I get the whole picture. ‘You’re arresting him?’
‘Jordan, you have a choice. You can make this more difficult than it is already, or you can help.’
‘You think I’m being difficult? Wait until Ebony gets a whiff of this. Does she know yet?’
‘As her friend, and because I know you care for her, I was hoping you would help her through this.’
‘Do you think I’m OK with you arresting Thane?’
He doesn’t reply, but looks at me with gold eyes that know more than they’re saying. No. I shrink back and start pacing the pebbled driveway. He can’t know about the message Skinner brought me from Prince Luca. No way. He can’t.
Man, arresting Thane sucks.
I thought it was bad enough that I had to die to save my mother’s soul, but Prince Luca’s twist on our deal releases me from death as long as I break up Thane and Ebony before she turns eighteen.
Maybe this is not so bad after all. Maybe Michael and his soldiers are doing me a favour.
4
Ebony
My heart is beating too fast. It slows down for a few seconds before galloping off again as Nathaneal’s words go round and round inside my head. Michael is here to arrest me.
We ride the horses back to the stables where Nathaneal insists on cooling them down. He puts his hand over mine to help me hold the brush when he sees how badly my hand is shaking. ‘Everything is going to be all right, I promise you.’
We’ve already discussed how there’s nothing we can do to stop this, how he has no choice but to go with Michael and answer the charges being made against him.
And now everything is moving too fast.
We walk outside to find Jordan racing across the yard towards us. Breathless and panting, he says, ‘Michael’s come to arrest you. I can’t believe they’re doing this.’
Nathaneal embraces Jordan, rubbing his shoulders with open palms and injecting calm pulses into him. ‘You have to be strong now, Jordan. I’m counting on you.’
‘What’s going to happen to you? Those dudes with Michael are massive. Will they hurt you?’
Nathaneal gives him that look, the one that reminds us both of the power we know he has in his hands. It almost makes us laugh. But that’s the point, I suppose.
Jordan has the same thought. ‘Is that it? Are they here because you used your secret power to save Ebony?’
I inhale a deep breath, determined to stay strong. And then I see the soldiers. They bring me to a complete stop. I cover my mouth with my hand before anyone notices my shocked gasp. ‘They make Michael look small.’
‘Don’t be alarmed by their size,’ Nathaneal says, sliding his arm round my waist. ‘They’re an angelic order called the Thrones. One of the largest and strongest of the nine orders, they’re trained to be soldiers from infancy. They have amazing stealth and are light on their feet. Try thinking of them simply as soldiers doing their job.’
‘Nathaneal, is there something you’re not telling me?’
He sighs. ‘I had hoped, being away, the courts would hold off until we could return to Avena together.’
Except I didn’t return and you wouldn’t leave without me.
I glance up into his face. ‘Are you saying you knew this could happen, and you didn’t tell me?’ This is hard to take. ‘What else are you keeping from me?’
He turns to me and cups my face with both his hands, tilting my head up so he can look into my eyes. ‘There is nothing else. Sweetheart, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to pressure you into returning to Avena before you were ready. And I wanted to save you from worrying about a situation that might not have arisen. I should have known the courts would not wait. I wanted to believe they would so I didn’t have to return to Avena without you. It was foolish because I’ve made things worse. I’m sorry, Ebony.’
I lay my hands over his. ‘I can see how you were trying to protect me, but if I’m an angel . . . You need to trust me to handle stuff like this. And humans live with disappointment too. But when you do something like this it confuses me.’ Removing his hands, I take a step back. ‘I need to know you believe in me completely or how will I make the leap from thinking I’m a human to believing I’m an angel? I’m trying, Nathaneal, but secrets don’t help.’
He stares at me for a long moment before his face collapses under the heavy weight of remorse. ‘I’m so sorry, my love.’
I can’t stay mad at him when his heart is pouring out through those open and honest eyes, so I step back into his arms. A more comforting place to rest my head can’t possibly exist. He plants a tender kiss on my forehead, and I tell him, ‘I don’t want you to go. Amongst your own kind, you’ll forget me.’
His chest rumbles, but his laugh is more tragic than happy. ‘I will send you a message at my first opportunity and you will know when you receive it that to forget you is impossible.’ He lifts me off the ground so that we’re eye to eye. ‘I promise you, Ebony, my message will explain everything and dismiss all your doubts.’
‘OK. Nathaneal, it will mean so much to get that. I’m trying not to doubt anymore. I really am.’
‘I know,’ he says, lowering me to the ground but keeping me close.
We start walking towards Michael again when Jordan asks, ‘Do you know how long you’ll be gone?’
‘I’m not sure.’ He glances ahead. ‘Michael, do you know?’
Michael replies, ‘That depends on how many witnesses give testimony. The Courts are still summoning them.’
‘They’ll back you up, Nathaneal. I remember you asking all the angels there that night for their permission to use your special powers.’
‘And they will testify to that fact, Ebony,’ Michael says.
‘Except Jezelle,’ I murmur, trying not to stare at the Throne soldiers who look even bigger and scarier close up. ‘Michael, I remember Jezelle screaming that Nathaneal was making a mistake. Was it her? Is this why Nathaneal is in trouble?’
‘Michael told me it’s just protocol,’ Jordan says, giving me a sad smile.
The fleeting look exchanged between Michael and Nathaneal tells me there’s more going on here than just protocol, and my mind spins with possibilities – all of them bad.
‘It shouldn’t take more than a week,’ Nathaneal says. Looking down at me, he cups the back of my head and tucks me into his shoulder. ‘It will be all right, my love.’ He lifts his head to include Jordan. ‘But I’m not leaving you two without organising someone to come and stay. What about Solomon? He’s a good soldier; his size alone is a deterrent.’
‘He’s away tracking.’ Michael’s eyes flicker to me, which makes me think Solomon is with the team searching for my parents. He reads my question before I ask it. ‘I’m sorry, Ebony. There’s been no word on your parents yet.’
‘Jerome, then,’ says Nathaneal, volunteering one of his brothers.
‘He is also occupied elsewhere.’
‘Doing what? What could be more important than protecting Ebony and Jordan?’
Michael stares at us for ages, switching from me to Jordan and back again. I feel my face grow warm under his inspection. ‘Nothing,’ he says. ‘Nothing is more important, Nathaneal. It’s just that your problems are not the only ones we’re presently dealing with.’
Nathaneal lifts his eyebrows and Michael explains, ‘Sixteen young Cherubim disappeared from a campout in the Drifting Fjor
ds highlands. They haven’t been seen for twelve days. It is now snowing. While on Earth, a landslide in Argentina has left thousands homeless with unknown numbers trapped beneath mud and concrete. Tectonic plates beneath a major New Zealand city are about to collide with possibly devastating effects. Humans are clinging to trees while floodwaters of the Yangtze River wash away homes in flood-stricken villages in China. A meteorite is heading for a major Northern European city – Dominions are working a plan to alter its course to uninhabited frozen wastelands. Shall I continue?’
Nathaneal throws a hand up. ‘No, I understand. But you appreciate that for me to leave willingly I need assurance that someone will be with Ebony and Jordan before night falls.’
Michael glances at the soldiers behind him. ‘Be careful, cousin, before you make that your final ultimatum.’
‘What choice do I have, Michael?’
I interrupt gently, ‘You know, we don’t need babysitting. Really.’
Jordan looks surprised at first, but quickly backs me up. ‘Yeah, man, Ebony’s right.’ He points at the big glass house. ‘You built it to protect her. You said yourself that nothing can penetrate those walls. They withstood your power. And since you thrashed the Dark Prince now is a relatively peaceful time.’
‘Nathaneal, we’ll do whatever we need to stay safe.’
He relents with a short, sharp nod. Above my head he whispers, ‘Still, I will find someone as soon as I can. It may take me a day or two.’ He peers down at me. ‘Try not to be too hard on them when they turn up at your door.’
I try to smile but fail. ‘Why do you look so worried, Nathaneal?’
‘I don’t like leaving you without protection.’
‘But those injuries you gave Prince Luca will make sure he’s no threat for some time yet. What’s the worst that can happen?’
Nathaneal sighs. ‘Don’t go there, Ebbie,’ he pleads.
Keeping one arm round my shoulder, he puts his other round Jordan’s. ‘I’ll say goodbye in private,’ he tells Michael, and lifts us into the air.
But as soon as our feet leave the ground the big soldiers surround us. They hover a metre in the air, only their silent wings beating while pointing long spear-like weapons down at us. A light click and razor-sharp blades open out at the tip, forming lethal spinning discs.
‘Oh, shit!’ Jordan breaks out in a sweat.
Not being able to see their faces through their armour is incredibly intimidating, but their wings are something else. Nothing like Nathaneal’s soft feathers, they have a sharp metallic appearance and gleam with the sleekness of blue steel.
But Nathaneal’s reflexes are just as impressive. He sets us down and spins round, releasing all four of his wings to form a protective cage round us.
The soldiers blink. This must be the first time they’re seeing Nathaneal’s gold wings. Multiple wings identify a future king. It confuses them and gives Nathaneal the moment he needs to draw on his powers. Around us the air suddenly explodes into zillions of microscopic ice-blue bubbles that gravitate together to form a shimmering shield. I imagine how intimidating he looks with his eyes shiny black, daring them to try something.
Michael lifts both hands in the air, ‘Hold, all of you!’ He tilts his head at Nathaneal. ‘This is unnecessary. No one is going to hurt any of you. The Thrones have their orders, and one of those is to obey my commands. You just surprised them. They’re trained to react.’
‘I’m not used to having to ask permission to move.’
Michael says, ‘These are not normal circumstances.’
Nathaneal says through clenched teeth, ‘Two minutes, Michael, that’s all I ask.’
One Throne, whose spinning blades are almost touching the shimmering light of Nathaneal’s shield, says in a deep voice, ‘But, my lord, he may run, and it is said he moves faster than the speed of light.’
Another deep-voiced soldier, a female, says, ‘My lord, it is also said that Prince Nathaneal is equally at home on Earth as Avena. He would have access to any number of escape routes and safe houses.’
Nathaneal grizzles. ‘Look into my mind, Michael. I will not shield anything.’
‘That’s not necessary,’ Michael says. ‘Thrones, stand down. Prince Nathaneal will not be running faster than light today, or accessing any escape routes he may know of.’
Without waiting, Nathaneal dissolves the protective shield and carries us to the stables. Here, just outside the exercise yard, he turns us both to face him, lifts my right palm, and kisses it lightly. Butterflies flutter inside my stomach, and I feel myself on the verge of unravelling. My bottom lip begins to tremble, but I fight the tears and pull myself up as straight as I can. I need to tell Nathaneal what I feel for him, but he puts a finger to my lips and whispers, ‘I know, my love. And I know why you feel the way you do, and why I feel exactly the same about you. But the explanation is long. It will be in my message. And then you will understand everything.’
Closing his eyes for a moment, he moans – a haunting, beautiful sound from deep inside his throat. Across both my arms, goose pimples break the surface, and my heart responds with a yearning flutter.
He then clasps my hand and Jordan’s together. ‘Jordan,’ he says, ‘for the duration of my absence, or until Ebony comes into her powers, I entrust her welfare to you. Be her second set of eyes. Keep her safe. Lock all doors. And obey this one rule – be indoors by nightfall. It’s very important. Nothing can get to you once you’re inside the house. Dark angels and demons are so used to living in a dark world they can’t tolerate the Earth’s sun, so by day you should be safe to go about your everyday lives.’
‘So we should still attend school?’ Jordan checks.
Nathaneal hesitates a moment but nods. ‘If you don’t, the authorities will come looking for you. Just watch for anything suspicious. At the first sign of trouble get in the car and return home. I have protected the car like the house, although it’s not as safe. Maintain a low profile in my absence. Make no unnecessary journeys. Take no detours. And always be home by sunset. Do you understand?’
‘We get it, Thane. Don’t worry. We can handle this. You just stay safe, OK?’
He ruffles Jordan’s hair. ‘OK.’ He frowns. ‘Something is troubling you. Your thoughts are scattered.’
Jordan says, ‘Relax, I’m not about to slug you again.’
Nathaneal ignores his attempt at humour. ‘What is it? Has something happened?’
Michael’s voice rings through the air. ‘We must leave now.’
Nathaneal doesn’t take his eyes off Jordan. ‘Talk to me. Tell me what’s troubling you. Are you trying to block me?’
Jordan runs a hand through his hair. ‘Is it working?’
‘Well . . . yes.’
Jordan’s eyes dart to Michael and back. ‘There’s nothing that can’t wait until you return.’
‘Are you sure?’
Jordan nods. ‘Yep.’
The Thrones escort us to where Michael stands waiting beside the open Porsche door. As Nathaneal moves towards Michael, I grab his hand. ‘Take me with you. I’ll go to Avena now. I want to testify,’ I plead. ‘I’m the reason you’re in this mess. Let the court see and hear me. I can help them understand why you used your powers. And –’ I glance at the Throne soldiers – ‘there are enough of you here to protect me in the Crossing, right?’
But he shakes his head. ‘Your wings have not reappeared yet and, besides your inability to fly, there is another reason you can’t come to Avena at this time.’ Peering down into my eyes Nathaneal says softly, ‘Beloved, your heart is not in this.’
He sighs, and closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them he says sadly, ‘Ebony, it’s too risky. The Crossing can be a treacherous place.’
‘If you don’t let me come with you, I’ll follow you. I mean it!’
I realise I really do mean it and feel lighter suddenly.
‘I have Free Will, remember? It’s the law angels live by, right?’
‘You
would follow?’
‘I would!’
‘But it’s a perilous journey without your wings,’ he explains, ‘and the Thrones will be watching my every movement, not yours. They wouldn’t pay attention to your safety. Sweetheart, you don’t know how I have longed to hear you say that you’ll come to Avena, but . . . I’m afraid you will regret it.’
‘No, I wouldn’t,’ I cry out, panic rising into my throat.
‘Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or until the hearing is over, but one day you will wake up and realise you didn’t say goodbye to Amber, or your beloved Shadow. And when you return . . .’
As he peers down at me with tortured eyes, from the corner of mine I notice Jordan’s mouth break into a smile. I turn to look at him, but he’s rubbing his chin and I can’t be sure of what I glimpsed.
‘It’s for the best, Ebony,’ Jordan says. ‘Thane will need to concentrate on his defence. You don’t want him to have to worry about you more than his own problems, do you?’
Michael takes Nathaneal’s arm and says, ‘We have to go now.’ He then tries to peel my fingers from Nathaneal’s hand, but I’m not ready.
Two Thrones step up on either side of me. ‘Might we assist, Commander?’
Nathaneal glares at them and something in his eyes causes them to step back. He lays his other hand over the top of mine. ‘It’s all right. You can let me go.’
Moisture hits my eyes again and my lips quiver, but I’m determined not to fall apart. Nathaneal cups my face. His hand is trembling and I catch my breath. I watch with my heart beating fast as a tear trickles down his face. And though he doesn’t say another word, the look he shares with me is so intense it’s as if he’s lifting me out of here and taking me to another world where it’s just the two of us.
I don’t know how long we stay in our own little paradise, seemingly stretching the fabric of time around us, but ultimately two Thrones move in and split us apart, giving me the sense that I’m falling from a high perch.
I blink to reorientate myself, and see the Thrones walking Nathaneal to the Porsche.
Michael motions to Jordan and when Jordan’s arms fold round me, Michael leans down and whispers, ‘Take care, little one. I promise to bring him back to you.’