For now I am. Nathaneal, promise me you will NOT enter this tunnel.
The only promise I’m willing to make, my love, is that tonight you will sleep safely in my arms.
I want that so much, Nathaneal. I even dreamed of you three nights back. You were drowning in an ocean and you told me that I’d forgotten you.
Ebony, I don’t know how it happened, but it was not a dream. You saved my life that night.
Really?
You told me to be strong, and now I’m telling you the same thing. Be strong, my love, it will all be over soon. Where I have failed you in the past, know that this is one promise I will not break.
Nathaneal, you have never failed me. It is I who let you down. I let Jordan get captured and now I don’t know where he is.
We will go and look for him as soon as this is over.
She remains silent for a beat and my heart burns for her. Finally she links, Nathaneal, I need you to stay alive. Just to know that you’re breathing gives me strength. Nothing else matters.
What are you saying?
If you love me, and I know you do, you m-must leave.
Ebony, don’t ask me to abandon you. It would be easier to hurl myself into space.
Don’t say that! I know this is hard. It’s hard for me too. I’ll never see Mum and Dad again! But you and I, we have no choice. You cannot die, because if you do then there is no hope for the future of this world.
Without you, I don’t have a future. And about your –
Nathaneal, listen to me. If you can’t do this for my sake, or for your own, then you must do it for Avena, and the world where you will be king one day.
Ebbie, no, please . . .
How can I live with him if you don’t exist? I would have no reason to believe that one day – somehow – I’ll escape and see you again. And, Nathaneal, I want you to . . . go on and live the life you’re meant to. Even if that means finding –
Don’t say it.
. . . someone else to share your life. A king needs heirs.
Ebony, let me give you something to think about that might change your mind.
She remains silent.
I have your parents.
There is a pause before she links again, and her thoughts are splintered and thick with emotion. I didn’t know . . . I’d heard things. I . . . I imagined terrible things. Oh, Nathaneal, are they all right?
They’ve been through more than any mortal being could normally bear.
She gasps.
But I’m confident that once they see you they will recover with astounding speed. Ebony, your parents need you now more than ever before.
I don’t know how you did it, or why you would risk so much for me. I’ve heard terrible stories about the prison they were in, but . . . but you made it happen and I’ll never be able to thank you enough.
Ebony, you must know by now that I would do anything for you, face any threat that keeps us apart.
I know that.
Now I need you to listen to me. When you see us, as soon as it’s safe, run to Isaac. He will be watching for you, and will take you home with your parents –
I’ll be with Mum and Dad again?
That’s right, Ebony, with your mum and dad.
But . . . you can’t ignore this threat. It’s real.
I’ve had worse in my past and will face worse in my future.
Nathaneal, I want to go home with Mum and Dad, but I want to be with you too. Prince Luca has almost completely recovered, especially his mind.
Thank you for the warning, my love.
Nathaneal, take me seriously, do NOT enter this tunnel until he has left. I’m telling him you’re not coming. Wait, he’s . . .
Ebony, what’s happening?
I have to go. I won’t be able to link when he’s right next to me in case he hears us, but, Nathaneal, whatever happens today, promise me you will go on –
Ebony, wait.
Nathaneal, I love you.
Ebony. Ebony?
Too stunned to move, it takes Michael, pointing at the gates. They’re all open.
All twelve?
He frowns. He could fit a thousand soldiers in that entrance.
Why would he open all twelve gates if not to fit a thousand soldiers?
I gather my team together to brief them. Not long after, horns start blowing their warning of war across the city, alerting the populace of an imminent battle.
I crouch near the edge to survey our surroundings one last time. While peering into the fog, I catch a flash of silver, a reflection of something glistening. I spot another, and then another. And now that I’ve noticed those I see hundreds of glittering reflections hidden beneath the fog.
Uriel. Our weapons. Now!
Michael takes his golden bow and swings it over his shoulder. What do you see?
Down there. Look. I take my sword from Uriel’s hand and slide it into its casing, then a dagger for my belt, and a knife for each boot. I indicate the fog below with a jerk of my head. It’s dissipating quickly now, unveiling more and more rows of perfectly aligned soldiers, their shields catching glimpses of sunlight.
What are they doing? Solomon asks.
Preparing for war.
In the split-second it takes to forge the mind-link, a stream of shadows pass over the top of us. ‘On your guard!’ I warn my team as a dozen soldiers touch down in a semi-circle round our camp and draw their swords.
43
Ebony
The Dark Prince takes my hand and drags me to the edge of the balcony. Keeping close beside me, he shows me his city spread wide and far below, pointing out landmarks such as his palace and where the beasts come at dusk for feeding. But since fog blankets the city I can hardly make anything out.
Normally, I’m not afraid of heights. I don’t have a problem with standing at the edge of a cliff and looking down. It doesn’t make me dizzy, or nauseous, like it does Amber. Height to me is like speed. It makes my heart surge with a faster beat, reminds me that I’m alive.
But this is different. It’s like standing in the open doorway of an aeroplane at three thousand metres.
A flock of six large birds sweep into view as they fly over the top of a mountain then disappear into dark clouds. At first glance they appear a dull grey colour, but when they emerge a few moments later I see striking crest feathers of red and gold, with flecks of fluorescent lime on the undersides of their wings. I wonder if this is a symbolic trait of this world – a dark, dull exterior, but on further inspection surprising colour emerges from within.
Somehow, I don’t think so.
The birds have slender bodies with long beaks and elong-ated necks. I can’t stop looking at them. There’s nothing like this on Earth, except in prehistoric imagery. As they sail toward us their considerable size becomes more apparent. They’re starting to resemble small aircraft!
The flock banks left suddenly, and as they sweep in close they flap their mighty wings and blow a gale. Instinct has me move back from the edge. Prince Luca wraps an arm round me, and the next thing I know he has me locked in a tight grip where I can’t move either of my arms. From the outside I must look like a damsel in distress.
I can’t let Nathaneal see me like this!
I’m certain now Prince Luca has me standing here as bait to lure Nathaneal out of his hiding place. Zavier warned me. The Dark Prince plans to destroy the angel I love. And now I understand this fog is hiding something – something big.
‘I don’t know about you, Luca, but I can’t see anything through this fog. What do you say you blow it away and give me a better view of your city?’
He ignores me, but I know he’s listening since his entire body tenses each time I speak.
Minutes pass and he grows irritated, but not because he’s weak or tired. He’s itching for a fight. Except, without Zavier around to help, he has the annoying task of having to keep an eye on me.
‘What are you waiting for?’
He brings his face down to
the side of mine and sniffs the hair around my ear. ‘Is patience not one of your virtues, Princess?’ He seems to consider his own question. ‘I like that. You will fit well in my palace.’
‘How? Like a rug?’
He laughs, and his hot breath on my cheek burns and makes me shudder.
‘You’re cold. I’ll send for a coat immediately. It will be waiting when we land.’ Strangely, he sounds as if he cares.
‘You haven’t answered my question.’
‘If I’d known you were in such a hurry,’ he says, ‘I would have taken a short cut to the palace.’
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but if I’m going to pull it off I have to at least sound as if I mean it. ‘Luca . . . er, is it all right if I call you that?’ His eyebrows shoot up but he eventually nods. ‘Well, um, I was thinking, why don’t we leave now? You could release your soldiers. They’re keen to go home anyway. And with Zavier barred . . . well, it would leave just the two of us.’
He examines my face for the longest time. I meet his gaze without flinching, and for a heartbeat I think he’s going to accept my offer. ‘Tempting. But there is a small matter I must attend to first.’
‘By “small matter” you mean Nathaneal.’
‘It will be worth the wait, I promise you.’
‘Promises are just words.’
‘I assure you, I keep mine.’
He must be referring to his promise of revenge. ‘If you’re waiting for Nathaneal, you’ll be waiting a long time because he’s not coming.’
His fingers dig deep into my arm, cutting off my circulation.
I glare up at him. ‘Do you mind?’
He doesn’t loosen his grip, but shakes me. ‘Explain yourself.’
‘It’s not rocket science. I warned him with a mind-link.’
He shoves me away, barking orders I can’t understand, and my left foot rolls clear off the edge. Swaying like a gymnast about to topple off a balance beam, I suppress a scream in case it alerts Nathaneal to act irrationally, which is probably Prince Luca’s Plan B.
Fortunately Sarakiel is watching. He opens his wings and dives over the edge as I begin to drop. He catches me and sets me back down a safe distance from the edge.
When I turn to thank him, I notice how he’s breathing deeply and leering at me with a look bordering on predatory.
I flick a quick glance at the prince. ‘Thank you, Sarakiel, but you should now return to your unit. If you keep leering at me your king will notice and your life will not be worth living.’
But the foolish boy takes no notice. ‘My lady, may I speak?’
‘OK, but be quick. I don’t want your king to get the wrong idea – you know what I mean?’
‘Of course. I just want to . . . offer, I suppose you’d call it.’
I glance briefly over my shoulder. Though he appears not to be watching, I’m pretty sure he’s listening to every word. ‘Go on, Sarakiel.’
‘My friends call me Sarak.’
‘Then I’ll call you Sarak too. Now if that’s all –’
‘Now that we’re friends, if you ever need anything, you can come to me. I live at the barracks. Everyone knows me.’
I can’t help but smile at that. ‘I’m sure they do. Thank you for your kind offer. Now you must return to the others.’
His heart rate suddenly rockets. ‘My lady, may I kiss your hand?’
‘No. Sarak, you’re almost home.’ I flick another glance at Prince Luca, temporarily occupied with one of his Gatekeepers, scouring the cliffs that surround us on three sides with binoculars. ‘Surely, you have a sweetheart waiting for your return?’
‘No, my lady, there is no sweetheart.’
As I bring my eyes back to the soldier, he’s already moving towards me. ‘Sarak, whatever you are thinking of doing, don’t.’
My words have no effect. In an instant Sarak is lifting my hand to his mouth. His lips touch my knuckles and he peers at me with sparkling baby-blue eyes.
Moving faster than light, Luca appears between us. He grabs Sarakiel by the back of his helmet, ripping it off his head. Masses of black curls tumble over the angel’s face, making him look even younger. He peers at me through his hair without an inkling of regret in his eyes, and my heart twists for him.
To my disbelief, Prince Luca kicks Sarakiel’s legs out from under him, takes the young angel’s head and slams it into the bridge repeatedly until a loud crack rings out. I scream, recoiling at the sound, and look around for help. But no one is even willing to meet my gaze.
It’s more than enough punishment, but apparently Prince Luca isn’t finished yet. His eyes dark and gleaming, he kicks Sarakiel’s chest. I can’t stand it and run over, crying out, ‘Luca, stop! That soldier saved my life!’
He points at me. ‘Do not interfere with how I discipline my Prodigies.’
‘He only kissed my hand.’
‘Maybe where you come from that’s acceptable behaviour, but it isn’t here. No one touches my queen without my permission, and they need to know what happens if they do.’
‘So you’re making an example out of Sarakiel.’
‘Call it what you want.’ He sears me with a warning look to shut up, then stands over Sarakiel’s unconscious body. Slowly, he turns and stares at each of his Prodigies with eyes shimmering black and chillingly evil. ‘No one touches the future Queen of Skade.’ He points at me again. ‘It means instant annihilation. Do you all understand?’
Lowering his gaze to Sarakiel, Luca heaves a heavy sigh and utters a string of swear words in the Skade language that I have, for better or worse, begun to understand.
Shaking from head to toe, I fold my arms round my waist and watch as Luca collects Sarakiel’s body from the floor and, carrying him like a child, runs down the bridge to where the blue light beams up into the Crossing’s atmosphere.
Shocked and horrified and disgusted, I race after him, arriving in time to see him cast the young soldier high into the Crossing’s atmosphere. Sarakiel’s body gains momentum the further he soars.
Horribly riveted, I watch Sarakiel’s body burst into flames and hurtle higher and higher.
If it were night, he would resemble a shooting star.
The remaining Prodigies and Gatekeepers have also come to watch. With their eyes open wide, they share micro-glances, which turn into horrified gasps when their comrade slams into something. The sound is thunderous, like a jet breaking the sound barrier. The impact causes an explosion of cascading fireworks high in the sky.
I gradually become aware of something else happening. I hear a sharp piercing sound from way off, while all around me, soldiers are running in different directions.
Suddenly, Luca throws himself on top of me. His hard torso slams my back into the bridge a moment before the shockwave pounds into us.
When it finally passes, Luca lifts his head and stares at my face with angry black eyes. ‘What were you thinking?’
‘Excuse me?’
The longer he stares, little by little, his harsh look softens. ‘You could have been hurt. Whatever comes from space can kill you. Don’t ever forget that.’
‘I didn’t know.’
‘Didn’t you see everyone running?’
Now I’m getting angry. ‘I didn’t know! Why didn’t you tell me before you threw that poor boy into space!’
‘I had no choice.’
‘You couldn’t just put him in jail?’
He sniggers and I shout at him, ‘You’re laughing?’
‘Princess, you haven’t seen the jails here yet. They’re not for soldiers.’
‘What you did to that boy –’
‘I know. But you gave Sarakiel three chances. That’s two more than I would have. By then, I had to set an example.’
‘You can’t rationalise what you just did and call it reasonable punishment.’ I suddenly don’t know where to look and shift my eyes to a spot above his shoulder. Hooking my chin with gentle fingers, he turns my face back, tracing the outl
ine of my lips with his thumbnail. A shudder goes through me.
‘Are you cold, my lady, or is it fear making you tremble every time I touch you?’
‘I’m not scared of you; it’s . . . it’s . . . the shockwave.’ Lying apparently comes easier the closer one is to Skade.
‘Princess, you are either courageous or stupid. Either way, I will have to rectify that annoying attitude. You will behave in the way I consider appropriate for a queen.’ Inhaling deeply from my hair, he offers his hand.
‘No thanks,’ I mutter. ‘Your touch revolts me.’
‘Be careful, Ebony. You wouldn’t want me to hurl your rescue party into space just because you sparked my temper, would you?’
‘I told you, Nathaneal is not coming.’
‘All seven of them are presently preparing themselves for the fight of their lives, which, by the way, they will lose.’
‘Go to hell!’
His laugh is scathing. ‘I can’t wait. I just have that small matter to attend to before we leave.’
‘We?’
‘Don’t tell me you’re still holding out hope for your dashing young prince to rescue you? I thought you said he wasn’t coming.’
‘He’s not!’
‘In that case, where did you think you were going?’
Honestly? I was trying not to think about what happens next. ‘I thought you couldn’t take me anywhere against my will.’
He smiles with a closed mouth. ‘You were given a choice and you said “Yes”.’
‘No way. You’re lying.’
He dramatises a sigh, as if this is something I’m forcing him to do. Then his mouth moves and my voice flows out from his lips, “Yes, sir. No one is coercing me, sir”.’
‘I was tricked!’
‘Really?’ he says. ‘What part was trickery?’
‘All of it! I would never have agreed to this and you know it.’
He shrugs and throws his hand out again. ‘It’s not debatable. Take it!’
He closes his hot fingers round mine and spins me so that my back is flush against his chest, so close that not even a hair follicle would fit between us.
His fascination with the scent of my hair has him leaning down to breathe it in again. ‘Intoxicating,’ he murmurs. ‘Do you always smell this enticing, Ebony?’