‘There’s a chapel, safe within the barrier walls, where I’ll be able to perform a ritual that will protect her mind from the Dark Prince. He mustn’t be allowed to have free rein over her thoughts as he did with yours last night when he came into your dream.’
‘What makes you think he’s going to try that on Ebony tonight?’
‘Jordan, the Dark Prince is here on Earth. His physical presence is the reason the birds are fleeing.’
The Crossing in Alaska!
He nods and tosses me his mobile phone. ‘Call Ebony and tell her we’ll pick her up in twenty minutes.’
‘What if she doesn’t want to come?’
‘Tell her to look outside – but not to go outside, and to lock all windows and doors.’
Mr Lang answers the phone, and when I ask to speak with Ebony there’s a distinct hesitation. ‘It’s important, Mr Lang. Really important.’
He asks me to wait. Meanwhile, Thane is back, wearing his long black coat and carrying an overnight bag. He has my jacket in his free hand. He passes it to me and I slide it on as I follow him through the house to the garage.
I cover the mouthpiece as something occurs to me. ‘Are you sure we’ll be safe on the road with the Dark Prince heading over here?’
‘No, Jordan, we will not be safe. He knows I’m here. No doubt he has known from the moment Ebony’s body came into contact with mine. He’s coming for her and he won’t be alone.’
‘How long before he reaches the valley?’
‘I don’t know precisely, but soon, I think.’
‘This is shit! How are we going to stop him? What if he gets to Ebony’s place before we do?’
‘Stay calm, Jordan. From here in we need help.’ His eyes darken. ‘But leave that to me; I’ll organise it.’
Shivers barrel down my spine.
I wave the phone in the air to let him know she hasn’t picked up yet. ‘This prince doesn’t follow the rules, he told me that himself, so what’s to stop him taking Ebony tonight?’
At the garage door he stops and turns. ‘That would be us, Jordan – you and me. We’ll stop him.’
From somewhere distant I hear a female voice calling me. I quickly lift the phone to my ear. ‘Hello?’
‘You called me,’ Ebony says. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Hey, Ebony, um, you’re going to have to come with us tonight.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘To the Holy Cross Monastery.’
‘Whaaaat?’
I cover the mouthpiece. ‘She thinks you’re insane.’
About to get into the Lambo, he looks up at me with eyes that can’t believe she’s not complying without question.
‘She’s not cooperating. What do I do now?’
He holds his hand out for the phone just as the doorbell rings. Pointing to the phone, he says, ‘Tell her the Lang family will be safe tonight only if she is with us. ‘Then he runs to the front door in a swish of movement.
I tell her while racing after him. ‘We’ll pick you up in twenty minutes. OK?’
‘Has this got anything to do with the birds?’
‘You’ve seen them, huh?’
‘It’s a little hard not to. Half the sky is black with them, and it’s all over the news. Dawn is trying to call her church but can’t get through. She thinks it’s the end of the world.’
Thane is already at the front door when he hears Ebony talking about Amber’s mother’s concerns. He glances at me and shakes his head.
‘Ebony, Thane says it’s not the end of the world.’
‘Does he know something?’
‘Tell her I will explain everything once she’s inside the walls of the monastery and I have made her safe.’
‘Come on, Thane. She’s going to have to give the Langs something.’
With an exasperated glare at me he opens the door. On the front porch are five angels. I know they’re angels, not because I recognise Isaac among the three males, his long bright copper hair slicked back into a ponytail, and not because they’re all as tall and lean and ripped as Thane, including the two females. Not even because the five of them are glowing like blowtorches. But because when he sees them, Thane’s grave expression softens – with relief.
‘What took you so long?’ he says, stepping back to allow them in.
The first one resembles Thane so strongly he’s gotta be his brother. They embrace like brothers too. ‘You told us not to come under any circumstances unless you called. And you didn’t call until, well, we just heard you, but we were already on the way. The Brothers alerted us as soon as the birds hit the radars in the monastery watchtower.’ He motions to the two sports cars outside, a red Ferrari and silver Porsche. ‘Call it instinct, brother, but we anticipated you might need to move fast.’
‘You anticipated correctly.’
‘It’s good to see you, Thane. It’s been too long.’
Thane takes the phone from my hand while he leads the angels into the lounge room. Isaac comes straight over to me and shakes my hand. He winks and makes a clucking sound in his mouth. ‘Good to see you too, Jordan. You’re looking well.’ He points to the towering brunette beside him, her hair pulled up into a high ponytail which hangs so far down her back she could probably sit on it. ‘This is my wife, Shaephira.’
Ebony’s sister.
‘Call me Shae,’ she says, pinning me with eyes of deep, vivid sapphire.
Thane has his phone to his ear as he strides across the room. Meanwhile, Isaac introduces me to the other three. The light-haired one, Thane’s brother, is Gabriel. I wonder fleetingly if he cut his hair short to blend in too. He nods, ‘It’s in the job criteria.’ Shaking my hand, he says, ‘My little brother says you’re the one that found her.’
‘Ah, yeah, sort of. She kind of walked into me one night, sent me flying into a wall.’
‘That’s my sister,’ Shae says.
Isaac introduces Michael next. There’s something about this one that sets him apart. It might be the way he stands back from the rest, observing the scene rather than being in it, or his ancient-Greek look, with jutting brow, square chin and dimple. But I think it’s more his golden appearance. His skin is a warm honey colour, his blazing eyes caramel, and his shoulder-length ginger hair a mass of corkscrew curls.
‘Hello, Jordan,’ he says, with warmth I’m not expecting from someone who resembles a gold statue. ‘I’ve been hearing good things about you.’
I glance at Thane, still trying to convince Ebony. What has he been telling his friends about me?
‘He says you will become an angel one day?’
Posed as a question, they wait for my answer. ‘What? Thane said that?’
‘As if he could qualify,’ says the fifth angel, the female I haven’t met yet. She steps around Michael and … Whoa, what a crowd-stopper, with waves of shimmering black hair rolling down her long back, spectacular turquoise eyes and a sensational body. ‘He’s scrawny and short.’
The other angels glare at her as if they’re shocked but not really surprised. Shae looks disgusted. ‘He’s young, Jez, and human. They take longer to grow.’ Shae flicks her finger through the hair at the back of my head. ‘I see potential.’
‘Take a good look, Shae,’ the crowd-stopper says. ‘His physique is all wrong. He’ll never fill out. He’s weak.’
Her movements are as fluid as liquid metal. Mercury comes to mind, probably because it will kill you if you ingest enough of it. I try to pull my eyes away from her supermodel body, clad in a low-cut silver top with matching figure-hugging jacket and black pants that could pass as skin, though it’s an effort. She flicks her head, releasing an intoxicating scent that makes my head spin.
‘Roll it back, Jez,’ Shae says sternly. ‘We can see he’s no match for you.’
She would be no match for anyone except a mercury-inhaling sadist, I can’t help thinking.
Isaac, Gabriel and Michael burst out laughing. Shae smiles, while Jez glowers at me. They can all hear
my thoughts. I try to block them like Thane’s been teaching me, but these dudes are too good. My walls are like water to them; they pass right through.
Brilliant.
Isaac slaps his palm down on my shoulder. ‘Don’t underestimate this one, Jez. What he lacks in size he makes up for in courage.’
‘Courage or stupidity – there’s a fine line between them,’ she slings back with a stinging glare directed between my eyes like an arrow.
Thane returns, pocketing the phone, and glances at his friend, the majestic, golden Michael. On his way he passes the crowd-stopper, acknowledging her with a slight nod. ‘Good of you to come, Jez.’
Contrarily, she looks as if she could have him for dinner.
‘Uh-hum.’ Isaac clears his throat, reminding me to watch my thoughts. I promptly nod. I’m going to go nuts, but I promise to try.
‘How bad is it, Michael?’ Thane asks.
‘He entered through the northern Crossing at midnight Eastern Standard Time, heading due south. He crossed the equator at 1800 hours, bringing six Prodigies with him.’
‘Only six?’ I ask. Six sets of astonishingly intense eyes swing to me. ‘I mean, he has an army at his disposal, yet he only brings six soldiers?’
Thane says, ‘Earth belongs to humans. Imagine the chaos if he brought an entire battalion? He’s here tonight to collect one angel, not start a war of cosmic proportions.’
‘If he brought a battalion,’ Michael explains, ‘I would bring an army of equal strength. And between our two sides we would annihilate every living being in just a few days.’
‘Six Prodigies aren’t going to be a pushover,’ Shae explains for my benefit. ‘They’re fighting machines with no goal in life except to serve their king, and they never pull back.’
She brushes Thane’s forearm, wrapping her fingers around it. ‘Where is my sister? Do you have her in a secure place yet?’
He lays his palm over her hand and looks into her face. When neither speaks, I gather they’re mind-linking. Their private chat pisses Jez off big time; her turquoise irises begin to shrink into black.
Sensing someone watching her, or maybe hearing my thoughts, it takes only a momentary distraction to bring her powers back under control. Jez flashes me a fierce look that has shivers tripping down my spine.
Thankfully, Thane starts explaining how Ebrielle goes by Ebony here, which gets her attention. ‘She knows nothing about our world, can’t yet accept she’s one of us.’ He looks directly at Shae. ‘I’m asking you all not to speak to Ebony on any subject without running it past me first.’
He glances at me then. ‘Except for you, Jordan. You’re going to be Ebony’s source of information.’
I nod and he says, ‘We need to leave now. Any other questions will have to wait.’
‘How do you want to do this?’ Gabriel asks.
Thane draws a breath as he thinks. ‘Michael, you will come with me.’
This makes sense since he can call on his army for reinforcements in a hurry if needed.
‘Isaac and Shae, you take the lead car.’
Shae’s eyes narrow at Thane. She’s clearly upset at not being in the car with her sister. A silent communication passes between them before Thane says, ‘Trust me, Shae. Your emotions will overwhelm her. She’s not ready for you yet.’
Isaac takes his wife’s hand, leans in as if to whisper something, and though they exchange no words, she nods and sighs resignedly.
Gabriel glances at Jez, ‘Looks like we’re bringing up the rear, my lady.’
‘Story of my life,’ she mutters acidly. No one pays attention.
‘What about me, Thane?’ I ask.
Six sets of impressive eyes zoom in on me again; I feel like a fly in a room full of bees. ‘You will sit behind me,’ Thane says. ‘Your presence will keep Ebony calm.’
Four angels dart outside while I run through the house to the garage without a hope of keeping up with Michael and Thane. They’re in the car with the engine idling when I get there. On the road we hit a hundred in four seconds, the darkening landscape whipping past.
‘What did you tell Ebony?’ I ask Thane.
Concentrating on driving very fast, he says, ‘The truth.’
‘What truth would that be?’
He flicks me a look. I should give him the benefit. He doesn’t lie. ‘The one who arranged her kidnapping is coming with six highly trained soldiers to collect her. And if she doesn’t allow us to protect her, she will never see her friends or her beloved horse again, or find out what happened to her adoptive parents.’
‘Did she freak out?’
‘She warned me.’
Beside me, the golden angel laughs. ‘She warned you?’
‘She said there are three people ready to lay their lives down to stop me from taking her.’
Michael’s humour dies on his face. ‘They may just have to.’
Thane catches his eye in the mirror. ‘There’ll be no need for violence on the Lang property,’ he says. ‘They are honourable people. With no thought for themselves they came to Ebony’s aid, providing her with reassurance and a caring home.’
Without taking his eyes from watching the darkness, Michael comments, ‘The High King is just. They will be aptly rewarded when their time is upon them.’ His eyes flicker to Thane. ‘So how will we approach them?’
‘With as much truth as they can comprehend in the shortest time possible.’
‘While you negotiate, I’ll secure a perimeter,’ Michael advises.
My mouth goes dry suddenly. ‘Are you saying Prince Luca could be here already?’
‘He is here,’ Michael says, his eyes darting from one side of the car to the other. ‘Watching. Waiting.’
‘For what?’
‘An opportunity. For the instant we drop our guard.’
‘That’ll be me.’ My gut clenches. I’ve been stuffing up all my life. It’s like my legacy or something.
Thane finds my eyes in the mirror. ‘Stay calm, Jordan; just focus on your task.’
‘Keeping Ebony calm and feeding her information – I got it.’
‘You’ll be fine. It’s time to trust me, to really trust me.’
Our convoy must make quite a sight driving down Mountain Way, all three cars travelling close and at speeds far in excess of the speed limit.
Just as Ebony said, Amber and her parents are standing across their front door with Ebony nowhere in sight. When they see the angels take up positions around the house, keeping watch of the darkness, they exchange looks, their eyes wide with fear.
Thane is out in a flash, but he waits at my door so we can approach the Langs together.
My steps are slower than Thane would like, slower than I would like, but he doesn’t rush me; he’s in my head so he knows I’m freaking out.
‘Steady, Jordan.’ He stays close, his hand on my shoulder. He acknowledges someone behind us. I flick a look. It’s Michael, returning from setting up the perimeter already.
On the porch, Amber surveys me with a black scowl. One day I’ll ask what her problem is, but not when I’m petrified of Prince Luca and his six specially trained soldiers lurking in the dark somewhere, watching, waiting for that moment when one of us –
‘Jordan.’ Thane shakes his head.
OK, OK. Focus, Jordan, focus.
Thane introduces himself in his calm, soothing voice, explaining how he and his team are angels who have come to protect Ebony from a dangerous dark angel named Luca. ‘I need to take Ebony to the Monastery of the Holy Cross, where she’ll be safe while I perform an ancient ritual on her to protect her from the manipulations and influences of this evil dark prince.’
Amber’s parents both stare at him as if he’s a ghost.
‘I promise Ebony safe passage,’ he adds, ‘and will return her soon after dawn.’
Watching the angels running from post to post faster than humanly possible, the family can see that to call the police would be pointless. They’re not stupid, they’
re just stunned.
‘We always knew Ebony was special,’ Mr Lang says, and glancing at his wife, they nod at each other. ‘We won’t stop her.’
Thane nods deeply. ‘Thank you.’
In the distance a dog howls like a wolf, then makes a shrill whimpering sound as if begging for its life. It’s so eerie, shivers rip up my spine.
Michael takes off with the speed and silence of the supernatural. One blink and he’s gone.
Is it him? Is he that close?
Movement on the perimeter draws all our attention to where Jez and Michael come together whispering.
‘What is it?’ Mr Lang asks.
Thane tilts his head a moment, then his face drops. ‘I’m sorry,’ he says. ‘It seems one of your dogs inadvertently crossed his path.’
Mrs Lang and Amber gasp, while from the dark interior of their house Ebony’s husky voice rings out, ‘No, no, please don’t let the dogs get hurt.’
‘Are our animals in danger tonight?’ Mr Lang asks.
‘Prince Luca has one purpose tonight, to take Ebony away with him, but anyone who attempts to stop him will assuredly be slaughtered. Your horses are safe inside their stalls. Keep your barn locked and any other animals you may have secured within.’
I gulp deeply and notice Amber’s eyes bugging out like golf balls. They flicker into the darkness before settling on me. ‘Is Jordan safe?’
Everyone looks at me. ‘Not as long as he’s standing out here.’
Then Ebony’s voice calls out, ‘How do I know you people aren’t the ones killing the dog and scaring us half to death?’
Thane glances at me, and for the first time desperation appears in his eyes, so I step between Amber and her mum, find Ebony in the shadows and take her hands in mine. They’re ice cold. ‘Ebony, you need to come with us. We don’t have time to argue about this. I’ll be beside you all the way, I promise.’
She groans and Amber spins around and quickly jumps in. ‘Honey, you don’t have –’
I grab Amber’s arm before she can finish. ‘Yes, she does. And if you’re really her friend, you will support her leaving with us right now.’
Her eyes flit to Thane, to Michael, to the cars, to the darkness. She bites down on her lower lip, tugging it into her mouth, and finally nods. ‘OK, but she makes her own mind up.’