The Key

by Marianne Curley

  What are you talking about? Lydia demands to know, her head shifting from me to Neriah. I have followed the Master’s co-ordinates to the exact degree. Look below. There is the lake, and over there is the school.

  Neriah sends me a sharp look and takes over. But Lydia, the Master sent us because there was a late change in his plans. We have new co-ordinates that you must follow and direct your flock.

  Lydia goes silent. I sense her confusion. She was ready to argue with me, but Neriah’s voice sounds so convincing.

  Also sensing this doubt, Neriah keeps going. It’s not such a long way. In fact, it is only a short distance to the north and then west.

  But we came from the north! What are you talking about?

  Lydia’s not the only one who’s wondering what Neriah’s talking about. And then Neriah explains. The Master gained new information about a secret meeting of the Guard. It’s being held right now in the depths of Angel Falls forestland. He wants you to drop your loads right over the top of where the Guard’s elite soldiers are meeting at this very moment.

  I keep my thoughts quiet. Neriah is doing a fantastic job. She almost has Lydia eating out of her … claw.

  Below us the school becomes clearer. We will have to get the vultons to alter their course soon or it will be too late. Once they have the school and township beneath them, nothing much we say is likely to stop them from releasing the drugs.

  Lydia squawks. I think you must be mistaken.

  I’m not mistaken. Neriah flies out in front. Taking her cue I fly out beside her. It’s a risk, as we could end up isolating ourselves from the flock. They’re getting tired, and the idea of following two strangers on a new course, when their original co-ordinates are almost beneath them, could prove too much to ask.

  I think you lie, Lydia says, her head shifting left to right and back again. Down there is our destination. And to the pack she commands: Prepare to drop!

  It isyou that is mistaken! Neriah explains calmly, but with a firm tone. The Master speaks through me. To the forest! he commands. It is his chance to annihilate the Guard’s most powerful soldiers!

  Lydia is silent for a moment, her head tilting slightly as if she can’t believe what she’s hearing. How dare you claim the Master speaks through you! I am the Master’s favourite. I am the one he prefers! I demand that you identify yourself. Tell me who you are now!

  Neriah gracefully tilts her wings and circles around so that now she is flying backwards. She inches forward until she is beak-to-beak with Lydia. I will tell you who I am, and you will never question me again, for I am the Master’s daughter!

  Lydia is stunned into silence. Neriah’s statement rings with truth. It is the truth! And Lydia can see it in Neriah’s black eyes. The vulton finds herself at a loss as to what to say. To defy her Master would be unthinkable. And yet, here is Marduke’s daughter, the Master’s very own blood. To the forest, you say?

  Neriah sighs, relaxing slightly now that she has won. Follow me and I will show you the way.

  Neriah circles back around, and gracefully tilts her body in a northerly direction. I do the same, keeping slightly behind her. Thankfully Lydia follows, and her command is quickly passed on to the rest of the thousand or so vultons.

  We make the turn in a massive arc. The school remains in our sights the whole time. At last we start to cover fresh ground. The lake zooms into view, with the mountains making a spectacular backdrop. From this height it is an amazing sight. Neriah gently swings to the west and leads the flock towards the dense centre of the forest.

  As we pass, people look up and stare in wonder. Some cower at the sight of such a large and intimidating flock, but mostly they simply stare. Never have they seen so many birds in formation together.

  When the forest is at its thickest, Neriah searches the minds of all the animals below and tells them to leave quickly. Sharing a look with me first, she then tells Lydia we have reached our destination.

  When they release their loads, it is a strangely beautiful sight. The poison resembles dust, and then I remember that it is made from thousands of crushed flower petals. The grey, ash-like dust drifts downwards towards the treetops, disappearing as soon as it hits the moist green foliage.

  As the last of it lingers, caught in a breeze, some brushes against my claws. I flutter my feathers to rid myself of it quickly, but the feel of it against my leathery skin has a strange familiar feel. It nags at my consciousness. I’ve felt this touch before. Then I remember. It was in the palace courtyard in Athens. On the cage of the two golden birds! But what does this mean? Are the birds drugged?

  Lady Arabella said the dust swept in on the night wind. But who is sending it?

  I glance at Neriah, wondering if I should let her in on my suspicions. But she’s distracted by the vultons. Lydia, especially, has her attention. This particular vulton looks drained suddenly, and strangely lost.

  For a moment I feel as sorry for Lydia as Neriah does. On the bird’s return to the underworld she will have Marduke to face. All those years spent nurturing that garden for this very purpose. He will be outraged. But how do you punish a creature that is already dead? I’m sure Marduke will find a way.

  Neriah listens to my thoughts, and is upset by them. She knows that while the vultons planned to bring havoc and chaos to Angel Falls, they were simply creatures following instructions for someone they believed in, and for their cause.

  Lydia flies around in a circle, squawking and disoriented. She’s starting to panic. But a lot of time has passed since we left the others, and I have a growing sense something is terribly wrong.

  We can’t just leave them!

  Neriah’s right. We have to show them the way back from here. But the sense that my powers are needed grows stronger with every flap of my wings. Something is wrong in Veridian!

  I know. I feel it too. Matt, you have to go. The vultons trust me. I’ll lead them home and make sure they all get back through the rift.

  The last thing I want is to leave Neriah in the sky with a thousand lost birds that come from another world. What if they realise we fooled them? What if they turn on her?

  I’ll be fine, she implores. I’ll join you soon.

  With no other choice, I change into the form of a hawk, and head back to Veridian.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Rochelle

  The wren are everywhere. Up close they’re hideous, with round, red eyes that glow even in the dim light of the ancient city corridors. They resemble pigs, but have these funny, awkward-looking wings with human feet and longish human hands. It’s these hands that are their most useful feature. They have weapons – axes, chisels and hammers, but they’re using them to dismantle the walls. At first they don’t seem to be interested in us and let us pass. They’re too occupied with peeling away layers of ancient timbers, mud and bricks.

  A great open chasm spreads out before us and we stop. Below is a drop so deep and dark it’s impossible to estimate its depth. I’ve been here once before with Arkarian. The only way across is via an invisible bridge. It’s here somewhere. And if I remember correctly, it shoots directly from the brick path we’ve been following.

  Without giving too much attention to the butterflies in my stomach, I mentally double-check the width of the path, and step out on to the left side of the invisible bridge. My feet hit solid ground and I exhale a relieved sigh. Feeling more confident now, I run across to the other side.

  Ethan follows. Once on the other side he stares at me. ‘You didn’t even hesitate.’

  No need to tell him I was so nervous about that first step that my legs felt detached from my body.

  ‘The first time Isabel crossed it I had to build a bridge for her.’

  ‘This isn’t my first time,’ I explain. ‘And by the way, I’m not Isabel.’

  ‘No,’ he says, looking straight at me. ‘You certainly aren’t.’

  If only I could tell what he means by that! While staring back I try to read his thoughts. He blocks me perf
ectly. It’s a surprise, because he’s not usually that good. ‘Do you mind?’ he says with a smirk-like grin. ‘From now on I’d appreciate it if you could keep out of my head.’

  His playful tone makes me smile.

  ‘Wow,’ he mutters. ‘I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile.’

  Such simple words, but they knock the wind out of my sails.

  ‘You should do it more often,’ he adds.

  He takes off, leaving me standing and staring at his back, my thoughts in a complete whirl.

  ‘Come on!’ he calls.

  I start to take off when something heavy drops on me, knocking me to the floor. I twist beneath it, jerking my back to try and dislodge the weight. Wings flutter down around me, attempting to keep me trapped. ‘Ethan!’ I manage to call out, but he’s back already.

  He drags the wren off me by its wings, then kicks it in the stomach. The wren goes down over the side of the chasm, but another comes running and kind of flying over the invisible bridge.

  Ethan helps me up. ‘Quickly, let’s go!’

  We run down a narrow brick path, but the chasing wren catch up fast. I flick a glance over my shoulder and see many more.

  We take a wrong turn and end up in a dead-end passage. Five wren follow and I swear they look amused and even excited at the prospect of their potential kill. Drooling and grunting, they close in.

  Ethan defends with his fists and feet, punching and kicking. I take off my gloves, shoving them quickly into my pocket. Sparks fly around the room and for a moment it takes the wren by surprise. ‘Come on!’ I taunt the closest one. He leaps at me, knocking me over with his bulk. But his neck is in my clear view. I put my hands around it, and without even having to squeeze hard, the wren goes limp with a high-pitched wail.

  Within minutes all five wren are lying in a heap on top of each other, all with scalded and badly disfigured necks.

  I slip my gloves on before I forget and accidentally touch Ethan. Now that my hands have grown more powerful, they’re also more dangerous. I don’t want to think about them. ‘We should hurry.’

  We take off, quickly finding our way again. We get to a point where we have a clear view over the lower levels of the city. The sight below makes us stop. We both lean on an iron railing and stare. There are masses of wren, all busily peeling away the walls of the city. Machinery like that found in Arkarian’s chamber is exposed. Under the lights of the soldiers’ torches, it shimmers silver and bright copper-red. Some of this technology has already been dismantled and is being loaded into carts, ready to take away. There are soldiers supervising, all wearing black and suitably masked. I wonder who they are, and if I know any of them in my normal world.

  Ethan taps my shoulder. ‘We’re nearly at the maze. We’d better hurry. Those carts look ready to shift.’

  We take off and in a few minutes find ourselves outside the maze. After a couple of wrong turns we make it to the centre. And suddenly I’m standing before the Prophecy, written across several walls. My eyes drift to the area where the line is written that refers to me. I wonder if it has changed. Ethan notices where my eyes are searching.

  ‘Don’t,’ he says.

  He’s right. Do I really want to know? The only reason Arkarian showed me the Prophecy in the first place was because I insisted. I thought it would convince me that I really was Named, that it would alleviate my doubts.

  Ethan’s eyes bore into me. ‘Are you coming?’

  I nod and Ethan turns his attention back to the vault door. He asks it to open and it does, disappearing soundlessly. We step inside the room, relieved to find it empty. Without wasting any more time I go to work trying to locate the secret compartment hidden beneath the vault floor. Peeling off one glove, I lay my hand on the silver flooring near the centre. I find the cavity almost directly beneath my hand. Slipping my glove back on, I tug at the secret panel. And then the empty compartment is revealed, not much larger than the golden box in my pocket. But the compartment’s not really empty. It contains the key that is temporarily invisible to the human eye.

  ‘Is it there?’ Ethan asks.

  I pull the golden box out of my pocket and open it, sitting it on the vault floor.

  ‘Be careful,’ Ethan warns. ‘Make sure your gloves are on tight.’

  ‘They’re tight,’ I assure him, and start to slide my hand into the box.

  ‘Wait!’

  I look up and he says, ‘Check you don’t have any holes in your gloves. You may have torn them in that fight with the wren earlier.’

  ‘They’re indestructible, Ethan. How else would I be able to touch the key?’

  Finally satisfied, he goes quiet. I slide my hand into the compartment and feel the key beneath my fingers. It’s a tight fit, but it doesn’t take long to get my hand around it. I give the key a tug and it comes loose. For a moment there is nothing but silence, then a series of clicking sounds. Jimmy’s security system has switched on. The trigger to the floodgates has been released. It’s only a matter of minutes now before the entire city will flood and all the wren will be destroyed.

  Ethan yells, ‘Is it in the box yet?’

  Carefully I drop the key into the box and close it. Making sure it locks tight, I hold the box out to Ethan. ‘It’s done.’

  His mouth twitches, almost forming a smile. The first part of our mission is complete. All we have to do now is get the hell out of here. Something that is a lot easier for Ethan to do than for me. Somewhere nearby the lake is pouring in, but so far I’m still dry. If I hurry, maybe, just maybe, I can get out of here in one piece too.

  Ethan secures the box inside his jumper. ‘Now we run.’

  But a shadow darkens the doorway. We’re not alone any more and our chance of a quick escape disappears. I know who it is even before looking at the monster. I can smell his evil scent anywhere, anytime, even in my sleep. Will I never be free of him?

  Marduke lifts his hands into the air and roars, a victorious sound. And then I get it. He knew the key was hidden somewhere in the city, and he knew we would have to come for it. We’ve played right into his hands.

  ‘Ethan, go!’ I hiss at him.

  But Ethan just stares at me. ‘Not without you.’

  I can’t believe he’s being this stubborn. ‘What’s wrong with you? Just go!’

  ‘No.’

  Marduke laughs. ‘You think of honour at a time like this?’

  ‘I have more honour in my little finger than you could have in a thousand lifetimes.’

  ‘Perhaps. But honour will not save your life.’ Marduke shifts his single eye to me. ‘Nor hers. Now hand over the box.’

  ‘You have to kill me first.’

  Marduke hisses like a snake. Spittle flies from his snout. ‘You have been the bane of my life! Killing you will be my greatest joy!’

  I have never seen Marduke look so mad. So insane. ‘Ethan, just go! Use your wings and take the key to safety!’

  An eerie rushing sound distracts us all momentarily. Marduke tilts his head, his one eye shifting to the side as he listens and tries to decipher the meaning of the growing rumble. Of course Ethan and I know what it is – the water from the lake. And by the sound of it thundering along this lowest level, it’s not far away at all.

  And then it pours into the vault, hurling the three of us backwards against the walls. ‘What’s this?’ Marduke bellows. ‘The city is being flooded! My wren!’

  He stares at the two of us as the first wave eventually settles and pools around our waists. His eye glows red and in a flash of strength he grabs me by the waist and secures both my hands within one of his behind my back. ‘Give me the key or I will not let her go until it is too late!’

  I catch Ethan’s eye, imploring him to go before he drowns too. But Ethan has other ideas. ‘You can’t kill her, unless you want to die before the sun sets on this same day.’

  Marduke’s iron grip only tightens. I try to squirm out of my gloves, but his grip is too strong. ‘I’m not a fool, boy
. I know about the curse. But I’m not going to kill her. She was doomed the minute she walked into the city.’ His eye shifts down to me. ‘I always knew it was a wise decision not to give you your wings.’

  Ethan rams Marduke in the shoulder. ‘Let her go!’

  It does nothing to shake him. And then another wave of water thunders through the passageways. On hearing it Marduke roars. It’s a roar of anguish. Every fresh wave will destroy more of his wren. Their screams can already be heard.

  Marduke hangs on to me tightly. Ethan tries again to dislodge him. Another wave hits and the vault completely floods. Marduke holds me down for a minute longer, totally submerged. Ethan swims around us and tries to loosen Marduke’s grip with his own hands. But Marduke wants to make sure I don’t have any chance of surviving. I go limp on purpose. Only when he is satisfied he has held me down long enough does he use his own wings and disappear.

  At last I’m free. Ethan takes my hand, and together we swim our way out of the flooded vault.

  It feels like for ever before we break the surface. Gasping, I push away one body after another of wren. Their screams are unnerving as they scramble and stumble over each other in a panic to get into the higher levels.

  Ethan finds a stairwell and we stagger out of the water. But another surge is coming fast. Soaking wet, we run as quickly as our heavy clothes allow. I shrug off my coat in an attempt to lighten my load. The wave hits us and we try to ride it upwards, struggling to keep our heads out of the water. But the force of the surging wave is too strong. We end up thrown in all directions against walls and wren and even drowning soldiers. One soldier grabs on to Ethan. He’s big and heavy and drags Ethan underwater as he tries to find solid footing. I reach out, grab the soldier’s head by his hair, and smash my closed fist into his face. He lets go and Ethan resurfaces.

  At last we stagger up another flight of stairs, but I don’t know how long I can keep this pace going; we’re still a long way from the top!

  ‘You can do it!’ Ethan encourages me. ‘You will do it, do you hear me?’

  But another wave soon hits, and this one sends us on a rollercoaster ride, up and down, into walls and quickly flooding passageways. When at last it passes we find ourselves in a dead-end corridor, the flood waters reaching almost to the top. We lift our heads to the ceiling and gasp for air. Ethan spins around, dragging on my arm.