The Key

by Marianne Curley

  ‘That was easy. She was vulnerable. Her love for Lorian blinded her. She couldn’t resist looking after those “birds”.’

  ‘You used the poison from Marduke’s gardens to keep the dogs’ identities disguised.’

  He lifts one shoulder in a carefree manner. ‘With my brother’s help, I could get a hold on just about anything I wanted.’

  ‘Even the key.’

  He nods. ‘Especially the key. Until Matt got his hands on it and hid it in the vault of the city.’

  Suddenly the lights above surge and blind us both for a second. I try to make a run for it, but Mr Carter grabs me around the waist and throws me back. As I struggle to get to my feet again, the shifting sensation kicks in, and I am catapulted into another world.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Matt

  I have never been in this part of the Citadel before. It is a city in itself. It is also where the survivors live who watch over the earth. Should it be destroyed, what will happen to them? There are other consequences of this possible destruction. Would it mean the end of transportation as we know it?

  The stairwell is deep. The lower we descend, the louder the rumblings of war. I hope the others are holding up all right. They have only just received their weapons, but are masters in their crafts, so they should be fine. This thought reminds me of Dillon. His weapon, originally created for Rochelle, will feel foreign in his hands.

  I motion towards his wrists. ‘Do you think you can handle those things?’

  He looks down. ‘Sure.’ He yanks his arms out and the gold, pointed wristbands with their miniature crossbow heads are revealed. ‘I mean, they feel strange, but in a good way. I’ve been trying to connect with them, like you said, with my thoughts.’

  ‘They’re very powerful weapons. Your will is their will.’

  He stares at the delicate crossbow heads thoughtfully. ‘I was wondering why you did that. You know, why you gave them to me. I was just surprised that you could trust me so much.’

  ‘When you were with the Order, weren’t you one of Lathenia’s highest-ranked soldiers?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘You’re obviously trained to handle the responsibility that accompanies power and authority. Lathenia saw it in you. Arkarian believes in you. And so do I.’

  ‘But you have to know how angry I am at you right now. How can you still trust me? Aren’t you worried I’ll take this pulsing rage and run back to Lathenia?’

  ‘Is that what you want to do?’

  He remains silent for a moment and a door to the side bursts open. A dozen strange-looking people come running into the stairwell, rushing straight past us.

  ‘Did you see that?’

  ‘They’re the survivors,’ I inform Dillon, who continues to stare at their strange appearance. And then I see what has them running so fast – hundreds of creatures are coming towards us. Most of these creatures are wren, but there are birds too, and others that hover like dogs on all fours. Those that have hands are armed with swords and daggers, hammers and axes.

  Lord Alexandon and a dozen of his soldiers charge up the stairwell just in front of them. ‘Back!’ he calls out. ‘There are just too many! We have to retreat and form a strategy.’

  The first to reach us is a flock of birds with human faces and pointed beaks. Dillon lifts his hands. Darts that are more like luminous flecks of light shoot from his wrists. The six birds making their way up the stairwell explode. Unfortunately, they explode right over the top of us, and we end up bathed in their blood, shattered flesh and feathers.

  Lord Alexandon and his soldiers nearby turn and stare at him.

  ‘Oops!’

  Wiping blood from my face with the back of my sleeve, I mutter back, ‘Try thinking total elimination, flesh and blood included.’

  ‘Got it,’ he says, retracting his weapons.

  By now the wren, birds and other four-legged creatures have pushed forward and are practically over the top of us.

  ‘Run!’ Lord Alexandon calls out.

  ‘Wait!’ I call back, instinctively sliding my hand to the axe at my waist. ‘Get behind me, all of you.’

  As they do so, I decide to leave my weapon in place and will one thought to mind – wind. The wind that generates is mighty. I thrust it towards the Order’s army. The wren and other nameless creatures, including the birds, are caught in this force. I blow gently and the whirling creatures are thrust back into the interiors of the lower levels.

  Dillon and the soldiers quickly bolt the doors.

  ‘There’s another exit,’ Lord Alexandon explains, pointing to a corridor to our right. ‘Lady Devine is having trouble holding it. I told her you would come as soon as you could. But be careful, Matt. Marduke is there.’

  ‘Dillon, let’s go.’

  Halfway along the corridor, one of Lady Devine’s soldiers meets us. ‘My lady sends me. She says to hurry. She can’t hold the dark forces back much longer.’

  When we get there the doors are bursting. Lady Devine comes running over. ‘It’s hopeless.’

  ‘Are any of your people inside?’ I ask.

  ‘Not that I know of.’

  ‘Good, now everyone get back.’ As soldiers scatter up the stairwells and around the back of me, I bring another powerful thought to mind – storm. No. Firestorm.

  The doors burst open and I thrust the storm straight into the attacking creatures. It spreads like a fireball, sweeping through the masses, expanding into the lower level corridors. Screams rent the air.

  Dillon stands beside me, staring at the wave of fire as it continues to sweep through the corridors. He says calmly, ‘That’s impressive. Did you pick that up in “Immortal School”?’

  He makes me laugh. But the laughter is short-lived, as a wave of heat comes flooding back in our direction.

  Dillon feels it too. ‘Uh-oh.’

  Lady Devine comes up on my other side just in time for me to warn her. ‘Get your people to cover. Up the stairwell, now!’

  As she runs back I grab Dillon, throwing him down under me. The wave of fire bursts over the top of us. Some of Lady Devine’s soldiers don’t make it up quickly enough, including Lady Devine herself. Their screams of agony go right through me. When the flames pass, I help Dillon to his feet and turn to check on the injured. But Dillon grabs my arm, stopping me from moving. I look to see what has him so distraught and find him staring straight into the face of Marduke.

  And now I understand why the flames returned. He stands in the doorway and raises his singed hands above his singed head and gives an almighty roar. Around him a wave of wren and other creatures surge, reinvigorated by the sound of their Master’s voice.

  ‘Use your weapon on them.’ I point to the wren. ‘I’ll deal with Marduke.’

  Dillon takes aim at the mass of wren pushing out the doorways and heading for the stairwell, and this time when the darts hit, the creatures disappear without mess, without even a trace.

  Marduke is impressed. A mocking look fills his one red and swollen eye. He wills a sword to his hand. ‘How interesting. But let us fight as the mortals do.’

  His aim is to detain me, so that his army can penetrate the upper levels and do their damage. They file out around us. Dillon chases after them, along with Lady Devine and her soldiers. Marduke lunges towards me, and I withdraw the axe from my belt. Marduke is a master in this physical craft, and, well, my skills are hardly expert. But my axe has the power to kill even this monster. All I need is one good thrust.

  Come quickly! I’m in over my head! Hurry, Matt! Hurry!

  Rochelle’s thoughts thunder into my head, so loudly that for a moment I’m distracted and Marduke gets the better of me. He shoves my back up against a rail, quickly swinging his sword to the base of my throat. His breath is foul. In fact, his whole body reeks. I shove him hard and he flies backwards. I attempt to answer Rochelle, but now Marduke is in a rage. He attacks. It is all I can do to keep up. Sword strikes axe until my arm tires and for a moment I think he�
�s going to thrust that sword into my ribs. I will my arm to strengthen, and luckily it does, enough for me to keep the battle going. But keeping it going is not enough. At the very least I have to disarm him so I can quickly go to Rochelle.

  I call her with my thoughts, but there’s no reply. Nothing. It’s as if she suddenly doesn’t exist. Her silence, the empty sense I’m getting now, chills me. It’s enough to send a surge of power to my arms. This time when we rally, it is frantic and fast. Marduke must be tiring; but he’s not human any more, though what type of beast he has become is difficult to tell. He lunges, attempting to strike me in the chest. I slide my axe beneath his arm, stopping him. His sword flings loose from his hand and flies across the hallway. At last!

  For a moment we both remain silent, gathering our breath and sizing one another up. His one eye shifts to where his sword landed. He wants it back. But this is my chance to get to Rochelle. She needs me, and I’m worried that I have already let her down. I have to go now!

  Finishing off Marduke will have to wait.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Rochelle

  I fall hard into a world of complete and utter darkness. My hands, shimmering with their electric charges, offer the only light. But it’s not enough. I spin around blindly, starting to panic, when a hand curves under each of my elbows. I feel the spikes and try to pull away, but Mr Carter’s hold is firm. Suddenly I’m spinning and a heavy chain wraps tightly several times around my body, locking my arms by my side, and making my hands useless.

  Mr Carter grunts and steps away. Then there is light. Mr Carter has a crystal in his free hand. It’s enough to reveal the area around us. And now I see that the chains wrapped around my body are connected to the chain in his hand. I try to move my arms to make use of my hands, but the chains are too tight. He stares at me and for a moment I think I see regret. But the look is fleeting, and changes to one of cold annoyance.

  ‘You know, if you kill me you will be giving yourself a death sentence.’

  ‘I’m not going to kill you,’ he smugly replies.

  ‘So what are you going to do with me?’

  He looks around at the darkness surrounding us and pulls on the chain. I jerk forward, stumbling. He yanks me up by my hair and pulls me harder. ‘There are a series of underground tunnels that have only one way in – or out.’

  I can’t believe what he’s saying. ‘You’re going to lock me in an underground tunnel? In this darkness? All alone?’

  ‘Well, no. You won’t be alone.’

  The way he says this sends a chill straight through my heart, making my legs numb. But he doesn’t elaborate, no matter how hard I try to get more information from him. We walk for what feels like hours and I grow weary, physically and mentally. I’m petrified of the dark. It reminds me too much of when I used to hide from my father.

  He stops suddenly, and, lost in my thoughts, I nearly run into him. He shoves me backwards and I fall to the ground. I try to loosen the chains around me, but they’re so tight I can’t get any leverage.

  It’s then I notice the look on his face as he peers through an iron grate into the ground. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’

  His head turns in my direction. ‘They’re gone!’

  I crane my neck to peer into the grate. There’s a deep drop into a cavern that appears to be empty. At first I feel relief, but it quickly dawns on me that there are greater ramifications. ‘What does this mean?’

  Heaving with the effort, he drags the iron grate to the side. ‘It means this is your lucky day.’ He tugs on my chain, dragging me towards the gaping hole in the ground.

  ‘No, wait! You can’t do this. I’ll die down there. And you will have caused it.’

  ‘Your death won’t be from my hands. I’m sure it won’t be long before they return.’

  ‘Before who returns?’

  I don’t think he’s going to answer, and then he says, ‘The demons.’

  ‘What? You’re locking me in a pit that belongs to demons?’

  ‘If you’re lucky you’ll go insane before the first of them returns home.’

  With these words he brings both his arms around me from behind. ‘Keep still while I unlock your chains.’

  It’s a promising thought. As he does so, I prepare myself to escape. But Mr Carter has this all figured out. His arms stay locked around me like a vice, his weapons digging into my arms. When the lock clicks open, he shoves me towards the hole. But I can’t let him get away with this. I have to do something to stop him returning to earth and somehow explaining my disappearance with some plausible excuse. The chain unravels from around me as I tumble through the hole into the cavern, but, before it disappears completely, I grab hold of it with both hands and pull on it hard.

  Mr Carter, holding on to the other end, is taken by surprise. He screams out violently as he loses his balance and comes tumbling into the cavern behind me. He lands on his side and quickly staggers to his feet. ‘What have you done?’ He leaps into the air, but falls far short of the distance needed to get back up.

  He charges right up to my face, lifting the chain threateningly as if he would like nothing better than to wrap the thing around my throat.

  I can’t help but look at him smugly. Killing me with his own hands is something he won’t do, for this coward is scared to die. Well, let’s see how well he faces death now!

  Suddenly he peers sideways, his eyes so wide it’s a wonder they don’t fall out of their sockets.

  ‘What is it? What can you hear?’

  ‘Footsteps.’

  ‘Demon steps?’

  He keeps listening, then sighs, a frustrated and annoyed sound. ‘Female steps.’

  ‘Female demons?’

  He doesn’t answer, but a reassuring voice from above does. ‘You’re going to wish we were demons before we’re finished with you, Mr Carter.’

  It’s Isabel, with Neriah and her two dogs beside her. Both girls have a light in their hand, and from here, with the rays shooting up and around their faces, they look like angels. My angels.

  ‘I’ve never been so glad to see anyone!’ I call out. ‘How did you know to come here?’

  ‘Neriah heard your thoughts from the control chambers, dropped everything, and came running. And before you start denying anything, Mr Carter, Neriah also heard enough of your thoughts to convict you at your trial. You were so distracted organising Rochelle’s abduction, you forgot to screen them.’

  Neriah takes up the explanation. ‘Isabel saw the look on your face just before you disappeared.’

  ‘Yeah, it was enough to tell me you were in trouble,’ Isabel adds. ‘Lord Penbarin helped us follow you. After that it was simple, really. Aysher and Silos picked up your scents and led us here.’ Isabel peers down at Mr Carter. ‘You have a lot of explaining to do, but you can save it for your trial.’

  ‘The same trial that Lady Arabella will have no need to attend now, except to give evidence of your treachery,’ Neriah adds as she hurls down a long rope.

  Mr Carter dives for the rope, but I knock him out of the way. He tries to ram me, but I threaten him with my sizzling hands. ‘They’re not contained by my side now. And they will kill you. I guarantee it. Now step back, Mr Carter. I’m going to be the first one out of this smelly hole you put us in.’

  He peers over his shoulder nervously and I have to wonder if he’s heard something else. I can’t see anything, but the rest of the tunnel system is in darkness. Mr Carter’s head jerks and his eyes go wide again. There is something in the tunnel, and by his sudden wild look, it’s not something pleasant. ‘Hurry!’

  But I have to put my gloves on, or I’ll just burn the rope and it will be useless to either of us.

  ‘Quickly!’ Mr Carter screams. ‘Can’t you hear it?’

  And then I do. Thumping sounds, coming fast.

  With one glove on I grab the rope and give it a tug. The girls above start hauling me up. About midway to the top the demon makes an appearance, heaving and grunting.
It sees Mr Carter and starts to drool. Mr Carter looks at me, halfway to the surface, and realises he hasn’t got a chance. I reach my hand down towards him, but I haven’t got my glove on this hand yet, and the other hand is still hanging on to the rope.

  The demon scrapes its foot along the ground, a clearly hostile motion. Neriah and Isabel haul me up the rest of the way quickly, yanking me over the edge. I spin around and the girls drop the rope again, urging Mr Carter to grab it. But now the demon is between him and the rope. With one hand, the demon reaches out and grabs the rope, tugging it loose from the girls’ hands. They both scream as they try to hold on to it, but the demon is too strong and they’re forced to let go.

  Mr Carter gives us a long, pitiful look, then turns around and runs.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Matt

  We meet in a safe room. King Richard is with Lorian. They show me a holographic blue-print of the Citadel. As we examine it, two guards approach. ‘Get word to the command centre to maintain our position above Angel Falls, but bring us down low,’ Lorian orders. The guards acknowledge the command and leave instantly.

  Lorian turns and studies me as I continue to examine the holograph of the Citadel. ‘Focus, Matt. I need you to memorise strategic points.’ He knows I’m struggling to concentrate. But the girls have been gone so long!

  Lord Penbarin arrives and I practically jump at him. ‘Do you have news of the girls?’

  Lord Penbarin tries to calm me. ‘Don’t worry, Matt. They can handle more than you realise.’

  ‘But they’re alone in the underworld!’

  King Richard chuckles. ‘There are three of them, along with two dogs. That’s hardly alone. And two of them have been there before. Now calm down, Matt. We can’t afford for you to go too.’

  He’s right. I take a deep breath, but can’t shake the feeling that I’ve let Rochelle down. I heard her call …