I search his thoughts. They’re busy. Very busy. I withdraw so as not to interfere with whatever he has planned. Without taking my eyes off Ethan, I turn slightly to those around me. ‘Prepare your weapons. Wait for the signal. Jimmy, you aim for the back lines. Isabel, take yourself into the middle. Arkarian, you go where you’re needed.’
Isabel nudges me. ‘Wherever you put Rochelle, put me with her.’
‘Why?’ Rochelle hears and snaps.
I give my head the slightest shake, enough to convey to Isabel that I will have Rochelle covered and to let the matter drop.
‘I just thought we worked well together,’ she finishes lamely, not wanting to alarm Rochelle. She’s been through enough in the past few hours – she doesn’t need more to worry about.
Quickly I finish giving out my instructions. ‘Shaun, you and Dillon destroy the front rows.’
‘Remember,’ Lorian reminds me, ‘Lathenia is mine.’
And while I would love to deal with that immortal myself, there is so much passion in my uncle’s voice, I don’t dare argue.
‘What about me?’ Rochelle asks.
‘You released me once from Marduke’s bonds, now I want you to do the same for Ethan and Neriah. And when you have freed them, come to the front lines and work beside me.’
‘Can I have my knife back?’
‘Your knife won’t cut through those electrified cages.’
‘I want the knife to fight the demons.’
I stare at her for a moment. Are we really having this conversation again? ‘Your knife will be useless against those creatures. You have to use your hands.’
She glances at the beasts and shivers. ‘But that means I’ll have to get close. Matt, you don’t know how brutal they are. Mr Carter was petrified of them.’
‘I’ll be fighting by your side. OK?’
Lorian lets me know something is happening. Right before our eyes Ethan and Neriah begin to fade. In seconds the two of them disappear.
‘What’s happening?’ Lathenia calls out. She jabs a sword through Ethan’s mesh repeatedly. Sparks fly and electricity sizzles. The whole cage vibrates with the impact. Lathenia does it again and again, this time lunging her sword into Neriah’s cage. Again, nothing. ‘Marduke! Where have they gone? Did you do something to release them?’
He argues his innocence and their momentary confusion is my cue. We have to act fast to take the advantage. Who knows how long Ethan’s incredible illusion will last? I raise my hand, then let it drop. ‘Now!’
Jimmy sends his grenades soaring into the back rows, creating chaos among them. Marduke orders the demons to attack. They grunt and growl and strike the earth with their feet. Then, armed with axes, swords and chains, they come charging at us.
I hope I haven’t underestimated these beasts. They are completely unlike the wren, or any of the other creatures we’ve dealt with so far. Their odour alone is enough to knock us out.
Shaun battles two demons at the same time. King Richard suddenly appears along with Lady Arabella. I will have to apologise, but now is not the time. Lady Arabella looks around, searching for someone, and I point down the ridge. ‘He is that way, my lady, covering the northern flank.’ She nods and takes off, while King Richard withdraws his sword and helps Shaun out.
I end up face-to-face with the demon who proclaims himself leader. Using his chain with incredible skill, he strikes, flinging my axe into his own hand. I will the thought of power to my fingers and, in the same split second, project this power towards him. Blue light flickers across the small space between us. It knocks him backwards. On the ground he grunts, and while there is now a wide gaping hole in his stomach, he still manages to get up. Surprising me, he charges again, head-butting my chest and knocking me off guard for a moment. He pulls back and comes at me again, wielding the chain and my axe with incredible force. I grab his arm and we fight for domination of the axe. With his other hand, he wields the chain across my back. The pain of it slices through me, over and over. Now it is my turn to grunt. I attempt to grab his other arm, but he is clever and avoids my grasp. With his sheer weight alone, he shoves me on to my back. Sensing success, he puts his knee into my throat, choking off my air supply. I would use my power to shove him off me, but I’m having trouble just finding air to breathe. And now he is lifting my axe into the air, aiming it straight at my skull. Still gasping for air, I watch as it starts to lower.
Suddenly the demon screams and arches his back. And then his weight is being lifted off me as he is tossed, a whip curled around his middle. In his place Arkarian, with his shock of vivid blue hair, swims into focus. He lowers his hand to me and I grip it.
‘How did that beast get the better of you?’
I shrug, retrieving my axe from the dead demon’s clutches. ‘He winded me.’
Arkarian finds my comment amusing. ‘That easy, huh? Anyway, you were wasting your time with that demon; you’re needed elsewhere. Lathenia is in a rage and Lorian has his hands full dealing with her.’
‘What about Ethan and Neriah?’
He points, and my eyes follow. Rochelle has brought Neriah’s cage down, and, using her hands, is in the process of destroying the mesh. Neriah is visible again and almost free, but Rochelle’s actions have drawn the attention of Marduke. She needs more time.
I close my eyes and find an inner focus. Overhead, black clouds gather at my command, bringing a fierce wind with them. Marduke looks into the wind and a bolt of lightning strikes him. But the lightning doesn’t come from the sky. It comes from his own daughter’s hand. He lets out a wailing moan, and as Neriah stands before him, he snorts and disappears.
I take a look around. The battlefield is a mass of dead demons. The weapons are effective, and I’m glad to see Neriah was able to conceal hers even while captured by Lathenia. I hope Ethan was able to do the same, but somehow I doubt it. His weapon would be harder to hide.
Several more demons attack, and for the next few minutes, Arkarian and I are busy fending them off. Suddenly Neriah is beside me and using her weapon as a new wave of demons attack. She smiles and my spirits soar.
A scream unlike any other I have heard today suddenly pierces the air. It has everyone and every creature stop and look to the immortals. They have reduced themselves to physical combat, each wielding a sword and a knife.
‘So this is what it has come down to, sister. I should have finished you off when I had the opportunity to do so in the womb.’
Eyes blazing, Lathenia screeches and lunges with her sword. ‘Aha! At last you admit to cheating me of my birthright.’
‘No,’ Lorian replies, lunging back. ‘I didn’t cheat you, for you were never meant to be born first.’
‘What are you saying?’
‘Dartemis was.’
‘You lie! He was the youngest.’
‘He was always the clever one. He let us squabble between ourselves.’
‘Are you saying he didn’t covet the throne, even though it was rightfully his?’
‘He is a god of peace. He is content to let it come to him.’
‘You say that as if he lives today.’
‘One thing is for sure, sister, you will never know.’ And with these words, Lorian disarms Lathenia. Her sword flies into the air, and as her eyes momentarily follow it, he thrusts his own sword deeply into her chest.
For a second she freezes, then her bulging eyes stare down at the sword lodged between her ribs. ‘You would kill me?’
‘I must. Death is the only solution.’
With a lingering look of disbelief, Lathenia’s eyes close.
Lorian sighs and looks away. It is a mistake. Lathenia’s eyes fling open and she half rises. In her hand she still has the dagger. Using the last of her immortal strength, she sends it flying with unparalleled force in Lorian’s direction.
Lorian turns at the sound. It is another mistake.
‘Father!’ Arkarian calls out.
The dagger hits, lodging deeply in Lorian’s throat.
His hands close around it, but the look in his eyes reveals that he is already aware of his fate. He knows, that like his sister, he is about to die.
He drops to the ground. Lady Arabella, Arkarian and Isabel run over, but it is already too late. Brother and sister are dead.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Rochelle
The immortals are dead! I can’t believe it! They actually killed each other! Everyone is stunned and walking around in a daze. Isabel is comforting Arkarian. Lady Arabella is hysterical and Lord Penbarin is trying to keep her calm. Then I hear Matt’s voice.
‘We’ll build them a Temple. We’ll use the bricks from the Citadel so it will remain concealed from human eyes, and just like the Citadel it will float high in the atmosphere. Lord Penbarin, Queen Brystianne, can you prepare their bodies for entombment?’
‘Yes, my lord,’ Lord Penbarin replies.
Yes, my lord! I repeat in my thoughts.
Queen Brystianne comes over, wiping tears from her eyes. ‘We’ll have to shift them to Athens first. It is fortunate we saved some of the equipment.’
‘Take them now, and when this is done, we’ll hold a service in their honour. With Lathenia gone, my father Dartemis will be free to return to this world if he chooses. For the first time in his long life he will be liberated from his heavenly prison. I will not suppose to know his mind.’ He glances at Arkarian. ‘If Dartemis decides to remain in his realm, Arkarian, will you speak at this service?’
Arkarian nods. Matt grips his shoulder, then addresses the rest of the crowd in a softer tone. ‘Everyone who is able, let’s clear the hill and make preparations for the Temple. And when the Temple is complete, and the immortals are laid to rest, we will form a battalion and hunt down the soulless creatures that have inundated the earth. We will deal with the diseases they bring and repair the rips between the worlds.’ His hand lifts to indicate the air that we’re breathing. ‘And when all of nature is in balance again, this dark wind will blow itself out, and the earth will be at peace.’
Matt is taking control. Looking around I see that it’s exactly what everyone needs. And of course the job would fall to him. He is, after all, son of an immortal, and an immortal himself.
While Lord Penbarin and Queen Brystianne prepare to take the bodies of Lorian and Lathenia to Athens, the others start clearing the land of debris from the fall of the Citadel, stockpiling any usable materials. Shaun and Jimmy take on the onerous task of clearing away the remains of the demons that have, hopefully, all been destroyed.
In the chaos, I forget to put my gloves back on. While helping collect debris, I inadvertently put my hand on Dillon’s. He jerks back and yells, ‘Hey, watch it! What are you doing? For crying out loud, Roh, where are your gloves?’
People from all around turn and look at me. I glance at Dillon’s hand, ready to apologise, but there’s no mark there, and I wonder if his reaction is because he fears what my hands are capable of more than any actual injury.
‘You keep those hands away from me, do you hear?’
After all that I’ve been through today, Dillon’s over-reaction explodes my temper.
I turn and look at the crowd. Are Dillon’s thoughts a mirror of theirs? Do they still doubt me, even after uncovering the real traitor and fighting with them side-by-side? Are they afraid that I will turn on them and use my hands as weapons?
‘Is this what you all think?’ They glance around at each other and I am swamped with their thoughts of embarrassment. Embarrassment! A lump forms in my throat. I swallow hard to dispel it. Can’t even one of them stand up for me against Dillon’s insensitive words? ‘Do you really think, given the opportunity, that I would purposefully hurt you? Is that why no one dares to come near me? Or do you just think of me as a freak?’
I yank my gloves out of my pocket and make a display of putting them on. ‘There! I will never take them off again. I promise! Do you feel safer now?’
Ethan takes a step towards me; his eyes and thoughts overflow with compassion. I hold up my hand to stop him getting closer. ‘Don’t come near me. I don’t want your pity, Ethan. I never wanted that.’
Suddenly I need to be alone. I need to be anywhere but here with these people. With these … strangers, because that’s what they feel like right now.
I turn and run off into the nearby forest. Behind me I hear them argue about who is going to come after me. ‘Forget it, Isabel!’ Ethan calls out. I tune out quickly. I don’t want to hear any more. I just want to be alone.
I’m a good runner and I run fast. Branches and vines get in my way, but I don’t care. They scratch my arm and my face, but I just keep running. One twig lodges itself in my sleeve. I tug on it hard until it rips a hole in my shirt.
Finally I get to the edge of the ridge and stop. At my feet a sheer cliff descends for a hundred metres into the valley of Angel Falls. In the far distance I can even see the ocean. The sight is breathtaking. I inhale a few deep breaths of the crisp mountain air and try to calm down.
The swishing of leaves and branches, and the thumping of footfalls behind me, let me know Ethan is near. He comes to a quick stop when he gets to the cliff edge, then turns and sees me. I don’t need to read his thoughts to know that he is relieved. His face forms a flickering smile. He stands and stares at me while he gathers his breath. Suddenly my nerves are jumping. What is he doing here? Why did he insist on following me? Then he comes over and doesn’t stop until he is standing right in my space, so close that I feel his breath warm against my forehead. He takes my hands and brings them up between us. Then, slowly, he peels back one of my gloves.
Instinctively I jerk my hand away. ‘What are you doing?’
He grips it again, holding it tighter this time. Without answering he peels the glove right off. Sparks fly up that he must feel against his face, but he doesn’t flinch. He takes the glove and throws it over the cliff face.
‘Ethan!’
But now he’s doing the same to my other glove. I try to grab it off him before he throws it, but his reach is longer. Over the cliff it sails.
‘Ethan, why? I can’t go back without them. And what about school?’
He takes my flickering hands in his and turns them over. ‘These are your hands. They’re a part of you, so this is who you are. I know you wouldn’t purposefully hurt anyone, and nobody who knows you would think so either. From this moment on – at least until school starts again – you don’t wear the gloves. The more you don’t wear them, the better you’ll get at controlling the power in your hands.’
‘But Dillon –’
‘Dillon mouths off sometimes. He can be insensitive and thoughtless. That’s just who he is. I’m not sticking up for him, but he reacted off the top of his head back there because you intimidate him. You intimidate most of us, you know.’
I scoff at this.
‘You’re talented and beautiful, and, well …’ he takes a deep breath, ‘with these hands you’re very powerful. You can see into our souls.’
As I digest this, Ethan lifts my hands to either side of his face. The action is so touching, tears well at the backs of my eyes. I try to blink them away, but stubbornly they persist. I have to ask, ‘Why are you doing this?’
‘Because I care about you,’ he says, then frowns. ‘No.’
‘No? You don’t care?’
‘What I meant to say was, I’m doing this because I love you.’
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. ‘What did you say?’
He smiles at me and I can’t drag my eyes from his. He says, ‘I have loved you since that first moment I saw you. I wanted you then, and when I thought you didn’t want me, I turned my love into hate. It was the biggest mistake I ever made.’
‘Ethan …’
Before I say another word his mouth comes down over mine and he kisses me. For a long moment there is nothing else in my world. And everything is as it should be. We kiss again and hold each other. For the first time in my life I am content.
A thought
penetrates my head. It has a familiar feel. I turn towards the wooded area to the north, searching for the source.
Ethan picks up that something is wrong. ‘What is it?’
‘I heard something. Did anyone follow you?’
His arms come around me tighter. ‘Not that I know of. I made it clear I wanted to be alone with you. Maybe we should go back now.’
He’s right and I nod. Then I hear the thought again and I go still trying to place it. But it doesn’t take long to realise who these thoughts belong to. I was, after all, his spy for long enough. It’s Marduke, and he’s in the nearby trees. Somewhere very close.
I squint, looking for Marduke’s position, but he’s concealed himself well. His thoughts hit me again and now I understand what he’s doing here. He has hung on to his bitterness for so long that his hatred has manifested into the form of one person, the one person who has thwarted every attempt he’s ever made to exact revenge. Ethan. It was Ethan who recalled his image in his dreams. It was Ethan who fought and killed him, resulting in his return from the middle world as a beast. It was Ethan’s fault that he lost Lathenia to another man because he was no longer human. And it is Ethan that Marduke now intends on killing, once and for all.
My heart starts thundering in my chest. Marduke has Ethan’s bow and arrow set! I hear his thoughts as he lines one up in his aim. I spin around, searching – which direction is it coming from?
‘Rochelle, what is it?’
Swish!Oh no! It’s heading straight for Ethan! Determined to stop this poisonous arrow from reaching its mark, I leap in front of it. It hits. I feel the arrow pass through my ribs and straight into my heart. The sky blurs and I stumble.
Ethan feels me fall and catches me before I hit the ground. ‘Rochelle!’
He sees the arrow and his eyes grow huge in horror. ‘Rochelle!’
I reach up and touch his face. ‘Safe. You’re safe.’
His head shakes. Eyes glisten. Tears start to fall. I try to wipe them away but my arms have no strength and fall to the side. I’m dying, but it doesn’t matter. The Guard will honour my sacrifice. And more importantly, Ethan’s love is locked in my heart. One day we will be together again.
The Key Page 33
