Descent

by Charlotte McConaghy

  You helped, no matter if you weren’t equipped.

  Chapter 4

  ‘Mia, are you asleep?’

  Mia rolled over and looked at Jack, standing silhouetted in her doorway. ‘No. I can’t.’

  ‘Me neither.’ He crept over and lay down next to her. ‘If this is a dream, I kinda hope we wake up soon.’

  Mia shrugged. ‘It’s not so bad. I wish Jane were here though. And the others.’

  ‘Harry said we’d see them soon. How weird does he look?’

  ‘I think he looks gorgeous. Did you see how muscly he is now?’

  ‘He went to war!’

  The two of them thought about that for a while. It was too strange to grasp.

  ‘There’s a prophecy about us,’ Jack whispered. ‘About us saving everyone. But they already did it. The four of them did it without us.’

  Mia didn’t reply. Jack didn’t know what she could say anyway. No better way to make someone feel obsolete than to fulfil his destiny for him. ‘They had this big adventure, all before we got here. So what are we supposed to do?’

  She shrugged again. ‘Dunno. I guess we just have our own adventure. And we don’t have to save the world for this to be awesome.’

  Jack nodded vaguely, but couldn’t help thinking about how different Harry had been. How strong and purposeful. He’d grown up since they’d last seen him. Two years didn’t sound like much—he was still a teenager after all—but in reality he seemed like a new person. What if their friends had outgrown Mia and Jack? They must have their own lives by now. Harry seemed settled in Paragor. At peace with the fact that he couldn’t get home.

  So where did that leave the two of them?

  ‘It’ll be all right,’ Mia said, as if reading his thoughts. ‘They’re still our friends. They’ll show us what to do.’

  It took them a long time to get to sleep that night, and they awoke to a light tapping on the door. Harry burst into their room, flinging himself onto the bed.

  ‘Rise and shine, troopers!’

  ‘Get off,’ Jack mumbled, his head under the pillow. Harry ripped the covers from them and started shaking Jack. Mia groaned and slid from the bed, trying to avoid the pillow fight that was now raging. After a few minutes she grabbed her own pillow and began hitting Jack.

  ‘You traitor!’ he roared, swinging around and diving on top of her, smothering her with kisses. Mia giggled and implored Harry for help, who ended the fight by accidentally winding Jack and laughing as he wheezed on the floor.

  ‘This isn’t over, dude,’ Jack hissed.

  ‘Yeah, yeah. Come on, get up, get dressed, things to do, people to meet!’

  ‘Hey, Harry,’ Mia asked. ‘Who was the guy who found us and brought us here? Altor?’

  Harry’s eyebrows rose. ‘That’s the prince. The Black Prince.’

  Mia and Jack exchanged a glance. ‘You’re kidding.’

  ‘Not at all. He lived in an orphanage until he was seven, and then he was brought to the palace to take part in the battle.’

  ‘He was in a battle when he was seven?’ Mia gasped, horrified.

  ‘Yeah. He...’ Harry hesitated frowning. ‘The tyrant, Leostrial, was his father. Altor watched his mother kill his dad.’

  ‘Oh, man,’ Jack breathed. ‘That’s messed up. No wonder he’s so weird.’

  ‘Underneath it all he has a good heart. Sort of. I think he’s just ... lost.’

  ‘Wait,’ Mia said, frowning. ‘I thought you said the battle was only two years ago. If he was seven then, shouldn’t he only be nine years old now?’

  Harry sighed. ‘Something happened. It’s ... horrible. So don’t go saying anything to Altor—he doesn’t like to talk about it—’

  ‘Okay, okay, just tell us,’ Jack implored.

  ‘Leostrial used him, used his life source, to further his own powers, and it caused something inside Altor to change. It’s like his lifeline has been stolen from him, or something. He ... ages faster than he should. Much faster.’

  Mia and Jack stared at him, uncomprehending. Then slowly Mia’s face changed. ‘You mean he’s actually nine years old right now?’ she whispered.

  Harry shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I don’t really understand. We have no way to know how old he actually is. His mind seems to be maturing just as quickly as his body. Each day he looks slightly different.’

  ‘And this won’t stop? He’ll just age this fast until he dies?’ she asked. ‘How long does that mean he has left?’

  ‘I don’t know. He’s aged at least ten years in the space of two.’

  ‘His poor mother!’

  Harry nodded. ‘The healers have tried everything, but no one knows how to fix him.’ Harry shook his head. ‘Anyway, get ready, I want to show you around.’

  Mia sank down onto the bed to tie the laces of her Converses distractedly. She refused point blank to wear the hideous leather boots that had been laid out in the closet for her—she’d look like some sort of farmer!

  Altor’s strangeness made a lot more sense now. She still couldn’t believe the careless, unassuming boy was a prince! He’d been so adamant that he was ‘no one’.

  ‘Why do they call him the Black Prince?’

  ‘Because of the things he gets messed up in. Drinking, gambling...’ Harry shook his head. ‘Plus, just ... the way he is. He’s sort of twisted.’

  He led them out of the room to the dining hall where they ate breakfast, strange delicacies unlike anything Mia and Jack had eaten before—lots of doughy breads and milk that tasted strange, as if it were on the verge of going sour. Mia shuddered and pushed her bowl away.

  ‘So what exactly do you do here, Harry?’ Jack asked, hoeing into a huge chunk of salted meat and winking at Mia who was watching him in disgust.

  ‘I’m the queen’s champion.’

  ‘Like what Lancelot was to Guinevere?’ Mia asked excitedly.

  ‘Uh ... yeah, I guess so. Sort of.’

  ‘What does that mean you do though?’ Jack pressed.

  ‘Well, you know, I ... protect her and stuff.’

  Jack burst out laughing. ‘Wow. Sounds important. And what exactly do you have to protect her from?’

  Harry sighed. ‘Look, it’s more like a title to represent my place in the palace. Things work a lot differently here, and you’re going to have to learn that.’

  Jack made a face. ‘Yeah, sure. I’m just trying to get my head around how you spend your days.’

  ‘I spend a lot of time training. I travel. I study in the library. I eat, I go to the markets, I go out drinking, I ride my horse.’

  Mia and Jack stared at him. ‘Oh my god,’ Mia said. ‘This place is actually medieval! What about electricity? Technology? Cars, televisions, movies, hair straighteners— phones! Oh no—don’t tell me there are no mobile phones!’

  Harry couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across his face. ‘Sorry to tell you, darling, but you can pretty much kiss luxuries like those goodbye.’

  The howl that escaped her mouth could be heard miles away.

  They spent the day exploring the palace and the city of Burmia. Harry wanted to show them everything his life had become. He was the best tour guide he could be; in truth, he was boasting a little. But, he thought, he deserved to, didn’t he? These were things he’d experienced and survived. He wanted to share them.

  He explained their adventures in detail—his escape through the marshes with Satine; the struggle on Guanu with the Phearies; the betrayal of Vezzet and Columba; Satine’s spying; the Elvish race; the Amazonian women; the battle against Leostrial with the gods; and finally what had happened to Jane and Fern.

  ‘He was killed by Odin, but he took the god down with him, stabbing him in the eye! It was awesome!’

  By this point they were sitting in the garden next to a huge pond filled with swimming ducks. Mia and Jack had listened with rapt attention, stopping him to ask about things they didn’t understand. But here Harry was met with silence.

  Jack f
olded his arms and stared out at the water. ‘So this guy fought a god. An actual god. And killed him?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘And Jane was in love with him?’ Mia asked in awe.

  ‘Apparently he was going to leave his fiancé for her. I don’t know how she managed to watch him die. No wonder she left.’

  ‘But where did she go?’

  Harry shrugged sadly. ‘I wish I knew. Life isn’t the same without her. It wasn’t the same without you two, either. I’m not trying to be mushy or anything, but there honestly wasn’t a day when I didn’t miss you.’

  Jack rolled his eyes, but Mia smiled and gave her friend a hug.

  ‘When are we going to get to see Anna and Luca?’

  ‘As soon as I can organise passage for us on a ship. But ... just be warned, okay? If you think I’m different, it’s nothing compared to how much they’ve changed.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well I told you about Anna patrolling with her dragon. It’s like she’s obsessed. She’s lost weight and she’s been returning home less and less. She just keeps going. I don’t know why. It’s so dangerous.’

  Mia sighed. ‘God, it sounds horrible.’

  ‘It’s a good thing she’s doing. But at what cost? I just think she loves that damn dragon too much.’

  The three of them sat silently for a while, lost in their thoughts. ‘Too much for what?’ Mia asked eventually. ‘You said she loves it too much. Too much for what?’

  Harry frowned. ‘I just don’t want to see her get hurt. What if something happened to it?’

  ‘Yeah but stuff happens to everyone. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make attachments,’ Jack offered.

  Harry did a double take. ‘Woah, man! That was the most insightful thing I’ve ever heard you say!’

  Jack laughed and shoved him in the shoulder.

  ‘What about Luca?’ Mia asked. ‘How has he changed?’

  Harry immediately sobered, his expression darkening. He sighed. ‘He’s completely different. I don’t know. I think it’s best if you just wait and judge for yourself. Maybe I’m overreacting.’

  ‘But what do you mean?’ Jack pressed. ‘How could he have changed that much?

  Harry shook his head slowly. ‘He just ... he looks straight through you. His eyes used to be so expressive. Now they’re just—hollow.’

  Mia struggled not to burst into tears. ‘How awful,’ she whispered.

  Harry clasped his hands together. ‘Yes. But you’re here now. We’re almost all together again. Maybe we can help him.’

  ‘I think the one person he would have responded to is the one of us who isn’t here,’ Mia said. ‘He loved her so much.’

  They lapsed into another silence. Mia lay back on the grass and closed her eyes.

  ‘Do you ever just wish you could go home, Harry?’ she asked softly.

  He hesitated before he answered, but when he did, his voice was certain. ‘This is my home now.’

  ‘Or so he thinks,’ a voice murmured from above. ‘We don’t have the heart to tell him we don’t like him.’ Mia opened her eyes to see a dark silhouette blocking the sun. She recognised the voice—it was so laden with sarcasm she would be able to place it in an instant.

  ‘Altor. Uh, I mean Prince Altor.’

  ‘Damn. I see my secret is out.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us you were the prince?’

  He didn’t bother to reply, just walked out of Mia’s line of sight so that she had to sit up to see him. ‘I’m taking you three out tonight,’ he said.

  ‘Sweet,’ Jack said. ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘To experience Burmia.’

  ‘Oh god,’ Harry sighed. ‘That can’t be good.’

  Altor smiled wolfishly. ‘Relax. I’ll ease them into it.’

  ‘Just keep them in one piece, is all I ask.’

  ‘Now where’s the fun in that?’ Altor disappeared with a wink and the three of them were left alone again.

  ‘I get a bad feeling from that guy,’ Jack said.

  Harry changed the subject and explained to them how he, Anna and Luca could mind-link. ‘Let’s try and teach you guys to do it!’ He suggested. ‘Try and picture your mind as a white sphere of space. I’m going to approach you as I would Luca or Anna. If you feel me, try and let me in. It’s too hard to explain; you’ll only understand once you’ve tried it. Mia I’ll start with you.’

  Mia closed her eyes and tried to do as she was told. After a moment she gasped out loud to feel Harry—and it was very distinctly Harry, though she couldn’t explain how—tapping against her mind. He was a brilliant green colour, earthy and rich, with a gentle, friendly quality. Mia didn’t know how she could tell what colour he was. She could just feel it, or sense it in a way that was indescribable.

  Well done! Harry said inside her mind and she let out a peel of wondrous laughter.

  Oh my god! I can hear you! she exclaimed. And this is so easy! Have we always been able to do this? We just didn’t know?

  Harry shook his head. The link was forged when we joined together to fight Leostrial. You guys must have been in on it, even without knowing it.

  How on earth does that work?

  I’ve long since given up trying to figure things out. All I can come up with is that it’s some sort of magic.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Jack whined, watching his two friends gasp and exclaim without words.

  Harry turned his attention to Jack and did the same thing. Then, carefully, Harry reached out and joined the two links so that the three of them could hear each other. They sat there for a while, talking in each other’s minds, laughing about the wonder of it.

  ‘What are you three doing?’ Satine was standing not far from them, staring at them as they giggled and reacted to unspoken things.

  ‘I’m teaching them to mind-link!’ Harry exclaimed. ‘It’s as easy for them as it was for the rest of us!’

  ‘Splendid,’ Satine said with genuine pleasure. Mia looked at her, but couldn’t reconcile the kind figure standing before them with the woman in Harry’s story; the women who had given her child up and seduced the man who killed her father.

  ‘Are you ready for dinner?’

  ‘Satine,’ Harry said, ‘you didn’t have to come all the way here to tell us dinner’s ready. You could have sent someone.’

  ‘I felt like a walk,’ she said, still smiling. ‘It’s lovely out here. I’ve forgotten how nice my own gardens are.’

  ‘They’ve been more beautiful than ever since you took control,’ Harry said.

  ‘Brown-noser,’ Jack whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. Harry turned red.

  They had dinner, the three Strangers, Satine and her son, in one of the smaller dining rooms. Mia couldn’t help but gaze around at the dark velvet drapes and the huge crackling fireplace in the corner that warmed the cold room up nicely.

  The meal was served. A large lump of brown meat was placed on Mia’s plate, and it oozed slightly with rich red blood.

  ‘Is there something wrong?’ Satine asked as she saw Mia flush.

  ‘Mia’s a vegetarian,’ Jack explained quickly.

  ‘What is that?’

  ‘It means I don’t eat meat,’ Mia said softly, mortified with embarrassment.

  Satine and Altor stared at her uncomprehendingly.

  ‘Why?’ the prince asked bluntly.

  Staring at her hands in her lap, she tried to keep her voice steady. ‘I don’t believe in cruelty to animals.’

  Daring a glance up at them, she met Altor’s eyes. The expression on his face seemed like he might actually be offended by the stupidity of what she’d said.

  ‘Of course. Bring Mia a meal without meat, and make sure that she isn’t offered meat for the rest of her stay,’ Satine ordered one of the servants and Mia’s plate was removed immediately.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I don’t mean to be an imposition.’

  ‘Not at all,’ the queen said.

 
The moment passed quickly enough as the boys entered into a conversation about the merits of firing an arrow versus being able to fight with a sword, Jack listening in rapt attention. Mia used the opportunity to talk to Satine. ‘Your highness,’ she said.

  ‘Please, just call me Satine.’

  ‘Okay, Satine. Do you ... did you believe in the prophecy? About the six of us?’

  ‘Wholeheartedly,’ the queen said softly.

  ‘So then, do you have any idea why ... why we weren’t really a part of it? Was it a mistake in the prophecy? Was it only supposed to be about the four of them?’

  Satine put her knife and fork down and contemplated Mia. ‘I’ve thought about this for a long time, Mia. I’ve wondered about telling Harry, or Altor about my thoughts, but I never did, because if I’m right, it means bad things for all of us.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  Satine sighed. ‘Everyone thinks the prophecy has been fulfilled. But I think it has yet to happen. And I’ve always thought that if ever you and Jack turned up, that it would call for the true fulfilment of the augury – that your arrival would herald the coming of a new threat. I just don’t know what that is yet.’

  Mia stared into the bright blue eyes of the queen, and she shivered.

  ‘I hope you’re wrong.’

  ‘So do I, Mia. So do I. But there are things in this world that make me think that maybe I’m not.’

  Mia’s eyes moved to the sky outside the window. The threads that surrounded the city were almost completely invisible, but occasionally, when looked at from the right angle, they could be spotted.

  Satine nodded, following Mia’s gaze. ‘They’re called dream protectors. Made by the Elves with magic that humans know nothing about.’

  ‘But why would you need dream protectors?’ she asked.

  The boys had grown silent and were listening to the conversation.

  Satine looked at Harry. He cleared his throat. ‘You must be wondering what those creatures were, guys. The ones that attacked you.’

  ‘I didn’t want to bring it up,’ Jack said nervously.