Descent

by Charlotte McConaghy

  ‘Well, it’s too dangerous for you not to understand what they are. Not everything’s as perfect as it seems in daylight. There is a force attacking us when the sun goes down. Valkyries. Creatures that delve into your dreams, turning them to nightmares, preying on your fears before carrying you to the underworld forever.’

  ‘Jesus,’ Mia whispered. The monsters that had seemed so terrifying now seemed so much worse. There was a whole other element to them that was infinitely more frightening.

  ‘Oh, is that all?’ Jack muttered. ‘I thought you were going to tell us something really scary.’

  ‘It’s okay,’ Satine added quickly. ‘We have plans in place. I have watch-towers around every inch of this city, and every other city in Lapis Matyr, plus the dream protectors keep us safe. It’s only if you wander outside the city’s walls that you’re in danger.’

  ‘Right,’ Harry agreed. ‘No leaving Burmia without me.’

  ‘Aren’t we headed to Uns Lapodis soon?’ Mia asked quickly.

  There was another silence. Altor, who hadn’t really been part of the conversation, was staring out the window. Satine frowned worriedly, looking between Mia and Jack.

  Harry, for his part, folded his arms across his wide chest, his voice suddenly grave. ‘I’ll protect you.’

  And the strange thing was, Mia actually believed him.

  Bayard quickly reached the men where they’d stopped.

  ‘Right,’ he called, ‘You know what to do, men.’

  The sabre-tooths were upon them quickly, but the beasts were met with deadly force. These men were not his hand-picked, carefully trained knights for nothing. They were excellent fighters, deadly swift, wickedly accurate. The battle would have been over quickly if it had not been for a certain young woman arriving on the other side of the river, unarmed, forcing herself across towards the fight.

  ‘Gods, what is she doing?’ Bayard muttered and then swore. He kicked his horse around the fray and into the river, hoping to intercept the girl before she reached danger. But before he could do so, one of the sabre-tooths spotted her, and started to wade deeper into the river. Bayard swore again and urged his horse faster, but Bell was being bogged down by the mud. He wasn’t going to make it—the sabre-tooth was at her feet.

  Bayard opened his mouth to call out, but the words died on his lips, for as he watched, the woman gracefully flicked a small knife out of her boot, sweeping it down with one motion into the beast’s neck, killing the animal instantly.

  She rode her horse over to Bayard, and in a low, musical voice said, ‘Hand me your sword.’

  Bayard was so perplexed by her presence and her actions that he almost did exactly that. He realised what he was doing and snapped his mouth shut. ‘No!’

  Clicking her tongue angrily the girl moved on.

  Bayard watched, a little aghast, as she rode quickly to one of his men and, punching him in the face, stole his sword. The look on the man’s face would have been comical, if Bayard hadn’t been so vexed. Was the woman completely out of her mind?

  There were only two beasts still alive, and the other nine men stopped to look at the girl as she killed both with apparent ease, leaning far out of her saddle to slash the stolen sword into the beast’s necks.

  Finally she stopped and looked at them calmly.

  Bayard’s mouth was hanging open. ‘What in all hell are you doing?’

  ‘What does it look like I’m doing?’

  ‘But why?’

  ‘The business of revenge is not an easy one,’ she replied with a shrug. ‘I fight where I can.’

  ‘What do you have to be vengeful about?’ one of his men, Caleb, asked with a touch of scorn, still smarting from the punch and rubbing his swollen lip.

  She turned towards him and Bayard had a strong urge to laugh at her ferociousness.

  ‘Who are you?’ he asked instead.

  ‘My name is Ria del Torr.’

  Several of his knights gasped, and Caleb groaned and shook his head in mortification.

  ‘You are the singer,’ Bayard stated shortly.

  ‘I was once. Now I am a vigneron. Would you still speak to me of vengeance?’

  ‘I apologise,’ Caleb said quietly.

  ‘That is enough for today, men.’ Bayard said loudly. ‘Let’s get back to the barracks. Will you accompany us, Lady? It’s nearly nightfall.’

  ‘How far to your barracks?’ she asked.

  ‘Perhaps an hour’s hard ride.’

  Ria nodded. ‘It is much closer than Torr. I’ll come for the night, and leave on the morrow. Thank you.’ Pausing, she added almost as an afterthought, ‘What is the name of your barracks?’

  ‘I am the captain of the army at Karangul.’

  ‘Vezzet’s barracks?’ she asked sharply and he nodded.

  ‘I’m sorry, I cannot come with you. I will make my way back to Torr tonight.’ She turned to leave.

  ‘Wait!’ Bayard called, ‘You can’t go all the way to Torr on your own! You will be caught in the dark. Why change your mind?’

  She didn’t reply, just shook her head and turned her horse. ‘Can I keep this?’ she asked Caleb, holding up his sword.

  ‘Of course, Lady. But you can’t go out onto the plains at night!’

  ‘Leave it be,’ she snapped. ‘I’m not going to Karangul. I’d rather face the Valkyries.’

  Bayard stared at her, incredulous. He knew Vezzet was not universally liked, but to actually ride out into the night rather than go to his fortress? It was madness!

  Ria was already riding towards the horizon, growing smaller by the second. Swearing loudly, Bayard kicked his horse into a trot, calling out to his men from over his shoulder. ‘I’ll meet you back at the barracks, now go!’

  He leant low over Bell’s back, gaining on the girl quickly.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked breathlessly, reigning her horse to a halt.

  ‘I’m coming with you. I’m not the sort of man who lets a lass go off on her own into the night.’

  ‘ Lets a lass?’ she repeated scornfully. ‘You aren’t letting me do anything, Captain. And I don’t take kindly to insults about my sex. If you’re coming, you’d better be able to keep up, and hope to the gods that I feel like protecting you if we run into trouble.’

  And with that Ria kicked her horse into a canter. Bayard stared after her in astonishment, then caught himself and followed her into the distance.

  Jack looked at the two Harrys standing in front of him and tried to figure out which one was real.

  ‘I think you’ve had a bit much to drink,’ both Harrys told him. ‘Don’t feel bad—the ale here is much stronger than on Earth.’

  ‘I agree,’ Jack mumbled. He’d had a beer or two back home, but they’d never had this effect on him before.

  Jack looked around the crowded tavern and tried to find his girlfriend amid the chaos. It was like nowhere he’d ever been before. There were women dancing on tabletops, men having swordfights in the middle of the room, musicians trying to drown out the noise of laughing, shouting, and fighting, a rat race in one corner with men screaming bets, and ale—so much ale.

  A woman brushed past and Jack looked up to see that she had a snake wrapped around her neck that flicked its tongue at him. Harry laughed at his expression.

  ‘Maybe I should take you home,’ Harry suggested.

  ‘I need to find Mia,’ Jack said. He stumbled before Harry righted him.

  ‘I’ll find her and bring her back. Just wait here.’

  Mia stood not far away, hidden by a bunch of palm trees. At that moment she was being challenged by the Black Prince to drink a shot of something bright blue and on fire.

  ‘Torrean Ice Wine,’ he murmured. ‘It’s a delicacy. It’s so rare we’re probably the only ones in this bar able to afford it.’

  ‘You mean you are. My purse is sitting on a hilltop in another world.’

  ‘You are guests of the palace. We will accommodate everything you need. And right now you nee
d a shot of Ice Wine.’

  Mia laughed and held the shot nervously.

  ‘On my count,’ Altor said. ‘One—’

  Mia downed the shot before he had a chance to say two.

  ‘Now that’s cheating,’ he purred, quickly downing his own. ‘Are you a cheater, Mia?’

  She felt the hairs on her skin rise and closed her eyes, trying to regain composure. It was the way he kept looking at her. As though he could see her naked. How could he do that? Throw her one glance and make her feel more thrilled than she ever had before?

  With a jolt Mia pulled her thoughts back to her boyfriend. Suddenly she wished desperately that Jack would come and find her.

  ‘Want another?’ Altor asked her softly, resting his hand on the small of her back.

  ‘Absolutely not. You’re trying to get me drunk.’

  ‘I don’t need to bother, darling,’ he drawled. ‘You’re doing fine on your own.’

  Mia was about to protest when she realised she couldn’t feel her feet. ‘You’re right. Time for me to go home, I think.’

  Altor shrugged and she could see the interest fade from his eyes almost instantly. For some reason that left her feeling cold. ‘I could have one more, I guess.’

  He smiled darkly and Mia had the feeling she had just willingly entered the lion’s den. What was strange was that she didn’t really want to stop it. They were in an entirely new world, and she wanted to try new things.

  Was that selfish? she asked herself. How could she even be thinking of such things? And yet her feet stayed rooted where they were, and she accepted the Ice Wine when Altor handed it to her.

  She sipped it and listened to him softly relate the rules of the game of cards they were watching. There seemed to be a huge amount of money being bet on the table. Mia didn’t bother paying attention to what he was saying, but let the sweet, deep sound of his voice wash over her like warm water.

  A moment later they were interrupted by Harry. ‘Excuse me, Altor. May I have a word?’

  ‘Back in a moment, sweet. Have to do what the man says,’ Altor drawled.

  Harry reached an area free of people and turned to glare at Altor. ‘What are you doing?’

  Altor gazed back calmly. ‘Drinking. Talking.’

  ‘Don’t do this, Altor. Not to Mia.’

  ‘I’m not doing anything.’ Altor’s eyes turned hard. Harry knew the boy could not be swayed once he had made up his mind. Harry swore under his breath and walked back to Mia.

  ‘It’s time to go,’ he said into her ear.

  ‘Already? I’m having fun.’

  ‘Jack’s really wasted—we need to take him home.’

  ‘You can do that, Harry. I’ll stay here for a bit.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

  Mia looked him in the eye. ‘Don’t start trying to be my dad, Harry,’ she said firmly.

  Harry blinked and took a step away from her. ‘Okay. Fine. Don’t come crying to me in the morning when you sober up and realise you’ve stuffed everything.’ He was about to walk away when the anger seeped from him and he turned back with a pleading look. ‘Mia, honey, just please be careful. You don’t know Altor. He’s dangerous.’

  ‘But I do know me. I want to drink and dance and have fun. I’ll be good, I promise. You don’t need to worry about me.’

  Harry sighed. On his way out he saw Altor. ‘Just make sure she gets home safe, okay?’

  Altor tilted his head. ‘Harry. Of course I’ll do that,’ he murmured with rare sincerity.

  Mia watched Harry haul Jack out of the tavern. She had a sudden pang of regret that she hadn’t helped get him home. At the same time she just wanted to be able to go out and not have to worry about someone else. She and Jack had been together for so long, and they were only seventeen! Most of her other friends hadn’t had a boyfriend before. Jane had never even kissed anyone!

  Mia checked herself at the mistake. No, Jane had kissed someone. A prince. And Anna had fallen in love with a man who had betrayed everyone. Luca had had a girlfriend who’d sung to save the world and then fallen into a coma.

  How could you come to a new world and still want the same things you did in the old one?

  Altor stood with her again, telling her about the activities around them. The musicians were apparently famous. He explained what sort of music they played and their stories, and about the dancers and what went on after hours in the city. This was where the hearts of the people could be found, he said.

  ‘In their misbehaving?’ Mia smiled.

  Altor shook his head. ‘This isn’t misbehaving. It’s real life. It’s how we live amidst so much fear.’

  ‘So this is more real than sitting down with your family and eating a meal?’

  He shrugged. ‘That’s not the point. The point is, we need to be allowed to behave as we please. There has to be freedom to want what the heart wants.’

  ‘And does your heart want to come here to drink and gamble the nights away?’ she asked.

  He smiled. ‘You’re forgetting the women. Drinking, gambling and women.’

  Mia laughed. ‘What more could one want?’

  He handed her another shot and she took it. Without waiting for her to drink it, Altor leant in and kissed her on the corner of her mouth. She was so shocked that she froze. His lips were soft and warm, and when he moved away Mia felt cold again.

  ‘Drink up,’ he smiled, gesturing to the drink in her hand.

  Numbly Mia drank. She shouldn’t have enjoyed that kiss so much. Not nearly so much.

  ‘Relax,’ Altor said. ‘You haven’t committed a crime. You can say I forced you to kiss me. You can pretend you didn’t like it.’

  He moved closer, and Mia stiffened. ‘You can lie,’ he whispered, his breath hot against her mouth. And then he kissed her properly. Mia’s body erupted into shivers.

  ‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’ he murmured.

  She looked at him. His smile was predatory. ‘This is a game to you, isn’t it?’ she asked.

  He blinked. ‘Of course,’ he replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. ‘Isn’t it a game to everyone?’

  ‘No,’ she whispered. ‘It’s not. Can you take me home, please?’

  He looked at her for a long moment. Then he smiled. ‘My pleasure, Lady Mia.’ He led her outside and into a carriage. Mia stared out the window the whole way home, walking to her room without saying a word.

  ‘Mia,’ Altor called and she turned back to look at him, standing on the front steps of the castle, wreathed in moonlight but still so dark, and still so amused. ‘It is a game. You’ll realise that sooner or later, or else you’ll keep losing.’

  And the simple cruelty of his words cut straight inside her.

  Instead of heading to her own room, Mia went into Jack’s and locked the door behind her. She lay down next to him, staring at him for a long time. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, looked at the fine hairs on his chin, his dirty fingernails, the crease in the middle of his forehead, even when sleeping. She knew that crease, those fingernails, hairs, and breaths well. For a while, she’d known them as well as she’d known any part of herself.

  Now, she thought, she knew them far better.

  Chapter 5

  Ever so slowly, Anna’s body was degenerating. A long, painful death that loomed ever nearer.

  The doctors on Earth had told her she had only months to live. She’d survived over three years since then. There was something about this world that had slowed the cancer down. Or maybe she was just stronger than anyone had thought.

  Most days Anna forced herself not to think about her condition. Some days, though, it was too hard to ignore the weakness in her body, so she slept, claiming exhaustion from her patrols. It was the perfect excuse—no one suspected that her constant weariness was from anything but her demanding job.

  Luca was the only person who knew about her cancer, but he had long ago sworn silence. They hadn’t discussed it
for some time now, as she refused to enter into conversations about it. It didn’t actually seem like it was on the top of Luca’s list of worries. He had become like a wraith, a shadow of his former self.

  The dark secrecy had started when he began training with Kha~dim. Anna had no idea why they needed to train so thoroughly, morning and night. She could think of only one reason for this obsession, and that was that Luca must be planning to join the guard. Essentially, a suicide mission. Men only lasted a short time patrolling the ground against a sky full of shadows.

  They were losing Luca, but to what she didn’t know.

  Locktar was Anna’s perfect companion. With his silence he promised everything she wanted from what was left of her life—no questions and no pity.

  In that moment, Luca sat atop a cliff, watching waves break below him. The darkness of the water reminded him of the night Jane had been washed out to sea.

  He never knew what it was that brought such thoughts. He’d become so melancholy, only able to think about the past. It tormented him, and when it started he had to make sure he was alone.

  He had been ordered to take a job in Cynis Witron, the place that held a woman he desperately wanted to see. But what would he say to her? Would he tell her what he’d become? The place deep inside him writhed and broiled. He couldn’t tell Ria what he was. He couldn’t tell anyone. All he could do was try to control his horrific urges, and keep the beast at bay.

  It was growing nearer to twilight. Time to get inside. He was full of despair, but he was no fool.

  He began the walk back to the city by climbing down the steep cliff face. He had no harness, but his body was skilled enough to scale the jagged rocks easily.

  At the halfway mark he stopped for a moment to gauge the best path to the sand, when, from the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a smudge on the beach. Squinting against the setting sun he tried to make out what it was, and realised, suddenly, that it was a body.

  Luca reached the bottom as quickly as he could and began to run. At this altitude he could run fast, and by the time he reached the figure, only about a minute had passed. Only a minute. But those sixty seconds plagued him. What if it was too late? What if this person died because he was too slow? It didn’t enter his mind that he’d made it down the length of the beach much faster than anyone else could. He expected more of himself.