City of Gold

by Daniel Blackaby

  Jade grasped her forehead. “What are you talking about? How can they do that?”

  “Fear can motivate the most unthinkable acts. The fear of those who accuse them of being monsters can lead one on a path to become the very monster they sought to deny.”

  “But I don’t feel anything different,” Jade stammered.

  The King traced his long finger across her forehead as he stepped even closer. “That’s the danger of it. I had hoped when we rescued you from Atlantis that it wouldn’t be too late, but the damage was already done. Whatever dark creation technique they used, your brain has been caged in a dark shroud.”

  As the King spoke, Hansi reached out and grabbed Jade’s shaking hand.

  “Can you help remove it?” she pleaded.

  The King looked Jade straight in the eyes. “Yes…but it won’t be pleasant. Is this what you want?” She nodded firmly. The Golden King placed his fingers on the sides of her head. “You may feel a bit of a sting….”

  He began whispering in a language unrecognizable to Jade. She flinched as something pinched the back of her neck. Her head felt tight pressure and she grimaced as something began to worm its way toward her brain. She squeezed Hansi’s hand as the sensation burrowed deeper and deeper into her skull.

  The Golden King’s ruby eyes burned as he continued to whisper. She felt his words slither over her brain and her head began to quiver. There was a searing pain.

  Jade screamed in anguish.

  76

  The Desire to Kill

  THE WALLS BLURRED ON BOTH SIDES as Cody sprinted down the palace corridor. Flying around the corner he collided with two servant girls coming the opposite way. “Sorry!” he called over his shoulder as he continued his mad-dash.

  Jade, where are you! She hadn’t been in her chamber, and by the look of her things, she appeared to have left on short notice. It was unlike Jade to leave things untidy. She had too much of her military father in her.

  Cody cleared a lengthy staircase with one soaring leap. Throwing out his arms to regain his balance, he continued to run. On the other side of the room he spied a familiar face; the servant who often assisted Jade. “Wait! Over here!” he shouted as he rushed toward her. She looked to him and the commotion he was causing.

  He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him. “Have…you seen…Jade?” Cody asked between heavy breaths.

  The girl’s face was full of concern. “I saw her not an hour ago…” she looked both ways before leaning forward, “she’s been taken to the Golden King.” Cody’s heart dropped. The King’s chamber was on the opposite side of the palace. He took off running.

  I’m coming, Jade; I won’t lose you again.

  Anger…Fear…Jealousy…Glee…Passion…Pride…Happiness…Disappointment…

  A carnival of emotions wheeled through Jade’s head. They were like faceless spirits taunting her from the corner of her mind, just out of sight. She heard laughter; it was cruel and mocking. The pressure on her brain increased. She screamed but made no sound.

  All of a sudden her father appeared before her as though passing through an invisible cloud. He knelt to his knees and began waving her toward him. His mouth was moving but his words didn’t make any sense. Jade ran toward him as fast as she could but she never seemed to get any closer. He stood. His eyes were sad. Jade screamed at him as he turned away but he didn’t seem to hear her. Then he was gone.

  Shame…Guilt…Joy…Envy…Hope…Worry…Desire…Regret…Hatred…

  Jade’s body was shaking. Each of her muscles was contracting. Then Cody was in front of her. He looked different somehow, but she knew it was him. He was smiling. There was someone standing beside him. It was Tiana. Cody pulled her toward him and they began to kiss. Jade tried to turn away but her head was locked in place.

  Hatred…Revenge…Envy…Hatred…Jealousy…Bitterness…Hatred…

  She was so angry. She wanted to punish him. She wanted to kill him.

  Then it was over.

  Jade collapsed forward in her chair. She grabbed at her throbbing temples. The pain was gone. Sweat trickled off her burning forehead. She raised her tired eyes toward the chamber’s entrance. Standing in the open doorway was Cody. He looked normal again. Jade felt a wave of emotion in her. She was furious at him…but she couldn’t remember why.

  “An…unexpected surprise,” the Golden King uttered, his eyes fixed firmly on the doorway. “To what do we owe the honor?” Cody was crouched over with his hands on his knees panting for breath. He looked at Jade in relief.

  “I…uh…I just wanted to say I’m ready to continue my training in the Books,” he stammered breathlessly. The King’s silent rage drained. It was replaced by a satisfied grin.

  “You will not be disappointed…trust me.”

  The Golden King’s eyes remained transfixed on the door long after Cody and Jade had scampered away. Hansi waited patiently. He knew better than to interrupt his father’s silent thoughts. He had learnt the hard way as a child.

  At last the King pivoted and paced back to his position in front of the large window.

  Hansi stepped forward. “Father…?”

  Unexpectedly the King began to laugh. The sound sent a chill over Hansi.

  “It worked. At long last, it’s mine….”

  Hansi took a step away. The warmth in the room evaporated. “Father…what are you talking about?” The Golden King turned. His eyes were as cold as tombs.

  “The-Creation-Which-Should-Be-One’s-Own—I’ve found it.”

  77

  The Dream Ends

  CODY WAS STILL PANTING as he and Jade reached Cody’s chamber. They had not spoken a word. They entered the room and Cody quickly closed the door behind them. He exhaled a deep sigh of relief. “That was too close.”

  “What happened?” probed Tiana as she emerged from an unknown hiding spot. Cody glanced to Jade. Her face was damp with sweat. She looked frail and exhausted.

  “I don’t know. The Golden King was doing something to her—something terrible. I was able to save her just in time.”

  Jade’s face contorted and she shoved Cody. “I don’t need saving!” she shrieked. The next instant she returned to her feeble state, but her eyes were wide with fear. “I don’t know why I said that just now. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Cody wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.

  “It’s time to go. I won’t let him mess with you again. I journeyed from Atlantis to El Dorado to get you out of here. It’s about time I did.” Jade didn’t respond, but Cody felt her slow breathing against his chest.

  Cody quickly recapped his experience in the orb monument and in the underworld. “This whole city is one gigantic lie, a big illusion. These people aren’t happy—they’re imprisoned. This city is like one giant house of horrors. We’re not safe here.”

  He grabbed Jade’s hands and stared into her deep green eyes. “Jade, I know I don’t always act like it, but you know I care about you more than anyone in the world. You’re my best friend. We might not always agree—but I really need you to trust me on this.”

  Jade didn’t blink. After several moments she squeezed Cody’s hands. “Okay, I trust you.”

  “Finally!” Tiana blurted, destroying the moment. “So, what do we do now? We need to get out of here. But how?”

  “It’s impossible. The Golden King has every part of the city on constant watch. There is zero chance that all three of us could go missing without suspicion. Not to mention Dace and the others still in prison. We need a plan. Everything will need to be perfect—we’ll only get one chance at it. Tallsin told me to await further contact from The Resistance.”

  “Can we trust them?” Tiana asked.

  Cody took a deep breath. “It’s our only chance. Until then, we must continue on as normal. We continue to play along with the illusion. The King can’t get any clue that we are onto his act. If we slip up it’s over.”

  Tiana nodded firmly. “I’ll need to stay in hidi
ng. If the King discovers I’m still alive our cover is blown.”

  Cody turned to her. “We still haven’t talked about how you managed to escape the Hunter. Or how you correctly knew that Jade was in danger….” He let the enquiry hang, waiting for Tiana to bite.

  Her face hardened. “It doesn’t matter,” she responded sternly. Her fingers drifted to her eyes and she thoughtlessly rubbed her eyelids.

  Cody titled his head curiously. “Tiana did you…see someone?”

  Tiana dropped her hands as though remembering she wasn’t alone. “I said it doesn’t matter. I’m safe. End of story. We need to focus on getting out of this cursed city.”

  Cody examined her for another moment before relenting. “Okay.” He made a mental note to ask her again. Had she seen the eyelid-less man, too?

  He looked out the window over the city. “Then we wait…and pray for the impossible.”

  78

  An Intimate Connection

  IT HAD HAPPENED. The worst thing Cody could have imagined. He walked slowly down the long hall, delaying the inevitable, unwanted destination. Me and my big mouth. He stopped in front of two large double doors, and stood motionlessly.

  The Golden King had summoned him. He had been awakened at the first sign of morning light and informed that the King desired his presence for a training session in the Great Hall—immediately.

  Does he know? The timing seemed too precise. I was too careless last night saving Jade. If the King suspected something Cody knew he was dancing on thin glass. Then, completely on their own accord, the two doors inched open, beckoning him to enter.

  “You seem…nervous,” the King said, his voice a slithering viper.

  Cody felt his heart gaining speed. Keep your cool. Stay calm! He forced his tense shoulders into a shrug. “Just anxious about my training today,” he replied in a wobbly voice. Relax, Cody, relax!

  The King swooped around him, appearing on Cody’s other side. “Then let’s begin. ” The King glided across the room with one smooth motion and stood beside the podium. As always The Key sparkled, casting bright colors against the pillars of the Hall. “I think the time has come to do that which has never before been done.” The King grinned. “Let us unite the Books!”

  Oh, no. Cody felt the weight of the Book in his backpack. Not now! “I don’t know if I’m ready,” he stammered.

  The King strode toward him like a tracking leopard. “No? But you seemed so…eager…to continue your training last night. So much so that you burst into my chamber unannounced. Or was I mistaken about the purpose of your visit?”

  Cody’s muscles cramped. He was trapped. The King was no fool. To resist was to jeopardize their escape plans.

  “I was—am—eager,” he said, quickly correcting himself, “it’s just…”

  The King’s face was smug and victorious. “Don’t you desire one small glimpse of the endless power?”

  Checkmate. There was nothing else Cody could say. “I suppose just one glimpse,” he conceded in defeat.

  He unzipped his backpack and removed the Book. The scarlet ‘A’ was glowing like a volcano ready to erupt. His fingers tingled as heat exuded from the leather cover.

  A bright light gleamed from across the room causing Cody to shield his face. The diamonds forming the ‘E’ on the cover of The Key began to illuminate. The Golden King’s eyes widened with zealous anticipation. He stroked his crystal fingernails down the Book’s spine, arching his back and soaking in the pulsing energy.

  Cody’s hand trembled as he opened the front cover. The Golden King slowly opened The Key. Like The Code, the lettering was unfamiliar and the words a strange language. Cody glanced between the two Books with confusion. “How do we use them if we can’t understand the writing?”

  The Golden King’s eyes burned fiercely. “How, indeed?”

  Cody took a deep breath and began reading. To his surprise, his mouth pronounced the words effortlessly, as though he had known them all along, but he couldn’t comprehend the meaning. The King’s voice rang out as he began reading as well.

  Reaching the end of the first page they stopped. Nothing happened.

  “Well, now what?” The moment the words left Cody’s mouth the room shook.

  A beam of light shot from the scarlet ‘A’, shining a stencil on the ceiling. Beads of sweat poured down Cody’s forehead as the heat from the book increased.

  “What’s happening!?” he asked nervously as the Book continued to vibrate out of control. The blinding light from The Key reflected off the King’s eyes. They were full of child’s wonder.

  Cody screamed as The Code suddenly flew from his hands. At the same moment, The Key soared from the King’s hands. The two Books stopped in the center of the room and hovered in midair.

  There was a deafening explosion.

  The room was quiet. Dunstan stared straight ahead at the empty chair across the desk. He was alone.

  A rattling noise buzzed in his ear, pulling him from his thoughts. The table began to shake. Dunstan placed his hands on the surface to steady it but the rattling increased. The entire room began to tremble. Glass shattered as a picture was shaken off the wall and forced to the ground.

  The object on the center of the desk began to glow, filling the room with blinding rays of light. What the blazes…? Dunstan shielded his eyes and took two steps away from the desk. The light continued to grow brighter.

  He took another step back and bumped into a man. Dunstan turned and looked straight into the face of his master. Another picture tumbled to the floor with a shattering crash.

  The master smiled. “At last. It has begun.”

  79

  Visions

  CODY SHIELDED HIS EYES as white light pelted against his eyes. As the light dimmed he realized that he was no longer standing in the Great Hall and the Golden King was nowhere to be seen. The room he was in now was somehow familiar. Across the room was a lone, sturdy table. The only other furniture was a half-built rocking chair. I’ve been here before.

  He sensed a sudden presence behind him. He spun around and saw a man. Cody recognized him as well. The pieces came together in his mind. He was standing in the Caves of Revelation, which meant the man before him was called The Thirteenth.

  Only, he looked different. He looked younger. His skin was smooth and unblemished. There was no sign of the bullet that had ended his life.

  “The Books of the Covenant have been united,” the man muttered.

  “You!?” Cody asked, “How are you here? You were killed. I saw it.”

  The man tilted his head curiously. “Was I really? A pity, I suppose.” He turned and scuffled across the room, lowering himself into the rocking chair. Cody scanned the room. The walls were once again covered with shelving and bins, however, the stone tablets which had previously filled them were few and scattered.

  “I don’t understand.”

  The man in the chair chuckled, “No, no, I don’t suppose you do.” He began rocking slowly back and forth. “As to your question of who I am—that is entirely unimportant.” He stopped his rocking and smiled. “What is important is what I can tell you.”

  Cody realized he was leaning forward and drifting toward the stranger. Losing his balance, he stumbled forward. “What can you tell me?”

  The man smiled. “A great many things. The problem is that you just don’t know the right questions to ask!” His laughter drained. “So allow me, if you will, to bypass your unarticulated petitions and give you the answers you so greatly desire.”

  Cody rubbed his head trying to piece together what he was hearing. Without anything to say, he merely nodded his approval.

  The man leaned forward. “The Prophecy is true—and truth can only be contained for so long. As you now see, there is also much more to your cherished Book than simple ink and leather. For one who is willing, it is the very doorway to release the Truth.”

  “But how do I use it? I am willing. I want to find the truth. More than anything!“


  The man raised his bushy left eyebrow. “Do you, son? Do you really?” The man stood from the chair and glided toward him. “Unlocking the Truth demands a payment worthy of obtaining such a power.” He reached out and placed his hand upon Cody’s chest, over his heart. “The one closest to you must pay that price.”

  The area changed into a bright burning sun. Cody could see the silhouette of a person falling helplessly into the light, long hair streaming from her head. Then, suddenly, she was gone.

  Everything went black as the firm voice of The Thirteenth rang out, “Unlock the Truth!”

  Cody rubbed his eyes; he was back in the Great Hall and somehow the Book was back in his hands. His legs quivered and he fell against one of the large pillars.

  Across the room the Golden King was standing motionlessly beside the podium holding the golden Book. His eyes peered down at it as though nothing else in the room existed. Had the King seen the same vision he had? Had he also met The Thirteenth? At that moment, though, the answer wasn’t important.

  Pushing himself to his feet, Cody scampered toward the doors, unnoticed by the hypnotized King. The vision had been painfully clear. Cody felt a lump festering in his stomach as he ran.

  “The one closest to you must pay that price.” The apparition’s haunting words echoed in his mind. There was finally a mystery that Cody could figure out on his own: for the Prophecy to be fulfilled—Jade would have to die.

  80

  A Tight Spot

  “HOW DID IT GO?” Jade questioned the moment Cody entered the room. Her green eyes were soft. It was the first time he had seen them so tender since he had been in El Dorado, as though scales had fallen off. He had his Jade back.

  “Oh…it was fine. Just regular training,” Cody replied softly. He knew in that moment that he would never tell her what he had just seen. There’s got to be another way.