The Key

by Marianne Curley

  When Neriah sees me walking off she calls out, waving me over. I hesitate, because I really don’t want to feel their beaming happiness up close.

  ‘Rochelle!’ she calls out loudly. ‘Come and show me how it’s done.’

  I can’t believe what she’s asking! She looks at Ethan. ‘A demonstration would be a big help. What do you think?’

  At first he doesn’t say a word, but just looks at me. Finally he gives in to Neriah’s whim and shrugs his shoulders. ‘Sure.’

  Slowly I make my way over, wishing instead that I was buried deep in a cave somewhere on the other side of the world.

  With slow steps Ethan moves in close behind me. And then his arm comes around my waist. He presses in at my back and I feel his chest inhale deeply as his other arm closes around my throat. For a moment everything is still and I become conscious of the fact that if I turn my head just slightly to the right, my eyes will meet his. The pressure to do so becomes intense and for a second I can’t resist. Slowly, I turn.

  But he’s not looking at me. He’s looking straight across at Neriah and smiling.

  If it’s possible to die from embarrassment, then I should be flat on the ground right now with no breath in my lungs. Instead of dying, I decide to do the next best thing. Manoeuvring my chin into position to break the stranglehold, I drop downwards, pulling Ethan’s elbow along with me. Turning my hips now I keep pulling Ethan’s elbow away from him. He loses his balance and hits the ground hard.

  Neriah laughs and can’t seem to stop, doubling over.

  Ethan looks up at me from the ground, shaking his head. But there’s a grin there, so at least there’s no hard feelings and I can walk away with my pride intact.

  Just as I go to walk away I hear a noise and spin quickly to my left, flicking a knife from my boot.

  Ethan is up beside me in a flash. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Footsteps.’

  I hear them again, and this time Ethan does too. He lunges for Neriah, shoving her behind us. Her expression changes quickly from one of fun to fear. Her big brown eyes grow even rounder.

  ‘Stay quiet,’ he says softly and propels a knife from his boot to his palm.

  A crackling of twigs has the nerves at my neck rippling. The footsteps are getting closer and now there’s the shadow of a man coming towards us.

  Surprising me, Ethan puts his knife away.

  ‘What are you doing?’

  He starts walking over to the man, and then I see why. It’s our friend, Dillon. Arkarian said he would be joining us soon.

  Ethan and Dillon grab each other’s arms. ‘Hey, it’s good to see you,’ Ethan says. ‘You weren’t away long.’

  Exactly. Dillon and I have both defected from the Order now, but where my debriefing took almost a year, Dillon has only been gone a few weeks. I remember the months of doubt I went through and I wonder how in control Dillon can be after such a short time. Loyalties are difficult to break. But who am I to judge? Dillon doesn’t have evil in his blood. His parents were drunks and they fought a lot, but they weren’t murderers, like my father.

  Arkarian and Lady Arabella must be confident of Dillon’s successful transition to have put him through the program so quickly. And they are the two people I trust the most in the world.

  Chapter Eleven

  Matt

  Arkarian transports us both to the Citadel, to the room with the high coloured ceiling crafted in eight panels. He points to the centre of the octagonal shape marked out on the floor. ‘I’m going to propel you into another world.’

  A feeling of déjà vu passes through me. I’ve been here before. ‘Be careful, Arkarian. I don’t want to end up in that dark place all by myself.’

  He gives me a reassuring look. ‘Don’t worry, Matt. If I propelled you into the underworld by mistake, I would come straight after you.’ He laughs. ‘My life wouldn’t be worth living if I lost you.’

  ‘If it’s Isabel you’re thinking about, I wouldn’t worry too much. I’m sure she would forgive you for losing her brother!’

  Arkarian’s eyes drop and he mumbles, ‘I wasn’t thinking of Isabel, actually.’ He looks up. ‘You don’t understand yet just how important you are.’

  His words are unsettling. I decide to change the subject. ‘Will you be able to see me wandering around in this world?’

  He shakes his head. ‘No. The outer worlds are closed to our viewing. But I will be informed of your safe arrival.’

  ‘By the man who is going to be my mentor?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Isabel thinks this man is my father.’

  Arkarian peers at me with a considering look. ‘You’re asking your questions to the wrong person. Just a little more patience, Matt, and I’m sure that at least some of your greatest mysteries will be explained.’

  He moves back. ‘Wait!’ I call out with one more concern. He reads my thoughts, and his eyes soften instantly, but for my own benefit I need to hear his assurance out loud. ‘Will you do what you can to protect Isabel?’

  ‘Of course. I will use all that is within my power.’

  ‘I don’t want her to get hurt.’

  ‘I would never do anything to hurt Isabel.’

  We’re silent for a moment. Arkarian can tell there’s more I need to say. I stare over his shoulder while I get my thoughts together. ‘Look, I know the two of you are close. But, well, you both have the gift of agelessness. There is plenty of time before you should feel the need to deepen your relationship.’

  Arkarian pauses before he answers. ‘Don’t you think that’s Isabel’s decision?’

  ‘Of course, but … she will love you with all that she is, and that gives you power over her.’

  ‘Only because you are her brother, Matt, will I allow that insult to pass.’

  The ceiling panels begin to spin, so, with no other option, I put my trust in Arkarian’s hands. A burst of brilliant light spills over me from above and the spinning turns into a frenzy of colour and motion. Suddenly I’m catapulted into a dizzying wind. It lasts for a moment longer than I’m comfortable bearing, then I find myself falling. I hit solid ground and start to roll, down and further down, tumbling head over heels.

  At last I stop, but my head is still spinning. I open my eyes and try to focus. There is thick foliage in my face. As I lift my head my eyes are drawn to the sky.

  ‘Oh, wow.’

  I stare at this strange sight without blinking. There are two suns! One orange, one blue. How can this be? And while it’s obviously daytime, the sky is alive with moving colour – shimmering lights of reds, blues, yellow and indigo. What would it look like at night?

  Dragging my eyes away I take a look at my surroundings. There seems to be no one around for as far as the eye can see. In the vast distance, there’s a mountain range, while closer sprawls a deep green valley with a stream rushing through it. Beneath me, and for kilometres around, are fields covered with wild flowers in a variety of colours. I lift my hand and crushed beneath it find a flower with twelve different-coloured petals. While staring at this amazing phenomenon, the flower springs back into shape again.

  ‘Unbelievable,’ I whisper.

  A voice from behind me has me jumping out of my skin. ‘There you are! I thought I’d gone and lost you!’

  I stagger to my feet, spinning around. There’s a man in strange baggy clothes running down the hill towards me. His hair is brown and long and flowing freely down his back.

  ‘Matt,’ he says, holding out his hand. ‘My name is Janah. I have been sent to welcome you and be your guide.’ He holds his arms out wide and looks up and around. ‘What do you think of this realm so far?’

  ‘It’s beautiful. You have two suns!’

  ‘Actually we have seven, but the others haven’t risen yet. There’s one for every level. Up here we get them all.’

  Janah sees me frown and leans his head to the side. ‘It’s all right, Matt. You’re not expected to understand. There are many facets of this realm that will p
rove beyond your comprehension. Like this, for example.’ He grips my hand again, but this time his hand goes partially through mine.

  It surprises me. ‘Hey!’

  ‘Everything here is real and solid in form, if that is what we desire, but there is a freedom in our bodies and especially our minds. You’ll see what I mean in a minute, when we start our journey.’

  ‘OK. I don’t know how I would find my way without you.’ I wave my arm around the magnificent countryside. ‘This place looks endless. Are you the only one who lives here?’

  He laughs, but there is no condescension in his eyes, only a reflection of his obvious inner contentment. ‘Many people live here. In fact, a couple of friends of yours only recently arrived. I believe you knew them as John Wren and Sera.’

  ‘Really? Will I see them?’

  ‘Not this visit. But rest assured, Sera is very happy.’

  ‘And John Wren? Is he happy too?’

  ‘John is on a different level.’

  ‘What does that mean? Is that good or bad?’

  ‘Here, there is no bad. Remember I told you there are seven levels to this realm?’ He waits for me to acknowledge. ‘Well, John is on the first. When he’s ready he’ll move to the next level and so forth. Probably in a few thousand years from now.’

  I can’t help frowning again. Janah shakes his head. ‘Don’t try to understand, Matt. That’s not why you’re here. Dartemis is waiting for you in his palace.’

  ‘Who is this Dartemis?’

  ‘All will be explained in due course,’ Janah replies.

  ‘Is this palace we’re going to far away?’ I ask.

  He taps the side of his head lightly. ‘What’s that mortal measurement for distance again?’

  ‘Kilometres.’

  ‘Ah yes. You are ninety billion kilometres from your destination.’

  For a second I’m completely speechless. ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  My thoughts grow confused. I glance up towards the hill I just rolled down. If I were to run up there as fast as my legs can move, would there be a chance Arkarian could take me back? I start to move away.

  ‘Janah, I’m afraid I can’t stay. To cover ninety billion kilometres would take more than my lifetime – a thousand of my lifetimes!’

  He touches my arm and I feel peace flow through my body. ‘But not in this world, Matt. Trust me.’

  I guess I don’t have any choice.

  His touch on my arm turns into a solid grip. ‘Come with me, Matt.’

  ‘Where are you taking –?’ I don’t finish the question as I realise Janah’s feet are no longer touching the ground. He has lifted – literally – off the surface of this world.

  Janah’s body tilts further in the direction he is tugging my arm – an effortless motion, as if his limbs are now made of a malleable substance and not bone. ‘We should leave now. You’re expected for dinner.’

  ‘Janah, wait.’

  His feet come back down to touch the soft grass.

  ‘I’m not … like you. I don’t live here. The rules of this world don’t apply to me.’

  He simply smiles. ‘Did your Trainer not teach you how to clear your mind and find your central focus?’

  ‘Well, he tried.’

  ‘Do it now, Matt.’

  I close my eyes and try to appear to be doing what he says. The truth is that every time I tried with Ethan, I never completely succeeded. I knew it frustrated him no end, and so sometimes I pretended to achieve this ultimate moment of inner peace and stillness of mind. I draw on the calmness emanating from Janah’s touch.

  To my surprise I feel myself lifting. I open my eyes to check. I’m hovering just above the ground!

  Janah looks on with amusement. ‘Well, it’s not much, but it will do.’ He moves his hand to my elbow and with a gentle upward thrust, my body tilts sideways.

  And then we’re moving. Beneath me the grassy fields begin to skim past. We remain close to each other, our bodies almost horizontal to the surface, and for a while I can see the landscape below. We lift higher and pass over many mountains and valleys, so many that I lose count. A city comes into view on the horizon, with lots of people in and about it. The buildings are multilevelled, and appear as if they are part of the landscape, woven among the trees, with golden bridges that float from one collection of buildings to another. There’s an abundance of creeks and waterfalls everywhere. And then a third sun crests the horizon – this one purple. The shimmering colours in the sky shift and change again with purples and pinks added to the streaming mix.

  Soon we’re travelling at such speed that below and above me become a coloured blur. There’s a lightness in my body that is difficult to explain in earthly terms. I still feel solid and real, but it’s as if inside I am nothing but air.

  Eventually we start to slow. The time draws nearer to meeting the one person who can give me the answers to the mystery of my birth. As we slow right down, an unsettling sensation hits my stomach. What if these answers are life-changing? Is Isabel right to have fears about this journey? Is her fear generated from love, or has she seen something in one of her visions?

  We stop and all questions fly from my head. It’s enough to cope with just taking in the sight that stretches out before me. There’s a building, an incredible palace, made up of what must be at least a thousand rooms. It’s mostly white, with gold and silver turrets, arches, columns, shimmering crystal windows and an array of gold-framed doors. But it’s not even this splendour that has me stunned and staring in awe. It’s where this palace is sitting. Though ‘sitting’ isn’t the right word. It can only be described as hovering. Hovering, that is, at the very end (or is it the beginning?) of the universe.

  I take a breath and try to slow my racing thoughts. But it doesn’t help. I shuffle my feet, just checking the ground is solid beneath me. Over where the palace is hovering there is no ground at all. Nothing. It’s like this incredible building is floating off the edge of the universe. Around it there is no sky, no suns, no stars. Maybe even no air.

  ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’

  ‘It’s incredible, isn’t it?’

  ‘Who would live out there? Will you tell me now who this man is?’

  ‘You already know his name is Dartemis. He is an Immortal. One in a set of triplets born to the ill-fated Gods Athenia and Artemis.’

  ‘Then he is Lorian’s brother.’

  ‘And Lathenia is their sister. But she thinks Dartemis is dead, slain by Lorian many millennia past. And so that she does not detect his presence, Dartemis lives out there.’

  ‘Outside the universe.’

  ‘Yes. Now come. Look.’ Janah points up ahead to where a man dressed in a white suit is standing at the palace doors. ‘He is ready for you. As I understand it, he’s very excited.’

  ‘To meet me?’

  ‘Yes. Don’t you know, Matt?’

  ‘Know what?’

  Janah explains, ‘You are the culmination of his entire life’s work.’

  That’s what Arkarian hinted at. That this Immortal has lived his whole life waiting for me to turn up. But why? Why me? The earlier spinning in my head is back again. This is all too much to take in. The air grows thin around me. I breathe in as much of it as I can. It has no effect. Everything keeps spinning, swirling away and then back again. Janah must notice my distress; I hear him call out something. I think it’s my name. And then I am cradled in someone’s strong arms and I feel myself moving.

  I wake inside the palace, lying on a couch with a damp cloth across my forehead.

  ‘He’s stirring, my lord,’ Janah’s voice says through the fog in my brain.

  ‘Let him rest now, Janah. Leave us.’

  ‘Yes, my lord.’ Janah takes the cloth from my face and leaves the room.

  I look up and straight into the eyes of the Immortal. I have only seen Lorian once, at my sister’s recent trial, and the likeness between the two brothers is distinct. They are b
oth taller than any human, with unusually long fingers and the same luminescent skin and eyes that could have been shaped from a precious stone. But where Lorian’s eyes are violet in colour, and I’m told Lathenia’s are silver, the pair looking at me now are yellow. Yellow-gold.

  ‘Are you my father?’

  He laughs, and the sound is hearty and strong. ‘You like to get right to the point, don’t you, Matthew?’

  Actually, it just seemed to pop out. But now I’ve gone and asked it, I do want to hear the answer.

  He laughs again, a little more subdued this time. He must be reading my thoughts. I wonder if he’s a Truthseer?

  ‘Yes,’ he says.

  ‘Yes?’ Now I’m confused. Was he answering ‘yes’ to my thoughts or to the question I asked out loud?

  ‘Both,’ he replies. ‘And now that the formalities are over, we can begin your training. That’s what you’re here for. And we can’t waste any more time, Matthew. My sister is in a hurry to conquer all that she can, all that doesn’t belong to her. She is upsetting the balance of life. The result will be catastrophic for all creatures that roam the earth, and it is up to you to ensure this doesn’t happen.’

  ‘But, this all sounds … horrific.’

  ‘It is horrific. What you have on the earth is precious. It cannot be found in any other realm. And believe me, Matthew, there are many, many realms. Some are light, some are dark, some are grey, where the lost and disenchanted wander. And then there are those that no one would want to see. You have been to the underworld. It was once a beautiful realm. Now it is one of darkness, where the most horrid creatures of the universe live deep within its bowels. But the earth …’ He leans forward, his gold eyes piercing mine, making me feel as if I am being swallowed whole. ‘The earth is the last of the living.’

  I look around the room for a moment, trying to absorb what he’s saying, when a pair of lions appear at an open doorway, one male with an incredible golden mane, the other female. Instinct has me bringing my feet up underneath me on the couch. They stroll in as if they’re well used to moving around the place. When they get to Dartemis the male gives a low, almost mournful roar. Dartemis urges it to come even closer, then strokes it behind its ear, crooning comforting words.