The Key

by Marianne Curley

  There is only one person left.

  ‘And me?’ Mr Carter asks.

  ‘Marcus, you’re needed in the Citadel. With six of us travelling through time, your co-ordinating skills are going to be essential. You’re going to have to be more accurate than you’ve ever been before.’

  Chapter Sixteen

  Rochelle

  Mr Carter drops us directly in the middle of that now familiar golden courtyard within the palace walls in Athens. It’s night and the evening air is warm. Behind us, birds are singing, a melody of sharp clear notes. I spin around to see what breed could make such a pure, yet mournful sound. Even though their voices are the sweetest I’ve ever heard, it does nothing to prepare me for the actual sight of them. Beautiful beyond words, they take my breath away.

  Isabel comes up beside me. Her eyes also become glued to the pair of lovebirds sitting side-by-side on a perch made of wood from an olive tree. ‘Have you ever seen anything so exquisite?’

  ‘Never,’ I mutter back.

  Ethan comes over. ‘What are you looking at?’ Then he sees them. ‘Whoa! Are they real?’

  ‘They sound real enough,’ Isabel replies as the pair pick up another melancholy tune.

  An urge comes over me to lay my hands on the cage. I get the feeling that if I did, I would be able to ‘feel’ their souls. The urge becomes so overwhelming that I can’t resist it, and start to peel back my gloves.

  A whooshing sound from directly behind makes me jump, and my heart starts beating hard. It’s Lady Arabella. I tug my gloves back down. She comes and stands beside us, glancing into the cage.

  ‘I see you’ve found my birds.’

  ‘They’re yours?’ Isabel asks. ‘I didn’t know you had birds, my lady.’

  ‘I found these just recently,’ she says. ‘Or I should say, they found me. Aren’t they beautiful creatures?’

  All three of us nod, while Isabel asks, ‘Are their feathers made of real gold?’

  ‘It would appear so.’

  ‘And their eyes?’ I ask. ‘Are they real diamonds?’

  ‘Pink diamonds, the rarest in the universe.’

  Lady Arabella is hardly able to contain her own enthusiasm for her new-found pets. ‘I have to confine them for their own protection. When they came to me they were severely injured and unable to fly.’

  Isabel gasps. ‘Who would do that to such beautiful creatures?’

  Lady Arabella stares at her birds with wonder in her eyes. ‘Who knows, my dear?’

  ‘Would you like me to try to heal them, my lady?’ Isabel offers.

  Lady Arabella shoots her a surprised look, then says in a soft, yet firm tone, ‘Your offer is generous, but the birds are healing well enough in my care. They trust me.’

  Ethan remains quiet, studying the birds now with a slight frown.

  Lady Arabella notices. ‘Don’t you like them, Ethan?’

  ‘They’re amazing, my lady. It’s just, I’ve never seen anything like them before.’ And before he shuts off his thoughts, wayward ones come bursting out. At least not in this world! So where have you been wandering?

  I step on his foot. His head jerks in my direction. He realises that I’ve heard him, and if I have, then it’s possible Lady Arabella did too. She looks at Ethan for a long moment, her ice-tipped eyelashes fluttering uneasily. Finally she smiles. Relief washes through me. This mission is going to be tricky. We really have to watch every one of our thoughts. We’ve only been here a minute or so and already Ethan is having trouble accomplishing this.

  Suddenly Lord Penbarin appears. ‘There you are!’ At first I think he means Lady Arabella, but I soon realise he means the three of us. ‘Lorian requests your presence. Now. In his private chambers.’

  A cold sweep of fear starts at my head and slithers through my entire nervous system. But Matt did warn us. There’s not much that goes on here – or anywhere – that Lorian doesn’t see or know about. Our task – to search for the key and uncover the traitor – will be almost impossible to accomplish. But we’re here, and we’re going to at least try. Anything we uncover could help.

  As Lord Penbarin leads the way down one spacious corridor after another I pull Ethan back a little. ‘It might be a good idea if you stayed outside of Lorian’s chambers.’

  He gives me a hard stare. ‘Why?’ And then he gets it, and as always gets mad at me. ‘You’re reading my thoughts again! Can’t you stay out of my head?’

  ‘I don’t do it on purpose,’ I try to defend myself.

  ‘Don’t you have any control over your own powers?’

  I hiss at him, ‘Of course I do! But you’re projecting your thoughts as hard as if you’re throwing tennis balls at my head!’

  ‘Don’t give me ideas!’

  ‘I shouldn’t have to. You know, Ethan, it’s dangerous.’

  ‘Maybe I just can’t help it,’ he says in a softer tone.

  I try to keep my voice low too. ‘Don’t you see, that’s my point.’

  Lord Penbarin glances around briefly, but thankfully decides to ignore our discussion. But Isabel wants to know what’s going on. And even though I haven’t heard any of Isabel’s thoughts lately, I decide to check all the same.

  ‘How good are you at screening your thoughts these days?’

  She gives a sniggering laugh. ‘You learn very quickly to master that particular skill when you start going out with a Truthseer.’ She looks candidly at Ethan and adds in a whisper, ‘Maybe you should try it.’

  I feel my face heat up at her suggestion. There aren’t too many of us Truthseers around. Arkarian is one, Marduke another. Matt is one too now, and all the Tribunal members.

  We arrive at a set of magnificently carved doors, etched in gold and silver. Lord Penbarin turns the handle and lets one open inwards. ‘Lorian wants to see all three of you. And you had better have a good reason for being here unannounced and uninvited.’

  Well, that resolves the issue of whether Ethan should stay outside or not. One after the other, we go in.

  The room turns out to be several rooms on different levels, separated by marble archways and alabaster rails. The walls are mostly white but the lamps burning in brackets here and there give them a golden glow. There are dark drapes hanging from a number of windows. Some are closed tight while others are pulled back by braided ropes with hanging tassels. The furniture is elegant in its sparseness. A table made entirely from white stone sits in the centre of the first room surrounded by high-back matching chairs. There’s also a deeply-cushioned lounge suite, again in white.

  I start to wonder where Lorian is, when I see him making his way towards us. He is tall, and he’s wearing a white floor-length tunic with silver trim around the neck and sleeves, which makes him appear taller still. He is incredibly striking. Arkarian introduced me to him once during my debriefing, but then he was wearing a cloak, his face practically hidden. Today, Lorian’s hair flows around his shoulders, long and silver, while his pale, luminescent skin glows softly around deep violet eyes.

  Tilting his hand, three high stools appear, topped with red velvet cushions. I’m not sure about Ethan and Isabel, but I’m grateful for their appearance. My legs feel like mush all of a sudden.

  Lorian remains standing, and up close like this I find it too difficult to look at his face. There’s a cold and angry aura about him. Isabel slides a concerned look my way. I carefully go over some of the reasons we came up with for our presence here.

  ‘Tell me why Matt’s first meeting as leader was shrouded within a protective screen,’ says Lorian.

  At first the three of us remain speechless. We’re not expecting this question. I urge Ethan to keep control of his thoughts. The silence stretches uncomfortably and the three of us start to squirm under the Immortal’s intense violet inspection.

  Eventually I speak.’It was Matt’s idea.’

  Isabel gives me a warning stare, probably wondering where I’m going with this.

  I try to keep my explanation casual. ‘He wa
s just trying out one of his new powers.’

  Lorian focuses his stare directly on me and I feel him probe right into my brain. Suddenly I have to close my eyes and concentrate on the simple act of bringing air into my lungs. I start to tremble and my head goes all fuzzy and light. From a distance I hear Ethan call out. ‘My lord, she’s one of the Named now.’

  The light-headedness starts to clear but I’m left feeling disoriented as if I’m falling. I hit the ground with a thump and Isabel and Ethan help me back on to my stool.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘It’s all right. It’s over,’ Ethan says.

  When I look up I see Lorian’s glow abating. ‘You have not been Initiated.’

  ‘No, my lord.’

  ‘What is the reason for the delay?’

  Ethan explains. ‘Arkarian has been very busy. I’m sure he’ll get to it as soon as he returns.’

  Lorian is still not satisfied. And for a moment I lose concentration. My head is still reeling from the connection with Lorian’s only moments ago, and my thoughts come tumbling out. Because I am not trusted!

  Oh, great! My head starts throbbing and feels so heavy I have to lift my hand to my forehead to keep it from dropping off. The throbbing quickly becomes unbearable. On top of this, a thrust of warm energy starts sifting through my head. I look up to see Lorian standing close in front of me, his hand hovering in the air. I feel compelled to close my eyes. I do so and almost instantly the gentle surge pulses through my entire body. It’s over in a second and Lorian steps back. I look up and notice everything is clear again, the headache gone. In its place is a contented feeling of warmth, and, stranger still, a sense of belonging.

  ‘You will be Initiated tomorrow at dawn.’ And to Ethan, Lorian says, ‘In Arkarian’s absence, will you stand in for him and present Rochelle to the Tribunal, so that she will receive their gifts and grow in the acceptance of her elders?’

  ‘Of course, my lord.’

  ‘Then it is settled. Now tell me what you are doing here.’

  Ethan says, ‘We’re here to update our King on the situation in Veridian. So much has happened, as I’m sure you are aware.’ And then he adds, ‘Personally, my lord, I’m looking forward to meeting King Richard again.’

  Lorian’s head dips and his eyes flutter closed for a second. ‘In that you should, Ethan. Lord Penbarin awaits outside. He will show you to the North Wing, where you will find your King. Make yourselves comfortable while you are here. Tonight the palace is yours to wander around at your leisure.’

  Outside Lorian’s chambers, Lord Penbarin eyes us carefully. But things couldn’t have gone better. We have Lorian’s permission to look around! I try not to think about what’s going to happen tomorrow at dawn. A concerned look must appear on my face, as Isabel touches my arm.

  ‘Don’t worry about the Initiation. I remember mine. I was so nervous my knees were like jelly. But it was all right. And you already know Lady Arabella pretty well –’

  ‘And you know me,’ Lord Penbarin adds with a glint of humour in his eyes. He looks at me for a lengthy moment, a finger falling across his full red lips. ‘Hmm, what gift shall I endow you with? Any suggestions, Ethan?’

  Lord Penbarin is having some fun with us. Isabel laughs. But Ethan takes him seriously. ‘Why do you ask me, my lord?’

  Lord Penbarin smiles, looking from Ethan to me, and back to Ethan again. Turning away he mutters, ‘I thought that was rather obvious.’

  The matter is thankfully dropped and a few minutes later we’re standing outside another set of high double doors. Before we even get a chance to knock they’re opened by King Richard himself. While not exactly tall, his long robe gives him that appearance. He looks well, and is certainly cheerful enough. He greets Lord Penbarin with a grin, welcoming us inside. When he sees Ethan, he embraces him with a hearty hug.

  ‘At last we meet again!’

  ‘How are you, sire?’

  King Richard laughs, throwing his head back. ‘Excellent, my good man.’ He waves his hands around, showing us his luxurious surroundings. ‘Much better than that filthy prison you rescued me from.’

  Ethan can’t get the grin off his face either. They’re like two old friends meeting after years of separation.

  King Richard drags Isabel into his embrace next. ‘My dear Lady Madeline –’

  ‘It’s Isabel, sire,’ she reminds him, and not the name she used when she had last seen him in the past. I remember it, I was there. I put poison in her glass.

  ‘Of course!’ King Richard exclaims. ‘I must say, undisguised, you look lovelier than ever.’ The King turns to me, instantly picking up that I’m a Truthseer. He becomes a little guarded. It’s a natural response. No one likes their personal thoughts on display. ‘And who have we here?’

  Lord Penbarin introduces me. ‘This is Rochelle Thallimar, to be Initiated at dawn. She is one of your Named.’

  King Richard nods deeply. ‘Welcome, my dear.’ He takes my hands, and even though they are gloved, he feels their power. His eyes linger on mine for a minute, assessingly, but he doesn’t say anything. I’m swamped with an uneasy feeling, but he soon lets go of my hands and the feeling evaporates as if it never existed.

  Lord Penbarin excuses himself, and the second we’re alone, King Richard’s demeanour does a full about-face. The eyes aren’t laughing any more. He has picked up on the underlying gravity of our visit.

  ‘Can I order some food for you, or do you want to get straight to the point?’

  Ethan says, ‘We need your help, sire.’

  Without hesitation he replies, ‘Then you shall have it. Tell me, what can I do?’

  ‘Well, you could show us around.’

  ‘The palace?’

  ‘Yes, sire. All of it.’

  ‘That could take all night.’

  ‘Then we had better begin.’

  Trusting us implicitly, King Richard begins our tour. And without anyone noticing, I slip off my gloves, shoving them into my pocket for fast retrieval if needed. We go through many rooms, including the suites of the lords and ladies that live here, including their servants’ quarters. Only King Richard could pull this off so smoothly. He is obviously a seasoned diplomat and well liked by all.

  And while in all these rooms, Isabel and Ethan distract whoever is in there with conversation so that I can do my work – inconspicuously touching the walls, floors, furniture, anything that might harbour a secret panel, doorway or cavity. I only have to lay my hand on the wall in one place, to feel – to see – what lies within or behind it.

  Dawn approaches as we finish searching the palace, and still nothing is found. We end up in the courtyard, looking around. Lady Arabella is here, cleaning out the bird cage, emptying the tray of food, sweeping the floor of droppings and refreshing their water supply. It strikes me as strange that she should be doing this menial job herself. Of course I don’t say anything. Maybe she loves her birds so much, she doesn’t trust anyone but herself to look after them.

  As I think these thoughts I pull my gloves out of my pocket and start putting them on. Lady Arabella notices and goes quietly still.

  ‘What are you doing without your gloves on? How long have they been off?’

  Her voice is harsher than I’ve heard it before, and this takes me by surprise. She notices and quickly softens it. ‘I don’t mean to alarm you, my dear, but I thought I taught you to keep those gloves on at all times.’

  I try to think of an explanation quickly. ‘They’re a little tight, my lady. Occasionally I like to stretch my fingers.’

  She mulls over this explanation for a minute. ‘I’ll talk to Arkarian to see what he can do. For now, you will have to put up with them. You’d better hurry.’ She points to the approaching dawn. ‘You still have to change.’

  Isabel grabs my arm with excitement. ‘Come on, let’s see what tunic they’ve picked out for you.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  She explains, ‘White is for a novice
apprentice. I had a white tunic at my Initiation, but was lucky ‘cause they gave me a blue sash. This gave me status above the usual novice Initiate.’

  We get to our allocated chambers to find a deep purple tunic laid out on the bed, with a golden sash beside it. Isabel gasps at the sight, running her hand down the velvet fabric.

  ‘Oh, wow.’ She calls to Ethan, ‘Look at this! What does it mean?’

  Even though I agree it’s a beautiful garment, I don’t know why Isabel is making such a fuss. Ethan comes over and takes the sash in his hands and lets it run through his fingers a few times. ‘The gold sash is the Guard’s highest honour.’ He glances at me, and his thoughts catapult into my head, wondering what I’ve done to deserve it.

  Isabel too looks perplexed, but her inner thoughts are under control. ‘What about the purple tunic?’

  Ethan backs off a little. Turning away, he works hard at screening his thoughts. He knows, but doesn’t want to say.

  ‘What is it?’ Isabel asks.

  He glances at me with a frown between his brows. It gives me an eerie feeling that something is terribly wrong.

  ‘How would I know?’ he says. ‘You’d have to ask Arkarian.’

  Isabel picks up the strange vibe coming from him and drops the subject. But their reactions only make me want to know more. They start moving around as if the conversation never came up. I drag on Ethan’s arm.

  ‘Hold on. Tell me what you know.’

  ‘Nothing!’ he snaps, his eyes flicking away.

  ‘Tell me, Ethan, or I’ll probe your thoughts until I dig out the information along with half of your brain.’

  A flash of annoyance comes into his eyes. Then he says, ‘Look, all I know is that purple stands for loyalty.’

  There’s more, I can tell. ‘Go on.’

  Reluctantly he adds, ‘A loyalty so strong that the wearer is likely to … give their life for the cause.’

  ‘The colour of martyrdom,’ I mumble mostly to myself. Is that what Lorian picked up in me when he probed my brain last night? Come to think of it, that line in the Prophecy that’s supposed to relate to me talks about victory and death. How does it go? Take heed, two last warriors shall cause grief as much as good, from the midst of suspicion one shall come forth, the other seeded of evil, yet one shall be victorious while the other victorious in death.