Broken

by Marianne Curley

  I’m sorry, my love.

  Michael and Heather are nowhere in sight. Until I know otherwise, I will assume they became airborne before the downward drag took hold, and are now safe.

  So far I have shared oxygen from my own lungs with John, but now I’m struggling for air too, and beginning to doubt that I will make it to the surface before losing consciousness.

  I can’t afford for John to slip from my arms, so I have to find a quick path to the surface through plunging boulders, rocks and other debris. But the last of my air floats up in a series of bubbles and I’m starting to lose focus.

  It’s then that I see Ebony’s face as if she were right in front of me, her rich red hair floating in the water like a silk cloud. Her deep-violet eyes are pleading with me to follow her. I reach out and grasp her arm. Ebbie, don’t go.

  I’m not going anywhere without you, she says. Come. I know a way.

  Still clutching John, I follow her, relishing the sound of her hauntingly beautiful voice, her spirit voice from our time together in Peridis. Stay strong, my handsome prince, and we will be as one again soon. Promise me you will not forget me once you have grown into your corporeal body.

  I could never forget you, sweetheart. Never . . . But, Ebrielle, you have forgotten me.

  She frowns. Don’t tease me.

  You don’t remember you’re an angel.

  That’s impossible. My love, don’t say such things.

  But, Ebbie, it’s true.

  No! I could never forget you.

  She begins to fade. I reach out for her, but she disappears, and in her place I see a bright white light. It becomes three lights. Angels, in maximum glow, descending like torpedoes.

  Uriel reaches me first. He takes my shoulders in his hands. Are you all right, my prince?

  I nod. John needs air.

  He lifts him out of my hands, and with Isaac and Solomon clearing a path through the debris, we soon break the surface.

  By the time I land on the beach, Jez is already clearing John’s airways and breathing life back into his lungs under a makeshift shelter of palm tree fronds. But the heat is too much for any human, so as soon as John is breathing again we fly out of this extraordinary and somewhat bewildering underground world that exists where nothing should.

  In an abandoned cave about midway up we lay John and Heather on blankets. Everyone waits outside except for Jez and me, giving us space to tend to the humans and prepare them for transport.

  After some urgent healing of John’s more critical injuries, Jez explains how we’re going to transfer them. ‘You’ll be in a deep-sleep state until you’re back on home turf, at which point we will bring you out of it.’

  ‘My home?’ Heather asks with a hopeful look.

  Jez links with me: They don’t remember the fire!

  It appears their abductors lit the house after taking them.

  What should we tell them?

  Nothing yet, Jez. I think it best for Ebony to break the news to them, when they’re further along the healing process.

  Jez smiles at Heather. ‘That’s right, Heather. We’ll have you home before you know it.’

  John stirs, his eyes fluttering open. Heather gasps, lifts his hand to her mouth and kisses it gently. ‘Hello, my darling. We’re going home.’

  Weak and far from well yet, John smiles. ‘Can’t wait, love.’

  Tears cascade down Heather’s face. ‘The angels are going to put us into a deep sleep until we’re back, so that we won’t feel anything.’

  John glances at Jez and me. ‘Will we still hear things as they say coma patients do?’

  ‘No, you won’t hear, see or feel anything,’ Jez explains while wiping a tear from her own cheek. ‘And you won’t remember anything either, except maybe a strange dream. We have to prepare you for your journey home now, but don’t worry – it will soon be over.’

  I work on John while Jez works on Heather. When we are sure the two are in their deep-sleep state, and coping with their enforced slower heart rates, Jez and I sit back on some rocks and reach for our flasks and energy snacks.

  Tash rushes in with the lamoraks. As I help her put them on the humans, I ask if she’s seen Solomon.

  ‘I’m here, my prince.’

  As soon as I hear his voice I know something is wrong. Uriel, Michael and Isaac walk in behind him. Their disheartened expressions are not what I need to see right now. ‘Is it Ebony?’

  They exchange glances. My pulse races while I try to stay calm. ‘What is it, Sol? Tell me what your source has learned. All of it. Now.’

  ‘I’m sorry, my prince, but Ebony has been captured.’

  My body shudders with dread. ‘How do you know this? What proof do you have?’

  Michael puts a steadying hand on my shoulder, encouraging me to sit on the rock.

  ‘Prince Luca sent a message ahead to his palace staff announcing his imminent return, and to make preparations for the arrival of Skade’s future queen.’

  ‘Tell me more, Solomon. Tell me every word.’

  ‘Not counting Ebony, Prince Luca travels with thirteen others, all male. Twelve are his Prodigies. My informant doesn’t know who the thirteenth is. There was no name mentioned in the message the palace received.’

  ‘Where are they now?’

  ‘In the Crossing.’

  ‘Could this thirteenth male be Jordan?’

  ‘No, my prince. The unidentified male is the one carrying . . . Ebony.’

  I stop a moment to take this in and try to stay calm. ‘You’ve done well, Sol. Do you know if Ebony is wearing the lamorak?’

  ‘Yes, my prince, she is.’

  I look up at my team. ‘I should have aborted this mission.’

  Isaac drops down in front of me. ‘Thane, we wouldn’t have made it back in time anyway.’

  I look directly into his eyes. ‘I would have.’ And then I look at the others. ‘We all would have.’

  In their silence I ask, ‘Any ideas who this thirteenth male could be?’

  It seems no one has any. I have no doubt of Jordan’s courage or devotion; he would defend Ebony to the death, which is why I’m worried about him too. I pray he is home safe and under Gabriel’s protection.

  Solomon still has that burning look about him. ‘Speak, Solomon, what else do you know?’

  ‘The Crossing hasn’t exactly been kind to them.’

  ‘What do you mean? Has Ebony been hurt?’

  ‘They’ve flown into a hurricane and are making extremely slow progress. What should have taken hours has stretched into three days.’

  Having all experienced difficult Crossings, we remain silent at this news. I can’t imagine how horrible it would be for Ebony, inside a lamorak for all that time.

  Uriel’s hand comes down on my shoulder. ‘This could be good for us.’

  I cast him a questioning glance and he explains, ‘When Prince Luca’s team left Earth they may not have been completely healed yet. So they’re already weak. Then they enter the Crossing and battle a hurricane. So by the time we meet up with them, their energy should be drained.’

  This is both good and troubling news because Prince Luca has Ebony in the Crossing, and a storm could cause great harm if they’re too weak to protect her. But the hurricane will also slow them to a crawl, giving us the time we need to apprehend them before they lock Ebony inside Luca’s city palace.

  I take a deep breath as I stand and meet the eyes of each member of my team. ‘Michael, you will lead us to the Gates of Skade. Take the most direct route possible. Everyone: we fly without stopping, day and night, and we rotate carrying the humans every eight hours. We have a long flight ahead and we will grow weary, so we travel as light as possible. Leave the tents, bring only essential items. Tash, process what is left of our food and water supplies and ration them out. Everyone carries their own. Isaac, you take the first rotation with Heather. Uriel, you carry John. We don’t have time to deal with demons, so outside this cave we mind-link only. No one s
peaks again until I say so. Is everyone clear?’

  Expecting a barrage of objections, or at the very least questions, I’m quietly overwhelmed when no one says a word.

  41

  Ebony

  Days turn into nights that turn into days again. Last night we camped at the top of a hill near a crater-sized hole in the ground that shoots out shimmering blue light high into the atmosphere. We started seeing the light two days earlier, and now I understand why. The hole in the ground is so immense it’s breathtaking, and the light that pulses out of it is like the aggregate of thousands of lighthouses.

  Now, after the Prodigies packed away our camp and consumed a meagre breakfast from supplies that should have run out two days ago, everyone is preparing to jump into the light.

  Zavier starts walking towards the hill, stopping once he realises I’m not beside him. He looks back with a querying frown, but . . . well, apparently after we jump we’re only minutes from the Gates of Skade.

  And suddenly it’s all too real. I don’t want to go to Skade. I didn’t choose this. As for marrying the Dark Prince, I would rather die.

  I want to scream: This isn’t supposed to be happening to me!

  Tears stir behind my eyes and I fight them ferociously. But the image of Nathaneal’s tortured face when those giant Thrones ripped him from my arms appears before my eyes, bringing with it emotions that threaten to undo my resolve to be strong. The reality is that I may never see him again.

  Suddenly Prince Luca appears in front of me, smiling. He looks different when he smiles, like the first time he came into my dream – elegant and handsome and charming.

  ‘You have held up exceptionally well through a harrowing journey. Well done, Ebony,’ he says, his voice filled with . . . respect.

  I nod, not sure how to react. ‘Thank you.’

  But nothing has changed, and slowly, he brings his mouth down and moves his lips over my face in a series of disturbingly tender caresses. He looks at my trembling mouth and a low rumbling purr escapes from somewhere deep inside his throat.

  ‘Luca . . . step back please.’ Revolted, and seeing red, I push against his chest, but he just moves his mouth closer to mine. I slide my hands up between us, flatten them on Luca’s chest, and before he realises what I’m doing I shove him backwards with the fury of a lightning bolt striking a thousand-year-old gum tree.

  To my surprise, he flies through the air, falling amongst his soldiers. They help him to his feet. His face contorts in rage. I stand my ground, bracing myself for whatever punishment he wants to inflict.

  He walks over until he is standing before me, his hands by his sides. ‘I have waited through the ages of all existence for your birth,’ he says. ‘I’ve watched thousands of others marry and have sons and daughters, but you are the one I choose, the one I will honour with the title of queen. Understand this, Princess, as queen you will enjoy many liberties, but you will never escape Skade. Or me. Whatever you attempt, or however hard you resist, you will be my queen on the day you turn eighteen. Tomorrow I will make the formal announcement from my palace balcony, and you will stand beside me wearing the garments I select, the hairstyle of my choice. And if I deign to kiss you, you will not flinch no matter how hard I press my mouth on yours.’ He raises an eyebrow to ensure he’s making his meaning clear. ‘One more thing. Until you learn to control your temper and conceal your thoughts from others, you will train yourself to think only of me. No one will hear my queen pining over the enemy’s prince. Do we understand each other?’

  I nod slowly, suddenly so tired I just want to lie down and sleep until I die.

  He turns on his heel and walks away, barking orders to his Prodigies. They scatter immediately, with three of them – Periel, Josiah and Sarakiel – scooting straight over to me. Josiah, with dark skin and mustard-yellow eyes, rushes to my right side. Sarakiel hurries to my left, his masses of black curls bouncing on his collar. Periel, a bronze god-like soldier bows his head formally and indicates the blue light with an outstretched arm. ‘We will be escorting you through the light, my lady,’ he says in a deep voice.

  The boy Sarakiel gives me an impish grin, ‘It would be my honour to carry you down, my lady.’

  Periel shakes his head. ‘Not on your life, little girl. I’m carrying the princess.’

  Not to be outdone, Josiah scoffs loudly. ‘You can both forget it. I’m the most senior one here.’

  ‘You’re older but I’m in charge,’ Periel counters.

  ‘Let’s draw swords.’

  ‘How does that work?’ I ask.

  Zavier rushes back and plucks me from their centre. ‘You don’t want to know.’

  ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘It’s a childish game involving slicing each other’s hands and whoever is first to heal, wins.’

  I give all three of them a disapproving look. They try not to laugh but can’t seem to help themselves, especially Sarakiel, who I learned recently is only eighteen human years old.

  Zavier picks me up and settles me in his arms. ‘Are you ready, niece?’

  Feeling dizzy suddenly, I glance over his shoulder at the three soldiers who won’t take their eyes off me. If I make a run for it, I doubt I would get very far. ‘Do I have a choice?’

  Pity pours out of his resigned sigh, ‘Ebony . . .’

  ‘Don’t stress, Zavier, I’m ready,’ I spit the words at him, ‘but don’t expect forgiveness any time soon. Selling out your own blood is a crime that deserves the death penalty. Maybe I can submit that to become a new law.’

  He deploys his wings. ‘If I were of royal blood, I would second the submission, my lady.’

  His wings form a kind of parachute as first we fly upwards a little, and then we drift down for hundreds of metres into the blue light’s centre.

  We touch down inside a tunnel of cosmic proportions; Mount Bungarra from base to peak would easily fit inside it. The distant walls give off their own white light and are, apparently, dangerous to touch. The solid crystal floor cuts across the centre, slicing the tunnel into two domes from wall to wall. Specks of light from the lower sections beneath the bridge shoot up like sunrays through occasional gaps.

  It’s so amazing that I can only stare with my mouth open and my eyes huge as I look all around. And while it’s all astonishing, it’s the twelve Gates of Skade at the end of the bridge that blows my mind to oblivion.

  ‘There are six pairs,’ Zavier explains, ‘operated by twelve Gatekeepers, who carry the honour of being Skade’s finest soldiers.’

  I close my mouth and swallow. ‘Are the gates moving, or is that an illusion?’

  ‘It’s a chemical reaction occurring on the surface between microscopic particles that constantly ram each other and create light and the illusion of movement. The gates are solid and stronger than titanium. If you touch them, you will burn.’

  ‘Good to know.’

  The remaining nine Prodigies fly over our heads. It’s then I notice they’ve donned uniforms. Even Prince Luca, flying proudly out in front, is wearing the same tight black uniform of his soldiers, except where their hair is contained inside helmets with twisting horns up the sides, his flows around his shoulders in gleaming waves of golden brown.

  ‘Why are they dressed in war clothes?’ I ask Zavier.

  He frowns, staring after them. ‘I don’t know. Prince Luca is big on impressions. He’s returning home with his future queen.’

  Luca brings his soldiers almost all the way to the gates, then orders them to form two straight lines. They hold their heads high while they wait, I assume, for the gates to open. You wouldn’t know how excited they are from looking at them, but the spark in their eyes gives them away.

  The opposite is true for me. I’m numb inside, though it feels more as if I’m dead.

  Twelve Gatekeepers stride out from six booths that seem to disappear once the doors close. Surprisingly, they seem genuinely pleased at their king’s return. They form a horizontal line in front of him. As we move closer
, I notice four of them are female. Their tight-fitting uniforms give them away, the same ones the Prodigies wear – ankle-high boots, leather trousers that look painted on, sleeveless shirts revealing bulging biceps, metallic vests and the intimidating silver gladiator helmets the Gatekeepers hold under their left arms.

  They give their reports one after the other, maintaining an unnatural stillness until it is their turn, while Prince Luca listens attentively, drills them with questions, and occasionally even makes them laugh, smile or blush. Sometimes their conversation becomes serious and Luca fastens his eyes on them with a look that should burn holes in their eyes. Yet they all seem enamoured of him, and this piques my interest. ‘Zavier, can you translate?’

  ‘They’re welcoming home their king.’

  ‘I get that much. Some specifics would be helpful.’

  He stalls. ‘OK. Well . . . let’s see . . . they’re informing the king of visitors and other goings on in his absence. Don’t ask me why they’re bothering him with such trivial details.’

  I feel my brow pinch into a suspicious frown. ‘Can I have a word-for-word translation?’

  He stares at me with his mouth open before finally relenting. ‘You will find out soon enough anyway,’ he mutters. ‘Better hearing it from me, I suppose.’

  ‘Hear what?’

  ‘Nathaneal came through these gates several weeks ago.’

  I gasp. ‘I was told he came to Skade, but I didn’t know how, or that he had passed through these gates.’

  ‘There is no other way in or out. Apparently he made a big scene, burning holes in the gates, which, by the way, is impossible, even for Prince Nathaneal with all his fancy powers. Allegedly, he knocked out a couple of Gatekeepers.’ He shrugs. ‘But I have my doubts.’

  ‘You don’t believe Nathaneal was here?’ I ask, my heart pounding.

  ‘I believe that part,’ he whispers. ‘It’s the part about burning holes and knocking out Gatekeepers I don’t. It’s more likely the Gatekeepers accepted a bribe.’ Still whispering, he adds, ‘Pink diamonds are highly valued in Skade. With their volcanoes spewing up lava every day, the pink ones still remain elusive. And, of course, what you can’t have, you tend to want more of –’ I squeeze his arm and he cries out, ‘Hey!’