Song

by Jason Lethcoe

  Go to them. Go to them. GO TO THEM! the four mechanical voices commanded.

  NO!

  Edward gasped as white-hot pain seared through his head.

  The creature heard the noise and froze.

  “Who’s there?” it croaked.

  Edward, fighting the blinding pain, jammed his hand into his pocket and grabbed his father’s ring. He ignored the screaming, terrible voices in his head, leaped to his feet, and shouted, “QADOS!”

  The ring expanded and burst into blue flame. Without wasting a second, Edward threw it as hard as he could at the scorpion Groundling.

  “AIIIIEEE!” The Groundling’s scream was cut short as the ring of blue fire collided with its black armor, slicing neatly through it as if it were made of paper.

  Suddenly hundreds of scuttling feet pounded back to the area where Bridgette and Edward were hiding.

  Edward didn’t have time to think about what he was about to do. He knew that if he didn’t do something right away, he and Bridgette would be done for!

  He braced himself, mustering his courage. The last time he’d used one of the Ten Words of Power, it had taken every ounce of energy he had. It was a desperate move, but the only option he had left.

  He pointed his finger at the Groundlings and shouted in a loud, commanding voice, “HISTALl!”

  There was a tremendous flash. White light exploded from Edward’s fingertips and arced toward the swarm of scuttling Groundlings.

  Before he could see the effect of his word, the world around him started to fade. Edward swayed on his feet, dimly aware of his enemies’ screams. He fell to his knees. He had nothing left inside him. His arms trembled and the world spun. He struggled to hold on to consciousness, willing himself to stay awake. Suddenly Bridgette appeared beside him, her face swimming in and out of focus.

  “Bridgette . . .”

  He wanted to tell her to run, to get away from the Groundlings as quickly as possible. But whispering her name was all he could manage.

  He heard her scream his name as everything around him went black.

  Chapter Eleven

  KEY

  Edward awoke, not in the Jackal’s prison, but inside a shallow, rocky cave. The heat from outside was diminished only slightly by the stone walls. He felt feverish and could barely move.

  “Just lie still,” he heard Bridgette say. “I’ll get you some water.”

  A couple seconds later, he felt warm water trickle down his throat. He drank it and coughed. Edward opened his eyes and saw Bridgette, her pretty face dirty and scraped, kneeling over him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Just scratched up a little. It was hard work dragging you here.”

  “What . . . happened?” he asked feebly.

  “You scared them away,” Bridgette replied. “You must have knocked fifty of them off their feet when you said that word. The rest ran back to wherever they came from.”

  Edward paused to let this news sink in. If the Groundlings they’d encountered returned to the Jackal, news of their whereabouts would spread fast.

  Edward struggled to his hands and knees. The poisonous voices in his head had diminished since he’d used the Word of Power. And although he felt feverish from the sweltering heat, he knew that they had to press on. The Groundlings were sure to return, and probably in greater numbers than before.

  “Are you okay to walk?” Bridgette asked, concerned.

  “Yeah, I think so,” Edward replied. He leaned against the rough wall of the cave for support. “How much farther is the Jackal’s Lair from here?”

  “Not much farther, I think. The force field that surrounds the Jackal’s Lair must be somewhere near here. But we can’t risk being spotted or flying into it by accident.”

  Edward nodded weakly. His hand strayed to his ebony feathers. He’d been told the stories about the Jackal’s Lair being “Guardian-proof.” Until now, he hadn’t really thought about what they would do once they encountered the force field. If it really could shear off a Guardian’s wings, they would need to find some way around or through it.

  As if reading his thoughts, Bridgette said, “Remember back at Cornelius’s house when I said that he had given me something to give you?”

  Edward paused. In all the commotion, he’d forgotten the brief conversation they’d had during the attack by the horsemen.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  Bridgette reached into the pocket of her ruffled skirt and drew out a small, yellow pouch. “He told me to tell you that he made this a very long time ago, and that if you use it in a time of great need, it will always open a door for you.”

  Edward took the pouch. He could feel something small and hard inside it. He emptied the bag into his palm and examined the shiny, metal object that fell out.

  It was a key!

  Edward looked at it closely, noticing the intricate scrollwork that decorated its surface. A small mark on the handle bore the letter “F.” He had no idea what the letter meant. The only thing he could think was that maybe the “F” stood for “Fallen.” It seemed like a good guess since they were going to a place filled with Groundlings.

  Turning to Bridgette, he asked, “Did he say where I was supposed to use it? Is there a door we’re supposed to find near the force field or something?”

  Bridgette shrugged. “He didn’t say.”

  Edward pocketed the key. To Edward, the gift proved that he wasn’t completely crazy to be entering the Jackal’s fortress. Cornelius wouldn’t have given him the key if he didn’t think that Edward could find a way inside. That must have been why his father had insisted that they find Cornelius before he was captured. He must have known about the key.

  Edward’s mind drifted to thoughts of his mother and father. They were so physically close now that it almost hurt to think about them.

  “Come on,” Edward said, motioning toward the cave opening. He still felt feverish and weak, but knew that there was no time to lose. Stumbling out of the opening, he called back to Bridgette, “We’d better get going before the Jackal sends more Groundlings after us.”

  Chapter Twelve

  WALL

  Edward and Bridgette trudged westward, not really sure where they were going. The sun was a relentless eye, searing everything beneath its fiery gaze. Sweat poured from Edward’s forehead. He wiped it away, swatting at the biting black flies that seemed to gather wherever there was moisture. He and Bridgette barely spoke, trying to save their strength.

  Edward hoped they were walking parallel to the Seven Bridges Road. They couldn’t afford to walk directly on it for fear that they would be spotted by the Jackal’s forces. He thought about flying, knowing that it would allow them to see how close they were to the road, but gave up on the idea almost immediately. He was too weak from using the Word of Power.

  Edward’s mind wandered as they walked. For the first time in several hours, he was free to think. Although the poison was still in his system, thanks to the Word of Power the voices of the Four were distant and muffled. For the time being, he could concentrate on his own thoughts, and they were filled with questions.

  Is my mom okay? Where is she imprisoned? How will I find her? What if I can’t beat the Jackal?

  There was so much he didn’t know. He’d lived with uneasy feelings for so long that he had a hard time imagining that he could ever feel totally at peace again.

  Edward glanced over at Bridgette. Her copper-colored curls were messy, and her face and clothes were covered in sweat and dust. He’d never met anyone quite like her. She was a true friend, undaunted by fear and impeccably loyal. He was glad to have her with him.

  Bridgette caught his glance and smiled at him. For a brief moment, Edward forgot all about the Four. His mind flashed back to when he and Bridgette had first arrived in Cornelius’s Valley. Edward had spent hours with her, getting to know her better. Together they had chatted about the gigantic snails, marveling at their beautiful blue shells. Cornelius had tau
ght them their names, and he and Bridgette had laughed at each other’s attempts to say them.

  Ratablast, Gurplefart, Sneezix . . .

  And for that brief moment in time, there had been no thought of their dangerous quest to the Jackal’s Lair. All had seemed normal and filled with peace. They were just two teenagers having fun together, something that Edward had never experienced before, either on Earth or in the Afterlife.

  Edward thought wistfully about how nice it had been in the cool, green valley. He desperately hoped that they might be able to spend time like that again when they completed the terrible task that lay before them.

  Suddenly Bridgette stopped walking, interrupting his thoughts. The grove of twisted oak trees that had extended around them for several miles came to an abrupt end just ahead.

  In the air at the edge of the forest, something shimmered. After a moment of staring at it, Edward realized what it was. His jaw fell open as his eyes traveled over an immense, semitransparent wall. Extending miles into the sky, radiating with a faint, reddish glow, was the Jackal’s famous force field. It was the wall that was supposed to kill any Guardian who tried to pass through it.

  Edward gulped, thinking about what would have happened if Bridgette hadn’t been paying attention and they had walked right through the force field. He gave his wings a twitch, and was relieved to feel that that they were still there. The barrier was nearly transparent. Beyond the reddish glow, the barren countryside they’d been walking through continued unchanged. He could see no visible sign of the Jackal’s Lair from where they stood.

  “What do we do now?” he asked, speaking for the first time since they’d seen the force field. “How do we get past this thing?”

  “Do you think this is where we’re supposed to use Cornelius’s key?” asked Bridgette.

  “I don’t see how,” Edward replied. “The wall is almost invisible. How would we ever find a keyhole?”

  Edward and Bridgette stood quietly, puzzling over the situation. After a few moments, Bridgette spoke.

  “What if we check the trees?” she said.

  “The trees?” Edward replied. But before he could ask her what she meant, Bridgette was striding over to the nearest oak.

  The big, twisted tree was set a few feet back from the immense force field. Bridgette carefully ran her fingers over the rough bark, searching for an opening. Seeing what she was doing, and having no better ideas himself, Edward joined her. He took the key from his pocket and held it tightly, hoping that they could find a keyhole somewhere. They had looked over almost every square inch of the tree when Bridgette let out an exclamation of surprise.

  “I think I found something!” She was poised by the root of the gnarled oak, pointing at a tiny hole near its base. Edward approached and saw that it did indeed look like a keyhole.

  “Do you really think it could be that easy?” he said skeptically.

  “What do you mean?” asked Bridgette.

  Edward shrugged. “I mean, what are the chances that we are in the exact right place to use the key? We’re not even on the Seven Bridges Road. How could Cornelius have known that we would come here? He didn’t even give us directions.”

  Bridgette shrugged and said optimistically, “Well, sometimes coincidences happen.”

  “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Seems too easy to me.”

  Edward knelt down next to Bridgette. He inserted the key and held his breath before giving it a turn. Deep inside, he seriously doubted that it would work.

  To his immense surprise, there was a sharp click. Then, with a low humming sound, the faintly glowing field in front of them began to shimmer. To both of their stunned disbelief, a small hole appeared.

  Bridgette smirked at Edward. “Guess you were wrong,” she said, and winked at him. Then, without saying another word, she stepped through the hole in the shimmering wall and disappeared.

  Chapter Thirteen

  LAIR

  Edward stared at the spot where Bridgette had been standing just moments before, stunned. He hadn’t expected her to vanish like that! Was she all right? Feeling worried, he took a deep breath and followed her through the force field.

  As he walked through the opening, he experienced a strange sensation. When he passed the area beneath the force field, he suddenly felt as if his entire body were on fire. Intense pain flared between his shoulders, and for a moment he thought that the key hadn’t worked, that his wings had been sheared from his body.

  Edward screamed. But then, just as suddenly, the pain vanished and he found himself on the other side of the invisible wall. Shaken, he glanced over his shoulder and was relieved to find that his wings were still there.

  “Are you okay?” Bridgette asked, concerned.

  “Yeah. I th-think so.”

  But even as he said it, he knew that it wasn’t entirely true. Something else had happened as he’d passed through the force field. The voices of the Four had grown louder again. They seemed to draw strength from the Jackal’s Lair.

  Fool! the voices whispered. You’ve walked right into our hands! Give yourself up! We have you now, Edward Macleod! You haven’t got a chance!

  Forcing himself to ignore their cruel taunts, Edward turned his attention instead to his surroundings.

  He hadn’t emerged into the barren wasteland he’d expected. Instead, he was in a long, dark tunnel. Edward gazed down the immense, dripping passageway. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of mildew that assaulted his nostrils. It reminded him of his Care and Maintenance of Sewer Pipes class back at the Foundry. Images of the cruel tortures he’d experienced in that class flashed through his mind, along with the pale blue eyes of Miss Polanski, his horrible teacher. At the time, he hadn’t known that she was a Groundling sent to watch for him. But looking back, he realized the truth. Her blue eyes were exactly the same as the Groundlings he’d seen since arriving in the Woodbine.

  No different, then and now, the poisonous voices inside his head shouted. We watched you then, and we’re watching you now. Come to us . . . we’re waiting! You’ll be one of us sooooon . . .

  “Shut up!” Edward mumbled under his breath, trying to ignore the returning headache. Then, turning to Bridgette, he growled, “My puh-parents are in here s-somewhere. Let’s g-get going!”

  Bridgette stared at him, taking in his pale, strained expression. “Here, let me sing the song for you again,” she said, moving closer.

  Edward held up his hand and tried his best to smile. It felt more like a grimace, but it was the best he could manage.

  “Thanks, Bridgette, but I’m p-pretty sure it won’t w-wuh-work in here. When I went through that b-barrier, something happened. We’re in the J-Jackal’s territory now. You’re not s-strong enough.”

  Bridgette gazed at him thoughtfully, but didn’t say anything.

  Edward wasn’t sure how he knew that only the strongest Guardians could use their power in this place, but all of his instincts told him that it was true. It was a place of such suffocating darkness that Bridgette’s song would be squelched under the weight of it. Only a troop of full-fledged Guardians could hope to make any kind of dent in the evil he felt oozing from every wall.

  Edward and Bridgette traveled down the corridor, feeling their way along the slimy stone walls as the passageway gradually sloped down. It took every bit of willpower Edward had just to put one foot in front of the other and resist the terrible voices that had risen to a scream inside his head. The voices sounded excited, overjoyed that he was heading directly to the place they wanted him to go. They continued to berate him for his weakness and his lack of Guardian skills, but there was an almost gleeful tone to the insults. With every step Edward took, he fought down a rising panic and the desire to give himself up to the Jackal.

  Bridgette walked next to him, occasionally reaching out a hand to steady him when he stumbled from the incessant pain. Every time he tripped, the voices redoubled in intensity, as if his stumbling confirmed every insult that they were shouting at him.
Edward knew that if it weren’t for Bridgette’s assistance, he would have never been able to continue.

  As they walked, Edward wondered where exactly in the Jackal’s fortress they had entered. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around, and the passageway looked little used. Finally, after descending for what felt like an hour, the tunnel made a sharp right turn. Edward and Bridgette heard the dim sound of voices somewhere ahead of them and spotted the glow of a sickly, greenish light indicating the end of the tunnel.

  They walked as quietly as they could, edging toward the voices. As they drew closer, Edward realized that the voices were arguing. He heard a loud crash and a string of curses. Then there was a small whine and a faint pop!—the unmistakable sound of an Oroborus bursting into flames.

  When they reached the spot where the passageway opened up, they saw a big stone room lit by glowing green torches. A rough-hewn table sat in the center, and a rusted door covered with iron rivets rested against the opposite wall. But what drew their attention the most was the sight of the two Groundlings locked in combat.

  One of them—a tall, skinny Groundling with an angular face—was choking the second, an apelike thing that held a glowing Oroborus.

  “Charlie don’t like squealers, Rottnose! Shouldn’t have done it! No! Negatory!” the thin one rasped. The other Groundling, who Edward guessed was Rottnose, gasped and squealed for air.

  Edward noticed a key ring dangling from the skinny one’s belt. He pointed silently at it and mouthed the word “keys” to Bridgette, who nodded in understanding. Where there were keys, there were probably jail cells. Although the voices in his head told him that he would never reach him, Edward desperately hoped to find his father alive in one of the cells.

  Taking advantage of the fact that the two Groundlings were too busy fighting to notice them, Edward and Bridgette crept a little way back up the passage so that they could talk.

  “I could use my ring,” Edward whispered, then winced as a new blast of pain shot through his temples.