Ria answered the door and let him in. He looked terrifying in his dark cloak, the hood raised. Her heart had been thumping all day at the mere thought of him.
‘Hi,’ Luca said.
‘Hello. Come in.’
In silence they sat down to a meal that her cook had prepared for them.
‘You work for the king, do you?’ Ria asked awkwardly. Luca just nodded. ‘I suppose all of you must.’
‘No, actually. You will know of Anna’s work—she does that for Paragor, not for Accolon. And Harry lives in Burmia, working for Satine.’
The way he spoke of these people, as though they were not in the least bit special. Ria sometimes had to remind herself that Luca was just as famous and revered as any member of a royal family.
Ria nodded. ‘Do you live in the palace, then?’
Again he nodded.
Flushed, she took a sip of her wine, relieved to feel the familiar burn down her throat. Luca didn’t seem to be making any effort. He sat silently staring at his food.
‘Do you blame me?’ he asked her suddenly, looking up to meet her eyes. She stared at him, taken aback.
‘Blame you for what?’
‘For not looking after you when you were in your coma. For leaving you to the nurses. For not coming here sooner. For ... not protecting you from the music.’
Don’t cry, she begged herself. Summoning all her resolve, she gave him a careless smile. ‘I don’t blame you, Luca. I didn’t want those things from you anyway.’
His dark eyes bored into hers, and then he nodded, turning back to his food. Suddenly she wished she hadn’t lied. Anything to keep him talking, to have him be a real person instead of this wraith sitting opposite her.
‘No one could have protected me, Luca. That was the power of the music—the burden was mine alone.’
‘Do you still sing?’ he asked her.
‘No. Do you?’
He shook his head.
‘Do you ... miss the way things used to be?’ she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. He looked up at the ceiling then, as though he could see right through it. ‘I don’t mean in the world,’ she hastened to add. ‘I don’t mean the Valkyries, or the slave trade or anything like that. I mean ... you and me.’
‘Of course I do,’ he murmured eventually. ‘I miss the innocence of it. Of us.’
Her breath caught in her throat. So much had been stolen from them in that battle. How could it be fair?
‘But life happens,’ he said bluntly, breaking into her thoughts. ‘We can’t be children forever.’
Ria looked down at the table. ‘I never really got the chance to be a child anyway,’ she muttered.
At that something in him seemed to change. A tiny portion of the hardness around him melted away.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, struggling. Luca rose out of his chair and moved to sit closer to her. ‘I know I’ve changed, but I can’t ... seem to figure out how to change back. There’s just so much darkness in the world. How could we not be affected by it?’
Ria felt her hands start to tremble. She had no idea what to say to him, how to deal with his pain.
Luca reached over and put a hand on top of hers. Ria held her breath, not sure what she wanted to happen. He was looking at her softly, with a shadow of his old tenderness, and she leant forward a little, hope flaring inside her—
‘Jane!’ he said suddenly, the word hitting her like a slap. Ria sat back instantly, shocked to hear him voice the insecurity she’d always had, and tried not to show how much the wound hurt.
‘No,’ he said, seeing her expression. ‘I didn’t mean ... It’s just—she’s back! I can feel her in my head.’
Ria nodded and tried to smile, but couldn’t help thinking how dangerously close she had come to falling over the precipice again. Luca sat back and closed his eyes, concentrating. His face, she noticed, relaxed and made him look much younger.
She stood up and started clearing the table. She had already dismissed her servants for the night. After a long while Luca opened his eyes again and looked for her.
‘Sorry,’ he started to say but she interrupted him with a false smile.
‘You’ll need somewhere to stay, yes? I’ve had a spare room made up; it should have everything you need. There is a washroom down the hall. Goodnight.’
Ria walked into her room and closed the door. For a moment she just stood next to her bed, breathing heavily, telling herself to calm down.
There was a man here, changed greatly, and yet not so changed. And there was another man with red hair, fiery like his heart. And she’d never felt more confused.
Luca watched Ria disappear and then he shut his own bedroom door. He opened the window to let in some air, then lay down on top of the covers, staring at the ceiling.
And then Luca allowed his mind to slide out and feel around for hers, revelling in the presence of her, the closeness of her. He let their minds touch, and he breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that finally she was back. And the simple fact that Jane allowed him just to lie with her, their minds touching, because she knew how much he loved her and always would, was enough to melt everything inside him until he leaked with tears.
Memory had become her fear. It allowed her to relive the moments that caused her the most pain in all the worlds and all the lifetimes. She could not escape it. Jane sat with her legs dangling over the battlements, remembering the moment in which her world had been turned upside down.
She did not realise it, but she was absently fingering the pearl that hung around her throat.
Fern had been with her in the past life. And because it had been their first life, so too was it their first meeting.
Amara, who would one day be Jane, had woken under the night stars in a small glade. Her eyes were the same brown that they would always be, no matter how many times she was reborn.
Then he’d come through the trees and seen her, and their eyes had met. She had fallen in love, for the first time, in the space of a step through the trees.
It had been different the second time, in this lifetime. They had both been wary. Without even knowing why, they had pulled back, their instincts telling them it could be dangerous. Well, they had been right.
Jolting her out of her reverie, Altor came to stand beside her, not looking at her, but out over the wide expanse of plain.
‘I love it up here,’ he said quietly. She didn’t reply.
‘Come now,’ he said, ‘Women who cry are exceedingly unappealing.’
‘I’m not crying.’
‘No, but you look like you might.’
Jane shook her head stonily. ‘I’m not going to cry over him. I promise.’
Altor frowned. ‘Come inside, Jane. It’s cold, and I don’t want to have to rescue you again.’
‘I think, Altor, that a little cold air is not going to do me any harm, after everything else.’
‘Still...’ he said softly. Jane looked at him, at his dark eyes, and she remembered the way he’d once looked at her with that exact same gaze. So long ago, in another life. Jane knew he was feeling it—the connection between the two of them—but he would have no clue from where it came. Memories flooded her mind but she shoved them away and allowed Altor to help her off the battlement. Now was not the time to approach things that had occurred over a thousand years ago. She just prayed, as hard as she could, that the same thing would not happen again—it had been heartbreaking enough the first time. That was the problem, when there happened to be three of them.
Jack sat on the balcony of his room, his head in his hands, once again trying to contact Mia. She had closed her mind to him, so that he couldn’t talk to her or connect with her, and he couldn’t for the life of him work out why she would be so cruel. Yesterday, when Jane had returned and joined all of their minds together had been the first time he’d spoken to Mia since she’d left.
‘Any luck, mate?’ Harry asked, coming through his room to join him outside.
‘Nope.’
‘Maybe you want to give her a bit of space?’
Jack shook his head stubbornly. ‘No way. She needs to know I’m still here, and I’m not going anywhere. What if she’s in danger? Or something’s happened to her?’
‘Anna and I have been keeping an eye on her. So far so good.’
Jack frowned and folded his arms, content to continue brooding. He was
so
tired. Everything had turned into a blur. The days now seemed to be about getting from one moment to the next without breaking down. He needed to sleep, but was terrified of doing so. The things he saw were too frightening to name.
‘Look, man,’ Harry said. ‘I came to talk to you about something. Anna is planning a trip to Cynis Witron to see Jane and I don’t think you should go with her.’
Jack’s head snapped up. ‘Why not? Cynis Witron is closer to Tirana, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, but you can’t follow Mia around the world. She needs to do this on her own.’
‘I know, I know. Whatever.’
‘Don’t talk to me like I’m you’re dad,’ Harry snapped.
‘Well stop acting so ...
sensible!
’ Jack hissed. ‘I hate this damn place—everyone’s completely boring! No one has any fun here!’
‘That isn’t true!’ Harry tried to argue, but the words died on his lips as he realised his friend was fairly spot on. ‘Maybe you’re right,’ he said, sighing. ‘But that’s because these are dark times. No one feels right about laughing too much anymore.’
‘Yeah, yeah, I know,’ Jack grumbled. ‘It’s all very grey and depressing. Well I want to go home. And I want Mia to come to her senses and come with me.’
‘There’s no way to get home.’
‘And isn’t that just wonderful!’ Jack snapped. ‘Thank you so much, Harry, for getting us into this mess.
Top job you’ve done on ruining our lives forever.’
The air seeped out of Harry’s lungs. ‘I was just trying ... I thought...’ Suddenly it hit him. He was allowing Jack to make him feel bad, just like he had when they were kids.
‘Look,’ Harry said calmly. ‘I know you’re upset right now, but things will get better. You’ll talk to Mia and realise that not everything’s ruined, and you’ll realise that Paragor’s a great place. Don’t take your bitterness about your girlfriend dumping you out on me.’
Jack’s head slumped into his hands, too tired to summon up an apology. Harry stared at him.
‘Jack, man,’ he said, ‘You’re making me really worried. I know you’ve been lying to me about not sleeping, and I know the wound in your shoulder hasn’t healed. The reason I want you to stay here is so that Elixia can help you. She’s trained in dream sequencing, which means that she can control her dreams. The only way for you to survive this is if you learn how to do the same.’
Jack looked at his friend, his eyes blurry. He opened his mouth to argue, then realised that he was being stupid. He nodded. Harry sighed in relief, putting his arm around Jack.
‘You know, I have dreams too.’
‘Valkyrie nightmares?’
‘At first I thought they were. Dark flying creatures invading my sleep seemed like they could only be one thing. But after having fought Valkyries for two years, I can tell the difference.’
‘So what is it you dream about then?’
Harry hesitated, his eyes darkening with worry. ‘I think they’re angels.’
‘Like the one we saw in our first dream?’
He shook his head slowly. ‘No. Not at all like the first one.’ Harry paused, then seemed to snap out of it. ‘I’ve
arranged a session for you with Elixia this afternoon.’ He added in a brighter tone. ‘Try not to sleep until then. I’m going to ride out to the watch-tower and see if there is anything I can do to help.’
Jack perked up a bit. ‘I’ll come with you!’
‘No, Jack.’
‘Why not?’
‘It’s way too dangerous.’
‘For me, but not for you?’ he snapped. ‘I can help!’
Harry put his hands on his friend’s shoulder. ‘Listen to me. You have no training. You would have no way to protect yourself, and I can’t be looking after both of us. Plus you look like you’re about to keel over with exhaustion.’
‘This is rubbish!’ Jack raged. ‘What the hell is the point of me even being here if I don’t do anything? Wasn’t the prophecy about the six of us?’ He stalked out of the room, leaving Harry to stare ruefully after him.
Harry knew Jack’s temper was only so bad because he was so exhausted. He hated the idea that he could do nothing to help his friend, hated the fact that Jack thought he had to suffer in silence.
He took a horse from the stables and rode deep within the western forest where once he had hidden as a fugitive with Satine. The woods were not a safe place for a lone rider, but he was armed, and just then he didn’t really care. He was different today, perhaps like the forest around him. It seemed more silent, and more still.
The snow had mostly all melted during the morning sun, but it was still cold. He came across a gushing waterfall and stood in the small clearing next to it, listening. There were none of the usual noises that came from a living, thriving forest. No movement. It was as though everything living had died, and nature itself had just ... stopped.
He longed for the beauty he remembered when he first arrived, instead of the fear that now followed everyone around.
The watch-tower was only a few hundred metres outside the forest and he rode his horse hard to get there before sunset. Soon it appeared in the distance, a giant stone pinnacle. Within its circular walls were the barracks for the unit of men stationed there, and at the very top was the sight-room, with gaps in the walls from which to fire arrows. Every night a dozen men would be posted in that room, spread out so that all angles might be covered. Harry knew, from having done stints in the towers in Lapis Matyr, that these were highly trained and battle-hardened men. It did not stop them from dying.
As he dismounted, the large metal door to the tower was opened, and a soldier looked at him quizzically.
‘How can I help you?’ he asked gruffly. There was no malice, just curiosity—the towers didn’t often have visitors.
‘I’m Harry. The Stranger.’ He found it was usually best to be upfront about who he was. The soldier’s eyes widened.
‘I came to offer a hand on watch tonight, and to get an update on how things have been going.’
The man nodded, gesturing for Harry to enter. ‘You’ll be wanting to talk to Terret. He’s in the sight-room.’