Fearless (5 page)

He puffs hot air out through his nostrils as if he's bored. It's something the beast would do. How much of Luca is angel, how much beast? I shake the vile image from my head and try to refocus.

‘You can't go back to Earth, Ebony. You will have to get used to living here.'

‘Be assured, Luca, I will be leaving any minute now. There's no way Nathaneal will leave me here with you for even one night.'

He opens the door and calls Mela over. She stands awkwardly in the doorway, avoiding eye contact.

‘What is it? Luca, what aren't you telling me?' Panic begins to make me breathe faster. ‘Luca, what have you done?'

‘I have sealed the gates, Princess, so even
I
cannot open them. No one can. Not your shining white knight. Not even the highest king of all the realms can get in or out of Skade.'

‘
What?
Is that even possible?'

‘It's more than possible. It's done.'

‘No.
No!
For how long?'

‘One hundred years.'

His declaration throws me into turmoil. Inside, everything is spinning.
Oh, Nathaneal, when will I see you again?
I close my eyes, my head falls back and I take in a deep, deep breath while I sink into a dark swirling vortex inside. A glimmer of light I recognise as the core of my soul flickers like the flame of a candle, reminding me of my immortality.
You're still thinking like a human, where a hundred years equates a lifetime
, the flame reminds me. And that's true. I'm an angel. A hundred years will pass and I won't be any older.
Nathaneal will find a way. I know he will because I believe in him, and I believe in our love.

I lift my head, open my eyes and pretend I'm not concerned. ‘You don't know Nathaneal if you think sealed gates will stop him.'

‘Oh, he'll try. For a while. A month. A year. Perhaps even two. Eventually duty will call him away. And he'll go and return. Try again. Fail. Try again. Three years will pass like that.' He lifts his hand and clicks his fingers. ‘But by this time doubts will be taking hold. He may continue to fight them. Until …'

I hate myself for asking. He's just so convincing. ‘Until what?'

‘The rumours.'

‘What rumours?'

‘That you are carrying my child.'

And suddenly I can't breathe. It's as if Luca has sucked all the air out of the room with his poisonous words. ‘Nathaneal won't believe any rumours started by you.'

He smiles without parting his lips. ‘Perhaps not at first.'

My eyes flick to Mela. She can't hold my connection, and her glistening eyes tell me she's buying into this. She can see it happening.

‘Then he'll hear that you've had a boy who looks just like his father.'

‘No. No, Luca, he won't believe that. Nathaneal knows your tricks
.
'

‘But, Princess, it won't be a trick. That's the day he will give up trying. By then he'll know that you love me, and why would he want you then?'

6

Jordan

Ever since Amber found me sitting outside the entrance to the Crossing, waiting for Thane to bring Ebony back, she won't leave. It's been hours. I've given up the soft approach. I've had enough of being nice. I don't want her company. I don't want any company until Ebony is home safe.

But like me, Amber is prepared to camp overnight. She nestles in beside me on the moist forest floor, resting her back on the same blackbutt tree. She's not going to miss that first glimpse of Ebony coming home. Since that's what I want too, I guess I can't blame her. So I tell her what I know. ‘They had a battle.'

‘What?' She sits up straighter.

‘Skinner told me. He reckons Prince Luca won the battle and took Ebony to Skade, but I don't believe him. Thane won't let anything happen to Ebony. It's just that …'

‘Just that what?'

‘Skinner sounded so sure we wouldn't see her again.'

‘Adam's full of crap. There's no way Nathaneal will lose Ebony. No. Way.'

I shove my hair back from my face with both hands, and my jacket sleeves ride up. She sees my burnt wrists and
shrieks. ‘Oh my God, what happened to your wrists?'

She reaches for them but I lower them to my lap, tugging the sleeves down, then tell her how Prince Luca had me chained to a rock wall inside the cave where they had Ebony stashed. ‘They drugged her, put her inside something called a
lamorak,
to protect her in the Crossing because she can't fly, and took off, leaving me for dead.'

‘How did you get out?'

I can't tell her Adam Skinner seared the cuffs off my wrists with his bare hands. Besides making me promise not to tell anyone, the fact that he rescued me might elevate Skinner to hero status in Amber's eyes. The less she knows of him, the more likely she'll stay away from him. The dude works for Prince Luca. I don't want him anywhere near Amber.

She pats my hand. ‘It's OK. You don't have to tell me.' Her hand lingers like she's giving me a moment to figure out if I wanna hold it. Her eyes tell me she wants me to take it, to keep it warm. When I don't, she pulls it away in awkward little movements.

So we wait and the forest floor grows moist, releasing the smells of fungi and mould into the air as the afternoon wears on.

Hours pass. It grows dark. We get hungry and I share a protein bar Skinner shoved in my pocket before he dropped me off. Amber breaks out a chocolate bar, giving me half. Food never tasted so good. Night arrives and brings the cold with it. Just how cold takes us both by surprise. Eventually Amber falls asleep on my shoulder. The stupid girl didn't even bring a jacket. I slip mine off
and she grumbles under her breath as I move her around to wrap us both inside it. She settles then, snuggling into my shoulder. I get a whiff of her perfume. Man, how can she still smell so good after being in a damp forest all day and half the night?

Eventually I must have nodded off, because when I open my eyes the stars are fading. Soon the sun is painting the sky a crisp, clear shade of blue and birds take to the air.

Amber stirs, causing the coat to slip off her shoulders. She shivers and I make her put it on properly, despite her obstinate protests.

She pulls the sides together over her – um – ample chest and settles back against the rough bark. Drowsy, with eyes half open, she looks up at me. I can't stop staring at her face. It's like a kids' picture book, open, honest, and so interesting you wanna keep reading because you know you're gonna find something new. Her honey-brown eyes have a navy-blue ring round the outside edge that I never noticed before. Staring up at me through dark lashes, her face framed by messy blonde hair, her pink mouth parting with each breath she draws in and blows out in her dreamy state, she's like sweet and sexy at the same time.

‘Jordan?'

‘Yeah?'

‘Can I ask you something?'

‘Sure. Anything.'

Sudden noises from inside the portal interrupt what­ever's on her mind. But it's not until a gust of icy wind blasts over us that I drag my focus from her eyes.

Three soldier angels, glowing and moving in such perfect
sync they appear as one, burst from the entrance. They don't see us. They don't stop. They weave through the trees like a speeding train. By the time I've got to my feet they're already gone.

Amber stretches up on her toes for a better look as the group heads in a south-easterly direction. ‘Was that them?'

‘I couldn't tell. They were too fast.'

‘Did you recognise any of them?'

‘They looked like soldiers from Gabe's unit.'

‘Should we follow them to see what they know?'

I return to the blackbutt tree, shoving a dead log up against it to sit on. ‘I'm gonna stay right here until I see Ebony.'

She joins me on the log, and after sipping from our water bottles we go back to waiting.

Hours pass before we hear noises again. We scramble to our feet fast, determined not to miss whoever comes through the portal this time.

Isaac staggers out first. I hardly recognise him for the grime he's wearing like a second skin. His clothes are all torn; hair matted, and while it's usually bright copper, now it's streaked dull red from congealed blood.

He walks past us, and then stops and slowly turns. ‘Jordan? Jordan, you're safe!' He glances up at the canopy with a look on his face like finally something's going right. ‘Are you well, lad?'

‘Where's Ebony?' I ask.

Silence stretches between the three of us. There's not even a twitter from the flock of Aracals sleeping in the trees. Everything seems uncannily still. The only movement
comes from the flick of Isaac's silver eyes to the portal, once, then again.

Others are coming. They're not far behind him. Maybe they got separated. It easily happens in the Crossing.
Oh, God, let this be good news.
Amber squeezes my hand and immediately lets go.

Thane walks out. He looks even more haggard than Isaac. His eyes are glazed and surrounded by dark smudges. It's as if he's not inside his body, that he's somewhere else and this is only his shadow.

He looks exhausted and tortured and empty.

And I know: he doesn't have her.

He glances around as if searching for something he expected to be here, and looks disappointed that it's not. But beneath this momentary disappointment is a face I hardly recognise. I look at the portal again, waiting for a miracle. Panic swirls inside me. Amber catches my eye. She's verging on panic too. To see Thane here without Ebony destroys the last morsel of hope we were carrying. I nod and lift my open palm at Amber as if to say,
Leave this to me
. I start walking towards Thane with one thought in my he
ad. I bl
ast it straight at him.
Where is she?

But Michael runs out of the portal right in front of me. He sees Thane and turns to him, missing me even though he's only a step away.

‘What's going on?' I ask.

Michael jumps at the sound of my voice. ‘Jordan. I didn't see you.' He runs a hand, discoloured with dried blood and dirt, down his shirt as if he's about to offer it to me to shake. ‘Good to see you're all right. You had us worried.'

Thane says, ‘The contingent is not far behind us. And Gabe says the cages will arrive any minute.'

Michael exhales. Something weird is going on. Not that I care. There's only one thing I want. ‘Where is Ebony?'

Thane's eyes go black, his irises opening and closing. He's struggling to maintain control over his emotions. Shit. Shit! This is not good.

Michael glances at Thane without answering. So that's three of them who won't tell me where Ebony is. Is it guilt that's struck them mute? Thane swallows deep in his throat, licks his parched cracked lips, opens his mouth to say something but closes it again. It
is
guilt. It's on his face. It's in his body language. But by now I don't care how choked up he is, how shaken or caked in blood or … or anything.

Because now I'm scared. ‘Where is she? Somebody tell me!'

Michael says softly, ‘She's gone, Jordan.'

‘
What?
' It's Amber, screeching. ‘What do you mean, gone? Gone where?'

Isaac says, ‘The Dark Prince took Ebony to Skade.'

‘Nathaneal, are they saying you don't have her? That
we
don't have Ebony any more?' Tears well in Amber's eyes as this news chokes her up. She brings her hands to her mouth. ‘Oh my God!
Oh my God!
'

I take her hands and pull her close, wrapping my arms around her. Over her head I stare at Thane. ‘What happened? Why couldn't you save her? Did you use your powers?'

‘I used everything I have,' he says.

Michael explains. ‘We walked into a trap. Nathaneal sh
elte
red Ebony with a protective shield but they ambushed us, kept his team from reaching them in time.'

‘He pulled her out of my wings,' Thane says, as if he can't believe it himself.

‘Shit. Shit!'

‘We gave chase, but the gates came down between us.'

‘She's
really
gone?'

‘Yes,' he says, his face bleak, eyes glassy and dazed.

‘I still don't understand one thing. Why aren't you in Skade right now looking for her? What are you doing here?'

‘Jordan,' he says in a voice that's so empty it doesn't even sound like his any more, ‘I will explain everything soon, but for now there is work to be done.'

‘
Work?
What work? What can be more important than rescuing Ebony? You know, as soon I heard that
you
were with her, I thought, That's it. She's safe now.' I hear the tremor in my voice and give myself a shake. ‘I really believed that you would find a way to get her back. I thought you loved her enough to do
anything
to save her.'

‘Jordan, I understand you're hurting. This is killing me too.'

I need him to stop talking. To stop giving me excuses. I run at him to punch him in the face as hard as I can, but he grabs both my wrists and holds them out to the sides, so I yell instead, ‘But
you
don't get to die, do you?'

Behind me I hear Amber choking on sobs. I glance back and see Isaac helping her up from the ground where she must have tumbled after I let her go. I'd forgotten I was holding her. Damn! She draws in a trembling breath. Her eyes are liquid and draining out of her. She's swimming in pain. Ebony was Amber's best friend. They were like sisters. And now they will never see each other again. I understand
Amber's pain. It cuts into me, makes me even angrier with Thane. My lips curl and my voice makes a vicious snarling sound like an attack dog.