Descent (29 page)

He stared at her and the edges of his vision seemed to blur, the colours of the dream intensifying with her gaze. ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand.’

She tilted her head to look more closely at him. ‘You don’t remember.’

‘I don’t remember what?’

‘How your heart used to beat,’ the woman whispered. Harry felt a shiver slide over his skin. He felt frightened, all of a sudden. ‘You don’t remember what it was like when your heart beat only for another.’

‘I don’t understand,’ he repeated.

‘You will remember one day,’ she told him. ‘Just as you have yet to understand what it is to love, so too will you learn what it is to wait. You will have her again one day, Harry. You just have to find her. You just have to remember.’

And then she was gone. The dream dissolved, and as he woke, he realised suddenly who she’d been. The love goddess, Freyja. Lying in his palette of straw he stared at the stone ceiling and thought hard. He was no stranger to weird dreams. Yet somehow, something about this had changed something inside him. It was like a light had flicked on.

He didn’t understand what had happened. Nor could he explain to anyone why he had to ride from the watchtower, a sense of danger inside him, a need to be with at least one of his best friends. Jack noticed the change in him when he returned to Amalia, but Harry could not describe where it came from. He was a full man. Full to the brim.

Lighter, darker. Happier, sadder.

Full.

And then came the news from a fortress called Karangul and everything changed once more. The world dimmed a little.

Part 4

Harry woke with a start, his heart thumping. It took a moment for him to calm down, to realise that it was just a dream. Slowly he breathed, closing his eyes against the memory of the nightmare.

He opened his eyes and rolled over to look at his wife. She shivered very slightly and he reached down to the end of their bed to pull a light sheet over her. The window banged gently as the summer breeze entered the room and the curtains billowed lazily. He looked at her hand, clenched into a fist even in sleep, and he knew that she was dreaming restlessly too. He wished there could be a night, just one night, when she might sleep soundly, without the grief that seemed to follow her.

He watched her chest rise and fall with the rhythm of her breathing, finding calm in the simple nearness of her. After a while she stirred, opened her eyes and looked at him sleepily.

‘Why are you awake?’ she asked, rubbing her eyes.

‘I don’t know. I keep having dreams about you, your face, and not being able to remember who you are.’

She propped herself up on her elbows, yawning. ‘You remember me now though, don’t you?’

‘Of course,’ he sighed, ‘but ... it’s just strange, that’s all. It’s unsettling.’

‘Have you spoken to any of the others?’ she asked.

‘There’s no need to worry them over a dream,’ he murmured. ‘Amara’s busy with her own problems just now.’ He shook his head. ‘They all are.’

‘They are still your friends,’ she urged softly. ‘And you need each other more than ever right now.’

‘I spoke to them at the council last week.’

‘About war, and demons. You never just talk to them like you used to.’

Harry sighed. ‘I know, love. There just isn’t time anymore. Not with all that we have to face.’

He saw her shiver again. ‘Are we ... are we safe, Harry?’

Harry scratched his beard. ‘I don’t know,’ he told her eventually. ‘He is powerful. More powerful than any of us have ever imagined one man being.’

‘He’s no man,’ she said darkly. ‘He is a demon.’

Harry nodded. ‘Maybe so. In any case, it is going to take a lot to defeat him.’

‘Can we do it?’

It was a question they had all asked Harry. He was the army commander of the High Country—he was expected to know the answer. And if he didn’t know the answer then he was expected to make one up and ensure it was true.

This was the first time she’d asked him though. The first time his wife had voiced any doubt. He frowned, thinking about the question, as he did every moment of every day.

‘I don’t think so,’ he said finally, the first time he’d offered anyone the real truth.

‘At least we’re together,’ she said quietly, and her courage made him smile with gratitude that she was there, in his house, in his arms.

He leant forward and kissed her, wondering, not for the first time, how he’d been lucky enough to find her.

She pulled away from him, tears on her cheeks. There was hurt underlying all of their words. Underlying everything.

‘It’s all right,’ he said quickly, as gently as he could manage. ‘This is okay.’

She shook her head. ‘It’s not though. What if it happens again?’ Her voice was terrified. He closed his eyes, then realised that he should not have broken the connection. He looked at her, urging her with his eyes not to be afraid.

‘We had no hand in it, sweetheart,’ he said, his voice rasping. ‘It was not our fault!’

‘Then why?’ she whispered.

‘I don’t know,’ he answered, thinking of all the lost children, more painful than he could have imagined, more so because he had to look at that pain etched on his wife’s face every day.

‘Darling,’ he said, ‘You cannot think that it is in any way our fault. We have nothing to be punished for. It is a terrible thing that happened. But if we let it ruin us, then we do not deserve a child.’

She stared at him, the tears brimming in her eyes. He didn’t know what to say. All the words in the world had already been spoken, and they hadn’t helped one bit. So in the end he just held her, and kissed her on the forehead, and didn’t let go, vowing that if ever they got through this, they’d be the best parents any child ever had.

The sun rose slowly over the town of Torr, draping it in a fog that floated in from the sea. Ria lay in bed, waiting for something to tell her she needed to rise. She didn’t want to face the man she had so cruelly withheld herself from last night.

Sighing, she realised she wouldn’t be able to escape him forever. Not while he was living in her house. Ria dressed and went to the dining room, observing with unease that he wasn’t there, nor in his bedroom.

Before she’d had a chance to check elsewhere, there was a piercing shriek, and the ground began to shake. Ria fell to her knees, but the shudders didn’t last, and after a moment the world was silent again.

‘Hello?’ called a voice from outside. Ria stood quickly and went to the door. A woman was running up the side of the yard, hair dishevelled, looking pale and drawn. And sitting behind her was—a
dragon.
The very same dragon that two years ago had taken Ria into its claws and almost dropped her from the sky. Ria swore and jumped back inside, her heart pounding.

‘Gods, Anna,’ she hissed, slamming the door as the blonde woman entered the house. ‘Don’t bring that thing near me!’

‘I’m sorry,’ Anna panted. Ria forgot her fear when she looked into the Stranger’s eyes. They were full of panic, and all of a sudden, Ria knew something very bad had happened.

‘Where’s Luca?’ Anna asked roughly. ‘I spoke to him last night and he said he was here, but ... but there was something in his mind ...
there’s something wrong.
’

Ria stared at her, horrified at having to be the one to say it aloud.

‘Accolon gave him a job—’

‘What
job?
’ Anna asked frantically.

‘He was sent on a mission to kill Vezzet.’

‘
What?
Why in god’s name would he
do
that?’ Anna snarled.

‘Because Luca is an assassin.’

Anna stared at Ria ‘Why would you say such hurtful rubbish?’ Anna snapped angrily. ‘He doesn’t know the first thing about killing!’

Ria looked at her, letting the truth sink in. There was a long silence, then all of a sudden there were tears in the Stranger’s eyes.

Ria felt her own eyes prickle. ‘He has been killing people for the past year and a half. Accolon made it so. He saw a talent and he crafted it to his own benefit.’

‘This doesn’t make any sense...’ Anna whispered, her tears spilling down her cheeks. ‘Why would Accolon do this? How could he—he’ll be killed!’ she gasped. ‘He’s gone to Karangul, alone, to kill a man that has an army of soldiers protecting him!’

Ria cleared her throat. ‘If it’s at all helpful, in any way ... I get the feeling he’s good at his job.’

‘No it isn’t helpful! I don’t care about that!’ Anna yelled. ‘I just want him to come back!’ She stopped abruptly, taking a breath. ‘Will he come back?’ she asked, sounding almost calm.

The hesitation would have been enough, if Anna hadn’t already known the answer.

‘He didn’t seem to think he would,’ Ria whispered. Looking at her face, it was as though she could see
Anna’s heart crumble before her very eyes. The six had been inseparable before they came here, Ria knew.

Anna ran outside, her body shaking.

Ria hesitated a moment, trying to understand her part in all of this. It was clear that the girl wasn’t going to make it very far without her help.

Anna nearly collapsed as the cold air hit her tiny body. She knew she shouldn’t be out here on her own, weak as she was, but there was a driving force inside her now.

She had never known it was possible for love to disappear so quickly. She’d fallen for Accolon all that time ago, when she’d been just a stupid child. When he’d been a man worth loving. She’d watched the love between Satine and Accolon, and she’d wanted to somehow experience the same thing, she’d wanted him to love
her
in that way. Or maybe just for
someone
to love her that way.

Well, not anymore. Friendship could be stronger by far. She loved her friends more than she loved anyone.

She shivered and shrugged off a wave of nausea. Brushing her hair out of her eyes and clenching her teeth against the pain in her chest, she ran to Locktar’s side. Before she could get far, a voice sounded behind her. Anna turned to see Ria following her.

‘What?’ Anna yelled, only thinking of how little time they had.

‘Where are you going?’

‘To find him, of course!’

Ria took in Anna’s stance, her stooped, thin body, her pale face and blue lips. Anna knew she looked a mess, but the last person to ask her if she was okay had been Luca. Even if there was no other reason, that alone meant she must try.

‘You’re sick aren’t you?’ Ria asked finally.

And Anna was just too tired to deny it any more. She nodded tightly.

‘Don’t try to convince me not to go—I need to stop him.’

‘I was just going to suggest you take this cloak, if we’re going to be flying,’ Ria said softly.

Without another word, Anna climbed onto the scaly beast, then leant down to pull Ria on behind her.

‘How long have you been sick?’ Ria asked.

‘Over three years.’

‘And it has worsened recently? There was a silence. ‘Are you very cold?’

‘I can’t feel my feet or hands,’ Anna said eventually.

Ria drew the cloak she was wearing so that it encircled Anna as well as herself, and held onto her as tightly as she could.

‘How are we going to get in?’

‘I’ll get us in,’ Ria said firmly.

They arrived at the Karangul fortress, the dragon circling in the air twice before finding a safe place for them to land. Ria climbed down, relief washing through her at being away from the beast. She watched as Anna stroked its head and whispered lovingly into its ear.

Ria led her through the open gate, guiding her by the elbow. They had to stop once as a wave of dizziness came over Anna, but it passed, and she struggled on. She waited, exhausted, as Ria spoke tersely to the guards.

‘I need to speak with Captain Adon Bayard. Now.’

‘No one is to enter. Not after last night.’

‘What happened last night?’

‘Why in the name of Odin should I tell you?’ the man sneered. ‘Who are you, anyway?’

‘My name is Ria del Torr. I have been invited here, and I am a personal friend of Adon’s. Let me in.’

‘Not without the commander’s approval.’

‘Then go and ask him!’ Ria yelled.

‘I don’t take orders from girls,’ he replied, looking her up and down. Ria felt distinctly self-conscious—but she had absolutely no patience for insolent fools.

Before she could do anything irrational, Bayard appeared behind the guard. She noticed straight away how heavily his arm and hand were bandaged, and how deathly pale he looked.

‘What’s going on?’ he asked, looking at the guards. When he spotted Ria outside, obscured by the sunlight behind her, his face grew more apprehensive.

‘Stand down, she is a guest,’ he ordered, and the guards stood aside quickly.

‘You are here for Luca?’ he asked bluntly. Ria nodded and his frown deepened. ‘Then I fear you are too late.’

After arriving home, Bayard had made up a few quick lies about the raid being successful in order to buy himself some time to work out what he was going to do. The deceit made him uneasy, but he could do nothing else.

The army captain was in bed when he heard running footsteps and an urgent knock at his door.

‘An intruder!’ the young soldier said as he burst into his room. ‘An intruder in the fortress!’

‘Where?’

‘He’s already been captured and taken to the interrogation room.’

Bayard raced from the room, pulling on a pair of trousers as he went. He didn’t have much time—he knew what happened to people in that room, and if he ever wanted to find out the intruder’s intentions, he would have to get to him before Vezzet did.

Because deep underground, Vezzet had created a machine. An evil machine, which, when used, no amount of bravery or determination could withstand.

Bayard ran through the dripping, dank, almost black stone passageways and came to the steel door at the end of a narrow walkway. It was barred heavily on both sides, with several padlocks and a steel plank. There were two guards at the door, armed with spears.

‘Open the door,’ Bayard said quickly, but the guards only moved to block him from the entrance. He could hear, very faintly, the sound of screams.

‘I’m sorry, Captain, but our orders are that no one is to enter,’ the larger of the guards said apologetically, fidgeting nervously with his spear.

‘You know he didn’t mean me—now let me in!’ Bayard snarled.

‘Well ... actually ... he specifically said you.’

Bayard frowned and ran a hand through his hair. It was cold down here, in the underbelly of the world, and he had not had time to don a shirt.

‘Who is in there?’

‘I’m sorry, Captain. We don’t know. Lord Vezzet didn’t say anything about who he was. The man was putting up a fight. He needed four guards to hold him. I don’t know why you weren’t called to help.’

‘Describe the man to me.’

‘Well...’ the bigger man started, ‘he was tall ... dark hair, fair skin ... nothing different about him.’

‘Yeah there was,’ the smaller man cut in softly. ‘He was scary lookin’. It was his eyes. Had the look o’ death about them. And he was just a child. A boy.’

Bayard frowned. The screams were growing louder and more anguished. ‘Look, I need to get in. If you don’t give me the key, I’m going to go through you to get it.’

The guards looked frightened, but neither moved.

Bayard stared at them. He was very still as he said, ‘Would you like to end up with the man in that room? I have the power to make it happen.’

The bigger guard gulped and dropped his spear. The smaller man clenched his teeth and slowly handed Bayard the set of keys. He shook his head and murmured, ‘It’s not outta fear, Captain. It’s outta respect that I’ll step aside. But you know we’ll be punished for this.’

Bayard looked him in the eye. ‘Not if I am alive to stop it, I swear to you.’

Inside, the shrieks resounded in his ears as he ran down a steep set of steps. He kept running until he came to the final door, a door that was not guarded. The smells and sounds were enough guard for most.

Inside, a body lay on a slab, with two men standing over it. One held the instruments of the machine, the other looked on with obvious pleasure.

They both whirled when Bayard entered, but the body on the slab did not move. Vezzet looked from Bayard to the crumpled figure and back again.

‘I should have known only two guards could not stop you from entering.’

‘Who is it?’ Bayard asked, horror in his voice.

Vezzet grinned. ‘Only someone who thought to best me. Look for yourself.’

Bayard walked forward slowly. The body was twisted and covered in blood, but the face, as usual, had been left untouched. And so it did not take long for the army Captain to realise that this almost dead form was that of the Bright One, Luca, who had fought to save them all, who’d fought to save a world of people that were not even his own. Bile rose in Bayard’s mouth.

A quick temper, and a terrible one, they said about the Captain of Karangul, but not one of them could have estimated the ferocity of his fury now.

A
Bright One.
He leant over Luca and touched him gently on the forehead. Luca opened his eyes, and what Bayard saw in them was death, just as the guard had
said. There was nothing in those eyes that resembled humanity, nor understanding.

Bayard turned slowly to Vezzet. In a voice that was barely audible, he said, ‘You cannot do that to
him.
Not to
him.
’

‘He tried to kill me! Is that not evil?’ the blond-haired man asked. He was a master of deceit, Bayard remembered.

‘I don’t know anymore. Let him go,’ Bayard said.

‘Of course I will not! He tried to kill me. He deserves punishment.’

‘He is a Bright One!’

‘He broke the law. I deserve revenge.’

‘This is
his
revenge. Or have you forgotten what you did to them all so long ago?’ Bayard replied through clenched teeth.

‘I told you I made a mistake. I’ve changed. I’m a good man now,’ Vezzet said, staring into Bayard’s eyes.

‘Despite the people you sold into slavery?’

Vezzet frowned and looked at his Captain closely. ‘It was the only way to make money, Bayard. For our cause,’ he said calmly, not bothering to deny it.

‘And what is our cause? Tell me, for I am beginning to get the feeling that you and I see it very differently.’

‘To restore Cynis Witron to its glory. Maybe if the prince had still been alive things might have been different, but we all know what happened to Fern.’

‘You certainly do—you were responsible!’ Bayard growled.

‘The boy was a fool, and deserved death,’ Vezzet replied casually.

Bayard stared, unable to believe what he was hearing. ‘He was a hero,’ the Captain said faintly. ‘A legend. He fought the ultimate battle for good, and you call him a fool?’

Vezzet shook his head. ‘This is getting out of hand. The death of the prince is not of concern here.’

‘You’re right,’ Bayard agreed. ‘Consider me no longer under your employment. I’m leaving, and I’m taking Luca with me.’ He leant down to gather the broken body in his arms.

‘Oh no, Adon,’ Vezzet laughed softly. ‘Have you forgotten the little agreement we made?’

Bayard froze. ‘I agreed to work for you only because you swore you had changed. To repair what my father did.’

Vezzet nodded. ‘A noble gesture. But to repair what your father did would take a long time, and a great deal of commitment. I was very scarred, Bayard. I need help to stay on the right path. I need help in taking control of Cynis Witron and the rest of Paragor.’

‘What?’ Bayard asked slowly. ‘You never said anything about the rest of Paragor.’

‘I could make it better,’ Vezzet replied. ‘Leostrial wanted to. He failed, but I can do it.’

‘What?
—Leostrial wanted to destroy Paragor!’

‘No, he wanted to improve it. And I will, with your help. You owe it to me, Adon.’

Everything was falling down around him. Everything he had believed was crumbling at his feet, broken by the weight of his own stupidity.