Broken (7 page)

‘Then someone tells you you’re an angel.’

‘Yes, quite convincingly.’

‘But you don’t fit their criteria, do you?’

I glance down into my lap and watch my fingers knot together. ‘I don’t fit the human criteria either.’

He scoffs. ‘News flash, Ebony, every teenager feels they don’t fit in.’

‘If I am an angel I have a sister. Actually, an entire family, and I’d like that.’

‘We’d all like one of those, but we don’t always get what we want. You’re not so unique, Ebony Hawkins.’

Nathaneal thinks I am.
‘Are you saying you no longer believe I’m an angel?’

He groans. ‘We’re talking about family, Ebony. You already have one.’

‘I know that! And I love my parents! I wouldn’t swap them for anything, but they knew things and kept them secret from me. They adopted me under the condition that when I turn eighteen someone would take me away from the valley to marry a man I’d never met, and I’m supposed to comply whether I like it or not. What parents agree to that?’

‘You reckon you have the world’s worst parents?’ He shakes his head. ‘My dad’s serving fifteen years for armed robbery while Mum shot herself up with heroin every day until it . . .’ He stops suddenly and turns white like every drop of blood in his head has drained south. He abruptly grins even though he still looks . . .
destroyed
inside. ‘You win.’

‘I’m not so sure,’ I tell him.

‘Nah. Hands down, you do. You have two families, you don’t know which one you belong to and they live in different dimensions!’

We giggle at the sudden absurd turn in our conversation. But hearing Jordan laugh gives me an idea on how to kick-start my match-making plans. ‘We should have a party.’

He screws his face up in horror. ‘Are you serious? We’re under orders to have a quiet week. What would your fiancé think?’

Quietly it occurs to me that Nathaneal would approve, especially if Jordan ends up with a girlfriend from it. ‘I don’t mean a big party with an open invitation. Just a few friends like Amber and Danny and Sophie. We’ll watch movies and play pool. I wouldn’t mind some time to hang out with friends.’

‘Yeah? Good for you. But don’t count me in,’ he snaps. Seeing my shocked face, he softens his tone. ‘Let’s just forget it, OK?’

‘Jordy, what’s going on?’ He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t look at me. ‘Jordan, what happened at the lockers this morning – with you and Sophie?’

‘Nothing!’ he says too quickly. ‘Nothing at all.’

‘What did she say to you?’

He laughs, his tone so cynical I get goose bumps. ‘Drop it, Ebony.’

‘All right, but about tonight . . .’

‘It’s no big deal, OK? I just don’t feel like partying.’

We remain quiet for the rest of the drive home, and even the occasional glimpses of stunning valley views doesn’t help lift our moods.

It’s not until we’re turning into the driveway that Jordan opens up again. ‘What are you going to do about Mr Zavier? It’s too late in the year to switch classes.’

‘I don’t want to ditch Physics. I just had a surprise seeing him today. I wasn’t functioning at full capacity to start with, you know?’ He nods. ‘But tomorrow I’ll talk to him, see if he can shed light on my past.’

‘Good luck with that.’

‘Why the scepticism?’

He shrugs. ‘It’s getting harder to figure out who’s telling the truth about you.’

‘I know what you mean. If only Mum and Dad were here, I’m sure they would tell me more. They were scared, that last night, when they finally revealed how they adopted me from Zavier. They’ve been gone so long now. Where on Earth can they be? I miss them both so much.’

‘If you ever want to talk, I’m here for you.’

‘Thanks, Jordan.’

Inside the garage with the door locked behind us, Jordan switches off the ignition but makes no move to exit. I wonder again what’s bothering him.

‘There’s something about that bond we share that I think you should know,’ I say.

‘Go on,’ he prods.

‘A Guardian and her Charge are not supposed to live in the same dimension. Nathaneal wanted to explain to you how the bond could misguide you into thinking the need to feel close to me is love when it’s not a true feeling. But I thought it would only upset you more, so I stopped him.’

‘I’m glad you did because that’s just horse shit. He’s only telling you that so you don’t go thinking what you feel for
me
is love. Ebony, if you give yourself a chance, if you give
me
 . . . ah, forget it! It doesn’t matter since you’re clearly into angels now.’

‘Jordan, what’s going on with you?’

‘What if Mr Zavier
can
prove you’re his blood niece?’ he asks with a little too much enthusiasm. ‘How are you going to handle knowing you’re a mere mortal after all?’

‘Do you know something I don’t?’

‘Nah. I just –’

‘Then shut up before you put doubts in my head that I’ve already dealt with and dismissed, OK?’ I exit the Lambo and head for the internal door.

He calls after me, ‘If Mr Zavier is offering DNA, it’s the one way to know for sure.’

I go inside with Jordan’s doubts chasing me all the way up to my room.

10

Jordan

I hate fighting with Ebony. It puts distance between us. And we’re going to be distant enough when she leaves for good.

Man
, my life sucks!

‘Hey, how about I cook those yummy quiches you like tonight. The ones you said taste like pizza.’ We’ve been home from school a couple of hours. I’m leaning my forehead on the inside of my bedroom door when Ebony comes down the hallway from her room. ‘I can tell you’re upset and I’m just trying to make you feel better.’

At least she’s not still mad at me. But Sophie’s confession is not the revelation that slammed me in the guts today. Skinner telling me my mother is alive is a big jolt to my senses. Apparently the Dark Prince resuscitated her. For the last eight years he’s held her prisoner in his palace, biding his time for the right moment to reveal this news to me, knowing the accelerating effect it would have, the need I would feel to have her released immediately. Knowing my mother is alive and in the constant presence of Prince Luca is tearing chunks outta my heart.

Mum . . . Oh, Mum, you’ve been living in Skade long enough.

The sooner I break Ebony up from Nathaneal, the sooner my mother returns home.

‘Jordy, are you all right in there?’

‘Honestly, Ebony, how I’m feeling right now has nothing to do with you, so just stop trying to fix me, OK?’

‘OK, I’ll stop . . .
after
you tell me what happened at school today.’

She’s not letting up until I tell her something. I open the door to let her in but keep my profile to her so she doesn’t glimpse into my lying eyes. ‘They hooked up.’

‘Who?’

‘Who do you think? Danny and Sophie.’

There’s a long pause. ‘Oh. I thought she liked
you
.’

‘You must have got the same screwed-up vibes I did. But . . . that’s not what hurts.’

‘Danny didn’t tell you,’ she says, skimming her fingers lightly over my shoulder. ‘What a coward.’

Man
, her touch feels good.

‘Jordy,’ she says, ‘I’m so sorry. Are you all right?’

‘Yeah, I just . . . It feels like I got no one left.’

Her fingers stiffen and go as still as four wooden pegs. ‘You have me.’

‘For now, sure, but what will I do when you leave this world?’ I spin round. ‘Who will I have then?’

11

Nathaneal

All the streets of Aarabyth lead to the Centre Square, a park of various coloured trees and vibrant gardens with pathways, fountains and play areas for the young. Communities hold gatherings there: feasts, festivals, weddings and occasionally a memorial.

Standing on the lowest platform, three thousand metres above ground, I locate Centre Square by the towering purple trees that surround it, and their magnolia-shaped blue, pink and white flowers, presently in full bloom.

The three remaining Thrones descend at Michael’s command. He waits for them to land before he signals me. We dive together, head first, releasing our wings only when the ground is so close it appears to come rushing up to meet us. It’s fast and exhilarating, and of the nine different angelic orders, from the highly ranked Archangels to our smallest sized Cherubs, this is a technique successfully performed only by Seraphim because our physique is the most birdlike.

Once on the road, Michael indicates the crowds beginning to gather on balconies and footpaths. ‘Word is spreading quickly.’

‘Do they know why I’ve returned?’

‘There’s been no official announcement, but, yes, everyone knows.’

We walk one paved road after another, making our way towards Centre Square. As we crest a hill, the Cathedral looms into view, spiralling several stories higher than most other city buildings. This is where royalty are crowned and married and occasionally remembered. This is where Ebony and I will wed, if she agrees, any time on or after her eighteenth birthday.

I have not lost hope that Ebony’s memories will return. The evidence is in her reaction the moment she saw me in her high-school car park. I was a stranger, and yet she appeared to recognise me, or felt drawn to me in some way. My unexpected presence triggered a memory; unfortunately it wasn’t enough to identify me. I wish I knew what happened to her memories, why they’re buried deep inside an area of her brain she can’t reach. The logical explanation points to her sixteen years on Earth, and the way John and Heather Hawkins raised her to believe only in what she could see, feel or touch. But logical reasoning can be a sheath disguising the truth. Not everything has a rational explanation.

My eyes veer slightly east to the crown apartments where members living in outer provinces will reside for the hearing’s duration. Adjacent is the city school with its nine border halls, one for each of the angelic orders, with their spiralling towers in their striking house colours. One of these, the Seraphim Hall, has left me with mixed memories. I enjoyed my time there, but after I turned seven my thoughts were always of Ebony, wondering where she was, who had taken her, if she was learning the skills she required to survive, and whether she was safe, happy, hurt or suffering at the hands of whoever had her. Since her abduction, I’ve thought of her every day.

The Courthouse swings into view on the Cathedral’s western boundary. This is my destination. The hearing will take place in the circular arena that stands in the centre of this immense building. A thousand court members, representatives from all five provinces, will sit in the stands to judge my fate. And it’s in the rooms beneath this colossal configuration of white stone arches and marble columns that they will hold me, a prisoner until the hearing concludes.

As our small party of five proceeds through the streets, the crowds grow and I glance at Michael with a puzzled frown.

‘They are here for you,’ he replies. ‘You need to get used to this, cousin. You’re a celebrity now.’

‘Michael, this is no joking matter.’

‘What’s happened to your sense of humour, cousin?’ he asks, grinning at me. ‘Did you leave it in that lush green valley on Earth, in the hands of your beautiful violet-eyed fiancée?’

‘The valley is called Cedar Oakes, and, no, I didn’t leave it there. It’s in the hands of a thousand court members on Avena.’

Once we reach the entrance to the Square, crowds throng to the sides in substantial numbers. Some reach out to touch me as they call out my name. The three Thrones dismissed earlier are here with soldiers from their unit helping to keep the swelling crowds in line.

Their captain, Lady Themira, greets us. She nods formally at Michael, her helmet tucked under her elbow. ‘Commander, I see your mission was successful.’

He glances at me with a brief nod. ‘Yes, that is correct.’

She looks at me then and a big smile emerges. It lights up her face. Her silver eyes sparkle. ‘Welcome home, my prince. Wonderful to have you back on Avenean soil.’

‘Thank you, Captain.’

‘Please call me Them.’

‘Ah . . . if you like.’

‘Oh, I like!’ she says, then freezes to the spot and blushes furiously.

I try not to look at her mortified face. And I don’t want to look at my cousin. His tight-lipped, amused grin will not help me keep a straight face. And I would never purposefully disrespect Lady Themira, or any angel for that matter. ‘Well, thank you, Lady
Them
, for that lovely honour.’

‘My prince,’ she goes on, ‘I know I speak for every Throne when I say we are glad you have returned home, though not glad of the circumstances that have brought you here.’

Still looking at me with a smile that should have dissolved by now, the moment grows awkward. Michael is still laughing under his breath, but thankfully his need to keep me moving becomes apparent. ‘My lady,’ Michael says, indicating the surrounding crowds with raised eyebrows.