Descent (17 page)

And whose fault is that?
Jack snapped and Jane was stunned to feel the amount of animosity between the two of them.

Soon,
she promised. It occurred to her belatedly that Luca hadn’t said anything. As she thought of him, his mind-voice became clearer, as if she could actually see it, and Jane winced at the dark, heavy colour of it.

Are the rest of you all right?

Fine,
came the replies. She wasn’t going to be satisfied this way—she needed to see them all. A strong desire
to jump on her unicorns and fly straight to them made its way through her, but she clamped a lid on it—she needed to talk to Fern, however much she might want to avoid him. She knew that he would be the one to help her come up with a plan. The descent of Paragor over the last two years needed to be faced.

Make sure you keep me updated on what you are all doing and where you are,
she said to them
. Let me know if you come up with any plans and I’ll do the same. This mind-talking thing is seriously awesome, by the way.

I know, right?
Harry exclaimed.
But are you sure you’re all right? Where have you been?

It’s a long story. I’m fine though. And I have to go, but I’ll try to get to you as quickly as I can,
she promised, and with a very reluctant sigh, shut her mind. Jane was startled to notice that while they’d been talking, a great deal of time had passed, and the sky had now darkened with fat storm clouds. Quickly she pulled herself onto one of the unicorns and then set off back to the ice city, pushing her mounts hard to try and beat the rain.

Altor pushed his horse harder, flattening himself against its neck and feeling the hoof-beats vibrate through his body. In the distance he could see it—a sparkling white city made of ice. He’d never been here before, but he’d heard enough stories to know the Elvish people got up to a lot of mischief within the walls of this place.

He came upon the city just as the rain started to fall. Once inside the palace, the queen came to greet him in the entrance hall. Walls of ice sparkled around him and he bowed his head respectfully.

‘This is a surprise,’ Liensenne murmured. Her cold temper was famous throughout the world, and Altor looked at her closely, intrigued by her ageless beauty. ‘What brings you here, Black Prince of Lapis Matyr?’

‘I’m searching for something, lady,’ he replied, his eyes flashing. ‘A prince.’

‘We have more than one here, my lord,’ she said just as carefully, regarding him intently.

‘A prince who is half human, and long since dead.’

There was silence. A flash of anger passed through the queen’s eyes but she merely smiled. ‘You are surprisingly well informed.’

Altor blinked in confusion. He only meant that he wanted to visit the prince’s memorial stone, for it was rumoured to be the most beautiful monument in the world. What was the queen talking about?

Liensenne frowned. ‘He’s not in the palace. I will send for him. In the meantime, you might enjoy waiting for him on the roof—it has a superb view of the countryside.’

The view, Altor decided, was not superb. All he could see, in every direction, was evidence of the country’s degeneration. Plus, the sky was dark and the rain instantly drenched him.

What in the world was going on here? Liensenne seemed to think he was looking for a living person, and had sent him up here to wait. Were they playing some cruel joke on him? It seemed in very poor taste to joke about a son who hadn’t been gone all that long.

He walked to the battlements and folded his arms stubbornly. Thunder like he’d never heard clapped overhead and wind threatened to blow him over the edge. Altor was about to turn around when something flashed through the dark sky.

A comet, bright and fast. Or no—a woman, and two creatures of wonder. They landed, much too fast on the ice roof of the castle, and the woman was thrown off and dashed into the side of the battlements.

Before Altor could move, the woman stood up shakily, and looked at him. And his breath was taken away.

Firstly because she was alive after having had her body smashed against a stone wall. And secondly; she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He wondered for a moment if he was hallucinating. Tall and slim, her long dark hair hung in tendrils down her back, and her brown eyes shone dazzlingly. She was dressed in a simple tunic and breeches that looked old and dirty, but she stood with an air of majesty, which even he, a prince, had never seen. There was ice in her stare, and sorrow and excitement.

Altor, who always had clever words for everything, was rendered speechless.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said softly, and until then he might have thought she was some ephemeral, inhuman creature. Then he heard her, and he realised she was just a girl, much younger that he had imagined, with fear and humour and everything human in her voice.

‘Who are you?’ he asked, stepping towards her so that they could speak through the rain. She stepped away from him, hesitating. ‘My name is ... Jane. I’m a Stranger.’

Altor felt his mouth drop. ‘
You’re
Jane? Where have you been?’

‘I’m sorry,’ she said, her voice faint, ‘but I am not feeling ... myself. If I could find somewhere to lie down...?’

He was just in time to catch her as she fell to the ground in a faint.

Athena and a small group of Elvish women sat next to Jane as she lay in bed. Altor had carried her in through the storm’s darkness, and it was now very late at night. The healer had said she was fine, only exhausted and in
need of rest. Altor moved to stand by the window, folding his arms as he watched her sleeping. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was hours before Jane finally woke.

‘Hello,’ she said softly, rubbing her eyes. She looked real now, not like the unearthly creature from the roof.

‘Jane!’ Athena said, leaning down to embrace her.

Jane returned the hug half-heartedly and then sat back against her pillow, her eyes meeting Altor’s across the room.

‘What happened?’ Athena asked. ‘How did you get caught in that horrible storm?’

‘I didn’t realise it was so close, I guess.’ Jane’s voice was vague, distracted, her eyes locked on Altor. For an instant it felt like it was just the two of them in the room. She was looking at him like ... she
knew
him. A thought crossed his mind, a ridiculous thought, but once it was in his head he couldn’t shake it. It seemed like this girl, this girl he’d met for only seconds, was looking at Altor as though she ...
loved him.
Gods, what an idiotic thought. This ice castle was messing with his head. But why was she looking at him like that?

‘Can I have a moment alone with my rescuer?’ Jane asked softly, never moving her gaze from his.

Athena blinked, surprised, and then clapped her hands. ‘Of course. We’d best let you get some rest anyway,’ she murmured. ‘I’m so glad you’re all right. I’ll send Fern in when he gets back.’

Altor broke away from Jane’s stare to look at the princess in shock. ‘Excuse me?
Who
will you send in?’

Athena paused, biting her lip, then shrugged helplessly. ‘Fern is back. He’s alive, I mean. His sister—she is a necromancer. Surely you knew that?’

Altor stared at her, dumbfounded. He felt his insides quiver with excitement. Athena gave Jane a last look then left the room.

‘Gods,’ Altor whispered, staring sightlessly at the wall, his brain whirling with all that this news meant. His idol, the one man he’d measured himself against, was
alive.
For so long Altor had carried the weight of disappointment that came from believing he would never get to meet this man, the one person in the world he thought he might have a chance of respecting. And now—

All thoughts of the Elvish Prince flew from Altor’s mind when the weight of a body pummelled into him, shoving him against the wall.

A strangled grunt of surprise left his mouth before he realised the girl was ...
hugging
him.

‘Al!’ she cried, clutching onto him. Altor stood, frozen, and Jane pulled back, looking into his face, her smile wide and vibrant. ‘It’s so wonderful to see you!’

He opened his mouth to reply, but words failed him and he shut it again.

Jane laughed and then padded back to her bed, pulling the covers over her and grinning. ‘Sorry,’ she smiled. ‘I must seem like a crazy person. One day I’ll explain, but not yet. All I’ll tell you is that I’ve missed you more than I can say.’

Slowly he made his way over to the bed, watching her closely, trying to figure out if maybe she really was insane. But that look, as if she truly loved him, was more real than any look he’d ever received.

‘Do you have me confused with someone else? We’ve never met!’ he blurted out.

She laughed again, high and cheeky. After a moment she nodded. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’ But her expression didn’t change as she continued to beam at him.

‘How do you even know my name?’

Jane shrugged, unperturbed. ‘Maybe I don’t after all. What is it?’

Altor looked at her a moment, then smiled crookedly, suddenly amused by her sly happiness. ‘Prince Altor of Lapis Matyr at your service.’

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Altor. I’m Jane.’

‘I know who you are. You told me on the roof.’ Slowly he felt his composure returning. His mind lingered on her embrace, startling him by how fond he already was of the memory.

‘Wait a minute! Wasn’t I only gone two years? You were just a kid when I left!’

He nodded.

Jane scrutinised him. ‘You’re going to have to spell it out for me, Al. Why do you look my age?’

Altor turned away, enjoying the fleeting moment of her ignorance. After he explained, there would be a new look in her eyes, the same one his mother gave him, a look of pity and fear. He turned back to her, resigned to the inevitable. ‘Accelerated ageing. A parting gift from my late father. By next year I’ll probably be middle-aged.’

Her eyes widened. ‘You’re kidding, right?’

‘Yes. I am. This is how a normal nine-year-old boy should look.’

‘Oh my god, Al, that sucks,’ she murmured, ignoring his sarcasm. ‘You must get people telling you that all the time though, right? And I bet you hate it.’

He was amazed to see that she looked truly upset. He could see her visibly reel in her emotions before she smiled again. ‘Well, at least you get to skip puberty. My acne was terrible when I was fifteen.’

Altor was unable to suppress a bark of surprised laughter. She grinned in return, and for once he didn’t feel like a freak. Nor was he repulsed by the sadness in her eyes, because with Jane, it didn’t seem like pity.

‘Well, however old you are,’ she went on cheerfully,
‘Thanks for bringing me inside!’

He gave her a dazzling smile. ‘Couldn’t just leave a damsel to her distress now could I?’

Jane cocked her head to one side. ‘You call that distress? I think you need to meet a real damsel.’

They grinned at each other, then he caught himself and looked away.

Altor knew he should leave—it was inappropriate to be alone in her room with her, especially when she seemed to be so disoriented, but something held him in place.

Jane folded her hands in her lap. ‘It’s really strange, seeing you like this. It’s sort of unfair, isn’t it? Like I blinked, and you’re all grown up.’

Altor frowned. ‘You don’t have to tell me how unfair it is. In any case,’ he went on quickly, ‘At least I wasn’t missing from the world completely. They worried about you.’

She didn’t respond, just kept her heavy gaze trained on him.

Quickly Altor shrugged. ‘I should leave you now. Fern is on his way here. I might let you see him in private before I introduce myself.’ His mind started whirling again at the thought.

‘No!’ Jane said quickly. ‘Please don’t let him in. I don’t want to see him.’

‘Why?’ Altor asked. ‘I thought the two of you were friends...?’

‘No!’ she assured him. ‘I mean, we are, but I just ... don’t want to see him right now. Can you understand that? I ... we...’

‘Had a fight?’

Jane shook her head slowly, throwing him a helpless look. Shrugging, she sighed, ‘He got married. That’s all. He just got married.’

Altor stared at Jane. She seemed tiny and fragile in that moment, and there was a hollow look in her eyes. Altor thought he was beginning to understand. He thought he’d heard the stories a million times, thought he knew the extent of everything that had happened when the Strangers first arrived. But he suddenly realised that there was so much more than he could ever hope to understand. There were so many layers to the people from the stories, so much lost between the telling of their tales. Who could have imagined that this girl, the saviour of their world, unbelievably beautiful in so many ways, would fall in love with their shining prince, a boy who’d sacrificed himself for his people? It seemed so utterly romantic it had to have been made up, but at the same time, deeply fitting.

‘He won’t come anywhere near you if that is what you wish,’ Altor said, his voice low and certain. Jane saw a shadow pass over his face and wondered who this young boy had turned into.

‘The map is among the stars,’ Sharif said and then refused to say anything more.

‘But what—?’ Mia exclaimed.

‘We are leaving now,’ Liam stated firmly.

‘No, wait! I need to find out more!’ she protested.

Liam turned on her. ‘You cannot bend everyone to your will just by speaking out of turn, Mia!’

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t mean to be rude.’

Gwen was at her side immediately. ‘You weren’t,’ she said pointedly. ‘You have every right to speak—don’t let these men talk down to you. And never apologise when you have done nothing wrong.’

Mia stared at her, then nodded. The words, suddenly, reminded her of Jane. Once again she thought of Jack, and how he had constantly talked down to her. She thought of their parting. Of the words that had flown from her mouth, turning her into a girl who could walk away from a guy, and not just follow him.

Once they were gathered back at the camp, Mia slumped down against a tree.

‘What does he mean? Liam, how can we find something in the stars?’

‘I don’t know. Perhaps it is a star map and we can see it from here?’

She brightened. ‘Okay. I guess that means we have to wait until dark.’

Mia sat quietly for the whole afternoon, though it took her supreme effort. So many thoughts rushed through her mind, but she knew if she voiced them she would only distress the others.

Night took a long time in coming, but once it did they couldn’t find anything that resembled a map in the stars. They looked long into the night, until their necks cramped and their eyes blurred with fatigue.

Mia felt a terrible sense of failure, and sat up from where she had been lying on the ground. ‘It’s no use. If there are maps in the stars then it’s a complete waste because none of us know how to read them!’

One by one they looked over at her. ‘Maybe we’ve misread the clue we were given,’ she said, deflated. ‘Let’s just go to sleep.’ Mia lay back down, close to tears. As hard as she tried though, she couldn’t sleep. Her eyes kept opening to take another look at the sky.

Finally she’d had enough. Sitting, she dragged her eyes to the dark pools in front of her. Like opals, she thought, with flecks of light reflected from the stars. Liam called these pools the Tears of Minerva. Secrets of the ages were held within their depths.

Mia stood, her chest tight. The others were asleep by now, and she contemplated the mysterious tears that floated before her.

There were stars in the pool. Shining out of the water, reflected from the sky.

Without thinking, Mia undressed, taking off her outer layers so that she was left in only her white shift and underwear. The water was icy cold, and she waded up to her waist, cringing. She felt a strange sense of foreboding. Now that she was in the water, it had a haunted feel to it.

So, instead of thinking, Mia dove into the centre of the pool and pushed herself deep into the water.

The cold winded her, shocking her and setting her skin on fire. Quickly Mia swam, knowing somehow that she had to go as deep as she possibly could.

Her lungs began to hurt as she propelled herself into the dark depths. All light left the water, and her sense of direction was gone, and all she could think about was going further down.

Finally, just as a sense of panic began to attack her and the last of her air ran out, an image appeared before her. A man, dark skinned and handsome, stared out at her, his eyes such a deep brown as she had never seen.

Who are you?
Mia thought, and somehow she knew he heard her.

Someone you should remember,
he replied sadly, and she was shocked at the longing in his eyes.
Find us.

Come to Samaraq. How?
she thought in despair,
I don’t know where to look.

Yes you do. Just remember. Now go. You fade.

The image of the city was in her head again now. The man disappeared. Mia felt a sudden burst of pain in her chest, and struggled to swim upwards. It was so far, and all of a sudden she didn’t know which way was up. Panic struck her, and a bone deep sense of terror.

Then, like a dark angel, the man floated through the water and pressed his mouth upon her own. Suddenly he was blowing air into her lungs, and she knew then that he was no apparition.

Mia felt a new sense of strength. Upwards she struggled, and finally, she caught a glimpse of light from the stars above. She broke the surface and pulled air into her empty lungs in huge, gasping breaths. The others were standing at the edge of the pool and Claudia screamed with relief. Gwen waded into the water and helped Mia out as her limbs were numb with cold.

‘What in the name of Adar were you doing?’ Liam asked, horrified, at the same time that his brother spat out some unknown words. ‘The Tears of Minerva are icy, killing pools!’

‘I know where the city is, and I know how to bring it back,’ Mia said through chattering teeth. At the same moment she spoke, she felt a sharp recognition in her mind, and she realised that Jane was back.