Fearless (19 page)

‘The king is not going to wait until you turn eighteen to marry you and make you Skade's queen.'

‘
What?
'

‘Preparations are already under way. Dignitaries in all the provinces have been notified to prepare for their journeys
to the palace. The ballroom is being refurbished, decorations trialled –'

‘When? Mela, when?'

‘Your next birthday.'

‘He's going to crown me on my seventeenth birthday, and what? Hope everyone assumes it's my eighteenth? But that's only a matter of weeks away! Can he get away with this?'

Unable to maintain eye contact, her eyes lower, her lashes flutter downwards. I take that for a yes. And by the time the gates open again, who will care what happened a hundred years before?

‘Mela, I understand how you want to make this place better for everyone that has to live here, but you must know I'm leaving at the first opportunity. Maybe I can't escape Skade outright – yet – but I will escape the palace.'

We continue riding in silence for a while. ‘A hundred years is a long time, Ebony. People grow accustomed to their environment. Their perspectives change, their memories fade, and this can alter their priorities. Something might happen that could bind one's heart to a place – or a person – over such a length of time.'

‘Are you talking about me now, or Nathaneal?'

She doesn't answer.

‘You think my prince will move on, don't you?'

‘Not from what I've heard, but … when reality sets in –'

She's thinking children
. ‘Please, don't say any more.'

She brings her lips together in a pitying grimace. She doesn't need to tell me how Luca has waited a long time for an heir. He's not even going to wait until I reach legal age.
The thought of being intimate with him makes me shudder. And suddenly the memory of his kiss returns, how he used it to exhibit his dominance over me in front of his people. How will I ever forget his hands clutching my scalp and his hot tongue filling my mouth, scalding the tender cells inside as he showed how easy it would be to possess me?

The invasion might not leave physical scars, but the ones he seared into my soul, how will they ever disappear?

‘Ebony, are you all right?'

Tears come to my eyes that I fight to stop. When I don't answer, she says gently, ‘I've made a mistake bringing you out so early. Oh, Ebony, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.'

I wave my hand at her to forget it. She's only doing what she believes is right for struggling Skadeans. She's the general of a whole army of angels who want a better life.

‘Hold on, Ebony, only a little further and I will prepare a warm relaxing bath for you.'

I won't show weakness here, but,
damn it
, tears don't mean I'm frail and pathetic, only that I'm unhappy.

More memories come, as sharp as if I'm reliving each moment on that balcony right now. I hear the crowd cheering; see Luca's eyes, smoky and filled with desire. I can even smell his skin as he stands over me, claiming dominance (or trying to) before his people.

As the tears flow down my face, I look around the dark street, searching for something to quench this unbearable heat in my mouth.

‘What is it?' Mela asks with a deepening frown. She glances at the angels as if they would know, but they only
shrug. ‘Ebony, what are you looking for?'

But this is one of those tidy streets. It's virtually empty, with doors closed, blinds drawn, gates locked. There are no public toilets, not even a drinking fountain in sight.

I spot a circular brick structure up ahead, and with relief I slip off the mare and run towards it, my hood flopping back, my cloak pulling apart. I remember Mela's warning not to get off my horse, but she brought this on me, she showed me these places, she sparked this vile memory or flashback, or whatever this is.

Mela runs after me, her boots click-clacking on the pavement. The angels follow behind her, tugging our horses with them. ‘Tell me what you're looking for. I might be able to help.'

It's not a well. There's no water. Disappointment arcs through my spine like a lightning bolt splintering throughout my body. What now? Where to? With all those stairs back up to my room, I'm not sure I'll make it. My mouth is on fire, filled with blisters, too dry to speak.

Mela grabs my arms and spins me around. ‘Tell me what you need!'

I force some moisture up and swallow. ‘Water. I need water.'

One of the Seraphim reaches into his saddle pack and draws out a bottle. He goes to hand it to me, but Mela snatches it and shakes her head at him. I grab it and swig a long gulp, swish the fluid around my scalded mouth and spit it out. I nod my thanks at the angel and take another gulp, swish again, and down the rest.

Mela is watching me with a frown carving a deep V in
her forehead. Tears spring into her eyes and she shakes her head, sharing her worried glance with her angel friends. One says, ‘I carry another bottle if my lady requires it.'

Mela points to the near-empty bottle in my hand. ‘Do you need more?'

I take a deep breath. ‘I don't know. I don't know if I will ever be rid of it.'

‘Rid of what, Ebony?'

I hand her back the empty bottle, taking my horse's reins from the angel's hand. ‘Just drop it, Mela. I'm all right now. Really I am.'

I don't know what triggered that flashback, only that it felt so damn real. I wish I could ask Nathaneal how to stop it coming back again.

A sigh escapes before I get a chance to contain it. Mela feels bad enough as it is. This is not her fault. None of it is really. She shouldn't even be in this world. She should be home with Jordan, watching him grow into a young man she can be proud of. ‘We should go.'

‘Are you sure you're ready?' Mela asks.

‘I'm ready. Let's go before someone discovers we're missing.'

Mela doesn't want to drop it, but the angel jerks his head towards the white wall, where soldiers in full armour walk along the top watching over the surrounding neighbourhoods. They could spot us at any moment. She nods and hands our horses' reins back to the angel. ‘We'll walk from here.'

The angels leave with the horses while I follow Mela, keeping low and out of sight of the wall. We make it to the
secret door behind the overgrown shrubs. As soon as we're inside the tunnel, I touch Mela's arm to make her stop. I really need to explain. ‘You want me to stay and make this place better for the souls and angels who have no choice but to live here, but, Mela, where is my choice? If I were to live in Skade for a hundred, or even a thousand years, the one thing that will never change is my heart. Mela, if Nathaneal should somehow find a way to break into this horrid place, I'm going home with him. And if he can't break in, I don't care how long it takes, but I will find a way out myself. I know this is disappointing for you and I'm sorry. But you should know that I intend to be out of here before I turn seventeen and Luca makes me his wife, because I'm sure you're right – I would have a problem leaving my own children behind.'

20

Jordan

After Thane and Gabe seal the deal, the angels start leaving. I look for Shae and spot her and Isaac walking down the driveway hand in hand. I run to catch up. ‘Shae, can we talk a minute?'

She exchanges a glance with her husband of a thousand years. Isaac gives me a searching look while probing my thoughts. I scramble them like crazy, and after a minute he glances at Shae and shrugs. ‘Don't keep her up late,' he tells me. ‘She needs her rest before tomorrow. Nathaneal has asked Shae to be in the front team.'

‘That's great, Shae. You'll see Ebony first.'

She swings a big grin over at Isaac. She's excited, unaware that I'm drowning in envy. What I would give to be there, to see Ebony the moment she's free.

Isaac leans in and kisses Shae's cheek, his fingers climbing up inside her hair. The couples are always so passionate. Anyone would think I was taking his wife off to the other side of the moon. He winks at her and the look is so intimate I drop my gaze.

‘I'll be right behind you,' she says.

He takes off, and only then does she take her sapphire
eyes off him and turn them on me, motioning towards the front-deck stairs. We go and sit on the bottom one.

‘I won't keep you, Shae. I just need to ask you a favour.'

She stares at me with Ebony's questioning expression. It puts me off for a second and I have to shake my head to clear it. Life is bizarre. The first time I saw Shae I didn't see a resemblance. ‘I never noticed before how much you and Ebony look alike.'

She smiles and looks more like Ebony than ever. ‘And you have become very good at concealing your thoughts even when holding a conversation. That's quite extraordinary for a human being, Jordan. But surely Nathaneal has told you of another, easier way.'

‘I don't have time to learn it. Besides, Thane's too busy to teach me.'

‘Did
he
tell you that, or is this your assumption because you don't like him at the moment?'

I don't answer. I'm not sure what I think about Thane right now. I'm giving him a break from my hatred until he brings Ebony home.

‘What is this favour? A message for Ebony?'

She's never going to guess so I just come out with it, ‘Shae, will you carry me to the gates?'

Surprise registers in her eyes as she turns them on me, boring into my brain. I can
feel
her poking around, searching for my reason. Then she says the one word that brings my plans to a crashing end: ‘No.'

‘Come on, Shae, I just want to see her. What's gonna stop you guys from taking her straight to Avena?'

She looks directly into my eyes and says, ‘Ebony.'

21

Ebony

A light is on in Mela's room, giving us the first indication that something is wrong. A sliver of this light shows under the half-size door. Mela turns with her eyes wide and filled with terror. She grips my arm, stopping me from moving closer. Switching the lantern off, she mouths the words,
Go back!

But the door suddenly flies open, wrenched off its hinges, and a Throne guard I've never seen before reaches in and grabs Mela around the waist. Dragging her backwards, he gives her a grave look as he passes her to his partner. He then turns to me. ‘Come with me, my lady.'

I start moving backwards, as Mela had urged, every cell in my body screaming to run.

‘I won't touch you,' he says, his voice deep and low, ‘but
he
will punish Mela.'

‘Can't you help her?'

He shakes his head, a gut-wrenching sadness in his eyes.

The other guard bends down at the door and looks in. He glances at me with the same soft silver eyes as his partner. ‘My lady, the king requests your presence immediately.'

Mela screams. I run past both guards, who back quickly out of my way, to find Luca dragging Mela across the room by her hair. He sees me and drops her with a smart-alec grin on his face.

She scrambles to her feet and rushes towards me, her heartbeat erratic, eyes bulging and horror-filled. But Luca intercepts her, grabbing her by the shoulders and distorting the air as he tosses her in the opposite direction.

When she gets to her feet again, Luca is standing in front of her. ‘Look at me,' he demands, his words spoken with an eerie icy calm.

She lifts her eyes. They remind me of a terrified filly's and my stomach clenches.

‘Explain yourself.'

Mela takes a deep breath and straightens her shoulders.
‘I j
ust wanted to show my lady the city.'

‘At night
?
After curfew?'

‘I see now that it was foolish.'

‘Did you take anyone with you for protection?'

She freezes, flicking a micro-glance at me that says she's damned either way. ‘No, my lord. No one.'

She chooses to protect her friends. It's going to be difficult to continue the lie. Luca might not be a Soul Reader, but he has ways of just knowing things.

‘Then why were four sets of horse tracks found at the western district perimeter?'

Damn.

‘Oh. I apologise, my lord. I ah … arranged for two soldiers to accompany us and watch over Ebony –'

‘It's “
Ebony
” now?'

‘
I
asked her to call me that,' I tell him, worried where this is heading.

He gives me a potent look to butt out. But that's not going to happen. ‘Whatever you think she's done, Mela is
my
handmaiden,
my
staff member. Tell me what rule she's broken and
I
will deal with her.'

‘Not a chance, Princess. You will stay out of this one.'

‘No, I won't.'

His eyes flash to all black. It's only for a second, but I get a blinding sting in my head as if he's slapped my unsheathed brain with an open palm. My head flops to the side and I blink hard several times to readjust my senses.

Luca shouts a string of commands. The two guards from outside run in and stand one on each side of Mela, while the other two close in around me. I give them each a hard stare and they take a step back.

Meanwhile, Luca has grabbed Mela's chin and is forcing her to look up into his face. ‘I want their names, Mela.'

She glances at me with remorse and sorrow. Luca notices and kicks her legs out from under her. Knowing I'm going to retaliate, he turns and punches words into my head:
Stay out of this, Princess
.

I will, if you stop hurting her.

She broke my direct command. I cannot release her without punishment. Understand now?

Depends on the punishment.