The Named (32 page)

Marduke stares at Ethan, clearly unsettled. ‘This is nothing but an illusion.’

Ethan wills a dagger from his boot to his hand, and in one fluid movement reaches within the dome and drags the girl into his arms. Forcing her back to his chest, he points the dagger to her throat.

Outside the dome the girl looks very real indeed. She squirms, her eyes widening with confusion and panic. Ethan tightens his grip. Drips of blood form across the girl’s throat where the dagger has come too close. She screams.

‘No!’ Marduke commands with a surprising catch to his throat. ‘Release her!’

‘Only when you throw down the torch,’ Ethan says, maintaining a steady front. I’ve never seen Ethan so controlled. What’s happened to him? Where’s the boy who generally acts before he thinks? He is wearing an air of calm-composure. ‘If you don’t do as I say, you
will never know your own flesh again.’

Marduke lowers the torch just slightly. ‘Where did you find her? I looked everywhere since that day, twelve years ago, when her mother snatched her from my arms.’

‘She’s been well cared for. You only had to wait. Obviously, she was going to be drawn to Veridian; it was simply a matter of time.’

‘She is
Named
?’ Marduke asks in a voice of disbelief and disgust. ‘By the Guard?’

‘She’ll enter the Guard one day soon,’ Arkarian announces.

Marduke suddenly laughs, his tone heavy with contempt. ‘Do you think I will allow that?’

Arkarian shrugs. ‘You won’t have a choice.’

‘These past twelve years I have seen another world and I have learned many things, old friend. I’ll not confuse my loyalties again. My fealty is to the Goddess alone. She has made me very content.’

Ethan’s arms stiffen as if unable to believe the heartlessness of the man before him. ‘What are you saying?’

Marduke’s eyes shift to Ethan’s. ‘What I’m saying, boy, is that I would not hesitate to kill my own daughter if that’s what it takes to keep her from your hands.’

Ethan inhales sharply. ‘I never did think of you as a man. All those years I was right.’

‘So what am I?’

‘In my dreams you were a monster. The reality is, you’re far worse.’

Marduke looks at me while I work hard to save Shaun’s life. ‘You waste your strength on him, girl. One day perhaps you’ll have the skill, but today you’re far too inexperienced. He will die, as he should have done
before he did this thing to me.’ He raises a thick hand to the shattered side of his face where scars run in zigzag fashion from his hairline to the deep chasm of his chin.

And with those angry words Marduke throws the torch directly into the centre of the pile of wood beneath Matt’s feet, simultaneously lunging for the girl still held in Ethan’s arms.

Surprised by this sudden distracting move, Ethan lets his grip loosen, Marduke grabs the girl and holds her tightly. ‘
Neriah
!’ he whispers close to her ear.

The fire ignites, causing chaos in the clearing, and my heart to racing. ‘
Noooo
!’ I scream, losing my concentration altogether now, and make to run to Matt.

Arkarian pulls me back down, covering my hands with his own over the centre of Shaun’s chest. ‘Heal! For you’re almost done, and a healer is what you are, Isabel.’

‘But Matt?’

‘Ethan and Jimmy will save him.’

I look up and see Ethan and Jimmy running to the fire. I glance down briefly at Shaun, his injured heart beneath my hands, wondering how close I really am to healing his wound. ‘Marduke says I’m not strong enough to save Shaun.’

‘Don’t listen to the poison that flows from Marduke’s mouth. Keep going, Isabel. Marduke forgot to mention what else he learned from the Order – to lie and cheat and deceive. If you believe in yourself, you can still heal this man. Without you he will surely die.’

But all thoughts of healing soon fly from my head when Ethan suddenly spins away from the burning flames without even trying to get Matt down. Shivers
go through me as I watch him take his dagger, hold it tightly in his fist, then spin on Marduke as if possessed of a power and strength even Marduke would find intimidating. He rams into the big man with no apparent care for his own safety, the blow forcing Marduke to release the girl called Neriah. In the same instant Ethan grabs the girl, shoving her into the lighted dome. She falls into a heap on the floor and disappears.

Marduke looks at the spot where his daughter was and roars, his hands clawing the air angrily as if this action will somehow return her. Stunned, I can only stare as this huge man drops to all fours, digging away at the dirt where the last rays of Ethan’s lighted dome are now disappearing.

Slowly, Marduke realises his daughter is gone. He staggers to his feet, his arms held wide, his misshapen face contorted. His eye searches for Ethan, and when he finds him, Marduke gives an earth-shattering roar, stretching his hands wide in front of him. To everyone’s amazement Marduke’s fingers start to glow with streaks of vivid blue light, as if his blood vessels have become luminous. And just like lightning, electric streaks flash from his fingertips with hissing, screeching sounds.

Arkarian calls out a sharp warning. But Ethan is one step ahead. Dagger drawn, Ethan charges Marduke, stabbing him deeply in the throat. Marduke screams, grabbing Ethan in a tight hold. But Ethan hangs on with all he has, stabbing Marduke again and again.

And while Marduke’s life drains from his body, Jimmy and Mr Carter try their hardest to dismantle the burning timber to get to Matt. I try to keep my mind
focused on the healing beneath my hands, sensing on some higher level that I’m close now, while still trying to see beyond the leaping and crackling flames. But they’re just too strong. The wood must have been doused with something to make it ignite so viciously. The flames take a firm hold, stopping everyone from getting any closer to Matt.

‘
Help him
!’ I scream while still trying to continue working on Shaun.

Hands suddenly clasp over mine. I look down. They’re Shaun’s. Gently he pushes my hands away. ‘You are truly gifted,’ he says softly, apparently completely healed. ‘Consider me always in your debt.’

Arkarian helps him to his feet, and I’m free now to run to the fire. But when I get there, everyone is just standing around looking at the place where Matt’s scorched and murdered body should be hanging. They’re staring, and now I understand why. Matt is not there. The tree is bare except for the flames leaping and dancing around its massive trunk.

Arkarian comes up behind me. ‘Who did this?’

Ethan staggers over, as puzzled as the rest of us. ‘I don’t know, but Marduke is dead.’

‘Are you sure?’ Arkarian asks.

This question has everyone turn and look at the lifeless body lying in a widening pool of his own blood. As we stare, Marduke’s body starts to disappear. ‘He died out of his own time. What does this mean? He can’t come back, can he?’ I ask.

Ethan and Arkarian exchange a really weird look but don’t say anything. Marduke’s remaining warriors come over for a closer examination, but only bloodstained grass remains where their master’s body lay but
a few seconds earlier. They realise their master is dead and gone. Quickly, they back away, gather their dead and wounded, and disappear into the surrounding woods.

Shaun stands in the exact spot where Marduke’s body disappeared and answers me. ‘What this means, quite simply, is that our problems with this man are over. No one can come back from the dead, Isabel.’

Ethan finally drags his glance away from Arkarian and takes my hand, pointing it into the flames before us. ‘You have to learn to trust more, Isabel.’

I think his words right now are insane. ‘What are you talking about? Where’s Matt? Where at least is his body?’

‘Here … Here I am. But who the hell are you?’ I spin around as Matt’s laboured voice comes from somewhere behind me. He looks weary and beaten and bruised and greenish, but at least he’s breathing. Jimmy and Mr Carter help him walk, taking most of his weight.

‘How did you escape?’ I ask, but quickly remind myself that as we’re still in the past, Matt is seeing us as the strangers the Citadel created to keep our identities secret.

‘Rochelle released me. She’s gone now, said something about having to disappear for a while. I don’t understand what’s going on. Can someone please explain?’

I can’t stop myself from screaming and jumping up and down in sheer relief. My brother is alive and safe, even though he resembles a corpse recently dragged from its grave. I run the short distance between us, throwing myself at him, giving him a fierce hug. Jimmy
and Mr Carter have to hold him more firmly so my hug doesn’t knock him backwards.

Matt labours to get a clear breath then pushes me slightly away. ‘Do I know you?’

I stare straight into his eyes, brown like mine. He stares back. ‘
Isabel
?’

I nod and grin at him as speaking is too difficult.

He touches my long curls. ‘What’s with the red hair?’ He peers at my face closely. ‘And what are these?
Freckles
?’

‘It’s a long story and I’m not so sure you’re supposed to hear it,’ Ethan says, then glances at Arkarian.

‘I wouldn’t worry too much about that,’ Arkarian says cryptically. ‘But getting Matt’s health back is our first priority.’

Matt stares hard at Arkarian and frowns. ‘I know you. You’re the one called Arkarian.’

‘Yes,’ Arkarian replies. ‘But how do you know?’

‘Your eyes are exactly as my sister described them in her sleep.’

Arkarian’s eyes slide to mine, but my face is going hot so fast I think the freckles are all joining up. Quickly, I drop my gaze.

‘Really?’ Arkarian says in a curious tone. ‘And what exactly did she say?’

‘Ah,’ I interrupt. ‘This is hardly necessary. Matt’s in pain. Shouldn’t you do something?’

For once Matt doesn’t argue. ‘Do what you must, Arkarian, but first tell me what’s going on.’ He glances across at Ethan. ‘I think I know you too.’

Ethan gives a little laugh. ‘You do, friend, but you probably wish you didn’t.’

‘
Ethan
? Well, I should have guessed.’ Matt takes in
Ethan’s period dress, right down to his tight mail leggings. ‘That’s a good look on you. You should wear it more often.’

This conversation is driving me crazy. ‘How much did you see, Matt? When did you regain consciousness?’

Matt glances at me with a look of compassion mixed with humour. ‘I could put you out of your misery and tell you I only just came to when the flames started licking at my toes, but that would be a lie.’

‘Oh?’ My voice squeaks badly.

‘I woke up when Rochelle started to work loose the ropes at the back of the tree. She warned me not to draw attention to myself, so I kept quiet, which got harder once Ethan made an appearance. By the way,’ he says in an offhand manner, looking at Ethan. ‘Where is that girl from the light? One second she’s here, the next she disappears.’

‘She’s safe. Why?’

Matt frowns again. ‘No reason. I just feel as if I’ve seen her before, or …’ He shrugs and groans, bending over with a sudden stab of pain. ‘I don’t know. I get the feeling, that’s all, as if we know each other or something.’ He turns to Jimmy first, then Mr Carter. ‘Are you two people I should know as well?’

Arkarian pulls Matt out of their hands, taking most of Matt’s weight on his own shoulder. ‘We don’t have time for any more guessing games. You need healing.’

Before Arkarian takes Matt away somewhere, I just have to ask, ‘What’s going to happen to Matt? He’s seen us doing things.’

Arkarian calmly replies, ‘We may just have to kill him.’

‘
What!’

But then he laughs and shakes his head at me.

‘Your sense of humour needs work, Arkarian,’ I snap at him, even though I know he’s just trying to relieve the tension I’m still feeling.

He goes on to explain in a gentle voice, ‘I have to take Matt to a special room in the Citadel for a while to heal his mortal body. But it’s going to take some time. You’ll have to work something out to tell your mother. Matt could be away for many weeks in the mortal measurement of time.’

‘OK. But what’s going to happen to him after he’s healed?’

‘The truth is, Isabel, after your incredible display of healing skills, I guarantee you’ll no longer be anyone’s Apprentice. And when Matt here is well again, no doubt he’ll be initiated as Ethan’s new trainee, for he too is Named.’

‘Yes!’ Ethan says, punching the air with a closed fist. But then his face drops, his eyes darkening as he recalls whatever it was he did to upset the Tribunal again. ‘That’s if I’m still in the Guard by then.’

Chapter Forty-one

Ethan

My trial is going to be brief. I’ve only been allocated an hour. At first, I don’t get it as my breach was of the highest order – changing the past,
and
taking a mortal body and soul through time. But then I realise there’s no need for a long trial; it’ll be a quick disbarring. There are no character witnesses to testify in my favour. Carter won’t be asked for an opinion on my maturity or level of responsibility – they already know what he thinks. The Tribunal will hand down its judgement, which is already a foregone conclusion.

Almost everyone is gathered here in the palace in Greece: Dad, Isabel, Carter, Jimmy and, of course, Arkarian. We’re standing in the corridor outside the meeting chamber. Matt, who is soon to be an Apprentice, is still far from healed yet, recuperating in the Citadel’s healing chamber. His first trip to Athens won’t be made until after his first mission anyway. Marduke’s daughter Neriah, who unknowingly was part of my illusion, remains unaware of her future with the Guard. She hasn’t even come to Angel Falls yet, but her time is approaching, for she too will have her part to
play. And as for Rochelle, she has apparently disappeared. People are already asking questions at school, especially as another student – Jade Myer – has gone missing as well. Rumours are spreading fast that both girls have taken off together. Jade was apparently a member of the Order who was killed during the battle. She will remain missing for ever. That Rochelle and Jade were both members of the Order is hard to comprehend. Who else of my peers, maybe even among my friends, support chaos and destruction? There’s been no word on any of the others killed or injured; not all were from Angel Falls. But those who were will have their identities fiercely protected.