Aurora (16 page)

‘I need to talk with him privately, sir,’ he replied cautiously. ‘The last time I saw Jack he insisted the subject of our discussions remain secret. My name is Elian. Can you
tell him I’m here, please? My quest is urgent.’

‘Quest, is it?’ the man said, thoughtfully stroking his neatly trimmed moustache with his right index finger. ‘You have a strange accent, lad. Where are you from?’

‘I’m afraid I can’t tell you that either, sir.’

‘Is that so? Very well. Keep him here, Private. I’ll go and see what Captain Miller has to say on the matter. I shouldn’t be more than a minute or two.’

The door closed, plunging the porch into darkness. After looking into such a bright source of light, Elian found his night vision had gone and he was all but blind. The soldier’s grip on
his collar loosened slightly, but he did not let go.

‘Who was that?’ Elian asked. ‘Was he some sort of lord?’

‘A lord?’ the man grunted, giving a gruff bark of laughter. ‘Acts like one, fer sure. Most of the officers do, lad. I’m surprised yer don’t know that.
Miller’s no different from the rest. If yer making this story up about knowing him, yer about to find yerself in a whole mess of trouble.’

Elian briefly considered responding, but thought better of it. The soldier was not going to believe him, no matter what he said. He barely had time to think this before the door burst open again
and there was Jack. He was dressed in almost identical clothes to the officer who had opened the door the first time. His face was unmistakeably excited.

‘Elian!’ he exclaimed. ‘That’s wizard! Thank you, Private. You may let him go. I’ll look after him now.’

‘Very good, sir,’ the soldier replied. His tone was businesslike, though Elian was sure he detected an undertone of disgruntlement. The hand let go of his collar and the man suddenly
stood very straight and raised his right hand to his forehead. Jack repeated the gesture and the soldier, having been dismissed, did an abrupt about turn and left.

‘It’s been so long that I thought you might not come back,’ Jack said in a low voice, drawing Elian in through the door and into the warm hallway. The other officer was
watching from a few paces away. Jack suddenly noticed him. ‘Pete, can you do me a favour?’ he asked.

‘That depends, Jack,’ he replied. ‘What do you want?’

‘Can you drag the old man from the piano and tell him to meet me in the back room? I need to speak with him urgently.’

‘Seems everything is urgent tonight,’ Pete said, raising one eyebrow quizzically. ‘He won’t be happy, Jack. You know how he is when he gets singing.’

‘Well let that be my problem, Pete.’

‘On your head be it then.’

Elian was surprised to see the man Jack called Pete incline his head towards him in a polite gesture of acknowledgement before he turned and entered the room where all the noise was coming
from.

‘I was injured by one of those flash-bangs that explode in the sky,’ Elian told Jack in a low voice. I haven’t been able to fly for about a week now.’

‘Was it bad?’

‘Fragments of metal in my leg, hearing loss and blurred vision,’ Elian reported. ‘It wasn’t nice.’

Jack winced at the catalogue of injuries. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Not pleasant at all. Still, it’s good to see you’re a survivor. For me, it’s been months since we
last met. I’ve been lucky enough not to prang any more kites in that time, but although I’m still in one piece, it’s been tough. I’ve been involved in so many scraps that
I’m amazed I’m still around. We lose boys every week. Even the best pilots have been falling to the enemy.’

Elian could see the pain in Jack’s eyes. He looked older than Elian remembered. It appeared the constant conflict had affected him deeply.

‘Jack, I don’t know if you remember what I told you about my quest . . .’

‘I do,’ he said, his eyes suddenly sparkling. ‘The four orbs, the Oracle and the night dragons who are doing their best to stop you – I remember it all.’

‘Well, Ra and I think you hold the key to finding the final orb.’

‘And you’re right,’ Jack replied, his eyes twinkling.

Elian’s jaw dropped. Had he heard Jack correctly? Did he really know where the final orb was?

‘The first orb drew blood,’ Jack went on. ‘The second was formed from a heart. I take it you’ve found the third, given that you’re looking for the final one. If I
solved the Oracle’s riddles correctly, then the third orb was an eyeball. Am I right?’

‘Yes . . . but how?’

‘I said I was good at puzzles,’ Jack said with a grin. ‘The mystery of the poem was rather obvious when I looked at it the right way.’

‘So what is the last orb?’ Elian asked, his chest tight with excitement.

‘I’ll tell you in good time, old boy. Don’t fret. But first I need to know where your dragon is and if there are any others with you?’

‘She’s in the woods where we left you last time,’ Elian replied, unsure exactly what Jack meant by ‘old boy’. ‘Kira and Fang are with her. Please, tell me. I
must find it quickly. We’re almost out of time.’

‘Kira is the girl with the invisible dragon, isn’t she?’ Jack asked, ignoring Elian’s plea.

‘That’s right.’

‘Wizard!’ Jack breathed. ‘Absolutely wizard!’ Suddenly his voice became more urgent. ‘What about Pell?’ he asked.

‘He’s gone with Nolita and Firestorm on a journey to the day dragon enclave,’ Elian said warily. ‘The night dragons have blockaded the entrance to the Oracle’s
cave. We think the only way we’re going to get past them is with a show of strength.’

‘Interesting. Ah! Here comes the boss. Come, Elian. We’ve got a lot to talk about.’

Elian was confused. If Jack knew the answer to the final riddle, why was he being so evasive and what was there to talk about? All Elian wanted was the orb. Jack knew that. Why did he want Elian
to talk to this ‘boss’ person?

Jack took Elian by the arm and led him gently across the hall and through a door. Another man followed them, closing the door behind him. The room was full of curiosities – machines that
ticked, paintings depicting fascinating scenes and characters, oddments that might have been ornamental, or maybe had purposes that Elian could not instantly determine. Another time Elian could
have spent hours poking around in this room, but for the moment he kept his focus on Jack. He wanted answers.

‘Are you still with me?’
he asked Aurora.

‘Yes, Elian,’
she replied.

‘Do you know what’s happening?’

‘Not much more than you do,’
she said.
‘But I sense no harmful intent. I suggest you listen to what he has to say. He believes he has what we need. He knew about the
third orb, which gives credit to his claim. Let’s see what he wants.’

Elian met the eyes of the newcomer and recognised instantly that he was not the only one with questions. The man seemed to be about four or five season rotations older than Jack. His hair
appeared to have been slicked back over his head with some sort of oil and his brown eyes were quick and alert.

‘What’s this all about, Jack? Who is this boy and why’s he here?’

‘Boss, meet Elian,’ Jack replied. ‘Elian, meet Squadron Leader “Wily” White. This, boss, is the boy who’s saved my life on more than one occasion. He flies
the golden-coloured dragon I told you about last year.’

‘This
is your fabled dragonrider?’ White replied, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown as he studied Elian carefully. Elian could see that he was not what the man had
expected. ‘And I suppose your dragon’s waiting outside, lad,’ The Squadron Leader said, his lips quirking up the corners of his mouth into a mocking smile. Should he tell? Elian
looked across at Jack, asking the question with his eyes. Jack nodded.

‘She’s in the stand of woods about four hundred paces west of here, sir,’ he replied.

‘Of course! In the woods,’ he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. ‘Did anyone see you arrive, perchance?’

‘A man caught me listening at the door, sir,’ Elian said hesitantly, unsure of why the Squadron Leader was behaving so strangely. Jack had clearly told him about the dragons, so what
was his problem?

‘One of the privates on patrol, boss,’ Jack explained. ‘He didn’t see anything, or he would have said.’

Squadron Leader White shook his head impatiently. ‘What I meant, Elian, is did anyone see you land on your
dragon
?’ he asked pointedly.

‘No, sir,’ he replied. ‘At least, we don’t think so.’

‘We?’

‘Me and my dragon.’

‘Ah, yes! You
and
your dragon. Of course.’

Squadron Leader White looked thoughtful for a moment.

‘So, has Jack asked you about his grand plan yet?’ White asked Elian.

‘No, sir,’ Jack interjected. ‘Not yet. I thought I’d better wait for you.’

‘Ask me what?’ Elian asked, his suspicions growing rapidly. ‘I told you before that we’re not going to be drawn into your war, Jack. The dragons will not fight for you,
if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘I haven’t forgotten,’ Jack said, his face serious. ‘But I’ve got a proposition that I’d like you to consider. It’s simple. I’ll tell you what
you’re looking for if you’ll help me with one very special mission.’

‘I’ve already saved your life more than once, Jack,’ Elian pointed out. ‘You’re in my debt. This mission you’re talking about is dangerous, isn’t it?
Why should I have to take risks for you again? Please, just tell me where the final orb is.’

‘My life isn’t that important,’ Jack replied with a shrug. ‘If I die there’ll be a replacement here within a few days. But I know how much value you place on the
orb. You told me last time that your world will change for ever if you don’t get it to the Oracle in time. Its worth is far greater than my humble life.

‘My dragon won’t agree to being used as a weapon,’ Elian insisted firmly.

‘That’s not what I’m asking for,’ Jack said quickly. ‘In brief, I want you to help me capture a particular enemy pilot who has been causing us a lot of trouble.
Doing this would give a huge boost to morale amongst our troops. Help me to get him and I’ll tell you what you need to know.’

‘I don’t know . . .’ Elian began.

‘No one needs to die,’ Jack added quickly. ‘It’s a simple exchange – the pilot for the information. He should be easy enough to find. He flies a bright-red triplane
and his name is Baron Manfred von Richthofen.’

Chapter Fifteen

Even before Firestorm had come to a complete stop, Nolita had unwound the straps from her wrists, thrown her saddlebags clear and slid down his side. She stumbled as she hit
the ground. Her legs felt stiff and weak after the long flight, but she could not stagger to the edge of the nearby pine forest fast enough. Desperate to escape her dragon’s presence and
heedless of scratches to arms and face, she pushed in through the needle-laden branches.

The trees were densely packed, but she continued forcing a way forwards until she could look back without seeing any hint of the blue dragon. Only then did she sink to her knees on the deep
carpet of needles. Curling in on herself, she put her head in her hands and began to sob.

Nolita knew she was being irrational. Firestorm loved her. He wanted to protect her. Given her intimate knowledge of his mind, she could not understand why her intense fear of him remained.

Her terror made no sense. Nolita had flown on Fire’s back for weeks, successfully driving back the shadows of her fear enough for her to function as a dragonrider. The darkness had always
been there in her mind. Lurking. But she had contained it with her rituals and the support of her friends. Now her friends had gone, leaving a chink in her armour that the dark fears were quick to
exploit.

‘Nothing
has changed,’ she wept aloud, willing herself to believe the words. ‘Fire is the
same
dragon.
Nothing
has changed.’

But something had changed. She was alone. Nightmares of being alone with a dragon had haunted her since she was a little girl: immense, looming, razor-sharp teeth and wicked horns. Despite her
determination to suppress her fears, the memory of those dreams sent a shudder through her body.

Nolita had always known Firestorm would come for her. Her mother had believed her nightmares to be a symptom of her fearful nature, but Nolita had always been certain it would happen. She had
tried to run and failed. There was nowhere she could hide. Today felt like her trial of bravery in the Chamber of the Sun’s Steps all over again, but this time there was no one cheering her
on.

What could she do? Her stomach was churning. Her mind would not settle. It darted like a fly, first one way and then the other. She ached all over. Rest. That was what she needed. Or was it what
Fire needed? Their minds had become so intertwined during the extreme stress of the recent battle that Nolita was finding it difficult to tell where the dragon’s thoughts finished and hers
began.

Fire was exhausted. There was no denying that. She, too, was aching and drained.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. It was so unfair. The questors had come so far together, yet in a single day they had been scattered. Where was Pell? He was supposed to be with her. He was a
pain when he was around, but even his arrogant smirks and foolish posturing would be welcome right now.