Broken (23 page)

‘She’s having a seizure. Where’s Uri? He’ll know what to do for her.’

Michael looks back at our camp, then stands. ‘I’ll find him.’

But Uri flies over us, touching down on Tash’s opposite side, stirring snow and ice with his coat. He drops to his knees and gently strokes her face. ‘Breathe, my darling,’ he whispers with feather-light kisses across her forehead. ‘It will be over soon.’

Jez and Isaac arrive, bringing a blanket and covering her with it. Then Jez crouches beside Uriel. ‘Can I help?’

‘There’s nothing except to wait it out.’

‘She’s had this happen before?’ Isaac asks.

‘A few times, and always after a vision.’

Tash stops seizing, her eyes roll back to normal, and as she attempts to sit up she moans and asks, ‘What happened? Did I say anything?’

I remember her warning,
Someone you trust will betray you
, but since most of those I trust surround me now, I decide to say nothing.

31

Jordan

When Mr Zee shoves me into his Bugatti I get a feeling that this is the end. This is where I lose the game.

I’ve been through some serious shit in my life,
really
serious. My life sucked from my first breath. A crack baby, I had to go through detox the day I was born. They didn’t give me back to my parents until my mum and dad proved they could stay clean for three months. By the time I was four they were both using again. They soon became desperate and all went downhill from there.

But I’ve never felt like
this
before, so useless, wasted and helpless.

The two most important people in my life are gonna suffer big time because I stuffed up. Mum will live the rest of her mortal life in Skade, and when she dies her soul will stay in that toxic dark world for eternity. She will
never
be at peace.

Prince Luca will probably kill her now just to punish me.

Why didn’t I listen to Skinner when he said I needed to hurry? This morning wasn’t the only time; he’s been pushing me for weeks. And I thought he was just being a prick.

In hindsight everything is always clearer.

There’s Ebony now. I spot her driving the Lambo through my side mirror. She’s about half a K behind us, and catching up fast. How can I tell her to go back?

When I chose to save Mum, knowing it meant I had to break Ebony up from Thane, I really believed I could still protect Ebony from the Dark Prince. I shouldn’t have been so naive. I should have read the contract’s ‘fine print’, the part Prince Luca didn’t mention, the part that said it didn’t matter if I failed – he would just move on to Evil Plan B – using me and the Guardian bond to bring Ebony out in the open.

Damn him to hell!

I hold up my chained hands. ‘Is this necessary?’

‘If it stops you texting a warning to Ebony, then I would have to say yes, it is necessary.’

‘You’re a monster.’

‘It was your job to break her heart not so long ago, so don’t go judging me.’

He has a point. I don’t like that he’s right. I close my eyes and entertain myself with thinking up a hundred ways to end Mr Zee’s life.

32

Ebony

We’re halfway up Mountain Way before I’m close enough to start putting my plan into action. Fortunately, there aren’t many vehicles on the road today. But there are still a few, like a bus with two passengers, a family in a hatchback, a minivan with camping equipment stuffed in the back, a truck delivering store supplies, and a silver, late model sedan with a thirty-something couple inside.

Except for the sedan, I overtake them all, one at a time, and as steadily as I can so I don’t freak Amber out.

She’s handling the drive better than I thought. A high-speed fatality in front of her home when she was eleven left her with chilling memories. I’ve seen her when her father is running late: her skin is always ashen, while her hands gripping her arm rests are squeezed tight.

She keeps her eyes focused ahead the entire time, searching for the green Bugatti. Maybe this is helping to keep her mind off the sharp bends and increasingly steep drops. I flick her a quick look. She’s spotted the Bugatti about a hundred metres in front of the silver sedan and sighs with relief. ‘I think I see them.’

‘Yeah, that’s them.’

Keeping her eyes on the car, she says, ‘You did a great job catching up. When are you going to make your move?’

‘Soon.’

‘So how are you going to make Mr Zavier pull over?’

I take a deep breath. ‘I’m so sorry, Amber.’

She turns her head and frowns at me. ‘What are you apologising for?’

‘I’ve been trying to figure this out, and the only manoeuvre I can come up with that also gives us a chance to escape, is to bump the Bugatti’s rear side and force them to lose control.’

Her big brown eyes swell as she stares condemningly at me. ‘You’re going to make them
crash
?’

‘It’s a manoeuvre police use sometimes, and if it goes to plan the Bugatti will end up sideways in front of us. And, while stationary, I will distract Mr Zavier, giving you time to help Jordan into the Lambo. Then the three of us take off and live happily ever after.’

‘Has this become a game to you?’

Her sarcastic tone surprises me. Amber is never usually testy. ‘Of course not. I was just trying to keep it light.’

‘And if your scenario doesn’t play out right, what then?’

‘I don’t have a back-up plan . . .
yet
,’ I add quickly.

We’re quiet for a few minutes while I navigate through a winding stretch of road.

‘Honey, you’ve really surprised me with how good a driver you are.’

‘Thanks, Amber. But . . .?’

‘Have you performed this manoeuvre before?’

She knows I haven’t. As I open my mouth to answer, she lifts her hand. ‘I get it – you’re learning as you go.’

‘I won’t let Jordan get hurt. I physically can’t. I would throw myself in the line of fire every time for him.’

‘Yeah, yeah, I get it, the G Bond.’ Her uncharacteristic sarcasm is starting to worry me. ‘But have you noticed we’re on a steep, narrow, windy road and you’re driving unbelievably fast?’ She glares at me. ‘Jordan is in the car you plan to make crash, you know!’

‘Are we fighting, like . . .
now
?’

‘I don’t know!’ she screams, and covers her face with her hands.

I notice then how much they’re shaking.
Shit.

‘Amber, the manoeuvre is what I’m saying sorry for,’ I tell her gently. ‘Are you going to be OK? Do you want me to turn around and take you home?’

She lowers her hands, revealing red teary eyes. ‘You would do that? Even with your bond and everything?’

I don’t have to think about that for long. Amber is like my sister. We’ve been friends all our lives. ‘Yeah, I would.’

She folds her hands in her lap. ‘OK.’

‘OK, what?’

‘Keep going.’

‘Will you be OK?’’

‘Yeah, I’ll be fine.’

‘Are
we
still good?’

‘Of course we are.’ Peering ahead, she gets back to keeping watch, murmuring under her breath, ‘God help us all.’

A straight stretch of road gives me the chance to overtake the sedan. To distract Amber I keep her talking while I increase the car’s torque and shift into the oncoming lane, ‘You know, once I’m living in Avena, the bond won’t have the same power over Jordan.’

She glances sideways. ‘Really?’

‘Really. So my leaving Earth is going to bring some good things too. You wait and see.’ Smoothly, I accelerate past the silver sedan and slip back into the appropriate driving lane. Now there’s nothing between Mr Zavier’s car and mine.

‘You sound more accepting of your angelic roots today, even of your move to Avena.’

‘I don’t
want
to leave, but it’s important for Nathaneal that I do. It will be hard, though, especially if Mum and Dad are not found by then. I can’t stand the thought of being so far from them when they return. They’ll think I abandoned them for my “real” family.’ I glance at her and ask, ‘If it happens that way, will you make sure to let them know how much I missed them, worried about them, love them?’

She nods and gives me a watery smile. ‘Of course. But you’re not going away for a long time yet.’

‘I would like to finish school here.’

‘That would be great.’

A thought suddenly occurs. ‘I know where Mr Zavier’s taking Jordan.’

She looks at me, confused. ‘Where?’

‘The portal!’ Still wearing a blank look, I explain, ‘You know, the entrance to the Crossing, deep inside Mount Bungarra’s forest.’

‘Why would Mr Zavier take Jordan to the portal?’

‘The Crossing is the only way back to Skade or Avena. And there are only two portals to access it. One is up there.’ I point to the northern ridge tip, which is just becoming visible. ‘The Brothers built their monastery there, setting the Watchtower on the highest point so they could keep an eye on any angelic or demonic activity.’

‘So where’s the other portal?’

‘Alaska. There’s a community of dark angels that live there and keep it safe for Prince Luca and his kind to come and go. It’s where Luca and his elite force of twelve Prodigies made their entrance last time he came to Earth.’

‘I remember how all the birds of the world flew in the opposite direction.’

‘And freaked your mum out.’

‘Not just Mum! Do you remember how Dad went looking for his last will and testament?’

I smile at the memory, though at the time no one was laughing.

‘So what happens if Mr Zavier manages to take Jordan into the Crossing?’ Amber asks. ‘Can we go in after them?’

‘Not without wings. The landscape moves around too much. According to Nathaneal, when you enter the portal, you only get a glimpse to prepare yourself, not enough time for a human mind to make the decision whether to stay or go. That’s why we have to stop Mr Zavier
before
they reach the summit. It will be much harder to escape once we’re on the ridge because it’s too close to the portal.’

By now Mr Zavier is aware I’m behind him and closing in fast. He exerts more power and takes off, flames shooting from his exhausts.

It’s time to take charge and do this my way.

I catch up to his tail, then fall back a little as we take a sharp bend. Once clear, I move up again and brace myself for action. There’s a waterfall coming up just past the next hill with a pull-over bay for tourists who want to stop and take photos. The wider roadway will help make this manoeuvre a little safer. I keep close behind the Bugatti while we climb.

At the top of the hill the road sweeps sharply into a right angle. We both go round screeching sideways. When I exit the curve, I’m relieved to see the road ahead is clear of oncoming traffic. I depress the power button Jordan used when the dark forces chased us home from Mr Zavier’s house, the button Nathaneal told him was for emergencies only.

‘
Shi-i-i-it!
’ Amber cries out as the Lambo projects forward like a jet on take-off.

‘Hold tight, Amber.’

‘Oh, I am!’

Mindful of the high speed we’re both going, and with the waterfall now in my sights, I shift into the oncoming lane and hold the wheel as steady as I can. Then, when my front tyres are parallel with the Bugatti’s rear ones, I turn the wheel towards the green car, tapping it gently with the Lambo’s front passenger end, then swiftly drop back.

Instantly, the Bugatti spins across the road in front of us. It’s almost a perfect move, except I didn’t take into account the soapy effect that the waterfall spray would have on the road. The Bugatti hits the slippery stretch and slides all the way across the other side, its rear end hitting the guard rail meant to stop vehicles from dropping down an incredibly steep cliff.

My heart stops.

Amber screams relentlessly.

I pull over, and we watch in horror as Mr Zavier tries but fails to gain control of his vehicle. The Bugatti pings off the guard rail, leaving a deep V dent in the centre, but mercifully it holds. The small green car then careers back across the water-sprayed road, spinning in a full circle twice before crashing head first into a rocky pond at the waterfall’s baseline, leaving its front wheels spinning in air.

‘I know this looks bad, Amber, but we still have to do what we came for. I’m not sure how, but you have to get Jordan out of that car and into this one. Go! Hurry!’

I jump out too, but before I take off I notice the silver sedan pulling up behind us. Oh no, helpful civilians I could do without right now.

The couple start running to the crash. I run in front of them, lifting both of my hands into the air. ‘Stop.
Stop!
If you value your lives you will both turn round, get in your car and drive away without looking back.’