The Dark - By Marianne Curley Page 0,2

day his parents decided to separate. She offered him everything he dreamed of. And he accepted greedily. She gave him a new name and taught him many skills. And while he continued to live with his father, the man remained a drunkard and oblivious to his son’s otherworldly life. And her victory was sweet, for here was one soldier her brother would not get his hands on.

As her thoughts return to the present, she notices Bastian’s hands shaking, and wonders if she made a mistake. But no, he has been true to the Order from the day of his Initiation, eight years ago. It is why he is so highly ranked among her elite. But today … today, he let her down. Without any warning she slaps his face. The force of it sends Bastian to the floor. ‘You should have done more!’

He gets up. ‘There was nothing—’

‘There is never nothing—!’

Bastian thinks quickly. He glimpses Keziah. ‘I think there was a wizard amongst them.’

This suggestion seizes her attention. ‘What did you say?’

‘A wizard, your Highness.’

‘Explain.’

‘The boy worked some sort of magic. He created an image of a girl. It distracted—’

She cuts him off with a wave of her hand, but her eyes narrow as she contemplates Bastian’s theory. She soon dismisses it with a shake of her head. ‘The closest the Guard have to a wizard today is a man called Arkarian. Watch out for him, Bastian, for he is their jewel. Without him, they are nothing. And while he is highly skilled, even he cannot perform magic. Keziah is the last of a dying breed. There was another who could perform magic once, but, threatened, Lorian disposed of him.’

‘How will I know this “jewel”, Highness?’

One finely arched eyebrow lifts. ‘You will know Arkarian by his blue hair and violet eyes. Both are impossible to miss in the mortal world, should he have reason to surface. He lives in the Citadel now, but his working chambers are somewhere around Veridian.’

‘What would you have me do to him when I find him?’

She laughs, a mocking sound, causing Bastian’s hands to start shaking again. ‘Do you think Arkarian will come knocking on your door? He has lived for six hundred years and gained many skills in that time, so do not underestimate his abilities. And do not be fooled by the number of years he has lived. He stopped ageing when he turned eighteen. Know this, Bastian, time has not affected Arkarian in any way except to change the colour of his hair and eyes. Even if he did reveal himself to you, you would fail miserably, just as you failed to save—’ She stops abruptly, caught by an idea that lifts her spirits as a plan for retaliation begins to form. ‘Wait.’ She stares at Bastian with the directness that makes his eyes flutter to the side. ‘Perhaps you can be of use, after all your miserable mistakes today.’

He bows his head deeply. ‘I’m at your mercy, Highness. Tell me what to do.’

She looks directly into the boy’s eyes: his whole body shudders. ‘Without revealing your allegiance, I want you to bring me the identity of one of the Named.’

‘The Named, Highness?’

‘Yes, and don’t look at me so blankly. The Named are the select group of nine members of the Guard. The elite branch of the Guardians of Time. An army originally formed to protect the earth from … well, me.’ She gives a mocking laugh. ‘The Named, according to the Prophecy, are the soldiers who will go into battle against me. In the meantime it is their task to protect Veridian. One day they will have a king, but for now they have Arkarian.’

Lathenia gives Bastian a thoughtful look. ‘There are many branches of the Guardians of Time, each one headed by a member of their Tribunal. It is these Tribunal members who govern a sector of the earth using their own soldiers. Combined, they work as a council. But they are fools, Bastian, for Lorian makes all the decisions.’

He nods, understanding, and she says, ‘Why do you think so many of my soldiers and theirs come from that small town called Angel Falls?’

Bastian’s head shakes. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Because Angel Falls shelters Veridian, and Veridian is everything! It has power, Bastian. It was for a time the most powerful city in all the worlds, and so far advanced your earthly technology comes nowhere near it, not even today.’

With difficulty Bastian meets his Goddess’s eyes. ‘Where is this city? Can I