Falling Ashes (30 page)

Anton’s knees gave way, but he managed to catch himself on a piece of furniture. He lowered himself into the seat with his hand over his heart.

‘Their memories?’ he repeated faintly. ‘They take their memories?’

Jack nodded. He felt sick delivering such news. He knew this was not when they had expected to hear. However, he did have more information for them.

‘They sell the processed humans at various livestock markets across the country. There’s no telling where they’ve been sent, or who has bought them without infiltrating the Realm itself.’

‘How … how do you know this?’ asked Cecilia.

Jack looked into Cecilia’s eyes. ‘I’ve seen it happen. I helped Avalon enter the Realm Headquarters to find out what happened to her little sister. While we were there, Avalon attacked the head of the human registration-’

‘Korra Waterson, right?’ piped a woman at the back of the room.

Jack nodded. ‘You heard?’

She nodded. ‘No one was sure what happened to her. We only know that she was attacked by the Fire-Mage.’

Jack took a deep breath. ‘She was injected with the memory serum. I saw it take effect on her. Her eyes glazed over … she didn’t know who she was, or where she was.’

‘And they did this to our families?’ asked Cecilia.

Jack nodded again. ‘Your families won’t know who you are. I’m sorry. They won’t know their own names.’

Jack let the effect of his words sink in for a moment. All was silent around the room. 

‘The news isn’t all bad,’ said Jack after a few minutes.

‘Isn’t all bad?’ repeated Anton in a shaky voice. ‘They’ve sterilised and wiped the memories of my little girl!’

‘I know, I’m sorry,’ said Jack. ‘But something can be done.’

‘What? What is it? Can you heal them? Fix them?’ asked Cecilia.

Jack shook his head. ‘I cannot reverse permanent damage - I know because I’ve already tried. My Power doesn’t work like that. Your loved ones will never be able to have children if they have been sterilised. But that is why I joined the Realm’s army – to find information that might be useful to people such as yourselves.’

‘And what have you found?’ asked Cecilia, panicked. ‘Do you know where they are – where I can find my husband? Our families?’

‘No,’ Jack shook his head. ‘I don’t know where they are. But I have learned that Korra Waterson is recovering. They have found a cure to the memory serum. The damage
is not
permanent.’

‘What good is that if we don’t know where to find our families?’ snapped Anton, tears glistening in his eyes. ‘My baby girl could be anywhere.’

‘We need to get into the Realm and steal the cure,’ said Jack. ‘We can bring back the memories of
thousands
of humans who have been processed by the Realm. What better way to revolt than by undoing their work to oppress the human race? Once we’re in the Realm, we’ll be able to find a log of the entire registration, and see where the humans have been sent.’

Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Cecilia, as if waiting for her verdict.

She turned to her fellow
Howl
members and said. ‘He speaks the truth.’

They muttered between themselves.

‘What do we do next?’

‘But how do we get
inside
?’

‘Their security is so strong-’

Jack smiled. ‘That is why I joined the Realm,’ he said, ‘to gain access.’

‘They will let you inside the headquarters?’ asked Cecilia.

Jack shook his head. ‘No, I haven’t been granted entry as I’m only a temporary guard, but I can help you get inside.’

‘How?’ asked Anton. ‘The place is swarming with army men.’

‘We’ll need a plan,’ said Jack. ‘So, are you in, or what?’

Before anyone could consider this offer, Cecilia said, ‘We’re in.’

‘You have to promise me something, though,’ said Jack.

‘What’s that?’ asked Cecilia.

‘No one gets hurt,’ he said. ‘I don’t want blood on my hands.’

Anton stood abruptly, his face impassive. ‘I can’t promise that,’ he said. ‘If I come face to face with the bastard that hurt my baby girl-’

‘You’ll what?
Kill them
?’ asked Jack, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Anton glanced around the room. All eyes were on him, waiting for an answer. ‘If I can,’ he said, breathing hard through his nostrils. ‘I’ll kill them for what they did.’

‘I don’t want anyone to die. If I’m to help you-’

‘They’d kill us in a heartbeat!’ shouted Anton, pointing to the wall behind him as though it were responsible for their situation. ‘They’ll probably try to if we’re caught infiltrating the Realm!’

‘I won’t be responsible for any deaths,’ said Jack, his voice raised. ‘I’m a healer – it’s against my nature.’

‘To
hell
with your nature,’ yelled Anton. ‘This isn’t about
you
.’

‘It’s about me as much as it is about you,’ retorted Jack. ‘The Realm is hunting the only damn person that makes my life worth living. I don’t want to lose her.’

‘And you’re not mad about that?’ asked Anton incredulously. ‘You don’t want
revenge
?’

‘It’s not my style,’ said Jack, ‘and you can’t do this without me. So, promise you won’t harm anyone.’

‘I won’t,’ snarled Anton.

‘Then I won’t help you,’ said Jack.

‘You’d let innocent men and women rot as slaves?
Children
, even? If what you say is true, my six-year-old daughter has had her innards scooped out, her memory wiped, and been sold on the slave market! And you’re fine with that?’

‘Of course I’m not fine with it!’ snapped Jack. ‘You’re putting words in my mouth.’

‘Anton!’ snapped Cecilia. ‘Just do as he says!’

‘What?! I can’t believe you’re taking
his
side!’ said Anton, bewildered. ‘Especially after what the Realm has done to us! We don’t even know him!’

‘I trust him, and I believe everything he says,’ said Cecilia, her tone one of warning. ‘He has given us valuable information.’

‘And what if you’re wrong, huh?’ said Anton. ‘What if he’s lying? You’ve been wrong before now, Cecilia-’

‘Be quiet, Anton!’ Cecilia was on her feet and glaring at Anton.

‘What does he mean you’ve been wrong before?’ asked Jack, standing also.

‘
Nothing
. He means nothing,’ said Cecilia. ‘Anton, just promise him you won’t harm anyone.’

‘And why should I?’

‘Because we need his help,’ spat Cecilia. ‘How else will we find the cure and get our families back?’

Anton was breathing heavily, spittle escaping from his open mouth. ‘I can’t believe this!’

‘It’s the only way,’ said Cecilia quietly.

All eyes were on Anton as he came to, what appeared to be, a very painful decision. ‘Fine!’ he shouted after a minute of silence. ‘
Fine
!’

‘And everyone else, too?’ Jack said to the room at large.

There was a general murmuring of agreement.

Jack turned to Cecilia. ‘Are they telling the truth?’ he muttered in her ear.

Cecilia glanced around the room and then nodded to Jack. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘They are telling the truth.’

‘Good,’ said Jack. ‘I couldn’t handle the guilt if anyone was killed because of my actions.'

Of course, Jack wasn’t to know that every single person in the room did not intend to keep their promise.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Recruiting Dagon

AVALON REDDING

‘C’mon, Avalon! Keep up!’ Fae bellowed. Her voice was barely audible over the rush of the wind as we soared through the air. Mountains could be seen in the distance, veiled by a thick layer of mist, their base hidden by a blanket of clouds.

She was much farther ahead than I. Shadow’s enormous wings beat powerfully, propelling him forward at great speeds.

Willow and Rue were bundled inside my rucksack, their heads poking out of the top. They thrilled in the feel of the wind through their fur. Their tongues lolled, and they panted happily.

I watched as Shadow dipped and twirled through the clouds. Fae rode him effortlessly, as if they were made for one another – which I reminded myself, they probably were. I gasped when I saw Shadow spin upside down, fearful that Fae would fall from his back. But she didn’t - they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Hawthorne and I dipped beneath the cloud bank to adjust our direction. We were above the ocean now – heading towards Port. There were some things I needed to do, people I needed to see. Like Dagon for instance, who was the one to fill my head with these ideas. Ideas of revenge.

Fae also helped to fuel my hatred for wrong-doers.

Dagon, too, wanted to overthrow the Realm and find his best friend. After Port, I would head to Scyre, where I would find Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood. Surely they would not be opposed to finding their son. And then there was H.E.L.E.N.A. I didn’t know where all of the members lived, but I knew where I could find Robert Scotland. He too would help me. It was just a matter of a trip to Flamethroat.

I’d fly across the whole damn country if I had to, gathering support for my cause.

I felt as though Fae and I were kindred spirits. She too had done questionable things in her lifetime, just as I had. I was sure she would support me. We’d become close friends over the days we’d spent at the windmill together, and after all, she had saved my life.

However, I knew Fae’s main priority was to find the long-lost love of her life, R
æven. I was eager to reunite the estranged pair, but I really wanted Fae to stick around afterward. She could be useful.

I’d been practicing my Power whilst around Fae, and I was stronger than ever. With her around, any attackers would be useless as their Powers would not work when near her. But mine would.

Not only that, but Fae was an excellent flyer, and very handy with a bow and arrow. I had no doubt that she would not hesitate to help me fight. She seemed to enjoy the violence.

I did not want to kill anyone, of course. I merely wanted to free the humans that the Realm had captured, and if anyone got in my way, well, they’d get what was coming to them.

Ahead, I could see the rocky coastline through the sea spray. I hoped Dagon would not be too mad at my sudden departure a couple of weeks ago.

‘C’mon! Let’s race!’ called Fae, her voice carrying back on the wind.

‘Let’s catch up, Hawthorne.’ I yelled. ‘They’ve got nothing on us!’

Instantly, Hawthorne flattened his wings against his body, streamlining himself against the wind. We rocketed through the sky like an arrow released from a bow. We became level with Shadow, but were losing height fast. Fae grinned at us as we went whizzing past, the ocean rising rapidly to meet us. At the last second, Hawthorne released his wings, his toes skimming across the surface of the water, and we were back in the air.

I whooped and cheered, patting Hawthorne on the side. I looked back and saw Shadow struggling to keep up. In the distance was Emilija, gliding steadily. She was not interested in racing. In my rucksack, Willow and Rue were yapping happily.

‘Good boy,’ I said to Hawthorne.

Ahead, a lighthouse came into view.

I pointed to it and called over my shoulder. ‘Land Ho!’

‘What did you call me?’ Fae bellowed back.

I laughed and set my sights on the ground. I could see the little cottages of Port, their twinkling lights like tiny stars below us.

Hawthorne broke into a fast dive, and, once more, we were plummeting towards the ground. My hair was whipped back from my face, and Willow and Rue shrank back inside the rucksack. Yet again, Hawthorne released his wings right before we hit the ground, and we landed extremely gently, though my hair was a tangled mess.

A moment later, Shadow landed clumsily, Fae holding on for dear life. They towered over us - it was hard to believe that Hawthorne was his father. Emilija, too, landed elegantly.

‘Wow!’ breathed Fae. ‘That was … that was-’

‘Amazing?’ I offered.

‘More than that,’ said Fae, a wild grin spreading across her face. ‘That was
power
.’

‘Don’t get too carried away,’ I said as I slid from Hawthorne’s back.

‘How can I not?’ asked Fae. ‘I can’t believe Shadow chose me.
Me
.’

‘I can,’ I said, pulling Willow and Rue from my rucksack and placing them on the grass. They wagged their tails happily and bounded for their mother who lavished them with affection.

Fae looked around, noticing where we had landed. We stood on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sea, the same cliff I’d fallen from after Finn had injured me. The inn that I’d stayed at was a mere stone's throw away.