Cursed Fire: The Dark Sky Chronicles - Book One Read online

  ‘First, I’m Sabina. I’m—’

  ‘Hey, Sab! You know you’re not supposed to open the door after curfew! Mum’s going to be so hacked off with you!’ came a younger voice from the corridor, before its owner shot headlong into the room and launched his full bodyweight at the girl. The force of his unexpected strike toppled them both down onto the warped floorboards where they rolled together, their fists flying, their boots striking out indiscriminately.

  Zara reached out and dragged a stunned Aimie and Oscar away from the fight’s path, unable to believe what she was witnessing. The boy was clearly Sabina’s younger brother; maybe seventeen or eighteen, with the same shade of pale blonde spiky hair, his earlobes a little more pronounced, and those piercing blue eyes possessed by not only Sabina, but Rufus, too. Were these Rufus’ siblings?

  ‘Release me, you idiot!’ Sabina seethed, and yet their brawl continued unabated. ‘Not tired of getting your butt kicked yet, little brother?’

  ‘You and whose army?’

  ‘Someone has to teach you the right moves, especially as I know you’ve been bunking off school with that useless gang of rebels you call friends for the last ten circles of the moon!’

  ‘The element of surprise, Sab. Isn’t that what you’re always preaching? Well, how’s that for catching you off guard?’

  The pair rolled back into the centre of the room.

  ‘Quinn, stop! Stop! We have visitors.’

  ‘Oh no, I’m not falling for any of your tricks this time! What visitor is stupid enough to breach the curfew, anyway? Surrender to the superior combat skills of your warrior brother! Bow to my magnificence before I release you!’

  ‘Quinn!’

  Sabina, clearly the more accomplished fighter despite having been taken by surprise at her brother’s attack, was now able to reassert her dominance. She flipped Quinn deftly over onto his back, pinned his wrists to the floor above his head with one hand, and with the other hand she fumbled in the pouch strapped to the back of her utility belt and withdrew a length of leather rope. With practised expertise, she whipped the cord around Quinn’s wrists before dragging him to his feet.

  ‘Okay, sis! I’ll let you win this time, but next time I—’ Finally, his gaze fell on Zara and her friends, lurking in the shadows of the vast empty space. ‘Who are they?’

  ‘They are what I was trying to tell you about before I was so incompetently ambushed, you crazy fool! I really think you—’

  ‘Quiet, both of you!’

  An older version of Sabina strode into the room, her own flaxen hair coiled into plaits and pinned like a crown on the top of her head. Zara noticed that whilst the woman’s eyes were the same sapphire blue as Sabina’s and Quinn’s, they were filled with distress and not the fire that burned in her children’s.

  ‘Quick! Change into these!’

  The woman slung a bundle of clothes across to each of the dumbstruck newcomers. Like the others, Zara caught hers, but remained motionless, her jaw hanging loose as she continued to stare at the strange family in front of her until the woman pointed to her bushy copper curls.

  ‘And you should cover your hair.’

  ‘But why do we have to change our clothes?’ asked Oscar, speaking for the first time.

  ‘Your arrival will have been detected, which means that your lives are in danger! And you may not have noticed, but you each retain the aura of your transmorphication which will remain for a further hour at least.’

  Zara glanced down at her fingers and forearms which, to her surprise, radiated a pale, almost ultra-violet glow, albeit faint. She rubbed her palms across her arms, but the glow remained. She looked across at Aimie to see that she was doing the same, and was on the brink of freaking out until the woman standing in front of them delivered her final, most persuasive warning.

  ‘If you do not change your attire, you will immediately be identified as intruders, or worse, Outsiders, and you will be executed! Now change!’

  Zara watched as Theo and Oscar reluctantly unravelled their bundles, dragged off their hoodies and jeans, and replaced them with the same rustic brown tunics Quinn and Sabina were wearing. They then secured the bulky fabric around their waists with a wide leather belt from which, to Oscar’s obvious delight, dangled an impressive-looking silver dagger in a hand-tooled leather sheath.

  ‘Wow!’

  Zara dropped the backpack Rufus had given her what seemed another lifetime ago, onto the floor behind her, and swiftly followed suit, unembarrassed at having to strip down to her underwear in front of an audience. As directed, she secured her wayward curls with a band from her pocket and covered her hair with the proffered triangle of cream-coloured linen, all the while keeping an eye on Quinn and Sabina’s mother who was staring unblinkingly at the rucksack as though considering each of its contents in turn. Despite the nugget of fear that had taken up residence in her stomach, she was just as curious to know what was inside as she was.

  ‘Aimie? You need to get changed,’ she said, after dumping her clothes on top of Theo’s and Oscar’s in the corner of the room and realising that Aimie still hadn’t moved a muscle, simply standing there, holding the crumpled tunic at arm’s length, her upper lip twisted in distaste.

  ‘There’s no way I’m wearing this! The material is so harsh and scratchy, and it’s way too big. It’s—’

  ‘Didn’t you hear the lady, Aimie?’ Theo shot at her, his eyes filled with alarm and impatience. ‘She’s just told us that we’ll be executed if we’re picked out as strangers here – which, of course, is exactly what we are!’

  ‘You are interlopers from the Outside,’ supplied Quinn, clearly delighted.

  ‘Executed?’ said Aimie, her earlier alarm replaced with uncharacteristic scepticism. ‘Really? Think about it, Theo. What sort of outward-bounds expedition executes its participants? This is an official, organised weekend taking place in the Dark Sky Park of Northumbria! I’m only here because my mum and dad made me come. Toughen me up, they said. Who needs to be tough? What’s wrong with hanging out with friends, reading glossy celebrity magazines, designing our own jewellery and experimenting with makeup and nail polish?’

  Aimie surveyed her audience, a challenge in her eyes.

  ‘Aimie, I don’t think you—’

  ‘And that zip wire ride? That was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had in my entire life! I truly believed I was about to collide with that stone wall. It was a very clever illusion, and did you all feel a warm, rippling sensation wash right through you, like you’d been drenched in goo but weren’t? And now, here we are, being threatened with execution? When I tell my dad what these people have made us do, he’ll—’

  Aimie stopped as a heavy rap on the front door interrupted her litany of complaints.

  All eyes swung to Quinn’s mother, and when Zara saw the expression of terror which shot across her face, she panicked and whispered rather harshly ‘Aimie, this is no carefully-crafted adventure; it’s reality. We’ve just embarked on a dangerous mission for which we have been meticulously recruited. Unless you change into that tunic and we hide right now, we will be executed as Quinn and Sabina’s mother fears. Now put it on!’

  But before Aimie could oblige, Sabina and Quinn had dashed forward, grabbed an arm with each of their hands, and shepherded them towards a flight of wooden steps Zara hadn’t noticed before in the corner of the room, before ushering them quickly upstairs. She was only half way up when a second, much more urgent, bout of hammering ricocheted through the air.

  ‘Open up, Aurelia!’

  Zara pulled her arm from Quinn’s and sank down onto the top step, just out of sight of the room below, so she could listen in to the conversation. Mere moments later, she heard Aurelia wrench open the front door and greet her visitor.

  ***

  ‘Cornelius! This is a late visit.’ Aurelia raised her eyebrows in calm, polite enquiry. ‘To what do we owe the honour?’

  ‘Aurelia, my informants have reported a disturbance in the street outside your door. Underlings sprawling on the cobbles, fighting even! What do you know of this?’

  Cornelius’ pock-marked face and long nose appeared malevolent in the gloom of the early evening, and his thin upper lip curled into an arrogant smirk when Sabina appeared at her mother’s shoulder. He took a step forward, but Aurelia stood fast at her front door, refusing him entry to what had been designated her home, much to his displeasure.

  ‘Cornelius, you of all people should be well acquainted with the exploits of my children. Sabina and Quinn are famous throughout the empire for their continual skirmishes to wrench the baton of victory from each other’s hands, and for continually flexing their battle skills in an effort to emulate their father and elder brother. I despair of them ever reaching the majesty achieved by Maximus and Rufus, but then, of course, they will have no choice, will they, Cornelius? Not now that even you, Maximus’ closest friend and confidante, his right-hand man, have chosen to transfer your allegiance to the Usurper and Dark Ruler, Xophicus, by joining his band of devoted Henxmen.’

  ‘Aurelia, I’ve told you many times, our fate is sealed. Your continued resistance and loyalty to Maximus is admirable, but futile. Quinn should be in attendance at the Academy honing his military skills, not running wild across the Whinsill Fells – despite his youth, he is becoming a nuisance to our Supreme Ruler. You know it is only by His Eminence’s grace that Quinn escapes incarceration, don’t you?’

  ‘I have no interest in—’

  ‘As for Sabina, she is a woman now, eighteen at the last turn of the moon, I believe?’ Cornelius raised his thick black eyebrows to sweep his gaze over Sabina, his unwelcome scrutiny causing Aurelia to grimace. ‘She will be betrothed to one of Xophicus’s loyal servants before this year is out.’
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  Cornelius leered at the beautiful younger version of Aurelia, whose regal bearing was unmistakeable despite her determination to tease her hair into spikes like her older and younger brothers. She had discarded her hessian tunic in favour of body armour which moulded her curves like a second skin, its polished leather scarred and scuffed from the sturdy resistance she and her steadfast friends mounted against the new regime whenever the opportunity presented itself.

  ‘I will not marry one of Xophicus’ minions!’ Sabina snarled. ‘I would die first!’

  ‘So be it, Sabina. It matters not to me, but I hear Eldon has put in a special request.’ His smirk widened and his evil grey eyes glistened as he continued, ‘As you know, the choice is yours. Marriage to whomsoever our Emperor Xophicus ordains, or public humiliation followed by death in a way of his choosing.’

  ‘I will never submit to a union with Eldon. He is a—’

  ‘Sabina!’ Aurelia pressed her hand onto her daughter’s arm, meeting her eyes to ensure she relayed her message to remain calm. ‘The matter need not be discussed at this moment. Cornelius has many more pressing matters of State to which he must attend, I’m sure.’

  Sabina’s jaw tightened, but she obliged.

  ‘Cornelius, I would invite you into my humble home if it were not so late in the day. Don’t you have other demands on your time in addition to your role of village matchmaker? I thought you had a burgeoning army of brain-washed children to lead?’

  ‘You may sneer, Aurelia, but time will speak its truth to you. Why do you persist in the misguided belief that Maximus is in exile, plotting a magnificent return, when in reality he has simply abandoned you and his wayward family to their inevitable fate? Rufus, as you now must accept, is dead. And I happen to have it on excellent authority that death met with Maximus on his cowardly journey, too.’

  ‘If that were true, I would know it.’

  Cornelius shook his head slowly. ‘Xophicus has built a new and superior empire for the people of Hadrixia. Your erstwhile family are no longer bestowed with the protection of the royal name. Remember, Aurelia, you and your children remain within these City walls at my grace and tolerance. I can, however, offer you my full protection if you chose to accept this new reality. Until then, the remainder of your family will continue to be at risk of imprisonment and death.’

  ‘Your offer requires no consideration, Cornelius. I bide you good night!’

  Aurelia slammed the door in his ugly, arrogant face. For several moments she rested her forehead on the door, waiting for the onslaught of violent trembling to abate, whilst she murmured her thanks that the quartet’s presence in the room above the front door had not been discovered before their approaching journey had even begun.

  In any event, Aurelia foresaw only destruction and death in their path.

  Chapter Three

  Aurelia’s House, the City of Hadrixia

  ‘Okay, spill!’ demanded Theo, his jaw tight as glaring at Zara. ‘I refuse to leave here until you tell us exactly what’s going on.’

  ‘Shush, I’ll tell you everything Rufus has shared with me once we are on our way,’ she whispered.

  Throughout the hostile exchange between Aurelia and Cornelius, Zara had struggled to keep her emotions under control as she tried to put what little she knew into some semblance of order. Of course, she was terrified, but a small part of her was excited about what lay ahead of them - an adventure, and she had been designated its leader. She couldn’t wait to get started; the only trouble was she had no idea how to get to the Forest of Cortia.

  ‘On our way? On our way to where? How come you know where we are going and we don’t?’ Theo shot a glance at Oscar and Aimie, whose eyes also held questions, as Quinn looked on in confusion.

  ‘We’ve got to leave. We’ve already wasted too much time here,’ Zara urged.

  ‘Why won’t you explain this… this… whatever it is, to us, Zara? Who put you in charge, anyway?’ Theo sized up to Zara who, despite being tall for her age, was still a good two inches shorter than him. She saw the deep lines etched into his forehead, evidence of the anxiety he clearly felt but fought hard to conceal, and had to react swiftly when he made to grab the rucksack from her shoulders. ‘Show us what you’ve got in there! If we’re really going to die here, we have the right to know why!’

  Theo’s use of the word “die” caused Aimie’s hand to fly to her lips.

  ‘Die? What are you talking about? Oscar, what are they talking about?’

  Fortunately, Aurelia chose that moment to join them on the landing, glancing from Zara to Theo and back again, clearly trying to decide to whom she should direct her attention. She settled on Zara and when she spoke, her voice was laced with a hint of exasperation.

  ‘I have no knowledge of what my husband was planning when he assembled four young people to act as his pawns. Or are you his advance brigade, perhaps? It’s madness to expect such naive Underlings to undertake any kind of mission in Hadrixia whilst the empire is under the rule of Xophicus. Clearly, he knows little of the fate that awaits you, whichever direction you choose to travel. Is it true? Has he sent you here to complete a mission?’

  All eyes swung to Zara and a flush of warmth rushed into her cheeks. She really wanted to deny the accusation, but she knew no one would believe her and she decided that the sooner she told them what she knew, the sooner they could leave.

  ‘It’s true. We have been entrusted with a quest—’

  ‘A quest?’ What kind of quest?’ asked Oscar, coming to stand next to Zara.

  ‘I’m not sure, but time is short. We need to begin our journey immediately, so—’

  ‘May I suggest you linger a while to allow Cornelius and his Henxmen to depart from our district of the City?’ interrupted Aurelia, tucking escaped tendrils of her hair around her ears. ‘Gather your thoughts, discuss your plans, whilst Quinn and Sabina help you to assemble the essential tools for your mission. You will not survive on the contents of that rucksack alone. Believe me, I know my husband!’

  Without waiting for an answer, Aurelia strode from the landing and into the adjacent room, busying herself in front of an ancient, heat-scorched stove. Gentle coaxing of the fire produced dancing lizard tongues of orange flames and a surge of heat. As she dragged a huge, copper-bottomed kettle over the hotplate, her russet robes billowed around her ankles and her unusual silver bracelet jangled at her wrist. Reaching into a tall wooden store cupboard, she gathered the necessary ingredients for the pot.

  Zara followed everyone into the room, noting with surprise that the living space upstairs was an exact replica of the room downstairs, save for the added presence of a huge, well-scrubbed table surrounded by six mismatched chairs and two long benches on either side, and of course, the stove. She waited until Aurelia had set five pewter tankards down onto the pitted table and filled them with the boiling liquid from the earthenware teapot, before taking a seat on the bench and cupping her hands around one of the mugs, inhaling the aroma of the scalding violet liquid that she thought smelled a little like chamomile which served to lull the heightened tension coursing through her veins and hanging in the atmosphere.

  Aurelia returned the teapot to the stove and slipped into the carved oak chair at the head of the table, waiting for the others followed suit before taking a sip of her tea, unconcerned that the only person to follow her lead was Oscar who ran the tip of his tongue along his lower lip before giving in to an involuntary grimace.

  ‘You have to realise that my husband rarely concerns himself with ancillary essentials such as food and water; those items which are critical to the success of any expedition as treacherous as the one I foresee he has demanded you undertake. Sabina, Quinn, go gather the necessary components for a journey to the Forest of Cortia.’

  ‘The Forest of Cortia? But, Mother—’

  ‘Quinn, go!’

  Quinn scowled, clearly reluctant to leave the assembly and annoyed at being excluded from their discussions.

  ‘When you say your husband, do you mean Max?’ asked Aimie.

  Aurelia waited until Quinn’s angry footsteps could be heard on the floorboards directly overhead, the cacophony accompanied by the banging and slamming of cupboard doors and trunk lids.