Hubble Bubble - 4. Chapter 4

Consciousness returns slowly and painfully. My head feels as though it has been cut in two by an axe. The first thing I am aware of is the silence. The battle must be over for there is no sound at all. The next thing is the light. When I manage to force my eyes open the light stabs into them and makes me gasp with pain. It is full daylight. Hours must have passed.

At first memory is slow to return, as sluggish as my battered body and stunned will. Gradually thoughts surface through the fog in my mind, like dead fish in a poisoned pool. Nick in screaming pain, the face of his tormentor, the crushed flower smell, the dead nymph, the vampire... No...”NO! Ariel.”

I drag myself to my knees and look around. The clearing looks like what it is, a battlefield. The tables have been overturned, the lights torn down and everywhere there are bodies, pale and dark. Nothing is moving anywhere. I am gratified to see that there seem to be far more dark shapes than light but it is cold comfort.

For a while I can’t remember where I last saw Ariel and I drag myself to my feet and wander amongst the carnage. The dark creatures are hideous. Some are vaguely human but others are truly the stuff of nightmares. Then I spot the crocodile thing which had killed the nymph. It has a knife buried to the hilt in its brain... or at least where I would have expected its brain to be... and it was cold and grey, mottled with dark spots, and sparkling crystal... turned to stone... ah so the rock elemental had his revenge. Looking around there are others too, dotted about the field like obscene statues. He has been busy.

I orient myself on the crocodile and turn to my right. Peering through the brightness I see a splash of blue among a number of huddled black shapes and I hurry towards it. I’d run but I think I would fall if I tried.

There is a circle of dead demons... if that is what they are. As I draw closer I can see that they are literally torn to pieces as if by the claws of a giant... cat. Lucifer? I quickly scan the ground but there is no sign of him, in cat or human form. And then I forget him because I see, at the centre of the circle what at first glance appears to be a bundle of rags, and then a discarded, life size rag doll.

“Ariel.” I run now, careless, heedless and skid to a halt falling to my knees. He is lying face down, his hair like a cloak over his shoulders, covering his head. One arm is twisted under him and the other lying beside his head, the small white hand palm upwards, the fingers slightly curled.

I am assailed with all kinds of emotion. It is as if everything I have been feeling since I came to this place is suddenly focussed here and bursts out of me in a torrent of fear. I am so afraid to touch him, to move him in case I find... I can’t bear to look into another set of cold dead eyes. But something is niggling at my mind even then, even through the fear.

He is not a boy. He is not human. He is an elemental and elementals don’t die. Elementals simply... cease to be. Therefore if he is still here, he must still live. Encouraged by the thought I reach out and carefully take him by the shoulder, gently pulling towards me and lift him so that he is lying across my knees, draped over one arm, just like... just like... Shuddering I brush the hair out of his face and scan it eagerly for signs of life.

His eyes are closed and there is a bruise across his cheek. I cannot tell if he is breathing. If he is it is so soft and so shallow that is does not show in the rise and fall of his chest which seems to be still. I brush the hair away from his throat to feel for a pulse and am shocked and sickened by the livid red marks. More than one set. Puncture wounds. Teeth marks. That is when I find out that elementals do bleed.

“Oh Ariel, what have I done? What have I done?” In that instant he is a symbol for all the broken bodies that litter the field, all because of me, my ignorance and, for them, for my own sanity it is more important to me than anything else, even Nick, that he lives.

As if in answer to my questions Ariel’s lips twitch as though he is trying to speak. I rest my hand against his cheek and stroke his temple. His eyelids flicker and a wave of relief sweeps through me, stealing my strength, so powerful it almost makes me drop him.

“Ariel?”

With excruciating slowness the translucent eyelids tremble and lift. I stifle a gasp of shock. His eyes are still blue, but pale, so pale as to be almost white, but they are shot through with glittering flecks of gold. For the first time I doubt what I have done. What have I done to him?

“Sam.” His voice is the breath of the breeze, barely heard, felt in my soul. “Sam...”

“Hush, it’s alright. You’re safe now. It’s over.”

He blinks heavily and squints over my shoulder a puzzled expression on his face. “I feel... I feel...” The eyes widen. “Sam, I feel.”

“I know. It’s alright. You’ll be alright. Just rest for a while. You’ll be alright.”

His eyes orient on my face again and he frowns. “No. You don’t understand. I feel Sam.” His voice is stronger now and I smile in encouragement as he sits up and looks around. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. We were invaded by something. Why the hell didn’t you run? Why didn’t you get away?”

“Because of you.”

“I would have been alright. I was already at the edge of the trees, I would just have...”

“No. You didn’t know the way.”

“Ariel, I was right there, right at the edge of the trees....”

Ariel sighs. “Sam, you never listen. You don’t know the way. The clearing is warded. You can’t enter or leave it unless you know how to pass the wards...and you don’t know the way.” He speaks in a gentle, straightforward way, as an adult would to a child and it makes me smile. Right here, in the middle of the carnage, surrounded by death and corruption I smile and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.

On a sudden impulse I throw my arms around Ariel. He is so small and delicate and yet, when he hugs me back he almost crushes me and I gasp, the air forced from my lungs. He is not as delicate as he seems. Drawing back Ariel winces and frowns, his hand going to his neck. When it comes away smeared with blood his eyes find mine and they are utterly shocked.

“What happened... to me?”

“I’m not sure. It was a man. He seemed to have you under some kind of spell and he was... I don’t know, like a vampire only he seemed to be drinking your energy as well as your blood, it was blue, sparkling.”

Ariel goes, if it were possible, even paler than he had been and he wilts against my shoulder. Quickly, I throw my arm around him and support him otherwise I am sure he would have fallen to the ground.

“What is it? Do you feel ill?”

“It was... it was...” He tilts his head to look up into my face. The dancing gold flecks in his eyes are disconcerting. “I remember... I remember coming for you. I was... there was a touch, on my shoulder, cold as ice. I looked up and... and... I don’t... I don’t remember anything more except... except there was a... a burst of energy, golden energy and it... it filled me and then there was pain, a lot of pain but it was over very soon and I was falling. I don’t know... I...”

He blinks, frowning and something strange happens, way behind his eyes. “Was it you Sam? Did you save me?”

“I don’t know. When I saw what that... thing was doing to you I had to DO something.... but I didn’t know what to do so I suppose I acted on impulse. I sent a lance of energy right at the vampire to distract him and then I just... I... well to be honest I don’ know what I did. I wanted to help you, I wanted to save you and I sent out my energy to do what I wanted to do... but I don’t know how, I don’t know what it did.”

But I do know. What it did was change him... somehow. I can see it in his eyes, in the way he is looking at me. There is something... deeper.

“I’m so sorry Ariel. I didn’t mean to...”

“Save me?”

“No... no I meant that. I didn’t mean to do whatever it did to you. I just wanted... I needed...”

For a long while Ariel simply lies in my arms, his eyes blank as though he is staring inwards. Then he blinks and looks directly at me for the first time. There is something strange about his eyes and for a long time I can’t work out what it is. Then I realise that they are bright with tears. Nevertheless he smiles.

“You saved me Sam.”

Briefly he raises his hand and touches it to the side of my face then he sighs and twists away from me, bringing himself to his knees. There he pauses for a moment, before looking up at me.

“I don’t think I can manage to stand up. Will you help me?”

“Of course. Do you want to stay here for a while, until you feel better?”

“I won’t feel better.” He turns his head to look around. When he turns back his eyes are shadowed. “I think I am afraid. Afraid that they will come back. I think I am sad. Sad that many friends have died. I think that I am glad that they have gone, and sorry that I was not able to help, and... and I am not sure what I feel but most of all I think I am afraid. And I am cold.”

He looks lost, like a child, so out of place on this field of death. Tears are spilling now, running down his face and there is something spoiled about him, innocence defiled. Instinctively I reach out to him and he throws himself into my arms and I hold his seemingly frail body as it shakes with sobs. He is very cold.

“Come on. We need to get you somewhere warm. You need rest, healing. Can you take me back home?”

“No. It takes too much energy to pass through the gate, even now, at this time. I will take you to the Queen’s court. That is what she will want.”

“To hell with the Queen. She ran out on us... on me.”

Arial looks surprised. “She is the Queen.”

“Yeah well... come on, let’s just get out of here.”

It is not exactly easy for me to get to my feet. The heavy pull of exhaustion is begging to weight my limbs and my head is throbbing painfully. Ariel has even more trouble and even when he is on his feet he can barely keep them and I have to put my arm around his waist and hold him close to keep him upright. He is still crying softly, nestling his head into my shoulder. I stifle the urge to stroke his hair, wondering at the strength of the emotion I feel for someone I know so little. Then I realise. Of course... he is a water elemental... he IS emotion, nothing but.

I am somewhat disappointed and somewhat relieved to realise that the tenderness that I feel for him is because of what he is and not who he is. No wonder his moods shift so mercurially, no wonder his eyes are constantly changing colour, no wonder the emotions grip him so intensely, that he feels them so strongly.

“Which way?”

I get the impression that it takes a great deal off effort for Ariel to lift his head and look out over the battlefield. I feel his body tense as he faces the carnage. Suddenly he jerks from my grip and twists away from me, falling to his knees as he vomits on the ground. I kneel again and, when it is over pull him into my arms. He is trembling, partly with cold and partly, I think, with shock.

“It is... it is... it... there are so many dead. They were friends and now... now they are gone. And those... those creatures... they are so... so...” Abruptly he looks up into my face, a look of sheer terror on his face. “They would have done that to me.” He touches a hand to his throat. “They were doing that to me. Take me home Sam. Please take me home. I am so cold. I am so...”

There is a hysterical edge to his voice and I am more sure than ever that he is in shock. “We need to get out of here. Which way Ariel?”

For a moment he stares into my eyes. He seems to be swamped by it all, struggling to control his emotions. It must be hard when you are pure emotion to feel so many bad ones together. Then he makes an effort and nods.

“That way.”

We pick our way through the bodies and, after a while Ariel turns his face into my shoulder unable to bear to look at the horrors that surround us. I have to admit I am having trouble with it myself.

We are almost at the trees when a dark shape seems to materialise from the shadows. Immediately I am on the defensive. I tighten my hold on Ariel and he stiffens, raising his head.

“Jumpy aren’t we?”

“Lucifer!”

“The Queen seeks you attendance at her Court. We had expected you to be there by now and she thought you might have need of a guide to show you the way.”

“I have a guide.”

“So I see.”

He matches the scorn in my voice. Ariel, on seeing Lucifer and realising there is no threat has let his head sink back onto my shoulder. He is so slender and seems so frail that I have a wave of protectiveness and glare at Lucifer.

“We were doing fine until you scared the hell out of us. In case you hadn’t noticed we were abandoned and left for dead on a battle field.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed you would have been dead if you had not had some... assistance, especially that one.”

“’That one’ has a name.” I still haven’t forgiven him for the times he had stalked the room, as a cat while Nick and I... And he is so... smug.

“Whatever. Follow me.”

He turns and vanishes again, leaving Ariel and I to stumble after him as best we can. After about a hundred yards we are lost.

“Ariel. Where do we go now?”

He lifts his head and stares at me, his eyes dazed, then turns to look around. I can feel him shivering and I am concerned for him.

“I... don’t know.” His voice sounds weak, breathy.

“Are you alright?”

“I am exhausted Sam. My energy is depleted. You kept me alive but I am so tired... so... tired.”

The last word is a sigh and it is all I can do to keep him from falling as his strength leaved him and he sags against me, unconscious. At that moment Lucifer appears and stands watching.

“Well, don’t just stand there, help me.”

“Just leave him. We must hurry.”

“Leave him? Just abandon him, alone in the woods, sick and exhausted? I don’t think so.”

“He’s nothing. He will survive. His kind are resilient.” The coldness in his tone shocks and sickens me. I forget that he is not human, that he is fey. I forget the infamous morality of faery.

“’His kind’ may well be, but He is my friend, and I will not leave him here.”

“Friend? You barely know him. Besides... Ariel is nobody’s friend.”

“He came back for me.”

“If he did then he did so for his own reasons and not because of any feelings of friendship.” Our eyes lock and I feel a burst of anger so hot that if I could have in that moment I would have fried him with my glance alone.

“I will not leave him.” His face twisting with scorn and annoyance Lucifer reaches out and plucks Ariel from my arms, carrying him in his arms like a child, with as little effort. Ariel’s head rests on his shoulder making a startling contrast, the light against the dark.

I am hard pressed to keep up with him, although this time at least he makes sure I am within sight. We press on through the woods and it is, in truth the bright flame of Ariel’s hair that I am following and not Lucifer’s dark form which seems almost to flicker in and out of visibility.

After tramping on for what seems like hours we break through the trees, out onto a wide track, paved with pale slabs that are blindingly bright in the sunlight after the darkness of the trees. Lucifer turns and begins to jog along the road to the left. I follow as best I can but, even though he is hampered by the burden he is carrying I can’t keep up and begin to fall behind.

We turn a corner and the trees fall away. The road dips down onto a wide plain that stretches in every direction. In the distance the horizon is broken by a jagged mountain range, made misty by distance. I wonder if they are the mountains I saw from the window of the room where Nick is. Can it be that he is so close?

Dragging my eyes away from the mountains they settle on a building that lies in the centre of the plain. It is not precisely a castle, nor a palace but there is something about it that says ‘royalty’. Perhaps it is the myriad flags that adorn the walls which surround it. I suppose it reminds me a little of the representations I have seen of a Roman villa. One storied, square with red tiled roof and whitewashed walls.

As we draw closer I can see there is a gate in the wall, wide enough to take the road which has now widened so that it will accommodate at least six horses riding side by side. There are guards, dressed in chain mail and carrying long, sharp spears who do not bat an eyelid as we pass. They have strange shaped sliver helmets, like beaked birds, their wings folded backwards. I am fascinated but Lucifer is keeping up too fast a pace for me to be able to linger to satisfy my curiosity.

There are more guards milling about in the open space beyond the gate and clustered around the door of the building. None of them so much as glance at us as Lucifer heads straight for the entrance. On the steps outside he pauses.

“What shall I do with this one?”

“Do you have a healer here?”

“We do but...”

“But what?” My voice is so cold it could have frozen lakes. Lucifer gives me a look that borders on disgust but he says nothing, simply shakes his head and turns to stride off down a corridor. At the end he turns sharp right and pauses before a door, looking at me expectantly. I open the door and duck inside. The room is dim and smells earthy, fragrant with herbs and spices.

An elderly man is hastily stuffing herbs into a cloth bag, muttering to himself. He looks up as we enter a look of annoyance on his face.

“What do you want? I have no time for idle chat. I am wanted on the field of woe. There are survivors who need my skills.”

“We have one here for you old man. This fool human insists he gets special treatment and, as he is a favourite of the Queen... for the moment... you had better see he gets it.”

Clucking with annoyance the old man motions for Lucifer to put Ariel down on a narrow cot. He bends over him, brushing the hair back from his neck to study the wounds. Looking up sharply he narrows his eyes.

“How did this happen?”

“I don’t know. It was in the thick of battle... some kind of vampire creature only he wasn’t drinking blood, he was taking energy...”

The old man shakes his head impatiently. “I meant how is it that he still lives?”

Again I am shocked by the coldness of the fey. The old man seems almost annoyed by the fact that Ariel is alive.

“I... I sent him my own energy. I think it must have fooled...”

“Fooled? You are the fool boy. Do you have any idea what you have done?”

“I saved his life.” My own voice is as cold as his, my eyes meeting the watery grey ones without a flicker. I am proud of myself.

“At what cost? Foolish human! Have you considered at what cost?”

“Can you help him?”

“No.”

“What?” My heart plummeted and my eyes were drawn without will to the still, pale figure on the palette.

“He has no need of my medical skill. He is exhausted. When he is rested he will recover. As for the rest... that is beyond me.”

“The rest?”

“The Queen awaits Sam. It is not wise to keep her waiting too long.”

“But...”

“The elemental will be safe here. I will see that no one disturbs him. No doubt when he wakes he will want to ‘thank’ you for what you have done.”

I am beginning to feel uneasy. “What exactly is it that you are implying I have done to him?”

“I imply nothing. The facts are clear. This is something that you need to discuss with him, if you can, if he will.”

I have no chance to question him further as Lucifer literally drags me from the room and, gripping me firmly by the arm tows me along corridors which seem impossibly long for the size of the building as it had looked from the outside. It is when we start climbing a set of spiral stone steps that I realised that this building, like all that is fey, is far more than it appears from without.

When we get to the top of the steps we come out into a circular room. I don’t know what I had been expecting from the faery Queen’s court but it certainly wasn’t this. The room is small and cosy, the cold stone walls hung with tapestries of woodland scenes filled with mythical creatures and fey. I blink as a silver maned unicorn turns its head towards me to regard me mildly with soft eyes as it chews contentedly on woven grass.

“Sam. How nice of you to join me...at last.”

“I would have been here sooner but I had things to attend to... like a battle that you abandoned me to.”

The Queen is reclining on a couch of red velvet and being fed dates from a blue glass bowl by a voluptuous nymph wearing nothing but a smile and a... very well built youth whose skin is a very fetching shade of lilac and whose hair is made up of a thousand tiny snakes which sway and hiss softly as he moves. Surprisingly it is very attractive but not as attractive as his... smile.

She sits up and waves away her attendants who retreat to the back of the room to await their mistress’ next command. The snake man is looking at me with veiled eyes, a barely concealed hunger on his face that has nothing to do with the tray of food he is carrying. I shiver feeling suddenly exposed and naked.

“If you recall Sam, you were the one who brought the destruction down upon our heads in the first place.”

“Only because you sent me out there with no instruction, no guidance. I had no idea what could happen.”

“I would have thought that you would, at least have been aware of the need for shielding.”

“Well, I wasn’t. It happened. You abandoned me.”

“Hardly. As soon as I was safe I sent Lucifer back for you. As I am told it you would have managed very nicely if you had not sought to meddle unnecessarily with something which did not concern you.”

“Meddle unnecessarily...? I don’t... You mean Ariel? Unnecessarily? He was dying.”

“So were many others.”

“He thinks he is his ‘friend’” Lucifer drawled, his words dripping with scorn.

“Friend? Ariel?” She tilts her head and her brow furrows prettily. Everything about her is pretty, from the dainty fingers, to the perfect bow lips, to the dimple in her cheek. It does nothing for me. “You do not know him. Why would you think that he is your friend?”

“He came back for me.” The words sound hollow, even to me.

“He came back for you because he was still under my instruction. He was charged with showing you the way and he simply sought to continue to do so.” I remember what he said to me ‘You didn’t know the way.’ But the way he had looked at me... I am confused.

The Queen laughs... prettily of course. “You think he is fond of you. How quaint. You really don’t know us at all do you?”

“Then perhaps you would care to explain.”

“Ariel is an elemental Sam. He is made of emotion, they wash over him like water over stone. He is emotion; he does not feel emotion. He cannot.”

“But...” Again I remember ‘No, you don’t understand. I feel Sam.’ The Queen frowns and glances at Lucifer who nods and shrugs.

“What have you done Sam? What have you done to him?”

“I saved his life.”

“You interfered Sam. You interfered with his destiny.”

“I saved his life. What would you expect me to have done... let him die.”

“At least it would have been clean Sam, it would have been natural. What have you given him now? Life? Elementals do not live, not in the way that you live Sam, they exist to be. And now... now he does not exist, he lives. He can no longer fit into in his world and he cannot survive in yours. Do not expect him to thank you for this.”

“So I have been told.” I don’t understand, not really... not at all. Ariel would have died. He was dying. Can they really expect me to believe that he would have rather that? Apparently they can.

“Enough of this, it bores me. Ariel is my concern, not yours. I will take care of him. We have more important things to worry about.”

“What do you mean ‘take care of him’?” There is something about the way she said it that chills me. She waves aside my comment

“Enough I said. Ariel is no longer a concern of yours; that is as much as you need to know. Your concern is Nick Rayner. Tell me what you saw before you were discovered.”

“But...”

“Enough Sam. Tell me.” There is a note of command in her voice that I cannot resist. Reluctantly I set aside my concern for Ariel and outline the things I saw in the chamber in the mountains. When I have finished the Queen sits back, tapping the arm of the chaise with her fingers.

“It is as I expected.”

“Who is that man?”

“He is a halfbreed. Part human, part fey with designs on gaining power in both worlds. His name is Aaron Berkley but he has adopted the title The Merlin. I presume because he is aware of our history, that this title was once given to men of power in the human world who worked with the fey and were invested with their power.”

“Hang on. Are you telling me that Merlin the wizard was connected with the fey? The Merlin, as in King Arthur’s Merlin?”

“’The Merlin’ was a title given to the head of an order of Priests, at one time known as Druids, who worked closely with the fey and were imbued with some of their powers. They were powerful in your world because of their connection with mine. They were tried and tested by us and those found worthy were adopted into a special coalition which has never come close to being repeated since.

“After the time of The Merlins was passed the boundaries of our world were effectively closed to humanity. By taking the title I assume that he was intending to indicate his intention to open them again... by force. He is seeking to steal what was previously given willingly in freedom.”

My mind is spinning and I have to take a step backwards. “So you are telling me that in the past there were humans who worked with the fey, shared power with them? That humans can do that?”

“What do you think you did last night Sam? Where do you think you got the power to fight the demons?”

“I... don’t know. But you can give power like that, to people... even when they are in my world?”

“Yes, if we choose... there is a rite that can be performed. But we do not take kindly to power being stolen from us, or elicited by force or deception. For some time he contented himself with harrying my people, making little incursions into my land and showing off his power, trying to steal mine or to force me to give it up. Of course he would never have succeeded. He was a nuisance, nothing more, and would never have found the power to be anything more.

“Unfortunately he uncovered a closely guarded secret that led him to... Nick. Nick was, of course, under our protection and, as soon as we discovered that The Merlin knew of him, that protection was redoubled and Lucifer was warned to watch for trouble. He could not move directly against Nick because of the protection of the fey and of his coven. Ah yes Sam, you had and you have more power than you ever believed. If only you had realised it and used it.

My head is spinning even more. I don’t understand this, any of it. All I know is that some manic who is trying to muscle in on the Queen’s territory has kidnapped my lover to use as a key to get into the land of the fey and is torturing him to do so.

“By breaking up the coven you made yourselves, and Nick vulnerable and when Nick ran from Lucifer it was exactly the chance that he had been waiting for. He tried to use Nick as a bargaining tool and we let him believe for as long as we could that we were considering his demands while we threw everything we had into finding Nick. When he realised that he wasn’t going to get anywhere he must have been very angry.

“We don’t know whether he discovered by accident, through hurting Nick in his anger, or whether he knew it along but he realised that when Nick was in pain his energy was wild and uncontrolled, more so because he has never known what he is, never had training in how to control the energy properly in the first place. Because of that The Merlin was able to steal the energy, control it, use it to break through our defences, as he did last night.

“Fortunately Nick is human. He has a limited tolerance and when the pain overwhelms him and he passes out the link is severed.”

“Fortunately?” I am horrified at the clinical way she is talking about what that monster is doing to my lover.

“Indeed it is Sam. Were The Merlin to have an inexhaustible supply of that energy we would all be doomed. We have noticed that the attacks come in quick bursts... lightening raids, sudden breaches, focussed attacks, and then there are long gaps before the next time. We have had to assume that the nature of the attack on Nick which is necessary to release the energy is such that it exhausts him quickly and it takes time for him to recover sufficiently to take another assault.”

It is pride that keeps me on my feet. I want to fall to my knees and weep. The images that she is painting in my mind are horrific. I can’t bear it. I want to hit her, to hurt her, to pummel that pretty face into a bloody pulp.

“Being angry with me will do you no good Sam. Now that we know where Nick is we can help you to find him, to rescue him.”

“Then do it. Do it now.”

“It is not as easy as that. The place where he is being held is inaccessible. We cannot breach the defences and neither can you... alone.”

“Then what must I do? Tell me. Please tell me. I will do anything.”

“You must go back to your world Sam. You must recall your coven. There must be the full thirteen. In three days you must gather, where it does not matter but it would help if it were in a place of power. You must perform the ritual I will give you and drink this.” She holds out a slim glass bottle in which a sparkling blue liquid swirls lazily. “You cannot travel to the place where Nick is, not in your human form. I will send Lucifer to you and when the potion separates your soul from your body Lucifer will lead it back along the connection you have established with Nick to the place where he is. He will then help you to bring him back.”

“Why do we need the coven?”

“We need to raise energy, a particular kind of energy, the energy that only those who knew and loved Nick can raise. This will help you to find the way. Also they will need to protect your body while you are gone. It will be extremely vulnerable and if anything happens to it you will not be able to return to it.”

“What about that guy... The Merlin? Will he be able to follow me like he did before?”

“Yes, if you are not careful. This is why I am sending Lucifer with you. Anyone could show you the way but Lucifer not only has a strong connection with Nick but he will also be able to shield you, to stop that happening.”

“Okay... so I gather together the old coven, if they will come, drug myself senseless and trust Lucifer to lead me out of my body on a rescue mission to Goddess knows where and to protect and shield not only me but my friends while we do it? I am a little uncomfortable with that.”

“What would you be prepared to do to save Nick, Sam?”

She has me there. Haven’t I said myself I would do anything for him? Haven’t I begged the universe for a chance... any chance, anything?

“You know I would do anything. If this is what it takes...if this is the only way...”

“It is the only way I know of, you have my word on that.”

“Alright.” I put the bottle in my pocket. “Where’s the ritual?”

“It will come.”

“Can I leave now? This place makes me feel dirty.”

“Now, now Sam, one could get the idea that you don’t like us... and have we not just given you the greatest gift you could receive, what you’ve wanted, what you’ve begged for, all you’ve wished for these past two years?”

I stare at her and want to hit her more than ever. She smiles a sweet smile and it reminds me that too many sweets rot our teeth. I just have to get out.

“Lucifer will show you the way.” She waves her hand and the two youths float forwards again. The Queen leans back her head and raises her hands, caressing breasts with one and a rapidly hardening penis with the other. I turn away as the attendants both lower their heads, one to her lips and one to her bosom.

At the bottom of the stairs I pause. Lucifer, noticing I am not keeping up stops and turns back.

“I want to see Ariel.”

“Why?”

Why indeed? “Because I do. Take me.”

For a moment he gives me a look which says ‘What the hell makes you think I am going to take orders from you?’ then he shrugs and trots off. I follow.

Ariel is asleep, covered with a rough woollen blanket. He is not peaceful, tossing and murmuring in a sleep that is, at best uncomfortable. The palette is very narrow. There is no room for me to sit and so I kneel beside it and stroke his hair. I am aware of Lucifer watching me with a smirk on his face.

“Can’t you wait outside?”

“I could.”

Taking a deep breath and swallowing the retort that springs to my lips I force myself to smile. “Please Lucifer. Please will you wait outside.”

Giving me a long, inscrutable look he turns and walks away. I notice he does not close the door and have the uncomfortable feeling he is listening just outside.

Ariel sighs and I forget Lucifer. Sleepily he stirs and opens his eyes. When they see me they shine and he smiles. They are blue again, the blue of a summer sky, but still shot through with flecks of gold.

“Sam.”

“You okay?”

“Sam I...” He frowns and shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

“The Queen told me... what I have done to you. I am so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t realise. I’m truly sorry.”

“Sorry? You saved me Sam. You risked your life to save me. Before I would never have understood that but now... I have never had a friend, not someone I would have risked everything for, or who would have done that for me. I am your friend Sam...” He looks uncertain. “Aren’t I?”

I smile, my heart breaking at the purity of the look, the sentiment. Gently I lean forward and kiss his forehead. “Of course you are. We are friends Ariel, friends forever.”

The smile that breaks over his face is so beautiful it takes my breath away and impulsively he throws his arms around me and hugs me close. I hug him back as best I can, feeling the frantic beat of his heart. He is trembling slightly and I suddenly realise the enormity of what I have done.

He has never felt emotion, never learned to control it, how to hide it. He has never been hurt, never felt the pain of betrayal or rejection. And now, because of me he is completely open to whatever the world, his or mine, has to throw at him. And I must leave him to find out the hard way exactly what that means.

It crosses my mind to suggest that he comes back with me, so that I can help him, teach him, protect him... but even as the thought forms I realise it is impossible. My world is too harsh, it would crush him. I cannot be with him every moment and I cannot protect him from harsh reality. At least here he has a chance.

Carefully I disentangle myself from his arms. “I have to go Ariel. I have something I must do and I have to go back.”

I wince at the pain in his eyes but he simply nods, tears catching like diamonds in his eyelashes as he blinks them away, refusing to let them fall. I realise something that had not crossed my mind, that the Queen had never anticipated, that none of them had. He is brave. Ariel is strong and brave. Maybe he will be alright after all.

“You will come back...won’t you? You will come back? I will see you again?”

“I’ll try Ariel. I swear I will try. Once Nick is safe I will do everything I can to find my way back here.”

He reaches up and touches my face, a feather soft touch with the tips of his fingers. “You never know the way... but I do. I will find you. This I swear. I will find you Sam, my friend.”

Before I realise what he is intending or have time to stop him he raises himself from the bed and kisses me. It is an unbelievably sweet kiss and I am lost in it before I realise what I am doing, my hands buried in his soft hair, his entwined around my neck.

A low growl from the doorway startles me and I jerk backwards breaking the kiss and Ariel’s hold on my neck. I look up to see Lucifer glaring at me, his look as black as his eyes. When I glance down again, filled with confusion Ariel looks broken. Nevertheless he smiles and lays a hand against my shoulder, pushing me away.

“Go now. I need to rest. Be careful Sam. Take care and come back soon.”