Song #3

Edward awoke, not in the Jackal’s prison, but inside a shallow, rocky cave. The heat from outside was diminished only slightly by the stone walls. He felt feverish and could barely move.

“Just lie still,” he heard Bridgette say. “I’ll get you some water.”

A couple seconds later, he felt warm water trickle down his throat. He drank it and coughed. Edward opened his eyes and saw Bridgette, her pretty face dirty and scraped, kneeling over him.

She smiled. “Just scratched up a little. It was hard work dragging you here.”

“You scared them away,” Bridgette replied. “You must have knocked fifty of them off their feet when you said that word. The rest ran back to wherever they came from.”

Edward paused to let this news sink in. If the Groundlings they’d encountered returned to the Jackal, news of their whereabouts would spread fast.

Edward struggled to his hands and knees. The poisonous voices in his head had diminished since he’d used the Word of Power. And although he felt feverish from the sweltering heat, he knew that they had to press on. The Groundlings were sure to return, and probably in greater numbers than before.

“Yeah, I think so,” Edward replied. He leaned against the rough wall of the cave for support. “How much farther is the Jackal’s Lair from here?”

“Not much farther, I think. The force field that surrounds the Jackal’s Lair must be somewhere near here. But we can’t risk being spotted or flying into it by accident.”

Edward nodded weakly. His hand strayed to his ebony feathers. He’d been told the stories about the Jackal’s Lair being “Guardian-proof.” Until now, he hadn’t really thought about what they would do once they encountered the force field. If it really could shear off a Guardian’s wings, they would need to find some way around or through it.

As if reading his thoughts, Bridgette said, “Remember back at Cornelius’s house when I said that he had given me something to give you?”

Edward paused. In all the commotion, he’d forgotten the brief conversation they’d had during the attack by the horsemen.

Bridgette reached into the pocket of her ruffled skirt and drew out a small, yellow pouch. “He told me to tell you that he made this a very long time ago, and that if you use it in a time of great need, it will always open a door for you.”

Edward took the pouch. He could feel something small and hard inside it. He emptied the bag into his palm and examined the shiny, metal object that fell out.

Edward looked at it closely, noticing the intricate scrollwork that decorated its surface. A small mark on the handle bore the letter “F.” He had no idea what the letter meant. The only thing he could think was that maybe the “F” stood for “Fallen.” It seemed like a good guess since they were going to a place filled with Groundlings.

Turning to Bridgette, he asked, “Did he say where I was supposed to use it? Is there a door we’re supposed to find near the force field or something?”

Edward pocketed the key. To Edward, the gift proved that he wasn’t completely crazy to be entering the Jackal’s fortress. Cornelius wouldn’t have given him the key if he didn’t think that Edward could find a way inside. That must have been why his father had insisted that they find Cornelius before he was captured. He must have known about the key.

Edward’s mind drifted to thoughts of his mother and father. They were so physically close now that it almost hurt to think about them.

“Come on,” Edward said, motioning toward the cave opening. He still felt feverish and weak, but knew that there was no time to lose. Stumbling out of the opening, he called back to Bridgette, “We’d better get going before the Jackal sends more Groundlings after us.”