46

Riley held onto Darius as tightly as she could, but it was a losing battle. The wind was impossibly strong and, inexorably, pulled Darius away. Something hit her shoulder and she grunted at the impact. The newspaper fluttered through the air and came to rest over her face, momentarily blinding her. She shook her head to dislodge the sheets. They flew across the room and directly into the rip. Then they were gone.

If the wind got stronger …

The Emissary sprawled lifelessly near the front door and Alec was only a few feet away. He was curled up in a ball and rocking back and forth, moaning. Only Darius knew how to overcome Rhozan and she couldn’t get through to him. The aliens’ weakness, the power of the orbs, the skill and knowledge of the Tyon Collective who had done this before, were all Darius’ knowledge, not hers. If she couldn’t wake him …

She shook him again, ignoring the lamp that bounced off her shoulder and towards the rip. “Darius, wake up.” She leaned over his face, pressing her ear next to his lips. Please, let him wake up. He was barely breathing.

The words formed inside her head with the beating of the rip’s light. “Come to me.”

For a split second she actually wanted to, the voice was so commanding. Then she remembered. “I won’t.”

“Come to me or the Guardian dies.”

Riley clutched Darius’ shoulders even tighter as the demand grew stronger. Without Darius they were goners. “No.”

“Then he dies.”

Darius’ body jerked beneath her fingers. He was yanked forward, just a handspan, but closer to the rip. Icicles ran down Riley’s spine. She grabbed him harder and pulled back, but the force was almost unbeatable.

“He’s mine,” Rhozan said. The words rattled off the inside of her skull, over and over. “You can’t save him unless you come to me.”

Darius slid another few inches.

There was nothing to brace against. The carpet gave only the slightest traction. She rammed her feet against it and braced for Rhozan’s next onslaught.

It was worse. Darius slid closer to the rip, pulling her with him.

“Darius, wake up. Help me!” Riley screamed. They were only about two metres from the sparkling cloud. She couldn’t let go. But if she didn’t, they’d both get sucked in. “Alec!”

Across the room, Alec didn’t even seem to notice her plight.

“Your choice, Riley.” Rhozan sounded pleased. “Either you let him go or you continue this feeble attempt to save him and I get you both.”

The wind picked up in strength. Riley was nearly flattened to the floor. Her hair whipped into her eyes. The sofa overturned and slid across the floor straight into the rip. She ducked her head again as the contents of the closet near the front door emptied into the air and whooshed into Rhozan’s world. The lifeless body of the Emissary rolled along the floor and stopped abruptly as it came up against her back. She suppressed a scream.

Darius was pulled another foot closer. The Emissary’s arms flung up with a sideways gust. She kicked at the body, desperately trying to shove it free. The wind pushed the corpse closer to her, wrapping the torso around her. Horrified, she twisted wildly and kicked again. She couldn’t suppress the scream that tore from her lips.

The wind tore brutally at her, this time from the side, knocking her face-down onto Darius’ stomach. The corpse, its obstruction removed, slipped free and tumbled towards the rip.

Wait. The Emissary had the orbs. He’d put them in his jacket pocket. With only seconds to spare, Riley leapt into action. She let go of Darius and lunged towards the corpse as it rolled towards the rip.

She caught the edge of its jacket in her right hand. She held on as tightly as she could.

Freed, Darius began to slide towards the rip.

Heart in her mouth, Riley clawed for a better grip. The material of the Emissary’s suit began to tear.

“No,” she cried in horror. Scrambling with an almost Herculean effort, she grabbed again.

Something firm and round clinked under her fingers. The orbs. She almost had them.

Darius’ shoulders slid past her.

Another metre and Rhozan would have him.

She tugged and pulled. Where was the opening to the pocket? Why couldn’t she find it?

The wind rolled Darius over. Another foot closer. He slammed into the coffee table.

She clawed at the suit jacket, but the wind was so wild it tossed the material around. She couldn’t get a proper grip. The corpse was about to be pulled into the rip. She couldn’t stop it.

Only the overturned coffee table lodged against the kitchen doorway blocked Darius’ path into Rhozan’s world.

“Darius!” she screamed. “Wake up.”

The Emissary opened his eyes.