The Endërland Chronicles: Book of Daniel

Back at the shack, Nemo could no longer hide his panic.

  ‘What are we going to do, Dan? If they have their trial, we’re as good as dead. These are Ghordi’s people we’re talking about. We’re doomed.’

  Daniel sat down by the stove, trying to relight the fire that had died during their absence.

  ‘I somehow don’t think Winter will let that happen. If he had wanted me dead, he would have had me killed a long time ago.’

  ‘Well, he might need you, but I am quite certain that he has no use for me, whatsoever. These wingmen will have my head.’

  ‘Relax, Nemo,’ Hëna cut in, ‘It won’t come to that. There won’t be a trial.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Nemo, now turning to her. Daniel also looked up at her, all ears.

  ‘The first chance we get, I’m gonna break us out of here and we’ll be back on our way.’

  ‘How are you going to do that?’ Daniel asked. ‘You’re locked in here same as we are.’

  Hëna smiled at him mischievously. It made his blood boil for the second time that day.

  ‘Surely you don’t think these walls can hold me in, do you?’

  ‘I guess not,’ he answered, realizing what she meant. ‘Still, how are we going to continue our mission, without Lightning to guide us? We won’t know where to go.’

  ‘That’s why I need a little time to find out where they are keeping him, and come up with a plan to free everyone at the same time. I might need Heli’s help to do that. Until then, we have to be on our best behavior and give them no reason to suspect anything.’

  ‘What about Séraphin?’ Nemo asked.

  ‘What about him?’ Daniel replied, his voice clothed in anger. ‘He made his choice; we owe him nothing.’

  ‘I agree,’ Hëna said, ‘Séraphin is no longer our concern. From here on we continue without him.’

  They spoke long after that about all the events that were now unraveling rapidly. The kingdom was at the brigs of war between wingmen and mermaids; Winter had crowned himself king, claiming the Silver Throne as his own, and they had no idea what had happened to the other Lords and queens. Finding the Great Lord was no longer about their innocence, but that was still only a fool’s errand.

  Eventually evening came and Hëna left the shack to join the stars up in the sky. Heli returned and took his place among them. They continued to talk for a while longer, discussing with him Hëna’s plan, with which unsurprisingly Heli agreed. When they were finally about to get some sleep, just before midnight, the door opened and in walked Séraphin, followed by the bulky wingman. As soon as they set foot in, Heli ran towards the prince, grabbed him by the neck, and with little struggle lifted him up against the wall.

  ‘Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t break your neck, traitor.’

  Daniel heard the anger in Heli’s voice and could not help but get some satisfaction out of it. Ever since the audience with Gabriel, he himself was itching to get his hands on Séraphin.

  The Sky-Prince was unable to open his mouth, so it was the other wingman who spoke in his defense.

  ‘He’s not a traitor, Lightbringer. Everything he’s done and said to the Chieftain, has been to protect you all. And now, he’s here to help you escape.’

  Heli loosened the grip around Séraphin’s neck.

  ‘Is this true?’

  ‘Yes,’ Séraphin managed to say with a rasping voice, prompting Heli to let him go. The wingman regained his posture and walked over to the table to grab a drink of water.

  ‘Explain yourself,’ Heli called after him.

  Having soothed his throat a little, Séraphin took a seat on the bed closest to him, while the bulky wingman went back outside, shutting the door behind him. Daniel, Heli and Nemo were still standing, looking at the Sky-Prince with expectation. But it was Daniel to whom Séraphin addressed.

  ‘When we arrived here and got help for Nathaniel, he finally woke up and told me everything he knew. He told me how Winter had his man Butler working with Azariel to set you up. They killed Ghordi using one of the arrows they stole from you that day at the beach. The plan was not only to get custody of you apparently, but to also spark a war between the two people, and looks like they’ve succeeded, at least with that second part. Azariel’s father found out about this from Nathaniel, so Azariel killed him, blaming the mermaids again. And now all my people are preparing to fly to battle with them to claim justice.

  ‘Obviously using the situation as an excuse, Winter declared himself High King the moment he took his turn on the Silver Throne. He has given my people the go-ahead to fight. It all happened like you said it would, but I was too angry and stubborn to listen. Only the Great Lord can now bring an end to this madness, and that is why I’m helping you escape.

  ‘Earlier I needed Gabriel’s help in treating Nathaniel, so I had to play along. I’m sorry for fooling you, but I needed to keep Gabriel blind to my plan. I also advised Nathaniel not to tell him any of this; anyone could be a spy for the White Lord, and we need to keep him off our scent, at least until we find the Great Lord’s castle.’

  ‘We still need Lightning for that,’ Daniel reminded him.

  ‘That’s already been taken care of,’ Séraphin replied. ‘Nathaniel is waiting with Lightning just outside the village. If we leave now, we can reach them in less than an hour.’

  Everyone was now waiting for Daniel to decide.

  It had finally happened; Séraphin was now on the same page with them, though Daniel wasn’t sure what to think about it. He knew how he felt right this moment; he felt cheated. Cheated because he’d finally come to resent and hate Séraphin for all that he’d said and done, but apparently it was all undeserved. The wingman had kept his honor and had not betrayed them. I am no better than he is, Daniel told himself, feeling somewhat guilty. But none of that mattered anymore; they had to put everything that had happened behind them, and get on with their mission.

  He looked at Séraphin sitting before them completely disarmed and bare of his usual animosity, and walked up to him, extending his hand as a peace offering.

  ‘I’m sorry I doubted you!’

  Séraphin shook his hand, though he looked less comfortable than Daniel doing so.

  ‘And I you.’

  Daniel let go of his hand and headed to his backpack, putting it on his shoulders.

  ‘Lead the way, my friend.’