Chapter Nineteen: Guilty Conscience

Aiden spent the rest of the day soaking in the salt pool down the corridor from his room. It was there, Ashala told him, they had treated him for his injuries. The salt in the water made it impossible to cure for drinking, but a mineral in it had almost miraculous healing properties. The constantly circulating water carried off the chunks of peeling skin on his arms, face and neck, rinsing them away, leaving the water as fresh as it had been before he got in.

He managed to work loose all of the scabbed bits and submerged himself for as long as he could take, surfacing only to float under with just his nose above the water so he could breathe. The mineral spring felt amazing and within a short time he felt like he was his old self again.

All that remained to heal was his guilty conscience. And his fear he would never see his parents again. According to Gunesh, if what he believed was true, Aiden might never get his particular Key to do what he needed. The flaw in the stone would keep shoving him off course until finally she would die, leaving him goodness-knew where and unable to do anything about it. He could try to his heart's content to reach the Guardians with the same result. He felt so frustrated he abandoned the pool.

When he rose from the water to dress, he found Ashala watching him. Aiden flushed, his whole body tensed with embarrassment and slid back down under the surface in an attempt at modesty.

Ashala, on the other hand, didn't even seem to notice his nakedness at all. Apparently, she was too focused on her mission.

"If you will not act for us," she said, "will you not act for your family?"

Aiden's embarrassment turned to anger. What did she want from him? She heard what her father said, but obviously didn't get it.

"It won't work," he said. "Your father knows it and so do I. It's time you get over it."

She scowled at him, dimple twisting as her lips pursed in anger. "You are so weak as to give up so easily? You survived near death only to choose to be a prisoner here?" She shook her head, disdain written all over her body. "You, foolish boy, make me ill and wish I had never rescued you."

Aiden snapped. He had been through the worst time of his life and was happy to be alive and sane after all of it. How dared she try to make him feel guilty? Especially since he already felt like he let down his parents and now evidently responsible for the fate of the entire Universe. Really?

"Maybe you should mind your own damned business." He stalked out of the water, so angry he ignored the fact she stared directly at him.

"This is my business," she said. "In case you hadn't noticed."

"I can't do it!" His voice echoed his failure. It sounded weak and whining in his own ears "The Key is broken. I can't!"

Ashala's expression stilled, eyes flat and empty. "You are a failure if you never try."

She left him there to fume.

Aiden jerked his clothes on over his still-wet skin and retreated to his room. He collapsed on the bed, alternating between fury and frustration, fear and bitter despair. He thought about the prize, wondered if maybe Gunesh was wrong, that he himself had somehow caused the detour to Rishi. But he had been focused on Antoinette and according to Gunesh, the Key should have taken him to her. There had to be a way around the influence of the damage, the lack of clarity from the stone's consciousness, but if there were, only the Guardians knew it. Because of her age and confusion, he couldn't even rely on the failing old woman to take him to Airimeth.

If you never try, you never fail, Antoinette's voice said. But it you never fail, you never learn.

The thought was so crystal clear it broke through his excuses. His mother was on the mark, as usual. Aiden was tired of not trying. The decision to do something came upon him so fast and so strong, it drove him out of bed. Gunesh was right, as was Ashala, though it irked Aiden to admit it. He had to try. He refused to spend the rest of his life underground, however long that life would be. The way things were going the people of Rishi didn't have a whole lot longer anyway.

Aiden threw his clothing on, mind focused on Gunesh. He wanted to apologize, but more so needed to quiz the man on everything he knew about Portal Keys. If Aiden could work out a way to get through to the stone, to strengthen her or heal her somehow, maybe he could get to Airimeth and the Guardians after all.

Feeling as better emotionally as he did physically, Aiden headed for his doorway.

Not like him not to notice someone was in his room. Shock at his lack of attention took over for a heartbeat as he held his breath, focusing on the air around him, feeling the approach in the dark. His fire was almost out, the two containers of firestone covered for the night. Whoever invaded his space stank of illness, of death. He slid himself to the end of his bed and dove for the covered pot, knocking the lid free, casting dim light through the room, and scrambling back to his feet as the withered Kalona collapsed at the edge of his bed with a sickening wail.

"You must!" She turned to him, lips weeping blood from her damaged gums. Her pale tongue snaked out of her mouth and swiped over her parched skin, smearing the red dribble across her lower lip. "He promised! You can use the Key." She eased toward Aiden, fevered eyes huge and mad. "You must!"

Aiden dodged her as she lunged toward him. His fingers caught the cord around her neck quite by accident, pulling free the black and red charm she wore. She shrieked at him, diving for the sand floor, pawing in the dust for the pendant. She lifted it into her fist and snarled at Aiden like a wild animal.

"If you will not," she said, "he will." She made it to her feet and scuttled to the doorway, faster than Aiden thought she should be able to move. "He will save us."

She vanished out of his room. Aiden went to his door and listened. He heard her shuffling down the corridor, muttering to herself. Not sure what the crazy woman was talking about but feeling anxious she might hurt herself, Aiden followed her.

He lost her in the gloom despite her weakness. He almost turned around and went back to his room when he noticed a flash of light up ahead, a deep red glow which flickered so fast he would have missed it if he turned in that moment. Aiden paused. Something felt wrong. The air itself tasted of it, but he couldn't pinpoint why. His sense of self-preservation was powerful, honed over years of being taught to pay attention to his gut. And his gut screamed he was in danger.

Aiden spun and ran for his room. He retrieved his backpack, the sense he was in peril driving him to hurry. He crept back to the doorway of his chamber and listened. The tunnel was quiet and dark but his sense of unease grew stronger than ever. A subtle shift in the breeze from down the hall carried with it a familiar scent.

Smog.

Aiden shuddered as he recognized the odor. Where did it come from? There was no technology here. No combustion engines to create carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gasses. No deep frying corner stands with their chili fries, no squealing tires and their aroma of burned rubber. All these things and more Aiden's nose classified in a hint of home and, as he did, his pulse quickened.

Someone had crossed from Earth to the caverns and brought the stench with them.

Aiden pulled back into his room as he heard the patter of feet approaching. He hid in the darkness, reaching out at the last minute to snag the runner and pull her close, covering her mouth with his hand. Ashala looked up at him, eyes huge and full of fear. Aiden held her another moment until she stilled then let her go, finger to his lips. He leaned in to her and placed his mouth right next to her ear, whispering barely audible.

"Who is here?"

She repeated his motion, her breath tickling his hair. "Don't know," she said, "but they have a Portal Key."

Aiden's mind flickered to the pendant and Kalona's mysterious "him". Aiden knew who it was, but needed to see for sure.

"Where is your father?"

She leaned back, lower lip between her teeth. She shook her head. Aiden was aware of screaming, faint but growing louder, coming from the direction of the council room.

He led her by the hand down the hall, past the well and into the main corridor. He hugged the wall, grateful it was very early and no one had changed the fire rock. The hall was almost pitch black. By the time they reached the end and the council chamber, Aiden's keen eyes adjusted so well to the dark he was able to hover near the entrance and see everything unfold with great clarity.

Gunesh hovered with the rest of the council members, shaken to wakefulness by a large group of soldiers dressed in black. Another was dragged, shaking and protesting, from a different tunnel. Aiden waited with his heart in his throat for the group to shift, to move out of the way. When they did, his heart flipped then started beating again.

Tremaine stood in the middle of the room, Kalona groveling at his feet. She whimpered, holding out the black and red stone. It was then Aiden noticed the Key in Tremaine's hand, made of the same rock, and he realized his mistake. Tremaine's Key was as alive as his and as connected to the Edge. Using the stone to escape must have created a trail for Tremaine to follow.

Aiden led the man right to Rishi.

The tunnel behind them was suddenly full of soldiers. Aiden cursed out loud for his inattention and moved forward, Ashala close beside him, herded into the chamber to face Tremaine.

The man's eyes lit up when he saw Aiden. A slow, horrible smile twisted his lips.

"Hello again, boy," Tremaine said. "I've come for my property."

Aiden did his best not to move. "Oh, hello," he said as casually as he could. "You again. I guess you want the prize."

He felt the soldiers behind him fanning out to fill the room, leaving the tunnel empty. He knew where they were by sense, sidestepped the one who tried to put his hands on Aiden's shoulders. He stayed free and, in his arrogance, Tremaine let him stay that way. Aiden intended to use it to his advantage.

Tremaine laughed. "You think you're so clever. You don't even know how to use her, do you?"

"On the contrary," Aiden said. "She and I are great friends. We just chose to throw you off guard. Worked for a bit." His instinct told him to make things up as he went along, and it had the desired effect. Just not on Tremaine.

"Liar!" Kalona screamed at Aiden. "You liar! You could have saved us!" she trailed off then spun and clutched at Tremaine's legs. "Save us, good Guardian. I got the boy for you like I said I would. Save us!"

He didn't even spare her a glance.

"Your reward, as promised."

Tremaine drove his dagger through Kalona's heart and kicked the withered woman square in the stomach to wrench it free again. He raised the dripping dagger to Aiden and saluted, droplets of the woman's blood soaking into the dark sand on the floor.

"Now," Tremaine said, "if you don't want to see more of these precious people suffer for your theft, you'll give me the Key."

Aiden considered it for one brief moment, knowing he was responsible for leading Tremaine to Rishi. He knew the man would kill them if Aiden put up a fight. But he wasn't given the choice to surrender. When he drew a breath to try to negotiate, Gunesh lunged forward and liberated a sword from one of the soldiers, attacking the unsuspecting man. The room erupted into chaos as the rest of the council members joined the fray. Tremaine staggered as one of them tackled him from behind.

Aiden was already on the move when he heard Gunesh yell, "Run!" The soldiers behind him were so startled by the attack, only one made a fumbled grab for Aiden, missing because Ashala's foot impacted the side of his knee and sent him howling to the ground.

Aiden grabbed the girl's hand and dragged her down a tunnel while Tremaine roared in wordless fury.

***