Chapter 20
“Madeleine!” Deryn bellowed.
But it was too late. As Rodric MacKay hauled her through the portal, it winked out and she was gone.
Deryn’s chest heaved as he stared at the space she’d occupied. No.No!Rory had his face pressed against Deryn’s chest and hadn’t seen what had happened to his mother, the only saving grace in this horrible mess. Around him the fighting and the noise seemed to disappear. Everything disappeared until the only thing in the world was that gaping hole that had swallowed Madeleine.
He jumped as a hand settled on his shoulder and turned his head to find Craig standing next to him.
“It’s over, Deryn. Look.”
The Disinherited, seeing their leader disappear in front of their eyes, seemed to have lost the will to fight. Most had thrown down their weapons and the rest were being quickly disarmed by warriors of the Order of the Osprey.
Deryn set Rory on his feet, took the boy’s hand, and stumbled over to the arch-like structure in the middle of the garden. He folded onto his knees by the blood-smeared stone. She was gone. Madeleine was gone.
“Where’s Mama?” Rory asked. His voice was stricken, on the verge of tears. Dear Lord, what terrible things the boy had beenthrough and now to lose his mother as well? Deryn put his hands on his shoulders and pulled him around to face him.
“I’m sorry, lad,” he said as gently as he could. “But yer mam is gone. She’s gone back to the place ye came from.”
“I want Mama!”
“I know ye do. I do as well. But we canna follow where she’s gone.” Lord help him, those words were like hot daggers being stabbed through his guts.
Rory’s face screwed up. He didn’t understand what Deryn was saying to him and how could he expect the boy to? He could barely understand any of this himself so what chance did a four-year-old boy have?
Rory’s face turned red with anger. “No!” he screamed. “I want my Mama!” He hammered his fist against the stone, leaving a tiny fist-print.
In response, to Deryn’s utter astonishment, the space beneath the arch flickered into life. A shimmering curtain of energy winked into existence and through it, Deryn spied another place entirely. He staggered to his feet, wide-eyed. Was that...was that the twenty-first century?
“Mama!” Rory cried. He strained against Deryn’s grip, fighting to get to the portal.
Was that where Madeleine had gone?
“Yer mam is through there?” he asked Rory.
Rory nodded, stretching out a hand towards the shimmering curtain. “We have to go get her!”
Deryn had no idea what he would find on the other side. But he also knew he had to take the risk of finding out.
He took hold of Rory’s hand. “Then let’s go get her.” Together, they walked through the portal.
IT WAS OVER IN THEblink of an eye. Who would have thought that traveling so far would take so little effort? A moment’s disorientation, and Torryn Keep and everything Deryn knew disappeared. Instead, he found himself and Rory in a large room like none he’d ever seen before. It was richer than the richest lord’s solar, with huge windows full of expensive-looking glass, plush coverings over the floor and bulky furniture made of leather. Through the tall window he could see a city spreading out, a city of buildings that soared into the sky, crammed together so tightly that it made Deryn dizzy just to look at them.
