Ariana stood with Koen in the center of the immense room. It was hard to tell where the light was coming from. It was shining from every crevice. It appeared similar in color to the aurora stones, but it was much more intense. Jareth put out the flame from his lantern and set it down.
Ariana was speaking, but he couldn't understand the tongue she spoke. She lifted her hand toward the ceiling. A small, rotating ball of light hovered above her palm, growing in brightness as the words left her lips. Michael was speechless. As the light spun faster, a beautiful humming sound started to emanate from the walls around them.
Jareth gripped Michael's arm, astonished. Another light, even brighter than the first, abruptly exploded from the center of the room, causing both Michael and Jareth to fall to the ground, covering their eyes. Then it dissipated, leaving them again in relative shadow.
Michael rose to his feet first. He could make out the shape of Ariana's body on the ground beside her lantern. He stumbled to her, Jareth at his heels.
Kneeling beside her, he cradled her upper body and patted her cheek. 'Ariana?'
She brushed his hand away, her eyes still closed.
'Ariana, are you all right?'
She slowly opened her eyes, a confused expression on her face. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. 'Where am I?' She looked over at Jareth, then back at Michael.
Jareth laughed. 'Are you playing with us or do you really not know where you are?'
She frowned at him, pushing herself up from the ground and out of Michael's arms. 'Oh, because looking helpless would really benefit me? What's going on?' Michael looked over at Jareth, willing him to keep his tongue stilled. 'Always the discerning one. Forget it, I'll figure it out for myself.' She started to turn around and lost her balance.
Jareth caught her. 'You're in the old world. I was setting out to look for you when I ran into Michael and asked him to accompany me. I figured you might be here.'
Ariana turned to Michael. 'Your friend's loyalty is endearing. Though somehow I find fault in his story.' She rubbed her eyes. 'How did I get here?'
Michael had no intention of telling her what they'd just witnessed until he'd had a chance to discuss it with Jenner first. 'That I truly can't answer. You appeared to be awake when we found you, but I suppose you were sleepwalking.'
Koen trotted over to Ariana, making a low whining noise.
'How glad I am to see you! You abducted me didn't you? That's it, you wish to steal me away and keep me all for yourself. If you needed more attention, all you had to do was ask.'
Jareth laughed as she spoke. Michael wanted to feel endeared by her innocence and playful nature, but he was too stunned.
'I used to sleepwalk all the time in Palingard, but Bella always heard me,' Ariana admitted. 'Though I don't recall lying down to rest today.'
Jareth put his arm around her shoulders and leaned into her. Michael couldn't hear what he said to her, but whatever it was it made her smile.
Ariana held up her lantern, illuminating the area around them. 'Considering the length of time I've begged and pleaded with Jareth to show me this place, I suppose it would do for one of you to at least show me a little of it, seeing as we are already here?'
Jareth shot Michael a sideways grin. 'Told you I didn't encourage her.'
Michael took the lantern from her. 'Well, some of the old world we won't be able to access from here. What we can reach is unremarkable. There isn't much left that isn't dust and rot. Perhaps we can still see some of the architecture.'
He wiped dirt away from the carvings on the walls. The old world had fallen into even more disarray since he was young and it was in bad shape then.
'How could Adoria let something this incredible fall apart? I've seen how everything else is kept up, why let this place turn to rubble?'
'I couldn't agree with you more. Perhaps, considering the separation, our people will have more time on their hands for renovation. This is partially why Bronach has been brought here from Artesh.' Michael placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping that this would make her smile, but it didn't.
'Bronach's said as much. But why bother? Why not let this barren, desolate place symbolize what's left of Middengard — considering the separation?'
'Michael, come look at this!' Jareth was several feet from them, peering down into a stack of what looked like rocks.
He pulled away from Ariana to walk closer. 'What am I missing?' Michael asked, leaning in to line his vision up with Jareth's. He couldn't have cared less about whatever it was Jareth was trying to show him, but he couldn't take any more of Ariana's sarcasm. He agreed with her and it was only a matter of time before he'd slip and tell her.
'Appears to be pieces of old pottery.'
Michael looked closer and saw that mixed in among the rocks were pieces of shattered plates and goblets, some of them almost whole. He turned around to call for Ariana and realized that she wasn't there anymore.
'Ariana!'
Jareth jumped to his feet, echoing Michael's call. 'Ariana!'
Suddenly, it dawned on Michael what part of the cavern they had wandered into. Further down the narrow opening to their right was one of the few borders to Middengard that could be reached from underground. He looked at Jareth, who seemed to have come to the same conclusion.
Taking the lantern with them, they walked a short distance to the opening and came out onto the other side. There, she knelt in silence, looking out across the field.
There were thousands of corpses. It appeared they'd been there for at least several days, which added to the stench of the decay.
Michael clenched his fists at his sides as he sat down beside her.
Jareth walked over to the rocks and threw up. Michael was too angry to be overwhelmed by the smell and it appeared that Ariana was in shock. He touched her on the shoulder. 'You don't need to see this.'
She surprised him by putting her hand over his. 'Do you see where Koen is?' He was pacing around and around a particular body, whining.
Michael nodded. All his senses told him to get Ariana away from there as fast as possible, that they weren't safe perched on the rocks. But he couldn't move his feet. He supposed he was shocked as well. This wasn't the only border the Ereubinians knew of. He wondered how many others had been slain and left to rot.
'I recognize the blue from her dress.' Her voice was hollow.
'Is it your friend Sara?' He didn't want to hear her answer.
'No. Bella.' Ariana turned hard, tearless eyes to him. 'Why would Garren have done this?'
'He needs no reason for his depravity. I've told you this.'
'It seems to me that with every human being at their mercy, they wouldn't be so wasteful. She was alive, Michael. She was still breathing before now. Servant of the Laionai or not, she was still alive! Something provoked this.'
As much as he wanted to be self-righteous, and as badly as her comments stung, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd made an error in judgment. He had certainly felt convinced that killing Jules and his men was warranted, but had it really only been out of vengeance? Could he have let them go, resulting in the same message being sent? He looked out across the landscape, laden with death and the casualties of hate.
Jareth coughed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he came up beside them. 'Garren killed Caedmon's cousin and two other Adorians, slayed them brutally and without reason. We were ambushed by his men last week and had our own not been as loyal as they are, we wouldn't be here. We left only one of them alive.'
Ariana looked at Michael again. He was silent, his body aching from both anger and regret. She leaned in to whisper to him, 'You want me to be candid with you, and yet you disclose to me nothing of importance.'
He placed one hand on her cheek. 'I am guarded in what I tell you because I care for you. Nothing else matters to me but your safety and that of Adoria.'
'And had you not returned home last week? What then? Don't you think I'd mourn your loss? Or worse yet, go
