Risen, p.2
Risen, page 2
part #12 of Alex Verus Series
‘He didn’t come to join you?’
Ji-yeong shook her head. ‘Been months since he left the keep. And he’s been getting more unpredictable. I was actually starting to think about . . . well. Guess it doesn’t matter now.’
I waited. After a moment Ji-yeong carried on. ‘So we decided it was worth a shot. I mean, three on three’s not so bad, right? And we’d have the shadows backing us up.’ Ji-yeong was silent for a moment. ‘Yeah. That did not go to plan. First she calls up an army of summoned monsters in ten seconds flat. I mean, that’s not even supposed to be possible. Sagash spent ten years building up those shadows and there’s a whole ritual arrangement in the tombs. You need set-up. She just did it –’ Ji-yeong snapped her fingers. ‘– like that. And then there was her. I mean, the Walker girl’s a life mage, sure, but Sam and I dealt with her last time, we knew what she could do. Or we thought we did.’ Ji-yeong shook her head. ‘It was nothing like last time. She’s got some new kind of magic. Sam and I went at her from both sides and she held us both off and I don’t think she was even trying. It was like fighting Sagash.’
‘What happened?’
‘Jethro’s dead,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘He tried to run and the guy in the suit got him in the back. I saw him go off one of the walkways. Aether – Sam – last I saw, he was facing Anne Walker. I stopped sensing his magic a minute later. For all I know he’s dead as well.’
‘Does that bother you?’ I asked.
‘Why?’
‘Just curious.’
‘You don’t expect other apprentices to be your friends.’
‘But?’
‘But what?’ Ji-yeong shot me a challenging look. ‘You want to see if I’m going soft?’
‘Anybody else in the castle?’
‘Just the shadows.’
I nodded and stepped away. ‘All right. We’re done here.’
Ji-yeong frowned. ‘I thought you wanted information.’
‘I’ve got all I need.’
Ji-yeong pointed at the keep in the distance. Black flashes of battle magic lit up its walls; even from this distance I could sense the power in the spells. ‘You don’t want to see who wins?’
‘I already know.’
‘I’ve never seen Sagash lose a fight.’
‘Doesn’t matter,’ I said. ‘This is the problem with setting yourself up as ruler of your little pocket kingdom. You get isolated. If Sagash had stayed in touch, he might have got wind of what was coming. He wouldn’t have won, but he could have set up a bolt-hole.’ I pointed in the direction of the battle. ‘Those two other mages, Caldera and Barrayar, they’re possessed by ifrit jinn. Anne is possessed by a marid. There’s only one way this is going to end.’
I started walking toward the stairs. Ji-yeong fell into step just behind me. ‘So what’s going to happen?’
‘Anne is going to smash through Sagash’s defences and take him down,’ I said. ‘Once that’s over, she’s going to do a sweep of her new shadow realm.’
The inside of the tower was cool and dusty, beams of light passing through arched windows to splash across the spiral staircase. ‘What happened with you two anyway?’ Ji-yeong asked. ‘Last time you were . . .’
‘We were what?’
I hadn’t raised my voice, but there must have been something in my tone because Ji-yeong didn’t finish her sentence. We descended a flight of stairs in silence.
‘How much do you know about Anne’s history with Sagash?’ I asked.
‘He doesn’t talk about it.’
‘Sagash kidnapped Anne and brought her here nine years ago. She was eighteen at the time. He wanted an apprentice-assassin and when Anne didn’t turn out murderous enough for his liking he decided to change her by force. It had some lasting effects. When Richard Drakh showed up looking for a host for that marid, he decided she was the perfect candidate.’
‘Drakh?’
‘Recognise the name?’
‘Well, yeah,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘He made kind of an impression. He met with Sagash after you escaped.’
‘What did he want?’
‘I don’t know, but whatever it was, Sagash turned him down.’
I nodded. That decision had probably sealed Sagash’s fate.
We came out of the tower at ground level. Grass grew in between weather-worn structures of pale stone. ‘Wait,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘So all of this has been about this Anne girl? First Sagash wanted her, then Crystal wanted her. And now you’re saying Drakh’s been chasing her too?’
‘Pretty much.’
‘I don’t get it,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘All these master mages, fighting over one life apprentice who doesn’t even want to join them?’
I glanced back at Ji-yeong. ‘You think they should have found a volunteer? Like you?’
Ji-yeong looked defensive. ‘Well, why not?’
‘The traits that Sagash and Richard Drakh valued in Anne were exactly the ones that guaranteed she would never willingly join them.’
‘It’s still stupid.’
‘Well, in the long run, it was,’ I said. ‘Sagash and Drakh both tried to mould Anne into the kind of person that would suit them. And they weren’t the only ones. A rakshasa called Jagadev, a Councillor called Levistus . . . they put Anne on a path, forced her to keep walking down it. Trouble was, once she got to the end of that path . . . it turned out what they’d actually been creating was a monster.’
‘She didn’t look like a monster last time,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘More like a victim.’
‘A lot of monsters start out that way.’
We stopped in a corner of a grassy courtyard. Sagash’s shadow realm had wards that made it impossible to gate in or out except from the platform at the end of the bridge. But it’s hard to make a gate ward strong everywhere, especially over a place as big as this castle. There was a small vulnerability in this particular spot, between two of the nodes; every now and again, the ward coverage would weaken just enough to allow a gate. The next window wasn’t due for another thirty-six hours, but I’d already used the fateweaver to adjust that. Maybe this was how Richard had broken in all those years ago. ‘This is my stop,’ I told Ji-yeong. ‘Coming?’
‘Do I have a choice?’
‘Sure,’ I said. ‘You can try to fight your way back to the bridge and gate out while they’re busy. You know the castle; you might manage it. Or you could join up with Anne. She’s recruiting at the moment.’
‘What happens if I do that?’
‘You get possessed by a jinn for two or three days.’
‘Just two or three days?’
‘Yes.’
Ji-yeong started to answer, then paused. ‘What happens after two or three days?’
‘An army of mages invade this shadow realm and kill you.’
‘Okay, that last bit?’ Ji-yeong said. ‘I think you should have told me that part first.’
I leant on the sovnya. ‘So what’ll it be?’
Ji-yeong watched me suspiciously. ‘You’re giving me a lot of chances to walk away here.’
‘As one of my old teachers used to say, I prefer willing servants.’
Ji-yeong tapped her sword hilt. The futures hovered, then settled more solidly this time. Ji-yeong gave a little sigh. ‘You can’t start dancing until someone plays the drum.’ She inclined her head. ‘Lead on, Master.’
I nodded and turned back to the grassy corner. A few touches with the fateweaver, then I channelled through my dreamstone, linking our world to Elsewhere.
‘I’ve still got my gate focus,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘But it won’t do any good unless we can—’
The air shimmered and became an oval portal. Beyond the portal was another castle, this one made of black stone instead of yellow.
Ji-yeong stopped. ‘How did you do that?’
Somewhere in the distance, the battle was still raging. I wondered how long Sagash would last. Anne wouldn’t want to kill him quickly. She’d been looking forward to this for a very long time.
I stepped through into Elsewhere. After only a moment’s hesitation, Ji-yeong followed and I let the gate close behind us.
2
I walked through a castle of black stone, brooding storm-clouds gathering overhead, a hint of rain in the air. I bent the world around me, and the stones beneath my feet became dusty and pale, the black castle transforming piece by piece into an ancient abandoned city.
Behind me I felt Ji-yeong’s steps falter. ‘Keep up,’ I told her.
‘What’s going on?’ Ji-yeong sounded disorientated. ‘I can’t feel . . .’
‘Just stay close.’
The wall ahead reshaped itself into an old wooden door. I reached out and turned the handle; daylight rushed in. I stepped through, making sure to hold the door open until Ji-yeong had followed me before letting it swing shut.
We’d come out into a small park in London. Birds sang in the trees, the sun shone down from above, and the breeze blew with the first hints of autumn. Everything was normal and sane again.
Ji-yeong looked back but the door was gone. ‘What was that?’
‘Elsewhere.’
‘Else— wait. Elsewhere? That Elsewhere?’
‘Mm-hm.’
‘I thought that was just a story?’
‘It’s that too. I wouldn’t recommend visiting on your own.’ I reached out through the dreamstone, searching for a familiar set of thoughts. ‘I have to make some calls.’
Ji-yeong stayed quiet and I turned away, walking absently across the grass as I reached out to find the mind I was searching for. There’s a moment of vertigo when I make contact with the dreamstone, like stepping over a gap that’s a foot wide and a thousand miles deep. Luna.
Luna replied instantly. Emotion overlaid her words, worry and tension and determination. Did you find him?
Her, yes. Him, no.
Frustration joined the other feelings. Where’s she hiding him?
I don’t know, but wherever it is, I don’t think he’ll be staying. Anne wasn’t alone: she had two mages fighting on her side. Caldera and Barrayar.
Possessed?
Safe bet. That’s two out of four. Vari’s probably going to be number three. I think next time we run into him, he’ll be on her side.
Luna was silent. It’s time for the meeting, I told her.
I want to come.
No.
Alex!
Once this is over, I want you to have a life to go back to, I said. And as far as that goes, walking in by my side is going to leave a terrible impression. I promise I’m not going to shut you out of this, but right now this is a negotiation and there’s nothing you can do to help.
The silence lasted longer this time. Fine, Luna said at last.
I’ve got to go. Call you later?
Okay.
I broke the connection. Luna wasn’t taking this well. I couldn’t really blame her, but right now I couldn’t spare the time to watch her. I hoped she wouldn’t do anything stupid.
I took out a communicator focus and channelled a thread of magic through it. ‘Hello,’ I said. ‘Testing.’
A voice sounded from the focus instantly. ‘Verus? Where are you?’
‘Getting ready to gate.’
Talisid’s voice was sharp. ‘You’re thirty-five minutes late.’
‘I think once you hear what I’ve got to tell you, you’ll appreciate why.’
‘That remains to be seen. Hurry up, please.’
‘On my way.’
Talisid is a political operative high up in the Council, and we’ve had a long relationship. Mostly it’s been good, recently it’s been bad, and a couple of days ago it hit rock bottom when he led a group into a deep shadow realm in an attempt to kill me. I felt as though our relations should improve from here on out, given that there really wasn’t any way they could possibly get worse.
I cut off the focus and slid it into my pocket as I walked back to Ji-yeong. ‘We’ve got a meeting.’
‘A meeting with who?’
‘The Senior Council. Or two or three of them, anyway.’
Ji-yeong laughed.
I just looked at her.
Ji-yeong stopped smiling. ‘You’re serious?’
I fished out a new gate stone. It looked like a pebble of smooth glass carved with an insignia. ‘But the Senior Council doesn’t meet with outsiders,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘Especially Dark mages.’
‘They’ve been pushed a little out of their comfort zone lately,’ I said. ‘Once we’re inside, just follow my lead. I’ll let you know what to do.’
Ji-yeong and I stepped through into the bubble realm of Concordia. The gate closed behind us and there was silence.
Concordia is one of the oldest of all created worlds, and it’s been used by the Councils of the various magical nations for over a thousand years. The Concord was negotiated here, and it wasn’t the first major treaty to take this place’s name. Among mages, the name ‘Concordia’ carries the sound of power and history and decisions that shape the world. I’d never expected to see it in person.
We’d arrived in a circular antechamber. Huge slate-grey columns rose to a ceiling ringed with small windows that glowed with orange-yellow light. The floor was decorated with circular mosaics. Everything was absolutely silent. The air smelled sterile and clean.
A slender construct, mechanical-looking and copper-coloured, inclined its head toward us. Its face was a blank, curved plate with a cross-shaped glow of yellow light. ‘Welcome,’ it said in a melodious voice. ‘May I please have your names?’
‘Alex Verus,’ I told it.
The construct didn’t answer, but its head tilted towards Ji-yeong.
‘And guest,’ I added.
The construct bowed again. ‘Please follow me.’
The construct led us into a hallway, huge and spacious, light filtering down from windows far above. Arches to our left and right gave views onto a vast pillared hall, but everything was deserted. Ji-yeong and I followed the construct at a distance, the sounds of our footsteps echoing in the emptiness.
‘What are we doing here?’ Ji-yeong said. Her voice was barely above a whisper: something about this place made you want to keep quiet.
‘Richard Drakh told me yesterday that Anne Walker and that jinn were about to cause a national disaster,’ I said quietly. ‘He took it to the Council proposing a truce.’
‘Drakh’s meeting with the Council?’
‘As of yesterday, I’ve got a seat at the table. You’re here to give evidence as to what just happened in Sagash’s shadow realm. Just tell the truth and keep to the point. I’ll handle the rest.’
Ji-yeong muttered something under her breath. ‘I woke up this morning thinking it was going to be a boring day.’
The hallway ended in a set of double doors. The construct stopped and gestured forward with a bow. I pushed the doors open and walked through.
Beyond was Concordia’s main audience chamber. The room was huge and circular, divided into five equal-sized segments like a pie chart. The borders of the segments were marked by low walls, silver-grey and twelve inches high, and the tops of each wall glowed yellow, projecting an invisible vertical barrier. Those barriers protected against magical and physical attack, and were supposed to be completely impenetrable. The effect was to divide the room into five sections; people in different sections could talk to each other but were completely unable to harm them. The fact that this is their premier negotiation site probably says something about how mages tend to get on with one another.
At the narrow wedge of each segment were chairs and a low table, arranged in an arc so that the chairs of all five segments formed a ring. Four out of the five segments, including ours, were empty. The fifth was not.
The segment across and to our right was filled with people. Standing on the flanks, and guarding the doors at the back, were a dozen armed men. They were more heavily armed than normal Council security: their body armour was magically enhanced, and the assault rifles slung across their chests looked to have been upgraded. Half of them tracked us as we crossed the floor; the others were watching the exits. Looming over the men were four mantis golems, bulky silver-and-gold constructs that watched us from faceted eyes.
The golems and the security men were dangerous enough; four mantis golems and a dozen elite security were more combat power than most mages would ever see in one place in their whole lives. But compared to the six men and one woman around the chairs, they weren’t important at all.
There were three people standing, and four sitting. The ones standing were a square-faced mage in his fifties giving me a distasteful look, a long-faced, mournful-looking man with straw-coloured hair, and a much smaller and younger man who was avoiding my gaze completely. They were Nimbus, the Director of Operations of the Order of the Star; Maradok, Secretary to the Council from Council Intelligence; and Sonder, a Keeper auxiliary and time mage.
Sitting in the first and fourth chairs at the table were Talisid and Lyle. Both were mages I’d known for a long time; both had been my friends once, and both were my enemies now. Talisid gave me a glance before shifting his eyes to Ji-yeong; Lyle looked nervously away.
But it was the two people seated at the middle who really mattered. One was a man, bearded and barrel-chested and running to fat, the other a woman with a lined face and very straight grey-brown hair. Their bodies were opposites, but their eyes were the same, watchful and sharp. Their names were Druss and Alma, and together, they formed forty per cent of what was left of the Light Council, the governing body of the most powerful magical organisation in Britain. I kept walking until I reached the chairs twenty feet away from them, then I stopped. Ji-yeong shadowed me, staying a pace behind. I looked down across the forcefields at Druss and Alma. The last echoes of our footsteps faded into silence.
Alma spoke. ‘You’re late.’
I didn’t answer.
‘Do you have a reason?’ Alma asked.
‘Yes.’
Alma raised her eyebrows as if waiting for an explanation. I looked back at her calmly. The silence stretched out.
