The Necromancer's Rogue
Page 17
“Who’s Brigante Delsenza?”
“She is the oldest of the Delsenza clan. Descended from banshees, they command powers over the dead, and the Veil. Her youngest sister is Eufame, the erstwhile necromancer general. The whole clan despised the Lords and Ladies of Death, seeing them as parasites, not the noble patrons of the dead that they are.” Mr Gondavere held himself straighter as he spoke.
Monte tried to reconcile what Mr Gondavere said with what he knew of the Lords and Ladies of Death. If he was honest, that was very little. He’d had no patron deity as a child, believing in the concepts of home and family instead. He only adopted the Lords and Ladies when he found work as a gravedigger. He believed them to be forgotten beings who guided the dead across the Veil and into the realms beyond. Given the necromancer general had the power to cross the Veil and speak with the dead, giving them a voice even after death, why would the Delsenza clan tear them down? There was more to the tale than Mr Gondavere was letting on.
“Keep your eyes peeled, Monte. One of these gates must lead to the ruined city.” Mr Gondavere pointed at the gates set into the walls at regular intervals between the piles of bones.
“How will we know which one it is?”
“It’ll be marked in some way. Hold your hand out.”
Monte held out his hand. Mr Gondavere passed the flames into his palm with a whisper. Monte stared at the flickering flames that burned orange when they made contact with his skin. They didn’t burn, or give off any heat at all – they simply tickled. Mr Gondavere whispered into his hand to create more blue flames of his own.
“You take this side and I’ll take that side.” Mr Gondavere inspected the nearest gateway. Monte held up his hand and inspected the stone around the gate on his side.
They made their way along the passageway, inspecting each grate. Monte tried to ignore the skeletons piled on either side of the doorways and yelped when his free hand made contact with a skull. He looked down, expecting its jaws to clamp down upon his fingers, but it simply looked up at him with empty eye sockets.
“I have found it!” cried Mr Gondavere.
Monte hurried across to the gate where Mr Gondavere jabbed a finger at a small mark scraped into the stone.
“It’s a heart!”
“Exactly! What else can it mean, if not the Heart of the City?”
“Isn’t that a little easy?” asked Monte.
“Not in the slightest. First someone would need to gain access to the shrine, and then they would need to get into the catacombs, not to mention being able to locate the correct gate.” Mr Gondavere produced the skeleton key again, and the gate swung open at his touch. “Come along, man! You will be the first human to set eyes upon the ruined city in an age!”
Mr Gondavere plunged into the darkness. Monte ignored the dread bubbling in his stomach and followed.
26
Chapter 26
Jyx and Vyolet followed the back streets of Temple Park, keen to avoid the main thoroughfares and the loitering Dreadguards. Jyx couldn’t get over the difference between the district, and the one in which he’d grown up. No street urchins lurked in the alleys and no trolls lumbered by. It wasn’t the City Above, but it wasn’t the slum he was used to.
Before long, the temple loomed before them, flaming brackets hanging from its cracked columns. They followed the narrow street along its side, passing between groups of people heading to the entrance. Vyolet dissolved in and out of view, melting into the shadows when the groups were too large. Jyx pulled up his hood and walked as quickly as he could. He’d feel much safer with Eufame or the Wolfkin around. The Eufame fragment in his mind wiggled in response.
I have got to be more confident in my abilities, he admonished himself as he darted after Vyolet. Just not too confident.
They turned the corner into the courtyard. Columns lined the walls on three sides, and the main temple building took up most of the fourth wall. Benches dotted around the courtyard held petitioners of all ages and races. Children played in the fountain at the courtyard’s centre and peddlers shuffled from bench to bench, holding out their wares. Three overweight men in the blood red uniform of the council guard loitered near a meat seller. The juices from their skewers dribbled down their stubbled chins. Jyx frowned. Why were the council guard in the Underground City at all, let alone the Temple?
“Look!” Vyolet’s voice drifted from a shadow to Jyx’s left. Two hooded figures lurked in the shadows near the back of the courtyard, the cloaks barely disguising muscular arms and wolf-like snouts. They were accompanied by a third figure, tall and stately in a black cloak. Jyx and Vyolet slipped through the throng towards them.
“Ah, so Vyolet got the message to you!” The tall figure turned towards them as they approached. Eufame’s cold eyes glittered in the depths of the hood. The splinter in his mind pulsed, happy to be so near the necromancer general.
“Yes, she found me, okay, but there are Dreadguards in the Underground City,” said Jyx. He pushed down his hood.
“I know, we’ve seen them. Luckily my sister’s magick does not extend this far Underground, or I couldn’t have cloaked us. Though I see you’ve found a way to cloak yourself, Jyx. I can smell the ghost of a mirror enchantment on you,” said Eufame.
“I met Mr Rosemary,” said Jyx.
“I know, Bastet told me. She told me she’d met you too, Vyolet,” said Eufame.
“She fixed my ankle after I twisted it, but I didn’t know who she was at the time.”
“But you trusted her anyway. That’s enough for my Bastet.” Eufame’s eyes narrowed, and Jyx realised she smiled within the hood.
“Why are the council guard down here? Are they looking for you?” Jyx sneaked another glance at the guards, but the steaming meat kept them occupied.
“Oh they’ve got nothing to do with us. They’re probably sizing up this place for the Crown Prince’s plans. Judging by the look of them, they’ve been underground for a while. They’re no threat,” replied Eufame.
“We haven’t a moment to lose, mistress. Already the others have found a way inside.” A familiar voice echoed inside Jyx’s mind. Validus inclined his head so Jyx would know which Wolfkin was which.
“They have? Damn it. We’d better hurry up.” Eufame strode away and through the main entrance of the temple. Vyolet dissolved into smoke and secreted herself inside the shadows of Jyx’s hood before he followed Eufame and the Wolfkin.
* * *
Desperate people thronged the temple square, peeling off in groups to visit their chosen chapels. The temple school must have finished for the day since no children clustered on the far side of the square. Jyx looked at the lectern and rows of benches with some affection. He’d first learned the value of books sitting on those hard pews.
“The entrance is somewhere over here,” said Eufame as they reached the quiet far corner. She whispered a few words and flung her arm wide, as if she cast a net into a stream. The magick hummed at the edges of Jyx’s hearing, and tiny silver sparks glittered around them. He sensed a stronger version of his own mirror enchantment.
“How will we find it?” asked Jyx.
“I don’t actually know. I’d ask the stones, but I’ve never had much of a fondness for earth magick.”
“I have,” said Jyx. Just before Eufame selected him as her apprentice, he’d been studying geomancy in secret at the Academy. He’d learned a lot in between, but he was sure he remembered the basics.
“How far did you get with it?”
“I once had a conversation with the stone lintel above the front door of my mother’s old building. I’d forgotten about that until now, probably because it was such a dull chat,” replied Jyx.
“Excellent. Can you ask these stones if they know where the entrance is? You should be able to tell by their replies which ones are older, and the younger stones are likely to be newer. They’re the ones that will cover the entrance.”
Jyx blanched. He wasn’t sure he could remember the sigil. Eufame pu
shed back her hood, her cold eyes bright with expectation. Vyolet remained in the shadows of his hood, a comforting presence behind him. Validus nodded to encourage him.
He knelt on the floor and chose a stone at random. He drew what he thought was the right sigil in the air over the stone and whispered the incantation.
“Mecum loqueretur, lapis, volo enim fabulam.”
Nothing. Jyx frowned. He moved along and repeated the sigil and incantation over the next stone. Again, nothing. Was it the right incantation or had he misremembered the sigil? He closed his eyes and thought of the geomancy textbook, mentally turning the pages. There it was, conversing with earth materials. According to his memory, the sigil and incantation were both right.
“If you’re expecting to get a word out of those two, then I wouldn’t bother.”
Jyx looked around to find the source of the voice.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“Three along to your right, and two up.”
Jyx counted along to the right stone. Its edges glowed green, humming with the power of his incantation.
“Why won’t those two talk to me?” asked Jyx.
“They’re too new. We’ve been here for years, but they’re a more recent addition. They think themselves above us, as if they’re the most vital part of this entire structure,” replied the stone. “It’s all utter nonsense, of course.”
“Of course, anyone with eyes can see that you’re all important,” replied Jyx.
“Exactly! But such socialist thinking is beyond that lot over there. Of course, there are a lot of things beyond them, that’s essentially why they’re there.”
“Is that right?”
“It is. What did you want to speak about with them?”
“It doesn’t matter now, you’ve answered my question. Do you think I’d be able to persuade them to move out of the way? We need to get through.”
“Oh they won’t move for you, my boy.”
“Why not?” asked Jyx.
“They’re too lofty for such things. Fear not, however. They will move for us.”
A faint green glow rippled through the stones, apart from a patch of stonework that the glow would not touch. Jyx wasn’t surprised to see that the patch was the size and shape of a narrow chapel doorway.
The untouched stones vibrated, slowly at first, until they joggled and shook against each other. The cement between them ground into dust and Jyx stepped back to allow the stones to move towards him, jiggling out of their spaces and dropping to the ground. Jyx held his sleeve over his mouth so he wouldn’t breathe in the dust.
“There, that’s rid of them. It’s amazing what you’ll find down there,” said the stone he’d been speaking to.
“You’ve been ever so helpful! I’m very grateful,” said Jyx.
“Not at all. It’s been nice to have a conversation with someone again. Do stop by if you’re in the area again.”
“I will,” said Jyx. He muttered the stone speech incantation in reverse and the green glow faded from the stones.
“Very nice, Jyx. Your abilities really are coming along well, and without instruction. Most impressive.” Eufame stood behind him and peered over his shoulder.
“Before we go down there, can I ask you something?”
“I’m sure you can ask something – whether you will or not is entirely up to you.”
Jyx shot her a pained look. “You’re not setting me up for something again, are you?”
“There is little I can do to convince you that I am not, except to tell you that no, I am not setting you up for anything. You are here as my apprentice, even if I have essentially asked you to ‘go rogue’ on my behalf,” said Eufame.
She gestured at the rough doorway in the wall, and Jyx passed through. Vyolet climbed out of his hood and formed her usual self out of a pillar of smoke. The Wolfkin followed and lit torches they produced from beneath their cloaks. Eufame stepped inside last and paused to cast another enchantment over the doorway. Passers-by would see an intact wall and no masonry lying on the ground.
“Will that last long enough?” asked Jyx.
“It’ll last as long as I want it to.” Eufame took the lead and plunged into the darkness.
Narrow steps led down into the abandoned chapel and Jyx followed the Wolfkin’s flickering torches. Vyolet scampered on ahead, unafraid of the oppressive darkness in the stairwell. Validus lifted an old torch out of a bracket on the wall and lit it using his own flame. He handed it to Jyx.
“Now you have your own means of seeing, Master Faire.”
“Thank you,” replied Jyx.
The flame sizzled and sang as it burned, its warmth a reassuring presence near his face. Water dripped in the darkness and the stones smelled of ancient incense. The stairs led into a long, low room, its black walls decorated with white figures. At first Jyx thought they were similar portraits to those found on the walls of the House of the Long Dead, but as he looked closer, he saw that they differed immensely. Where the figures in Eufame’s vault were stately, and drawn flat with the heads of animals, these figures were carved into the stone like woodcut illustrations. Some were short and squat, and others were tall and skeletal.
“What are these? They’re horrific.” Vyolet stood back from the wall, her eyes wide and her nose wrinkled up.
“They’re portraits of the Lords and Ladies of Death, the cult that inspired the construction of this chapel. Do you see anything that unites all of the figures?” asked Eufame.
“They’ve all got fangs,” replied Jyx, examining a tall woman in an old-fashioned dress.
“Indeed. They were parasites, before Brigante banished them to a twilight realm,” replied Eufame.
“Who’s Brigante?”
“My oldest sister. She has even less patience for the Lords and Ladies than I do for the politics of the City Above. I rather miss her, actually. She has a tremendous talent for shape-shifting.”
“Even the Wolfkin could not tolerate the excesses of the Lords and Ladies.” Validus pointed at a portrait carved into the wall. An impossibly tall woman dwarfed a cowering Wolfkin, her fangs bared.
“This one’s interesting though.” Vyolet pointed to a small illustration, almost easy to miss in the shadows in the corner. A male figure, with a round belly, short legs and huge beard, stood beneath a tree. The other Lords and Ladies bared their fangs and wore expressions of cruelty and arrogance, but this figure looked behind him, fear clouding his eyes. Vyolet pointed to a haze beyond the tree.
“What’s that?” asked Jyx.
“It’s a Shadowkin. I’ve seen this type of figure before. Kids sometimes paint them on walls in the City,” she said.
“Interesting.” Eufame peered at the illustration again.
“I guess they didn’t like us,” said Vyolet.
“It’s worth investigating when this is all sorted out. Your people have a fascinating history that should be reclaimed,” replied Eufame.
She straightened up and led them through the low vaulted room. More chambers branched away from the room at the back and they hurried through the maze of short corridors and square rooms. Jyx couldn’t work out what any of the empty rooms might have been used for, but he’d never ventured into the chapels above either and had no point of reference.
They followed Eufame into the smallest room at the furthest point from the chapel. It was the only furnished room they’d seen so far, with an empty bookcase standing against the wall opposite the door. A cold breeze moved around the room though Jyx couldn’t work out where it was coming from. There were no vents in the walls and the cold persisted even when they closed the door.
“This has got to be the entrance to the ruined city. Why else would it be cold in here?” asked Eufame.
“Why did this chapel have an entrance to the city, and none of the others do?” asked Jyx.
“None of the other chapels are below ground. This is the only one. Though I rather suspect the followers of the Lords and Ladies also liked h
aving a back door,” said Eufame.
Validus eased past Jyx and took hold of one side of the bookcase. Fortis took the other and they edged it to one side. A grate was embedded in the wall and freezing air blasted into the small room from the darkness beyond.
“Excellent work, my dears,” said Eufame.
She touched the lock with her fingers and it sprang open. The gate swung inwards, its hinges screaming in protest.
Eufame turned to them all and smiled. “Well then. Into the breach, eh?”
27
Chapter 27
A long corridor led away from the catacombs, so narrow that it forced Monte to turn sideways. He inched along the passage, following the downward slope until it opened out onto a landing. An iron balustrade surrounded two sides, and a staircase led down from the third side, clinging to the rock wall. Monte peered into the darkness, but their flames didn’t illuminate much beyond the outlines of some buildings at the bottom of the stairs.
“Welcome to the ruined city, Monte,” said Mr Gondavere.
“I didn’t even realise this was here.”
“No one ever does. That’s the beauty of it.”
“You speak like you’ve been here before.” Monte followed Mr Gondavere down the fifteen crooked steps to a street paved with cracked stones. Black moss bloomed between the slabs, sending tendrils crawling across the pavement.
“It’s a magical place, is it not?” said Mr Gondavere.
Monte narrowed his eyes. Mr Gondavere could have been one of the councillors with an attitude like that. Well, two could play at that game.
“Why is it so cold? I thought we’d be warmer because we’re even further underground.” Monte stared into the darkness beyond the circle of light cast by the flames in his palm. Was something moving out there? A phantom of Myrtle danced before his eyes, her mouth stretched wide in a taunting grin. He screwed up his face to block her out.
“This isn’t a place of life, Monte. This is very much a place of death,” replied Mr Gondavere. “Specifically the Lords and Ladies of Death.”