The Doorway God
Page 22
“Well?” I said, planting my feet firmly on the ground, Ward at the ready. “Whatever you things are, you’re clearly here for me. So let’s get this over with.”
The shadows swept even closer, the darkness rising from the ground in slow, curving arches over my head. I had no idea what they were doing. I considered blasting it with a Minor Orb, but something told me that wouldn’t do as much as I hoped. Instead I pulled the ground up from around me and wrapped myself in the Ward, pouring more and more energy into it, layering it and compressing it as much as I could and hoping it would be enough to keep the darkness back. I was, however, now effectively blind and deaf to anything happening away from me, and all I could do was wait and hope, relying on my night vision spell to let me even see the inside of the Ward.
And that hope was shattered when I saw the first tendril of darkness worm its way through the barrier I’d created and fall to my feet, before slowly growing and shifting into a form that was close to human, but so very wrong. Whatever it was, it stared at me with those pitiless glowing eyes, and I tried not to scream. I still remembered the mangled body these things had left behind during the attack at the Trials, the way they’d thrown themselves at anything living, eerily reminiscent of what the homunculi had done in return once the Speaker had organized her defense. The thing shifted, and I readied myself to use Winter’s power, consequences be damned. I wasn’t going to die here.
Instead of attacking, the shadow extended a hand toward me, the fingers and palm wisps of smoke that barely clung to the shape. The gesture was unmistakable—it wanted me to take its hand. It kept its hand outstretched as it slowly kneeled in front of me. In turn, I went from being terrified to being both terrified and incredibly confused. Still, whatever it was doing, the shadow wasn’t attacking, and so I cautiously lowered my Ward and didn’t manage to stifle my scream in time.
I was surrounded by roiling darkness like a cage, the walls rippling slowly on all sides, thousands of pinpricks of light staring out at me. Weirdly enough, though, they didn’t seem to be doing, well, anything. Compared to the sense of cold, murderous hostility they’d radiated during their attack on the Trials, there was… nothing. There also wasn’t any trace of a leader like the one that had directed them there. I still remembered the way its presence had dominated the room, almost-wings spread and horns barely visible. But there wasn’t any of that now. Behind me, the shadow that had slipped into my Ward was still kneeling, palm extended, waiting. For me.
I considered running for it, but my fear was slowly fading, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t get too far if I tried to force myself through the shadows. That… really only left me one choice, and so I turned around and reached out my hand, just as the air itself shook, and a burst of somehow jagged gray light swept through my cage, blasting the shadows back and revealing the path and the buildings and the grass once again. Didas strode across the green, gray light shot through with purple crackling around his extended hands, his robes fluttering around him. He looked furious, and that was enough to force me out of my surprise—I’d never seen him really show any emotion before this, and now his face was all twisted up with rage.
“You dare to set foot on my own grounds?” he bellowed, throwing another wave of gray light at the shadows, blasting them farther back. “Begone from here!” They were starting to form into their humanoid shapes again, no longer indiscriminate pools, but they just stood in ranks, watching. I realized with a jolt that the ones in the front row were still holding their hands out to me. They were getting beaten into nothing, and they weren’t giving Didas any attention at all. All of them were watching me. Didas sent another wave of light after them, and then they finally dwindled away to nothing, fading back into the shadows of the buildings and trees and returning from wherever they’d come from.
Didas strode over to me immediately, an expression on his face that I’d call concern on anyone else. On him it looked out of place. “Feayr,” he said urgently. “Are you all right? Did they touch you?”
There was something about the way he said it that made me suspicious. He didn’t ask if they hurt me—he asked if they touched me. And while that could have easily meant the same thing, here, after what I’d just witnessed, I got the feeling that “touched” was exactly what he meant to say.
I shook my head. “No, you got here just in time. They came out of nowhere, surrounded me.”
Didas gave me an assessing look, and judging by the haze of power still in the air, he might have been doing more than just looking at me. “Very well,” he said, the lines of tension smoothing from his face. “It’s good I arrived in time, then. What were you doing out here alone?” His voice was deceptively mild.
I tried not to flinch. “Research. On Winter. I wanted to know what I was getting into, and you weren’t in your office when I came to ask you.”
I was treated to another evaluating stare, and then Didas sighed. “Your trip would have been fruitless, then. You will not find any information on Winter in the Library, nor likely anywhere else that is in your power to search.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“Because the few stories that contain knowledge about Winter are far from public knowledge,” Didas said, his voice hardening. “And they will remain that way. I forbid you from searching further on this topic. If you learn about Winter, there is the risk that you will feel sympathy for him, and thus give him the advantage in the next ritual. Your use of power in the Arena was bad enough.”
“I’m not the only one responsible for that,” I snapped. “You should have seen that coming. Of course I’ll fall back to using my powers if I’m pushed enough. Having me continue in the Arena fights is just asking for trouble.”
Didas’s eyes flared silver-gray, and I braced myself for a blow, but none came. “Fine,” Didas said, and he just sounded tired. “You will be removed from the Arena roster as well. I had hoped it would allow you to improve your own magic, but it seems the risk is too great. Return to your rooms, Feayr. I will contact you about the next ritual soon enough.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Wait, so we aren’t even going to talk about what those things were? We’re just dodging the topic entirely?”
“I cannot tell you things I do not know myself,” Didas said, and there was the clear note of irritation in his voice again. I wondered if the guy had any experience in having people talk back to him at all. It certainly didn’t seem like it. “But rest assured, as soon as I discern what these creatures are, they will be dealt with.” The air sparked as if for emphasis, and I wondered idly if that was on purpose. The terror of the situation had faded surprisingly fast.
“Fine,” I said angrily, dusting myself off. “I won’t look into Winter anymore.” I walked off without waiting for a response.
“SO DIDAS is a no go,” I finished with after telling Sam what had happened. “And by the way those shadow things acted, I’m thinking they had something to do with Winter. And since he told me not to look on my own, I’m thinking we have some work to do.”
“Why, Fay,” Sam gasped in a falsetto, fanning her face with her hands, “are you suggesting we disobey the headmaster? Don’t you believe he has your best interests at heart?” She grinned at me, and we both laughed. “But seriously,” she said, dropping the tone, “I’m all for it. And I actually think I have a place that might help your little project as well as helping mine.”
I leaned forward on my bed, legs kicking in the air. “I’m all ears.”
“Well, thanks to Lailah’s help, we can rule out the Library,” Sam said and smiled. “How would you feel about a little field trip? Starting with a gamble, of course. This could definitely go wrong.”
“With a buildup like that, how could I possibly say no?”
Sam told me her plan, and I took a moment to be impressed. “Wow. Even for you, that’s devious. Are you sure that they’ll go along with it?”
“We try Aiden first,” Sam said easily. “He still owes us, and if we can get him to un
derstand that we don’t have any ulterior motives, he might see this as a way to even the score. And if he says no,” Sam said, looking a little guilty, “then I can probably find a way to get Sofia’s key.”
I frowned. “That feels kinda skeevy.”
Sam nodded. “Like I said, I’d rather Aiden just goes along with it. Using people without their consent really isn’t my thing.”
Aiden was, as was often the case during the day, in Obsidian’s lounge, discussing business with the other leaders. Nick wasn’t there today, so Aiden was holding court with Mica and Elias. He paused and put down the papers he was holding as we approached.
“Something I can do for you?” Aiden asked. He didn’t even try to make it sound sarcastic or judgmental—maybe this would actually work.
“Fay and I have a proposition for you,” Sam said, her voice sultry as she sidled up to the table. “It might not be, shall we say, suitable for public discussion.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and I tried not to choke on my tongue. “Are you interested, handsome?”
Aiden gave her an unimpressed stare as Mica and Elias started snickering. He seemed to pause for a moment, before he smirked and gave both of us a luxuriously slow once-over that left me blushing furiously and even Sam a little flustered. “Certainly,” he purred. “May I suggest dear Feayr’s room? The value of a single and such a large bed can’t be overstated for matters like this.”
Oh dear Lord. Kill me now. Sam muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “oh my God” under her breath, and then she gave him another smile, and we started back upstairs, watching as Aiden left the papers behind and gave a knowing smile to the other two, who looked like they were busy trying to figure out if they should keep laughing, blush, or start spreading the gossip as fast as they could manage.
I opened my door and stepped aside as Aiden leisurely strolled in. “So,” he said sharply as soon as the door was closed. “I’m assuming that whatever this is about, it’s not something I’ll like. Tell me what’s happened.”
“We need information,” Sam said. “Information about my mom, and about what’s going on with Fay right now. The Library doesn’t have what we’re looking for, but we’ve heard that the Families might. So we need access to your daddy’s library. Will you help us?”
Whatever Aiden had been expecting to hear, it clearly hadn’t been that. He stared at us both blankly, the gears obviously turning in his mind. “Mother’s, actually,” he said. “Father’s Irish American. He only has influence over our overseas contacts. Mother is the one who has the library.”
“Whatever,” Sam said. “Will you help us? I promise, we’re just looking for answers, and I don’t know who else I can go to for this. You said you wanted to prove that you’re on our side now. This is your chance.”
“I don’t know whether to be offended or impressed that you would attempt such blatant emotional manipulation,” Aiden said consideringly. Then he shrugged. “Very well. Make your case to me, and I’ll consider helping you gain access.”
Sam paused. “Our… case?”
Aiden nodded. “Surely you can’t expect me not to be curious. What is the significance of your mother in this now, of all times? She’s been gone for years.” He turned to me. “And what could you possibly hope to find in Mother’s library? I’ll grant that it’s extensive, but last I checked you weren’t embroiled in any recent magical events.”
“Wait, you knew about my mom?” Sam asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I assumed you knew as well,” Aiden said, shrugging. “Leanora Gray was something of a famous figure back in the day. Not many may remember her now, but I assumed her daughter would have at least had an inkling of her past.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t,” Sam said, folding her arms. “And I want to know more now. More than the Library can provide. The files say she acted against the Families, so I’m guessing your mom has a bit of research on her as well.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow. “And that’s all there is to it? Simple, healthy curiosity?”
“Yes,” Sam said. “Take it or leave it.”
“And what about you?” Aiden asked, turning back to me. “What draws you to Mother’s collections?”
“I need access to information that isn’t public knowledge,” I said. “About old stories that might be more than just stories. I want to know more about what’s going on with me.”
“Interesting,” Aiden murmured. He closed his eyes for a moment, considering. “Very well,” he said suddenly. “I’ll help you out, on one condition. I’m coming with you, and you will share anything you learn with me.”
“No way,” Sam said immediately. “None of this concerns you.”
“Actually, since you need my help, it does,” Aiden returned. “Besides, Samantha, trust is a two-way street. You wish for me to help you? Then you have to trust me as well.”
Sam looked like she was going to say more, and I shook my head. She huffed and folded her arms again. “Fine.”
“Excellent,” Aiden said with a small smile of satisfaction. “Shall we go now? I have work to do later tonight, and I’d rather not be late.”
“Is that work named Nick?” Sam sniped and was rewarded with a slight flush painting Aiden’s ridiculous cheekbones.
“He can still change his mind,” I reminded her as Aiden tried to formulate a response. “Maybe hold off on the teasing until then?”
“You ask so much of me.”
“And I put up with even more.” Aiden sighed. “Now, if you will, please follow me.” He led us back to the stairs, and for the first time took us up instead of down. The layout of the third and fourth floors were pretty much the same as the second—long hallways with fancy-looking wooden doors leading to each person’s room. The only difference was that these floors somehow seemed to have a lot more of them.
“Wait a minute,” Sam said slowly, “are you telling me that only first-years have doubles?”
“I said nothing, but considering that the first year is meant to be something of a winnowing fan, it would make sense to test every aspect of your ability to put up with changes, would it not?”
“I fucking hate this school,” Sam grumbled.
Aiden’s room looked much the same as everyone else’s, except his had a tiny silver plaque beneath the number that said “Second of Obsidian” on it. He pushed open the door, and for a moment I just sort of soaked in the opulence. I’d never actually seen a four-poster bed before, but Aiden’s room had one and plenty of space to spare. He had elegantly carved silver lamps on the walls that bathed the place in warm light and shadows that seemed almost to flicker and wave at Aiden’s approach. The carpet was something ridiculously soft and long, and I was pretty sure that sleeping on it would be more comfortable than my own bed.
“Holy shit, man,” Sam said as she looked around in awe. “Perks of having a powerful family have never looked so good.”
“Thank you,” Aiden said. “One expects to lose certain luxuries for the price of a good education, but I make do.”
“If this is losing luxury, I don’t think I could handle seeing what your room at home is like,” I said, wide-eyed. Jeez.
“Thankfully you won’t have to,” Aiden replied. “My abode is removed from the library and the main gate.”
I blinked. “Are… you saying you have your own house?”
“Several, but I do spend most of my time in that one. Now,” he said, inserting his key into his door, “Ombra residence, please.” The door opened slowly, revealing a cobblestone street hemmed in by what looked like fields of dusky purple flowers, their heady scent filling the air. Several immense structures were already visible in the distance, backlit by the evening sun, and—was that a horse-drawn carriage? “Ah, excellent,” Aiden said, smiling. “I was worried they would not respond to my summons in time.” He stepped through the door, waving us through. “Come on, then. As I said, I have work to do later.”
Chapter Twenty
SAM AND I fo
llowed him through with wide eyes. There were wrought iron lanterns every twenty feet or so, each one topped with a glowing orb of soft golden light. They cast shadows in intricate crisscrossing patterns, but the shadows seemed somehow inviting, and I swore that they were actually warmer than the sunlit portions of the road, which made no sense at all. I looked around in wonder. There wasn’t just the gigantic mansion at the end of the road—it was like we’d just walked into a small, incredibly Victorian city. Dozens, if not hundreds of smaller houses dotted the gently rolling countryside, and I could see people walking in the streets freely—though the closer I looked to where we were standing, the fewer people there actually were.
“Okay,” Sam said, her eyes wide. “I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t this.”
Aiden stepped over to the carriage, and a sharply dressed old man stepped smartly out before lowering himself into a deep bow. “Young Master Ombra,” he said in a smooth voice. “It is my pleasure to welcome you home. Where may I take you?”
“Take me to Mother’s house, James,” Aiden said, accepting the bow like it was his due—and maybe it was. He looked utterly at home among the vast scale of everything here, somehow regal in a way I’d never quite seen him before.
“Certainly, Master,” James said, opening the door with a flick of his wrist. “Please let me know if there is anything else I may do for you.” Another motion, and a coiled-up velvet carpet inside the carriage slowly unfurled itself, creasing and solidifying into a tiny, velvet staircase from the ground to the inside.
“Okay, that has to be the most frivolous use of Change I’ve ever seen,” I said. I couldn’t tell if I was impressed or appalled.
“This place is ridiculous,” Sam said. “Is everywhere on Gaia like this?”
Aiden smirked. “Hardly. You are at the very heart of one of the three Families, and the Ombras are currently the most powerful. All these other houses you see are merely those who have come to make themselves useful to my family.”