Fated av-1

by Benedict Jacka

  Luna scrambled up, pocketing the cube. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Khazad again.’ I looked through the futures, calculated. ‘We’ve got less than five minutes. Sonder, which way?’

  Sonder hesitated. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Then we go with your first guess.’ I turned left and started down the white corridor. Luna followed me without hesitation and Sonder hurried after.

  We reached a crossroads. A doorway led into a long hall, while the corridor went further, bending out of sight. Behind, I could feel Khazad following in our footsteps. He was moving faster now and I wondered if he had some way of tracking us. ‘Into the hall,’ I said. ‘We’ll seal the door behind us.’

  ‘But we’ll be trapped!’ Sonder protested. ‘The door at the other end’s sealed too!’

  ‘We can open doors faster than Khazad can.’ I glanced back; I thought I could hear footsteps. ‘Out of time. Let’s go.’

  Luna stepped through and with only a moment’s hesitation Sonder followed. I stepped inside and touched the control crystal on the wall. The area across the doorway darkened and became an opaque wall of force. The sound of distant footsteps cut off abruptly and everything was silent.

  ‘Can he get in?’ Luna asked absently. She was playing with the crystal again.

  ‘Eventually,’ I said, reaching out with my senses to search ahead. ‘We just have to …’ I trailed off. ‘Someone’s here.’

  Luna and Sonder turned, their eyes flicking. The hallway was crowded with square pillars, providing plenty of cover. I reached into my pocket for a weapon. ‘Show yourself,’ I said, my voice echoing around the columns. The silence stretched out, tense.

  Movement, footsteps. A man leant out from behind a pillar and stopped, staring. ‘Verus?’

  It was Griff. I searched the hall quickly and verified no one else was inside. ‘Master Griff!’ Sonder said in relief.

  Griff walked closer and the four of us stood still for a moment. Only Sonder had relaxed; Griff and I were watching each other closely. Luna had hidden the cube away, and I kept my hand in my pocket.

  Then Griff spoke. ‘You okay?’

  I nodded, and the tension eased suddenly. ‘You?’

  ‘So far.’ He looked at the door. ‘You closed it?’

  ‘Khazad’s outside.’

  ‘Shit.’ Griff ran a hand through his hair. ‘I was hoping I’d lost him.’

  Now that Griff was closer I could see that he looked on edge. There were rips in his clothing, and he had the look of a man who’d been fighting hard. ‘What’s at the end of the hall?’ I asked.

  ‘Locked door. I was trying to get past when I heard you.’ He looked at Luna. ‘You got that cube? Maybe that’d do it.’

  The four of us came together, Luna staying a little back. I took my hand from my pocket but didn’t drop my guard. ‘What happened at the entrance?’

  Griff grimaced, his hand creeping towards a rip along the side of his coat. ‘Khazad and that bastard Onyx tried to take my head off. Didn’t miss by much, either. If they hadn’t been in such a hurry …’

  ‘No one else made it in?’ I asked

  Griff shook his head. ‘We’re all there is.’

  Which means it’s either you or Sonder. ‘Let’s have a look at that door.’

  The hallway bent right and left and right again, ending in a sealed door. I studied the door for a second then nodded and walked up to the controls, pulling out a tool. ‘I can open it. Griff, I’ll need you to throw up some barriers. Khazad’s going to be in the hallway before long.’

  Griff gave a glance at me and Luna, then nodded. ‘Will do. Sonder?’

  Sonder jumped eagerly. ‘I’ll help!’ The two of them disappeared back around the nearest corner.

  Luna watched them go, then looked at me. ‘You think it’s one of them.’

  I nodded as I began working on the controls. ‘Or both.’

  Luna stood there for a while. ‘Can you tell which?’

  ‘I can’t see beyond a choice that hasn’t been made,’ I said. ‘Right now we need them and they need us. Once that changes …’

  I didn’t finish, and Luna didn’t ask me to. We couldn’t depend on either Griff or Sonder, and our only sure ally was Starbreeze. It was tempting to call her, just for the reassurance of having her around, but Starbreeze couldn’t carry Luna, and the air elemental was our one trump card. I didn’t want to reveal her to Sonder and Griff until I had to.

  ‘Alex?’ Luna asked.

  ‘Hm?’

  ‘Why did you let them go?’

  My hands went still. I didn’t need to ask who Luna meant.

  Why do we do what we do? I think the reasons run deeper than we can know, and often we can only guess at the truest one. ‘If you can’t have another ally,’ I said at last, ‘next best thing is to give your enemy another enemy.’

  Luna was silent, but I could feel her gaze on me. She knew I was holding something back. I stopped work on the controls and sighed quietly. ‘That’s one reason. The other one is … whenever you kill someone, it becomes a little easier to do it the next time.’ I turned to look at Luna. ‘You’ve never killed.’

  A shadow flickered over Luna’s face. ‘I’ve-’

  I cut her off. ‘Not the same. I mean deliberately.’ I paused, looking at her. ‘It might come to that before this night is out. If it does … then be very sure about what you’re doing. Because either way, you’re going to have to live with the consequences for ever.’

  Luna stared back at me, then dropped her eyes. After a long moment, I turned back to the controls. It took me a while to get back my concentration.

  When I heard Griff’s footsteps again, I glanced back to see that Sonder was with him. ‘I’ve set some wards,’ Griff said. ‘But the lock on the door’s going screwy. You sure it’s Khazad?’

  ‘It’s Khazad,’ I said. ‘He’ll be inside in ten minutes. Your wards’ll hold him another ten, maybe less.’

  ‘Can you get this open before then?’

  I nodded. ‘Give me a hand.’

  Griff came forward to help, and Luna stepped back. The minutes ticked by as the two of us worked together, me guiding, Griff using the power of his earth magic to manipulate the controls more quickly than I could. Griff was skilled with wards, and smart enough not to question what I told him. We worked quickly and efficiently.

  There was a distant grating from far down the corridor. ‘Khazad’s in,’ Griff said with a grunt.

  ‘So are we.’ I pointed. ‘There.’

  Griff aimed a surge of earth magic, and with a rumble the door slid open. Beyond was a dark corridor. I scanned quickly ahead and confirmed it was safe. ‘Sonder, get the lights,’ I said. ‘You go in too, Luna.’

  They obeyed. ‘Wait,’ Griff said sharply. He pointed back down the hallway, and I turned to look.

  There was a scuffle of movement. I spun back just in time to see Griff dart into the corridor after Luna and throw a scattering of gold discs down at the floor where the corridor opened out into the hallway. As they struck the ground they flared to life and a wall of transparent force sprang up, blocking the entrance. Sonder had just gotten the lights working; now he spun. ‘Master Griff! What-?’

  Griff gestured and a hammer of earth magic smashed Sonder into the wall with stunning force. Sonder’s head cracked against the stone and he hit the ground limply, his glasses bouncing away. In the same motion Griff swung back and Luna was slammed against the wall, dull brown energy pinning her arms and legs.

  I hit the barrier as Griff turned back to face me. The wall didn’t give and Griff watched me struggle for a few moments before giving me a nod. ‘Sorry, Verus. Looks like you’re staying behind.’

  ‘You!’ I snarled, straining against the invisible wall. ‘It was you!’

  Griff shook his head. ‘Don’t act so surprised. You were recruited by Levistus, same as me. Difference is I’m permanent and you’re temporary.’

  ‘Alex!’ Luna cried.

  G
riff gestured and the brown energy flowed up over Luna’s nose and mouth, cutting off her breath. I saw her eyes go wide with panic as she struggled to breathe. My fist tightened against the wall of force. I was fewer than five feet away but the barrier was just as unbreakable as the one I’d used on Canary Wharf. ‘Griff,’ I said, my voice low and deadly. ‘If you hurt her-’

  Griff ignored me and stood and watched Luna choke. There was nothing I could do and he knew it. After a few seconds he drew his finger down and the energy withdrew just far enough for Luna to gasp in a breath. ‘Stay quiet if you want to breathe,’ he told her before turning back to me. I willed myself to remain calm. ‘You’re making a mistake,’ I said. ‘If we stayed together-’

  ‘Sorry, Verus,’ Griff said. ‘I’d been hoping to have you around to help with Onyx. But you see, it’s you Khazad’s after. He told me two hours ago. This way I get rid of you and him. That’s too good a deal to pass up.’

  ‘You want the fateweaver? Take it. Let them go.’

  Griff shook his head and started working on the door controls. ‘Love to cut out the deadweight, but I need her along. The fateweaver’s got a lock that works the same as the front door, and she,’ he nodded at Luna, ‘is the only one who can open it. Well, her and that cube.’

  I looked down at Sonder, lying sprawled at Griff’s feet, and hoped desperately for him to get up, but as I looked into the future my heart sank. Sonder was out cold. There was nothing I could do to stop Griff from sealing the door behind him.

  ‘Oh, one more thing,’ Griff said. He snapped his fingers and I felt a surge of energy from down the hall behind me. ‘I just took down the wards. Have fun with Khazad.’ He took a step back towards Luna.

  ‘Griff,’ I said. I didn’t speak loudly, but there must have been something in the way I said it. Griff paused and looked at me.

  Griff was next to Luna, within her danger zone, and I could see the silvery mist of her curse drifting through the bonds imprisoning her. The strands flowed lazily through the air, reaching Griff, soaking into him. ‘You are going to find,’ I said, my voice soft, ‘that Luna is very bad luck for people who try and hurt her.’

  Griff looked back at me, and I had one second to remember him like that: stocky and strong, his iron-grey hair mussed slightly from the struggle. He gave me an amused smile. ‘I’ll take my chances.’ He put out one hand and a fist of brown energy smashed the control crystals. The ones on my side flickered and went dead, and with a rumbling sound the door rolled across. I had one glimpse of Luna’s eyes going wide in panic, then the door ground shut with a thud.

  I was alone in the hall. And distantly, from behind me, I heard Khazad’s footsteps coming closer.

  Back when I was a prisoner in Richard’s mansion, Tobruk would sometimes play cat and mouse. He’d set me loose to run the dungeon, give me a head start, then come after me. Some of my memories of that time are blurred, but that feeling I remember crystal clear. Pressed against a wall, my heart in my throat and my breath coming fast, straining my ears for the sound of footsteps, feeling only dread because hiding never worked, Tobruk always found me, the only question was when.

  Standing in that hallway, I felt all the old terror rush into me. Khazad was coming and he was stronger and crueller than I was, and when he found me he was going to hurt me and he was going to kill me, and there was nothing I could do. I scrabbled in my pocket, pulled out the glass rod and channelled a thread of magic into it, speaking in a rush. ‘Starbreeze. Starbreeze, can you hear me? I need you. Please come. If you’ve ever listened to me, come now, please-’

  I broke off as I felt something black and cold open up within me. Starbreeze would hear me, and she would answer … but too late, far too late. I turned, searching frantically for a way out, another exit. There wasn’t one. All that was left was to face Khazad. Me with my tricks and toys against the full power of a Dark mage. I stood helplessly in the empty hallway, listening to the footsteps draw closer, and I was nineteen years old again, cowering in the dark, paralysed with fear.

  And then something spoke inside me, something older and steadier. You aren’t a child any more. You told Luna there’s always a way out. Time to prove it.

  I took a deep breath, stood up straight and waited.

  Khazad came around the corner like falling night. The Dark mage was a small man, but as he walked a cloak of shadow seemed to gather around him, turning him into something larger and more menacing. The lights dimmed slightly as he passed, and didn’t brighten. Black eyes met mine.

  ‘Hello, Khazad,’ I said. My voice shook the tiniest bit.

  Khazad strode forward without answering. I watched him and wondered as I did how I could have ever thought he looked like a bird. He moved with a smooth, unhurried grace, not taking his eyes off me. I knew he was probing the area, scanning for traps, making sure I couldn’t trick him the same way again.

  Khazad came to a stop twenty feet away, studying me. ‘Where are the rest?’ he said at last.

  ‘Griff took them,’ I said.

  Khazad smiled. ‘So he did something right.’

  We stood looking for a moment more. ‘I want to make a deal,’ I said.

  Khazad kept smiling. ‘Really.’

  I gestured down at the bracelet of black metal that Khazad was still wearing. ‘I can switch that off.’

  Khazad raised his eyebrows. ‘Like you did with yours?’

  ‘I can disable the receptor. Stop Onyx from activating it.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘A truce,’ I said. ‘You don’t harm me, I don’t harm you.’

  Khazad stood looking at me for a moment, his eyebrows still raised, then lifted his hands and sent a bolt of black lightning straight into my chest.

  The pain was so intense I didn’t even feel it when I hit the ground. My lungs had frozen and I struggled to breathe. Flashing spots swum before my eyes.

  ‘You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to do that,’ Khazad said thoughtfully. As my vision cleared, I saw he was crouching down in front of me, only a couple of feet away. He was looking at me. ‘I told you this was coming.’

  ‘Onyx-’ I managed to say.

  Khazad smiled, a flash of bared teeth. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t know? I’ve decided to throw in with Onyx instead of Del. Wasn’t hard, after what she did in the forest.’ His smile widened. ‘Oh, Verus, you should have heard her after I left them in that room, once she realised I wasn’t coming back. I wonder if she’s still alive. Hope she is. I wouldn’t want it to be too quick.’ Khazad blinked and looked down at me. ‘But what are we going to do with you?’

  I started to speak, and suddenly everything went blank.

  The next thing I remember is lying against a pillar on the opposite side of the hall. I guess Khazad must have thrown me, though I don’t remember it. The back of my head was wet, and my right side felt like fire. Once my head had cleared enough for me to hear, I realised Khazad was talking again. ‘-and then Onyx told me to go back and kill you! Amazing how things work out, right? Even promised me a reward.’

  I tasted copper and spat blood. I knew this was my last chance. Cat and mouse, I thought dizzily. The way to win is not to be the mouse. ‘Only one mage can use it,’ I said to the floor.

  ‘I mean, I’d have done it for free.’

  I made myself look up. Khazad was strolling towards me, keeping a casual eye on me to see whether I was going to make things interesting. I drew a breath and spoke clearly, meeting his eyes. ‘Only one mage can use the fateweaver. That mage is going to be Onyx. Once he has it, he won’t need you. You think Onyx is planning to come back to Morden with anyone? You think he’s going to share the credit? Why do you think you’re still wearing that bracelet?’

  Khazad stopped and I knew I’d gotten through. I kept pushing. ‘Onyx told you he’d take it off if you killed me, didn’t he? He’s lying. As soon as you’ve done your job, he’ll trigger it. Once he’s got the fateweaver, there’s no reason to leave you alive. Why do you thi
nk Morden didn’t care about us being recognised? We were never meant to survive this. None of us were. We’re just one more set of pawns-’

  ‘Shut up,’ Khazad said. He stared down at me. I held very still, and felt my life hanging in the balance. I knew Khazad was waiting for me to keep talking, but I didn’t. Everything I’d said was true. My only hope was that Khazad would realise it.

  Khazad stepped forward and held out his right arm. ‘Take it off.’

  I swallowed. ‘I can’t,’ I said very carefully. ‘But I can change it so it won’t work.’ I began to rise, just slightly.

  ‘Stay on your knees,’ Khazad said, and I froze. Khazad touched his left hand to the side of my neck. It felt very cold, and I could feel the tension of a spell hovering in his fingers, waiting to be let loose. ‘You have five minutes.’

  I swallowed. ‘I do this, you let me go.’

  Khazad studied me, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. ‘Agreed,’ he said at last. He held his right wrist in front of me, the bracelet gleaming dully. ‘Do it.’

  Have you ever had to work under pressure? You probably think you have. You’re wrong. Real pressure is knowing that if you make a mistake you’ll be dead without ever knowing what you did wrong.

  Believe me when I say I worked very carefully.

  ‘It’s done,’ I said after a few minutes, lowering my tool. Khazad looked down at the bracelet. It looked the same as before. I’d made the same change that I’d made to Rachel’s and Cinder’s.

  ‘If Onyx triggers it?’ Khazad asked.

  ‘Nothing.’

  Khazad nodded. ‘You said you’d let me go,’ I said, my mouth dry.

  Khazad looked down at me and I held my breath. His eyes were opaque, dark. Up close Khazad smelled of dust and death, the scent of old bones. I felt the thoughts running through his head, saw the futures shift. Come on, Khazad. I prayed silently. Be a typical Dark mage. Play with your food.

  ‘Go on,’ Khazad said, and stepped back.

  Slowly I picked myself up. My head spun, and for a moment I thought I was going to fall. My body ached all down my right side where I’d been thrown against the pillar, and my head was pounding. When my vision cleared, Khazad was still watching. I limped away.