The Dragon Machine (Magebreakers Book 3)

by Ben S. Dobson

  “I… I don’t know.” Tinga looked uncertainly to Kadka. Tane tried not to take that too personally.

  “Is truth, Tinga,” Kadka said. “We will help. Thorpe has money, friends in Senate. Is not something you can do alone.”

  “I’ve done well enough so far,” Tinga said stubbornly.

  Tane couldn’t help but smile at that. “We know. It’s frankly astounding you haven’t been caught yet. But one person can only do so much. Believe me, I’ve tried that route. Please, just tell us why Thorpe is after you. Even if you won’t come with us, you have to believe that we want to stop whatever she’s doing. We’ve seen what it does to people.”

  Tinga lowered her wand a little bit more. “I saw something. We did. Me and Cestra.”

  “We guess this much,” said Kadka. “What do you see?”

  “We were looking around the quarries.” Tinga hesitated there, and then seemed to make up her mind, and barrelled on. “It was my idea. Cestra tried to talk me out of it, but I… I was angry, after my father… I thought maybe I could find something to convince people to listen. No one cares when a goblin loses his job, but if there was some reason it happened so suddenly, to so many people…”

  “Good instinct,” Tane said. He hadn’t been wrong about her—she was clever. “A pattern like that usually means someone is up to something.”

  “Right!” Tinga looked a little bit more confident now. Some outside validation had to feel good, after keeping her own counsel for so long. “But we didn’t find anything strange anywhere else. I was starting to think I was imagining things. Until we came here.” She dropped her wand hand to her side. “I’ll show you. That way.” She pointed down the slope, toward the corner of the quarry pit.

  “Does that mean you’ve decided to trust us?” Tane asked.

  “I don’t know yet.” Tinga said, and flicked the tip of the wand back up, just a bit. “You two walk ahead. I’ll tell you where to go.”

  Tane exchanged a glance with Kadka, who was grinning wide. The girl had backbone, there was no doubt about that.

  Tinga directed them down the hillside, keeping low and out of sight. The dark and the rain helped to cover their passage. In the low valley between hills, Tane could pick out the place where they were going—a wedge of rock jutted from the hill very near to the edge of the quarry. A place to stay out of sight, close enough to the pit that they could reach the lip between guard patrols and get a look at the bottom.

  One of the guards was just coming around the corner. Tane crouched low behind the outcrop with Kadka beside him, and Tinga snuck in behind. The man stepped in a puddle so close that Tane could hear the water splash on the other side of the rock, but he didn’t stop.

  “There weren’t so many guards last time,” Tinga whispered. “When he’s gone, we’ll get closer.”

  “Not to question your lead,” said Tane, “but are you sure there aren’t any detection spells around the place, if we get close?”

  “There weren’t before,” said Tinga. “Guards down below, is all. I think they’re trying to look normal from the outside. Come on.” She pointed ahead; the man had completed his round. Without waiting, she crept toward the edge.

  I hope she’s right. There was some sense to it—quarries weren’t known for their painstaking security, and a lot of spells might have drawn attention. Not much choice, either way. If we don’t play along, we’ll lose her. He followed Tinga, all but slithering along the ground on his belly, trying to stay low enough that anyone looking up wouldn’t notice. Kadka hugged the ground to his left.

  “There,” Tinga whispered when they caught up, and pointed to the far side of the quarry.

  A rough tunnel had been carved into the very bottom of the pit, clearly recent. Piles of rubble from the digging still littered the quarry floor. That’s unusual, unless the quarry workers decided to take a stab at mining. It was impossible to see what was going on inside, though there were mage-lights all around, and a cold blue glow indicated more within. Guards stood vigil on either side, and more along the path down. Tane ducked his head low enough that his chin pressed against wet stone, and still felt too obvious.

  “What is inside?” Kadka asked. “You saw more than just cave, yes?”

  “There was a machine, on a cart,” said Tinga. “They were taking it in. A woman was directing them. Thorpe. I don’t know what it was for. But her men were herding people in after it, most of them in rags. A dozen or so. I recognized some from the Nest.”

  Tane tilted his head to look at Tinga. “This machine, did it have a big brass ball on top?”

  Tinga nodded. “You know it? What does it do?”

  “As far as I know, it’s for mapping the Astra,” he said. “But I don’t know why Thorpe would need to do that inside a cave at the bottom of a quarry. I have a feeling she didn’t tell me everything about it. Was there anything else?”

  “Only the strangest part,” said Tinga. “Once they had the machine and the people in the cave, Thorpe took a few of the men aside and talked to them for a bit—I couldn’t hear any of it from here. But then she took these vials out of her coat. They were… it looked like Astral energy, all silver-blue and glowing, but liquid? The men took them, and drank what was inside.”

  “That has to be what’s giving them their strength and speed,” Tane said.

  “And kills them,” Kadka added.

  “Right. That too.” Tane frowned. “But that doesn’t tell me what it is. Tinga, was there anything you heard or saw that might tell us more?”

  “No.” Tinga lowered her eyes. “There was nothing else, because that’s when they noticed us. Cestra had been trying to get me to go—she knew we were in over our heads. But I had to know, so I didn’t listen. And then one of the guards happened to look up.”

  “What happens then?” Kadka asked. “She is caught, you get away?”

  “I got away because of her,” Tinga said, her voice cracking. “She started yelling, told me to run. Led them off. I wanted to stay with her, but she said there’s no point in us both being caught. So I… I just ran.”

  “Is best thing to do,” Kadka said gently. “She is right. Does her no good if you are caught with her.”

  “But it’s my fault.” Tinga’s voice was a harsh whisper. “She didn’t even want to come, she only did it to look out for me. She always looks out for me. She took care of me when I left home and didn’t know where to go, and I got her into this.”

  Tane touched her arm. “We’ll get her back, Tinga.” He didn’t know if that was true, but it seemed like the thing to say just then.

  Tinga swallowed, clearly fighting back tears, but then she set her jaw and said, “We have to.”

  She said we. That’s progress. “She’s going to be—”

  “What is this?” Kadka interrupted. She was staring down at the cave.

  Something was coming out.

  The guards stood aside, and a small cart emerged from the mouth of the tunnel, loaded with an ovoid object maybe four feet high. An… egg? Tane squinted at it, trying to figure out what it was. It looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it—none of the beasts he could think of produced eggs that large. The rough surface glittered with metallic flecks, like stone shot through with mica, except it didn’t look like stone so much as scaled hide, like a reptile’s.

  And then he remembered. He’d never seen one in person, but he’d seen illustrations from centuries past.

  “Spellfire, that’s a dragon’s egg,” he breathed. It was the only thing it could be, but it made no sense. “They’re supposed to be extinct.”

  Kadka’s ears perked up at that. “Dragons? You think is dragon cave?”

  Tane shook his head. “No, they’ve clearly dug it out themselves, but… I don’t know.”

  They were pushing the cart toward the path now; the guards eyes were on it, but as it moved upward those eyes would follow.

  “We need to get out of sight,” Tane said. “Come on.”

  Following h
is lead, the three of them inched away from the ledge and crept back behind the stone outcrop.

  “What does this mean, Carver?” Kadka asked, her golden eyes glinting with excitement. “Does Thorpe find dragons with her machine?”

  “I have no idea, but they must be bringing that egg to her,” Tane said. “We can’t get down to the cave right now, not past all those guards, but maybe we can get into the manufactury again if I can get Thorpe to talk to me—”

  “Oh,” said a familiar gruff voice from behind, “I think she’ll be talking to you real soon.”

  Tane whirled in time to see Tinga collapse bonelessly to the ground. Silver light faded from the palm of Lefty Lodestone’s false arm.

  Lefty was already lunging at Kadka even as she reached for her knife. His feet made no sound at all against the ground. He’d masked the sound of his movements with a spell. That was how he’d gotten so close—the same way Tinga had, though she’d done it by innate gift, not magecraft.

  Kadka’s knife was only half-drawn when Lefty grabbed her arm. The glyph in his palm flared again. She went down as easily as Tinga.

  Lefty advanced, and there was no running from him now—he was an ex-constable, trained in spells to subdue fleeing criminals. “Knew you’d lead me to her sooner or later,” he said.

  Tane retreated a step, pressed his back against the wet rock. “Wait,” he said. “Wait.” He held out his right hand as if to ward the dwarf off. “You have to know Thorpe isn’t on the right side of this. They’re stripping the Astra away from people. Her men keep burning up. I know you don’t want to hand Tinga over to her. I know about how you saved those children.” As he spoke, he slipped his left hand toward his pocket, where he had a flash-charm stashed.

  Lefty smirked. “She pays me to do a job, I don’t ask questions. Now stop moving that hand.”

  Tane jammed his hand into his pocket. Lefty closed the distance between them, arm outstretched.

  Tane felt the charm under his fingers, grasped at the seal.

  Heavy metal fingers closed on his wrist. A flash of silver-blue.

  And then nothing.

  Chapter Seventeen

  _____

  TANE CAME TO in a place he’d seen once before.

  Benches and tables covered in artifice parts and tools ran all around the sides of the room, and just in front of him was a large machine topped with a brass orb.

  Felisa Thorpe’s personal lab.

  Still groggy, Tane tried to lift his hand to rub at his eyes. Something held it back. As his senses returned, he realized he was bound to a chair, his wrists cuffed behind him. The chain between the cuffs ran through the bars at the back of the chair, holding him fast. He tried to kick back, but the chair was fastened in place as well—he recognized a small brass box affixed to the leg as a binding artifact by the glyphs, creating an unbreakable bond between chair and floor. This can’t be good.

  Shaking his head to clear it, he took stock once more. To his right, Kadka was similarly trapped, just waking up herself. To his left, Tinga sagged in her bonds, her chin resting on her chest. Still unconscious. The room wasn’t exactly the same as it had been before, either. A cylindrical glass reservoir had been attached to one side of Thorpe’s machine with a piece of brass tubing, and on a wheeled platform nearby sat a large egg with a hide-like surface, glinting with silver flecks. The dragon egg. On the table beside the machine, the contents of his pockets and several of Kadka’s knives—they hadn’t found all of them—lay strewn next to a rack of vials filled with a glowing silver-blue liquid. The same stuff that, by Tane’s best guess, had burned several men alive.

  He leaned to his right. “Kadka. Can you get free?”

  She was already straining against the ropes; they’d clapped her wrists in far stronger manacles than his. Finally, she relented, and shook her head. “Too strong.”

  “They’re waking up.” Lefty Lodestone’s voice, from behind and to the right. Tane craned his head to see Lefty standing with Cullen Roark, Thorpe’s head of security. Lefty leaned against a table at the side of the room, drumming thick brass fingers against the surface. “Where is she? I ain’t supposed to be here for this part.”

  “She’s on her way,” said Roark. And then, to Tane and Kadka, “You’re wasting time. You won’t get free. I made sure of it.” The big man circled around to stand in front of them. The silver in his eyes was brighter than it had been last time, a subtle but distinct gleam that didn’t fade. “Boss lady will be here soon. She’s got plans for you.” He leaned over Tinga with a sour look, then grabbed her by the hair and shook her. “Wake up.”

  Kadka snarled, straining again in her chair. “Leave her!”

  Roark ignored her, still watching Tinga.

  Tinga groaned as she woke, looked up, confused. “What…?”

  “You’re going to get what’s coming to you, you little bitch.” Roark’s hand went to the cudgel at his waist. The silver glint in his eyes flared slightly brighter.

  “Wait!” Tane shouted. Roark glanced his way. “I don’t know what your boss told you, Roark, but whatever she’s giving you and your men, it’s killing them. Burning them alive.”

  Roark snorted. “Nice try.” He glowered down at Tinga. “But she’s the one behind that. That’s why Miss Thorpe wants her. Bitch has some kind of power.”

  “That’s not…” Tinga’s voice came out in a croak; she swallowed and tried again. “That’s not true. I don’t even have magic.”

  “Don’t lie to me!” Roark’s face flushed, and his eyes glowed brighter still. “You’ve killed my men! Good men!”

  Tinga didn’t flinch. “If you really believe that,” she threw back, “maybe you shouldn’t be standing so close.”

  And for a moment, Roark’s bluster failed. He took a short step back.

  Tane jumped at the opportunity. “Think about that, Roark. If she’s got all that power, what’s stopping her from using it? If she could, don’t you think she would? You’re being lied—”

  The door swung open. “That’s quite enough, Mister Carver,” said Felisa Thorpe. “I’m sure you’d say anything to get out of this. Cullen, Mister Lodestone, if you would excuse us a moment?”

  If any of Tane’s words had landed, Roark didn’t show it. “I’ll be on guard outside, Miss Thorpe.” With a sharp nod, he strode for the door.

  Lefty didn’t follow, just leaned against a table and crossed his bulky artifact arm over the other one. “I ain’t going anywhere until I get paid,” he said. “Happy to leave you be after. You have the girl, my part’s done.”

  “Lefty!” Tane was grasping at any chance, now. “Tinga hasn’t done anything, you don’t have to—” A glance from Thorpe and pain lanced through Tane’s head from one temple to the other. His sentence devolved into a strangled grunt of pain.

  “Of course, Mister Lodestone,” Thorpe said. “My apologies.” She lifted a purse from her waist and handed it over. “Here you are.”

  Lefty took the money, but his eyes flicked to Tinga, and he scratched at the burn scar on his neck. “What’re you going to do now you’ve got her?”

  “As you say, your part is done,” Thorpe said. “It isn’t your concern. You assured me I could rely on your discretion—I hope that was true?”

  “Yeah,” Lefty said with a shrug. “Sure. Do what you’re going to do. I’m gone.” He pushed off the table, but veered toward Tane before heading for the door. His false hand gripped the back of the chair, and he leaned near to Tane’s ear. “No hard feelings. I got paid to bring in the girl, so that’s what I did. Just a job.”

  Tane was still hazy from the pain in his skull, but he pushed through it. “Right,” he said bitterly. “As long as there’s no hard feelings, it’s fine that you’re leaving a crazy woman to dispose of us.”

  Lefty shrugged. “Job’s done now. Time for me to go.” His artifact hand drifted lower, brass fingers coming to rest against the cuff on Tane’s right wrist. A short, strong tug, a click muffled by a jangle of the c
hain. And then Lefty straightened and stepped back. “See you around, Carver.” Footsteps, and then the sound of the door opening and closing.

  Did he just…? Tane tested his right wrist, pulling against the cuff. It gave a little bit. He snapped the latch! Whatever twisted reasoning had inspired Lefty to do that, he couldn’t guess, but he wasn’t going to question it now. The cuff didn’t just slide open, though—it still needed to be worked free, and without Thorpe noticing. She’s got magic on her side. I need to wait for my moment.

  Thorpe stepped before them, between the chairs and the machine. “I’m sorry it came to this, Mister Carver. I hope you can understand, as a man learned in magical theory. My research will open up new avenues of progress for our society. It must be protected.” She lifted a vial of silver-blue liquid from the stand beside her. “Look at it. Astral essence, siphoned directly from the other side. My machine can harness the very source of magic, the well of life itself. Think of the potential benefit to the world.”

  Siphoned? Understanding dawned on Tane. “That’s how those people were riven. You… you used the machine to tunnel into their Astral link and drain it dry. Spellfire, you’re no better than a wraith.”

  “A small price,” Thorpe said, mildly defensive. She didn’t put the vial back in its rack—instead, she inserted it into a slot on the top of the machine. “And of course I only selected subjects who were doing very little with their lives to begin with.”

  “Small price?” Tinga repeated, incredulous. “You took my friend! You stripped those people of everything! You’re hurting people who have been hurt enough already, just because you decided they don’t matter? You don’t get to decide that!” She leaned forward against her cuffs; she looked ready to tear Thorpe’s throat out, if she’d only been free to pounce. “Where is Cestra? Tell me!”

  While Thorpe was looking at Tinga, Tane began to slowly loosen the cuff on his wrist, as silently as he could manage.

  Thorpe pushed her spectacles up on her nose. “Someone of your… education would never understand. What is one life compared to many? There is a larger picture, and the sort of people you say I have passed judgement on will benefit as much as anyone. My elixir could heal broken bodies, eradicate disease, prolong life… with proper research, even immortality might be possible.”