‘I don’t understand. Are you intending to leave without permission?’
Karalyn sat at the large wooden desk and lit a cigarette. She knew how Belinda was going to react, without needing to read her thoughts.
‘The Empress and I had a disagreement.’
‘One so bad that you’re running away?’
‘I need to leave for a while, before I become… something I hate.’
‘It can’t be that bad. We should go downstairs and talk to her. I’ll come with you. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can work it out.’
Karalyn shook her head. ‘Not this time.’
Belinda looked torn, as if she didn’t know where to place her trust. Karalyn knew that she had grown to love the Empress; her forthright manner and determination winning her over. Yet she still loved Karalyn also.
‘Don’t go,’ she said. ‘Don’t leave me here alone.’
‘Then come with me,’ said Karalyn.
‘I know you’re still hurting about your father; maybe you’re not thinking straight.’
‘This has nothing to do with my father.’
‘Then what is it?’ cried Belinda. ‘Tell me. If you and the Empress have fallen out, then I need to know why, otherwise… You swore an oath, Karalyn, to serve and obey. Are you asking me to choose between you and her?’
Karalyn said nothing.
Belinda’s face darkened. ‘Tell me.’
‘It was about you. We fought over you.’
‘Me?’
‘Aye,’ Karalyn said, lowering her face, unable to look Belinda in the eye.
‘Go on.’
‘The Empress ordered me to restore all of your mage powers, and I refused.’
‘Oh.’
The room fell into a deep silence.
Karalyn got up, and gazed out of the tall window at the city spread out before her. She could see the university buildings, and the gardens of the aristocratic district, where the Holdfast townhouse lay. How she longed to return to the life she had enjoyed there with Laodoc and Corthie, before the war had started, before her father had died, and before Belinda had entered her life. To the left of the university were the Old Town walls, and then the streets and houses of the original settlement, built before the old Emperor had decided to turn it into his imperial capital. Further south was the harbour, and masts of the tallest ships were poking above the wall that protected the long wharves.
She felt Belinda’s presence by her side.
‘Why?’
‘Because you’re not ready,’ said Karalyn.
Belinda took a breath, but Karalyn could feel the anger coming from her. ‘I don’t understand. I have done everything you, or the Empress has asked me to do. I’ve proved myself over and over to you, saving your life in Rahain, when you were foolish enough to get yourself caught. You gave me battle-vision, and I used it to kill our enemies; you gave me the powers of a hedgewitch, and I healed Calder. Tell me, when will I be ready?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘The problem isn’t me; it’s you. You can’t stand the thought that I’ll become more powerful than you, and then I won’t need you any more; but nothing need change between us if you give me my powers back, we’ll still be friends. But if you don’t, then what am I to think? That you don’t trust me?’
Karalyn kept her gaze out on the city. ‘You were like a baby when we took you back to the townhouse. We had to smuggle you in a carriage so that no one would know, then we made up a comfortable place for you to stay. You couldn’t even feed yourself back then, but slowly, over thirds and thirds, you started to emerge. A new you, different from the old Belinda. Once I had imprinted language into your mind, and you began to talk, it was like a whole new being had come into existence. It was scary; I was terrified that I would make a mistake, and do some harm to your development, but at the same time I was so proud of you. In a small corner of my thoughts, I knew that this day would come, but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want you to change.’
‘Why is it up to you?’ said Belinda. ‘It’s my life. Mine. Who gave you the power to decide for me? If it was the Empress, then she’s changed her mind, at long last. She told you to grant me my powers; she ordered you to do it. What do I have to do to show you that I’m ready?’
‘Maybe if you weren’t so keen to have them, then I might think you were responsible to carry the burden they will bring.’
‘You patronising bitch!’
Karalyn closed her eyes. ‘Maybe you’re right; maybe it is about me. If I obey the Empress, then I will be responsible for the hundreds, no, the thousands that you will kill.’
‘I will help bring the war to an end.’
‘Aye, probably, but at what price?’
Belinda edged closer. ‘Give me my powers, then go. Hide somewhere, away from the war, and then you won’t have to feel responsible for me any more. What I then choose to do, I’ll be doing of my own free will. I will pay the price for my own actions, not you, and if I have to kill, then it will be to end the war. Who else can stand up to Agatha and Witten, and the others? Your brother? Thorn? What will happen if Agatha leads the huge army we saw through the mountains to Rainsby? Only I can stop them. I may fail, but at least we would have a chance.’
‘No.’
‘No?’ said Belinda, her voice rising. She lifted her hand and grabbed hold of Karalyn’s arm. ‘You must. Without me at my full strength, the empire will fall, and you will be held responsible.’
Karalyn shook her head. ‘Kerri’s fingers.’
‘What?’
‘You would have stood there and let that girl die, tortured by people with the powers you crave so badly.’
Belinda let go of Karalyn’s arm and took a step back, her mouth open. ‘You would let the empire be destroyed, because of the life of one stupid girl?’
‘Aye,’ Karalyn said, slipping her hand inside her cloak and gripping the Quadrant.
Command me, Karalyn.
Holdfast. The rear porch. Go.
The air shimmered round her, and she caught a last glimpse of Belinda’s eyes before the scene changed, and she was standing on the back steps of the Holdfast mansion. She staggered, dizzy for a moment, then put a hand on the railing to steady herself, feeling the warm wind of the plains across her face. She tucked the Quadrant back into her cloak, swung the canvas bag from her shoulder, and smiled.
Home.
Chapter 7
Recognition
Plateau City, Imperial Plateau – 18th Day, Second Third Autumn 525
‘Do you swear,’ said Nyane, her voice ringing across the marble-lined chamber, ‘to serve the empire; to obey the commands of Her Majesty the Imperial Sovereign; and to give your loyalty to her and no one else?’
‘I do,’ said Belinda, standing before the throne, her head held high.
‘Kneel.’
Belinda dropped to one knee and lowered her gaze. Calder unsheathed his sword and passed it to the Empress, who grasped it in both hands. She brought the tip down to lie over Belinda’s head.
‘Then,’ she said, ‘with the power granted us by the people of the Star Continent, we hereby bestow upon you, Belinda of Fell Grange, the authority and duties of an Imperial Agent. We accept your vow of loyalty and obedience, and trust that you will carry out your responsibilities with fidelity and honour.’
The Empress handed the sword back to Calder.
‘Rise,’ said Nyane.
The Empress smiled as Belinda got to her feet. ‘Congratulations. You are no longer a student; no longer a child in the eyes of the law. Today you graduate into the ranks of my trusted council.’ She gestured to Nyane, who held out a small box wrapped in velvet.
Belinda took the box and opened it.
‘Keep this ring with you at all times,’ said the Empress. ‘With it, you have the authority to command units of my armed forces up to the rank of captain, or to requisition supplies according to your needs.’
‘Thank you, your Majesty. I promise n
ot to abuse the privileges you have granted me.’
‘You will be under the direct command of Calder,’ said Nyane, ‘who holds the honorary rank of major within the imperial agents. He will issue your orders, and see to your equipment and training.’
‘But you can come and talk to me whenever you like,’ said the Empress. ‘I know this must be hard for you. Karalyn was your mentor and guide for a long time, and while I sincerely hope she returns, even if she does, she will no longer have responsibility for you. We owe a debt of gratitude for the great job she has done in preparing you; however, that time is now at an end.’
Belinda nodded. ‘I only wish, your Majesty, that I had all of my powers available, so that I could serve you better.’
‘Do not be downhearted, you have battle-vision and the ability to heal yourself and others. These are powerful gifts and, put together, they will assist you in becoming a fine agent.’
‘Thank you, your Majesty. I shall do my best.’
She bowed low before the throne, then Calder stepped down from the platform where the throne sat. He turned, saluted the Empress, then escorted Belinda from the hall.
‘That was well done, your Majesty,’ said Nyane. ‘With Karalyn’s departure, you have given Belinda a new purpose. I have no doubt that she will serve you loyally.’
‘We’ll need to keep an eye on her, as we do all new agents. After Sable, I’m not taking any chances.’
‘Calder intends for her to undergo an extensive training programme,’ said Nyane, ‘which will allow him to monitor her progress closely.’
The Empress nodded, then frowned. ‘Where is Mage Sanders? Without Karalyn here, communication with the rest of the empire depends upon her again.’
‘I don’t know, your Majesty. Should I send someone to look for her?’
‘No. Go yourself. If she’s been using her powers, then she’ll probably be resting in her quarters. She might have a message, and if she does, I want you there to hear it.’
Nyane nodded. ‘At once, your Majesty.’
She stepped down from the platform and walked to the main doors of the hall, guards opening them for her as she approached. She took a flight of stairs down to a lower level, and made her way to the small apartment where the fortress’s resident vision mage dwelled. Standing outside her front door was a man Nyane recognised as the mage’s personal assistant.
‘Mage Sanders is recuperating,’ he said as Nyane strode forwards. ‘She asked not to be disturbed.’
‘Has she visioned this morning?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Then I’m afraid I shall have to intrude upon her tranquillity. The Empress desires to be informed of any communications she has made.’
The assistant frowned, but stood aside. Nyane brushed past him and opened the door. She entered the mage’s sitting room, which doubled as her study. The shutters were closed, but the morning sun was slipping between the cracks, lending the room a dim, grey light. Lying on a long couch was the mage, a blanket covering her. On a low table in front of the couch stood an opened bottle of wine, an ashtray, and a plate of half-eaten cakes and pastries.
The woman groaned. ‘Not now, please. I’m in agony.’
Nyane took a seat opposite the reclining mage. Sweat glistened on her forehead, and her hair was limp and dank.
‘You shouldn’t be seeing me like this,’ Mage Sanders went on. ‘I’m an utter mess. Come back in an hour. Better still, I’ll make my way upstairs once I’m ready.’
‘My apologies for bothering you,’ Nyane said, ‘but it can’t be helped. Did you make the rounds this morning?’
‘Blast it, here I am, feeling like death, and you’re asking me this? My head feels like someone’s hit it with a hammer.’ Sanders picked up a cake and took a bite, then lit a cigarette while still chewing.
Nyane glanced away, her patience fraying.
‘If you must know,’ said the mage, ‘I was disturbed before I could make contact with anywhere on my list for today.’
‘So, nothing from Rainsby or Stretton Sands?’
‘Not today, at any rate. I’ll try again tomorrow. Lucky me.’
‘And what disturbed you? Another mage?’
‘Yes.’
‘Karalyn?’
‘No, not the girl. Her mother.’
‘Daphne Holdfast?’
‘The First Holder, yes,’ said Sanders. She attempted to sit up, but failed, and slouched back down onto the couch, groaning.
Nyane poured some white wine into a glass and held it out for her. Sanders took it, and sipped.
‘As I was saying,’ the mage went on, ‘the First Holder entered my mind not two hours ago. The sweep of her power quite overwhelmed me, and I’m not sure it wasn’t deliberate. To be honest, I don’t think she likes me very much.’
‘Did she have a message?’
Sanders frowned. ‘Yes.’
‘And may I hear it?’
‘I was getting to that. It concerns her daughter. The First Holder wishes the Empress to know that she has been in contact with the runaway mage, who is safe and well, although she refused to divulge the girl’s location. She asks that the Empress allow her daughter some time; apparently she is in a fragile state, and the First Holder is worried that if the Empress pursues her, she may have some kind of breakdown.’
Nyane nodded. ‘And is the First Holder currently in Holdings City?’
‘She is, yes.’
‘Did she say anything else?’
‘No. That was it. She removed herself from my mind as brusquely as she had entered it, and left me in the state in which you find me.’
‘Very well,’ Nyane said, standing. ‘Thank you for putting up with the interruption to your rest. I’ll leave you now.’
Mage Sanders nodded.
‘Rainsby tomorrow, please.’
‘Yes, yes,’ said Sanders, glowering at the herald.
Nyane gave a slight nod, then turned and left the mage’s quarters.
‘So, she’s probably in the Holdings?’ said the Empress from her study desk.
‘Perhaps,’ said Nyane.
‘And her mother requests that we stay away?’ The Empress shook her head and laughed. ‘Bloody Holdfasts. There would be very little point in sending anyone to look for her; of all the people in the world, there is no one better than Karalyn at remaining hidden. The problem is, I feel blind without her. Mage Sanders is hardly an adequate substitute.’
‘She’s the best vision mage in the capital, your Majesty.’
‘We may have to rethink the locations of our other vision mages; maybe shuffle them around. Sanders is beginning to try my patience.’
Nyane said nothing, knowing that they had examined the disposition of their mage cadre many times. The best two were posted to Sanang and Arakhanah, as they were the only ones with a range long enough to reach the capital. Lesser mages were located in Amatskouri, Stretton Sands and Westport, while a few younger ones were being held in reserve in the Holdings, working for the First Holder.
‘You could at least humour me,’ said the Empress.
‘Apologies, your Majesty.’
‘Before he went mad, the old Emperor had over two dozen highly-trained vision mages keeping the empire connected, whereas I have to make do with six; none of them as good as Isobel or Derrick. Or Sable.’
‘We have Keir. He scans the Grey Mountains daily, and has promised to alert us if the Rahain make any move in the south.’
‘So we’re relying on a sixteen-year-old?’ the Empress said, rubbing her forehead with a hand. ‘I should have predicted what Karalyn would do, and asked her to restore Belinda’s vision powers first. It was stupid to order her to unblock them all at once. I should have foreseen this.’
‘Don’t torture yourself with hindsight, your Majesty; what’s done is done.’
The Empress nodded, then turned her head to gaze out of the window at the city outside. Nyane stood in silence for a few minutes, then bowed, and left the stud
y. She passed the guards in the hallway and walked to the audience chamber, where a long queue of petitioners were waiting to speak to the Empress. They looked up in expectation as Nyane entered the large hall, before their expressions changed to disappointment.
Guards saluted as the herald made her way up onto the platform to stand by the empty throne. She gazed at the crowd until their chatter fell away and the hall was quiet.
‘I shall hear your petitions this morning in the absence of her Imperial Majesty,’ she announced, before sitting in the plain chair to the right of the throne. She gestured for the court scribes to join her side, then turned to the first petitioner; an elderly man in the robes of a merchant.
Nyane smiled. ‘Speak.’
For three hours Nyane listened to the appeals and complaints of the empire’s subjects who attended court that morning. Since the imperial government had moved to the Great Fortress, some hundred or so were allowed access to the audience chamber every third day from dawn until noon, after being searched for weapons. For a whole year, the Empress had attended every audience, dispensing her judgement and issuing commands, but in the previous few thirds she had begun delegating the duty to her herald.
Nyane felt honoured to be trusted enough that the Empress would give her such responsibility, but she loathed taking the audiences; frustrated with the petty nature of many of the complaints, and finding herself having to hide her anger with the ignorance on display among the citizenry of the capital.
As the last petitioner bowed and left the audience hall, Nyane signalled to the guards to close the doors. She sighed, and stood.
One of the guards turned to her. ‘Ma’am, there’s one more here to see you.’
‘Time’s up,’ Nyane said. ‘Send them away.’
‘Sorry, ma’am, but this man says he’s your father.’
Nyane halted and turned, a smile creeping across her lips. She walked across the hall to the grand entrance doors as the guards stood aside.
‘Father,’ she said to the man standing in the hallway, a hat in his hands. ‘Come in. How nice to see you.’
The Magelands Epic: Soulwitch Rises (Book 7) Page 10
