The Raven Collection

by James Barclay

  ‘Right. To bring down the system from within. Not really my style, Blackthorne. Don’t worry about me. I’ll keep the place warm for you.’

  ‘I think when the God’s Eyes start firing you’ll find it warm enough,’ said Blackthorne. ‘Stupid old man. I bet you thought this might happen. I’m not leaving you.’

  Gresse stuck two fingers in his mouth and made a retching sound.

  ‘Spare me the bleeding hero stuff, Blackthorne. I’m sure I can make myself a nuisance.’

  ‘It’s got nothing to do with that. I have hauled your wretched carcass from your own vineyards. You owe me.’

  Gresse laughed out loud and clapped his hands. ‘Good for you.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I’m not finding this at all funny,’ said Diera.

  ‘When you get to our age, Diera, you are forced to see the funny side of most things.’

  ‘Well, right now, getting to your age seems a distant prospect, doesn’t it? And what about my son? He’s five years old. He deserves the concentrated effort of every one of us, don’t you think?’

  Gresse reached out a hand, which Diera, a little reluctantly, took in both of hers.

  ‘Yes, he does, my lady,’ he said quietly. ‘And he shall get it. I’m sorry if I offended you.’

  Diera shook her head. ‘No, it’s not that. It’s just, you know . . . all of you. You’re used to this. You’ve grown up with fighting and death and blood. I married someone who has too, but I’ve seen so little because he won’t let me see it. So I’m scared. And I’m terrified for my boys. Auum, please?’

  For a third time, Auum nodded.

  ‘Miirt. Bring him.’

  The mage was brought forward. Dressed in breeches and shirt both several sizes too big, he cut a ridiculous figure. He was deathly pale and the sight of the wolves caused him to jam his feet into the soft grass. Miirt’s hand in the small of his back kept him moving.

  ‘Name?’ asked Auum.

  ‘Brynar,’ said the mage. Young and scared. Good. And there was more.

  ‘You are apprentice to Densyr, aren’t you?’

  ‘And you are Auum.’

  ‘Neither of us wishes to die this night. Help us and we will not cause you harm. You know where you are?’

  ‘Hespyrin Square.’

  ‘Then you know that when the ward grid is activated, we are in a poor position.’

  ‘We’ll all die,’ said Brynar. ‘There are thirty wards in these gardens alone. And they will trigger the collapse of every building on the four sides.’

  ‘So, we are in agreement,’ said Auum. ‘I need options. Did Septern plan safe routes through the grid?’

  Brynar shook his head. ‘The Garonin would probably divine them. Too risky. It’s complete blanket coverage.’

  ‘Second. When will the grid be activated?”

  ‘When all the mages return to the college, as I said. But not necessarily at that instant. Don’t get your hopes up, though. Any of us over an hour late will be assumed lost, probably to you as it happens, and therefore the grid will not be delayed.’

  ‘And how late are you, young man?’ asked Blackthorne.

  ‘I am well beyond my time already. I was late when I met Auum.’ Brynar shuddered.

  The howl of a wolf sounded to the east. It was picked up by those in the park and joined by the granite growl of the ClawBound panther. Thraun calmed his pack as best he could but the four were on their feet, pacing and sounding anxiety deep in their chests.

  Auum was still for a moment. He sniffed the air. Tension and magic, which was no surprise. But the agitation of the wolves and the guttural tone of the panther’s call were not to be ignored.

  ‘Thraun?’ he asked.

  ‘They’ve heard something. I don’t know what. I can’t sense anything.’

  ‘Well, let’s not hang about,’ said Blackthorne, and then he raised his voice. ‘Everyone. Prepare to leave. Gresse, you are going on a stretcher and I will drag you up the sides of buildings as and when I have to . . . I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?’

  ‘I said, you are a stubborn old goat and you have the beard to prove it.’

  ‘Ungrateful wretch.’

  Auum shook his head and turned back to Brynar. The young mage stared all around him, blinking and swallowing hard.

  ‘It is real,’ said Auum.

  The wolves howled again, their voices rising quickly to a whine high in the throat. All four gathered in front of Thraun, staring up at him and backing towards the west.

  ‘Something’s coming,’ said Thraun.

  There was a pressure in the air that hadn’t been there a few moments ago. And Auum could hear a low throbbing sound on the periphery of his hearing. He exchanged glances with his Tai. They felt it too.

  ‘Quickly. Tell me. What is the trigger radius of a ward in this grid? Are we safe on the rooftops?’

  ‘Until someone triggers a cell of wards that brings the building down in a ball of flame around your feet,’ said Brynar. ‘I can’t overestimate the trouble we are all in.’

  ‘Then I am glad you are sharing that trouble with us.’ Auum stared at Brynar, looking for malice and trickery. The mage could not hold his gaze for long. ‘Do not think to walk us to our deaths. I will know your thoughts.’

  ‘If it’s any consolation, I think the Mount has got this all wrong. We should be heading west.’

  ‘Then you should have made your voice heard a little more clearly, shouldn’t you?’ said Gresse.

  ‘Why do you think I was dispatched to check on the ward grid, my Lord Gresse?’

  ‘It matters little to me,’ said Auum. ‘I do not trust you. My Tai do not trust you and nor do the ClawBound. I would have you understand that.’

  Brynar nodded. ‘Not that we really need to head west. Septern told me he knew all about the Wesman ritual. He just doesn’t believe it’ll work.’

  Auum pulled up short. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes. He likes a drink and he likes to talk. Put the two together and all sorts comes out. Have I said something wrong?’

  ‘Does Densyr know about this?’ asked Auum.

  ‘Not as far as I’m aware. Septern told Sharyr about it and Sharyr told me. I have told no one until now.’

  ‘That changes everything.’ Auum waved his Tai to him. ‘Miirt. Contact the ClawBound. Ghaal. Run with Thraun. We need his wolves alive. I want a route to the college. Quickly. I’ll see you on top.’

  ‘You can get to the rooftops through most of the houses on this square. I’ll show you if you like,’ said Brynar.

  ‘Go,’ said Auum. ‘Tai, we move.’

  Miirt grabbed his arm. ‘Look.’

  Up on the rooftops immediately to their left, the ClawBound elf was standing and staring away to the east and high up into the sky. While Auum watched, the elf’s panther joined him and he laid a hand atop its head. The physical contact worried Auum more than anything he had seen this night that was bleeding away to a pale dawn in the eastern sky. The gesture was only ever for mutual comfort in the face of fear. And the ClawBound feared almost nothing.

  The throbbing sound intensified, grew louder. The wolves were beyond control now, running this way and that, desperate for Thraun to move. Down on the ground Blackthorne was feeding Gresse some form of drug against his pain. Two of the larger men stood ready. The old baron was to be chaired away. Diera held young Hirad close. Auum came to her side.

  Up in the eastern sky, the clouds were heavy and grey. It was the same grim picture all the way to the sunrise horizon. Auum fancied he could see movement within. Something that showed itself where the cloud was a little thinner. Whatever it was, the noise it emitted was rattling the teeth in Auum’s jaws and sending low vibrations through his body.

  A silver shape descended through the clouds. Gently, serenely. It was bulbous, like a worn waterskin, stretched and bumpy, destined to leak. And huge. The size of a ship. Auum stared up at it. What else could any of them do? Below it, lights shone from what loo
ked like windows and other lights played out over the city still swaddled in the last throes of night.

  ‘Vydosphere,’ he breathed.

  ‘What?’ Diera next to him could barely hear him for the growing drone.

  ‘Garonin.’ Auum’s heart pounded in his chest. ‘We have to get to the college before it does or we are all lost.’

  Diera shook her head. ‘What about Sol and Jonas?’

  ‘We will rescue them,’ he said, though he had no idea how that might now be achieved.

  A beam of intense light stabbed down from the vydosphere. Somewhere near the east gates there was a detonation followed quickly by a dozen others. Orange, blue and yellow fire flared into the night sky. There was a rumble and the ground shifted beneath their feet. The sound of falling buildings echoed across the city to them. Brynar gasped.

  ‘The wards,’ he said. ‘They’re triggering the wards.’

  Blackthorne swore under his breath.

  ‘Run,’ said Auum and he raised his voice. ‘Run now.’

  Chapter 25

  Densyr ran to his east-facing balcony, Dystran and Septern to either side of him. Flame was leaping into the dawn sky, licking at the thick cloud cover above. He could see lights in the sky and blinked before realising that the dark shape he thought he had seen disappearing up into the clouds was a mere trick of the half-light.

  ‘Where is that?’ he asked.

  ‘It is the single active cell right by the east gates. Within the boundaries of the city,’ said Septern. ‘So far the gates themselves are untouched.’

  ‘How can you tell from here?’

  ‘Because the colour of the main ward spell is a deep, vibrant green over the gates. I’ve colour-coded most cells to give us more accurate information.’

  ‘But if the gate hasn’t gone down, then surely the Garonin are not inside,’ said Dystran.

  ‘Which means that some stray idiot has probably blundered into them,’ said Densyr, feeling a clash of emotions.

  ‘I told you it was a risky strategy,’ said Septern. ‘Now those wards are gone and only half the cell is left. It weakens us there. What damage could a few elves do anyway?’

  ‘More than you would ever believe,’ said Dystran.

  Densyr raised his eyebrows.

  ‘What now?’ asked Septern.

  ‘It’s dawn, near as dammit,’ said Densyr. ‘I want mages in the sky to the east. Keep them high and reporting back on a regular basis. Are all our testers accounted for?’

  Dystran shook his head. ‘Three are still out there. Including Brynar.’

  Densyr clacked his tongue. ‘How long do we dare wait before we activate the whole grid? They’ll be coming, you know. I can feel it.’

  ‘Can you hear something?’ asked Septern. The dead mage put a hand to his chest and breathed in a shuddering lungful. ‘I don’t feel quite right.’

  ‘Sit down, take some water,’ said Densyr. ‘And whatever you do, don’t die again before you’ve activated the grid.’

  ‘It’s like a weight pressing hard on my soul,’ said Septern, gripping the rail of the balcony and blowing hard. ‘Can you not feel it?’

  Densyr shook his head. ‘But I can hear something. It’s faint. A droning noise, like those appalling death dirges people took to singing after the demons left.’

  ‘It’s like a Wesman chant,’ agreed Dystran. ‘But it’s everywhere.’

  ‘The wind is howling,’ said Septern. ‘Something comes.’

  Densyr caught him before he fell. He and Dystran helped Septern to a chair and sat him in it. The ancient genius was still breathing, his eyelids fluttering.

  ‘Can you activate the grid?’ asked Dystran.

  ‘In theory,’ said Densyr.

  ‘Good. Then let us make Septern comfortable and get busy. We could do with seeing more of the dead. I wonder if it is affecting them all.’

  The flat tone of a thousand horns sounded. Crystal disintegrated and windows blew in, showering glass in every direction. Densyr ducked his head and put up his hands, feeling shards rip across his skin.

  ‘Dear Gods drowning, what was that?’ he spat.

  Densyr ran for the balcony again. He could hear people screaming and shouting all across the college. He stared up into the sky to the east and saw all his plans for the folly they surely were.

  Auum whispered up the stairs behind Brynar. Diera followed him, carrying young Hirad. The young mage had a good turn of pace but he was noisy. Fortunately, they had no need of secrecy. Four flights and Brynar pushed open a door to the roof of the house. It was like another world. Half a dozen chairs and a table sat on a manicured lawn. They were surrounded by all manner of decorative pots in which a host of brightly coloured flowers demanded attention. The sweet scents were beautiful.

  Diera put Hirad down for a moment while Auum ran to the edge of the building to assess their route. She gazed over the rooftops. Everywhere was colour and light, and she found herself wondering why they hadn’t thought of a roof garden at the inn.

  ‘Silly woman, does it really matter?’ she muttered.

  ‘Why are we up here, Mama?’ asked Hirad.

  ‘It’s not safe on the ground, darling. So we’re going over the roofs. What an adventure!’

  ‘Where’s Father?’

  ‘We’re going to get him now.’

  And how she wished he was standing by her right now. She felt desperately scared. Auum and his Tai were so strong and quick and full of confidence but she was not. Did they really expect her to leap across the chasms between houses? It couldn’t be done.

  Behind her, elves and men spilled onto the roof carrying sheets. They set to tying them together. Someone had even found a length of rope. An irritable voice below told her that Gresse was approaching, carried by two others and arguing all the way.

  Up in the sky, the machine had retreated back into the clouds and there was some small respite from the droning noise that had hurt Hirad’s ears. But she didn’t imagine it would be gone for long. She drew her son back close to her as the wolves leapt out of the doorway, following Thraun. Soon a line of elves and wolves plus the returned shapechanger were standing on the edge, looking out. Auum was pointing. Brynar was shaking his head. Miirt took a pace back and leapt the gap, landing easily on the other side. Diera spread her arms. ‘I can’t do that,’ she said.

  She took Hirad by the hand and trotted to the edge. Auum made a space for her.

  ‘I will carry your son on my back,’ he said.

  The gap was about ten feet where roofs overhung the street below. Beyond, there was a clear run to the next square.

  ‘But I can’t jump that gap.’

  ‘We will not let you fall,’ said Auum.

  ‘What about Baron Gresse?’

  Auum’s face was impassive. ‘He knows where his journey ends.’

  ‘The grid around us is not yet active,’ said Brynar. ‘They could take their chances on the ground.’

  ‘That is for him to decide. Ghaal, Miirt. Back over here. Help Diera.’

  Across the city, the flat horn tone washed out from above and the machine descended once more through the clouds. It hung above the east gate for a moment and then began a slow move west. Lines fell from its sides to the ground and the rooftops. Garonin slid down the lines, advancing the moment their feet found purchase.

  Brynar drew in a huge gasping breath. ‘That’s the grid active.’

  ‘It will do them no good,’ said Thraun. ‘The Garonin can target the wards from a distance.’

  ‘Don’t be so sure,’ said Brynar. ‘Septern’s linkage is quite brilliant. Some wards lie dormant until others are triggered. They will not find them all.’

  Garonin were moving across the rooftops towards them. Black-armoured and -helmeted, weapons in their hands, they appeared to simply step across the largest of gaps, their armour flaring briefly white as they did.

  ‘Yniss preserve us, I have put you in greater danger,’ said Auum. ‘Give me Hirad.’


  Diera crouched by her son. ‘Hang on to Auum, darling. I’ll be right behind you.’

  ‘No, Mama. I want to stay with you.’

  Diera kissed Hirad’s cheek and wiped away a tear. ‘It’ll be all right. Fun. Auum is going to teach you how to fly.’

  Hirad looked at her suspiciously. ‘Really?’

  ‘Really. Now go with him.’

  Hirad let go of her. Diera stood. Auum inclined his head and took her hand.

  ‘Trust me. Come, Hirad. Jump up on my back.’

  He crouched and the little boy threw his arms around Auum’s neck. The TaiGethen put his arms under Hirad’s legs and held him piggyback-style. Diera breathed deeply. Miirt and Ghaal had returned over the terrifying gap.

  ‘We’ll all do this together,’ said Auum.

  He bounced Hirad on his back and walked back a few paces. Diera, with the Tai either side of her, let them take an arm each.

  ‘Don’t think about it,’ said Ghaal. ‘Just run as fast as you can. We’ll do the rest.’

  Diera’s heart was pounding. ‘I don’t think I can do this.’

  ‘Don’t think at all,’ repeated Ghaal. ‘Do.’

  Garonin were closing. Diera could see them only three streets away. She gathered her tattered courage.

  ‘All right,’ she said.

  ‘Go,’ said Auum.

  They ran for the edge. Diera’s scream built on her lips, and as she planted her foot and felt the TaiGethen pull on her arms, she let it have full voice. She cycled her legs in thin air and closed her eyes momentarily. An endless heartbeat later she felt another rooftop beneath her. She stumbled but the Tai did not let her fall. Diera opened her eyes and looked back and then into Hirad’s beaming face. Auum crouched to let him down.

  ‘Run to the far end. Join the ClawBound. Tai, we fight.’

  And in no time the elves had jumped the gap again and were running back along the rooftops, straight at the Garonin.

  The pain in Hirad’s chest caused by the arrival of the vydosphere made his head swim. He and Sirendor were seated together, holding each other upright. The Unknown and Jonas were standing, arguing, and Ilkar, bless him, was still trying to find a safe way out of their prison despite the crushing weight he must surely be feeling.