“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
Volinette’s eyes snapped open, though she didn’t need them to know who was standing between her and her room. Sure enough, Janessa was standing there, along with Syble, Halsie, and Nixi. Any hope Volinette had of reaching her room without anyone else knowing she had broken curfew evaporated like breath on a winter morning.
“I can explain—” Volinette stammered, but Janessa and the others just laughed.
“You don’t need to explain anything to us,” Janessa said with a wave of her hand. “We sneak out after hours all the time. We’re just a little, well, impressed that the perfect Acolyte, Volinette Terris, would be caught out after hours.”
“You’re impressed?”
“Of course,” Janessa laughed. “We didn’t know you had it in you, did we girls?” She waited just a moment for a murmur of assent from the others and then continued, “What were you doing out so late?”
“I was in the Great Library and lost track of time.”
“Oh.” Janessa’s disappointment was palpable. “Well, I guess to each their own. We were just on our way out. You should come with us.”
“Really?” Volinette’s head spun. The change in Janessa’s attitude was simply too extreme to credit, yet the others, whom she expected to protest, were nodding their heads with enthusiasm. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt, just this once…and it would be nice to be included for a change. She’d spent so many nights alone in her room that the prospect of going out and getting into a little innocent mischief was very appealing.
“Yes, it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Janessa lowered her voice to the barest whisper and made a show of glancing around to ensure they were alone, even though the five of them were the only people in the narrow entrance hall to the dormitory. “We’re going to the Hall of Wonders.”
Volinette’s heart skipped a beat. She’d dreamt of seeing the Hall of Wonders since she’d been a little girl. The Hall was where some of the most impressive magical artifacts in the Imperium were displayed. It was normally off-limits, only opened a few times a year for visiting dignitaries or study by exceptional students.
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“Come on,” Syble said in her sing-song voice. “Don’t you want to see? We’ve been there dozens of times. It’s dead simple to get in and out. No one ever knows.”
“It really isn’t a problem,” Janessa agreed. “Unless, of course, you’re too scared to come.”
“I’m not scared,” Volinette protested. “I’m just, well…”
Janessa laughed and shook her head.
“She’s too scared. Come on, girls.”
Janessa stepped around Volinette and the trio followed, shaking their heads in much the same way as their leader. They eased the door open, and Volinette watched them disappear into the night.
Indecision gripped her. On one hand, she was terrified of being caught in the Hall of Wonders. She wondered what they did to students who they caught in restricted areas. Even so, she couldn’t possibly be the first Acolyte to sneak into somewhere she shouldn’t be. Syble said it was easy to get in and out. If they’d been in the Hall that many times, surely one more wouldn’t hurt.
“Hey, wait for me,” Volinette called quietly, stepping past the door and closing it behind her.
The four other girls were standing on the cobblestone path, as if they’d been waiting for her. Janessa grinned.
“I figured you wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation. Come on!”
As they wandered down abandoned paths to the tall stone building that housed the Hall of Wonders, Volinette experienced a combination of feelings she’d never felt before. Her heart thundered against her ribs and her palms were slick with a sheen of sweat, but she felt more aware and alive than she’d ever felt in her life.
There were times when living at home that she’d snuck off into the woods to practice her magic. Forbidden as that was, it never filled her with the sense of danger and intrigue that she felt right now, sneaking along outside the edge of the building with Janessa and the other girls. They moved at a snail’s pace, their backs pressed up against the cold stone wall.
They walked for what seemed to Volinette like hours before Janessa held out a hand and indicated for the rest of them to stop. Janessa spoke words of power, a cantrip of opening that Volinette and the others had practiced in class. To Volinette’s amazement, a large stone slid out of the wall, opening a passage just big enough for the girls to squeeze through as long as they went one at a time.
Syble was the first in, followed by Nixie and Halsie. Volinette paused on the threshold, her nervous eyes darting between the pitch black opening and Janessa, who concentrated on keeping the entrance open.
“Go on,” Janessa commanded, her voice made distant by her split attention between the physical and ethereal realms. “I can’t hold this forever.”
Well, Volinette thought, in for a fraction, in for a Crown. I’ve come this far, might as well see it through.
Volinette boosted herself into the hole, wiggled through the narrow space and dropped down to the cool stone floor on the other side. Janessa followed, nearly landing on Volinette as she dropped. Janessa whispered a few words and the wall sealed itself from the outside.
One of the other girls invoked a will-o-wisp, its pale white light illuminating what looked like a storeroom as far as Volinette could tell. There were crates piled up in the corners of the room and pieces of furniture scattered around like a child’s jack-straws. A thick layer of dust coated the room, except for a narrow path between where they stood now and the door at the far wall. If nothing else, the girls’ boast that they’d done this many times seemed to be an honest one.
In a perverse way, Volinette was comforted by that disturbance in the dust. If Janessa hadn’t lied about that, perhaps the change in her attitude was something Volinette could count on. Growing up in the Terris family had left precious little time for making friends or nurturing friendships. Hours were spent in study and training, and those that weren’t spent on instruction were spent on chores or tours. Volinette could count on one hand the number of friends she’d been able to maintain over the years, and Baris was the only one she had any contact with now. Having some girlfriends would be a welcome distraction from the stress of their studies.
Thinking of Baris gave her stomach a guilty lurch. When he found out that she’d seen the Hall of Wonders and hadn’t brought him along, he was going to be furious with her. Especially after he’d spent so much time keeping her entertained when she didn’t want to go back to the dormitory in fear of Janessa and the others being there.
She shook her head, trying to dispel the nagging feeling. He’d just have to get over it. She wasn’t going to jeopardize her newfound kinship with her peers to make sure that he got a look at the treasures on display. Besides, Volinette knew where the secret stone was now. She was sure she could open the secret passage into the building and get Baris in on their own. She’d make sure he got a chance to see everything too.
Janessa was crouched by the door on the far wall, her ear pressed against it. The others stood still as statues, and Volinette did her best to do the same. She felt as if she were still fidgeting, even though she was trying to stand still. The excitement was overwhelming.
“Okay,” Janessa whispered. “The corridor is empty. Let’s go.”
She eased the door open, revealing a passage lit with flickering yellow light. As the girls passed through the door and into the corridor, Volinette realized that the quality of the light was from the oil lamps that hung on lengths of chain that extended down the corridor. These weren’t magic lanterns, they were filled with real oil and burned with a real flame. She was so consumed with wondering who would tend the lanterns in the hall that she didn’t realize that Janessa and the others had gone off without her.
Volinette walked as fast as she could without making any noise. She caught up with Nixi, who was the last of the other girls, in short order
. Nixi glanced at her over her shoulder, and Volinette thought she saw something there, an expression of disgust. The look was so fleeting and so soon replaced by a grin that she thought she must have been mistaken. She put it out of her mind and followed Nixi and the others down the corridor.
They arrived in front of a massive door, the likes of which Volinette had never seen. It was easily ten feet across and looked as if several trees had been uprooted, cut to size, and banded together with thick ribbons of obsidian. It sat in a massive obsidian frame, into which had been incised the sigils of every great Order in the Imperium. These icons glowed with subdued light, and Volinette could feel the power emanating from them, washing over her in waves.
“Isn’t it great?” Janessa whispered in her ear, a wide grin across her face.
Volinette nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Janessa said.
The older girl extended a hand and closed her eyes. Words of a spell that Volinette had never heard tumbled from her lips. The icons in the doorframe grew brighter, pulsing more quickly in response to the spell being cast in their presence. After a moment, Janessa fell silent and opened her eyes.
For a moment, Volinette thought that whatever spell Janessa had been attempting had failed. As they stood in the corridor outside the impressive door, nothing happened. Volinette wanted to ask what they were waiting for, but didn’t want to appear the fool, so she waited along with the others.
After what seemed like minutes, the door swung open on silent hinges. The other girls stepped inside without any hesitation, leaving Volinette on the threshold. She looked from the doorframe to the open door, indecision flooding through every part of her. She felt guilty about sneaking into the Hall. She had no permission to be there, but so what if she didn’t? This might be the only chance in her life she’d get to see the artifacts stored there. If she didn’t do it now, then when?
Mastering her indecision, Volinette steeled her resolve and stepped through the door into the Hall of Wonders. The door swung shut behind her, latching with a series of clicks and clacks that seemed far more ominous than they probably should have. She looked over her shoulder at the door. It was there, closed. Volinette wasn’t sure what she was expecting to happen. She put her apprehension out of her mind and turned her eyes toward the interior of the room.
“Oh my,” Volinette whispered, her breath caught in her throat.
“I told you,” Janessa laughed, no longer bothering to whisper. “It’s something, isn’t it?”
Chapter Nine
Magnificent was the only word Volinette could find to describe the resplendent beauty of the Hall of Wonders. A miniature sun was suspended from the ceiling thirty feet above, bathing the enormous room in light and warmth. Two to three dozen ornate display cases were laid out in concentric circles, beginning at the edge of the circular room and extending inward to a single large pedestal over which hovered a many-faceted crystal that caught the light from above and flashed every color imaginable.
Artifacts also hung on the walls. Weapons, tapestries, items that Volinette couldn’t guess a use for, all were displayed on hooks or pegs that ranged the full height of the ceiling. She turned in a circle, forgetting that the other girls were there as well. There was just too much to see, too much to experience. Every item her eyes landed on was more interesting than the last. She rushed to a display case filled with rocks and crystals. Each had a hand-written card nearby stating what the item was and what importance it held for the Quintessentialists who had discovered it or brought it to the Hall.
Talismans and foci were the subject of the next case, with examples ranging from ancient wands to modern jewelry infused with the power of the Quintessential Sphere. Even separated from the treasures by panes of glass, Volinette could feel the items inside the cases thrumming with muted power, as if they were waiting for someone to come and wield them once again.
How long she spent dashing from one case to the next, Volinette would never be certain. What was plain when she returned to her senses, however, was that whatever brief reprieve she had earned with Janessa and the others had come to an end. Catching Janessa’s eye, Volinette saw a malicious glint there that sent a chill up her spine. Her suspicions were confirmed when the girl spoke. Janessa’s voice had returned to the cold, near hiss that she’d used with Volinette from the time that Tenika had died.
Too late, Volinette realized that she’d followed them into a trap, all unwitting. She wanted to scold herself for her foolishness, but not before she knew how bad things were going to get. She was outnumbered four to one, and she’d already experienced how cruel Janessa could be. Volinette had no reason to believe that the other girls would show any sort of mercy or restraint.
“Stupid girl,” Janessa hissed at her, a malevolent smile spreading across her face. “Did you really think you were going to get off that easily? ‘Oh, I understand, you killed my sister, but that’s okay.’ Honestly. How stupid are you?”
Volinette tried to find words, but her tongue seemed to be fused to the roof of her mouth. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and the only thing she could think about was running as fast and as far as her feet would carry her. The realization that she couldn’t even do that settled like a cold fire in her belly. She had no idea how to open the door, or where to go after she managed that feat. She hadn’t been paying attention to the route they’d taken from the storeroom to the Hall.
“So stupid she can’t even talk,” Syble crowed, slapping her hands against her thighs. “You were right. She took the whole thing, like a baby from a spoon. Unbelievable.”
“She just wants to be accepted,” Janessa said with mock sympathy. “Isn’t that right, Volinette? Just want to be one of the girls? Not have to hide in your room night after night because of the murdering filth you are?”
Janessa took a step forward. Volinette took an involuntary step back. Still bereft of the power of speech, she knew enough that she needed to stay as far away from the other girls as the limited space in the room would allow. She backed into a display, the edge of the glass biting into the small of her back and making her yelp with surprise.
“Oh, look, she can talk, sort of,” Nixi laughed.
The other girls had spread out behind Janessa, an impenetrable line of offense that Volinette couldn’t hope to escape unscathed. The only hope she had was to make it to the door before they did something horrific. Digging deep, she found the strength to run.
Dodging the case behind her, Volinette ran for the huge door that secured the Hall of Wonders. She didn’t need to turn to know that Janessa and the others were right behind her. They’d catch her by the time she reached the door, but maybe, just maybe, she could reach the corridor beyond. If she could reach the corridor, maybe she could call for help. Whatever punishment came from being in a restricted area was sure to be milder than whatever the girls had in store for her.
In the end, Volinette made it to the door. Her hand bushed the ancient wood before a powerful kick knocked her legs out from under her. She pitched forward, her face slamming into the door. She tasted copper and flicked out her tongue, giving the split lip a tentative prod. Blood was also streaming from her nose, painting her cheeks and chin crimson.
Volinette screamed, but Syble clamped a hand over her mouth before anyone could hear. Janessa was by her head, lifting her shoulders and dragging her back into the room, away from the door and any possible salvation Volinette had hoped to find there. Nixi and Halsie followed, a grim honor guard to the sinister scene playing out before them.
“Open her mouth,” Janessa commanded.
Syble was quick to follow orders, digging her thumbs into the back of Volinette’s jaw and forcing it open. Janessa took something from the pouch on her belt and forced it into Volinette’s mouth. A nod from Janessa, and Syble forced her mouth closed, holding it shut with all her strength. Bitter flakes dissolved on Volinette’s tongue as she tried to spit them out. Resist
ance was useless, Syble was just too strong.
A strange lethargy began to spread through Volinette’s body. She noticed it first in her fingers and toes. Try as she might to move them, they just wouldn’t respond. Next, her arms and legs became leaden. Full-fledged panic raced through her. Volinette was sure that she was going to die. The terrible stiffness spread into her chest, and she wasn’t able to move at all. Only her eyes seemed to be unaffected by the poison. They darted in mute accusation from Janessa to Syble and back again.
“You can let her go,” Janessa said to Syble, brushing her hands against the legs of her slacks.
Syble released her grip and peered at Volinette with undisguised curiosity.
“What’d you do to her?”
“Flakes of Lockroot,” Janessa laughed. “She won’t be going anywhere for a while. We’ll have plenty of time to do what we need to do.”
“We better get started,” Halsie said from outside Volinette’s field of vision. “The guard will be here soon, and we need to be gone before that happens.”
Janessa nodded. “Did you bring everything we need?”
“We have everything,” Syble said absently. She was prodding Volinette with an experimental finger.
“Then leave her there and let’s get to work.”
Syble frowned, as if she wasn’t pleased to lose a prime opportunity. After a moment, she and Janessa disappeared from view.
Volinette could hear them moving around the chamber. They had moved some distance off and were speaking in the barest whisper, so she couldn’t make out what they were saying. The blind panic of being frozen was beginning to wear off. Now that she knew that the poison wasn’t going to kill her, Volinette was able to think with a clearer mind.
No matter how much she thought, Volinette couldn’t come up with a way out of her predicament. Without her voice, or her hands, there was no way for her to invoke the power of the Quintessential Sphere. Cantrip, spell, and ritual, all were useless without the use of either her voice or her body. She was at the mercy of Janessa and the others, and that wasn’t a place she wanted to be.
Volinette's Song Page 8
