I smiled weakly at the joke, but the idea of wielding weapons of mass destruction inside the Harken city walls made me feel sick.
‘We’ll also have magical defences,’ Roman said.
‘You have craftusers on your side?’ I felt some relief. It meant they weren’t completely alone, that others would stand with them. But Roman was shaking his head.
‘We cannot turn to those we persecuted as Regulators. How could we trust them? How could they trust us?’
‘Then, how?’ I asked, confused.
‘We will teach some of the older nephilim to use blood magic.’
‘You can’t.’ My objection snapped out of mouth before I could stop it. Roman’s eyes narrowed and I tried again. ‘You know that nephilim using blood magic can lead to madness. There was a reason the Grigori forbade it.’
‘There is a risk,’ Roman admitted. ‘But we have to use everything in our power.’ His eyes cut to me meaningfully. ‘I know you won’t use blood magic, Lora. You’ve already explained why to me in the past. But just because you’re afraid to wield it, doesn’t mean others will be.’
Ouch.
My lips pressed tight. ‘Well, don’t let me keep you from making your brilliant plans. If you both will excuse me, I need a moment alone.’
Casper went to say something, but a shake from Roman’s head stopped him. I whirled and stalked off. I wasn’t going to help Roman the way he wanted me to. What Roman was planning would put everyone at risk – those who followed him and the people in the city. I couldn’t stand aside and watch it happen, let alone help strike the match. There had to be another way and I was going to find it.
Chapter 35
I woke before dawn from a restless sleep. Rising from my makeshift bed inside a small room, I stretched out my stiff limbs and winced as pain shot through my hips. I had vague recollections of Roman coming in and lying with me at one point, but I couldn’t see him now. I made my way quietly around slumbering bodies in the warehouse, climbing a metal staircase that led to the roof. Until someone showed me where the coffee was, the next best thing would be fresh air.
The warehouse rooftop was interspaced by thick brass piping, jutting up beside whirring air ducts and the occasional lock-shed. The sky was beginning to grow light, though the moon’s white outline was still visible overhead. My skin dimpled in the freezing air and I rubbed my arms, wishing I was still asleep. All around me was an eerie silence, and it took me a moment to figure out what was wrong: no sentries.
I inched back until my foot hit a section of piping, then I crouched, sinking into shadow. My ears strained for any indication I wasn’t alone, and at first all I could hear was the distant call of a night bird and the faint crowing of a rooster. Just when I thought I was being paranoid, I heard voices to my left. Inching around the pipes, I spied a small ball of light bouncing in the air, casting a dim light on Kalin. Seth stood opposite him, looking very unhappy.
Swearing silently, I tossed up my options. Walk out and confront them both? Sneak back inside and sound the alarm? After all, Kalin was no friend of anyone, let alone the nephilim. I crept forward, stopping when my foot met something soft. Dropping my eyes, I saw the body of a nephilim. I checked his pulse and found it beating slow and steady, no trace of injuries. Pulling two of the daggers from the spine of my corset, I moved forward until I was close enough to hear what they were saying.
Up close, I realised Kalin, the kid with the strange yellow eyes, had almost vanished. In his place now stood something withered and old, with a face transformed into a mask of wrinkles and bruised flesh. There was a translucency about the hand that grasped his ever-present sword, and I could make out the veins underneath the skin.
‘Who has done this to you?’ Seth was asking. ‘What manner of magic is this?’
Heaving back an arm, I threw my daggers in quick succession. Both missed Kalin and I winced when one clipped Seth on the arm, ripping his sleeve.
‘Shit!’ Seth swore, rubbing his arm. ‘Is that you, Lora? You’re the only person I know with aim that bad.’
‘Sorry.’ I walked over, pulling a third dagger and flipping it in my hand. ‘I was aiming for someone else.’
‘So I gathered.’ Seth glanced at Kalin. ‘This isn’t what it looks like.’
‘Sure it is, Seth.’
‘Have you come to witness the birthing of my true father?’ Kalin asked me, voice a dry rasp. Up close, I saw most of his hair had fallen out, leaving wisps that dangled around his face, and when he opened his mouth to speak, I saw only jagged fragments of black teeth. ‘Have you come to beg for mercy, Dreadwitch?’
‘Kid, I personally have no idea why I’m here.’ I flipped the blade again, almost dropping it. ‘It’s too early in the damned day for anyone to be walking around without coffee or gin.’ I pointed the blade at Seth. ‘I’ve got a good idea why you’re here, though.’
‘I told you,’ Seth said. ‘This isn’t what it looks like.’
I shrugged. ‘Sure. You just came up here for a walk. All innocent like.’
‘It is the time of the great offering,’ Kalin said.
‘Shut up,’ Seth snapped at him. ‘Just shut up.’
‘Why don’t you let him talk, Seth?’ I asked. ‘Why don’t you let him talk about all the murders he’s committed in your name?’
‘Keep out of this.’ Seth glared at me.
‘But I’m involved, Seth. Right up my pretty little eyeballs.’ I flashed my dimples at him. ‘I read an interesting play yesterday. Called King of Wolves. Ever hear of it?’
Seth’s shoulders sagged. ‘Not now, Lora. Please.’
‘Oh, yes, now. Because that’s what this —’ I waved a hand around, ‘— is what it’s all about. You see, this play said the name of the father of griorwolves was Sarquious.’ I flipped the blade again. ‘That was your name in the Pit, wasn’t it? When you commanded your armies of hellspawn? I remember you telling me about it. How your supposed friends betrayed you and you were cast from the Pit, doomed to be human.’
‘Lora —’
I tapped the flat of my dagger against my chin. ‘Being the father of griorwolves is some distinction, Seth. You should embrace it.’ My gaze trailed up and down his body. ‘You must have looked pretty darn different in your original form.’
‘I had my reasons for not sharing that information with you,’ Seth said, sounding tired.
‘I know. You wanted to keep your options open, right? In case you couldn’t gain the power you wanted here, you wanted me close. It was all about options.’ My eyes flicked to Kalin. ‘Only you didn’t realise someone else would find out about your secret. A monk who believed in the prophecy of the Howling King. A monk who discovered your forgotten bloodline and taught your son high-magic. Taught him a way to bring the prophecy to pass. A way to gain the attention of the father who had abandoned him.’
‘She speaks the truth, father,’ Kalin whispered, wiping a sheen of fresh sweat off his face. ‘I was taught by a great man, Father Ambrose. He explained to me how I could achieve greatness through you. How you would allow me to be reborn in your image and rule by your side.’ He held a wrist out to Seth, blue veins standing out under his skin. ‘After all, your blood runs through me, father. The blood of the Howling King himself.’
With great difficulty, he bent to one knee and struggled to lift his sword. I saw it was now bright and shiny, the hilt a gleaming gold. He offered it up to Seth, arms trembling with the effort.
‘I offer this to you,’ Kalin gasped. ‘So the god inside of you may rise up and reclaim his former glory.’
‘What have you done?’ Seth recoiled in disgust from the sword. ‘Has that sword turned you into this?’
‘The sword is infused with thaumaturgy magic,’ I told him. ‘That’s what’s wrong with your son. That’s why he’s been killing people. To gather enough power into that sword, so his father could become a god among men.’
‘To use that magic is to condemn your very soul.’ Seth wiped a sha
king hand across his mouth. ‘I never wanted this for you.’
‘It was worth it,’ Kalin said. ‘It was worth the price.’
‘You’ve taken lives,’ I said. ‘And you’ll have to pay for that.’
Kalin’s wasted eyes fixed on me and he sneered. ‘Your time has come, Dreadwitch. You will be instrumental in my father reclaiming his former glory. And all within The Weald will tremble at the mention of his name.’
‘Son.’ Seth’s voice broke and I wondered if it was because he finally saw what I had: that there was no saving Kalin. ‘Not only do you offer a gift tainted with corrupt and evil magic, but you are also asking me to strike down someone I care for.’ He withdrew a step. ‘I will not accept what you offer.’
Kalin lowered the sword, disbelief filling his ruined face. ‘You refuse your destiny?’ He used the sword to help him stand up.
Seth voice was anguished. ‘You’re sick, Kalin. The magic you’ve been using has made you like this. Let me help you. I know of the finest doctors, they might be able to reverse what has happened to you.’
‘I do not want to reverse what I have become,’ Kalin spat. ‘I want to rule by your side.’ His face twisted and he stabbed a finger at me. ‘It’s her, isn’t it? Your love for her has blinded you.’
Seth heaved in a breath. ‘Kalin, please try to understand. Despite all that has happened between Lora and myself, she is dear to me and will always be so. She was right. In the beginning, it was about keeping her close. I didn’t expect to grow so fond of her. Didn’t expect to care.’
‘Liar!’ Kalin’s knuckles tightened around the hilt of his sword. ‘I have offered you your destiny and you throw it back in my face.’
‘I didn’t ask you to do this,’ Seth roared back. ‘You’re nothing but a child, who has no comprehension of the horror he’s committed.’
Kalin’s eyes turned desperate. ‘If you will not take this sword, then there are others who would give anything for this chance.’
I flipped my dagger a few more times, trying to keep my nerves steady. ‘If you’re talking about Gorath, you should probably strike him from your list as well.’
‘I have heard he was bred for this cause,’ Kalin sneered. ‘He will come to me on his hands and knees for this offer.’
‘He will reject you,’ I said. I wasn’t completely sure about that, but I had to believe it. ‘Gorath will reject you, just as your father has done here. Gorath broke the bindings our father, Sariel, chained him with. He has the support of powerful peers, a pregnant wife and a newly-found half-sister.’ I gave him a small, arrogant smile. ‘He will not move against me, any more than Seth will. Your hopes of reviving this prophecy are dead, Kalin. Just as you will be, soon enough.’
‘You have bewitched them both!’ Kalin screamed. He leapt, heaving the sword towards me. But I was ready and threw my dagger. It missed, but I was already throwing my last one, and it thudded directly in Kalin’s right eye. He faltered, giving a scream of rage, and I dodged his oncoming attack easily. Seth stepped forward, casting salt and chanting in a low voice. The salt hissed to life as it flew towards Kalin, but I remembered how useless my attacks had been last time. The spell failed to ignite and the salt just fell to the ground. Kalin pulled the dagger from his eye, leaving a gaping, fleshy wound. He swung his sword at me clumsily and I easily kicked one of his legs out. He fell, gasping for breath.
‘Put the sword down,’ I said in a level voice. ‘It’s over. This quest you’ve been on? It’s done. This power is eating you alive.’
‘No,’ Kalin sobbed. ‘I will find another who will accept my gift.’
Shouts and approaching footsteps sounded and I knew back-up wasn’t far away. Seth hung back, agony and despair on his face. I heaved a sigh, knowing I was going to have to grab that stupid sword myself. As I moved forward, Kalin raised a hand and a light flashed out, blinding me. When I blinked my vision clear, the kid was gone.
Chapter 36
The roof and surrounding buildings were searched, but no one could find any sign of Kalin, and soon enough, people turned to other matters. The sentries on the rooftop were revived, all reporting throbbing headaches and the bittersweet taste of darkcraft in their mouths. It was assumed Kalin had been the culprit, though Seth was tight-lipped about how he managed to be on the roof at the same time. He disappeared soon after, saying he’d make sure Kalin was found. I didn’t press Seth about what he was going to do with his son once he caught him. I’d seen the realisation dawn in his eyes, the understanding his son was lost, and I didn’t believe in kicking a man when he was down.
As the morning warmed up, Roman and Casper became distracted with logistics planning and I saw my chance to slip out. Harken nephilim and Regulators were stationed everywhere around the neighbourhood and it took most of my skills and a borrowed salt pouch to sneak out under a shadow spell. While I still had the Apertor Elixir and the knives tucked back into my corset, I didn’t have my belt, or my cane, and a heavy downpour started up, soaking me instantly.
I was loitering in the empty entryway of a dressmaker store, trying to come up with a plan, when a rickshaw driver pulled over and honked his horn. Limping over, I ducked my head inside the dry cab.
‘I don’t have any money on me,’ I told the driver.
His eyes skipped over my hair. ‘Doesn’t matter. I know who you are. You can ride for free.’
I hesitated, then got in the back. A free ride in Harken? Usually I’d be looking for the catch. But this time, I got the feeling there wasn’t one. People were afraid and looking for answers. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any. At least, not yet.
‘Where to?’ the driver asked. I changed my mind about going home and gave him the address for the Craft Aldermen building on Hickery Lane, in the respectable area of Applecross.
The driver glanced at me in his mirror, then pulled away from the curb, clockwork engine ticking loudly. He drove slowly and stopped at intersections, even when there was no traffic. Each time, there would be a Mercury boy on the corner and he’d give the driver some sort of signal before the driver headed off.
‘You drive pretty cautiously,’ I said.
‘Dangerous times we’re living in,’ he replied lightly. ‘The Mercury boys have a system going, tracking the locations of the Thesma Regulators.’
‘Clever,’ I murmured.
We arrived at our destination and I stared in horror at the building, the brick walls scorched, windows smashed above the glass-littered street.
‘Regulators hit it yesterday,’ the driver told me. ‘About the same time they were burning that Grigori priest. The City Watch came to try and cool everyone down, but they were too late to save the place.’
‘Wait for me,’ I told him, getting out.
The driver wound down his window to squint at me through the light rain. ‘There ain’t nothing to see. You’re wasting your time.’
He was right, but I crossed the street anyway and entered the building. A bakery had once taken up the space on the first floor, selling cinnamon scrolls you’d trade your soul for. Now the place was trashed. The walls were charred and the shelving and cabinets were nothing but rubble. Glass crunched under my boots as I made for the stairs. An accelerant must have been used and the enclosed staircase stank of it, the acidic smell hitting the back of my throat and making my eyes water. At the top of the stairs, the door to the Aldermen chambers sat open, the inside a picture of ruin. A great tapestry had once hung on one wall, detailing the events of the great burning, when full-bloods had been persecuted. Now, the epic story that had been told in threads of gold and sand was nothing more than charred bits of weaving. The wooden pews were blackened and the wooden table the Aldermen had sat behind was a mound of ash.
I realised someone stood in one corner of the room, near the tapestry, partly hidden behind its remains.
‘Who’s there?’ A voice called out, high pitched and afraid.
‘Lora Blackgoat,’ I answered.
A woman stepped into
view and I recognised Aldermen Aria, a gorgon who had sat at the ruling table with five other appointed craftusers. Her normally animated hair hung limp around her face, twitching now and then, as if exhausted. A thin gold circlet, a symbol of her Aldermen status, sat crooked on her head and her white robes were filthy with soot and blood.
‘What do you want?’ Her voice was dull. ‘Have you come to gloat?’
‘No,’ I said, shocked she might think this. ‘I came looking for help.’
‘You’ll find no help here,’ Aria said. ‘The Thesma Regulators destroyed everything.’
‘Where are the other Aldermen?’
‘Those who could, fled the city. The Regulators killed some others.’ Aria lifted a thin shoulder, then dropped it. ‘The rest, I don’t know. Gone to ground, I suppose.’
‘We need to unite the craftusers of the city.’ I stepped around the destroyed pews, closing on her. ‘Could you rally those left and prepare to defend the city?’
Aria waved a weary hand about. ‘Don’t you know defeat when you see it? The Thesma Regulators and Witch Hunters are too powerful, too ruthless. Didn’t you hear what they did to Andela the Spider Witch? She was the most feared darkcraft practitioner in the city and they killed her. There is no one powerful left.’
‘What about the Defiler?’ I asked desperately. ‘He’s summoned in times of great need. I’d say this is one of those times, right? Why don’t you call him up to fight alongside of us?’
‘The Defiler?’ Aria looked at me as if I was crazy. ‘The last time the Defiler was called, it was to drag you back to the Aldermen Council to answer for your crimes.’
‘Right,’ I said. ‘A complete misunderstanding. The Defiler is a symbol for all citizens in Harken as a purveyor of justice. We call him up and ask for his help.’
‘Don’t be stupid.’ Aria shook her head, walking for a nearby exit behind the ruined tapestry.
‘I’m not being stupid,’ I called after her, fists clenched by my side. ‘I’m trying to save this city from descending into civil war. Something the Aldermen should have been here to do. They were supposed to be there for their people and they failed. Now, there’s only me left to stop this madness.’ My voice rose. ‘You hear? Just me.’
Chaos Broken Page 22
