Silence fell and I realised I was alone. My heart sank and my throat locked up, tears prickling the corners of my eyes. Wearily, I turned and began to leave the chambers, knowing there was nothing left to do.
‘You want the Defiler to judge the High Grigori?’
I turned to see Aria had reappeared in the doorway, though it was with a doubtful look.
Hope unfurled in my chest. ‘Someone has to. The High Grigori is persecuting craftusers and otherkin, the very people the Defiler was sworn to protect. He has no choice but to take a side.’
‘Even if you could convince him of this, ‘ Aria said. ‘The summoning spell for the Defiler is in the great Alderman grimoire, which was confiscated by the City Watch when they came to help the Regulators.’
‘The City Watched helped burn the Council?’ I asked, feeling faint.
Aria made an impatient gesture. ‘They stopped us from fighting back, took our most powerful books of magic. What else would you call it? No doubt they were afraid we would retaliate against the Regulators in kind.’
‘I can go and get the book. I’m friendly with a City Watch Captain.’
One of Aria’s eyebrows arched. ‘It would still take a powerful craftuser to summon the Defiler.’
‘Orella Warbreeder has been my teacher,’ I said. ‘And I’ve gotten pretty damned good lately.’
Aria’s hair twitched about her shoulders with faint hissing sound. ‘Even if you had the spell, you would also need to be near the High Grigori, otherwise the Defiler would turn on you. Calling him forth without purpose is punishable by death.’
‘No problem.’ I grinned. ‘I’ll get up nice and close to the High Grigori before I start the spell.’
Aria stared at me as if I was talking gibberish, the steady sound of rain against the roof the only noise. Then she moved forward, taking off the gold circlet from her head.
‘You must wear this,’ Aria said.
As I touched the gold band, an electric charge skirted through me, making me jump. My fingers closed reflexively around the metal.
‘I relinquish my position on the Aldermen Council,’ the gorgon whispered. ‘And give all my rights to you, Lora Blackgoat.’
My eyes dragged up to meet hers. ‘Wait. What?’
She stepped back. ‘Only an Alderman has permission to call the Defiler. It is necessary for the spell to work. You want this responsibility, now it is yours.’ She made a fluttering motion. ‘Now put it on.’
Arms heavy, I lifted the circlet and placed it gingerly on my head. Nothing happened when the cold metal pressed against my forehead and I relaxed a little.
‘Is that it?’ I asked.
‘You now have my place as a Craft Alderman,’ Aria said. ‘The Defiler will have no choice but to rise and obey you. Remember to use plenty of salt when you cast.’
My feet were already moving to the door. ‘Thanks.’
‘Don’t thank me yet.’ I heard Aria mutter, but I didn’t bother stopping to reassure her the plan would work. After all, it wasn’t the best plan. But it was all I had.
Chapter 37
I walked back to the idling rickshaw, head ducked against the rain, slipping as I went. As I clambered in, the driver twisted to look at me, jaw dropping when he spied the circlet.
‘Bit low, isn’t it? Stealing from the Craft Aldermen?’
‘I didn’t steal it,’ I said. ‘I got recruited.’
The driver snorted and straightened in his chair. ‘Okay, Alderman Blackgoat. Where to now?’
‘Take me to the nearest City Watch station.’
‘That one at Piccano Square?’
‘Sounds right to me. Seems they’ve got something I need.’
‘Right-o,’ the driver grunted, grinding gears as he pulled into the road. The rain subsided a little and I stared morosely out the window, unable to believe things had gotten so damned bad, so damned quickly. Aria’s faith in me was heartening, but her sacrifice of her position made my plan more of a reality than I’d originally thought. I’d kind of hoped she might have been able to call up the Defiler there and then. Maybe have a little chat, explain what was going on, and then we’d all sit back as he struck Laeonder down and drove the Thesma Regulators from the city.
Guess not.
Once we reached Piccano Square, I got out and gave the driver my thanks.
‘We gotta stick together, don’t we,’ he muttered. ‘I’ll wait, see if you need me after you’re done in there.’
I nodded my thanks, then approached the City Watch station. Inside, the duty Sergeant sat behind his desk, reading the street press. When I cleared my throat, he took his time looking up.
‘Can I help you, citizen?’ he asked.
‘I need to speak to Caleb,’ I told him. ‘It’s important.’
The Sergeant’s eyes narrowed, as if he suspected I had something nefarious planned. ‘He’s busy.’
‘He won’t be for me. Tell him Lora Blackgoat is here.’
‘I know who you are.’
That surprised me a little, but whatever reputation had preceded me, it wasn’t enough for him to jump to it and get Caleb. I folded my arms and flashed him some dimples. ‘You’re going to get him right now, before I tear off your arm and beat you with the soggy end.’
The Sergeant squinted at me, his look saying he was unsure I’d go through with the threat. I tried to look tough. I tried to look mean. The Sergeant gave a huff of disgust.
‘Last office on the right,’ he said, before going back to the street press.
I walked around to find Caleb in a room filled with bustling City Watch officials. Some stood in groups, talking in low voices, while others cleaned pistols and polished swords. When Caleb saw me in the doorway, he crossed the room.
‘Lora.’ His eyes took in my haircut and the circlet. ‘Are you alright? I heard what happened yesterday.’
‘Not my best day.’
He pointed at circlet. ‘Is that what I think it is?’
I self-consciously touched the metal. ‘Yeah. I guess I kind of got recruited.’
‘Right,’ Caleb said, looking confused. ‘And…why?’
‘I’ll explain later. Did the officers here take a book from the Council of Aldermen?’
‘A few things were confiscated.’ Caleb gestured to a back table, littered with scrolls. ‘We wanted to make sure the Aldermen didn’t bring the city down around our ears.’
‘You mean, fight back?’ I started heading towards the table and Caleb raised a hand to stop me.
‘The City Watch’s duty is to uphold the law, Lora.’ Caleb sounded offended. ‘We must restore order, before the streets are overrun with anarchy. This new High Grigori might be bending rules to suit him, but that doesn’t mean we ignore the laws of the city. Someone has to maintain order.’
My eyes pointedly focused on Caleb’s blocking hand and he dropped it. ‘I need to look at one of the books, Caleb. It’s important.’ I waved at the circlet. ‘Not to mention they’re kind of mine, now.’
Caleb shook his head. ‘Now I know the Aldermen are desperate.’
‘Sticks and stones, Captain,’ I said, hurrying to the table and shifting the books around, searching the titles. Caleb watched over my shoulder.
‘Would you know anything about my friend, Reuben Crowhurst?’ I asked without looking up. ‘He was shot in Abraham’s Alley and I don’t know —’ I tried to say, if he’s dead or alive, but I couldn’t form the words.
‘Barclay!’ Caleb shouted across the noisy room.
One of the Sergeants cleaning a flintlock looked up with a surly expression. ‘What?’
‘Were you on patrol in Abraham’s Alley yesterday?’ Caleb asked.
‘Yeah. With Piloski.’
‘Was there a disturbance?’
‘It’s Abraham’s Alley. You’re gonna have to define “disturbance” for me.’
‘Anyone get shot by a Regulator?’
The man put down the weapon. ‘Yeah. A citizen got it in the guts. N
o one would give us any details though. Just that a Regulator did him.’
‘What happened to him?’ I asked quickly.
The man’s eyes flicked to me, then back to Caleb. ‘We took him to the south-east hospital.’
‘Was he…’ I licked my suddenly dry lips. ‘Was he hurt bad?’
‘For a fella with a gut shot, he looked to be doing remarkably well. Had an otherkin guarding him the whole time, some bitch with a dagger and a crazy tail. She tried to slice anyone who came near him. Almost got herself shot as well.’
Caleb turned to me. ‘That your guy?’
‘Sounds like him.’ I couldn’t even measure how relieved I was that Crowhurst had a fighting chance. Knowing he was probably going to pull through made everything seem a little more bearable. My fingers paused when they brushed over a book with the symbol of the Aldermen; a flaming torch nestled inside a wreath of olive leaves.
‘You know, I can’t let you take that book, Lora,’ Caleb said.
I picked it up and hugged it to my chest. ‘I have a plan.’
He looked pained. ‘I don’t want to know.’
‘I’m going to summon the Defiler and he’s going to cast judgement on the High Grigori.’
Caleb groaned. ‘Lora, I just told you I didn’t want to know.’
‘You have to let me take the book.’ I lowered my voice. ‘You owe me.’
‘You’re serious.’ Caleb stared at me like I was crazy, which I was getting kind of sick of. ‘The Defiler is a fairy tale, told to scare children.’ He shifted, casually positioning himself between me and the exit. ‘And what’s in that book are powerful spells, Lora. Spells that would bring the full force of the Order upon the caster.’
‘You know nephilim from the Outlands are in city,’ I said.
‘I did hear that.’
‘These are the nephilim who were going to be killed by the Order. They had been in discussions with Grigori Fowler to reconcile and create a new Order, where the nephilim are free. They see the High Grigori’s rule as a threat to this treaty, so they will strike back. And hard.’
Caleb’s jaw worked for a moment, then he said, ‘That…I did not know.’
‘They’ll attack the Order, and soon,’ I said. ‘Blood will run in these streets and there’ll be nothing you can do.’
‘The City Watch will be there to try and stop any violence.’
‘Are you listening to yourself?’ I gave a bitter laugh. ‘Do you really believe the City Watch can stop a fight between warring nephilim factions? Between craftusers and Witch Hunters? What will the City Watch do then?’
‘The Defiler is a myth,’ Caleb was shouting now, the room silent as all eyes fixed on us. ‘Your plan is a fantasy. It’s time to grow up, Lora. There is no defender of the realm.’
‘I’ve seen him with my own eyes,’ I said. ‘He’s appeared to me. He’s real.’
Caleb blinked a few times. ‘Why did he appear to you?’
I pursed my lips. ‘Right, well, that’s a complicated issue. The point I’m trying to make here is that he’s real and he’s our best bet to head off the wave of violence coming our way.’
‘Fine.’ Caleb folded his arms. ‘But whatever spell you’re going to do, it has to be here. That book isn’t leaving this station.’
‘I can’t do it here.’ My knuckles turned white around the book. ‘I have to be in the High Grigori’s presence.’
‘No.’ Caleb’s mouth was a thin line. ‘Forget it.’
‘You. Owe. Me.’ The words ground out. ‘And I’m cashing in.’
Caleb hesitated, eyes skittering around the room over the watching men.
‘Did you hear the stories about me fighting a hellspawn?’ I pressed. ‘And killing it with an Outland weapon?’
Caleb looked doubtful. ‘I heard you were helped by sixty Regulators.’
‘Sure,’ I said. ‘That sounds a little more plausible, but that’s not what happened. I did it. Just the same way I do anything dirty that’s got to be done.’
‘I don’t know, Lora. You don’t look so great.’
‘Yeah? Well, I’ve never felt more sure of anything before,’ I said, lying my little heart out. ‘This has to be done, before the city is lost. This is the window of opportunity, right now, before they become entrenched.’
The man called Barclay spoke up. ‘What if she’s right, Captain? We’ve all heard about the female Witch Hunter who could do weird shit. Worth I shot, I’d say.’
‘I heard she could vomit lighting,’ someone at the back of the room piped up. ‘And she has hellspawn slaves to do her bidding.’
‘I heard she was an old hag with a third eye in her bellybutton that could see the future,’ someone else added.
‘How about the one where she seduces sailors so she can feed on their souls?’
‘Hello? I’m right here.’ I waved my hands about. ‘I can hear you all.’
The room erupted in animated talk, as everyone compared wild stories they’d heard.
‘Enough, enough.’ Caleb raised a hand for silence.
‘You’re not breaking any laws by giving me the book,’ I told Caleb in the following silence. ‘You want to prevent violence, that’s noble, but it’s coming with me anyway.’
He rubbed his eyes, as if trying to clear his vision.
‘Please, Caleb. Trust me.’
He opened his eyes with a resigned sigh. ‘What’s your plan, exactly?’
‘Plan?’ When Caleb looked like he was going to snatch the book back, I quickly added, ‘I’ve got to be near the High Grigori, so I’ll just go and request an audience with him.’
‘When?’ he asked.
‘I’ve got one more thing to do first. Maybe an hour?’
Caleb’s voice dropped. ‘I’ll meet you at the Harken Bridge with some men.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, making for the door.
‘Even if we get you to the front doors of the Order,’ Caleb called after me. ‘There’s got to be fifty Thesma Regulators inside the Order compound. What’s your plan for getting a face-to-face with your target?’
I glanced over my shoulder, not breaking my uneven stride, book tight in my grip. ‘I’ve met the High Grigori. I’m pretty sure I know how to get under his skin. He’ll want to throttle me with his own hands.’
Chapter 38
Sneaking along the streets, I made my way back to the warehouse, stopping on the way to ask a Mercury boy to send a quick message to Blackgoat. He didn’t grumble when he realised I couldn’t pay and just scampered away without a glance back.
Two Thesma Regulator patrols passed me and each time I pressed back into the shadows, heart pounding. While I had my daggers and a vial of elixir still stuffed in my corset, I felt naked without my cane and work-belt.
When I reached the warehouse, two nephilim melted out of the shadows, barring my way. After they recognised me, one of them retreated inside and returned with Casper.
‘Where have you been?’ he hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. ‘Didn’t I give you a big speech about staying put? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?’
‘Ease up.’ I shook myself from his grip. Inside nephilim were huddled in groups, eating and talking in low voices. Roman stood with a group at the far end, deep in conversation.
‘I had an errand to run,’ I told Casper.
He blew out a long, shaky breath. ‘I found out about your friend, Crowhurst. He’s in a hospital. Not critical, but he’ll be there for a while.’
‘I heard. But thanks.’
His eyes dropped to the book in my hands. ‘What’s that? And what’s with the tiara?’
‘I’ll explain in a minute.’
‘Lora.’
Roman broke away from the table and stalked over, wings bristling and snapping behind him. ‘Where did you go?’ His eyes narrowed on the circlet. ‘What are you wearing?’
‘Long story.’ I took a breath. ‘Basically, I went looking for a way to get rid of Laeonder that doesn’t i
nvolve bloodshed.’ Then I explained my plan. By the time I’d finished, Casper was staring sceptically at the circlet, but Roman’s eyes were locked on me, mouth set to a grim line.
‘Explain to me again why the Defiler isn’t going to just cut you down?’ Casper asked.
‘Because he’ll see the truth, that Laeonder means harm to citizens of The Weald,’ I answered. ‘And it will be a blow against the Order in Harken. They’ll have no choice but to consider your treaty after Laeonder is gone.’
A muscle in Roman’s jaw twitched. ‘I’m sorry, Lora. But I can’t allow it. It’s too risky.’
‘You don’t get to tell me what to do,’ I told Roman. ‘This is my city as well, you know. I get to try and fight for her, too.’
‘I saved your life yesterday,’ Roman said bitterly. ‘For what? So you could just throw it away?’
‘I’m not throwing it away. I’m doing everything I can to see my home isn’t torn apart. The City Watch will escort me and I’ve sent word to Blackgoat for more back-up.’
‘Wait a minute.’ Casper held up his hands. ‘Let’s just all take a breath here. Lora, we can’t send any nephilim with you. Any Regulator who has defected from the Order would be killed on sight.’
‘Laeonder won’t kill me on sight,’ I said grimly. ‘I pissed him off. He’ll want to see me burn up close. Then I’ll call the Defiler and command him to take the High Grigori out on charges of being a traitor to the city.’
Roman and Casper exchanged a glance. Roman had been present when the Defiler had appeared to me, so he knew it was possible, and I’d told the story to Casper often enough over beers and pizza. The question I knew they were tossing up was whether the risk was worth it. Of course, I knew the answer to that and I hoped they realised it too.
‘This is a chance to halt the bloodshed before it starts. Tell me you see that.’ I looked around the bustling room, full of voices threaded with adrenalin, then touched Roman’s arm. ‘Tell me you believe in me.’
Chaos Broken Page 23
