Symphony of the Wind

by Steven McKinnon

  She didn’t offer verbal commands; she didn’t need to. The power inside her was growing stronger.

  The copper-brown uniforms of the Watch blurred as she rocketed past, hooves clattering along Elmwood Arcade like rolling thunder. The pain that had plagued her since all this began washed away like grime beneath a rainstorm.

  Good boy, Sunbeam!

  She bounced on the saddle, grasping the reins, not even sure if she was supposed to. She directed Sunbeam through will alone, instructing him to avoid people, carts—everything. Eyes stared at her in wonder, the aroma of fresh bread rose and children scurried from her path.

  She’d get to the skyport in no time. She didn’t know what to do when she got there, but it didn’t matter. She’d figure it out. Right now, she was flying free.

  She turned off into an alleyway—an old woman pressed herself against the wall—and down into another thoroughfare. No obstacles, no-one chasing her, nothing in her way. Sunbeam powered through streets, beneath skybridges, past the Campbell, Coutts & Crawford building. Air sheared the tension from Serena.

  Not far now!

  She raced downhill.

  But at the bottom of the street, a figure stepped out, big and pale.

  The sight of him inspired a worming fear in her.

  Turn!

  The figure yanked an ignium streetlamp from the ground and swung it like a club, smashing against Sunbeam’s head with a wet thud. He snorted and whined and fell to the ground. Serena flew from the saddle and skidded along the cobbles, vision popping in and out, limbs tangling and sharp breaths stabbing her lungs.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  ‘Why didn’t you come sooner?’ spat Valentine, a cloth pressed against her eye.

  ‘You’re lucky I’m here at all after the antics you pulled at the opera house!’ They stood in the small COC of the RSF Overseer. ‘You were supposed to deliver the Prime Councillor to me—instead you waged a bloody war! I trusted you on behalf of Major Fallon—and now that swine N’Keres has me sidelined.’

  ‘The opera house was Enfield’s doing.’ Gallows’ voice rasped like a sword sliding from its sheath. He still felt Pierro’s grip around his throat. ‘And we weren’t the ones dropping shells on the roof.’

  Lockwood stood with her hands on her hips. ‘I was acting under Enfield’s orders.’

  ‘Why’d you come for us anyway?’

  ‘Fieri had a member of the Watch contact me. I’d have got here sooner if N’Keres hadn’t wrested command from me.’

  ‘How did he do that?’

  ‘He arrived in a fighter craft with a writ signed by Confessor Cronin. I’m to report to the barracks in Musa’s Harp. Thankfully I still have soldiers loyal to me.’

  ‘They’ll be looking for you,’ Gallows pointed out.

  ‘That’s why the Overseer has to look like she’s still on surveillance operations. But the details are irrelevant now. To the rest of the kingdom, you are murderers and traitors. The military and Watch have orders to shoot you on sight; my talking to you will be considered an act of treason, so unless you give me good reason to keep you alive, I’m turning you in and getting my warship back.’

  Damien threw the bundle of files onto Lockwood’s desk. ‘Everything’s in there,’ he said. ‘War crimes, torture, illegal experimentation. Pyron Thackeray has been covering it up.’

  ‘Including the Dalthean ignogen bomb that destroyed our fleet,’ added Gallows. ‘Just like Fallon said. Except it was Enfield who activated it in an attempt to kill Serena. He was an Idari spy, Lockwood. It was his craft that boarded the Schiehallion during the concert with those Wraith troopers. You’ve been played. Just like the rest of us.’

  ‘General N’Keres’ name’s in there,’ said Valentine.

  Lockwood turned to a random page, brow knitting in disgust. ‘Gods above.’

  ‘Pyron Thackeray dies for this, Commander.’ Iron lined Valentine’s voice. ‘He as good as killed Sturrock and he’s the one who landed Fallon in the Gravehold.’

  ‘Then he shall be tried by a jury.’ Lockwood’s eyes skewered Valentine. ‘Legally.’

  ‘Bullshit!’

  ‘Hey! Calm down,’ urged Gallows. ‘We’re on the same side. Where are Couressa and her people?’

  ‘Safe,’ said Lockwood. ‘They’ll be taken to Princess Anabelle Hospital, along with the youth and the nun.’ Lockwood pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘For what it’s worth, my condolences. I didn’t know Sheva Kirivanti personally, but I understand she was a good leader.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Damien. ‘The bomber who killed her—his name was Culran Hajjar. He was a crewmate of Serena’s.’

  ‘Was he looking for her?’ asked Gallows. ‘Did he say anything before he…’

  Damien shook his head. ‘He was not… entirely there. He was under the influence of something. He did not appear to recognise the gravity of his actions.’

  Gallows understood. ‘They hijacked his mind. Like Tiera Martelo.’

  ‘I believe so.’

  ‘Son of a bitch.’

  ‘I believe the bomb was used to signal the rest of Farro Zoven’s troops,’ Damien continued. ‘Hajjar was a kuramanusa—it stands to reason that Pyron Thackeray sent him so he could blame the atrocity on an Idari suicide bomber, thus maintaining his narrative.’

  ‘Accusations are just that, Mister Fieri,’ said Lockwood. ‘We still don’t know if this drug even exists.’

  ‘Enfield admitted it,’ countered Gallows.

  ‘And you have proof, of course.’

  Gallows ignored the jibe. ‘Serena, she’s got mind-controlling abilities. I can’t explain it, but she does. I’ve only seen her manipulate animals, but it’s the real deal. You got a bead on her? Did she make it to the skyport?’

  ‘She’s not been spotted there. And I believe I’ll ignore the stories of her possessing magic powers.’

  ‘I’ve seen her do it,’ said Gallows. And then he laughed. ‘More’n that, I’ve had it done to me. It’s real, okay? The Grand Perceptor got inside my head just like Captain Vaughan got into Tiera’s. Fallon believed me and you trust him, right?’

  ‘Don’t push your luck, son,’ warned Lockwood. ‘I know what happened to you out there. I know what she did.’

  Gallows’ throat went dry. ‘Then you know I wouldn’t make this up. You know we need to do something.’

  Lockwood pored over more files and photographs. ‘N’Keres is in here. Photographs, details of his abusing prisoners. They purposefully passed diseases onto unwilling subjects, performed unnecessary surgery…’ She slammed the files closed and clenched her eyes shut. After a moment, she looked to Gallows. ‘There’s someone you should meet.’

  The brig doors slid open with a scrape, a young female guard saluting as they entered.

  ‘Open the cell,’ said Lockwood.

  The guard did so. Patrol craft cells were small and bare, only meant for quick transportation of prisoners to a Watch house. Straight away, Gallows recognised the woman.

  ‘Tiera.’

  ‘Hunter,’ she said. ‘See you’re having as much luck as me. These finisa frisked you yet?’

  ‘Allow me to introduce you,’ began Lockwood, ‘to Yulia Susuro.’

  What? ‘Tiera ain’t her real name?’

  ‘Just one in a long list.’

  ‘Why have you brought me new friends?’ said Tiera. ‘Hm?’

  ‘You’ve not reported her arrest,’ Damien observed. ‘You believe us.’

  ‘Believing something and proving it are two different things, Fieri. Before N’Keres stripped me of command, I had intended on using Tiera to find you lot before the Watch.’

  ‘So,’ started Valentine, ‘we taking the fight to Thackeray or what?’

  ‘It’s not that simple,’ said Lockwood. ‘The Council is gone. No-one has seen King Owain since before the war ended, nor Princess Anabelle. Thackeray has all the cards. He owns the military, the Viator and the Watch.’

  ‘Y’all don’t need their
permission to kill him,’ said Valentine.

  Lockwood glared at her. ‘No. If we go after the Prime Councillor, we do it my way. He will be arrested and put before a Magister.’

  ‘This pantomime bores me.’ And with that, Tiera yawned.

  At that moment, Royce barged through the door. ‘Ma’am!’ Lines etched his youthful face. ‘It’s the girl. One of our agents spotted her. I’m afraid she’s been captured.’

  ‘Shit.’ Gallows’ eyes clenched shut, and all the aches he’d picked up over the last few hours burned bright. All the fighting. All the death, the destruction… And we still failed her.

  ‘His name’s Korvan,’ said Gallows, following Royce’s description of the abductor.

  They were back in the Overseer’s COC now, Tiera included. ‘He’s like the Wraiths, but different. Smarter. They’re just drones. This guy’s merciless.’

  ‘He is also responsible for burning the orphanage in The Sands,’ Damien added.

  The metal in Valentine’s switchblade retracted and extended, her dead eyes focused on it. ‘And killing Sturrock.’

  Lockwood stood at the helm, hard face betraying nothing. Static hissed and Bride’s Code signals stuttered. ‘What is he?’

  ‘As near as we can tell, a dead soldier brought back to life,’ said Gallows. ‘It’s in the files. There’s another one. Enoch. He helped us escape after the opera house. If Korvan has Serena, she’s in danger.’

  Lockwood waved a hand. ‘Ah yes, the “siren”. If she’s so powerful, why can’t she just control his actions?’

  ‘Serena’s a mermaid-witch?’ asked Tiera. ‘Reckoned there was something odd about that child.’

  Gallows shook his head. ‘Listen to what I’m saying!’

  Royce cleared his throat. ‘If I may interject,’ he began, ‘but if this Korvan is taking orders from the Prime Councillor, doesn’t it stand to reason he’ll bring her to him? If he’s researching forbidden technologies and constructing illegal weapons, he will no doubt seize her abilities for his own ends.’

  ‘My thoughts exactly,’ agreed Gallows. I probably owe that kid an apology.

  ‘Or kill her attempting to do so,’ Damien added.

  ‘We can’t sit around,’ said Gallows. ‘She could be dead. We gotta move.’

  ‘Where, exactly?’ demanded Lockwood. ‘This secret lab in the middle of the Obsidian Sandlands?’

  ‘Yes!’ said Gallows.

  She shook her head. ‘General N’Keres has full military control, we’d never get close. Our hand is played before we’re even in the game. Not to mention that this is treason.’

  ‘Only if we fail,’ said Gallows. ‘Anyway, Val and I can take the train. There’s a tunnel entrance not far from the Petrel’s Tail gate out of the city.’

  ‘Just us?’ Valentine asked. ‘I’m all for killin’ Thackeray, but I’d be surprised if we make it two feet before he guns us down.’

  White-hot anger filled Gallows, and at the same time the empty pang of helplessness. All the death. All the sacrifice. How could they go through all this and still end up in the same position? ‘There’s gotta be something we can do.’

  ‘I agree with the ginger,’ said Tiera. ‘Pyron Thackeray dies. If he’s working with Vaughan and the witch, he is responsible for whatever happened to my Fitz.’

  ‘No-one is murdering the Prime Councillor!’ Lockwood shouted. ‘If we do this, we do it clean. We bring him to justice.’

  ‘He ain’t playin’ by your rules!’ spat Valentine. ‘And I ain’t ginger.’

  ‘Additionally,’ said Royce, ‘any of this evidence can be easily discredited. The Viator will disavow any sources. The Information Towers won’t breathe a word of it. No Magister will preside over the case as long as the Prime Councillor holds sway over them.’

  ‘You’re supposed to be on my side.’ Lockwood shook her head. ‘Tiera, if Captain Fitzwilliam is alive, he will be in the Gravehold with the rest of your crew. You have my word I will do what I can to secure his release, but it will take time. An attempt on Thackeray’s life will be a death sentence for us all, including Fitzwilliam.’

  ‘Oh yeah, and the small matter of no-one knowing where the hell it is.’ Valentine embedded her knife in the wall. ‘Pyron Thackeray ain’t even here and he’s got us beat!’

  ‘No he doesn’t.’ Gallows massaged the stiffness from his neck. ‘Not yet. He doesn’t control everything—Farro Zoven owns the streets. He’s the one with the dirt on the Magisters and the Council. We might be able to cut a deal.’

  Tiera scowled. ‘Last time anyone saw Fitz, he said the same thing.’

  ‘His lieutenant is dead, his men are either arrested or in the ground and he’s a threat to the Prime Councillor. This is the weakest Zoven’s ever been. We get him to give us the dirt he has and offer him immunity, then that’s a whole lot of people less scared of Pyron Thackeray.’

  ‘Oi!’ Valentine crossed the room and prodded Gallows’ chest. ‘We had a deal. Thackeray dies. No trial, no jail time, nothin’.’

  ‘Things have changed, Val.’

  ‘Yeah? That the case with Cronin?’

  Gallows looked away.

  ‘What’s this about Confessor Cronin?’ asked Lockwood.

  ‘He killed Sera.’ Gallows’ voice sounded hollow. ‘For having an Idari ancestor.’

  ‘Then he will pay for his crime,’ the commander said. ‘Legally.’

  ‘That bastard doesn’t deserve to breathe.’

  ‘Then it’s fortunate the sentence for treason is death.’

  That won’t do. A noose was too good for Confessor Cronin.

  ‘I’m here to get Fitz and go,’ said Tiera. ‘I care nothing about your Council or your war.’

  ‘What of Serena?’ Damien asked. ‘What about your comrade?’

  Tiera turned away. ‘She is more trouble than she’s worth. Fitz is my priority.’

  ‘Then help us!’ Gallows pleaded. ‘Don’t you want to get revenge for what Vaughan did?’

  ‘More than you!’ she snarled.

  ‘Good. We can put ’em all away. Lockwood can take you to the Gravehold. Hell, you can escort Thackeray there yourself and get Fitz out.’

  And leave Cronin for me.

  Tiera looked across the room to the commander. ‘You know where the prison is?’

  ‘All high-ranking officers do,’ Lockwood added. ‘But I am not about to divulge that to a pirate. Pardons be damned.’

  Tiera angled her head, lips curving. ‘Then why haven’t you arrested me yet, huh? You finisa are all the same! You use the law only when it suits you.’

  ‘Damn it, the only reason any of you are alive is because I allow it!’

  ‘We can’t trust N’Keres,’ said Gallows. ‘Can’t trust the Arch Vigil. We’re alone, Lockwood, and we’re wasting time.’

  Tiera’s fists clenched as she spoke: ‘Then we go to the Gravehold now.’

  Valentine nodded. ‘With you on that score. And what in all hells does “finisa” mean?’

  Tiera scowled. ‘Donkey.’

  ‘Short-sighted fools.’ Lockwood leaned onto the desk with her fists. ‘You wish to know its location, Gallows? Fine: Beneath Castle Rochefort. Beneath the foundations. Good luck.’

  ‘The castle’s dungeons?’ asked Gallows.

  ‘No. Deeper than that. In the rock. Prisoners the government doesn’t know what to do with are kept there. It’s a warren of tunnels and passages that lead exactly nowhere, except to the sheer drop outside. Only the Prime Councillor and Confessors have clearance in and out without supervision. Guards are posted with blindfolds on and their faces covered to ensure they don’t know its location or with whom they’re on duty. Infiltrating it is impossible. Even if I could get us to the entry point, the castle grounds are littered with anti-aircraft silos. If I were to take the Overseer near Kingsway, the cannons would destroy us.’

  ‘Does it have an insertion point?’ asked Damien.

  ‘In the rock.’

  ‘Big enough
for the Overseer?’ Gallows asked. ‘If there was a way to get close without alerting the defences, could the Overseer land?’

  Gallows watched the cogs turn in Lockwood’s head. Fallon always wore the same look. ‘If you’re taking on the Prime Councillor, you’ll need a larger force than can fit on this patrol craft. Some of the Schiehallion’s crew would join us were we to neutralise N’Keres, but that would blow the cover to the Gravehold—and a war on two fronts is risky.’

  ‘The Watch may assist us,’ said Damien. ‘Those who aren’t corrupt, anyway.’

  ‘We have no idea what kind of force Thackeray has in this facility,’ Lockwood started. ‘The fighter craft aboard the warship don’t have the fuel capacity to fly from here to the middle of the Obsidian Sandlands. In any case, they are single-person fighters. To make this work I need personnel, aircraft, resources…’

  ‘What about the Raincatchers?’ asked Gallows.

  ‘Oh, good idea,’ said Tiera, ‘perhaps they can use their knives to dig into the Gravehold. I know! Let’s use spoons!’

  ‘Not what I mean. Can we get aboard the Schiehallion if we’re on a raincatcher? Will the hangars accommodate that? That way, the Overseer is free to hit the Gravehold.’

  Tiera’s impatience was infecting him. But if this was what it took to get to Thackeray—to Cronin—then it was worth it.

  Lockwood’s stare could have frozen the sun. ‘Where are you going with this, Gallows?’

  ‘Vaughan leads the Raincatchers by Thackeray’s decree,’ he started. ‘Storm the skyport, arrest Vaughan, seize his airship and use it to sneak us onto the Schiehallion. N’Keres won’t shoot us down if he thinks Thackeray ordered Vaughan to approach. We hail it with bricode—reckon you know your own warship’s frequency, Commander. We board it, neutralise N’Keres. The Overseer can hit the Gravehold with Tiera. When she’s done, and with the additional troops from the Schiehallion, we can assemble landing parties on the Raincatcher fleet and fly to the outpost. The Schiehallion can take anything Thackeray throws at it, and the Eagles can provide air support. Valentine and I can lead the ground troops.’

  ‘Guild won’t go for it,’ shot Tiera. ‘They won’t relinquish their aircraft.’