by C. M. Hayden
“I’ll do what I must,” the Sun King said. “And if you continue down this route, I will be forced to convene a Curial meeting to remove you from power.”
“You’d rip the Magisterium apart for your own stubborn pride?”
“How dare you speak to me in such a way. You swore an oath to serve me. I am your king.”
“You...” Ross held on to the word for a long moment. “Are a sick, old man. Sick for a long time now. Your mind and judgment aren’t what they used to be. Now that your condition has advanced to this manic stage, I’ll have them move you to the Magisterium infirmary for closer attention.”
Ross turned to leave, and the Sun King reached toward her. “Amelia, wait.” There was desperation in his voice.
Ross paused at the door. “Convene your meeting. By the time you do, the situation will be handled.”
_____
The orders to secure the exits to the lower city came within hours. The artificers were broken into groups of twenty and a magister placed in charge of each group. Magister Sullen was in charge of Taro’s and ordered it around with his usual military efficiency. Ven was in his team as well, miserable the entire walk to Lower.
“Can’t they have warders do this?” Ven asked, as they drudged through the snow.
“It’s not your place to question it,” Sullen said. “You are a soldier and will follow your orders.”
“They’re just a bunch of civilians; we don’t need every magister and artificer to keep them in line. And since when is that even our job?” Ven countered.
Sullen’s voice wasn’t as confident as it usually was. “It is our duty to defend Endra.”
“From our own citizens? Something’s not right here.”
It began to snow as they approached Lower. Already, hundreds of artificers and magisters were gathered, herding civilians. The sight seemed to unsettle Magister Sullen, considerably.
“We must trust in the Imperator,” he said.
Chapter Thirty-four
Passing the Midway
Vexis felt a charge run over her skin as the carriage she sat in passed the Midway. Carriages from Crissom Foundry were the only objects that could pass through the Midway without auroms. Vexis sported a wry smile the whole way through the Magisterium courtyard.
Mr. Crissom sat across from her, looking nervous. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“You’ll do fine,” Vexis said. “Take a deep breath and relax.”
There were fourteen docks on the Magisterium, and they ran day and night. Some were for receiving metals and materials, others for exporting advanced bits of artificery.
The carriage shook as it pressed against the side of the tower. Crissom stood, smoothed the sides of his shirt, and marched confidently into the docking bay where a warder met him. Vexis peeked through the tarp and listened.
“Mr. Crissom?” the warder said, with some surprise. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I have a meeting scheduled with Magister Ross.” He tapped his pocket watch.
“I’m afraid the Imperator is away on other business.”
Crissom feigned annoyance. “We planned this meeting over two weeks ago. Of all the insulting, childish...”
“I’m sure it was just an oversight.”
“I demand to speak to someone in authority. Who’s the ranking magister?”
“I’m afraid all the magisters are away. I could send a courier to—”
Vexis stepped out of the carriage. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
The warder’s face went gray, and he fumbled to draw his sword.
Vexis crossed her arms and let him get his weapon. “You don’t think that’s going to help, do you?”
Sweat trickled from the warder’s forehead. “You’re under arrest.” He stepped closer and touched his sword to her neck.
“You look familiar,” Vexis said, pushing a bit closer.
“I was there when you broke out of the Blocks.” He sounded pathetic.
She snapped her fingers. “That’s it! Sorry, I meet so many people. What’s your name?”
The warder sniffled. “Willin.”
“That’s a nice ring you’ve got there,” Vexis said, pointing out the silver band on his wobbling sword hand. “You’re married?”
“Yes.”
“Children?”
Willin nodded. “Three.”
Vexis sighed and stretched. “I’ve got a lot of people to kill today, Will. People who actually deserve it. So, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. You have absolutely no chance of harming me. Think long and hard about your wife and beautiful kids, and whether you want to see them again.”
Willin lowered his sword. “The magisters will hang me, if they find out.”
Vexis ran her hand along his face. “Don’t worry, after today there won’t be any magisters.”
She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Scores of men and women poured from the docks, including Mathan, Halric, and Rashkal’s boys.
“We need to secure the entrances, first,” Mathan said.
“I’ll join you in a bit,” Vexis said.
Halric raised a wrinkled eyebrow. “You’re not coming?”
“I’ll catch up.” Vexis grabbed Willin by his sleeve and led him toward the door. “Will, I need your helping locating a friend of mine. He’s dreadfully ill, and I wanted to pay him a visit.”
_____
The two warders at the entrance to the infirmary were much less willing to chat than Willin was. Vexis snapped their necks with her void magic and placed her hands on their broken bodies. Darkness enveloped them and two void apparitions emerged; their skin dripped with ichor and their thousand bulging eyes scanned their new surroundings.
Vexis petted their oozing flesh. “Off you go.”
She stripped the lock off the infirmary door and entered.
“You can’t come in here,” the nurse said. She was standing at the sink on the end of the room, washing out a mortar and pestle. “Visiting hours aren’t ’til morning. The warders shouldn’t have let you pass.”
“Oh, I just sweet-talked them,” Vexis said. She sauntered over to the Sun King’s bedside. He was asleep and draped in a single thin sheet.
The nurse sighed. “Don’t expect him to know you’re here.”
When the nurse was out of earshot, Vexis hopped onto the hospital bed and sat cross-legged on the Sun King’s chest. The old man wheezed and groaned in pain, as she pressed her knee to his throat.
“I bet you never thought it’d end like this,” she whispered.
The Sun King mumbled something incoherent.
Vexis huffed. “This is just no fun.” She grabbed his vial of medicine from the side table, touched her finger to it, and gave it a taste. “That’s interesting.”
She retrieved one of her own blood elixirs and fed it to him. His veins lightened, his breathing slowed, and his eyes popped open. He struggled against her and called out. The bed shook, and the nurse came running.
“Get off him this instant!” she shouted.
Vexis swiped her hand, and the nurse went flying into a window, so hard that the bars bent out and her broken body fell from the tower.
“It’s just you and me,” Vexis said.
“Guards!” The Sun King could barely speak, much less shout.
Vexis hollered at the doorway. “Guards! Guards! Anyone? They must be on break. That’s okay. I don’t want anyone interrupting this moment.” She touched her finger to his chin.
The Sun King noticed the empty blood vial. “You’re trying to poison me.”
“Poison you? Oh, you’ve got me all wrong.” Vexis slumped onto her elbows. “Okay, I suppose that’s kind of true.” She wiped his cheek with her hand. “I apologize for spitting at you in the Curia. Not very ladylike.”
“You’re insane.”
“You have so little breath left, you shouldn’t waste it on insults. See, I’ve gone from slum to slum, alley to alley. By now, the Corruption has s
pread like wildfire. Getting your people to rise up required more than just promises. I needed something more tangible.” Vexis held her hand up and a scalpel from across the room flew to it. She pressed the blade to the Sun King’s throat.
The Sun King was defiant. “What are you waiting for? If you’re going to kill me, get it over with.”
“Feisty.” She checked his pulse and then pressed a hand on his chest. “Your heartbeat’s through the roof. Your breathing is elevated. Either you’re just enamored with my good looks, or you’re so scared you’re about to piss yourself. Care to guess which one I think it is?”
She pressed the blade even harder to his throat and blood trickled down his neck. “You should be scared. I’m not just going to kill you.” As she spoke, she ran her nails down his arm. “I’m going to show you how far pain can go. Not just pain of your body. Of your heart. Your soul.”
She shook the vial of his medicine in front of his face. “This, Your Majesty, is red wine.”
“I don’t understand.”
“One of your own people is trying to keep you sick.” She shuttered with delight.
“There’s no one who would—” Understanding swept over the Sun King’s eyes. “Amelia.”
“It’s amazing what desperation can do to a person. It can seep into the heart. Turn us into the very monsters we fight.” Vexis smiled at the Sun King’s panicked looks. “I’m not an agent of chaos, Your Majesty. Quite the opposite. I’m order. Balance. The evil that spawns from indifference. And I am here to collect my toll.”
Chapter Thirty-five
Secrets of the Magisterium
It was unsettling seeing the lower city from the outside in. The blocked-off crowds stared back at Taro with utter contempt.
It was a relief when Ross summoned him to the command tent. She stood with Sullen and Briego, hunched over a map of the lower city.
Briego ran his hand through his beard. “We cannot keep it blocked off forever. We must be as transparent as possible. Make it clear that Vexis is our enemy, no others.”
“The Sun King disagrees,” Ross said. “The Corruption is centered in the lower city. Containing it there needs to be a priority.”
“You spoke with him recently, did you?” Taro asked accusingly.
“In fact, I did,” Ross said.
Taro stared down at the map of the lower city. “Vexis is baiting you, Imperator. She wants you to cause a riot.”
“The Corruption will spread, if we don’t keep it contained,” Ross said. “And we risk allowing her supporters free movement through the city.”
“Cut off the head of the snake. Kill Vexis and this will end,” Briego said.
Taro pointed to the Downings. “Most of her supporters are here. Instead of sending an army down, send one or two disguised as civilians.”
“We’d risk them getting infected,” Sullen said.
“If you’re worried, you could send me and Kyra,” Taro said.
“Why you two?”
“Me, because I know the layout down there pretty well, and Kyra is the most powerful non-adult artificer. We’ll both be immune to the Corruption. It only affects adults.”
Briego gave Ross a stone-cold look. “Kyra is too valuable to risk her life in this way.”
Ross quieted him. “You have four hours. If we don’t hear from you by then, we’ll have to take a more aggressive route.”
_____
“I’m not doing a damn thing for her,” Kyra said, practically snarling. It was about the reaction Taro expected.
Taro tried to calm her down. “This isn’t for her. If we don’t handle it, there’s going to be a riot or worse. Ross isn’t going to stop, and she’s pushing forward to avoid giving your father enough time to stop her.”
“What can we even do?”
“We need to find Vexis. I have a friend down there that might be able to help, but we need to find him first.” He took Kyra’s hand. “Please?”
Kyra finally agreed, and they changed out of their uniforms into more appropriate clothes.
Sullen met them outside the tent. “We have to make this convincing.” He seized them by the back of their shirts and marched them toward the entrance.
“In you go,” he said, and thrust them into the crowd with considerable force. They fell, hands-first, onto the cold pavement and summoned theatrical tears.
A woman in the crowd helped him and Kyra up and looked over their scratched hands. “They’re just children!”
“That’s why I tossed ’em back rather than hauling them off to jail. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving,” Sullen said.
They pushed through the throngs and down the ramp. Taro had come this way a hundred times; but it looked alien, somehow. Most of the market carts were closed and the shops were boarded up. The Corruption had flared dramatically, in a short time, like someone had stoked the coals of a fire.
The elderly got the worst of it. Many lay sprawled out on the sides of the roads gasping for air; their faces were clammy and pale and their veins inflamed. While the symptoms were identical to what his parents had, it’d taken them a year to get to this stage. This was decidedly more rapid.
“I had no idea it was this bad down here,” Kyra said, in bewilderment.
Taro grabbed her by the arm and hurried her along. “This way.”
When he saw Aris’ wagon, he breathed a sigh of relief. The back axel looked as though it had been damaged, but it was definitely Aris’.
This time he remembered to knock. “Aris,” he said, rapping on the door.
Kyra was circling the wagon and looking over the markings. “A circus cart?”
“There’s even a clown inside,” Taro said.
The wagon door opened with a familiar sight inside. Lying face-down on the floor was Ashur.
“I’m busy.” Aris was holding a syringe and a cloth that smelled strongly of alcohol.
Taro pushed in, uninvited. “You’re trying to cure him?”
“There’s no cure,” Aris said. “None that I can find, at any rate.”
Kyra had one foot on the last step. “Who are you?” she asked Aris.
Aris cleaned off his hands with the alcohol rag. “You’re standing in my door, asking me who I am?”
“Sorry.” Kyra held out her hand to shake. “Kyra, artificer.”
“Aris, monkey juggler. Charmed, I’m sure.” Aris left her hand hanging and pressed his finger to Ashur’s neck, then to his inflamed wrist.
“Can you help him?” Taro pleaded.
“I’ve already tried. This’ll be his third dose in the last week.” Aris knelt in silent contemplation.
“If you bring what you know to the Magisterium, maybe it could help them find a cure,” Kyra said.
“The Magisterium isn’t trying to find a cure,” Aris said.
“What makes you say that?” Taro said.
“Until the Arclight was damaged, disease didn’t exist in Endra Edûn. They wouldn’t even know where to start. All they can do is quarantine the afflicted.”
“You know an awful lot for a circus performer,” Kyra said. “Not to mention your wagon says Magister Extraordinaire.”
Aris ignored the comment. “Wait a minute, how did you two get down here? Didn’t those morons block it off?”
“Magister Ross sent us to find Vexis. We’ve got a little over three hours before she sends in an army.”
Ashur spoke up for the first time. His voice barely rose over a whisper. “She’s not here.”
“What?” Taro said, moving closer.
Blood trickled down Ashur’s cheek. “Vexis. She’s gone.”
“Where’d she go?”
Ashur groaned and turned onto his side. “She told us the magisters did this to us. You’re saying it was her?”
Taro shook him. “Where?” he repeated.
Blood trickled from Ashur’s mouth. “You’re too late. The tower’s already hers.”
Taro and Kyra looked at each other, like their hearts skipped
a beat. They bolted for the door and dashed toward the surface. The clamoring masses trying to escape had swelled to thousands. Among them were agitators, shouting into the crowd.
One man stood on a cinderblock, shaking his fist. “Vexis warned us this day would come. They think they can herd us like sheep. This is our city!”
Taro and Kyra pushed passed the hordes and pressed up the ramp. The warders tried for a moment to stop them from passing the line, but Ross interceded.
Back in the command tent, Taro and Kyra dropped to their knees, panting and trying to catch their breath.
“Vexis is trying to take the tower,” Kyra said hastily.
“It’s a trap,” Taro added. “She knew you’d try to find her in the lower city, and the tower only has a handful of magisters defending it.”
Horror swept over Ross’ face. For a brief moment, she was still as a statue. Finally, she pushed up her bifocals and licked her dry lips. “There aren’t any magisters.”
Kyra’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“All of the magisters are aiding us here. There are still over two hundred warders guarding the tower, but—”
“Warders have no chance against Vexis.” Kyra’s voice turned to icy stone, and when she spoke she wasn’t speaking to her imperator, she was speaking to her subject. “We have to go. Now.”
“The tower is still protected by the Midway,” Ross said.
“The Midway is not infallible,” Sullen said. “She may have acquired auroms or found some method around it.”
“Caravans from Crissom Foundry can get through the Midway,” Taro said.
“He’s right,” Sullen said.
Ross cut the air with her hand. “Regardless. Leaving will send thousands of diseased people into the city.”
“We can’t let her have the Magisterium,” Taro said.
Ross pushed a strand of blonde hair out of her eye. “There’s only one option. We have to seal off the lower city.” She called to Magister Sullen, and whispered something to him.
