by P M Cole
But that wasn’t what drew my eye, because the exterior walls were also made from glass, and allowed an unparalleled view across the park, to the homes and boroughs beyond and even to…
A thick blanket of fog covered the lowest area, far to our north. London and its river were seemingly lost in an otherworldly mist. I had always assumed the weather stretched out further and was also affecting the outlying areas, but only the city was currently being affected.
“This is where we used to hold our meetings…” Lucas then looked up at the jagged hole in the glass that was once the domed roof. Rays of light streamed through the hole, lighting a circular area on the table and one of the chairs. He glanced at me producing a quick smile. “It was not under the best of circumstances that I left this room the last time I was here, but always imagined that when we created—”
“You created the league?”
“Me and four others always thought the league would stand the test of time. But I was much younger back then…” He looked around the room. “So much of magic is used for evil ends. We wanted to set forth a new path, and that perhaps one day magic could be brought to the casual's attention.”
“Why… did you leave them? The league?”
He produced another of his sad smiles. “I was not given a choice… but, looking back, I can see now it was I who gave them no choice.”
He walked closer to the north-facing wall and looked out to London. His face grew strained on seeing what had become of the capital.
An impulse caught me, and words sprang from my mouth. I told him about my night time encounter with Athena and what she had shown me. By the end of my little tale, he was sitting on the upright part of the table while Colin, who having made it very slowly across the glass floor outside, was on one of the chairs, looking angry.
Colin went to talk, but I held up my hand. “I trusted my instincts…”
“You can’t go walking off into magical woods!” shouted Colin.
“He’s right, Cog. I cast the protection spell for a reason.”
I turned around in frustration, looking back to the vice-like grip the white mist had over the city. “If I hadn’t gone out to her, I wouldn’t know about what happened to my mother…”
“Cog. It was a long time ago. If your mother lived, surely…”
“I know. You do not have to state the obvious.” Even though I understood and largely believed the sentiment Lucas was uttering, for some reason I could not kill the hope inside me that maybe she was still out there somewhere.
“More mysteries… not exactly what we need,” said Lucas. “But it is curious why the Fury took her.”
I felt emotion building within my chest, and I steadied my breathing to suppress it. “Do you not think there is any chance she is still alive?” I said without turning.
I heard Lucas’s deep sigh. “It’s highly unlikely but anything’s possible… it’s just I don’t know how exploring that will help us with current predicament.”
He was right, but I still intended to have another meeting with Finlay to get the truth.
Colin stood. “So, what we gonna do? Nothing came of that Dark Factory place—”
“Shadow—” interrupted Lucas.
“— Whatever, and your league is gone. I say we start recruiting more to fight Hades and his monsters the old-fashioned way!”
“Then we all die…” I said with no joy.
“The league is gone, but its members might still be around. We have already met one.”
“Charlotte?” I said, looking at him.
“Yes, and she might know where the others reside.”
“The witch made it clear; she ain’t for helping us,” said Colin.
Lucas turned and started to walk out of the room. “Then I don’t give her a choice.”
Before following, I took one last look at the mass of white cloud which sat over the capital. I was sure it had grown in size since I first set my eyes upon it.
CHAPTER FIVE
We arrived back at the Factory just as the sun had given up for the day. The building's sheer blackened walls looked even more ominous, lit as they were by yellow glows of the occasional wall light. High above, the row of small windows was still emblazoned with orange.
“Does the Factory ever close?” I said to Lucas as one of the large gates sprang open.
“Not really. During the day those that reside within it sell their wares, and during the night it becomes their home. It’s not the kind of place you want to visit once the sun goes down.”
His expression disturbed me, but we all moved inside anyway, and the gates closed behind.
We quickly made our way through the thick air to the almost hidden entrance, and then into the tunnel. This time there was no distant thrumming of a thousand people, only silence. Which was worse.
We came out into the main hall as we had done earlier in the day, although now it was empty, and oddly seemed smaller. The expanse of space above us was still as impressive, with the ceiling almost being lost in the darkness. The interior of the cavernous building now took on the look of the streets of London, with burning oil lamps providing illumination between the various stalls which were now closed up. As we walked through the lanes, I became aware that most of the stalls were in fact just the fronts of much larger structures, some of which had small chimneys which connected to larger pillars and pipes.
A gaggle of individuals, some of whom were covered from head to toe in rags, staggered past us.
“Keep moving,” whispered Lucas to Colin and me. We averted our eyes from the stragglers and kept on moving forward.
Soon we were back at the part of the magical internal village with the older, more dilapidated structures, including the final stall at the end of a lane.
We all stood in front of it and waited.
The ghostly sounds of disembodied voices came before Charlotte's own. “Why have you returned, warlock.”
“I went to the Crystal Palace…”
“Then you know. Why come back here?” Her voice emanated from the cool air around us.
“I want to know what happened. I’m owed that much at least”
There was a pause and, even though my ears did not pick up the slightest of sounds, I was sure I heard a sigh.
Suddenly the old boards in front of us started to creak, then move, then transform. Wood becoming stone, brick on brick, forming a cylindrical wall, shooting skywards. Windows formed with an orange glow already emanating from them. Colin and I could not believe what was forming before our eyes, but Lucas remained unmoved.
After a few seconds of this magical feat, a tower, complete with an arched entrance and windows at various heights, spread upwards with no end in sight.
Charlotte was standing in front of it. “Then you should all come inside. There are those who do not follow my rules out here.”
I looked at Lucas.
He leaned into me. “The Factory is Charlotte's domain.”
“Oh…”
Lucas smiled and we followed her into a hallway, lit by burning torches. In the centre of the room was a large iron cage which extended upwards into the ceiling. She approached it, then much to everyone’s surprise, opened the front, sliding a door to the side.
She pointed to the interior.
“Umm…” said Lucas.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “It’s a form of transport, Lucas. Things progress! You really have been away for a long time.”
We all moved inside the metal box. Charlotte got in with us, standing near a mechanism of some kind and lowered a lever. A clunking came from around us, and the box started to rise!
“What magic is this?” said Lucas.
“No magic, Lucas. You know I always kept an eye on the latest inventions from the casuals. They call this an elevator.”
I stood, looking down at the ground floor moving further away. “This is amazing!” I said, trying, but not doing a good job of hiding my excitement.
Charlotte smiled. �
��I am glad you think so, young lady. It took a month's rental income to install.”
“Fascinating,” said Lucas, watching the brickwork appear to move downwards as we traveled in the opposite direction.
The elevator jolted to a stop, and Charlotte pulled the iron door open. A luxurious but darkened room sat outside. Shelves covered the walls, stacked with vases, ornaments, and the occasional book while where there was a space, a painting would reside.
She stepped out. “Welcome to my home.”
We walked into the room which also housed a roaring fire, chairs, and a table. The most impressive feature though was the large balcony visible beyond purple and green drapes. I walked towards the impressive view of London, and then realised we were above the fog.
“How high are we?” I said, looking through the open door.
“High enough not to be affected by Hades' infernal spell.”
“The Fog?” said Lucas.
Charlotte frowned. “Yes, but each day it grows deeper, rising an inch higher. Soon the mist will even cover the roof of the Factory and I will not be able to see any further than the casuals can. No doubt this is all part of his larger plan.” She looked at Colin and smiled. “Young man. All of this must be of some surprise? You being one?”
Colin looked confused.
“A casual?”
He straightened his back. “I’ve seen things.”
Charlotte laughed. “I’m sure you have.” She pointed to a glass cupboard. “Help yourself to a drink if you so wish, it may help take the edge off.”
I stepped out onto the balcony. The fog, being almost at the same height, made it seem as if we were an island. To the northwest the dome of St Paul’s cathedral stood proud, and then further afield the palace of Westminster could be seen.
“It is some view,” said Charlotte standing next to me. I hadn’t heard even one step. “Better without the fog of course.”
I looked up at the canopy of stars. I had forgotten they were even up there.
Charlotte pointed to a constellation. “Andromeda, the princess of Aethiopia… Do you know her story?”
I shook my head.
“She was a great beauty… so much so that others grew jealous of her, and Poseidon the god of the Sea, brother to Hades, chained her to a rock to be ravaged by a monster from the oily depths.”
“Hades has a brother?” said Colin, standing behind us.
“Perseus saved her,” said Charlotte, ignoring Colin’s question. “He used the head of the Medusa to defeat the creature.”
“A Gorgon?” I asked.
“Yes. Why?”
Lucas answered for me. “Cog and Colin have already come across one of the sisters in London.”
Charlotte moved a few steps away. Her clothes as if they were made of snakes, moved, and coiled around her. “Yes. Daria works for Hades…” She looked back at me. “Before I tell Lucas of what happened to the league, I want to know your story, young lady.”
We moved back inside and sat around the fire. A short while later I had relayed the events of the past few weeks. I presumed we could trust this strange woman if Lucas had brought us to her.
She had sat in silence for most of my tale, with only a flicker of emotion across her eyes on mentioning Mr Gladwell.
“Did you know a Titan was just five or so miles from you?” said Lucas.
“No… Maybe if I did things would have ended differently for the league.”
“What did happen? Where are Marcus, Irene, and Dax?”
“The last I heard of Irene, she was boarding a steamer for New York. Dax is in Scotland, and Marcus… he is what started the downfall of us all…” She smiled, but I could tell it was laced with sadness. “Hades may be evil, but his cleverness exceeds his devilment. Shortly after you were expelled, Marcus suggested another take your place… a girl by the name of Heather…”
“Heather?” I said.
“Have you met her?”
“No, but she was at Byron’s ball. She was close to Hades.”
“Yes, well, the rest of us did not know that then. We also did not know of her godly power.”
“Which is?” said Lucas.
“She is the embodiment of Hebe, the god of eternal youth…”
I noticed Lucas’s eyes widen, and he leaned forward slightly in his high-backed chair.
Charlotte also noticed. “Yes, Lucas, that is why I appear as I do.” She sighed as if a weight was upon her. “We… I ignored your pleas to my shame, Lucas. When you told us a great evil was rising in London, we scoffed. For even if there were such a threat, we felt we could defeat it. Such was the combined power of us five, and even us four. As we told you at the time, there was no need for us to acquire more power. We had seen that end in blood too many times. What none of us knew was that Hades had already turned one of us to his side—”
“Marcus?” said Lucas.
“Yes. With him on his side, and you gone, the three of us were easy to manipulate. To destroy a friendship, simply offer them each a gift they cannot refuse, then watch as they tear each other apart trying to obtain it.”
“Marcus told us of this young girl with the power to restore our youth. What we might achieve if we were all young again?” Her eyes briefly came alive with the light from the fire, but then quickly fell sad. “Alas, Marcus said the young girl could only restore one of us to our former selves, such would be the burden of using her power. It was a clever plan that the league would not recover from…”
“I take it you won that little battle?” said Lucas.
She sighed. “Yes, but at the cost of the league.”
“The younger witch made you young?” said Colin. “How old were you before?”
Charlotte whipped around to face him, her face reflecting the fury of the flames nearby. She then burst out laughing. “I like this casual! You said you live with rats?”
“Err… no…”
Lucas’s expression remained serious. “This is not about the league anymore, or even Cog, it’s about all of us stopping what’s coming, Charlotte.”
Her smile receded and she looked directly at him. “Look out the window Lucas. He has already won. London is his, and soon all of this realm.”
“No!” The word came from me before the thought had even taken form. Everyone looked at me.
“You are only one. They are many. What you have told me of your encounter with Hades is just a glimpse of his true power. What can you offer in return?” said Charlotte.
While she was talking, I was concentrating. She needed to see.
Colin's eyes grew wide and he pulled back in his chair, as did Lucas until he realised the source of the strange scene in front of him.
Charlotte was confused at the two men's reactions and turned around in her chair. A snake made of iron wavered in the air just a few feet from her.
She frowned, then waved her hand towards what I had created. “Parlour tricks.” I broke my concentration and my fierce-looking metal serpent fell as a frozen clump of iron onto the rug.
Lucas leaned forward. “She is the embodiment of—”
“I know the potential of her power, Lucas, but raw power is nothing without the skill to use it. You know this.”
“Yes, but who better to show her than—”
She sprung up, waving her hand again, but this time with her eyes fluttering. “No… I am not part of this fight.”
Lucas went to talk, but I stood, taking a step forward so I was just inches from her. “Hades killed my parents, to own me… and I saw everyone I care about, including those in this room, die at his hands and those of his followers. I will die again to stop him if I need to.”
She looked into my eyes, as if seeing me for the first time.
CHAPTER SIX
My mother's young, smiling face looked down upon me. This was a memory I had not seen before. I was in my childhood home, in bed. In her hand was a book, which she was reading from and, although her mouth was moving, I could not hear the words. A
tap came at the window. I swung my head towards it and screamed, but no sound came from me. A face, part-animal, part-human was looking through the darkness, its eyes glowing. I waved my hands, pointing at the obscene vision just beyond the glass but my mother was too engrossed in the story. The face came closer to the window. I started to back up against the headboard. In panic, I whipped my head back to mother and froze at how she now looked. Her face was transformed into one that was pale and old and the warm glow that had lit the room was now replaced with the cold light of the moon.
“Help me Corine…”
I woke up. My mother's deathly face still imprinted on my mind. For a moment I forgot where I was, then realised I was still in the main room of Charlotte’s chimney tower.
In two nearby chairs, Lucas and Colin were sleeping, the former snoring. After a small meal, Charlotte had retired to another room which none of us had seen, and after a discussion of the plan for the following day, we all drifted off to sleep.
I reached down to where I had left my pocket watch. 2 a.m.
I slowly sat up and took a deep breath. The single blanket that started off on top of me was on the floor. Somehow the fire was still burning, but its heat was now unbearable. I looked at the door to the balcony, tiptoed across the room, and let myself out. The chilled night air came as a relief. I looked out across the sea of white swirling mist and wondered if my mother was somewhere lost within it. The idea made no sense of course. Even on an instinctual level I had never ‘felt’ the existence of my mother. The moment she stepped out of the carriage into the storm, she had become another memory to haunt me. But now, far below even my most distant memories, something had been stirred by what Athena showed me.
I looked back into the room. My suit of armour was laid across the back of the sofa.
I crept back inside, grabbed it, and returned to the night air. Soon I was encapsulated once again by leather and metal plates. I looked over the edge of the balcony. The grey slate roof was ten feet below, but I thought I could make it.
I climbed over the railings and went to drop when I sensed a presence behind me.
“There are easier ways to leave my home,” said Charlotte.
