‘When did you last hear from Gregor?’ she said.
Her two captors frowned, and shared a glance.
‘What do you know of Gregor?’ said Agatha.
‘Only that his brains completely ruined my carpet.’
Witten struck her again, using his fist. Her head rocked back, her jaw flashing in pain. Her lip burst, and she could taste the blood in her mouth.
‘Enough, Witten,’ said Agatha, frowning at him. ‘She’s provoking us, having no doubt decided that she wants to be a martyr. Perhaps she’ll react differently if we apply a little pressure to her friends.’ She pointed at the two Rakanese. ‘Wake them.’
‘But, Agatha,’ he whispered, ‘we cannot harm the diamond mage.’
The older woman sighed. ‘And tell me, how would the loss of a few of Kerri’s fingers affect Ravi’s powers?’
Witten nodded, and stepped over to the Rakanese, shaking them awake.
Kerri groaned, her head lolling. Ravi started, his eyes flashing open.
‘Move aside,’ said Agatha, ‘I want to read him.’
She held Ravi’s chin in her hand and stared into his eyes. She remained still for a moment then blinked, her expression darkening.
‘His memory’s been tampered with,’ she said, glaring over at Karalyn.
‘But how?’ said Witten.
‘How do you think? She must have done it.’ She turned back to Ravi, and shook her head. ‘He can tell us nothing.’ She let go of his chin and moved to Kerri, who was sweating, her pale complexion making her look ill in the lamplight. Agatha took a knife from her belt.
‘Perhaps a toe first, Agatha,’ said Witten.
‘Leave her alone!’ shouted Ravi.
‘They’re cowards, Ravi,’ said Karalyn, her jaw sore and swollen.
‘Tell us want we want to know, Holdfast,’ said Agatha, holding the blade up against the young Rakanese woman’s cheek, ‘or little Kerri here shall suffer.’
‘Touch her and I’ll kill you!’ cried Ravi, squirming in his chair, his arms bound like Karalyn’s.
There was a knock at the door and it opened. An old man walked in, beaming, a young woman and a soldier dressed in the uniform of the Army of Pyre a pace behind him in the doorway.
‘See who has returned to us,’ the old man cried as the young woman entered the room.
‘Belinda!’ cried Witten. ‘You’re alive?’
‘Be quiet, Witten,’ said Agatha. She turned to Belinda. ‘In his last report, Gregor said that you had been reported dead.’
The old man, who Karalyn recognised as Yosin, Defender of the Faith, paused as he noticed the three captives lined up. ‘What’s going on here? Why is the diamond mage out of his cell?’
‘This woman,’ said Agatha, gesturing at Karalyn, ‘was attempting to rescue them. She nearly succeeded too; it was only by chance that we intercepted them on the way out.’
Yosin strode over to gaze at Karalyn. ‘Who is she?’
‘Her name is Karalyn Holdfast,’ said Belinda, ‘and she’s the reason I’ve been unable to contact you in over a year. She prevented me from assassinating the Empress and fulfilling my mission, by wiping my memories and holding me prisoner. It’s taken a long time for those memories to return, but once they had, then I manipulated her into coming here; so I could return to you, and so I could deliver the Holdfast witch into your hands.’
Karalyn reached out to Belinda with her dream powers, ignoring the agonising pain in her jaw, but the young woman was wearing the same eye protection as the others.
‘I found her outside the Lord Protector’s residence,’ Yosin said, ‘looking for someone in authority.’
Agatha glanced at Belinda. ‘Why didn’t you vision to us?’
‘I couldn’t,’ she said, frowning. ‘Karalyn also did something to my powers, blocking them with her magecraft.’
‘You mean you’ve lost your powers?’ said Witten, his eyes widening.
‘To my shame, yes,’ said Belinda. ‘You have to understand, I was utterly helpless for a long time, imprisoned in an attic. I only survived because I pretended to obey her; waiting for my memories and strength to return before I could act.’
‘And Gregor?’ said Agatha. ‘Do you know what has happened to him?’
‘Yes. Karalyn’s brother crushed his skull and killed him.’
Agatha staggered back a step.
‘Then he really is dead?’ said Witten. ‘But how?’
‘Karalyn’s brother is a mighty warrior,’ said Belinda, ‘capable of defeating anyone, and resistant to all mage power. And they are but two of the four Holdfast children. The other boy and girl are just as accomplished, all high mages with powers we cannot control or emulate, and all able to resist us; defeat us, even.’
The room quietened.
‘Ha ha,’ said Ravi. ‘You look scared. That’s pretty funny.’
Yosin frowned. ‘We should take him back to his cell. And his companion. After that,’ he said, his eyes narrow, ‘we should kill Karalyn Holdfast. Let’s eliminate one of them while we can.’
‘That’s what I’ve been saying all along,’ said Witten. ‘We should remove this threat immediately.’
Agatha silenced him with a glance. ‘No, there’s too much she could teach us that might give us an advantage against her siblings.’
‘She’s strong, though,’ said Belinda. ‘She could endure most forms of persuasion.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Yosin. ‘I am rather an expert in this field.’
‘You misunderstand. Her powers protect her from physical pain. However, she possesses a robust system of morals that we may be able to take advantage of.’
Yosin nodded. ‘I think I see what you mean. Perhaps if I were to apply some techniques to the Rakanese instead, then she might become amenable?’
‘Precisely.’
Agatha glanced at Witten. ‘It seems we’re back to removing toes again.’ She turned to Belinda. ‘It’s good to see that our minds are aligned in this.’
Belinda smiled, and bowed.
Karalyn kept her expression blank, but inside her guts were churning. She tried to move her hands as the group re-positioned themselves around Kerri, but the ropes were too tightly bound. She sent her vision racing towards Yosin, but his eyes were protected by the same coverings used by the others.
‘Don’t touch her!’ cried Ravi.
‘Gag him,’ said Agatha, and a Kellach Brigdomin soldier approached Ravi from behind, the one who had entered the chamber with Belinda. He pulled a rag over the Rakanese man’s mouth and tied it behind his head. Karalyn sent her vision back outside her body, desperate to find a way to stop Kerri from being tortured. She had determined that she was going to give nothing to her captors, but did that make her responsible for any harm that came to the young Rakanese woman? Kerri’s eyes were half-open, but she seemed to awaken when she saw Yosin approach. She struggled in her chair, and Witten placed a hand on her shoulder to restrain her.
‘Please…’ Kerri gasped.
One of the soldiers ringing the chamber shuffled a little uncomfortably as Agatha drew out her knife and passed it to Yosin. Karalyn turned to the soldier and recognised him; he was the one whose mind she had read when she had sent the guards to sleep before releasing Ravi and Kerri from their cell. She remembered planting seeds of doubt among his thoughts, and could see that he was troubled by what was happening.
‘Anything you wish to say, Holdfast,’ said Yosin, brandishing the knife before Kerri’s face, ‘before I get to work?’
Karalyn ignored him, and rushed into the soldier’s head. She found it in turmoil, with a great swell of hatred and contempt rising within him, aimed at Yosin and the mages, Agatha, Witten and Belinda. For a second she hesitated. If she did what she planned, and the soldier died, then his death would be her fault. She cast off her doubts and fuelled his anger, rousing it to a crescendo; filling his mind with a longing to redeem the honour he had thought lost forever. She dredged up the most painful ep
isodes from his youth, images of his friends being beaten by the army instructors, and of himself, whipped and half-starving; lying naked on a cold stone floor, a humiliated and terrified boy.
No more, she whispered to him. Never again. Make them pay.
The soldier roared and drew his sword.
Yosin looked up from Kerri, the knife frozen in his hand. Witten started to turn, and the soldier buried his sword into the man’s heart. Agatha raised her hand as the soldier lunged at her, and his sword went through her chest at the same time as his head exploded. sending a spray of blood and bone fragments across the chamber. The headless corpse of the soldier toppled over onto Agatha, driving her to the floor. As Yosin opened his mouth to scream, the soldier that had gagged Ravi turned and punched the old man in the face, knocking him to the ground.
‘Nobody move!’ cried Belinda as the other soldiers in the chamber reached for their weapons.
Karalyn directed her vision at them.
Sleep.
The soldiers fell to the ground, their eyes closed, except for the one who had punched Yosin. Belinda leaned over and pulled the blindfold from Karalyn’s face.
‘Calder,’ she said to the soldier; ‘get her untied. We need to run before they heal.’
Karalyn felt the ropes round her hands loosen as Calder crouched behind her, the Army of Pyre helmet obscuring his features.
Belinda pointed at the two Rakanese. ‘Them too.’
‘Aye, ma’am,’ said Calder, rushing over to Ravi.
Belinda crouched down and took a sword from one of the fallen soldiers. Ravi stared from person to person as he stood, rubbing his wrists while Calder moved on to free Kerri. Karalyn rushed to the room’s only entrance, and sent her vision out to check the corridor.
‘The passage is clear,’ she said, ‘but this place is crawling with soldiers.’
‘Make us invisible,’ said Belinda.
Ravi helped Kerri to her feet, both staring warily at Belinda.
Agatha stirred from under the headless soldier. She groaned, and raised her hand a fraction. Karalyn surged her powers to their limit at Agatha sent a mighty pulse of flow energy towards them, enough to blow all of their heads apart. The two forces collided, but Karalyn was stronger, and the dream mage drove Agatha’s powers back into her.
Karalyn staggered.
‘Run!’ cried Belinda, pushing Karalyn through the door. Calder came after, dragging Ravi and Kerri along.
‘Wait,’ cried Ravi, and rushed back into the room.
Kerri shouted after him, as Belinda cursed, a sword in her hand.
Ravi appeared a moment later. Calder grabbed his arm and they ran down the passageway towards the entrance.
‘Karalyn,’ said Belinda, ‘make us invisible.’
‘I can’t,’ she said, her legs feeling like lead as she ran. ‘Shielding us from Agatha has drained me. I need more time.’
Shouts rang out around them as guards in the Senate complex responded to the alarm. A group of soldiers burst out of a room ahead of them.
‘Keep going,’ cried Belinda as she raised her sword and charged them.
Karalyn heard the young woman’s battle-vision thrum into life as she reached the first soldiers. Her sword darted out, ripping the throat from one as she dodged a lunge to her right. Calder shoved the two Rakanese down the corridor, but more soldiers appeared from behind.
Ravi caught Karalyn’s glance and smirked. ‘You’re shit at rescuing people. Come on, in here.’
He pushed open a door and hauled Kerri through.
‘Belinda,’ Karalyn called to her. ‘This way.’
Calder followed the Rakanese through the door as Karalyn waited for Belinda. The young mage pulled back from the soldiers, leaving three dead on the floor, and she joined Karalyn by the entrance.
There is no door here, Karalyn imprinted into the approaching soldiers. Just wall.
Karalyn and Belinda went through and closed the door. As soon as it was shut, Karalyn fell to her knees, exhausted. Belinda pulled her back to her feet, an arm around her shoulder. Ahead was a set of stairs going down, lit by a series of dim lamps. They descended the steps in silence, Belinda helping Karalyn along. The use of her powers to hide the door had taken what reserves she had left after her confrontation with Agatha. No mage she had met before could compare with the raw power that Agatha had unleashed in the chamber. Like Belinda, she seemed to have access to every mage ability, and her powers surpassed those of both Gregor and Witten.
‘Hurry up,’ she heard Ravi whisper from the bottom of the steps.
‘Where are we going?’ said Belinda.
Ravi stared at the young woman, as if unsure whether to trust her. ‘To hide.’
‘Hide? We need to escape.’
Ravi’s eyes darted up the steps to the door at the top.
‘I’ve hidden the entrance from them,’ Karalyn gasped. ‘It should work for a while.’
Ravi said nothing for a moment, glancing at Calder, Belinda and Karalyn, while his left arm was both supporting and shielding Kerri. ‘Follow me.’
‘Do you know the way?’ said Belinda.
‘We’ve been under the senate for a year,’ he said, unhooking a lamp from a wall. ‘We’ve been moved about a few times. Down here is a warren of old tunnels. I don’t know any way out, but we can lose ourselves in there until we figure out what to do.’
He turned without waiting for anyone to reply, and set off, holding Kerri close to his side. The others glanced at each other, then followed.
After they had been walking through the cold, dark tunnels for a few minutes, Calder took over the job of supporting Karalyn, freeing Belinda to protect their rear.
‘In all the excitement,’ Calder said, ‘I forgot to say how good it is to see you again, ma’am.’
‘How did you find me?’
‘You sent a signal to Belinda, didn’t you? She bolted upright from where she’d been sleeping, and said that you’d called on her. Then she thought up a plan.’
‘That was all Belinda’s idea?’
‘Aye. She was quite convincing I thought. I was just starting to wonder how far she was going to take it, when that soldier intervened.’
‘Aye,’ said Karalyn. ‘That was my fault. I sent him to his death.’
‘You saved our lives. I can’t think of how else we could have got out of there alive. And anyway, didn’t you kill Ghorley as well? We heard about it when we arrived at his residence.’
‘No. That wasn’t me.’
‘But you were there, though?’
‘I was in the room when it happened, but it wasn’t my intention.’
They turned a corner, and went down a narrow flight of stone steps, their way illuminated by the small lamp in Ravi’s hand. At the bottom, he went through a small opening and entered a small, rock-cut chamber.
‘We can rest here,’ he said as the others joined him; ‘get our thoughts together.’
‘Where are we?’ said Kerri, her voice tired and slow.
Ravi helped her sit on the floor. ‘Somewhere where they can’t find us, babe.’
Calder lowered Karalyn to the ground. He took a packet of cigarettes from his belt and lit one for her.
‘Thanks,’ she said.
‘Thought I’d better bring them along. So, what’s next?’
‘We hide,’ Karalyn said, ‘and then, when I’ve recovered, I’ll start searching for a way out through the tunnels.’
Ravi got back to his feet and walked over. ‘Could I have one of those?’
‘Sure,’ said Karalyn, passing him a cigarette.
He took it and lit it off a match, then swivelled, pulling a knife from under his tunic and pointing it at Belinda.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘What the fuck’s going on? You’re one of them, and now you’re on our side? Tell me why I should trust you? If that soldier hadn’t gone berserk in there, you were just about to stand by as Yosin cut bits off Kerri.’
‘I was one of them,’ Bel
inda said, keeping her eyes locked with Ravi’s and ignoring the tip of the knife an inch from her stomach, ‘and now I’m not.’
‘Why?’
‘What I told Agatha and Witten was true. I was sent to kill the Empress, and Karalyn stopped me. She wiped my mind, and blocked my powers. The only lie I told them was about my memories. They haven’t returned.’ She glanced at Karalyn. ‘Will they?’
Karalyn shook her head. ‘No. They’re gone forever. Thank you for rescuing us.’
‘Did you believe my act? Did you think I had rejoined my old companions?’
‘No. I didn’t doubt you for a moment.’
Ravi frowned. ‘Okay, so we have one of them on our side. But who are they?’ He stared at Belinda, withdrawing the knife a few inches but keeping it ready. ‘Where are you from?’
Belinda smiled. ‘I don’t remember.’
Ravi’s gaze lowered from Belinda’s face, settling on her chest.
‘My eyes are up here,’ she said.
‘What?’ said Ravi. ‘No, wait, you don’t understand. Your necklace.’
‘What about it?’
Ravi put his hand out. ‘May I see it?’
‘No, it’s mine.’
‘I think you should let him take a look,’ said Karalyn. ‘The jewel.’
‘Yeah,’ said Ravi, ‘the jewel.’
Belinda paused for a moment, then unclasped her necklace and dropped it into Ravi’s upturned palm. He peered at it, then started to laugh.
‘You’ve had this hanging round your neck the whole time?’ he said. ‘How? I mean, this has got to be the missing jewel, the one they’ve been trying to get me to replicate since we got here. No wonder I couldn’t do it; it’s like no diamond I ever saw.’
‘I found it,’ said Karalyn. ‘It was lying on the carpet after an attack on the palace and I picked it up.’
‘With it,’ he said, ‘the Quadrant might work again, and do, well… whatever it does.’
‘I think I can guess,’ said Karalyn. ‘It’s just a shame we don’t have it.’
Ravi cackled, and opened his tunic, revealing the copper-coloured device resting against his chest.
‘What do you think I went back into the room for?’ he said, grinning. ‘I’m going to need to extract the jewel from the necklace.’
The Magelands Epic: Storm Mage (Book 6) Page 42