‘Home, yes, I know’ Amaran interrupted her. ‘And yet here you are, even after I let you go-’
‘Jamen is murdering innocent people,’ Seiya hissed through clenched teeth, reminding herself not to shout in case it brought attention to them, ‘probably at Youally’s bidding.’
‘Then I’ll stop him.’
‘Damn it, Amaran,’ Seiya thumped the bed for emphasis, ‘can’t you see you’re not the one in control? You’re so busy trying to keep everyone happy you have no idea what is going on. Whose idea was it to take over Carapel?’
‘If the summoners keep the peace it will stop the lords going to war.’
‘Keep the peace?’ Seiya laughed humourlessly, ‘I may not know much about geography or politics but even I know Hyuanin isn’t involved in any fighting. Why not take control in Mercadi and Tamboria, or Fesuvia and Etanian and stop the border disputes?’
‘Hyuanin is better located,’ Amaran insisted, but his voice lacked conviction.
‘For what?’ Seiya’s arm waved to emphasise her point, ‘being a second base from which to expand your summoning empire?’ Her jaw dropped as an awkward silence descended, Amaran refusing to look at her.
‘Who gave you that idea?’ Seiya asked softly, only an iron determination keeping her temper under control.
‘Youally and Jamen both insisted,’ Amaran answered uncertainly, ‘but-’
‘There is no “but”,’ Seiya risked leaning over and grabbing Amaran’s arm, forcing him to look at her. ‘You had a vision of summoners as a powerful peacekeeping force, what’s to stop people doing what I did? Simply intervening between two fighting sides?’
‘I thought you wanted to free the demons,’ Amaran reminded her harshly, pulling his arm away and standing up.
‘I’m sure they’d answer a request summoning for something like that,’ Seiya’s eyes pleaded with Amaran to sit back down, ‘they can easily stop the fighting without hurting anyone.’ Seiya’s head turned from side to side to follow Amaran pacing across the cell until she started to get dizzy. ‘You don’t want to simply go around replacing the lords with summoners, if you thought a war between two armies was bad what will two groups of summoners be like?’ Seiya bit her lip as the striding continued unabated, was Amaran even listening to her?
‘Why didn’t you just come to talk to me?’ Amaran slammed to a sudden halt, turning to confront her. ‘Why try to take the book?’ the hurt and betrayal in his voice left Seiya speechless. ‘I helped you escape, why didn’t you trust me?’ Embarrassed by the impassioned plea Seiya looked away.
‘And have you go confront Jamen?’ Seiya tried to head back onto safer ground, the last thing Amaran needed to hear was she had suspected him of being involved. ‘Two summoners fighting in a crowded city, how many people would end up getting hurt?’
‘He wouldn’t try and fight me,’ Amaran countered scornfully, ‘he knows I’m much stronger.’
‘What about him and Youally?’ Seiya persisted. This time Amaran remained quiet, no swift rebuke at the ready. ‘If you confront the pair alone,’ she raised her hands in a pointed gesture of defeat.
‘If Youally is here then I’ll go and talk to Jamen,’ Amaran held up his hands to silence Seiya’s protests. ‘I’ll tell Havir where I’m heading, if I don’t return in a couple of days he’ll let you out, give you the book and help you do what you think is right.’
‘Why?’ Seiya demanded, ashamed of her suspicions her voice was sharper than she intended. ‘Why should I clean up the mess you made?’ Seiya cursed inwardly and looked down at her hands digging into the bedding. It wasn’t the question she wanted to ask, why was Amaran so willing to trust her?
‘You know what sort of world will exist if Youally takes control,’ Amaran’s eyes bored into her, ‘if you free the demons it will stop that from happening.’
‘You’re just going to leave me here?’ Seiya couldn’t hold back from leaping off the bed to grab Amaran’s arm as he headed for the door. ‘If Youally finds out-’
‘Only Havir knows,’ Amaran assured her, roughly shaking her off once more, ‘he’ll take care of you.’
‘Amaran-’
‘No,’ Amaran’s flat denial allowed no room for negotiation, ‘let me try and make this right. I know we can sort this out.’
Seiya sank back onto to the bed, head cradled in her hands. She didn’t look up when the key rattled as the door was unlocked, or even when it clanged shut once more. Despair and frustration warred inside her; Amaran was clearly walking into a trap, stubbornness blinding him to the obvious. It only dawned on Seiya gradually the implication in Amaran’s final words; at what point had it become “we”?
Chapter Twenty-Six
The clanging metal bars shot Seiya awake, adrenalin pumping through her system she stared blindly around the cell, the darkness seemingly impenetrable.
‘Who’s there?’ With arms outstretched she made her way towards the sound, the vertical bars silhouetted by flickering torch light in response to her query.
‘Just an old friend.’ Seiya froze at Youally’s sneering voice, her heart pounding. She stopped approaching the door, staying in the centre of the cell she lined up so she could look through the small opening.
‘What do you want?’ she called back, relieved her voice didn’t betray her anxiety. And how do you know I’m here?
‘Come closer and see for yourself,’ Seiya shrank back from Youally’s smiling face, suddenly hoping the Master didn’t have the key. Nobody had told her how far the anti-summon seal stretched, could Youally call a demon just outside and loose it into the cell?
‘Come on,’ Youally mocked her, ‘I promise I won’t bite.’
‘What do you want?’ Seiya demanded, chewing her lower lip anxiously as she heard her voice becoming shrill.
‘I’m going to let you out,’ Youally’s grin widened as Seiya was left speechless, ‘then you’re going to catch up with Amaran, take back the book he stole and kill him.’
Seiya laughed, she couldn’t help herself, the idea of her helping Youally was ludicrous.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she could feel her own lips stretching in a mirthless smile, ‘why would I help you?’
‘I assume you are fond of your brothers?’ Seiya’s breath caught in her throat as a small hand appeared in front of Youally’s face, securely held up by the Master himself.
‘No!’ more of a gasp than a yell Seiya felt as if all the air had been forced from her lungs; forgetting her previous caution she lurched across the cell, face pressed up against the cold metal rods.
‘Jarin!’ the shock left her stunned, unable to think. ‘What have you done?’ she cried desperately, her hands trying to claw through the bars to reach her younger brother. The boy lay still and unmoving in Youally’s arms.
‘He’s just sleeping,’ panic surging through her Seiya just managed to note the steady rise and fall of Jarin’s chest, in the quiet she could even hear his soft breathing.
‘You drugged him!’ Seiya gave up trying to force her hand through the bars, kicking and wrenching at the cell door instead. ‘Let me out!’ she screamed in frustration, pounding the door so hard the reverberations left her arm numb.
‘Stop that!’ Youally’s sharp reprimand cut like a whiplash, instantly she ceased, glaring at him in silence.
‘Oh please, no!’ Seiya moaned in horror as a knife flashed in Youally’s hand, putting Jarin under one arm he stretched out the boys fingers, the blade edge resting on his little finger. ‘Don’t hurt him, please.’ Seiya didn’t care if she was begging, only her hands wrapped around the bars in the door were holding her upright; her legs had gone to jelly, never in her life had she been so scared.
‘I’m glad I got your attention,’ Youally said in satisfaction. Seiya stared at him numbly, her mind unable to process what was happening. ‘Now I’m going to let you out and you’ll go and kill Amaran-’
‘I can’t do that!’
‘Then your brother loses a finger,’ the
blade dug in and Seiya saw a thin line of blood well up from the cut. ‘How many before you agree?’
‘No!’ Seiya pounded the door, clawing at the edges until Youally’s warning look stilled her again. ‘I can’t kill him, I can’t!’ tears ran down her face as she tried to wrench the bars from the small opening in the door. It was no good, she couldn’t get out, her brain was shutting down, frantically screaming over and over she had to escape. Fear and horror spiralled into anger and she clung to it desperately.
‘If you hurt him I’ll kill you!’ Fire raged through her as she pounded on the door for emphasis. If the wood had not held her back she would have killed him that moment without hesitation, fury boiling in her blood.
‘Maybe,’ Youally seemed unimpressed, his knife easing away from Jarin’s little finger to leave an ugly red welt, ‘but then the other one would die as well.’
‘Hamish?’ the rage that had sustained her vanished as she mouthed the name uncomprehendingly.
‘I don’t know his name,’ Youally moved the knife until it lay next to Jarin’s throat and Seiya didn’t even dare to breathe, ‘but he’s locked up somewhere only I know about. Don’t worry he’s nice and safe,’ he added reassuringly as Seiya’s hand gripped the bars so tightly her knuckles went white, ‘but I only left food and water for a couple of days, I wonder how long he’ll last if I die?’
‘How could you?’ Seiya’s voice couldn’t even rise above a whisper, her throat dry and hoarse as if she’d been shouting for hours, ‘they’re just children-'
‘And it’s your fault they’re involved.’ Seiya couldn’t bear looking at the man, how could he be enjoying this? ‘Though I must admit I didn’t think you’d return so quickly, even with Jamen killing those people. Oh yes,’ his smile grew as Seiya raised her head, eyes wide with dismay, ‘they needed to die anyway but we knew it would bring you back here.’
‘Why?’ Seiya asked dully, she knew she was missing something but her mind could only focus on the fact her brothers were in danger.
‘Because you’re strong enough to beat that arrogant upstart.’
‘I can’t kill him,’ Seiya closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the lower part of the barred aperture, the words were dead, wooden, meaningless. Even with her brothers lives at stake she knew she wouldn’t be able to kill Amaran.
‘Alright,’ startled by Youally’s acceptance Seiya looked up again, hating the feeling of hope that rose unbidden. She wasn’t so far gone she thought Youally was going to give up on her. ‘I’ll give you a Kurlin-Ra, fit that round his neck and bring him back here, and the book,’ Youally appeared to add the last as an afterthought but Seiya saw the way his eyes glinted as he spoke. ‘I don’t really care what you do just make sure he can’t summon ever again.’
‘I don’t know where the book is-’
‘He always carries it on him,’ Youally replied impatiently, ‘he doesn’t trust anyone enough to leave it lying around.’ Seiya watched as the Master’s eyes narrowed in contempt, even though Amaran had proved to be totally correct. ‘He should be making his way to Carapel now, doubtless Jamen will blame everything on me and he’ll head back here. You just have to intercept him.’
‘How do I know you’ll give them back?’ Seiya injected her voice with a strength she didn’t feel. Youally’s eyes flicked to her as if he’d forgotten she was there.
‘You don’t,’ he replied flatly, the knife resting once more against Jarin’s throat, ‘but you can either choose certain pain and death or the possibility I will let them go, your choice.’ From his expression Seiya knew she didn’t have to point out that was no choice at all, a small triumphant smile hovered at the corners of his mouth.
‘Somebody will come down later to let you out, wouldn’t want you getting all excited and trying to attack me.’ The knife disappeared as Youally wrapped Jarin in a blanket, the lump completely unrecognisable as a small boy, the light from the torch fading as they headed down the passage.
‘Oh, you have two days to come back here with the book,’ Seiya couldn’t stand Youally’s smug tone, ‘you can take longer but I doubt that little brother of yours will still be alive.’ Collapsing into a heap under the weight of her tumultuous emotions, Seiya didn’t even hear the footsteps disappearing up the stairs.
Seiya sprung off the bed as she heard the key in the lock, but by the time she flung open the cell door all she could do was watch a figure disappearing up the distant steps, barely discernible in the darkness.
‘Ow!’ Seiya stifled her outcry as she tripped over something on the floor. Hard enough to stub her toe her exploring hands touched smooth metal running in a circular ring, the Kurlin-Ra, so Youally hadn’t been lying. Hooking the collar over one arm she started running up the stairs and out into the passageway. Speed was important now, Seiya tried to ignore the loud noise as her feet pounded the stone. Youally had a made a mistake; if he’d released her before, while she was still stuck in confusion and despair, she would have headed straight towards Carapel without hesitation, her mind blinkered by fear for her family. Not so now; waiting in the dark cell anger at her helplessness had overshadowed her despair, this time her fury acted like a cleansing fire, once cooled she could think clearly again. The churning turmoil of emotions were gone, though still seething under the surface she kept them suppressed, away from her conscious thoughts. Two things were clear; first she could not maim or imprison Amaran, once he was unable to summon Youally would kill him anyway; second she had to find out where Hamish was being held, once she knew that Youally’s life became worthless. Firmly Seiya steered her mind away from thoughts of Jarin, she had to believe that with Hamish safe Youally wouldn’t dare harm the only thing stopping her killing him on the spot. If she appeared with a load of demons Youally would have only one chance to use his blade, and if they all attacked without hesitating-
No. Seiya pushed the thoughts away again, she was getting ahead of herself. Hamish was the priority for now. All her hopes rested on Youally’s arrogance and Amaran’s suspicion. When the latter had flown to somewhere he wanted kept secret he’d blindfolded the demon to keep the knowledge from her, would he have told Youally about her relationship with the demons? Even if he had would Youally have listened? Seiya struggled to see the Master getting close enough to a demon to blindfold it, or even crediting the demon with enough intelligence to make such a thing necessary.
Which way? Seiya paused for a minute to get her bearings, the cells must have been located right at the heart of Rhianwater, the corridors seemed to continue forever. Each time she dared to open one of the chamber doors looking for a window to climb out of she was disappointed. Grinding her teeth in frustration Seiya kept charging onwards, surely she would find an exit eventually?
‘Stop!’
Seiya stared in disbelief at the three men blocking the path ahead. Two held torches and in the flickering light she recognised the Masters whom Amaran had confirmed as Youally’s supporters on the last assignment. It was impossible though, even if the Masters had heard her running, even if they had leapt straight out of bed and headed down the stairs they couldn’t have arrived so quickly. The individual rooms were two floors up, and their apparel clearly spoke of being roused from sleep. Unless they were woken before I even left the cell. So Youally wanted witnesses to her escape, to confirm she’d flown off into the night; he wanted there to be no doubt over who had attacked Amaran.
‘Seiya!’
‘Havir!’ Relief flooded through Seiya at the familiar voice, he would believe her about Youally, he would help-
‘Stop her!’
No! Spinning to face Havir, Seiya refused to acknowledge Youally’s voice, how could he be here? How dare he try to stop her leaving when he was the one forcing her to go.
‘Please,’ Seiya was barely aware of Havir’s pleading, her senses were tingling with the summoning of the three Masters at her back. ‘Please wait until Amaran gets back, you don’t have to do this.’
Youally is making me
! Seiya wanted to scream out loud but the Master was right there next to Havir, watching her, she couldn’t even sense him weaving a summoning. Damn him. So Havir would think she was after Amaran, would be forced to tell the rest of Amaran’s supporters. Blame would lie with her, not Youally, and the Master would finally be able to take control, the opposing faction having no way to argue against it.
It hurt turning her back on Havir, but she didn’t need to see Youally’s face to know what would happen if she said even a single word. Hamish would be left to die if she let herself be recaptured, if she trusted in Havir to believe her then time would slip away. He would insist on waiting for Amaran but she couldn’t afford it, every time she wavered the picture of Hamish spurred her on; scared and alone, locked in the dark.
Seiya’s summoning senses warned her the demons would appear any moment, at least the corridor was small enough to limit the rankings but the numbers would soon overwhelm her; one would not be enough. Closing her eyes, Seiya blocked out all the noise, momentarily losing track of the situation around her, if she was quick then this should work. Her power flowed out, the lines not forming the usual gateway on the floor but an intricate doorway, spanning the entire corridor between her and the three Masters. It was still small though, Seiya was dimly aware of the Masters hesitating in their own summons, their demons held stationary in the bindings, none willing to test her working.
Now came the hard bit, glancing at Havir Seiya could see he was still reluctant to summon and Youally was predictably slow. At least that’s one person who shouldn’t try too hard to stop me, Seiya thought bitterly. With the other three still trapped on the other side of the weaving Seiya sent her consciousness into the lines of power, pushing across the invisible boundary between their world and the demons. She could sense Aleos’s presence, the aura so familiar she didn’t even have to consciously look, and nearby was the strange knot of power, similar to a summoner’s and yet completely different at the same time. Wrapping her energy round the node she poured in more of her power, joining it to her doorway and weaving a pathway between them. It was tiring work, she was breathing heavily by the time she put the finishing touches in place. But the portal stood; stable enough to allow any number and rank of demons through, just as Aleos had taught her.
Summoner's Call (The Summoner Trilogy Book 1) Page 27