by Icy Sedgwick
“His own foible, but nothing I insist upon. The Wolfkin might be servants elsewhere, but I appreciate their unique talents. Naiad clearly doesn’t, or she wouldn’t have employed them as guards at the House of Correction. Dreadguards would have been a more obvious choice.”
“Why?”
“You don’t know a lot about Wolfkin, do you?”
“I don’t either, but the one who came to find me knew Shadow Speak,” said Vyolet, pausing to wait for them.
“That would be Fortis. He is fascinated by languages of all kinds – he can talk to most of the people who live in the twin Cities. He even tried to learn Troll, but that was beyond him, bless his effort,” replied Eufame. “But for Validus to allow you to speak with the Wolfkin telepathically is a very big deal.”
“He said I needed to understand him.”
“And you obviously did, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Could you understand the Wolfkin at the door to this House?”
“Yeah. They knew I could understand.”
Eufame nodded, a sly smile creeping across her face. Jyx shrank away, still unused to seeing any of her pleasant expressions.
“I’m not privy to all of the Wolfkin’s plans, only those who work with me, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they have some other plan of their own. I’m not going to rely on it, but we’ll find out soon enough if I’m right.”
A low moan, full of pain and wet around the edges, reverberated along the corridor. Jyx froze and Vyolet disappeared into the shadows beside him. Eufame drew herself up to her full height and pushed up her sleeves. A dull glow appeared in the arcane tattoos that snaked up her white arms.
“Show yourself, beast.” Jyx would never have trusted himself to speak, but Eufame’s voice was clear and steady.
The creature lurched forward, dragging one withered leg behind it. Jyx didn’t know what it had been, but now it was a tangled torso attached to its limbs by tattered sinews. Yellow eyes burned in the wreck that was once a face, and its lower jaw hung open, displaying a mouth full of broken grey teeth. It groaned again.
“What is it?” Jyx hissed.
“I’d guess it’s a former inmate,” replied Eufame.
Jyx gulped. Would this have been his fate if he hadn’t found Eufame? The thing lurched closer, and he resisted the urge to hide behind the necromancer general. She had power over the dead, but did that include this shambling mess?
“I think my sister knows where we are now. I suppose there weren’t a lot of options from that staircase,” said Eufame.
“What do we do?”
“This is barely a test, Jyx. You could beat it without even having to think too hard.”
“How?”
“You worry me, you really do. All of those years of illicit study in the Academy, and that time spent working alongside me, and your first instinct is to hide behind me. Ridiculous.”
The creature was close enough for Jyx to be able to smell its unique scent of grave dirt and rot. It opened its maw and howled, the tendons of its throat breaking free in the effort.
“I promised I wouldn’t.”
“I’m giving you permission to do so, and given the circumstances, I’m sure Vyolet does too.”
Jyx checked the shadows behind the creatures. He flexed his fingers to quell the trembling in his hands and drew a deep breath. He ducked to the side of the creature, and visualised a glowing red net of energy across the scuffed floor in front of it.
“Misit hoc rete, misit fortis, capere umbra, eam mea,” he whispered. Scarlet tendrils appeared in the air, humming as they earthed themselves.
Eufame took two large steps backwards, and the creature lurched towards her. There was a loud snap as the red net flared into life and captured the creature’s shadow. Its body swayed and fell to the floor with a wet thump. The shadow remained standing, its edges outlined with sparking lines of red energy.
“That was amazing!” Vyolet darted out of the shadows and threw her arms around Jyx.
“I thought you didn’t like Shadow magick?” He blushed.
“I don’t, but you’ve basically freed that shadow from its dead weight.”
“Interesting perspective. It is certainly a basic practice, but an incredibly effective one. It’s a quick way to arrest the approach of a foe, isn’t it?” said Eufame.
“What do I do now?”
“Bring it with you. You never know when another pair of hands might come in useful. Besides, it’s a lovely message to send to my sister.”
“You don’t think it might have just been a test, to check where we were? I mean, wouldn’t she know you’d be able to handle something like this?” Jyx gestured to the collapsed heap of limbs behind them.
“My sister always underestimated me, just as she underestimates the Wolfkin. It’s only natural that she’d underestimate an apprentice and a Shadowkin. She only knows to avoid shadows where she can, but she doesn’t really know why. That, my dears, is how we’ll get out of here, because she can’t predict what she doesn’t fully understand,” said Eufame.
She ushered Vyolet and Jyx along the corridor, and Jyx gestured for the creature’s shadow to follow them. It shambled behind them, faster now it was unencumbered by its decrepit earthly form. At least the shadow was silent and left the disgusting smell behind.
Moments later, another moan split the air, followed by a second. Eufame rolled her eyes and cast her own shadow net on the floor. The two creatures dragged themselves into view, even more of a mess than the first. White bone glistened within open wounds and bruises flowered across their caved-in faces. The beasts sniffed the air and sidestepped the net.
“They’ve learned!” cried Jyx. He made a movement in the air, directing his shadow form to attack the two creatures, but it hung back, refusing to move. He repeated the movement, but still the shadow refused to attack.
Vyolet barrelled out of the shadows and the two creatures reached out their twisted hands to grasp at her. Their fingers almost closed on her black tunic, but when she passed them, they forgot themselves and staggered after her. A snap reverberated around the corridor and the red net earthed itself, capturing two shadows. The creatures fell to the floor in a heap.
“Excellent work, Vyolet,” said Eufame. She directed the two captives to join Jyx’s shadow form.
“I hope she doesn’t send many more,” said Jyx. He wasn’t sure what would happen to the form he’d captured if he tried to create a new net.
“Do you like using Shadow magick?” Vyolet’s voice trembled, and Jyx reached out his hand. She snatched her own hand away.
“I used to,” replied Jyx. His hand fell and hung at his side.
“Do you like controlling shadows?”
“Only when they’re shadows of something that’s trying to kill me.”
He stole a glance at Vyolet. She gave a tentative smile, and a spark of understanding tickled the back of his mind. He’d never thought of shadows as having their own minds or possessing any sort of independence. They were just something to control, and here was a being made of shadows scared that he might try to control her. He smiled back, hoping to ease her fears.
The corridor rounded a corner and ended abruptly, cut off by a chasm that stretched down into the depths. The passage continued on the other side, lit by blinking white lights. The three captured shadows swayed behind them.
“What do we do now?” Jyx clung to the wall with one hand and peered into the abyss.
“This is a little more challenging,” replied Eufame.
“What’s down there?”
“Probably nothing, and that’s the worst of it. If you fall in, you’ll eventually become nothing too.”
Eufame tapped one finger on her chin, gazing across the chasm to the other passageway. She squinted and stared harder.
Jyx followed her look and yelped. “There are people over there!”
“What?” Vyolet leaned forward to look. Three figures stood in the passageway – a tall figure flanked by smaller ones
, one of them blended into the wall. Something was behind them but Vyolet couldn’t make out any details.
“Hi there!” shouted Jyx. He waved with his free arm.
His voice echoed across the space and the figure by the wall across the abyss waved back. Jyx wasn’t sure if it shouted in reply or he simply heard his own voice reflected.
“Those aren’t people who can help us, Jyx.” Eufame grasped his arm to prevent him from waving again.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s us.”
Vyolet clung to Jyx, her skin turning inky. Eufame pursed her lips and glared at the figures. Jyx forced his eyes to refocus. The tall figure in the centre had white streaks in the black mane that tumbled around her shoulders. A black figure with purple eyes clung to the boy beside the wall. He recognised the confused expression on the boy’s face, sure he would see it on his own if he looked in a mirror.
“What do we do?” asked Jyx.
“It’s not actually us, just reflections of us,” replied Eufame.
“What would happen if we got over there? Would they hurt us?”
“I don’t think we can get over there.”
A low moan rippled along the corridor, reaching around the corner towards them. Vyolet dug her fingers into Jyx’s shoulder, and he winced. Eufame gestured and the three shadow forms shambled away around the corner to engage whatever came their way. They weren’t fool proof, but they’d buy some time.
“Can you put out the lights on the other side?” asked Vyolet.
“Why?” Eufame looked at her sharply, the movement mirrored by the tall figure across the chasm.
“Well if we can’t see them then they won’t be there anymore.”
“I can’t see Bastet but I know she still exists,” replied Eufame.
“Please, can you just put out the lights?”
“I can’t remember the spell,” said Jyx.
“That’s just the atmosphere of this place. Use your Shadow magick. It’s the only thing that’ll get through.”
Jyx made a gesture with his hand, drawing a sigil in the air with his finger. A trail of pale grey light appeared in its wake. Once he’d finished, he blew on it, and it drifted across the chasm. The puff of light stopped halfway and exploded into silver shards as it collided with an invisible field. The figures disappeared from the passageway and the lights on either side of the archway blinked out, casting the edge of the chasm into darkness.
“Oh, my sister is a clever one indeed!” cried Eufame.
“What?” Jyx stared at the shower of sparks that fell into the abyss.
“The chasm isn’t actually that wide – there’s a mirror enchantment on it so that it seems twice as wide as it actually is. Vyolet, you’ve seen where the light exploded – could you jump that far?”
“I think so,” said Vyolet.
Another low moan sounded around the corner, this one closer than the one before. There was a scuffle and something snarled. The shadow forms had found the pursuers at least, but judging by the tearing sound and the fizzle of dying energy, they wouldn’t hold them back for much longer.
Eufame clapped her hands together and held them up. The lights in the corridor dimmed as her hands glowed, until a pool of darkness filled the passage.
Vyolet didn’t wait. She grabbed Jyx and Eufame by the hand and ran towards the abyss.
A hand snatched at Jyx’s robe, tearing a patch from the hem as Vyolet hauled him across the chasm. Jyx didn’t know if he was running across the chasm or through the shadows, but the darkness provided a comforting blanket across his vision. The shadows rippled around him, holding him safely. No more hands gripped his clothing and he allowed himself to breathe as his feet hit solid ground once more.
“As fun as it is, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that mode of travel.” Eufame straightened her robe and tucked her hair behind her ears.
“It’s saved my life more than once,” replied Vyolet.
Across the chasm, a cluster of shambling creatures gathered on the ledge they’d just vacated. The tattered remains of a shadow, outlined in red, hung from the clawed fist of the lead beast.
“What are they?” asked Vyolet.
“I dread to think. My sister obviously found them among the very worst of the dungeon inhabitants,” replied Eufame.
“Is she a necromancer too?”
“She’s a sorceress, but she has dabbled in necromancy in her time. But, come on, we don’t want to hang around here any longer than we have to. You must be able to smell the sewers by now.”
The scent of sewage hung in the air, far stronger on this side of the chasm. Jyx realised he’d become accustomed to the smell and shuddered.
The three of them headed off down the corridor. It curved away from the chasm, the blinking white lights singing a peculiar melody as they passed. The tune wormed its way into Jyx’s mind, prompting him to hum along.
“What are you humming?” asked Vyolet.
“Can’t you hear it? The lights are singing,” replied Jyx.
“That’s ridiculous. Lights don’t sing.”
“These ones do. They’re light sprites,” said Eufame. “They only shine when they’re asleep and they sing in their dreams. It’s all rather sweet, if you like that sort of thing.”
Vyolet grimaced. Jyx laughed and tried to peer closer whenever they passed a light. He couldn’t see anything within, but he liked the idea of a tiny creature curled up inside it, singing as it slept. If it was true, it was the only positive thing they’d encountered in the entire House of Correction, apart from the Wolfkin.
The corridor led ever downwards and they listened for the sound of more moans or groans behind them. Jyx found it easier to be alert; the gauze drifting across his mind thinned as they descended and his thoughts didn’t shy away whenever he tried to grasp them. Incantations and forgotten spells danced before his mind’s eye, and his fingers itched to draw sigils in the air and bring magick to the tunnels.
“Ah! We’re nearly there!” Eufame cried out and broke into a run down the corridor.
Jyx and Vyolet ran after her.
Eufame stood before an opening in the wall, blocked by a metal grate. Darkness lay beyond and the sound of dripping water echoed within the tunnel. Jyx wrinkled his nose at the terrible smell emanating from the opening. Eufame curled her fingers around the bars and pulled. Nothing. The grate didn’t even budge.
“Can you use magick on it?” Jyx was surprised how little magick Eufame had actually used since they’d sprung her from her cell.
“Not if it’s part of the building fabric. As much as it pains me to admit it, Naiad is stronger than me, Jyx. Though once we’re out of here, it’ll be no holds barred.” Eufame ran her hands over the grate, searching for a weak point.
“I might be able to sneak through. There’s a sliver of shadow on this side, and plenty on that.” Vyolet pointed through the grate at the shadow cast by the bars.
“There will be no need for that.” A voice echoed inside Jyx’s mind, both canine and human at the same time. Jyx turned around, expecting to see Validus, but instead he saw a Wolfkin with the golden skin and fur of a House of Correction guard.
Eufame smiled when she faced the newcomer, and Jyx was struck again by how alive Eufame’s face became whenever she broke into a genuine smile. The Wolfkin bowed to her.
“Ah! Finally, someone with some sense. Do you have a way for us to pass through the grate and out into the sewers?” she asked.
Vyolet shrank back, away from Eufame, and Jyx realised Eufame had spoken aloud using the barks and yips associated with Wolfkin communication.
“I do.”
The Wolfkin stepped forward and placed both of its paws on the grate. Golden light surrounded the Wolfkin’s head, racing down its arms, through its hands, and into the bars. Jyx stared open-mouthed at such an easy display of magick. He longed for the day when he could access pure energy, without needing to use incantations or sigils. Maybe the Wolfkin would teach hi
m. After all, they’d already given him the gift of Wolfkin communication.
The grate shimmered and disappeared from view. Jyx could still faintly see its outline, picked out in gold, but to Vyolet, the bars were gone. She hopped through and vanished into the darkness of the tunnel beyond.
“Come along, Jyx. This fine fellow can’t hold the gate open all day,” said Eufame.
Jyx darted through the opening, followed by Eufame.
On the other side, Jyx lurched towards the wall and stared at the wet arch of brick above him. A huge weight was lifted from him and he smelled magick in the air. Pure energy hummed around him. On impulse, he scooped up a handful of moss from the wall of the tunnel and drew a sigil above it. He tossed it to Vyolet, her aura glowing purple in the shadows, and the moss dissolved into a handful of violet petals in her hands.
Vyolet giggled and clapped. “That was wonderful! Do it again!”
Jyx repeated the gesture, and Vyolet brought the handful of petals to her face. The violet of the flowers matched her eyes.
“Ah, you’re free again. Very good,” said Eufame. She reached forward to pick a stray petal out of Vyolet’s hair.
“I had no idea the House was so oppressive!” said Jyx.
“That’s why we didn’t use much magick. Naiad has little time for Shadow magick, believing it to be below her, which is another belief she holds regarding the Wolfkin. She doesn’t accept that they have magick of their own,” replied Eufame.
The Wolfkin uncurled its fingers and the gate reappeared in a flash of golden light. It stood on the other side, still inside the House. Jyx moved towards the bars and gazed up at the guard. It looked so much like Validus, except for the colour of its fur.
“Won’t you come with us?” asked Jyx.
“I cannot. As long as I remain in this spot, Miss Delsenza’s sister cannot sense her. I will return to my duties once you are safely away,” replied the Wolfkin.
“Won’t you get into trouble?”
“I am but one Wolfkin, Master Faire. Your mission is far greater than mine.” With that, the Wolfkin turned his back on them, standing guard at the grate.
Eufame reached through the bars and squeezed his shoulder. He gave a small nod in reply.