The Zero Curse

by Christopher G. Nuttall

  “Why should I trust you?” I racked my brain for options. Going out of the window was starting to look like the best of a set of bad choices. “What could you possibly say that would actually manage to convince me that you’re telling the truth?”

  Fairuza looked irked. “I won’t let you leave, Cat,” she said. “Either stay with us or die.”

  I swallowed, hard. That was it, wasn't it? What Dad had seen and I had missed. My mere existence was a shift in the balance of power. Anyone who wanted to restore the balance could do it simply by killing me. Dad had believed that Jude’s was safe, too. He hadn't realised, not really, that the balance of power had shifted too badly for the school’s neutrality to be left alone. Old certainties were falling everywhere.

  My mind raced. Lord Carioca Rubén had every incentive to restore the balance of power, hadn't he? But he wouldn't allow his son to be kidnapped, right? Unless it was a cunning double-bluff. Perhaps he’d always intended to arrange for Akin to be ransomed back to himself, once I’d served my purpose, or maybe he’d decided that Isabella was a better heir after all. And yet ... it didn't seem quite right. Too many things didn't quite add up.

  I peered down at Fairuza. “Why do you want the potion?”

  “None of your business,” she said. “Come here. Now.”

  “You’re just a minion, aren't you?” I knew taunting her was dangerous, but it might provoke her into doing something stupid. Alana had taunted one of the maids - lesser family - until the maid had snapped and hexed her into silence. “Do you really believe that whoever gives the orders cares about you? You’ll be killed the moment you outlive your usefulness.”

  “Come here, you little brat,” Fairuza ordered. Her eyes were dark with rage. I didn't want her anywhere near me. She’d probably hex me into next week, even though it meant I wouldn't be any good for forging for a few days. “Now.”

  She lifted her shield and started forward, holding it in front of her. I jabbed the spellcaster at her, but the magic slammed into the shield and flashed out of existence. The blast had barely knocked her back. Whoever had forged the shield had done a very good job. Fairuza’s minions stood, raising their own shields. I braced myself, then lifted the spellcaster and started jabbing it at the ceiling. They stumbled backwards, a second before the roof caved in with a deafening roar. I hoped none of them had been caught by the debris as I turned and ran to the window. There was a faint glimmer of dawn in the distance, but otherwise the world was still wrapped in darkness. Fairuza had been right, I realised as I swung my leg over the windowsill. We were a very long way from civilisation.

  Scrambling down the wall was an utter nightmare. I’d done stupid things before, but this was the worst. I had to struggle to find handholds, slipping and sliding as my fingers brushed against smooth parts of the wall. The wind blew gently, mocking me; I tasted faint hints of seawater as I breathed in and out. I lost track of time as I crawled down, finally landing on solid ground. But it couldn't have been that long. The world hadn't gotten much brighter.

  I leant against the wall for a long moment, trying to catch my breath. There was very little magic in the air, according to my spectacles ... save for faint flickers that were as enigmatic as always. My eyes slowly became accustomed to the gloom, picking out hints of trees and buildings in the semidarkness. Where were we?

  A nasty thought lingered at the back of my mind. There was one place they might have taken us, one place we could have been hidden indefinitely ...

  I heard a faint sound in the distance. They were coming.

  Pushing the thought aside, I spilled my last potion bottle on the ground under my feet, then turned and fled into the darkness.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  I thought I heard an explosion behind me as I scurried through the shadows, but I didn't dare look back to see the flash. That would make them a little more careful about chasing me, I hoped. Fairuza might be able to go through the supply cupboards and figure out how much I’d made, but I doubted it. I’d fudged the figures as best as I could, overusing some ingredients and under-using others. Mum would have been furious if I’d done that in her potions lab, but Fairuza would have worse problems. She couldn't be sure just how much I’d made of anything.

  I probably should have set the suite on fire when I left, I thought. In hindsight ... it had been a mistake, although setting fire to some of the potions ingredients would have had unpleasant consequences. That would definitely have made it impossible for her to tell what I’d made.

  The darkness closed in around me as I hurried through the enigmatic buildings. Flickers of magic shot past me, growing stronger and stronger ... I really didn't think they were spells at all. I’d heard of bursts of raw magic - there had been a sudden magical surge two hundred years ago when a large stockpile of potions ingredients had been destroyed - but this was different. The nasty thought I’d had about where we were surfaced, again. There weren’t many places with such odd magical fields.

  I glanced from side to side, listening carefully for sounds of pursuit. The shadows seemed to move when I wasn't looking - I nearly blasted a shadow before realising that it was just a shadow - but I couldn't hear anything behind me. And yet ... I felt a growing unease that nagged at my mind. What were Fairuza and her comrades doing? Tracking spells might not work on me, but they might work on my friends. And if they had dogs ...

  I’d read stories about dogs that had been thrown off the scent by pepper, or running water, but I didn't have any pepper. And I wasn't sure I would have trusted the water either, if I’d stumbled across a lake. My stomach growled, reminding me that I’d be hungry soon. I’d stowed some supplies in my bag - there were advantages to a steady diet of bread, ham and cheese - but they wouldn't last long. I hadn't been able to prepare enough sandwiches for all three of us.

  I’ll need to turn them back, sooner rather than later, I thought. The path sloped upwards, taking me up a hill. Keeping them inanimate for so long will have side effects.

  I shuddered as I stopped outside a darkened building and peered inside. It was deserted, as far as I could tell. There didn't even seem to be any rats, let alone any other vermin. I didn't like rats much, but I really didn't like the implications. Come to think of it, I hadn't heard owls or any other night bird either. The whole region seemed to be utterly lifeless. I braced myself, then inched inside. The air smelled ... musty, as if the building had been abandoned a very long time ago. I was starting to think that that was true.

  And yet ... I turned my head from side to side, thinking hard. There was ... something ... there, wasn't there? It was calling to me, a gentle pull ... I touched the bracelet, but it was cold. And yet, the air seemed pregnant with possibility. I knew it might well be dangerous - I’d been warned to be very careful of subtle traps, although most of them didn't seem to have any effect on me - but ... but it was hard to believe it. It spoke to me personally ...

  And that’s the danger, I told myself, as I sat down on the stone floor. The light was a little brighter now, bright enough to show me that the room was empty. Everything that wasn't stone had rotted away a long time ago. It wants me to come to it.

  I reached into my pocket and pulled both of the statuettes out, placing them on the floor. The dispeller should be able to free them from the geas, but only if it had time to work. I rested the dispeller next to Akin, then pulled the third spellcaster from my bag. I hadn't dared use it earlier - the spell it cast was too easily countered - but neither Akin or Rose would have time to fight. Pointing the spellcaster at them, I triggered the dispeller. They returned to normal, sitting upright with terrifying speed. I stunned them both before they could cast a spell.

  Sorry, I thought. I didn't dare speak out loud. The air was so still that I was sure that even a whisper would go quite some distance. You’ll both have headaches when you wake up.

  I tied their hands and feet together, then put the dispeller to work. Hopefully, the geas would be gone by the time they woke up, but if it wasn't ..
. I shook my head. Akin could get out of the ropes like lightning, if he didn't freeze me first. All I could really do was slow them down a little, unless I was willing to transfigure them again. And doing that might be dangerous. I had no idea just how aware they’d been while they’d been trapped.

  And no way to test it either, I thought. I couldn't even cast it on myself.

  I shivered as I waited. The spells Alana and Bella had been taught were designed to cushion the victim’s mind, making it easier for them to cope with being turned into a frog. Or a statue. Or merely being unable to move. My spell didn't have any of those safeguards. It had more in common with Great Aunt Stregheria’s spells than I cared to admit. But I hadn't had a choice. Even engraving a basic spell into an Object of Power was immensely difficult, particularly when I hadn't had much time to prepare.

  The light grew brighter, steadily. I looked at the door, wondering if I should go check on our surroundings. Or even find out what was in the nearby rooms. But I could still feel the pull at the back of my mind. Whatever it was, it was still calling to me. And I didn't dare give it any satisfaction or it would just get stronger. I stood and started to pace, trying hard to keep my churning thoughts under control. If I’d got something wrong, we were in deep trouble.

  My body ached. I checked my legs - dozens of scrapes and scabs where I’d banged my skin during the climb - but there was nothing I could do about it, not now. Fairuza hadn't given us any medical supplies, beyond the basics for a potions lab. I didn't think any of them would come in handy now. I’d just have to put up with the discomfort until we made it home.

  I took a long breath. The sensation - almost a smell - was stronger now, a faint tingle that sent shivers down my spine. And yet ... it wasn't a smell at all. It was ... I struggled to describe it, even to myself. I would have thought of it as a modified repulsion ward, if I’d been able to see the spellform. Dad used them to deter people from trying to climb our walls. It kept most apple-scrumpers out of our orchards. There were nastier defences further inside for thieves who didn't take the hint.

  No focused magic, I thought. Just ...

  Akin jerked, his eyes snapping open. I raised the spellcaster, ready to stun him again. I’d have bare seconds, if that, before he hexed me. I was tempted to strike first, despite the risk ... if I was wrong, he was going to hex me and then take me back to the cell. And we wouldn't have a second chance to escape.

  “Cat,” Akin managed. “I ...”

  He turned to one side and retched, hard. I allowed myself a moment of relief, then helped him into the recovery position. Retching was a good sign, I’d been told. It was proof that whatever ailed him was on its way out. And yet ... I watched him, warily. If he made a single false move, I’d stun him first and give him another go with the dispeller. He’d hate me for it, but it was better than being recaptured.

  “That was ... that was bad.” Akin’s voice was practically a croak. I relaxed, slightly. “I ... I ... I couldn't stop myself.”

  “It’s alright,” I said. I pulled the bottle of water out of my bag and passed it to him. We’d have to ration it carefully. I had no idea if the water here, if we found a river, was safe to drink. “How much do you remember?”

  Rose groaned before Akin could answer. I helped her to lie on her side, trying to split my attention between both of them. The geas seemed to have vanished, but ... but it would be a long time before I relaxed. I’d read too many stories where someone was secretly enchanted, appearing perfectly normal until the spell took effect. But if Akin and Rose had been enspelled like that, the dispeller should have removed it too ... right? I could only hope I was right.

  There are no certainties any longer, I thought, as I passed Rose the water. She drank, carefully. I took it back before she could empty it. Everything we thought we knew is wrong.

  Akin pulled his hands free and rubbed his forehead. “Where are we?”

  “An abandoned settlement,” I said. I eyed him, worried. Geas or no geas, his senses would be sharper than mine. “What do you sense?”

  “Magic,” Akin said. “It feels ... weird.”

  Rose looked up at me. “We shouldn't be here,” she said, with the earnestness of a child half her age. She sounded as though she’d hit her head. “This is a bad place.”

  “Don’t try to cast spells, not yet,” I said, firmly. I freed Rose’s hands and left her to release her legs. It would give her something to focus on. “How much do you remember?”

  “You ... you did something to us,” Rose said. She concentrated. “Everything after that is something of a blur.”

  “Probably for the best.” I stood. Tiredness nagged at my mind, but ... I had to force myself to move. We were still far too close to our captors for comfort. “Can you two stand?”

  “Barely,” Akin said. His eyes opened wide. “What happened to you?”

  I looked down at myself and blinked. My shirt and trousers were torn and stained with blood. My blood. And I hadn't thought to pack a change of clothes ... I giggled, despite the seriousness of the situation. My clothes were a ruin, my hair was a mess, my hands and face were dirty ... High Society would throw up its collective hands in horror if they saw me in such a state. Mum would order me thrown in the bath and viciously scrubbed by the maids.

  “I had to climb down from our prison,” I said, wryly. I didn't know just how far down I’d climbed, either. My scars bore mute testament to my feat. “You two got the easy part.”

  Akin nodded, then stopped and looked around. “Rose is right,” he said. “We really shouldn't be here.”

  “Yeah,” I said. If I’d sensed that something was wrong, it had to be bad. I might not be able to sense magic, but I could sense its effects. “We really need to start moving.”

  I returned most of my tools to my pack, but kept the dispeller and the spellcasters in my pockets. I’d need them, if we had to fight. I briefly considered giving some of my protective bracelets to Akin and Rose, but they'd only make it impossible for them to use their magic too. I didn't think the trade-off was worth it. Instead, I walked to the nearest door and peered through into the next room. It was as bare and barren as the first.

  Rose caught my arm. “What do you think this place was?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. The stone walls had survived ... however long the building had been abandoned, but everything else had long since rotted away. Carpets, wooden furnishings ... everything was gone. “It could have been a house or a forge or ...”

  “A house,” Akin said. He sounded disturbed. I wondered if he’d had the same thought as myself. Rose hadn't been raised on the old stories, but we had. “And one built quite some time ago.”

  I frowned as we glanced through the remaining rooms. It could be a country villa, I decided; there were bedrooms, storage rooms, a giant dining room and an indoor swimming pool that was deep enough to worry me. If I’d fallen into the water-less pool in the darkness, I’d have broken my legs. There wouldn't have been any hope of climbing out, either. My eyes trailed over a set of headless statues - I couldn't tell if they’d decayed over the years or had been designed to look that way - and rested on a plinth. It was ... odd. It reminded me of the shrines we raised to our ancestors, but ... but it was different. A whole set of faded designs were carved into the stone. They were so faded that I couldn't be sure I was seeing the whole thing.

  The air felt ... odd as we stepped out of the building. I couldn't put my finger on it. The wind blew, yet ... yet it felt dead. And yet ... there was something timeless about the whole region, as if the world had slowed to a halt. No birds sang in the trees, no insects buzzed through the air, no small animals burrowed through the undergrowth ... it was eerie, even to me. Both Rose and Akin grew increasingly jumpy as we looked around. I didn't blame them. It must have been far worse for them.

  “This place is wrong,” Rose said.

  I nodded in agreement. The buildings had looked bad enough in the darkness, but they looked far worse in the day. They l
ooked ancient, yet frozen in time; decayed, yet intact enough to be made liveable with very little effort. And yet ... my head hurt, every time I looked into the darkened doorways. It was very hard to escape the feeling that the darkness led in directions the human mind wasn't equipped to understand. Rose was definitely right. There was something fundamentally wrong about the whole place.

  The buildings looked ... old. I’d seen buildings like them in Water Shallot, buildings that dated all the way back to the Thousand-Year Empire, but these were different. My head started to pound as I tried to come to grips with what I was seeing. Stone walls, covered with stone heads ... human heads, monstrous heads. Gargoyles stood on every wall, peering down at us. The buildings were ancient and decayed, yet preserved ... preserved like flies trapped in amber. All of a sudden, I understood precisely why Fairuza had been so confident she could keep us hidden here. There was so much wild magic in the area that even blood-linked magics would be unreliable.