Assassins

by R A Browell

  Silky narrowed her eyes and nodded.

  ‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘with a voice that would make men weep.’

  Ilia smiled.

  ‘If she had some artistic talent, the lake people might encourage her to visit but I don’t think they would ever kidnap a child, and in any event, the gatekeepers would have been aware of their presence if they had entered the castle walls. Even with the mist, the lake dwellers still have a kind of form and so are detectable by the stones. They are not true shape shifters.’

  She paused. Everyone was watching and waiting for her to continue. The only sounds were the ripples on the water, the light breeze as it caught the leaves in the cypress trees and the occasional bird chirruping from on high.

  ‘I think that maybe your answer lies outside Farisia and within the realms of Kelpasia,’ she said finally. ‘You have heard of the Seleni?’

  Silky shook her head. ‘The Seleni?’

  ‘I’m not surprised. The Kelpasian Council try to keep their existence quiet but most of the older Kelpasians are aware of their presence. The Seleni are three women, some say they are sisters, who reside on the Isle of Aldrovanda. Sometimes they are known as the Council of Three,’ continued Ilia looking around at the five blank teenage faces before her.

  ‘I’ve heard of the Council of Three,’ replied Silky nodding slowly. ‘I understood that they were part of the judiciary for Kelpasia, but not much more. I had no idea that they were sisters.’

  ‘These sisters have lived with full state protection on Aldrovanda for more years than anyone can remember,’ continued Ilia. ‘They came to an arrangement with the Kelpasian Council many centuries ago that provided them with the peace and privacy that they desired, as a payment and retainer for their services that the State occasionally requires.’ Ilia paused as she turned to look directly at Hari, who had stepped closer. ‘The Seleni are of your kin,’ she explained quietly.

  ‘They’re vampires?’ exclaimed Charlie

  ‘I thought your kind preferred to be known as sanguins?’

  ‘We do,’ said Hari, moving into the summerhouse. ‘So, you’re saying that there are sanguins, like us, living here in this world?’

  Ilia nodded and despite the overpowering smell of decay and his retching stomach, Hari sat down in the summerhouse.

  ‘Not many, in fact only a select few,’ Ilia continued, glancing at Silky, ‘and of course they are very old and clever. They have had much time to develop their command over the physical laws of nature, which means that they have learned how to shift their shapes properly; better than most other creatures in any of the worlds. This skill enables them to move swiftly and silently between worlds but takes much effort and exhausts them. They would only shape shift if it were for a prize of high value. However,’ she continued as she observed the teenagers and sniffed the air, ‘whilst they are of your kin, they are different from you. They choose to follow their natural persuasion closely. They prey upon that which satisfies them best.’

  ‘You mean humans?’ said James.

  Ilia nodded.

  ‘But Lily isn’t human and vampires never prey on other vampires,’ replied James.

  ‘Never?’ replied Ilia dryly and glanced across at Silky and Romulus before returning her gaze to the boys. ‘I suppose we should remember that you are young and idealistic, but you need to grow; to keep an open mind. Be aware that you have only just commenced your journey.’ She paused. ‘You must understand that most creatures, particularly predators, will prey on anything that happens to get in the way of that which they most desire. Sanguins, by their very nature are driven by desire. You may have made the decision to harness your desires, but not all of your kind will feel the same, nor should you judge those who travel a different road. The gnascori are different, they do not differentiate between the human and sanguin, nor do those who create such creatures… In any sentient species, there are always those whose sole ambition is to seek power over others.’ Ilia paused again, still stroking the silvery rock crystal in front of her. ‘However, it must be said that the Seleni are not driven by a psychotic tendency or by a need to create monsters. They have a more primeval need. They merely desire to fulfil their feeding instinct, to take that which they most desire and enjoy a life of indulgence and power. They use their voices to attract the unwary, who then find themselves inextricably drawn to the sisters by their melodies and then tranquillised by their own nullified senses. I understand that those who become the prey of the Seleni die willingly and painlessly… Perhaps their passing is even easier than that…’ Ilia seemed momentarily distracted. ‘It is said that those who perish at the hands of the Seleni die in spasms of divine ecstasy. It is my opinion that the Seleni are focused on that which they do best and ensuring that they do it with maximum efficiency.’ She looked around at the transfixed teenagers.

  Ziggy looked terrified as he hung onto every word. ‘As I said,’ she continued, ‘unlike most sanguins, these girls have developed the ability to shape shift properly. They could easily transform themselves into a caressing mist at will and would be able to travel in this way in search of their prey, but I don’t think Lily has been taken as food…She would be too interesting and far too precious, to them,’ she added thoughtfully.

  ‘What do you mean by precious?’ asked Silky. ‘If she’s not food for these creatures, why would she be precious and why have I never heard that the Council of Three were sanguin sisters?’

  ‘Silky, you know as well as I, that there are many things within the different worlds of which we are not fully aware. The Seleni have their uses within Kelpasia. The Magisterie have found it convenient over the years to keep the Seleni on hand to deal with any of their more serious problems but I understand they are rarely used…You understand?’

  ‘Magisterie?’ frequenced James.

  ‘The Kelpasian Council; their equivalent of the Laudis,’ replied Ziggy silently.

  Ilia paused for a few seconds before she continued. ‘Silky, you of all people know that dark creatures have always been allowed to exist in the two worlds, as long as they do not cause major problems for society. Indeed, some of these help in keeping the dark forces in check. The Farisians have the Protectors,’ she glanced quickly at Valens, ‘but sometimes even that isn’t quite enough. Sometimes, a greater deterrent is needed…’

  ‘I hardly think the Protectors are dark creatures,’ objected Silky.

  ‘You know what I mean. Etal was unique and everyone knows that Valens is his father’s son, but as for Lily Carfax. I believe that the Seleni may think that they have found a new sister. You mentioned that Lily was a singer and that will be attractive to them. Their voices are the main weapon they use to attract their prey. For my part, I don’t think for an instant that they will be aware of her significance to the four worlds and the missing Elementals; only of her significance to them. They will be looking to extend their family group and yet for Lily, such inclusion would be condemning her to the life of an assassin.’

  ‘An assassin!’ repeated Charlie.

  No one said a word. The little hummingbird they had seen earlier flew into the summerhouse. It hovered in mid-air, holding its position, its wings beating at invisible speed before it suddenly saw its mate and disappeared, diving through the air towards the ground, kamikaze style. Just before the point of impact it struck out its wings and zoomed upwards once again.

  ‘You know, I read something about those birds,’ said James quietly as his eyes followed the brightly coloured creature. ‘If you scale their movements up to the size of a car it’d be travelling at almost twice the speed of sound and in order to beat its wings at 1,000 times a minute it has to burn its body fuel four hundred times faster than a human being, which would make the average human become a ball of flames… And that dive, it’s about 9Gs, that’s nine times the force of gravity, which would make most creatures, other than vampires, black-out!’

  They all stared at James.

  ‘We were talking about Lily and assas
sins, mate,’ said Charlie. ‘Not birds! What’s your point?’

  ‘My point is that nature is amazing and that Lily is a creature of nature. She’s awesome, we all are, but she definitely knows where she belongs in the natural order of things. She knows that she needs to hunt to feed but she also knows that she hasn’t been given these gifts just to become a paid murderer. We all have a natural sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. She’s one of us. I know she’ll do the right thing.’

  ‘I’m glad that she has you three with her and that you are as close as family to her,’ replied Ilia kindly, ‘but what that shows to me is that you must have some inkling of how much the Seleni will want Lily to become part of their own family. In their lifestyle choice, they are merely doing what they consider to be natural. They don’t see any problem if their natural feeding activities also happen to attract handsome rewards from the Kelpasian State.’

  ‘But it’s not right, going around assassinating people!’ objected Charlie.

  ‘Morality isn’t a question of nature. Morality is what separates you from your nature,’ said Ilia smiling gently at each of the boys.

  ‘Silky says that Lily had hunted recently, so she shouldn’t be overcome by the squeeze. Is that right?’

  Hari nodded, thinking about the stomach cramps and intense pain that came with a sanguin’s hunger.

  ‘Within the last day or so,’ he replied. ‘She ate well, we all did. Our prey was a carnivore and bigger than usual. I don’t know how much you know about these things but it makes a difference to feed on something big. She shouldn’t have pain for a long time.’ He paused. ‘How come you know about the squeeze?’

  Ilia thought for a moment. ‘The problem is that you have no idea how fast her body is developing. From what you’ve said, she is still in transition. Her last feed might not sustain her for as long as you suppose and then,’ Ilia paused and stroked the rock creatures again. ‘She’s never been exposed to what her body really wants has she?’ she asked and surveyed the group carefully. ‘You say she is only a month or so into transition?’

  Silky nodded her head slowly.

  ‘Then she is very young,’ warned Ilia, ‘and that makes her extremely vulnerable to Seleni persuasion.’

  ‘Ilia, I think I know Lily,’ said Silky, covering her growing concern by smoothing her silken skirts repeatedly. ‘James is right, she has a strong mind. Just like her mother she knows what is right and what is wrong.’

  ‘That may be the case Silky, but to be frank you have no experience of how persuasive the Seleni can be. If she tastes that which she really desires, she will have an enormous battle to reign in her thirst and then there’s the question of whether she would still be trusted with the Elementals if she were to become polluted by her desire.’ Ilia looked out from the summerhouse and over the tidy, pruned gardens, watching the light as it illuminated the blood-red petals in the rose bed. ‘Also,’ she continued still deep in thought, ‘there are those who would then use such a weakness to manipulate her gifts for other, less noble purposes. There are those from all four worlds, who, if they knew of her significance, would use the Seleni to acquire Lily for their own purposes…’

  ‘But who? How?’ asked Valens, his face was set like stone. ‘They’ve only been here, in Farisia, a matter of hours!’

  ‘Valens, as a Protector you should know better,’ said Ilia. ‘It seems to me that you are losing your objectivity,’ she stared at him hard as he reddened. ‘Haven’t I just told you that the Seleni enter the different worlds to hunt. Alliances can be forged when worlds meet, look at you and Zigadenus with these sanguins; an unlikely alliance I’ll admit, but an alliance none the less!’

  Valens and Charlie glared at each other.

  ‘Personally, I don’t think the Seleni would have taken Lily for any reason other than the sisterhood,’ Ilia continued. ‘Of course, they could have been instructed by the Magisterie to take her but that would make no sense. The Laudis and the Magisterie might not always see eye to eye, but following the Great War, they have worked together to protect Farisia and Kelpasia. Even in cases where extradition has been sought, it has always been done peaceably and through the proper legal channels. If the Magisterie had ordered the sisters to abduct Lily it would only weaken the alliances built up over many years with the Laudis.’ Ilia shook her head thoughtfully and paused again as she continued stroking the silvery rock, smoothing her dirty fingers over its glittering surface. ‘No,’ she continued, ‘if the Seleni had heard about Lily, it wouldn’t be from the Magisterie, it would be from an outside source, either that, or they simply chanced across her... Either way, they would only take her to increase their strength not because they were acting as somebody else’s puppets. If the two older sisters found that they had been manipulated into abducting Lily for someone else’s purpose, they would not be amused, particularly if such manipulation put at risk their own perfectly engineered world. These three girls are well educated. They have established a place of importance within their society and Kelpasians must give honour to them; honour that would normally be reserved only for the Magisterie. In my opinion, there is no way they would risk their whole way of life for another, unless it was to gain a true sister.

  ‘You seem very certain that it’s the Seleni that have taken Lil,’ said James.

  Ilia looked at the teenager thoughtfully and then smiled. ‘You came to me seeking my opinion. As I said, if she is with them, I doubt they will have any idea of her importance. Given the mist and what you’ve said about Lily, my advice is to visit the Seleni. If you find Lily then you can also try and find out if anyone else was involved. If Lily was a chance finding then you have no concerns other than the sisters. If not, then keeping the Seleni on side will be the key to finding your enemy.’

  ‘Our enemy?’ repeated Charlie.

  ‘But why should they trust us?’ asked James.

  ‘You are of their kin, that will help,’ she replied, ‘but whether or not they are willing to assist you is another matter. You will be taking from them, that which they currently most desire and in doing so, you risk becoming their main focus of hate. Therefore, if you do find Lily, I would advise you to be careful and ready.’

  There was a grim silence around the group as the rock mass suddenly separated itself into pieces, each tiny living fragment moving as quickly as their leg-like protuberances could carry them across the table to return to Ilia’s outstretched hands. She lifted them and listened to the strange high-pitched noises that they started to make.

  ‘One last thing,’ Ilia added looking up with her warm brown eyes. Her matted locks of hair swung forward, releasing a fresh onslaught of foul odour. ‘The Seleni have the protection of the Magisterie. You are strangers here, aliens, and you cannot be permitted to charge into Aldrovanda without the necessary authority and kidnap someone who the sisters will now see as a member of their family.’

  ‘But if she’s there, they kidnapped her in the first place!’ objected Charlie.

  ‘Nevertheless,’ replied Ilia, ‘you must go back to Pergamont and obtain the required introductions from the Laudis together with an authenticated account of Lily’s value. Then you can approach the Magisterie at the State palaces in Serenisa, and seek the relevant permissions. Only then will they provide you with introductions to the Seleni and safe passage to the Island of Aldrovanda.’

  ‘But we can’t wait for all that red tape!’ objected Charlie, standing up. His head knocked against a half-decayed squirrel that fell from the ceiling into Hari’s arms. ‘We need to get to Aldrovanda now!’

  ‘Charlie, sit down,’ said James. ‘Do we really have to go back to Pergamont?’ he asked.

  Ilia nodded. ‘I can understand your hurry and reluctance to waste time but if you confront the Seleni without the knowledge and blessing of the Magisterie, you will have no legal authority. There will be a major diplomatic incident. Remember the Seleni are the official State assassins. They exterminate that which they are instructed to kill but
they also kill because they enjoy it and they are good at it. They have managed to organise their affairs so that they have the blessing of the State to fulfil their appetites. Don’t underestimate them. Go with proper introductions and, if Lily’s there it will give you time to negotiate with them. They won’t want to upset their arrangement with the Magisterie – it’s too valuable to them. Maybe you can get the sisters to see your point of view and avoid any bloodshed.’

  ‘Bloodshed?’ repeated Ziggy under his breath.

  ‘Ilia’s right,’ Silky sighed. ‘I know we’re going to lose time but we can’t afford to be crippled in the red tape of a diplomatic incident, or with any of you injured, or worse. If we do as Ilia suggests, not only do we stand a better chance of recovering Lily, if she’s there, we also have a chance of finding new allies in the Seleni if she’s not.’

  ‘But the Seleni feed off humans. We can’t form alliances with them,’ said Charlie, slapping the table harder than he expected with his hand. A small fracture appeared across the surface of the stone. ‘It goes against everything we believe in. Everything Hari and Lily’s families have fought against for centuries!’ Ilia looked down calmly at the cracked surface.

  ‘Charlie, sit! We must do as Ilia suggests,’ said Silky. ‘There’s more at stake here than a few stray humans. I’m not suggesting that the Seleni will be allowed to continue their lifestyle indefinitely, but one has to be pragmatic; our first concern must be Lily’s safety and then finding the Elementals. If Ilia thinks we stand a better chance of doing that by obtaining the relevant permissions first, then higher moral principles must come later. Lily is strong. She’ll hold out against contamination by the Seleni, at least until we have chance to get to the Magisterie, I’m sure of it.’

  ‘And if she’s not?’ asked Hari.

  ‘Then maybe she’s unworthy to find the Elementals after all and Mother Earth is at even greater risk than we thought,’ Ilia replied sadly.