by John Corwin
We hunted around for a blanket and put it in the back of the SUV. When Ambria got beneath it, we couldn't even tell she was there. So long as Galfandor and Geron didn't remove the blanket, we might get away with this.
Ambria shoved away the carpet and took a deep breath. "I hope the ride isn't too long, because it's positively stifling under there."
With our plan in place, we walked back toward the RV. Max stopped me. "Have you tried searching your memories again? Maybe you could figure out what Victus's plans are."
With all that had happened, I hadn't given it much thought. "I'll try."
"Maybe use infernus as a keyword," Ambria suggested.
I took a seat in a lawn chair and closed my eyes. Screams. Blood. Faces of loved ones dying. I fought past the nightmares to the void. I still heard the screams outside the void, muffled as if underwater.
I focused on infernus and the foundry. Bits and pieces of images flashed past. Zarin carving the demon symbols for the foundry. Someone infusing a soulsphere with aether. Like a television station with bad reception, the visions faded in and out, replaced by burning red symbols. It didn't take me long to decipher the symbols I kept seeing.
I opened my eyes. "Victus must have realized we had a psychic link at some point and warded his mind against intrusion."
Ambria's eyes flared. "Do you think the link was two-way?"
"If it was, we'd probably be dead by now," Max said. "Victus had tons of chances to kill us when he was disguised as Professor Sideon."
"He doesn't want to kill Conrad," Ambria said. "He wants to corrupt him like he did Delectra."
I shuddered. "Let's pray he never has the chance."
The next morning after breakfast, Max distracted Galfandor and Geron while I loaded the SUV with their luggage. Ambria slipped under the blanket and I put the light duffel bags over her. I slid the blanket back from her face.
"If it gets stuffy, just move this corner, okay?"
She offered a wan smile. "I'll do my best not to suffocate."
I chuckled. "Please don't." I leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I need you."
Ambria's eyes grew moist. She flicked the blanket back over her face. "Go away before they get suspicious."
I closed the rear hatch and rubbed my forehead to give Max the all-clear signal. He ended his conversation and walked back into the RV. Geron and Galfandor looked mildly confused at Max's sudden departure but made their way over to the car and climbed in front. I slid into the back.
Galfandor and Geron engaged in small talk during the ride to the train station. When they parked, I hurried out and grabbed the luggage.
"We're running a bit late, but we can make the train if we hurry." Geron slipped the strap to his duffel bag over a shoulder and made long strides toward the terminal. Galfandor lumbered after him, long legs keeping him abreast of the other man. Though I'd gained a few inches over the past year, my legs weren't long enough to match the men's strides, so I jogged behind them, craning my neck to see if Ambria was somewhere behind us.
Geron stopped at an automated ticket machine and used a credit card to purchase our tickets. The departure time was only seven minutes away and we hadn't even reached the terminal yet. The discovery of a cash slot filled me with relief since I'd given Ambria money. Now if only I knew where she was. I still didn't see her anywhere behind us.
"Come along." Geron hurried toward an escalator, following signs leading us to platform nine.
I stared out across the crowd as we went up.
Galfandor must have noticed my worried gaze. "Did you forget something Conrad?"
"No." I shifted forward. "Just worried about the others. I hope the wandslingers don't track them down again."
"I'm sure they'll be safe." Geron patted my back. "Never you worry, Conrad. We have some of the most powerful Arcanes in the Overworld on our side. It won't be long before Victus is no longer a threat."
I certainly hope you're right.
We boarded the train just moments before it left. While the others went to the first-class car, I tarried behind and anxiously watched the platform for Ambria. My heart sank when the doors closed and I still saw no sign of her. The train pulled out of the station and it appeared my brilliant plan to have one of my friends with me had failed.
The top of my hand stung. I looked down and realized I'd scratched the scar tissue until it bled. I'd forgotten to put lotion on it before going to bed, and the skin looked terribly dry. I dug through my pockets and remedied the situation before it got any worse.
Galfandor and Geron had already settled into their seats, the former with a fresh cup of tea, and the latter with a glass of whiskey. I sat down next to the window and stared out at the passing cityscape of Florence.
Galfandor pulled out a newspaper and shook his head. "What a mess these noms make of the world."
"Agreed." Geron had a newspaper of his own. "I still believe a restructuring would do the Overworld and the nom nations a great deal of good."
"A subject we will never agree on." Galfandor unfolded the paper and continued to read the front page. "The noms would never accept imposed rule from the Arcane minority, and there are far too many of them for us to force the issue."
I raised an eyebrow at Geron. "You want to rule the noms?"
"Not rule them, so much as guide them." He shrugged. "The world descends further into barbarism each and every day, and the noms are simply too blinded by partisanship to do what is right."
"That argument sounds just like one Victus used in the past." I suddenly wondered if going to talk to the Night Watch was a terrible mistake. "Is that what your organization is about?"
"No." Galfandor put down the newspaper. "We are committed to protecting free will of the people, be they supernatural or normal. Geron has proposed we intercede at the highest levels of nom government and pull the puppet strings, so to speak. I do not agree with his reasoning, nor do many others."
"Well, don't come crying to me when the seas rise from environmental warming and the lunatics controlling nuclear arsenals drive mankind into extinction." Geron shook his paper and turned to the next page.
"Or perhaps these are natural cycles that govern the rise and fall of nations," Galfandor replied. "Who are we to interfere when we cannot even protect our own government from evil people?"
"I'm going to take a walk." I slid out of the seat and left, heading back toward the car with the cafeteria. Melancholy hung heavy on my heart. I was all alone, on my way to meet with members of a secret organization that seemed to have similar goals to that of my evil father. Perhaps Galfandor was right, and the majority didn't share Geron's views. A dictator was a dictator, no matter the cause.
Lively people and conversation filled the cafeteria. I ordered a tea and sat in one of the tall stools next to the window so I could at least enjoy the view.
"Is this seat taken, sir?"
I set my tea on the table and jumped from my chair. "Ambria, I thought you didn't make it!" I gripped her in a fierce hug. "I was so sad."
She smiled and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before separating herself from me. "I nearly missed it, thanks to those ridiculously difficult cash slots on the kiosks."
"Would you like tea?" I asked.
"Absolutely."
I ordered her one and brought it back to the table. "I can't tell you how much happier I am, knowing you're here."
Her face flushed. "That's what friends are for."
The train ride was not short—nearly ten hours, in fact. I checked in with Galfandor and Geron every so often to make sure they didn't come looking for me, then went to the cafeteria car near the back of the train to sit with Ambria so they didn't accidentally stumble into us.
As we neared the final station, Ambria took out an arcphone Stan had given her. I bumped mine against hers and we shared our locations so we could track each other on the map. That would make it easier for her to follow us at a distance. I still didn't know the security or layout of the meet
ing site, but hoped I could somehow let her in without arousing suspicion.
I rejoined Galfandor and Geron and we departed a train station near a river my phone identified as the Seine. Geron led the way, crossing the street and entering a small bakery. I expected him to say a secret phrase that admitted us into a back room. Instead, he ordered a croissant and headed back outside.
My stomach grumbled, but I wasn't sure if it was from hunger or anxiety. We walked several blocks and took an abrupt turn into an alley.
"Wait a moment." Geron flicked his wand and a small bubble reflected the sidewalk we'd come down.
"Is someone following us?" Galfandor asked.
Geron didn't answer.
My heartbeat sped up. I desperately hoped Ambria wasn't following too close behind. Every second we paused, I grew more nervous. Wiping sweaty palms on my pants I cleared my throat and tried not to sound nervous. "Well, can we continue?"
Geron held up a finger. The bubble blinked green and popped. "Sorry, I thought I saw something earlier. Must have been nothing." He stepped back onto the sidewalk and continued.
After two more blocks, he entered an old hotel. The man behind the desk nodded politely and spoke in French.
"I'm here for the gala conference," Geron said.
The man slid across three key cards. "Rooms four zero seven, seven hundred, and five eighty-one." He slid across a brass skeleton key. "This key will open the third-floor ballroom."
Geron took the keys. "Do you have any neighboring rooms?"
The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, but those are all we have left."
Geron put the brass key in a pocket and handed each of us a keycard. We walked across the lobby to an antiquated cage elevator and slid the door shut. The car creaked and shuddered as it climbed its way up, inspiring little confidence from its occupants.
"I wouldn't be surprised if this lift killed us," Galfandor murmured.
"Riding it is a rather frightening experience." Geron winked at me as if I were the frightened one.
When it reached the fourth floor, Geron handed us the other two keycards and disembarked. "Meet me on the third floor in the morning." He stretched and yawned. "Order meals to your rooms if you wish. I'll cover them."
"Sleep well, friend." Galfandor closed the cage door and turned to me. "Which room do you want?"
I held out a hand. "I'll take seven hundred."
He gave me the keycard and got off on the fifth floor. I continued up to my floor, but instead of getting off, I went back down to the lobby. When the elevator deposited me on the first floor, I went outside and looked around for Ambria. I saw her peeking cautiously around a corner and waved her over.
She peered around suspiciously, then approached. "Is this the place?"
"Yep."
"I'm glad I waited a while when you went into that alley." Ambria scratched her nose. "I thought for sure that was the place, but then you came back out after a few minutes."
"Geron was making sure we weren't being followed." I looked around furtively as if he might be watching. "It's good you stayed put."
Ambria looked through the glass doors. "Are there any guards inside?"
"No." I described the layout. "I have my own room so you can stay in there. I think Galfandor and Geron went straight to bed, so it should be safe."
Ambria nodded. "I thought the meeting was today."
"So did I, but it's in the morning." My stomach grumbled. "Are you hungry?"
"A bit."
"We can order from the room." I took her upstairs. Two queen beds sat against one wall and a red leather couch against another. A rickety old desk hunched in the corner. I ordered food from the front desk. When it arrived, we watched television as we ate, though the language barrier prevented us from understanding much of anything.
Ambria fell asleep in her bed as the television droned on. I turned on my side in my bed and felt comforted, knowing she was here with me.
A young man with a thick white beard and long white hair stands before me. His rugged wool robe rustles as he walks. Bright white fog drifts around us, concealing the surroundings. The man grips my shoulders and speaks, but his words are unintelligible.
I try to pull away, but he's too strong. "What are you saying? I don't understand."
He bares his teeth and speaks with exaggerated movements of his mouth. It takes me a moment to understand what he's saying. "Use more power. Expand your well."
"I already have magic poisoning from overextending myself the last time." Even in my dream I feel weak. "Who are you?"
He gives me a satisfied nod and mouths, "More."
I blinked awake, calm and quiet. What's happening to me? I wondered if I still had a link to Victus and if this was one of his tricks, or if it was something else entirely. I couldn't explain it, but this dream felt connected to all the others. What happens if I use more power to expand my well? Every Arcane had a well—a psychic reservoir to hold aether for casting spells. By overextending, one could expand the well. In school, the teachers occasionally measured our capacity, but mine hadn't been exceedingly large at my last calibration.
Besides, a well could only expand so much before you reach your limit. I might be the great-grandson of Ezzek Moore, but even he had his limits, no matter what anyone said.
After breakfast in the room the next morning, I got ready to head down to the third floor. "I don't know what to expect," I told Ambria.
"I'll come down in a bit and hide in the hallway." She took out her arcphone and hovered a finger over a red button on the location app she used to track me. "Just hit the panic button and I'll come running." Ambria patted a pouch. "Max gave me his memory fog bombs and some banana peel potions."
I squeezed her hand to calm my nerves. I wondered how many of these people would hate me because of my father. How many still thought I'd follow in his footsteps. "Thank you."
Ambria lifted my hand and kissed the scar tissue. "Everything will be okay."
For some reason, I believed her.
Feeling calmer, I kissed her hand and left. Geron waited on the third floor with Galfandor when I arrived. He nodded. "Good morning. Are you ready?"
I took a deep breath. Nodded. "Yes."
Geron led us to the ballroom. The old key slid into a mortise lock. The door clicked open. We stepped into an empty lobby with a red velvet curtain separating this room from the next. Geron parted the curtain and stepped through. Dozens of people clustered inside. The dull roar of conversation died down as everyone turned to see who'd entered.
Some expressions of delight turned hostile when the gazes shifted from Geron and Galfandor to me, while others regarded me with confusion. I had the distinct feeling my attendance had not been widely advertised.
"I need to use the bathroom," I whispered. "Can I have the key?"
Geron handed it to me. "It looks as though everyone is here. I'll start the meeting now and call Conrad to speak when he returns."
"Yes, I think we should warm up the crowd with discussion first," Galfandor replied. "They don't look terribly receptive right now."
I left them to do their thing and went through the ballroom lobby and out into the hallway.
I looked up and down the hallway and spotted Ambria at the far end. I trotted down to her. "Looks like about thirty people inside. There's a lobby with a curtain just through the door."
"You look pale Conrad." She patted my cheek. "Feeling okay?"
"I was fine until all those strangers looked at me."
Ambria smiled. "You'll do fine. Remember to breathe."
I pressed her hand to my cheek and felt the shakiness subside. "I'm glad you're here."
Her eyelids fluttered. "Me too, Conrad."
I turned and went back down the hall. I hadn't been gone more than ten minutes, but heated discussions rang out on the other side of the curtain.
"You don't know that this boy isn't as bad as his father," someone shouted. "He could be leading us into a trap."
"H
e's the bloody spawn of evil!" a woman yelled.
"Ridiculous," a calmer voice replied. "The boy is not like his father."
"I'll vouch for the boy," Galfandor said. The shouting faded abruptly.
"I don't trust the boy, but I trust Galfandor," one of the earlier voices said.
"I don't like it, but I'll hear him out," the woman added.
I wasn't sure if that was my cue or not, but I stepped through the curtains and into the ballroom. Chairs circled the middle of the room. Geron and Galfandor sat on the opposite side from me. A few heads swiveled my way. Elbow nudges to neighbors cast more eyes in my direction.
Geron stood and motioned me over. "Come tell them what you told me, Conrad."
I gulped and walked around the circle to the other side where an empty chair waited next to Galfandor. I sat down on my hands so no one would see them shaking.
"I know you have no reason to trust me, but I'd like to see my father brought down as much as anyone else here." I saw a few nods and some encouraging smiles mixed with a nearly equal number of dismissive shakes and glaring frowns. "First, I'll explain how I know what I know." I told them the story of my parents' resurrection and how their soul shards linked their minds to mine. This elicited a number of shocked glances from those who'd glared moments earlier, but I didn't know if it had actually changed their minds about me or convinced them I was tainted. I told them how to best bait Victus into a trap of our own.
"Ridiculous." A man stood. "We're taking advice from a twelve-year-old."
"I'm nearly fifteen, sir." My voice cracked.
"Fifteen. Hmph." He stepped back from his chair. "I've heard enough. Maybe this farce will be over by the time I return from the bathroom."
"Edgar, you've been unreasonable from the moment I first started speaking." Geron stood and spread his hands imploringly. "Why are you so eager to ignore us? Usually, you're among the first to adopt new ideas."
Edgar sputtered. "Because it's Conrad Edison, you fools!" He stormed through the curtains. The door slammed shut a moment later.