The Golden Tower

by Holly Black

  Anastasia’s cool gray eyes glowed. “Very well,” she said slowly. “You’d better fill me in on exactly how this plan is going to go.”

  CALL FELT GUILTY as he walked up the hill. When he saw Tamara at the top, his expression was bleak.

  “Did it not work?” she asked him.

  “It worked,” he said. “I was just thinking how maybe I understand why people are afraid of chaos mages. Maybe they should be afraid.”

  Tamara put his hand on Call’s shoulder. “It’s not fair that because you’re a Makar, you have to deal with all this. It wasn’t fair when it was Aaron, and it’s not fair when it’s you. We’re still kids. Maybe not kids like we were when we came to the Magisterium, but too young to be responsible for the lives of so many other people. I think you’re doing great.”

  “If you think so, then I guess it must be true,” Call said.

  This is my fault, Aaron said.

  No, it’s not, Call thought back. This time it’s not any of our faults.

  Tamara took his hand and held it all the way back to the Mission Gate. When they came through, Jasper and Gwenda were waiting for them, looking grave.

  “What happened?” Call demanded loudly, cutting through the other voices. Gwenda looked abruptly apologetic and a cold sliver of fear ran through him.

  “You better come,” said Jasper. “Now.”

  He started moving through the tunnels fast enough that Call had to ask him to slow down twice just to keep up. When they arrived back at their common room, Master Rufus was there, looking very grave.

  Beside him was a Devoured of air. He appeared in the form of a grayish mist that moved out from the shape of his body to evaporate in the air. His features became more and less distinct as the cloudlike shape of his body shifted.

  Call could see his glasses, the shape of his face, even the translucent outline of gray-and-brown hair. Call knew him. He didn’t want to, but he did.

  The Devoured was Alastair, his father.

  For a moment, Call’s bad leg almost gave out. He lurched sideways and caught himself on a table. All Call’s thoughts had fled. He didn’t want to believe what he was looking at. He didn’t want to see what was in front of him. He didn’t want to comprehend it.

  “Dad,” he said. The word came out broken.

  Tamara gasped.

  He must really love you, said Aaron, which seemed all wrong to Call at the same time that it was true.

  “Dad,” he said again, and the shape flowed toward him, enveloped him in fog and whirling wind. There was nothing comforting in that touch. It was too inhuman, too cold.

  “Call,” Alastair’s voice said. “I’m sorry. But this is the only way I could help you.”

  “We could have found someone else,” Call pleaded.

  “There wasn’t time,” Alastair told him.

  “But you hate magic!” Call shouted, angry now. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Alastair had to sacrifice himself. None of this was fair, none of it had ever been fair, but Alastair shouldn’t have had to give up everything. “How are you going to go to garage sales now? How are you going to tinker with cars? How are you going to even drive cars? What is going to happen to all your antiques?” He choked. “What about our life together? What about our life?”

  “I needed to help you, Call,” said Alastair. “There’s no life for me if anything happens to you. You’re my son.”

  “And you’re his father!” Tamara said. “You shouldn’t have done this! Call needs you.”

  “This wasn’t what I wanted either,” Alastair said. “I will miss going to movies, working on cars together, walking Havoc, being father and son. Being part of his life as he gets older and marries, bouncing a grandchild on my knee.”

  Tamara looked stricken.

  “Maybe this is the price I have to pay for not having told Call the truth about magic for all those years,” said Alastair. “For every time I didn’t trust him. We have to trust the people we love.”

  “Now it’s even more important that the Assembly change its rules on the Devoured,” said Jasper somberly. “So Alastair can be with Call sometimes, and Tamara, so you can see Ravan.”

  “Ravan.” She gave a little gasp. “We have to summon her and the others. Aren’t we supposed to be at Alex’s tower at dawn?”

  “Alastair.” Master Rufus spoke in a rumbling voice. “It is a noble thing you have done. Noble and painful. Even if the Magisterium does not, I will do all I can to help you after this.”

  “Thank you, old teacher,” said Alastair. “I will be waiting for you all outside the Mission Gate at dawn.”

  He dissolved into the air and vanished. Call slumped down at the table. He didn’t care about Alex right then. He didn’t care about anything but his father. He couldn’t think about anything but Alastair and how Alastair was both fine and totally not at all never again going to be fine. He felt numb all over. Numb and strange.

  “Tamara, Gwenda, Jasper,” said Rufus. “Go and get yourself ready for tomorrow. New uniforms have been laid out for you. They have spells that repel dark magic woven into the fabric.”

  I didn’t know you could do that, Aaron marveled.

  “Callum, stay here a moment,” said Rufus. “I want a word with you.”

  The others left, Tamara reluctantly; Call could tell she wanted to stay with him. He’d have to get ready, too. They were supposed to leave first thing in the morning. But he felt as if he couldn’t drag himself to his feet. Somehow what Alastair had done had been the last straw.

  “Call,” said Master Rufus, “I need you to know something.”

  Call looked up.

  “I have had many students over the years,” Master Rufus continued. “Some of the best who have ever come out of the Magisterium. And some of the worst.”

  Call stared dully. He waited for Master Rufus to tell him what a disappointment he was.

  “I know I have not always been there when you needed me. I felt you above all others needed to find your own way. It was often painful not to reach out a hand. But even when you were given the choice to run rather than face a Devoured of chaos, you did not take it.” Master Rufus inclined his head. “I think of all my students, I have been the proudest of you.”

  Hmph, said Aaron.

  “I will be there for you tomorrow,” Rufus went on. “Whatever happens, I will be by your side and Tamara’s. I could ask for no greater honor.”

  Call cleared his throat. “Thanks, Rufus.”

  Rufus nodded and departed the way he always did, without ceremony. Call headed to his room, bone-weary. Havoc, who had been closed in there, leaped all over him in excitement. Call fell on to the bed and tried to sleep.

  He didn’t think he would, but, exhausted and overwhelmed, he did.

  When Call woke, he felt better about the world. He still felt scared about his dad, but he was starting to see that being a Devoured of air might not be the worst thing. At least his dad wasn’t going to get old and die like other people’s fathers. Alastair would outlive Call. And maybe Alastair couldn’t make him dinner and take care of him exactly the way he had before, but Alastair wasn’t the greatest cook anyway and Call was probably headed to the Collegium. If he didn’t die.

  That positive attitude didn’t last very long, Aaron said.

  “You know me,” Call said. “It’s not easy to be roommates, especially in the same head, but I’m glad you’ve been with me. I am glad it was you in my head. Whatever happens, you’re the best best friend ever.”

  Not a lot of people would have been okay with me being in here, said Aaron. And almost no one would have risked what you did to bring me back to life. You always act like you should be grateful to me for being your friend, just because I’m nice and polite and can make people like me. But I am the one who should be grateful, Call. And I am.

  Call grinned. He felt a little bit embarrassed, but overall surprisingly calm as he put on the stuff the Magisterium had given them to wear. He tied up his boots, slid Mir
i through his belt, and walked out into the common room, only to see Gwenda and Jasper making out on the couch, which was a bit like walking into a field of daisies on a nice spring morning only to be run over by a truck.

  Gack! said Aaron.

  “My eyes!” Call yelled, slapping a hand over them.

  Tamara walked out of her room just in time to see Jasper and Gwenda spring apart.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, frowning. “I heard shouting.”

  Jasper’s neck was a little flushed. “We were, uh, just resolving some issues between us.” Gwenda was looking shyly at the ground. A small smile curved her mouth.

  “I did not see that coming,” Call said, a bit dazed.

  “Are you kidding?” Tamara elbowed him in the side. “It’s been coming for forever! What did you think all that flirting in the car was about?!”

  “Flirting?” Jasper said.

  Now he was annoyed. But Gwenda and Tamara shared a smile.

  “Come on,” Tamara said. “We’re going to eat breakfast and then we’re going to battle the Evil Overlord. The real Evil Overlord.”

  They ate quickly. Gwenda and Jasper held hands the whole time and Call kept wondering if he should have pulled Tamara into a kiss or held her hand or done something. It wasn’t fair that Jasper seemed ridiculous a lot, but then turned out to know more than Call about relationships and girls and sometimes even magic.

  Tamara likes you, Aaron said. Remember — today, we’re optimists.

  “You’re always an optimist,” Call muttered under his breath.

  At that moment, there was a knock on the door and no more time for discussion. Master Rufus was there with Master Milagros and Assemblyman Graves. They had brought magical rope with them.

  “We’re not going to tie your arms tightly,” said Graves. “But we must give the appearance of going along with his commands.”

  “Tamara,” said Master Milagros, “your sister is here and she wants to talk to you.”

  “Ravan?” asked Tamara.

  “She has not yet been summoned. It’s Kimiya who wants to talk with you. She’s waiting for you outside the gates.”

  Call suddenly remembered that Alex had wanted Kimiya handed over to them as well, that he thought she was still his girlfriend.

  He also remembered the last time they’d seen Kimiya. She’d been throwing her arms around Alex while he gloated and Tamara looked as if she’d been kicked in the stomach, so Call wasn’t inclined to like her much.

  Tamara swallowed hard. “Okay. I want to see her.”

  They headed down the corridor after Master Rufus. Call’s optimistic mood was turning quickly into tension as they passed knots of staring, silent students. He was pretty sure most of them didn’t know what was going on, but they knew enough to understand that bad things were happening. After all, many of them had seen Alex attack, and they’d all seen the golden tower rising on the horizon like a knife pointing at the sky.

  Call kept looking at things as they passed. The door to his old rooms, the ones he’d shared with Tamara and Aaron. The way to the Refectory. The twisting path to the library. The glowing patterns of stones in the walls. The stairs that led to the Gallery. He couldn’t stop wondering if it was the last time he’d ever see any of them again.

  Suddenly there was a loud bark. Havoc had burst through the door of their rooms and was charging up the hallway. He almost careened into Call, jumping up to put his paws on Call’s chest and whining frantically.

  “What’s going on?” Call patted Havoc’s head. “What’s wrong, boy?”

  Nothing, Aaron said. He wants to go with you.

  “He just wants to come,” said Tamara. “We shouldn’t leave him behind.”

  “But he’s not a Chaos-ridden wolf anymore,” said Call. “It’s not fair to bring him.”

  “Isn’t it better,” said Rufus, “that he wishes to go with you out of love and loyalty, and not because he is bound to you by chaos? He is your wolf, and I think he has earned his place at your side.”

  So they headed out of the Mission Gate as a group of six: Master Rufus, Tamara, Gwenda, Jasper, and Call, with Havoc bringing up the rear.

  Call saw Kimiya immediately. She was standing with Mr. and Mrs. Rajavi, who were huddled together in a tight family group. All of them were staring warily at Alastair, who hovered translucently near — but not too near — a number of Assembly members.

  Given what had happened to Ravan, Call felt like he couldn’t blame the Rajavis for looking at Alastair like that. Devoured of any kind must horrify them. But he blamed them anyway.

  Tamara immediately detached from their group and ran toward her family, while Call and the others headed toward Alastair and the mages. Havoc and Call greeted Alastair, who brushed an airy hand over Call’s hair, stirring the strands without quite touching him. Havoc nosed around Alastair and barked worriedly as he passed through Alastair’s legs.

  Around them a few other members of the Assembly milled, consulting with some other mages Call didn’t know who were explaining about the tower. They had apparently really built the whole thing, with a TV room and a lot of bedrooms, but they’d used the same enchanted materials that they used on the Panopticon. It would be a lot harder for Alex to summon chaos creatures once he was inside — and they planned on sealing up the way in and out once Call and his people were inside.

  It would also allow the mages to see through the materials, to watch what happened and come to Call’s aid if it was at all possible.

  “Although that opens up the danger of Alex Strike being able to summon more elementals of chaos,” Graves said.

  Tell him you won’t need help, Aaron said. People like to hear that kind of thing.

  But what if we do need help? Call wanted to know.

  Just say it, said Aaron. He’s no more or less likely to help no matter what you tell him. But he’ll think you’re brave and he’ll like you better.

  Sometimes Aaron could be a little scary. No, a lot scary.

  “I can handle Alex,” Call said. Graves did look relieved.

  Before he’d have to promise anything else, Call headed toward where Tamara was greeting her family.

  “I’ve been telling everyone how sorry I am,” Kimiya said. “I didn’t realize how angry Alex was. I thought it would be kind of fun to make our own organization, to have our own thing. Alex said that the Assembly had lied to everyone, that Constantine had been dead for a long time and they just wanted everyone to be afraid. And when I realized it was true — Constantine had been gone — I believed all the other stuff he said, too. I never thought he’d hurt Aaron. If I’d known that … everything would have been different.”

  Tamara looked at her sister with suspicion. “He wanted to hurt people. He did hurt people.”

  “I took a chance on someone I cared about,” Kimiya said with a pointed look at Call. Which was totally unfair. Well, it was a little unfair. “And I was wrong. But now I’m here to help take him down.”

  Tamara looked at her sister without warmth or trust. Sometimes Call forgot how unflinchingly stubborn she could be.

  “You’re not going to be restrained,” she told her sister. “You’re going to have to be the one who acts first. Once we’re inside, you’re going to have to make sure the Devoureds have what they need to manifest. Including Ravan.”

  There was a soft explosion at the sound of Ravan’s name. Ravan appeared, a feathery plume of smoke and flame.

  “Ravan,” Tamara said, and sighed in relief. “You’re here.”

  The Devoured of fire burned her way closer. You could see the shape of Ravan now, her long hair and young face, shaped out of flames. She spoke. “My little family, made of wax and tinder. Do you fear me?”

  Mrs. Rajavi shook her head. “I can’t look.” She turned away, her face tearstained.

  “Mother, do you not see me?” Ravan said, flickering. “Will you say you do not know me?”

  “Ravan,” Mrs. Rajavi said, an immense sadness in her
voice, “we knew you before, but we are not sure we know you now.”

  “Perhaps I am unknowable.” Ravan flickered once. “But I will burn for your sake all the same.”

  “My daughters.” Mrs. Rajavi began to sob. “Oh, Ravan. Oh, Tamara and Kimiya, am I going to lose you all? How could this happen? Why our family?”

  Tamara and Kimiya came forward to comfort their mother. Call had always had mixed feelings about the Rajavis. They had been cold to him, though kind to Aaron, and they struck him as stern and cruel. But the realization that they were facing losing all their children today made Call back away to give them space.

  He was immediately buttonholed by Master Rufus. “Call,” he said. “It’s time to summon the last two Devoured.”

  Call followed Master Rufus to the center of a loose circle of mages. Jasper and Gwenda were there already. The mages watched in silence as Jasper summoned a small pool of water, which bubbled up around his feet. He knelt down and touched it.

  “Lucas,” he said, and jumped backward in surprise as the pool shot upward in a column, forming into the shape of Lucas, Devoured of water. The mages gasped and several of them backed away.

  It was Call’s turn. He took Greta’s geode out of his pocket, bent down, and brought it down with as much force as he could muster against the side of a rock.

  It smashed apart into glittering fragments. They all stared at the fragments expectantly. Nothing happened.

  “Is it working?” Jasper hissed into Call’s ear.

  “Yoo-hoo,” said a bored voice, and they all turned to see Greta, a rumbling pile of rocks, hovering around the edge of the circle. “I’m here.”

  She and Lucas waved at each other. Alastair walked over to them slowly, and Ravan drifted along, trailing sparks. The mages all moved away to give the Devoured space, or perhaps to give themselves space from the Devoured.

  Hearing shouting, Call turned to find Gwenda in the middle of a fierce argument with Master Rufus. “But I should go,” she said. “I’m part of the apprentice group! I helped collect the Devoured!”