Dark Embers

by R. L. Giddings

  I said, “Look, is it very much further?”

  “Nearly there.”

  We went down together this time. Side by side. As we descended, I could see that the walls glistened with a thin layer of oily rainwater. I was starting to think that if we ever got down to platform level we’d find the track submerged.

  But we didn’t get that far.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Valeria inclined her head to the right, towards a dark recess. I shone the light at it but could see nothing out of the ordinary. Then I caught a reflection from the light.

  The bottom rung of a metal ladder.

  I went over and helped Valeria start to pull it down. It seemed at first to be stuck but, after a little bit of gentle persuasion, the bottom section trundled down to the ground. Valeria indicated for me to go first.

  I got maybe twelve rungs up into darkness before I banged my head on the roof.

  “I can’t go any further.”

  “Good. Now spin around. It’s on the wall behind you.”

  There was an illuminated key pad located at eye level.

  “I see it.”

  “Okay, the code is 1492.”

  Next to the key-pad was a hatch with a window set in it. I breathed on the glass before writing on it.

  Then I entered the code. There was a pneumatic hiss as the hatch swung inwards.

  I climbed up into the hatch way and crawled through, emerging out into a short corridor. A little cramped maybe but modern and brightly lit - no sign of damp here. I waited for Valeria to join me.

  “What is this place?”

  “If your mother ever found out I brought you here…”

  I rested my hands on my hips. “Be assured, she’s won’t hear it from me. But why take the risk?”

  “It won’t surprise you to learn that she hasn’t been completely honest with the Council about one or two things.”

  “Such as?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” she glanced up at the ceiling. “Look, I know we don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things but I’m genuinely worried that she’s leading us into a war that could have catastrophic consequences.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that. Why had I agreed to come here? Valeria had told me precious little about her reasons for bringing me here and yet I’d still agreed to come.

  Plain old curiosity, I guess. The next door took us out into a cramped waiting area. There were seats set in rows and a coffee machine against one wall. A young woman in a summer dress stood with her back to us, watering a potted plant.

  “Won’t be a second,” she said.

  She placed the watering can on the side before coming over, brushing her hands off. She wore a pair of large framed spectacles and seemed genuinely pleased to see us.

  “You found us alright then?”

  Valeria didn’t reply. She produced a set of documents.

  The woman scanned them quickly.

  “Yes, that seems fine. Let me take you through.”

  We went out into another corridor with doors leading off it. At the far end was an imposing black door, framed with thick rubber. She struck a side panel and, with a buzz, the door slowly started to come open.

  The room itself was dark and dingy but looked out onto a much bigger, brighter room on the other side. Valeria and I sat facing the window.

  There was a microphone on the desk and the girl spoke into it.

  “Bring him in.”

  The prisoner was brought in by two guards, who he dwarfed. His wrists were encased in enormous iron handcuffs which were, in turn, threaded through with two lengths of iron chain which wouldn’t have looked out of place on an anchor.

  “Is that really necessary?” I said.

  The girl leaned closer. “They used standard handcuffs at The Bear Garden. Trust me, we’re a lot safer with him in chains. It’s either that or dousing him in sea water.”

  I was in no position to argue. Also – since we were dealing here with a bona-fide member of the Sidhe - iron would have the added bonus of negating any magical powers he might possess.

  Valeria and I just sat and watched as the guards secured him to his chair and then left. He was a giant of a man, well over two metres tall, his face marked by conflict. His startlingly green eyes swept the room as if searching for something. After a while, his settled his gaze on us – or so it seemed.

  “Can he see us through the mirror,” Valeria asked.

  “I’m not sure. There’s lots of things he can do that he’s not supposed to. But it’s a different matter when he has to do something simple like walking through a door. Keeps banging his head on the doorframe. We figure he’s got poor depth perception. Not used to living indoors. Anyway, I’ll leave you two to it. I’ll pop back in half an hour.”

  And with that she left.

  I turned to Valeria.

  “So, who is this?” I said, feigning ignorance.

  “Why, this is Crown Prince Florian.”

  *

  After the drama of getting to the interrogation suite, the next half hour proved to be something of an anti-climax.

  Before we’d entered, Valeria had insisted that she would be the one asking the questions. Everything was being recorded. If there were any questions I particularly wanted to ask, I would have to write them on a slip of paper.

  I was a little dubious about this. If they were going to bug the microphone then why would they not have video recording equipment as well? I imagined it was just Valeria’s way of keeping control of the situation.

  The problem was that Florian was refusing to co-operate. Not only would he not answer our questions, he refused even to acknowledge us. We’d wasted twenty minutes already and had got precisely nowhere.

  We were fast running out of options.

  I got up and went over to the door. Valeria watched me go.

  Once I was out in the corridor it took a matter of seconds to locate the door to the interrogation room. The door was locked but that didn’t deter me. Millie had been giving me lessons.

  After three attempts, I managed to get all the tumblers aligned.

  But as soon as I was inside, I realised I’d made a mistake. It was like wandering into the lion’s den.

  “Florian, is it?” I extended my arm as if to shake his hand but my legs refused to carry me any further.

  “My name is Bronte Fellows. I’m the daughter of Svetlana Prozorova.”

  That got his attention. He sat bolt upright in his chair, his chains pulling against their restraints.

  I should have felt guilty about using my mother’s name but didn’t. I’d earned the right.

  “I need to speak with your mother as a matter of the upmost urgency.”

  “That may be possible. But first you have to convince me.”

  “How do I know that I can trust you?”

  It was a good question. How best to answer it?

  Valeria came over the speakers insisting that I leave. Instead, I went and sat at the table opposite him.

  My legs were shaking so badly that I was thankful that he couldn’t see them.

  “I put myself at your mercy. If, at any time, you think that I’m lying then you can do with me as you see fit.”

  He yanked on his chains then, causing me to flinch but I never broke eye contact.

  I continued, “If at the end, you are satisfied that I have given you a fair hearing then I would prevail upon you to answer one question of mine. Agreed?”

  He inclined his head. It was the best I was going to get.

  “Why are you here? Were you sent by your queen?”

  That brought a smile to his face. “I came here of my own volition.”

  “To start a war?”

  “To save my people.”

  “Then why attack us? What possible good could that do?”

  “We did not come here as antagonists. I am a crown prince of Arcadia. No one sends me anywhere I don’t want to go.”

  “Not even the queen?”


  “Especially not her. I came here with the intention of forging an alliance. But we were betrayed.”

  That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting. Neither was the sincerity with which he offered it.

  “Who betrayed you?”

  “He called himself Mr. Christmas. He promised to help us in our plan to overthrow the queen.”

  “I’m sorry, you’ve lost me. You wanted to get rid of Queen Aleena?”

  “She sent us here regarding another matter. But I had hoped to turn the visit to our advantage. We are soldiers, not terrorists. I thought that I could win your kind over to our cause. Our land has been poisoned by the queen’s lust for power. By over-throwing Aleena, I had hoped to return Arcadia to a state of peace.”

  “So, what happened? You said you were betrayed. Who by? This Mr Christmas.”

  “He set up the meeting. But when your people arrived, they were in no mood to talk.”

  Valeria came in, indicating for us to leave but I wasn’t finished yet.

  “Go on,” I prompted.

  “Our initial arrest was handled by your Mr Kinsella. He was much too concerned about offending Queen Aleena to take our proposal seriously. After we were questioned, we were to be returned home where we could expect to be tried for treason.”

  This was starting to make sense now. These were all noblemen.

  “I think I understand. Your friends killed themselves rather than face the shame of a trial.”

  “We had agreed that we could not dishonour our families. Our deaths in custody would bring matters to a close.”

  I scratched my chin.

  “And yet, you’re still here.”

  The door opened and the two guards entered. One of them had a back pack and was armed with a peculiar looking orange rifle. The rifle had a power lead running to the pack.

  Valeria was doing her best to pull me towards the door, but I resisted.

  “Before I go, would you answer just one question? Ib Ure, the healing blade. What do you know about it?”

  Something in his demeanour changed at the mention of the knife. Still, though, he wouldn’t respond.

  I was desperate. “Is it true that the blade can give heal the sick, even remove cancers?”

  Florian blinked and slowly got to his feet, chivvying the guards to hurry with his chains.

  “How do you know about such things?”

  “Never mind. Is it true?”

  Valeria was becoming more insistent, pulling towards the door.

  Florian said, “Ib Ure is sacred among our people and has only ever be used on members of the royal household. But yes, in the hands of a gifted maester, Ib Ure can perform miracles.”

  The sense of pure relief was overwhelming. I realised that my reasoning was being distorted by my desire to be re-united with Silas but I couldn’t help that. Couldn’t change how I felt.

  “Then it is true!”

  “That it exists? Yes. But don’t deceive yourself. It can never be used on humans.”

  “But why ever not?”

  Florian’s disdain couldn’t have been more obvious. “The queen. She’d never allow it.”

  Valeria said, “Enough of this. Tell her the real reason you’re here.”

  The guard raised his gun, levelling it at Florian’s chest.

  “We hoped to overthrow the queen. There have been several attempts but all of them have failed. Her supreme arrogance has alienated everyone, even her closest advisors. I’ve been gathering forces for years in the hope of usurping her and now, with her powers fading, I think we might have a chance.”

  I didn’t know what to make of that. Did Florian really think that he could take her on and win? If he went up against her when she was at the height of her power he would have been annihilated, but right now, with magic in a state of flux, anything was possible.

  Valeria said, “There’s only one thing that frightens the Winter Queen.”

  Florian nodded.

  “He’s after the Seelie Blade. He thinks he can use it to kill the queen. End the aggression on both sides.”

  The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

  “So, why are you telling me all this?”

  Valeria said, very quietly. “Because you know where it is. Don’t you.”

  I raised my hands, stepping away from Valeria. “Okay, I’m done.”

  Valeria wasn’t acting alone. This had my mother’s fingerprints all over it. She wanted me to surrender the blade in the hope of stopping the war. Not that Florian would ever get to lay his hands on it. My mother would see to that.

  “I’m leaving now,” I said.

  “But you have to tell me where it is.”

  Florian started forward, bundling into the armed guard.

  I didn’t see the gun go off but I definitely heard it. It sounded like a whip being cracked. I’d fired one myself in training. It was modelled on a Taser design but, instead of electricity, it fired multiple darts into the victim’s body delivering a cocktail of toxic nanites capable of overwhelming the stoutest nervous system.

  Florian was rocked back on his heels by the discharge but he didn’t go down straightaway

  The guard started to re-load while Florian’s body convulsed.

  Only then did he drop to his knees.

  I moved around the table and took his elbow. I tried to help him stand but he was just too heavy for me.

  Even when he was on his knees, he was almost at my eye level.

  “Sigurdsil? You know where it is?”

  I nodded.

  Then the door exploded.

  *

  Macrory was the first one to appear.

  He had a prominent neck-dressing and was carrying a staff made from rowan wood. The top section was decorated with intricate carvings. The smaller of the two guards moved to intercept Macrory but he didn’t get very far.

  Macrory drove the staff into the man’s chest, knocking him to the ground.

  The armed guard stood very still, considering his options.

  Macrory looked over at Valeria.

  She said, “How did you lot get in here?”

  Edwin and Millie were just coming through the doorway.

  Millie said, “We followed you. I knew you weren’t to be trusted.”

  Valeria regarded her stonily. “But what about the code?”

  “Bronte wrote it on the glass. Totally invisible until you breath on it.”

  Macrory used the staff to move me out of the way.

  The guard put his rifle carefully on the desk.

  Macrory said, “Now, get those chains off him and put them round your own wrists.”

  Florian was still struggling to stand.

  “We’re taking him with us?”

  Macrory considered this. “Well, we can’t leave him here.”

  I went over to Valeria.

  “Did you seriously think that I’d tell you where I’d hidden the blade?”

  “No, but I thought you might tell him – he’s more your type. We’ve already searched your flat.””

  I found that the most unsettling thing I’d heard all evening.

  Millie and Edwin helped Florian get back to his feet. I waited until they’d guided him out into the corridor before turning back to Valeria.

  “We’re going now. Don’t try to follow us.”

  “No chance of that. Besides, I’m not the one you should be worried about.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The café was busy even at 8am but we were still able to sit together. There was a long aisle up the centre with tables for four on the left and tables for two on the right. Edwin had gone to his office at the Inner Council. There were a number of things he wanted to pick up and he wasn’t sure how long it would be before Valeria reported back and people started to take more of an interest in what he was doing.

  Macrory sat opposite Florian, while I sat across from Millie. She was a lot quieter than normal and I wondered if that was because she was concerned about Edwin. Something h
ad changed about their relationship of late but I wasn’t sure what.

  A waitress came over and took our orders. Millie and I both ordered traditional English breakfasts while Macrory ordered something called a Mega Breakfast for himself and Florian. Florian still looked pale from where he’d been shot. There was an ugly indentation in his forearm from where he’d been shot but otherwise he appeared to be coping well. We’d escaped by making our way down onto the main track. Millie had checked in advance to ensure that the line wasn’t in-use but it still made for a very tense twenty minute walk before we arrived at the next station. From there we made our way back up to street level.

  Nobody spoke while I quickly filled them in on what I’d learned. No one interrupted me, they were all too tired. Then the waitress came over with our drinks. I had ordered a milky coffee.

  “By the way everyone, thanks for coming to rescue me.”

  “We didn’t come to rescue you,” Macrory said. “We just wanted to meet Mr Muscle over there.”

  “I bet you don’t even remember me, do you?” Millie said pointedly.

  Florian considered this for the moment. “You were the one who stopped me from killing myself.”

  “Not that you tried very hard.”

  He made a dismissive gesture. “Believe what you like.”

  Conversation ceased when the waitress came over with our food. We were all ravenous but had to wait while Florian and Macrory’s plates were brought over individually. They were piled high with food.

  I struggled to polish off everything on my plate but somehow managed it. Florian was much quicker. Macrory had to keep stopping in order to take a drink but finished eventually.

  “So what happens next?” Millie looked at Florian. “I mean, what are we going to do with him for a start? We can’t just let him go.”

  “I don’t see that we have much option,” Macrory said. “If he decides to leave, I for one am not stopping him.”

  I turned to Florian, “Well, what do you intend to do? Return to Arcadia?”

  He rubbed at his chest.

  “I have to find Sigurdsil. I can’t return without it.”

  Macrory said, “You’re serious about trying to kill the Winter Queen?”

  “If I don’t at least try, then all of this will have been in vain.”