I explained to Arachne then, telling her all about Lyle and his offer, leaving very little out. “And Lyle’s not the only one,” I finished. “Some Dark mages want my help too, and they’re tracking Luna. I wanted to ask you a favour and see if she could stay here until I get the chance to talk to some people at the ball. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to clear things up there.”
Arachne sat in silence for a moment. Her opaque eyes looked down at me, showing nothing. “You’re in dangerous waters, Alex.”
I shrugged. “Mages always want to use diviners for what we know. It’s just my bad luck they’re desperate enough to come to me.”
“Luck? Really?”
I looked up curiously. One problem with talking to Arachne is that it’s really hard to read her facial expressions. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not luck that’s made every other diviner in these islands vanish.” Arachne settled herself down slightly. “My customers have been running thin the past few weeks. Something is going on, and the careful mages don’t want to be involved.”
I had to grimace at that. “And I’m already involved. Great. I don’t suppose you know what it is?”
Arachne rustled a no. “I think you should find out. I’ll watch your apprentice.”
I laughed. “She’s not my apprentice. But thanks.”
Arachne tilted her head, and a moment later I heard Luna’s footsteps approaching. I got up off the couch and ducked between Arachne’s legs to see Luna enter. Her eyes flickered to Arachne, but the colour had come back to her face. “Um. Hi. Uh, it’s nice to meet you, um, Miss Arachne. I’m sorry about before.”
Arachne waved one of her legs. “Don’t worry about it, dear. You’re doing very well. Now, Alex, what sort of outfit were you thinking of?”
“Uh…” I said. “You know what, you decide.”
“Well, at least you’re showing some sense.”
I rolled my eyes and turned to Luna. “I need to look up some contacts. Arachne’s agreed to let you stay here for a little while.”
Luna’s eyes widened just slightly. “Stay here?”
“I won’t be long. These tunnels are warded; no one’s going to be able to find you. Right now this is probably the safest place you can be.”
Luna looked from me to Arachne, then took a breath and nodded. “Okay.”
“Wonderful,” Arachne said cheerfully. “And while you’re here, why don’t we have you fitted?”
Luna looked at Arachne doubtfully. “Fitted?”
“For a dress, of course. I have something I think would match perfectly with a little work. Why don’t you come over to the fitting room so I can have a proper look at you?”
Luna gave me one last anxious look, then turned to Arachne and smiled bravely. “Um, sure. Thank you.” As I turned to leave, I saw Luna following Arachne through the curtain into the chamber beyond.
I came out of Arachne’s cave into the sunlight, and blinked for a while as the roots closed behind me. Now that Luna was inside, a weight had been taken off my shoulders. It may not look it, but Arachne’s cave is one of the best-protected places in London. Hidden behind the webs and wards, Luna was safe—at least for a little while. I turned and climbed uphill, coming out into the open again, then found a bench to sit on.
Most people’s idea of seeing into the future is someone in funny clothes staring into a crystal ball and reading tea leaves. They’d be pretty disappointed if they saw me. I’m not a fan of crystal balls, and I absolutely hate the tea leaf method. Tarot cards I do use, but only in very specific situations and not often. No, what real diviners do when they want to get some work done is find a quiet, secluded spot, get comfortable, then lie back and close their eyes. To the layman, this looks remarkably like slacking off, but the best diviners can find out pretty much anything you care to name without ever leaving their armchair.
Arachne’s suggestion to find out more had clicked with a stray memory from my conversation yesterday with Lyle. When I’d asked Lyle about the other diviners, he’d told me they were all busy, and mentioned Alaundo and Helikaon. Alaundo I know only by reputation, but Helikaon I knew very well indeed. And something Lyle had said didn’t fit. I’d never known Helikaon to turn down work from the Council. Why was he doing it now?
It wasn’t much, but I had the feeling it might be important. I wanted to talk to Helikaon, and I didn’t have time to waste looking him up. I was going to have to do this the quick way.
The technique is called path-walking. You pick out a strand of your own future and follow it, guiding the choices and seeing what happens. My first destination was Helikaon’s flat in Kensington. I looked into the future, tracing out the path where I went searching for him, taking a taxi to his flat, walking up the stairs, knocking at his front door. No matter how I did it, there was no response. The place was empty. As I watched, the future thinned and faded to nothingness, never to exist.
Next up was Helikaon’s house in the country, where he conducts most of his business. Helikaon’s house is a modest one by mage standards, a single-storey building on the South Downs. I looked into the future and saw myself walking up the dirt path to the house at the top of the hill. The building was silent and still, the windows shuttered. There was a note of some kind on the door, something that would turn me away. The vision flickered as I circled the house, searching, finding nothing.
I could always break in. I looked into the future that had me bypassing the lock on the front door, walking inside. My future self stepped in, and—
Ouch. Okay, that I did not expect. Now I knew something was going on. Helikaon didn’t normally leave booby traps in his front hall, especially not ones as nasty as that. Maybe the back door? Around the ash trees, round to the small door on the other side, onto the porch, inside—
Jesus! That was just vicious. I didn’t know it was even possible for a body to dissolve so fast. What the hell had that been, some kind of acid?
I definitely wouldn’t be snooping around Helikaon’s property anytime soon. As I made that resolution, the future of me going there faded completely. Shaken, I took a moment to steady myself. Watching yourself die is a creepy experience, especially if you’re not prepared for it.
Once I’d calmed down, I forced myself to try again. I was running out of places to look, but there was one more spot that Helikaon and I had used a long time ago. Not many knew about it. But if he’d wanted a place where no one could find him…
And there it was. I couldn’t tell at this distance what we were saying, but I knew Helikaon was there. I opened my eyes and sat up. I needed something from my flat, and then I had a journey to make.
The fastest way to travel by magic is by gating. Gate magic creates a portal between two places, usually by bringing about a similarity between points in space. It’s one of the more difficult magical arts and generally requires you to know both the place you’re leaving and the place you’re going to very well. Unfortunately, I’m one of the minority of mages who can’t use gate magic. Divination can’t affect physical correspondence, only perception.
The next option is to use a mount, like a pegasus or an air elemental or a taia. It’s a lot slower than gating but has the advantage that it can get you a lot of places that gate magic can’t. Using a mount allows you to travel to warded locations, gives you the ability to explore places you don’t know, and also lets you show off your rare and expensive status symbol, if you’re into that sort of thing. The main downside is that mythical animals tend to attract a lot of unwanted attention when you fly them through London in broad daylight.
For those who can’t gate and don’t have the luxury of a mount on call, there’s a third way. Crafters make items called gate stones that give someone with magical skill a limited access to gate magic. They work for only one location each, and they’re inferior in every way to a true gate spell, but for someone like me, they’re often the only way to get around.
Despite their name, gate stones don’t have to be stones. Thi
s one was, though: a jagged shard of granite with runes cut into both sides. Standing in my bedroom, I made some preparations, then focused my will, said a sentence in the old tongue, and pushed. For a long moment nothing happened, then with a shimmer a jagged-edged shape appeared in the air. Its edges were flickering, and I stepped through quickly before it could fade away. As soon as I was through it dissolved, leaving no trace behind me.
The first thing I noticed was the cold; the air was a good twenty degrees cooler than in my flat, and a chill breeze was blowing. The air was thinner too, and I shivered. I was on a mountaintop, hundreds of feet above sea level. The view to the left was just as spectacular as I remembered, and I turned to get a proper look. The mountain dropped off in a steepening slope into valleys and hills, descending steadily, clearly visible in the afternoon sunlight. Grassy slopes and granite peaks were spread out before me, and in the far east, just visible over the hilltops, I could make out the glitter of the sea. The sky above was cloudless and blue.
From behind came the clop, clop of hooves on rock. I turned, and smiled. “Hey, Thermopylae. How you doing?”
Thermopylae gave a pleased whinny as he trotted towards me. He was pure white but for his hooves and nose, a powerfully built horse with a scraggly tail that swished behind him as he walked. Two huge feathered wings stretched from his shoulders, each big enough for me to hide behind. They were half-furled at the moment, swaying slightly as he balanced himself on the uneven stones. He came trotting up, his nose twitching, as I took some sugar out of my pocket and gave it to him, laughing as he butted me with his huge head in his eagerness to get to it.
“Oi!” a voice called from the north. “Stop spoiling my horse and come if you’re coming.”
I grinned and gave Thermopylae the last few lumps, then patted the pegasus on the neck and started walking. As I came around the rocks I saw an old, ramshackle hut made of planks of wood. A man who looked even older than the hut was sitting on a stone in front of it, brewing tea over an open fire.
Helikaon looks about sixty, strong and spry despite his age. His hair was yellow-gold once, but now it’s a bleached white. Even in this weather he wore only a shirt, its sleeves rolled up and its neck open. A short sword, a xiphos, hung at his side, but he wore it so casually you wouldn’t notice unless you were looking. “Worst thing about living this high is getting the water to boil,” he grumbled. “Least you’re on time.”
I sat down. “At least you haven’t lost your touch.”
“None of your lip! I’ve forgotten more divination than you’ll ever know.”
“It’s how much you remember I was wondering about.”
“Oh, very funny.” Helikaon glared at me. “You know the trouble with you lot nowadays? No respect for your elders. Thinking you know everything…”
I took a look at the water, ignoring his mutters. “It’ll boil in ninety-five seconds.”
“That’s not boiling. Bubbling isn’t boiling. And who do you think you’re trying to impress, giving me a number? Have a little patience for once and wait.”
I grinned. “Good to see you again.”
“Sure, sure. Make yourself useful and get some cups.”
I did, and waited for the tea to be ready. There was something comforting about the old ritual of waiting for Helikaon to make sure it was prepared to his satisfaction, listening to his grumbling when it wasn’t exactly right. It was a beautiful view, looking down through the clear air onto the wilds of Scotland, and the fire held back the worst of the mountain chill.
“I’m surprised it’s still standing,” I said at last, looking at the weather-beaten hut.
“It’ll last.” Helikaon gave me a glance. “Longer than you, maybe.”
“So I guess you know why I’m here.”
Helikaon snorted. “Please. You’re loud when you walk through the future, know that? I haven’t been able to get any peace all day.”
“Okay.” I set the cup of tea carefully down upon the ground. “Why did you turn Lyle down?”
“Why d’you think?” Helikaon pointed at me. “I don’t want to do what you’re doing, and if you’re smart you won’t either. Go back to Arachne and find a hole to hide in.”
“It’s not as simple as that.”
“You get in the middle of this, could end up dead. Council can’t pay enough to be worth that.” Helikaon glared at me from under his bushy white eyebrows. “Used to be I had to twist your arm to go near those old men.”
“There’s someone else.”
“Ditch ’em.”
“What’s with turning your house into a death trap?”
Helikaon grinned. “Caught you out, heh? Shouldn’t have been snooping.” His grin vanished. “These boys play rough. You want to persuade them to leave you alone, you have to talk their language.”
I looked away.
Helikaon studied me. “Time was you’d be happy as a pig in shit to see a Dark mage get eaten by a trap like that. Change of heart?”
“It’s not that.” I turned back to Helikaon. “Look, I’ve been out of the loop. I know you’ve still got your contacts. What’s going on?”
Helikaon sipped his tea, then shrugged. “Been building a few years. Dark mages pushing for status. I know”—he held up his hand to forestall me—“they’ve got it. But they want more. Seats on the Council.”
I stared at him. “The Council?”
“Old news, boy.” Helikaon gestured out towards the vista below us. “Council are split as usual. Some want to give in, some want to stall. Darks’ll probably get their way in the end. Weight of numbers.”
“Numbers?”
“They’ve been recruiting. Pretty aggressive. Some mages, they can turn. The ones they can’t…”
“I know what happens to the ones they can’t,” I said flatly.
“But not united. That’s what it’s about.” Helikaon pointed south. “That relic’s got a Precursor artifact, big one. Dark mage who got hold of it could set himself up as their leader. More power than any faction in the Council. Council wants it too, use as a bargaining chip. All of ’em need a seer to get inside.” Helikaon pointed at me. “All’d rather see you dead than helping the others. ’S why I’m up here. You should be too.”
The two of us sat silently for a minute. “What does this thing do?” I asked.
“Don’t know. Wards too heavy. Council knows more. Not getting close enough to ask.”
“So that’s what Cinder and Khazad are after.”
Helikaon shook his head. “Muscle. Someone’s giving ’em orders.”
I remembered the masked woman I’d seen just a few hours ago, and somehow I was sure it was her. “So now you know,” Helikaon said, interrupting my thoughts. “What’ll you do?”
“I don’t know,” I said after a pause.
Helikaon snorted. “Bull. You’re going to that ball no matter what. I’ll tell you what’s going to happen with that relic. Light and Dark are going to fight and kill for it. Use their fancy magic to blow holes in each other till one side wins, then everything’ll go on just the same.” Helikaon paused. “What’s up with you, Alex?”
I sat silently. “When you came to me I told you,” Helikaon said. “Forget about revenge. Keep your distance. You listened then. Now you’re getting involved. You’re smarter than this.”
“Maybe I’m tired of not getting involved,” I said. I looked up. “What about friends, family? Don’t you have anything you’d stand and fight for?”
“You ever listen to a word I say?” Helikaon looked at me, his eyes hard. “Remember what I told you first time we met? Anything you take into your life, you have to be able to walk away from ten seconds flat, never see it again. Anything else, anything else, it’s dragging you down. You’re asking if I’ve got anything I’d stand and fight for? No, Alex, you fucking idiot, I don’t. That’s why I’m eighty-three and still alive. You think you’d have found me, I didn’t want you to? Soon as you leave, I’m moving on. You won’t see me till this is over
.”
The silence stretched out. “Hard way to live,” I said at last.
“You think life’s supposed to be easy?”
I finished my drink and set the cup down with a click. “Thanks for the tea.”
Helikaon didn’t say anything and I walked away. The pegasus came trotting over to me as I passed out of sight, and I gave him a final pat. “Bye, Thermopylae.” Then I reached into my pocket for the gate stone that would take me home.
I had a lot to think about on the journey back.
When I’d first met Helikaon, it had been right after the final showdown with Tobruk. Even back then Helikaon was a master, able to do things with divination magic I didn’t even know were possible. I’d learnt more about the art from him than from anyone else—path-walking, precognition, future sight—but more important had been how he’d taught me to use my powers. At the time I met him, I was burning with fear and anger from the nightmares I’d been through in Richard’s mansion. I had fantasies about taking revenge, going back and killing them all. Helikaon taught me to shut away the fear and the fury, detach myself and find a measure of peace. It saved my life, I know that now. I would have died if I’d gone back. Getting away and staying away, letting everyone forget about me, had been the only way to survive, and that was what I’d done.
But despite all he’d done for me, Helikaon and I never became master and apprentice, and now I remembered why. There was a coldness to him, a distance, which I was repulsed by and yet envied him for. I knew that the way Helikaon shut out others gave him a clarity of vision I couldn’t match, but I still couldn’t bring myself to share it. I’d fled to my shop in Camden, stayed away from other mages, but I hadn’t stayed detached. I’d made friends: Arachne, Starbreeze, Luna. Did that make me a worse diviner than him, or had I gained something as well?
By the time I made it back to Hampstead Heath, the sun was a red glow in the western sky. I leant against the tree, thinking, looking at the branches above me. Their tips were glowing red in the sunset, the contrast vivid against the blue sky. The earth was still warm from the day’s sunlight, the Heath gradually becoming quieter as more and more people turned their footsteps towards home.
Alex Verus Novels, Books 1-4 (9780698175952) Page 9