There was a long pause. ‘Yes,’ Luna said at last in a muffled voice.
‘All right,’ I said. ‘Starbreeze? Take us to the ball.’
‘Hurt,’ Starbreeze said doubtfully.
‘It’ll be okay. She won’t hurt you.’
‘Well …’ Starbreeze brightened. ‘Okay!’ She swept in around us and once again my body thinned to air. Stray wisps of the curse brushed Starbreeze, but most of it was pulled into the ribbon, and a second later we were floating.
Luna gasped, but it was done before she could react. Our bodies were air, drifting apart. I was still holding Luna’s hand, but it felt like slippery glass. I couldn’t have kept my grip if she’d pulled away, but she was holding onto me now, both hands latched on tight. Starbreeze took off and the ground blurred beneath us as we soared into the sky.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget that flight. There was something primal about it, excitement and anticipation mixed together. There was danger behind and danger ahead, but now we were free. The fight was forgotten, left behind on the distant ground. I’d flown with Starbreeze many times before, but never with someone to share it.
London is amazing by night. Instead of the grid pattern of most cities, its streets twist and turn, and from above every one of them is outlined by streetlights. The parks are patches of shadow, the main roads glowing rivers. The Thames is a dark snake winding through the centre, its banks lit up with the waterfront buildings, boats and bridges leaving dots and slashes of light across its dark waters. Above, the stars shone down out of a cloudless sky, Orion and Cassiopeia looking down on us. Starbreeze flew higher and higher, leaving the bustle and danger of the city far below.
At one point I dragged my gaze away from the lights of the city below to watch Luna. Her shape was misty and transparent, and she was gazing down at the view, drinking it in. All I could see of her was her eyes, and there was something timeless in them, like distant stars. Only the pressure of her hand reassured me that she was still there.
I felt a strange sense of loss when Starbreeze finally began to circle downwards. The skyscrapers of the Docklands appeared below us, growing larger and larger, then we were racing past them, plummeting between the towers of steel and glass. The ground rushed up to meet us, halted, and Starbreeze brought us down to the stone gently as a feather. Canary Wharf towered before us.
6
The official name for the tower at the centre of the Docklands is One Canada Square, but everyone in London calls it Canary Wharf. It’s the tallest building in Britain, eight hundred feet high to the flashing double strobe at the top, and it dominates the London skyline, a symbol of wealth and power. Officially the whole tower is office space, and since it’s not open to the public there’s no one to say otherwise. Starbreeze had dropped us off within a small park in the shadow of some trees and, looking forward, I could see other couples on the plaza, moving towards the blaze of light that was the tower itself. I felt awake and alive, on full alert. There was work to be done.
At my side, Luna was peering up at the tower. She looked as though she might have been crying, but the journey had wiped away any tears, and her face was unreadable. I stood waiting to see if she’d speak, but instead she looked down and began to shiver, wrapping her shawl around her bare arms. Canary Wharf is right in the middle of a meander of the Thames, and a cold wind was blowing off the water. ‘Let’s get inside,’ I said.
‘I’m fine,’ Luna said, still shivering.
I sighed inwardly, put my arm around Luna and started walking her towards the distant entrance. She didn’t resist. ‘There are anterooms,’ I said. ‘I’ll find you somewhere safe.’
Luna shook her head mutely. I looked down at her. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I’m going with you.’
‘What?’
Luna didn’t look up and I rolled my eyes heavenwards, just barely stopping myself from saying something that I knew would make things worse. First I had to drag her here, now she was refusing to leave. I can see the freaking future and women still don’t make sense. ‘All right,’ I said at last, once I’d gotten myself under control. ‘You’re going into a place where knowledge is power. Don’t reveal anything about yourself. You shouldn’t even introduce yourself as “Luna” if you don’t have to, and don’t for God’s sake tell anyone your full name. Mages put people into two groups. There are other mages, and then there are sheep. Just by showing up here you’re proving you’re not a sheep. But all that’s going to depend on how they see you, and they’re going to be judging you every second you’re there. The people in there aren’t your enemies – well, mostly – but they aren’t your friends, either. Don’t let down your guard.’
The wind returned, ruffling my hair, and this time it wasn’t cold. I looked up to see Starbreeze floating above me, back in her invisible form. ‘You’re staying?’
Starbreeze pointed up cheerfully at the tower. ‘Make another lightning man?’
Luna looked from me to Starbreeze. She still couldn’t see her but was getting used to guessing where the air elemental was floating. ‘Lightning man?’
‘Don’t ask.’
Starbreeze swirled around our heads and Luna glanced up at her passing. ‘She thinks you’re going to make things fun?’
Talk about backhanded compliments. ‘Given what she calls fun, I hope not.’
‘Not you!’ Starbreeze chipped in. She pointed at Luna. ‘Her. Ooh!’ Starbreeze looked upwards and her face lit up. She shot up into the night sky and out of sight before either of us could say a word. Luna and I looked at each other, then kept walking.
The ground floor lobby was huge and spacious, paved in Italian marble. A steady murmur of voices echoed around the concourse. A boy in his teens crossed the floor towards us. ‘Good evening,’ he said politely. ‘For the ball?’
I handed him my invitation and he gave it a quick glance. ‘Thank you. Far lift, top floor.’
I took the invitation back with a nod and started for the corner. Luna had been studying the boy curiously, and whispered to me once we were past. ‘Who was he?’
‘Apprentice,’ I said quietly. ‘I used to do jobs like that once.’
The buttons inside the lift went up to 45. I hit the top one and the doors hissed shut. The lift whirred upwards with a hum of powerful machinery, and I knew we’d arrive in less than a minute. ‘Some of the people inside will be mages, some will be adepts or hangers-on,’ I told Luna. ‘Don’t look surprised or shocked, no matter what you see.’ I paused. ‘Ready?’
Luna nodded. ‘Ready.’
‘Okay. Game face on.’
The doors hissed open to reveal a group of four big men in dark clothing, their eyes tracking us as we stepped out. The one at the front asked for my invitation, and this time the check was more thorough. Once he was satisfied, he nodded. ‘Thank you. Enjoy the ball.’ Up ahead, a pair of double doors stood open, and light and voices streamed through. We walked in.
The room we’d entered was enormous, the ceiling reaching far overhead with angled corners. A double balcony ran the circuit of the walls, recessed so that the people walking it were concealed behind the railings. At the centre was a square column stretching all the way to the roof. Walkways ran between the upper balcony to the higher levels, and scattered on the underside of the walkways and all around the walls were sets of chandeliers, glowing with hundreds of lights. Everything was made of steel and glass reflecting the light and throwing it back so that the entire vast hall was as bright as full daylight. It was dazzling, and both Luna and I blinked as we stood there, our eyes adjusting.
The hall was filled with noise; there were hundreds of people thronging the floor with more looking from above. Men and women were crossing the floor, talking, watching, dancing, standing, spread out across all of the vast room. The entry hall was set a little above floor level, and from our position Luna and I could see out across the whole crowd. To one side a band was playing upon a stage, and on the dance floor maybe fifty were danc
ing while others looked on. Another area had been set aside for games, with mages’ chess, duelling pistes and more. Near the central column was a buffet, and on the far side, partially blocked by the column, I could see the greyish glow of a sphere arena, suspended in mid-air.
We stood there for a minute, just watching. No one seemed to be paying us any heed yet. That wouldn’t last. ‘Well,’ I said, and took Luna’s arm. She flinched and started to pull away in reflex, but I gave her a smile and she hesitated. ‘Let’s go attract some attention.’
We walked down the stairs to the floor, and Luna fell in by my side. As we did, I glanced down at Arachne’s ribbon, making sure that Luna didn’t see me do it. A quarter of its length had gone black, the darkness spreading slowly as it drew in the silvery mist.
I led Luna towards the band and the dance floor. We passed other men and women as we walked, strolling and talking, all wearing expensively tailored evening wear. In my normal clothes I would have stood out like a sore thumb, but in Arachne’s outfits we fitted in perfectly. Arachne pretends not to care about fashion, but she always seems to match it. Most of the men were wearing dinner jackets like mine, while the women were wearing dresses that were … well, they were dresses. I have no clue what kind. Hey, I’m a guy, what do you expect? There’s a reason I go to Arachne when I want to look good.
The band was a string ensemble. They were playing a waltz, quick and cheerful. ‘Want to dance?’ I said to Luna as we reached the dance floor.
Luna shook her head. ‘No, thanks.’
‘Great.’ I pulled Luna out onto the floor.
‘Alex!’ Luna protested, her voice rising. People turned to look, and she hushed it to a whisper. ‘I can’t—’
‘Relax,’ I said as I took her right hand in my left and raised it. ‘I can.’
‘You know I don’t know how to dance!’
‘Just follow my lead. Put your other hand on my shoulder.’ I moved it. ‘There. Start off on your left foot. And one, and two—’
‘I can’t do this!’
‘—and three,’ I said, and led off. Luna nearly tripped over, then righted herself, clinging to me desperately as we moved through the crowd.
Although I don’t look it, I’m a pretty good dancer, a legacy from my time with Richard. I haven’t gotten much use out of it since then, but it’s like riding a bicycle – you never forget. The nice thing about dancing as a man is that if you’re good enough, you can carry a girl even if she doesn’t have the first clue what she’s doing. I stuck to basics, letting Luna get used to the rhythm as I scanned the crowd for familiar faces. There weren’t many. I don’t generally get invited to high society events, and the mages here were the elite.
Of course, not all were mages. Many would only be adepts, or maybe not even that. Some would be enspelled, and they’d be waking up tomorrow morning remembering tonight as nothing more than a dream. And some would be apprentices or even slaves, here only at the whim of their masters.
Here’s the catch, though – there’s no way to know just by looking whether someone is a mage or not. Some mages like to advertise, but the smart ones usually take care to avoid revealing their power until it suits them. It’s easy to look at a crowd like this and notice only the ones who catch your eye – the woman wearing a white dress that seemed to be made entirely of feathers, with gaps exposing glimpses of pale skin, the man dressed entirely in red, with a snake-headed cane at one side – but usually the ones you have to watch out for are the ones you don’t see.
The music shifted into a slower dance, and as Luna began to realise that she wasn’t going to trip over, her death grip on my arms loosened. I could feel her muscles relax slightly through the hand on her back. ‘Having fun?’ I said into her ear. The mist still swirled around her, but the ribbon was drawing it away from the other dancers.
‘I’m going to get you for this,’ Luna said, breathless.
‘I’ll take that as a yes.’
‘Is everyone watching?’
‘Yup. Oh, don’t stiffen up, you were just starting to relax.’
Luna’s fingers dug into my arm. ‘Why are they all looking at me?’ she whispered into my ear.
‘Probably wondering where you got your dress.’
‘Alex!’ Luna tried to hit me with her free hand and nearly stumbled.
‘Tsk. You don’t want to fall.’
Luna made a noise that sounded almost like she was laughing. ‘We’re new,’ I said, my voice serious again. ‘Everyone here is watching everyone else. Probably a hundred people have made a note of us by now. Don’t be surprised if you’re approached as soon as this dance ends.’
‘Me? Why?’
‘Curiosity. Information.’
‘What should I say?’
‘Whatever you like, as long as you don’t give too much away. Let them come up with their own ideas and don’t correct them.’
We did another circuit of the dance floor, passing close to the band. All four were women. They looked natural at first glance; only if you looked closely would you see the slightly glazed look in their eyes. We turned back towards the crowd, and I saw who I’d been waiting for. ‘Look over my shoulder,’ I said as I turned. ‘Greek-looking guy in a dark blue suit with fancy trim. Talking to the man in red.’
‘Mm … okay, I see him. Who is he?’
‘Name’s Lyle. Major league asshole. Tied in with the Council.’
‘He’s the one who invited you?’
‘Yup.’
We did another revolution. ‘Are you going to talk to him?’ Luna asked eventually.
‘He can wait.’ Lyle was starting to send irritated glances in our direction. The music came to a halt, and I came apart from Luna with a smile and gave her a small bow. There was scattered clapping.
‘That was …’ Luna hesitated. She looked different somehow – flushed and wondering, alive in a way I’d never seen before. ‘I’ve never …’
‘I know.’ I took her arm and led her off the floor as a new dance started. I didn’t bother to hurry; I knew Lyle would come to us.
He materialised out of the crowd before we’d even reached it. ‘Ah, Alex,’ Lyle said with a good imitation of surprise. ‘I’m glad I bumped into you.’
‘Hey, Lyle. Thanks for the invitation.’
‘Don’t mention it.’ Lyle looked at Luna. ‘I don’t believe we’ve met?’
‘I hope you’re not trying to steal her from me, Lyle,’ I said with an easy smile, then glanced at Luna. ‘This is Lyle, an acquaintance of mine. We know each other very well.’
Lyle bowed to her. ‘An honour to meet you.’ He straightened. ‘If it’s convenient, Alex, I’ve some things to discuss with you in private. Barrayar, perhaps you could show the lady around.’
A man who’d been waiting at Lyle’s side stepped forward. He looked like a functionary. ‘You’ll have to excuse me,’ I said to Luna. ‘I’ll be right back.’
‘That’s fine,’ Luna said, and gave Lyle a smile. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ Lyle gave another bow, then turned and started walking. I followed. Behind, I heard Barrayar starting to introduce himself.
‘“I’ll be right back”?’ Lyle murmured once we were out of earshot. ‘Seems you still haven’t learned not to make promises you can’t keep.’
‘I wouldn’t get too cocky, Lyle.’ Other men and couples glanced at us as we passed, first at Lyle, then with more curiosity at me. Lyle was a known quantity here; I was something new. ‘I only agreed to listen.’
‘And you think you’ll be getting a better offer?’
I grinned lazily. ‘Oh, you’d be surprised just how many people are taking an interest in your relic lately.’
Lyle gave me a sharp look, then turned away.
Servants were moving through the crowd, white-clothed figures with their faces hidden behind opaque masks offering food and drinks. We passed a crowd around the buffet table and climbed a small flight of stairs up to one of the exits from the hall. The exit led to a staircase, leadin
g upwards and then doubling back. We went up two levels and came out into a smaller corridor, this one plain and undecorated. Windows on the left side looked down into the main hall, but the sounds were quieter up here, the music and conversation from below muffled. The corridor ended in a door, leading into an antechamber. As we walked in, I checked, staring at the figures ahead.
In front of the opposite door, facing us, were two creatures sculpted from silver and gold. They stood seven feet tall on triple-jointed legs, and had two pairs of segmented arms carrying eight-foot-tall ceremonial glaives and devices of tapering metal the size of heavy guns. Their heads were turned towards us, and faceted golden eyes watched us silently as we entered. These were gythka, mantis golems, and their presence meant a Council member was here. Lyle hadn’t been kidding.
‘Lyle Trahelis,’ Lyle said as he walked up; he hadn’t stopped. He gestured in my direction. ‘He’s with me.’ He approached the door and paused, looking back at me. ‘Hurry up, Alex. We haven’t got all day.’
The mantis golems hadn’t moved an inch since we entered, and their eyes watched us, opaque and unreadable. Lyle stood negligently in the shadow of two of them. I knew he was showing off, and I couldn’t sense any danger, but I’ve lived on my wits too long to ever be comfortable about exposing myself. Even though I knew the guards weren’t going to touch me, the thought of passing beneath those shining blades made my skin crawl.
I took a breath and walked forward. One of the guards swivelled its head to watch. Up close it smelt of sweet oil and polished metal. I couldn’t see any joints in its body; it looked like an insect crafted in silver. Its future held no choices, a solid line instead of branching forks. Gythka are constructs with no will of their own, programmed to obey Council members absolutely. According to rumour, they’re almost indestructible. I’ve never seen the rumour tested. Lyle pushed open the door and we stepped inside.
The room within was dimly lit, with a high ceiling and a dozen widely spaced chairs. The entire left wall was a giant window, a transparent panel looking down onto the great hall. Below was the arena and the buffet table, and to one side I could see the dance floor and the band. It was an impressive view, perfectly placed to see and be seen by the people below … except that when I’d looked up from floor level, this spot had looked like a blank wall. The window was one-way glass. We could see the people below, but they couldn’t see us.
Fated: An Alex Verus Novel Page 11