by M S C Barnes
“How did you get here? How? You should never have been able to find this place!” Nicole ranted.
Seb flinched and backed away and then, as if suddenly becoming fearful, Nicole scanned the water behind him. “Where is Aelfric? Did he come too? Where are you Aelfric?” she shouted, lifting her chin. “Did you send him in first, thinking I wouldn’t kill him?” She raised her left hand. “Well I will. I have nothing left to lose do I?” When, after a moment, there was no movement or sound other than that of the drumming water, she seemed to relax and then her whole tone and manner changed. “Alone then Seb?” she said, slyly. “Did they send you by yourself to find your sister?”
Seb hadn’t moved; fearing what dark magic this woman may launch at him, he didn’t dare. And all he could think about was where had The Caretaker gone? Surely, having been ahead of him in the passageway, The Caretaker should have crossed through into this room — which Seb guessed was the Sanctum — first?
Nicole took a few steps towards him.
“Did Henri not come to rescue his beautiful wife? Surely he would come?” she said.
So she doesn’t know that Scarlet and Lotty have been rescued, Seb thought; and she can’t know that Zach is trapped. And then he became downhearted. Did that mean Zach was nowhere near here?
Nicole now circled him, as if examining him.
“Those wounds look nasty young man,” she said. “Your head must really hurt. I suppose you feel a bit dizzy? Do you want to sit down? You must do.” She continued circling him. “And your back; oh my, it’s still bleeding. How awful. All that blood loss. It’s a wonder you are still on your feet. You must be feeling light-headed, weak? Is your head swimming?” As Nicole spoke Seb realised he did feel really dizzy; the feeling exacerbated by the effect of him trying to follow her passage as she walked round and around him. “The problem with head injuries is that they make you so dizzy and cause such awful headaches.” The pounding in Seb’s head, which he had almost become accustomed to, suddenly intensified. Nicole waved her hands through the air as she walked and talked and Seb found his eyes drawn to a small ring on her left ring finger. Set with a cluster of different coloured gems, it dazzled him as it caught the light. “Dizzy and light-headed,” Nicole said, circling him closer and closer, moving her hands like a conductor leading an orchestra. “You must need to sit down — sit down,” she repeated and Seb felt an absolute compulsion to do exactly that. Now his knees buckled and he fell to the floor. Nicole chuckled. “I can’t believe they let you come alone.”
Surprises
Sitting with his head bowed Seb waited for the dizziness to subside. Nicole spoke soothingly.
“Poor you, Seb. Such tiredness. Is your head pounding? It is, isn’t it?” Seemingly in response to her words the hammering inside his skull worsened. His arms felt leaden as he lifted his hands to his head. “Those injuries are really dreadfully bad.” Nicole sounded appalled. “Did no-one treat them for you before they sent you here on your own, like a sacrificial lamb? So much blood loss.” As she spoke, Seb felt a trickle of blood run down the side of his face, and a patch of wetness spread across his back.
Nicole knelt in front of him and lifted his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes.
“Seb, these are unique injuries,” she said, a look of mock concern on her face. “You understand that don’t you? Created by sympathetic influence, they won’t heal by themselves and,” she ran a finger through his hair, causing him to cry out with pain and pull away from her, “eventually, they will kill you.” Sitting down on the cold floor beside him, she showed him her finger; it was covered in blood so black and congealed it looked like tar. Seb swallowed hard. “I would say that this time tomorrow the rot will have set in so much that not even wolf-stags will be able to help.” She fell silent for a moment, regarding Seb, as something seemed to occur to her. “Mm, and where are your wolf-stags?” she asked, looking genuinely puzzled. “Strange they have not come to you. I know they are within the enclave… they were in the mausoleum.” So she does know she is trapped, Seb thought as Nicole stood abruptly, and walked back across to the chair, leaving him in a forlorn heap on the floor. Sitting in the overly large, overly opulent seat and looking self-satisfied, she continued, “Now, your time is short. Fortunately, I have a whole pack of wolves within reach and all manner of other ways that I can cure your ills, Seb, but they come at a price.”
Through the chill fear that gripped him, Seb already knew what the price would be. A drop of dark blood fell from his head and splashed onto the pale marble floor between his legs. He stared at it mustering the courage to say what he needed to.
“I won’t tell you,” he croaked through gritted teeth.
“You will,” Nicole smiled at him. “Eventually. If your own welfare doesn’t concern you, what about your sister’s?”
Seb had an idea and snapped his head up.
“If I tell you, will you let Scarlet go free?”
Nicole clapped her hands. “For what it’s worth, Seb, yes, I will release her and do you know what? I will even let all your other friends go back to their normal, simple, human lives. But only once everyone has told me what I need to know.” She leant forward, staring intently at him. “So? Let’s start; where did you hide it?”
Now Seb gave a half-hearted laugh.
“I am not stupid,” he said. “Show me she is safe.”
“Oh, she is safe — well, fairly safe,” Nicole said. “Take a look.”
Above them was a large glass orb, suspended from the ceiling. Inside it fireflies danced chaotically, their glow lighting the room. Nicole lifted her left hand and reflected the warm light off her silver birthmark onto the curtain of water which formed the wall to her right. Seb, still feeling dizzy, twisted awkwardly and watched as the water froze and then turned transparent. Behind what had become an ice window, Seb could see Zach.
“What is he doing in there?” Nicole shouted in surprise. She leapt up from the chair and strode over to the ice window.
Seb stood and staggered across too, staring at Zach, feeling like he could cry. His friend was trapped in a small compartment, no more than four feet high. He lay on his back on a low, flat stone shelf, his face only a foot below a curved metal roof. Horrifyingly, the compartment was two-thirds filled with water and the level was up to Zach’s chest; just a small air pocket remained. Zach, eyes shut, had his arms across his chest, the Sælen Sword gripped between his hands, and he was taking in huge gulps of air. He was obviously unaware he was being watched and Seb slammed a fist against the ice window.
“Zach! Zach, I’m here.”
Nicole, recovering quickly from the shock of finding Zach in her trap instead of the girls, turned to Seb and laughed.
“He can’t hear you; you are within a Sanctum, idiot. You used the lock passageway to get here and he did not. So he will not see or hear you.”
Seb stared at Zach who now took one further gulp of air and suddenly flipped over onto his stomach, his face below the water. With one hand he felt around then, leaning on his elbow, with his other hand he thrust the point of the Sælen Sword into a crevice he had located with his fingertips on the back wall where it joined the stone shelf. In the confined space he began awkwardly levering the sword backwards and forwards. He worked frantically for about thirty seconds and then he removed the blade, twisted in the water and flipped on his back, taking in lungfuls of air, his eyes still closed.
“He’ll drown if you don’t get him out of there. Let him go,” Seb pleaded with Nicole.
“Well he shouldn’t even be in there!” Nicole crossed her arms. “No matter, though,” she said, “He will do just as well.” She turned to Seb. “The longer you delay in telling me what I need, the higher that water level will rise. Why don’t you sit down; you still look incredibly weak, Seb. If you sit here,” she waved her hand again like a conductor, “you can even watch your friend’s endeavours to escape. It will either persuade you or entertain you.” Once more Seb’s knees buckled and he
fell to the floor; he had to lean against the ice window just to remain sitting up. Nicole knelt beside him, grabbed his chin with her hand and forced him to look through the window at Zach, who was, once more, face down in the water, jiggling the sword in the small fissure he had found.
“You won’t let him die,” Seb managed to say through his pinched jaws. “You need his information too. You’re aren’t going to let him die.”
“And there you go being an idiot again, Seb,” Nicole laughed. “If you don’t tell me your bit, I don’t need his bit and vice versa. So, you can sit and watch him die with the comforting knowledge that I will then have no reason to keep you alive.”
She changed her tone to something softer. “Now, come on; I know you are so tired and so weak and your body hurts all over.” Seb winced as she patted him on the back. “If you tell me what I need, I can release your friend here and once he has told me his bit, I can make you feel all better.” She ran her hand down the side of his cheek, wiping away some of the blood.
Where did The Caretaker go? Seb thought, desperately, and glanced over her shoulder, searching the room. Nicole noticed.
“Ah, so maybe you didn’t come alone,” she said, standing and turning. “Am I right?” She looked back down at him. He looked away. “Let’s see then shall we?” She captured light from the fireflies and shone it on the water-wall in the area where Seb had entered. The water there froze and this new ice window revealed The Caretaker who was hammering at the air with the hilt of the Sælen Sword. Nicole chuckled under her breath.
“How could I have not realised!” Now she walked over and stood shaking her head. “Of course Heath would have told you,” she said and then sighed as The Caretaker hammered with more force. “Caretaker, don’t be a fool. Firstly, you are striking at a repelling field. That is absolutely futile — as I am sure you are aware; you certainly can’t break, overcome or subvert it. And secondly, Heath must have told you that no-one can enter the Inner Sanctum unless they bear this mark?” She lifted her left hand, displaying the silver birthmark on her palm. “No-one. Why do you think Riven is not here with me?” She glanced left as Riven suddenly materialised inches from The Caretaker who span and glared at the Dryad, lifting the Sælen Sword in warning. Riven moved back a foot or so and bowed his head and The Caretaker turned to stare angrily at Nicole. Finding the whole situation amusing, she laughed before continuing, “Your place, Caretaker, and the place of all Guardians and others, is the Outer Sanctum — the Bastion Ring,” she pointed at The Caretaker’s feet, “which acts as a final ring of protection for the Custodians within the Inner Sanctum. And your job — as always — is to protect the Custodians. Good luck with that.” Now she looked at Riven. “No warning?” she asked, slightly puzzled. “I told you how.” Riven shook his head.
“I could not,” he almost whispered.
Nicole looked surprised but then shrugged and laughed. “Strange; but no matter. You know, today really is just full of surprises. Just when I thought all was lost, three of the puzzle pieces return to me — and of their own volition. I take it you have seen and heard what Seb and I have been discussing Caretaker?”
The Caretaker, having ceased the attempts to break through to the Sanctum, frowned at her and didn’t respond.
Seb glanced at Zach, who was once more frantically twisting and jiggling the Sælen Sword. Angry himself now, he struggled to his feet and took a couple of faltering steps towards Nicole.
“None of us will tell you what you want to know,” he shouted at her.
Slowly, she turned away from the ice window.
“Really?” she said. “Shall we see if The Caretaker agrees? Eh Caretaker? I wonder just how much pain your Custodian-minor can stand,” she said and began walking to Seb. She spoke to him soothingly as she approached and waved her hand in that hypnotic way. “So weak, Seb; so much in pain. You need to lie down I am sure; the pain is intolerable, the weakness so heavy on your limbs you can’t fight it can you?” She was right; Seb was feeling weaker by the second and was in so much pain he struggled to stop himself groaning. He sank to his knees again, feeling defeated. And then he saw a hazy figure swoop behind Nicole as she walked. He watched its passage and smiled as it solidified into an owl and circled her. “Something funny Seb?” she asked.
Ignoring the question he lifted his hand to his neck and grasped the small owl talisman. As he felt the hard metal between his finger and thumb he forced himself to squash out all the echoes of the words Nicole was using — recognising them for the subliminal messages they were sending. Instantly the pain and weakness decreased. He stood up and stared Nicole in the eye, his smile growing. She showed a moment’s hesitation before continuing over to him.
“You’ won’t be smiling in a minute,” she said, nastily and without warning raised her hand. Capturing firefly light, she reflected it onto Seb’s head. Searing pain ripped through his skull and he screamed. “I told you they were unique injuries, Seb. Now, unless you want to experience more of that, TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO KNOW!” she shouted.
Sobbing, Seb tried to remain on his feet. He fell back against the ice window and through tear-hazy eyes looked over at The Caretaker, hoping for some sort of salvation. There was none. The Caretaker, surrounded by a flurry of green movement, looked to be under attack. For a fleeting moment, Seb thought he saw Dierne appear but dismissed that as wishful thinking as the green haze returned and then Riven materialised, standing, head bowed, beside The Caretaker who now turned to face the Dryad and spoke to him so quietly Seb couldn’t hear the words.
Feeling fresh blood flowing freely from his scalp, Seb wiped it away and as Nicole took a few more steps towards him he edged back, trying to strengthen his aura shield. She simply laughed. “The wounds are already there Seb; your shield will only protect from new wounds, now, won’t it? You really do seem to be so dense.” As she got closer to him, Seb inched sideways and something on the floor at his feet gleamed, catching his eye. He stared at it and although his vision was still blurry he was able to make out a shape, a small symbol, the same symbol he had on his palm. Suddenly the owl swooped down and, landing beside that symbol, began pecking at it. Hoping he was understanding correctly, Seb hastily lifted his hand and shone firefly light onto it. There was a click and then a grating sound and Nicole yelled in fury, “NO!” She was staring through the ice window, into the compartment holding Zach and now Seb looked too. A hatch had opened in the wall of the water-filled chamber and Zach was already scrambling through it. As his legs disappeared, the hatch slammed shut.
Seb was momentarily thrilled — Zach was free. But he didn’t have long to enjoy that feeling. Nicole flew at him. Grabbing his shirt she yanked him away from the frozen wall. For someone so small, she was terrifically strong. “How did you know to do that? How?” she snarled at him. She had her face so close to his their noses were nearly touching. Seb couldn’t see clearly but he thought he saw the tiniest of water-welt tendrils protruding from her skin. Then suddenly she thrust him away from her so hard he slammed into the ice window. He cried out as his back hit the solid surface, and slumped to the floor, trying not to sob. “Well, do you know what? Now there is no saving you. Without him, you are useless to me,” she shouted.
Stepping further away from him, Nicole lifted her left hand, a nasty smirk on her face. Seb cowered, expecting another agonising stab of pain but all he heard was a thud then a growl. He looked up to see Pace standing in front of him, growling at Nicole.
She looked surprised at the wolf’s sudden arrival but soon recovered.
“So your wolves do come to your aid,” she said, more calmly. “No matter. It won’t help you Seb; that beast won’t harm me — not even to save you. I am a Custodian and instinct will prevent him.” She chuckled. “And besides, look who’s here. Moe,” she muttered and a massive wolf-stag, much bigger than Pace, leapt out of the air behind her, landing in front of Pace, hackles up.
Laughing, Nicole began raising her hand once more. A movement behin
d her made Seb look past her and relief swept over him. Aelfric had stepped through the water curtain and was making his way unsteadily towards her. As she tilted her hand to strike at Seb, Aelfric called out.
“Stop, Nicole. The wolves will attack.”
She span around, startled, then relaxed as she noted Aelfric’s appearance. Barely able to stand, he leant against Cue, a hand on the beast’s back, and in the light there was no hiding the blood which covered the front of his chest and his left side. He was so pale and unsteady on his feet Seb’s breath caught in his throat; he looked about to collapse.
“What on Earth has happened to you?” Nicole asked. Aelfric said nothing. She regarded him carefully, looking at the wounds, and then she frowned. “I didn’t think I hit you,” she said, sounding intrigued and then looked dumbfounded as her wolf left her side, padding over to Aelfric who instantly waved it away.
“No!” he commanded and the wolf backed off. Aelfric turned to Seb. “Come over here,” he said, beckoning.
As Seb began to move towards him Nicole’s eyes suddenly opened in wonder.
“Oh, Aelfric,” she said. “Is that how he survived? Did you transfer those injuries onto yourself?” She looked astounded and glanced at Seb then back at Aelfric. “Well how extremely foolish of you.” Seb had made it half way to Aelfric. “Stay where you are, Seb” she said, and the tone in her voice made him stop instantly. “If I have no use for you, think how much less use I have for Aelfric.” She smiled. “Now, let’s think about this shall we? Aelfric will try to stop me harming you, of course. But, deep down, he believes that while I may inflict pain on you, because you still have something of value to me — information — I will not kill you. You, however, know that I have no reason at all to keep Aelfric alive. What’s more, you have seen enough of me to know that I will not think twice about killing him.” It was almost as if she were reasoning to herself, out loud. “So, on to you two. You,” she jabbed a finger at Seb, and all three wolves growled, “haven’t the knowledge or the stomach to harm me; and Aelfric?” She turned to him and smiled before waving a hand, as if dismissing him, and looking at Seb, “well, Aelfric is far too noble to strike the first blow. Therefore, since I have vengeance, a bigger wolf and no scruples on my side, I must hold all the cards.”