Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6)

by Christopher Mitchell

  The Sixth Ascendant’s eyes opened, and he glanced around the room. ‘Yes?’

  Arete frowned. ‘Bastion’s here.’

  Leksandr face fell. ‘When?’

  ‘Just now. He appeared in the residence’s main reception hall.’

  ‘Did he come alone?’

  ‘Yes. He wants to see us.’

  ‘I’m sure he does.’ He shook his head. ‘I suppose we should get it over with.’

  ‘Who’s Bastion?’ said Belinda.

  Arete stared at her. ‘He particularly wants to see you.’

  ‘He’s an Ancient,’ said Leksandr. ‘The Blessed Second Ascendant’s emissary.’

  ‘That’s one word for it,’ said Arete.

  ‘If he’s here,’ said Leksandr, ‘then he will be acting with the full authority of the Second Ascendant behind him; and anything you say or do will be reported back to Implacatus; in fact, he might well decide to take you back with him.’

  A surge of panic swept through Belinda, but she kept her appearance calm.

  ‘We need to decide what we’re going to tell him,’ said Arete.

  Leksandr smiled and got to his feet. ‘He’s probably listening to us as we speak.’

  ‘Why are you acting as if you’re scared of him?’ said Belinda. ‘He is an Ancient; you are Ascendants.’

  ‘He is the Blessed Second Ascendant’s sword, fist and shield; his most trusted advisor and lieutenant. He is also almost as old as the Ascendants. It would be wise for you to understand that his word will always be taken over ours.’

  ‘Wise indeed,’ said a low voice from the door.

  The others turned. A man in a simple black cloak and sandals was standing in the doorway. He was unarmed, and carrying nothing apart from a small shoulder bag. He walked into the room.

  ‘Lord Bastion,’ said Leksandr, bowing; ‘I was just explaining who you were to the Third Ascendant.’

  ‘I know. I heard.’

  Arete also had her head bowed, but Belinda kept her chin up as Bastion approached her. He stopped when he was inches from her face and stared, his dark eyes boring into her. He nodded, then turned and walked over to the Sextant.

  ‘Explain,’ he said, his eyes fixed on the device.

  ‘Well, my lord,’ said Leksandr. ‘We seized the Sextant in a successful operation some…’

  ‘I know what occurred. Explain why you haven’t returned to Implacatus.’

  Belinda glanced at him. ‘How do you know what occurred?’

  Bastion said nothing, his eyes on the device.

  ‘The Third Ascendant,’ said Leksandr, ‘has, as you may know, lost her memory, and she doesn’t yet understand the correct etiquette for these, uh, situations. She didn’t mean any offence by her question, you see, she…’

  ‘I’m still waiting for your explanation,’ said Bastion.

  ‘Of course, my lord; yes. Well, the Seventh Ascendant and I decided that we would remain here to complete all of our objectives. The Sextant was only one, and there is still work to be done here on Lostwell. There is the matter of the Holdfasts, a family of mortals who are also in possession of god-like powers. We have slain one, but the others have so far eluded our detection. And the Sextant itself, of course, requires further examination in order to get it operational.’

  ‘You had one objective,’ said Bastion. ‘Secure the supply of salve. Why have you failed?’

  ‘The Holdfasts have frustrated us at every turn.’

  ‘That’s what Lord Renko said, and you know what happened to him.’

  ‘With all respect to you and the Blessed Second Ascendant, I’m not sure you fully grasp the importance of these mortals. They are completely impervious to our powers, and have powers of their own. What’s more, they come from a world where a significant proportion of mortals have powers. Nathaniel created it; it was his last act, I believe.’

  Bastion paused for a second as if taken aback. ‘Do you have proof of this?’

  Leksandr pointed at Belinda. ‘The Third Ascendant has been to this world.’

  ‘Has she, indeed?’ said Bastion. He drew his eyes from the Sextant and turned them towards Belinda. ‘Is this so, Third Ascendant?’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘How did you come to be shielded? I cannot penetrate your mind.’

  ‘One of the Holdfasts did it.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘To protect me.’

  ‘They were your friends?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And now?’

  ‘Now, I have knelt and sworn allegiance to the Second Ascendant.’

  A hint of a smile crept across Bastion’s lips. ‘My master is minded to dismiss the Sixth and Seventh Ascendants from their positions of authority on this operation, and place you in charge in their stead.’

  ‘My lord,’ said Arete, her voice strained; ‘we cannot be sure of her loyalty. She should be removed from Lostwell and interrogated by the Blessed Second Ascendant himself.’

  Bastion glanced at her for a moment. ‘I shall take neither course. The Third Ascendant will remain here, and Leksandr shall continue in his position as the leader of this operation. Fulfil your primary objective, or you shall be punished.’ His eyes tightened. ‘A world of mortals with powers? I must learn more and return with this information to Implacatus. Belinda, come with me.’

  * * *

  Bastion’s questioning of Belinda lasted several hours and, under his unblinking eyes, she heard herself give away more than she had ever told Leksandr and Arete about the world of the Holdfasts, and her expedition to the City of Pella. He said almost nothing, letting her talk, and her words filled the awkward gaps as if silence was unbearable. With an effort, she managed to rein herself in once the questions had returned to events on Lostwell, and stopped short of revealing the truth about Corthie, or the mission that she had given to Silva.

  He finally averted his eyes from her when she had finished. ‘I have a message,’ he said, ‘from my master to you. He wishes you to know that his personal feelings towards you haven’t altered in ten thousand years. He is looking forward to your reconciliation, but for that reconciliation to be complete, you must honour the word you gave to him, and become his bride upon your return.’

  Belinda blinked. ‘My word?’

  ‘Yes, Belinda. You may have lost your memories, but my master remembers everything. Before you left Implacatus to join Nathaniel, you were pledged to Edmond, my master. You were to be his queen, not Nathaniel’s. My master has ordered that you may only return to Implacatus if you agree to honour the vow you made to him.’

  ‘And if I disagree?’

  ‘Then the war begins again, only this time I imagine it will be considerably shorter. There is only you left, after all. I shall leave you to consider, and return to my master.’

  He placed the shoulder bag onto his lap, pushed his hand inside it, and disappeared.

  Belinda stared at the empty chair for a moment, then stood and walked to an open window. Outside was a view of the ocean, and she watched the waves roll in from the west. Why had Silva never mentioned anything about a vow she had made to Edmond? Was Bastion lying? That seemed unlikely, as it was the basis for his decision to leave her in Khatanax rather than take her back to Implacatus.

  She needed answers, so she shot her vision out, bending it south towards Capston. Mile after mile of nothing but ocean passed under her, then she turned to the east, where the sky was growing dark. It was early evening when she reached the small town on the shores of the Southern Cape. She made directly for the rented rooms where Silva was staying, and found her sitting alone at a table, eating.

  She entered the demigod’s mind, staying as quiet as possible. It was something she had been practising, and even with her emotions churning, she remembered to do it, rather than charge in.

  Silva blinked, and frowned.

  You’re getting much better, your Majesty, she said. If I wasn’t so used to listening out for you, I would never have perceived your presenc
e. Well done.

  Silva, did I promise to marry Edmond, the Second Ascendant?

  Her great granddaughter fell silent.

  You must tell me.

  If you did, your Majesty, then this is the first time I’ve heard of it. But… well, if it is true, then it would explain some things I’ve always struggled to understand; such as comments His Majesty King Nathaniel made, or the way you sometimes reacted whenever Edmond was mentioned. I confess, though, I don’t know. Who told you?

  An emissary sent by Edmond. An Ancient named Bastion.

  Belinda felt Silva’s anger stir. That vile beast? He has so much blood on his hands that I doubt he’d ever be able to wash them clean. He is a violent brute, and utterly loyal to the Second Ascendant, but he doesn’t lie; he doesn’t need to. His powers are the equal of any Ascendant, except you, your Majesty, of course; and Edmond himself. Is he in Alea Tanton?

  He was; he’s gone again already. He says I have to honour my word, or Edmond will restart the war, by which I think he meant he would send people to kill me.

  He has given you time to consider?

  He has.

  Then flee. Whether it is a lie or not, when he returns, it will be in force, and they will kill you.

  Unless I agree to marry Edmond.

  What? I… Your Majesty, please, you cannot.

  Don’t worry, Silva, I’m not going to marry him. But if I let Bastion take me to Implacatus, then I might get close enough to Edmond to kill him.

  Your Majesty, if you, I mean the old you, had thought that a wise plan, don’t you think you would have tried it? If you did make a promise to Edmond, then it must have been many millennia ago, long before I was born, or when you came to Lostwell. The old you would have done anything to defeat and kill Edmond; therefore there must be a good reason why she didn’t attempt what you are suggesting.

  You may be right, Silva; I’ll think it over. For now, I’d better let the others know that Bastion has gone.

  Farewell, your Majesty.

  Belinda pulled her vision back to her body. Despite Silva’s admission of ignorance, she felt more certain than ever that Bastion had been telling the truth. It was impossible that Edmond could love her, not if he hadn’t seen her in thousands of years, and she was at a loss to explain his motivations.

  She walked out of the room and back into Leksandr’s study, where the other two Ascendants were waiting.

  ‘Bastion’s gone,’ she said, as they looked up at her.

  ‘Gone?’ said Arete, getting to her feet.

  ‘Yes. I told him everything I could remember, and then he left to tell the Second Ascendant.’

  ‘Why didn’t he take you back to Implacatus with him?’

  ‘That’s between me and Bastion.’

  Arete glared at her, but her anger had a tinge of fear about it. They didn’t know anything about the vow she had made, Belinda thought, realising that she might be able to use the knowledge against them.

  ‘He wants you to continue working towards your objective,’ she said.

  Leksandr and Arete glanced at each other.

  ‘And you, Third Ascendant,’ said Leksandr, his features drawn; ‘what does he want you to do?’

  ‘That’s confidential,’ she said, ‘but I advise you not to hinder me in any way.’

  ‘She has betrayed us,’ said Arete. ‘After everything we’ve done to shield her from Implacatus.’

  Belinda frowned. ‘You have done nothing to shield me, Arete. Leksandr has, but not you. You wanted me sent there for interrogation, but that won’t be happening. I won’t forget how you treated me with suspicion, or how you’ve tried to undermine me.’

  Leksandr bowed before her. ‘Third Ascendant, tell me what I should do.’

  ‘Keep working on the Sextant,’ she said. ‘It is the key to locating the salve world.’

  ‘I will, your Grace.’

  ‘And I?’ said Arete, her glance switching from defiant to deferential.

  ‘Organise relief for the victims of the earthquake,’ said Belinda. ‘The people of Tordue are starving, and many have lost their homes.’

  ‘Yes, your Grace.’

  Belinda kept her eyes on them. ‘I will be in my rooms if you require me.’

  She walked from the study, her heart racing. Were they so easily fooled? If they could have read her thoughts, then they would have been able to see through her words, but the combination of Bastion’s appearance and the fact that her mind was shielded, had transformed the two Ascendants. A new feeling surged through her, one that she had never experienced before.

  Power.

  It felt good. The fear that she had seen in the Ascendants’ eyes had felt so good, that part of her wanted to go back into the room so she could feel it again. They feared her, and because of that, they would do whatever she ordered. The possibilities began to open up before her, and she found herself wondering what would happen if she accepted Edmond’s offer. Together, they would wield power over every known world, and she would be able to use that power for good, and bring an end to injustice. She remembered Silva’s warning – if it were that easy, she would have done it millennia before, but in a way she had done it before, except she had chosen Nathaniel over Edmond. Either way, power was power.

  She reached her suite of rooms and glanced at her collection of servants, some of whom seemed to sense the change in her bearing, their bows a little more formal than they had been that morning. She would need to sift through them, discarding any whose allegiances lay with Leksandr and Arete, and surround herself only with those loyal to her, if any could be found. She could interview them one by one, delving into their minds to root out their secrets and weaknesses.

  She halted in the centre of her sitting room. ‘Gather round.’

  The servants glanced at each other, then began to assemble before her. There were six of them, all demigods from Implacatus who had arrived in Old Alea as part of the retinue of the Sixth and Seventh Ascendants.

  ‘Lord Bastion was here,’ she said, watching their expressions as they took in the information, ‘and the situation has changed. You will no longer report to the Sixth or Seventh Ascendants; you report to me. What has gone before will not count against you, but if I detect the slightest hint of disloyalty from any one of you, then you will be dismissed from my service and punished.’

  A few of them looked confused, and she went into one of their minds, keeping as quiet as she was able. She sensed the demigod’s mixed feelings, and her longing to run and tell Arete what was happening. She looked through some of her memories, and found conversations the demigod had held with the Seventh Ascendant, with Arete instructing her to tell her everything that Belinda said and did. The demigod’s true feelings about Belinda were also evident – she loathed her, and perceived her to be dangerous and a possible traitor. Belinda considered. An example would need to be made.

  Get on your knees , Belinda commanded.

  The demigod cried out, her eyes widening, then she fell to her knees as if a weight had pushed her down. The other servants gasped as they watched, and Belinda could feel their fear.

  Confess, Belinda thundered in the demigod’s mind. Confess your disloyalty to me.

  ‘I was spying on you for the Seventh Ascendant,’ the demigod said, her voice strained and edged with terror. ‘I was under her Grace’s orders. I was only doing what I was told.’

  I am the rightful Queen of Lostwell. Refer to me as ‘your Majesty’ when you address me. Apologise.

  ‘I’m sorry, your Majesty,’ the demigod cried.

  Beg for forgiveness.

  The demigod bowed her head. ‘Please forgive me, your Majesty; I am unworthy to serve you.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Belinda; ‘you are. Now run off to Arete, and explain to her why I have just dismissed you from your position. If you enter my rooms again, I will kill you. Understood?’

  ‘Yes, your Majesty.’

  Thank me for being merciful.

  ‘Thank you for sho
wing me mercy, your Majesty.’

  Belinda released the demigod from the vision grip, and she got up and raced from the room, knocking over a chair in her haste to leave as quickly as possible.

  ‘Someone pick that up,’ said Belinda.

  The servants all hurried to do as she bid, almost fighting to be the one who could obey her first.

  ‘That is all for now,’ said Belinda. ‘Come back in the morning, and I will determine who among you is fit to serve me. Loyalty will be rewarded, disloyalty punished. Dismissed.’

  Within seconds, the room had been emptied, and Belinda stood alone, revelling in her newfound power. For years, since she had awoken in the attic of the Holdfast townhouse, she had served someone else. First Karalyn, then the Empress, then Thorn, and finally Corthie. She had been an able second-in-command, always available to offer support and advice, but she had never wanted to be the one in charge. She wondered why that was. She was the Third Ascendant, the second most powerful being in existence. She had ruled before, many times, and the statues and monuments dedicated to her proved that beyond any doubt. Once, she had been known as the wise old queen, and there was no reason why she couldn’t slip back into that role, no reason at all. What a simple thing it had been; all it had taken was a shift in her attitude. Silva had been right; she was a Queen.

  * * *

  The gods and demigods who arrived at her rooms that evening to begin their daily vision search were clearly aware of what had occurred, and each one of them bowed and addressed her as ‘your Majesty’ as they entered.

  ‘As I mentioned yesterday,’ she said, sitting at the head of the table, ‘we are moving our search from the Southern Cape and Dun Khatar up to Kinell, starting with Kin Dai. You will be looking for a demigod with vision powers. If you sense him, you must inform me immediately.’

  They began at once, their eyes glazing over, and Belinda sat back and watched them. She had been pondering the problems she faced, looking for a compromise that might prevail. She knew the leadership of the City of Pella – surely a peaceful negotiation with them could provide the salve that Implacatus desired. A plan had started to take root in her mind, a plan that would involve no one being killed. Furthermore, if it succeeded, then she would receive the plaudits for restoring the supply of the precious mineral, and Arete and Leksandr would be discredited. That was what queens did, she thought; they found solutions. Implacatus would never cease their search for salve, but if she could guarantee its supply without any need for a military occupation of Pella, then everyone would win.