Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6)

by Christopher Mitchell

  Corthie embraced her. ‘I’ll miss you.’ He turned to Van. ‘You’d better be good to my sister.’

  ‘I will ensure that,’ said Frostback. ‘I have my eye on you, Van.’

  The former mercenary officer tried to smile. ‘I only wish Sohul were here. He would have liked a new adventure.’

  ‘What happened to him?’ said Naxor. ‘And Silva? I don’t see her anywhere.’

  ‘They didn’t make it,’ said Van. ‘The waves took them.’

  ‘I know it’s not much consolation, but you’ll have me for company again. Back to the City, eh? I can hardly believe it.’

  Belinda placed her palm onto the flat surface of the Sextant. Overhead, the sky seemed to swirl, and jagged forks of lightning tore through the air over Old Alea, growing in intensity with every second that passed.

  ‘Goodbye, Corthie,’ said Kelsey, then she, Van, Naxor and the three remaining dragons vanished in a harsh crackle of noise amid a smell of smoke and iron.

  ‘It’s done,’ said Belinda, opening her eyes. ‘Listen.’

  ‘I can’t hear anything,’ said Corthie.

  ‘Exactly. I have removed every survivor from the surface of Old Alea and transported them to the fields behind the Great Wall, where the Scythes used to live. Over forty thousand people, and a dozen dragons. I pray that Queen Emily forgives me when she finds out.’

  Aila looked around. Only she, Corthie and Belinda remained in the yard. For all she knew, they might be the only people left alive in Tordue.

  ‘What now?’ said Corthie.

  Belinda frowned. ‘In truth,’ she said, ‘I do not wish to return to the Star Continent. Despite the love I feel for you and Karalyn, I have always felt out of place there.’

  ‘But you can’t stay here,’ said Aila, as another fierce rumble shook the ground. At the other end of the yard, the eastern tower collapsed in an explosion of rubble and dust.

  ‘Vana was in there a few minutes ago,’ said Belinda, ‘but before you ask, Aila – yes, she’s safe. Your sister is back in the City with the others.’

  The air shimmered a few yards away and Edmond appeared, Lord Bastion and four other gods by his side. Every one of them was clad from head to foot in steel armour, and they were wielding long swords.

  ‘Belinda,’ Edmond cried; ‘did you think you had seen the last of me? And now your dragon friends are gone, and so too is Kelsey Holdfast. Who will save you this time?’

  The air shimmered again a few yards to Edmond’s left, and two armed ballistae appeared, each crewed by Banner soldiers.

  ‘If the Third Ascendant’s hand moves towards the Sextant,’ said Edmond; ‘bring her down.’

  Corthie clutched his Clawhammer, while Aila looked around in vain for a weapon. Belinda was also unarmed, and Corthie pushed them both behind him. Aila’s eyes moved from the loaded ballistae to Edmond and his armoured gods. Belinda had no sword, and any attempt to use her death powers would be met with two ballista bolts. Edmond’s eyes were shining; he had them trapped, and he knew it.

  ‘Corthie,’ said Belinda, her right hand flexing, ‘tell Karalyn that I love her, and tell the Empress that I’m sorry.’

  ‘What?’ said Corthie. ‘No; tell her yourself.’

  ‘This is the end for me, my brother, but not for you and Aila. I’ve tried my hardest to be the best person I could be, and I know I didn’t do a very good job at times. Throughout it all, you stuck by me, and that means more to me than you’ll ever know.’

  She pushed Aila out of the way and threw herself towards the Sextant, her hand slapping down on it as two ballista bolts sped through the air. The air around Aila shimmered, and the last thing she saw were the bolts piercing Belinda’s armour, a spray of blood, and the Ascendant’s body crashing to the ground.

  Aila screamed, but it was lost in the silence and darkness.

  Chapter 31

  Dislocation

  C olsbury Castle, Republic of the Holdings – 16th Day, Second Third Autumn 531

  Darkness enveloped Corthie and he seemed to be floating. He had just seen Belinda struck down by a pair of yard-long steel ballista bolts, but before he had been able to react, the air around him had shifted. Panic began to grow within him, then the sky appeared above, a lightening sky with seven stars and no moon, and he fell to the ground, landing on a grassy slope by a lake. The impact winded him, and the Clawhammer slipped from his hands.

  He lay on the grass, dazed, staring up at the sky. The light was growing above the steep mountains behind him, and the sky was beginning to turn blue. A chill wind rustled through his hair.

  ‘Corthie?’

  He lifted his head, still groggy, and saw Aila a few yards from him. She was struggling to her feet on the grassy slope, trying to reach him. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.

  ‘That felt…’

  ‘…terrible,’ she finished for him; ‘like being hit over the head.’

  ‘Belinda,’ he said.

  ‘I know.’ Aila reached his side and sat down. ‘She did it for us. Look.’

  She pointed down the hill. Near the bottom, where an unpaved road ran by the shore of the lake, the Sextant was lying on its side.

  ‘It must have rolled down the hill,’ she said. ‘Where are we?’

  ‘I don’t know, but do you see the stars?’

  They glanced up. The seven stars were just visible in the darkest part of the sky, above the mountains on the other side of the lake.

  ‘I’m home,’ he said.

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Aye, unless there are other worlds with only seven stars.’ He shook his head. ‘We need to get the Sextant working; we need to rescue Belinda.’

  Aila glanced at him.

  ‘We can’t leave her.’

  ‘Oh, Corthie; she sacrificed herself to save us. I don’t think she had any intention of leaving Lostwell; she made her decision, and maybe we should respect that.’

  ‘I can’t,’ he said, getting to his feet, and slinging the Clawhammer over his shoulder.

  He ran down the hillside, his boots slipping on the dewy grass, until he reached the Sextant. The hilt of the Weathervane was still poking out from the side, and Corthie placed his palm on the upper glass surface, just as Belinda had done.

  Nothing happened.

  ‘Damn it,’ he muttered; ‘work, you stupid thing.’

  Aila appeared next to him.

  ‘You try,’ he said.

  She nodded and pressed her hand against it.

  ‘I’m sorry, Corthie. I don’t feel anything.’

  He started to cry, softly at first, then great sobs were torn from his chest as the tears spilled down his face. Aila put her arm round his shoulders and held him.

  ‘All the times she’s saved me,’ he said, ‘and I couldn’t save her.’

  ‘She saved thousands; let that be her legacy. She also managed to put the Sextant somewhere the Ascendants will never find it. The way she handled the Sextant; she was like a true god, saving as many of her people as she could; putting their lives before hers. She was a hero in the end; the saviour of thousands.’

  Corthie tried to digest her words, but the pain was too raw. If only he had been able to say goodbye.

  ‘Can I help you folks?’ said a voice.

  They glanced over to the path. An old, dark-skinned woman was leading a donkey, which was pulling a cart loaded with bales of hay.

  Corthie stared at her. The woman, noticing his tears, reached into a pocket and passed him a handkerchief.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Aila. ‘Do you know where we are?’

  The woman squinted at them. ‘I do, but it seems clear that you don’t. Where have you come from, then? Who are you?’

  ‘My name is Aila, and this… this is Corthie Holdfast.’

  ‘A Holdfast, eh? Or is he “of Hold Fast,” my dear?’

  ‘I’m sorry; I don’t understand.’

  ‘I’m the son of Daphne Holdfast,’ he said.

  ‘Oh, a prope
r Holdfast, then. Your sister lives close to here; I often see her when I visit the market in the castle, when she’s out with her little ones.’

  ‘A castle?’ said Aila. ‘Where?’

  ‘That’ll be Colsbury Castle, my dear, and it’s not far; just round the corner. I’m going that way; shall I take you?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ said Aila.

  ‘Right you are, my dear.’

  Aila leaned over and pulled the Weathervane from the side of the Sextant and a low hum that Corthie hadn’t been aware of fell silent.

  ‘Better safe than sorry,’ she said.

  They walked with the old woman along the path as the light grew stronger. The sky was mostly clear, but a cold wind was pushing in dark clouds over the lake from the west, and within a few minutes, it had started to rain. Corthie and Aila both paused on the path for a moment, letting the raindrops roll down their faces.

  ‘You two look like you’ve never seen rain before,’ said the old woman.

  ‘It’s been about six months,’ said Aila.

  ‘Months? What are those, then?’

  ‘She means thirds,’ said Corthie.

  They turned a corner in the path, and a fresh stretch of the lake opened up before them. Two hundred yards from the turn, a slender bridge extended from the shore, running across the water to an island, which was ringed with a high curtain wall, above which tall towers were rising.

  ‘There it is, my dears; Colsbury Castle. The home of her Highness, Princess Shellakanawara.’

  ‘Shella lives there?’ said Corthie.

  ‘You know her?’ said Aila.

  ‘She’s my mother’s friend.’ He glanced at the old woman. ‘Do you know where my mother is?’

  ‘And how would I know where Holder Fast is, young man? She’s the Herald of the Empire; she could be anywhere.’

  They walked on, and approached the bridge. A tall woman was waiting for them there, leaning back against a high post at the start of the bridge, a cigarette in her hand.

  ‘Brother,’ she said.

  The old woman nodded to Karalyn, and kept on walking, while Corthie and Aila halted on the road.

  ‘Sister.’

  ‘You made it back. Where’s…’

  ‘Don’t start, Karalyn,’ he said. ‘You have no idea what we’ve been through.’

  ‘I do, actually; I read it from Aila’s mind. Listen, before we argue, let me say this – I’m sorry for what happened; truly, I am. My mind was twisted by grief and rage, and all I wanted to do was come home for my children. The guilt has eaten me up ever since; all I’ve thought about is abandoning you, but I couldn’t leave my children again. That’s why I agreed to Kelsey going. She wanted to go, and if Aila’s memories are correct, she’s happy where she is. She has a dragon. And Sable is also where she belongs. Did she give her Quadrant to Blackrose?’

  Aila nodded. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good. That makes up partly for what I did.’ She straightened her back. ‘Let’s go inside, and we can talk about Belinda and the Sextant.’

  Karalyn turned and began walking across the stone bridge. Corthie and Aila glanced at each other, then followed.

  * * *

  ‘Holy crap,’ cried Shella, as she walked into the warm chamber; ‘you’ve grown.’

  ‘Hi, Auntie,’ said Corthie, getting up from the chair by the fire.

  ‘Sit down,’ she said, as she walked to a side table and poured herself a brandy. ‘Five and a half years,’ she chuckled; ‘your mother’s going to go mental.’ She sat opposite Corthie and Aila and lit a cigarette. ‘And you’re Aila, eh? I’ve heard a fair bit about you; none of it good. You officially took the blame for Karalyn not bringing Corthie back, but don’t worry; I’m sure you’ll win old Daffers round. And, if you don’t, all you have to do is wait for her to die. You’re immortal, yeah?’

  ‘I am a demigod.’

  Shella shrugged. ‘Whatever that means.’

  The air wavered in the far corner of the chamber, and Karalyn appeared with the Sextant. Aila and Corthie stood.

  ‘The sword,’ said Karalyn, holding out her hand.

  Shella joined them as they walked over to the huge device. Aila handed the Weathervane to Karalyn, and the Holdfast woman crouched and slotted it into place. The device started to hum again, and Karalyn placed her hand on it and closed her eyes.

  ‘What’s it supposed to do?’ said Shella.

  ‘It can create worlds,’ said Aila, ‘and transport people between them.’

  ‘Is that how you got back?’

  ‘Aye, said Corthie. ‘Belinda…’ He stopped, fighting the tears that threatened to re-emerge.

  ‘Belinda saved us,’ said Aila. ‘She used the Sextant to send us, and it, here.’

  ‘Is she dead?’ said Shella.

  ‘We don’t know. The last we saw of her, she was hit by two steel ballista bolts.’

  Karalyn opened her eyes.

  ‘Well?’ said Corthie. ‘Can we rescue her?’

  Karalyn shook her head. ‘Lostwell is no more. I cannot see it or reach it; all that’s in its place is a void. Belinda’s gone.’ She lowered her gaze. ‘I’m sorry.’

  They stood in silence for a moment, then Corthie sat and put his head in his hands. Aila stood by his shoulder, a hand on the back of his neck.

  ‘I do have some good news,’ Karalyn said. ‘I can use the Sextant; it responds to me the same way that Quadrants used to. I saw the other worlds it has created, and I saw Kelsey and Sable; one in the City, and the other on Dragon Eyre. They’re both in one piece. I can also see the potential this device brings us. We could use it to travel between the worlds, if we wished, or, we could even create a new world. I need time, a lot of time, to study it. Shella, I intend to keep it here.’

  ‘Eh, it seems a bit dangerous.’

  Karalyn withdrew the Weathervane. ‘It’s useless without this. We’ll keep them separate unless I’m using it.’

  The door to the chamber opened and two young children ran in, a boy and a girl. Karalyn laid the sword down on top of the Sextant and crouched next to them.

  ‘Kyra, Cael; this is Corthie, your uncle.’

  The boy frowned at him, while the girl looked shy.

  ‘Hello,’ said Corthie. He wiped his eyes, stood, then got down to one knee. ‘I’ve been away, but I’m back now. What have you been doing?’

  ‘Playing in the gardens,’ said the boy. ‘Do you want to play?’

  ‘Aye,’ he said. ‘That sounds like fun.’

  ‘Later,’ said their mother; ‘we’re going to visit grandma today, as a surprise.’

  The girl’s face flushed. ‘Will… will Aunty Thorn be there?’

  ‘I expect so, Kyra.’

  The faces of both children lit up. Karalyn smiled, but Corthie could see the pain that their response had caused her.

  ‘I’m staying here,’ said Shella. ‘As much as I’d love to see old Daffer’s face when she realises her boy is back, I think I’ll leave this one to the Holdfasts.’

  Karalyn picked up the Weathervane. ‘Stand by me, children,’ she said.

  ‘Where are we going?’ said Aila.

  ‘The Hold Fast estate,’ said Karalyn.

  The air wavered round them and they appeared on a wooden porch. It was freshly-painted in white, with chairs and tables laid out under the sloping roof. To one side stretched the flat grasslands of the Holdings, illuminated by the morning sunshine, and Corthie gasped. Home. He stared at the view for a moment, then turned towards the rear of the large mansion. White arches and colonnades were stacked up, and the grand building stretched out before them. Close by were other structures – stables, barns, and down a little slope was a row of cottages for the estate workers.

  ‘You lived here?’ said Aila. ‘It wouldn’t look out of place on Princeps Row in Tara.’

  Corthie said nothing, his eyes taking everything in.

  ‘Give me a moment,’ said Karalyn. ‘Take a seat.’

  Aila and Corthie sat down
on a couch facing the view of the plains, and a few moments later, a young woman walked out onto the porch.

  ‘You called?’ she said. ‘Oh, you’ve brought the twins.’

  The young woman crouched down, and the two children ran into her arms.

  She laughed. ‘Yes, it’s lovely to see you too.’ She glanced up at Karalyn. ‘As much as I adore seeing them, I wish you had called ahead to let me know. It’s only been four days since your last visit, and you said you would leave at least ten days before bringing them back here. I…’

  ‘Sorry, Thorn. You’re right; I should have let you know, but, well, guess who’s back?’ She glanced over to the couch.

  Thorn turned, and her eyes widened. ‘Is that…? Corthie?’

  He stood, and her eyes glanced up at his height.

  ‘He’s just arrived back,’ said Karalyn.

  ‘And Kelsey? Sable?’

  Karalyn shook her head. ‘They’re both fine, but they went their own way.’

  Thorn stood, holding a child’s hand in each of hers.

  ‘This is Thorn,’ said Corthie, ‘my sister-in-law.’

  ‘Hello,’ said Aila, getting up.

  Thorn glanced at Aila for a second, then her eyes went back to Corthie.

  ‘She’s a soulwitch,’ said Karalyn.

  ‘What’s that?’ said Aila.

  ‘It means she has the same powers as Amalia,’ said Corthie, ‘except, of course, she’s mortal like the rest of us. It’s good to see you, Thorn.’

  ‘And you. You’ve… grown.’

  ‘Would you mind looking after the twins for a little while?’ said Karalyn. ‘I want to take him to see mother.’

  ‘Of course. Will you be staying?’

  ‘I might head back to Colsbury later, but Corthie and Aila will be staying; mother will insist.’

  ‘Then there will probably be a party tonight. Keir’s here.’

  ‘And how is my brother?’ said Corthie.

  ‘Doing well,’ said Thorn. ‘Celine’s been showing him how to run the estate, so that he can take it over one day.’

  Karalyn gestured to Corthie and Aila. ‘We’ll see you soon, Thorn.’ She crouched down by the twins. ‘Aunty Thorn will look after you this morning; alright?’