The Cog Chronicles Box Set

by P M Cole

  “Yours too, sir.”

  “I am Mr Foxel, I take care of affairs for Miss Delfont.”

  I nodded, not understanding the meaning of any of this.

  “Is she still willing to meet with us?” said Lucas.

  “She is. Do you have payment?”

  Lucas held up his bag.

  “Then, let’s proceed.”

  Luckily, despite my refusal to board a carriage, we still made it to the Delfont family home in good time. I marvelled at the Georgian architecture all around me, and then at the four-storey house visible through the entrance gates.

  Two large individuals waited at the gate, then pulled it open when we approached. As we walked across the gravel forecourt, I looked up at the dark windows. “Is there anyone home?” I said.

  “Miss Delfont is always home, young lady.”

  Another guard opened the front door for us. Mr Foxel asked a maid where the lady of the house was, and we were directed to the rear gardens.

  The opulent interior reminded me of the British Museum, being decorated in vases and paintings from around the world and from a bygone era.

  Mr Foxel opened the rear doors and we stepped out to a sea of lights. Small gas lamps had been installed across the perfectly cut hedgerows and bushes, changing night to day. At the end of the main path was a small stone building in the Greek style and sat within its columns in shadow, an elderly woman, dressed from head to toe in black lace and satin, including a veil over her face.

  Mr Foxel led us to her.

  “Mr Wraith and Miss—”

  “Corine…” said Miss Delfont.

  I stood astonished. My real name had never been uttered by a living soul, including myself.

  “How?..”

  “Come sit!” She pointed to one of the cushioned seats nearby. We all sat.

  “That will be all, Mr Foxel.”

  He nodded and left.

  “I believe you have something for me, Mr Wraith?”

  “Umm… yes. Straight from China Town in London.” Lucas opened his bag and pulled out a small wooden box, and passed it to Miss Delfont.

  She slid the lid back, smiled, and placed it on a small table. I wondered what was so special about its contents that it could act as currency.

  She pointed to the garden. “What do you think of my lights?”

  “Very illuminating,” said Lucas.

  I couldn’t see, but I was sure she rolled her eyes.

  “Why do you have so many?” I asked.

  “I do love… technology, I think you young people call it. Now mankind can cast the shadows from the night, allow us all to see more clearly. And at my age, that is something I most definitely require!”

  We both tittered.

  “I was hoping you could give us some insight into a problem we have…” said Lucas.

  She sighed. “Hades is a problem for us all, Mr Wraith.” She then looked towards me again. “But it is rare that I am visited by one such as Corine…”

  Lucas looked at me. I smiled awkwardly. It was strange to hear my birth name, but oddly liberating. “Thank you,” I said. “Can you help me? He wants to control me for some reason I do not know.”

  “Come closer, child…”

  I got up and knelt close to her.

  “Your hand.”

  I rested my hand in hers. Instantly, she jolted, and I heard her take in a breath. A rasping came from her throat as she breathed out, and I felt her fingers tense around mine. The air about me grew cold, but I resisted a shiver.

  “You are the forger… the god of death needs you… he almost took you for his own when you were young…” She shuddered. “So young and lost…” Her words sounded sad. “There are six more… all with godly powers… he needs you all… but…” She leaned back as if in pain. Her other hand went to her temple. “He hides from me… I cannot see his path…”

  “How can we stop him?” said Lucas.

  Suddenly her grip tightened even more, and she leaned forward, her covered face just inches from me.

  “To have any chance against Hades, I’m afraid you have to die…”

  Fear ate into my body and I froze. “What…”

  Before she could talk the lights around us flickered, and a shriek came from the dark skies.

  “They’re here…” she whispered as the harping increased and a gust of wind buffeted us.

  Lucas stood, as out of the void above came winged creatures, their huge bat-like wings beating fast until they landed in the garden.

  I recognised them both as the Furies that attacked me before.

  Miss Delfont’s hand tightened. “It is OK, dear, this is not your fight…”

  My head flicked between the elderly lady and the monsters that stood glaring at us just a few yards away.

  “You will not stick your nose in our business again, old lady…” croaked the Fury that attacked me at the manor.

  One of the guards we saw moments before ran forth brandishing an axe, but the fury flicked out her wing sending the burly man flying into the bushes.

  I stood. “You will not harm her!”

  Cackling laughter came from the other Fury. “You are lucky, girl, the god of death has need of you, or I would have killed you last time we met…”

  I noticed some strapping around the Fury’s stomach. “You were the lucky one.”

  “Go… this is not your time,” said Miss Delfont.

  I looked back at her. “I’m not leaving you to these things.” Then back at her would-be murderers. I let my coat fall, revealing my suit of armour, and held both my arms aloft, each one aimed at one of the Furies. “Unless both of you want to fail again, I suggest you leave! And tell Hades he shall not have me!”

  The Furies briefly looked at each other, their demon faces in agreement, then surged forward. I fired off two volleys of crossbow bolts, one from each arm, but they were prepared and jumped to the side. The first Fury was now upon me and swiped through the air, missing, but its claws knocked a chunk of masonry from the closest pillar.

  The other Fury moved towards Lucas, who I noticed was quietly uttering words under his breath. In a sudden rush, fire covered both of his hands as if they were alight and he pushed them outwards. A ball of blue fire, as I had witnessed at his home, flew from him hitting the Fury square in her chest and causing her to howl in pain, but the other Fury was now almost upon the Oracle.

  As it leaned back to strike with its large claw, I grabbed the iron chair I had just been seated on. Its form instantly grew fluid and transformed into a meshed shield which I thrust into the path of the oncoming attack. Its claws smashed into the shield, deflecting the impact but the shield and I both fell backwards onto the hard stone floor.

  To my side the other Fury now recovered, lunged at Lucas as he ducked and pivoted doing his best to avoid being struck, moving further and further away from me.

  I looked back to the first Fury.

  “No…”

  Its clawed hand was around the old lady’s neck, but the hellish creature was looking at me, while Miss Delfont pawed at the creature’s arm, trying to get free.

  “He has big plans for you, child… you will come to see his glory…” The Fury’s face was bathed in shadow, but I could see its eyes sparking in the dark, mocking me. “But you will still see pain…”

  I raised my arms again.

  The Fury smiled. “Toys will not stop me this time, child…”

  I fired off the last volley, four bolts from each arm. The Fury jumped to the side, wrapped its large wing in front of it, waiting to parry the small bolts away. I focused my concentration. The iron bolts clashed then melded, becoming a lance which I accelerated through the air. It slammed into the creature, ripping through its wing and kept on going into its chest.

  A roar came from my side, as the other Fury realised what had happened, and her great wings flapped and she flew through the air, grabbing her sister and took flight, the lance still hanging from her sister’s body.

&nb
sp; I ran forward. Miss Delfont was breathing hard in her chair. I turned to see where Lucas was and saw him, bloodied but alive, being helped to his feet by Mr Foxel who was armed with a small sword.

  “Are you OK?” I shouted to Lucas.

  He nodded.

  *****

  The night train ride back to London was mostly held in silence as the first trip, but for different reasons. The Oracle had seen my future. And I had to die.

  After the attack from the Furies, we helped her inside. She clung to the box that Lucas had given her, although I still did not have any idea what it contained. She said it helped her sleep. When I asked her for more information on what she had told me, she remained tight-lipped much to Lucas’s frustration.

  “Oracles are not always right,” he said, sitting opposite me in our compartment.

  I nodded. “When have you known one to be wrong?”

  His head shook as if he was disagreeing with himself. “I’m just saying. They are not perfect. They make mistakes. They don’t see everything.”

  “But they’re usually correct…”

  He leaned forward. “You can’t go to the ball.”

  “What? You just said—”

  “We will find another way. I’ll go back to the old manuscripts, perhaps Bernard—”

  “It’s not your decision to make.”

  He looked at me shocked. “Why would you want to go to the ball knowing what the Oracle said?”

  I paused for a moment. “From the moment Finlay killed my parents I have been running. The past few weeks have shown me that I can’t keep doing that. More people are being hurt. One way or another it has to end.”

  He sighed. “You’re right it is your decision. I will do what I can to protect you…” He smiled. “You did well back there. It’s not everyone who can defeat a Fury, and now you have done it twice.”

  “I think I killed her.” A twinge of guilt swept through me.

  He frowned. “I doubt that, Furies are hard to kill. But she will be off the board for a while that’s for sure.”

  I looked back out into the dark shapes of hills and trees and remembered my dream of hell. I wondered if that was where I was heading. If I were at least it would mean Hades would be coming with me.

  “We should keep what the Oracle said to ourselves. Not tell the others.”

  I nodded in agreement. If Colin knew he would never let me attend the ball, which I fully intended to do.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  The following week passed quicker than I wanted. Each day I grew stronger; physically and by the use of my abilities. With Lucas’s help, I learned to manipulate metal to an ever-finer degree with just a moment’s thought. I had a note sent to Byron to inform him I would attend the ball at Grayton Manor, and in return, he dropped off an official invitation card at the shop. Bernard also gained an invitation through his own contacts.

  As the event grew closer, I wondered if twenty-one would be the last birthday I would see, but any sadness was overwhelming suppressed by anger I felt for Finlay and Hades. Whether they were gods or men, I knew not, but I knew they had to pay for what they had done.

  Myself, Lucas, Bernard and the others spent time going over a rough plan of the manor that Bernard had obtained, including tunnels that led to the grounds. Estelle and Vernon trained with Arges, with him showing them how to bring down foes much stronger than themselves, and I improved my suit of armour to include even more protection and abilities should the need arise.

  Come the evening of the thirtieth we were ready.

  I entered Olivia’s tent. “You called for me?”

  She smiled and pointed to the bed. On it laid a blue silk and lace dress.

  “Many years ago I could fit into that if you can believe it. I want you to wear it to the ball…”

  I slid my hands over the silk braiding. I had only seen such garments on the richest of clients at the shop.

  “I… don’t want to get it damaged…”

  She scoffed. “Oh, behave. Better for it to be damaged, if that is what happens than sit in my chest for another ten years.”

  I held the dress up and walked to the oval mirror.

  “Look at you! A young lady!”

  I smiled, then noticed the red scar at the top of my forehead.

  Olivia stood behind me. “Oh, we can cover that up with that beautiful hair of yours.”

  My heart felt heavy as she played with my dark strands of hair, positioning them over my scar.

  “There! No one will even notice. Actually, let’s see what we can do to make you look less like those posters which are everywhere.”

  Being recognised had not even occurred to me. As I stood against the dress and as Olivia started to put some of my hair in curls I had to admit I did not look too shabby.

  “I might need your help in fitting it over my suit?”

  She smiled. “That is quite alright.”

  A short while later, I stood in the Ratters’ main square with Lucas and Colin. It felt as if the whole village had gathered to see us off.

  Colin stepped forward. “This is a big night. Those of you who are coming with us have your orders. Keep your ‘eads down, stick to the shadows and when we need ya, be ready to jump in to it.”

  A murmur went around the crowd.

  “All of this magic stuff is new to most of us here, but the Ratters ain’t scared of anyone or anything—”

  “I’m scared of Arges,” shouted someone in the crowd, which caused laughter from most, including Arges.

  Colin’s face then grew more serious. “Remember Fisher and Kappie. They were good lads. Tonight, we get our revenge for what happened to them.” He then turned to me. “And Cog. She’s one of us. That Lord Cannington, and those that are with him, been after her, her entire life since she was a little un. And they ain’t gonna stop. Tonight we give ’em a bloody nose.”

  A roar went up and we moved away. Arges and some others took the larger sewer to the surface, and we started on our usual route to Westminster for me to meet up with Ashmore.

  *****

  I stood at the bottom of the ladder to Westminster above. Colin stood in front of me. He looked behind to Lucas and the others that had come with us, and to my surprise, they receded into the shadows.

  “Umm…” I started to say.

  “Let me talk first,” said Colin.

  “OK…”

  “I… You know after we lost touch, back when we was kids, I always wondered what happened to you, and then I saw you in that alleyway, and you had become this beautiful girl, but still bricky! And then I couldn’t stop thinking about you… and now you’re going to fight some monster and, well… I need you to come back… because I have a present for you.”

  “I… want to come back for—”

  In a sudden movement, he walked forward and pressed his lips on mine. Before I could react he backed away, turning to the others.

  “Right, let’s get on with the journey,” he said.

  “Good luck,” said Lucas to me, placing a lantern on the ground.

  I watched them move off into the gloom, wanting to shout after Colin to come back. There was more I had to say. But it was too late. I looked up at the sewer exit, took a deep breath, turned the lantern off, then ascended the ladder.

  I emerged to the usual London fog. The sun was setting, causing the mist near the horizon to take on a dull ochre glow, like in one of those paintings by Mr Turner.

  I studied my map, then joined the pavement, walking quickly despite the restrictive nature of my dress. It wasn’t long before I came upon Mr Ashmore’s street. I stopped at the corner for just outside his building was a black carriage and two horses.

  It had been sixteen years since I had set foot in such transport. I hesitated in taking another step, but walking to Grayton Manor was out of the question. I briefly closed my eyes, finding my conviction then stepped off the pavement and walked across the cobbly road.

  Byron was waiting in the entrance of th
e building. A grin grew across his face on seeing me.

  “Agatha! You made it!” He briefly embraced me. “Are you ready to leave? We must leave right away to not miss the start.”

  It was odd seeing him again, for I expected my feelings to be heightened, but instead, I found them to be somewhat dulled. I nodded with a feigned smile.

  He pulled open the carriage door for me. Images from my earliest memory flickered in my mind. I was sure the carriage was the same as the one from my dream.

  “Are you OK? We really must leave.”

  “I’m fine.” I walked up the steps, picking up my dress, and sat in the confined space. Byron nodded to the driver then sat inside opposite to me which I was grateful for. Between the suit of armour and the dress, I was suddenly feeling very warm.

  “They say it is going to snow tonight!”

  A led weight fell in my stomach.

  Not snow…

  The familiarities were starting to mount up.

  Byron said something. “Sorry, what did you say?” I said.

  “You’re looking very beautiful.”

  “Oh… thank you. Your attire is most pleasing too. Umm… when Lord Cannington paid you a visit when I was there, you seemed a little unsettled?”

  “Oh… yes… It had been some years since I last saw Mr Cannington. Before that, we had not left on good terms.”

  “You grew up in one of his orphanages?”

  “Ah… yes. Myself and some others. Mr Cannington always said we were special. And in some ways we are. But in many others, we are just men and women trying to make our way in the world.” He looked puzzled. “Why is this of interest to you?”

  I looked out of the window at the regency buildings passing by. “Just curious.”

  The rest of the journey was filled with small talk. As each minute passed, the walls of the carriage appeared larger to me as if I was shrinking, or returning to my four-year-old self. When we arrived at the gatehouse to the manor I was ready to throw the door open and leap out.

  Unfortunately, the route to the house itself was a further minute due to the size of the grounds. In the dark, it was hard to see, but hedgerows and statues moved past, until finally a house, which properly would have been described as a gothic palace reared up in front of us. It must have contained a hundred rooms such was its expanse. Some of its windows were lit, especially the ground and first floor, and outside was a jam of carriages, with people disembarking then making their way up the stone staircase to the entrance.