Burned (18 page)

‘Is there a problem?’ the officer asked.

‘I hope not.’ The thing in that tube had taken its last victim only a few months ago. Maybe it was still fed.

‘What is it?’

‘You’re better off not knowing,’ I said. ‘Trust me.’ I took a deep breath and picked the tube up. Nothing happened and I slid it into one of the side compartments in the bag. I didn’t like keeping it so close to the other items, but I liked the idea of having it in my pocket even less.

There were things still left in the safe room, but my bag was full and I had everything I really needed. I brushed past the officer, came out onto the landing and paused.

The remains of my shop and flat were all around me, the walls burned black and smelling of smoke and charcoal. From outside I could hear the policemen chatting, and above, the doctor was still working away on those bodies. The building didn’t feel like a shop. It felt like a crime scene – a
wrecked
crime scene. Nothing was familiar and I didn’t feel as though I belonged here.

There was no way to fix this. The building might still be standing, but it was gutted. Anyone wanting to replace the shop would have to wait for the police investigation to be over, then demolish all the parts of the old building that were left, then clear the ground and set new foundations,
then
build a new shop from the ground up.

I’d owned this shop for seven years. It had been a hobby at first, then a vocation, then my home, but it had always been part of my life. Now it was gone.

‘Is there a problem?’ the officer asked from behind me.

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Just not one I can fix.’ I slung the bag over my back and started climbing down the ladder.

We made it out of the police cordon without incident. Once we were at the point at which the officer had met me, he stopped. ‘All right. Off you go.’

I gave him a nod. ‘Thanks for the help.’

‘Sure,’ the officer said. ‘Make sure I don’t have to do it again.’

I paused, looking at the man. The tone of voice had been neutral … a little too neutral. ‘You don’t like me very much, do you?’ I asked.

‘Not really.’

‘I didn’t start this.’

‘There were five dead bodies around that site,’ the man said. ‘Two on the roof and three on the stairwell. All killed by fire or gunshot wounds. You going to tell me you didn’t have anything to do with it?’

I was silent.

‘We like things quiet, here at the Met,’ the officer said. ‘Orderly. Every time you people get involved it gets a lot less orderly. Our lives would be easier if you all went away.’

‘You think that I wanted this?’ I said. ‘You think I
wanted
my house shot up and burned down?’

The officer shrugged.

‘You’re all heart,’ I said.

‘Don’t know who started it,’ the officer said. ‘Not really our business. But do us a favour and take your fighting somewhere else.’

I looked back at the officer in silence, then walked away.

I dropped my gear back at the safe house in Wales, then checked in with Anne, who told me that she was fine, that Variam was with her, and that Sonder had gone in to Keeper HQ. The two hours I’d promised Caldera were up, and I didn’t want to waste any more time. I gated back to London and hurried to join Sonder.

The headquarters of the Keepers of the Order of the Star and the Order of the Shield is in Westminster, an old Victorian building with carvings on the outside and ugly brown walls on the inside. I never used to have much to do with the place, but since I became an auxiliary member of the Order of the Star last winter I’ve been in and out pretty often. It might have been my imagination, but as I walked down the hallway, I had the sense that the place felt busier than usual. The noise from the offices was louder and there were more people in the halls. No one gave me any second glances – apparently news of my death sentence hadn’t had time to spread. The Keepers work for the Council, but they tend to be too busy with their cases to be very well informed about what’s going on within the higher ranks. I found Caldera’s office, knocked and entered at the ‘Come in!’

Caldera’s office looks pretty much like that of any other cop, papers and clutter scattered across a pair of coffee-stained desks. Caldera used to share the place with another Keeper named Haken, but their relationship took a nosedive around the same time I became an auxiliary, and Caldera hasn’t got another partner since. In the absence of anyone telling me not to, I’d taken to using the second desk myself. Right now the office was occupied by three people. One was Sonder, sitting in my spot: he gave me a glance then looked back at the man sitting in the spare chair.

Caldera was sitting behind her desk, a beefy woman in her thirties with thick powerful arms. ‘You’re late,’ she told me as I walked in.

From the tone of voice and her conversation earlier, I gathered that not only had Caldera not heard about my situation with Levistus, but that Sonder hadn’t told her either. ‘Busy morning,’ I said.

‘At least you’re here,’ Caldera said. ‘Pull up a seat.’

‘So the briefing on the op was this morning, right?’ I said, sitting down.

‘Yeah, about that,’ Caldera said. She nodded at the man sitting in front of the desk. ‘Captain?’

‘There’s been a change of plans,’ the man said. His name was Rain, a tall, fit-looking man with dark skin and close-shaven black hair. Rain is Caldera’s immediate superior in the Order of the Star, which in practical terms makes him our boss. I’m not close to Rain, but over the past year I’d come to like him; he’s got a no-bullshit manner which I find refreshing. ‘How much do you know about the situation?’

‘There’s another relic weapon sealed up in a bubble,’ I said. ‘Drakh wants it and so does the Council, the bubble’s going to open at some point in the next few days and you’re the one who’s got the job of pulling it out when it does.’

Rain glanced at Caldera.

Caldera shrugged. ‘I didn’t tell him.’

‘You’re pretty well informed about something that’s supposed to be a secret,’ Rain said. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. All of what you say’s correct. The time in question is tomorrow evening. The operation is going to commence at 4 p.m. Be here in the morning.’

I nodded.

‘However, that’s not why I’ve called you here,’ Rain said. ‘As you know, Drakh wants that weapon. Our most recent intelligence indicates that he is intending to dedicate significant forces towards retrieving it. Initial estimates put the numbers of his recovery team at ten to fifteen Dark mages.’

I raised my eyebrows. It wasn’t really a surprise, but I figured I should act the part.

Sonder looked startled. ‘That’s got to be a mistake.’

‘Actually, that was the low-end guess,’ Rain said.

‘But Dark mages never work together in those numbers,’ Sonder said. ‘The most we see in a cabal is four or five.’

‘I’m just passing on what I’m told,’ Rain said. ‘Apparently the intelligence analysts have finally started taking Drakh seriously.’

‘I thought they weren’t even sure he was still alive?’

‘Seems they’ve changed their minds about that too.’ Rain looked at me. ‘For obvious reasons, the Council don’t want to kick off with a Dark cabal that big. I’ve been asked to explore the possibility of a negotiated settlement.’

‘Okay,’ I said. I was getting the nasty feeling I knew where this was going.

‘We’ve made overtures through neutral parties to mages we believe to be members of Drakh’s cabal,’ Rain said. ‘They’ve agreed to a meeting this evening in the Barbican. Both parties are allowed to bring no more than two members.’ Rain looked between me and Sonder. ‘I want to send you.’

‘What?’ Sonder said. ‘Why?’

‘Because we’re not Keepers,’ I said. I didn’t take my eyes off Rain. ‘If word gets out that the Council are negotiating with a Dark mage, it’ll hurt their image. They’re supposed to be the ones in charge, not Drakh. If they have to get his agreement, instead of just dictating to him…’

‘That’s about the size of it,’ Rain agreed. ‘Apparently the Council think that sending Keepers to negotiate with Drakh’s agents would send the wrong message.’

‘So having us go gives what? Plausible deniability?’

‘Pretty much.’

‘It’s not going to work,’ I said. ‘We’re still Keeper auxiliaries. Dark mages won’t make any distinction between us and full Keepers. They’ll see it as just as much of a sign of weakness as if you’d gone yourself. Actually, they’ll probably see it as
more
of a sign of weakness than if you’d gone yourself.’

‘Yeah, well, these are the orders I’ve got,’ Rain said. ‘You can send an official protest, but I wouldn’t waste your time. However, since neither of you are full Keepers, I can’t order you. This is volunteer only.’

Sonder and I looked at each other. Sonder didn’t look all that happy, and I couldn’t blame him. This had all the earmarks of an operation run by Council bureaucracy. ‘Why us?’ Sonder asked. ‘Why not pick a mind or charm mage or something?’

‘The choice was left to my discretion,’ Rain said. ‘I’m choosing you.’

‘Why?’ I said.

‘Because Dark mages don’t trust Light mages,’ Rain said. ‘And when they’re dealing with people they don’t trust, they’ve got a habit of shooting first and asking questions later. The only Light mages they do trust, even the tiniest bit, are ones they have a personal connection with. Which brings us to you.’

My heart sank.
Oh great.

Sonder looked confused. ‘Personal—?’

‘The two mages we’re going to be negotiating with are called Cinder and Deleo.’ Rain looked between us. ‘I understand you know them.’

‘I don’t—’ Sonder began, and then stopped.

A few years ago, Sonder and I got involved in a messy little business involving a Light mage named Belthas. Belthas had been after a new technique for draining the life and magic from the dwindling number of magical creatures in our world, and I got between him and what he wanted. Belthas lost the argument in a very final way, which (given that he’d been one of Levistus’s closer allies) had almost certainly been a major contributing factor to the situation I was in right now. For complicated reasons, that same battle had also led to me and Sonder working with Cinder to rescue Deleo, aka my ex-fellow apprentice Rachel.

All this had been back in Sonder’s rebellious phase, before he decided to throw in his lot with the Council. From the expression on his face, it was obvious he wasn’t comfortable being reminded. From the expression on Rain’s face, it was obvious that he knew about our past history, or at least who it involved. The fact that he wasn’t pressuring us implied that he wasn’t trying to use it as leverage, but pleading ignorance wasn’t going to work.

‘We don’t have time for you to chew it over, Sonder,’ Rain said. ‘If you say no, I’ll need to find someone else, and fast. Are you in or out?’

Sonder took a few seconds to answer, and I could see from the switching futures that he was making up his mind. ‘In,’ he said at last.

Rain looked at me. ‘Verus?’

Much as I hated the prospect of coming face to face with Rachel, I really didn’t have much of a choice. I needed to make a good impression if I wanted that vote from Undaaris, and Rain would be the one submitting the report. ‘I can’t say I’m exactly thrilled to be dealing with those two, but you’re right, they probably will react better to us than other auxiliaries. Not that that’s saying much.’ I shrugged. ‘Actually, I kind of appreciate that you trust me enough to give me the job.’

‘You haven’t given me any reason not to,’ Rain said. ‘Keep it that way and we’ll be fine. I understand there was some trouble this morning?’

‘Someone tried to assassinate me and burned down my house.’

‘Are you still in danger?’

‘Probably,’ I said. ‘If you could spare Caldera, it’d help.’

Rain glanced at Caldera.

‘I’m going to be babysitting them anyway, right?’ Caldera said with a shrug. ‘When do you want us back?’

‘The meeting with Cinder and Deleo is at eight,’ Rain said. ‘Be here for the briefing at six.’ He looked between us. ‘Anything else?’

I shook my head. Sonder did the same.

‘Then I’ll let you get to it. Good luck.’ Rain stood and walked out.

Caldera turned to me. ‘All right, what the hell have you got yourself into this time?’

‘I wish I knew. I’ve only got half of it.’

‘Then tell me that half.’

‘Over the past few days I’ve been hassled by mages and adepts with ties to the Crusader faction,’ I said. ‘I don’t know who’s sending them, but they know about Rain’s operation, and for some reason they’re convinced I’m working for Richard.’

‘Who were the attackers?’

I shook my head. ‘The only one I got a close look at was the fire mage, and he had a flame shield. The best lead I’ve got is a mage called Symmaris. She called the day before and warned me off. When I told her to get lost, this happened.’

Caldera frowned. ‘So what, they think you’re trying to retrieve the relic, but you’re on Richard’s team?’

‘Yes,’ I said in frustration. ‘And it doesn’t make any bloody sense. Even if I
was
working for Richard, I’d probably be the least powerful mage he had. Why go after me?’

‘Have you got any proof that it was really Light mages?’ Sonder asked.

‘No. And before you ask, I don’t have any proof that it was Symmaris either, except for the fact that someone on the other team was using gates really damn well.’

‘Anyone else you’ve pissed off recently?’ Caldera asked.

I hesitated. If I was going to bring up the topic of my death sentence, this would be the time to do it. It was tempting to come clean. Over the past year I’d come to trust Caldera, and she’s a good person to have in your corner.

But in this case, I wasn’t at all sure she
would
be in my corner. Caldera might be one of the good guys, but she follows Council law, and according to Council law, right now, I was an enemy. Once that resolution was passed, as a Light Keeper, Caldera would be duty-bound to bring me in. And I knew Caldera. She’d do her job, no matter what.

But I didn’t want to lie to her either. ‘There’s something else,’ I said. ‘I just can’t tell you what it is.’