Burned (21 page)

‘Wish Rain had brought some snipers,’ I muttered.

‘The Council wouldn’t have authorised it,’ Sonder said. He was still shivering; the wind was blowing off the water and it was bitterly cold.

We set out across the walkway. Freezing rain fell from above, stinging my face until the walkway led us back under cover, bringing us to a four-way crossroads. More walkways led off in all four directions, shadowed paths illuminated by patches of electric light. To one side, its top almost brushing the pipes mounted on the ceiling, was a twisted golden sculpture with two gigantic heads.

Sonder looked around. ‘Is this the place?’

‘Looks like.’ I checked to see what would happen if we waited. Nothing.

‘Are they coming?’ Sonder asked when I didn’t break the silence.

‘No,’ I said. The nearer of the two heads on the statue leered at me. Its face was shining gold metal, sculpted into something like a theatre mask, one half of the mouth curved in a smile. The eyes were frozen in different directions; one stared straight at me; the other rolled upwards as if having a stroke. I put it out of my mind and reached out, searching for Rachel and Cinder.

‘Maybe they’re not coming,’ Sonder said after a pause.

‘No such luck. Wait.’ I checked quickly to verify. ‘Got them.’

‘Where?’

‘Down that walkway.’ I looked again at the futures in which we walked down there, this time examining the layout. ‘Mm.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘They’re here already.’ I pointed at the walkway straight ahead of us. ‘We follow that, it’ll lead us into a corridor. Cinder and Deleo will be at the middle. Trouble is, it’s enclosed.’

‘So no one’s going to be able to see us,’ Sonder said. He looked worried. ‘Are there other ways out?’

‘Side-doors, but it’ll take a few seconds to get there.’ I chewed my lip. ‘What worries me is that Caldera and Coatl’s teams aren’t going to have any kind of line of sight. If everything goes to shit, they won’t reach us for a good thirty seconds.’

Sonder was silent. He might not be in the same league as Luna or Variam, but he’s had enough combat experience to know exactly how deadly a thirty-second delay can be. If Cinder and Rachel got the drop on us, that would be far longer than they’d need. ‘How much advance warning will you have?’

‘Less than I’d like. Deleo’s too unpredictable. How fast can you put up a stasis?’

‘Maybe three seconds. Two if I’m lucky.’

I looked at him.

‘That’s not going to be quick enough, is it?’ Sonder said.

‘Not even close.’

‘Use a slow instead?’

‘Use a slow instead. I’ll throw out a one-shot to block the corridor with a forcewall, then we run. You ready?’

‘As I’ll ever be.’ Sonder took a breath. ‘Let’s do it.’

We set off down the walkway. It opened up briefly, giving us a view out on to an outside street, then the walls and ceiling closed in again. We walked past windows close enough to touch and automatic doors that opened at our presence, carrying the scent of carpets and air conditioners. Soon we came out into a long, wide corridor that curved slightly to the left, enough to block off the view of the other end but still leaving long sight lines. Cylindrical pillars ran from the floor to the low ceiling, and yellow-white lights shone down from only a few feet above. As we kept walking, a man and a woman came into view, standing side by side at the corridor’s midpoint.

The man was standing to the left, arms hanging loose by his sides, and his name was Cinder. Cinder has the build of a weightlifter, with thick arms and wide hands; most people would peg him as a thug, but he’s smarter than he looks, not to mention a lot faster. He’s a powerful fire mage, but I wasn’t half as worried about him as I was about the woman on the right.

As usual, Rachel was wearing a mask. This one was a black domino, covering only her eyes and leaving bare the lines of her face. I’ve met Rachel a few times over the past years, and I’ve started to think that that mask is some sort of tell. When Rachel wears it, she’s more fully Deleo; quicker to anger, more violent, less sane. When her face is uncovered, she’s different, closer to the girl I once knew. Without her mask she seems to remember her old self more clearly, but I think that actually makes her hate me more. I’m not sure which is worse.

The last time I’d spoken to Rachel was two years ago. The conversation ended when someone else made the mistake of calling Rachel by her old name, at which point Rachel had disintegrated her. Briefly I wondered just what the hell Shireen was expecting me to do here, then I put the thought out of my mind. I reached a point about thirty feet away from Cinder and Rachel, and stopped. Sonder came to a halt a little behind me.

‘You know,’ I said to Cinder, when neither of the Dark mages spoke, ‘these meetings would go a lot faster if you guys would keep to schedule.’

‘Changed our minds,’ Cinder said. He glanced at Sonder. ‘Wondering if you’d show up.’

‘The deal was two people,’ Sonder said. He couldn’t fully hide his nerves, but at least his voice didn’t shake.

‘And the mages on the way in?’

‘Let’s cut the bullshit, all right?’ I said. ‘Not like you guys are exactly unprotected.’ I hadn’t spotted their backup, but I knew it would be there.

Cinder shrugged. ‘Okay. Talk.’

I could feel Rachel staring at me. It was creepy, but I couldn’t sense any threat of violence … yet. ‘The Council are a little concerned about Richard’s plans to go treasure-hunting.’

‘That’s sad.’

‘I think they’re going to get more than sad. If Richard goes for it he’ll be breaking the Concord.’

‘Last I checked, that relic wasn’t in Britain,’ Cinder said. ‘Not really Council business.’

I silently cursed Rain and his operational security. This was the sort of thing it would have been useful to know
before
going into the meeting. ‘If you get into a fight with the Council team, it’s going to become their business real fast.’

Cinder shrugged again.

‘The first clause of the Concord gives the Light Council national authority,’ Sonder said. ‘Under the Arrancar ruling, the relic is Council property unless specified otherwise. You can’t just go and take it.’

‘Yeah, well, it ain’t
under
the Council’s authority, is it?’ Cinder said.

‘That doesn’t matter…’

I tried to remember the wording of the law Sonder was talking about. The first clause of the Concord establishes the Light Alliance as the governing body of the magical world, then delegates the authority down to the Light Councils of the respective magical nations. So if this thing was in another nation’s territory, and Richard’s cabal got it, could the British Council grab it off them?
Shit, I have no idea.
I didn’t know enough Council law to argue this one.

The sound of footsteps behind us made Sonder and Cinder halt their argument. I turned my head slightly, being careful to keep Rachel in my field of vision. A man dressed in a long coat was coming down the corridor towards us. He was overweight, with greying hair and glasses, and quite obviously had no idea who we were. As he saw the four of us staring at him, he slowed and came to a halt, looking between us. ‘Er,’ he said. ‘Am I interrupting something?’

Cinder met the man’s gaze. ‘Get lost.’

‘I don’t…’ the man started to object, then trailed off. Cinder kept staring at him, and I could see the wheels slowly turning behind the man’s eyes. I wondered if he understood exactly why his instincts were telling him to run. ‘…I’ll go the other way,’ the man said, and backed off.

Cinder watched him go, then shook his head in disgust. ‘Normals.’

‘What are you doing here?’ Rachel said.

I turned to realise that Rachel was staring at me. ‘Even I do jobs sometimes,’ I said.

Rachel threw back her head and laughed. Sonder shifted uneasily. ‘A job?’ Rachel said. ‘You don’t do jobs.’

‘I’m doing one now.’

Rachel’s laughter cut off and she stared at me, her eyes meeting mine through her mask. ‘Which of them brought you?’

‘What?’

Rachel’s voice sharpened. ‘Don’t play stupid. Was it him, or her?’

‘I …’ I tried to look into the futures to figure out which was the right answer. If I picked the wrong one, it was going to send Rachel into a rage. Except that as far as I could tell,
both
answers were wrong. Or could be wrong, I couldn’t figure out which, her moods were shifting so quickly—

‘Tell me!’

‘Her,’ I said.
She has to mean Shireen, right?
‘It was her.’

Rachel stared at me for a second, then her face twisted in sudden fury. ‘Liar!’

Oh shit.
All of a sudden the futures were filled with violence, approaching fast. Rachel stalked towards me and I backed away, keeping my fists closed. ‘Wait,’ I said urgently.

Suddenly Rachel stopped, turning to stare to her left, at an empty patch of corridor. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I won’t.’

Sonder and I exchanged nervous glances. Rachel seemed to have forgotten about us, and the futures of violence had vanished as quickly as they had appeared … but they could come back. I tightened my grip on the discs held in my hands, feeling the edges of the one-shot digging into my palms.

‘Why should I?’ Rachel demanded. ‘It’s his fault!’

‘Del,’ Cinder said in his rumbling voice.

Rachel made an impatient gesture towards Cinder without turning to look. ‘How do you know?’

‘Deleo,’ I said carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was draw her attention, but … ‘Are you talking to Shireen?’

Rachel turned to stare at me, her expression suggesting I’d just said something so stupid that it didn’t deserve an answer. ‘Do you know
anything
?’

‘Less and less, it’s feeling like. Look, is there—?’

‘Why does he want you?’ Rachel said abruptly.

‘Who?’

‘I’m Chosen,’ Rachel said. She was staring at me. ‘Not you.’

‘Um,’ I said. The futures danced and flickered, shifting lightning-quick to match Rachel’s thoughts. ‘Yes. You’re the Chosen.’

‘Then why does he want you?’ Rachel took another step towards me, and involuntarily I stepped backwards to maintain distance. Rachel didn’t seem to notice. ‘I waited for him.’

I had no idea what to say. The same spark of fear that always comes when I talk to Rachel was dancing under my thoughts. Normally in conversations I can see enough of the threads to guide their direction, choose the response that will get the reaction I want. That doesn’t work on Rachel, and it’s the biggest reason she scares me. I don’t like losing control. ‘You don’t have to wait any longer,’ I said. ‘You’re free to do what you want.’

Rachel laughed. There was something disturbing to the sound, and I felt Sonder shift again. ‘Is that what you think?’ Rachel asked. She looked almost pitying. ‘None of us are.’

‘Okay,’ Cinder said. ‘Think we’re done here.’ He took a step towards Rachel.

Rachel ignored him. It was as though she’d forgotten Sonder and Cinder even existed. ‘I thought it would be funny,’ she said. ‘You always thought you were so clever, didn’t you? I wanted to see when you finally figured it out. But it’s not enough. Seeing your face makes me sick. You don’t deserve to come back.’

‘Okay, I think we’re getting off topic,’ I said. Danger was dancing in the futures, and I held my arms tense, ready to throw. ‘I’m going to assume negotiations are over.’

‘Del,’ Cinder said. ‘Come on.’ His eyes flicked towards me with a warning look.

‘I don’t think—’ Sonder began.

‘I’m not letting you come back,’ Rachel said.

‘I’m not coming back,’ I said.

‘You’re right.’ Rachel’s lips curved in a smile. ‘You’re not.’

‘Sonder!’ I shouted, and jumped left.

Suddenly everything was happening at once. A green ray flashed from Rachel’s hand, lancing through the air where I’d been standing as I flung two gold discs left and right; Sonder threw out his arm and Rachel’s movements slowed, her limbs drifting through the air as though she were wading in deep water; the gold discs hit the floor at the edges of the corridor and I snapped the command word and a wall of force flared up, cutting us off from Cinder and Rachel at the same time that Cinder’s own wall of fire roared into life between us, blocking our view. The second disintegration ray hit the forcewall but I was already running, dashing away down the corridor with Sonder a few steps behind, the roar of the flames in our ears. Behind I felt the forcewall break and a third disintegrate spell slashed out – too late. We were away.

We kept running until we were back at the statues. I ducked down at the crossing, using the low wall of the walkway as cover as I scanned for pursuit. Sonder ran past and ducked down beside me. ‘See them?’ Sonder panted.

‘No.’ If we stayed put the result would be … nothing. I looked further ahead, ignoring the chiming of my communicator. Still nothing. ‘They’re not chasing.’

‘I can put up a stasis,’ Sonder said, breathing hard. He stood, narrowing his eyes and focusing, and after a moment’s pause the corridor that we’d just left shimmered and was replaced by what looked like a curved mirror running from wall to wall.

‘Receiving,’ I snapped. My communicator shut up. ‘Whoever’s pinging me, stop it.’

Rain’s voice sounded in my ear. ‘What happened?’

‘Deleo had one of her little moments, that’s what.’ My voice was shaking and I forced it back under control. ‘And we’re fine, thanks for asking.’

‘Hold your position and wait for rendezvous.’

‘Understood.’ I cut the connection.

We stayed like that for a few minutes while Sonder maintained his spell. Some random woman with a handbag and a fur coat passed us by. She asked me why there was a shiny mirror blocking the corridor. I told her it was a work of abstract art and that we’d been posted to supervise. She gave me a weird look and left. Once she was gone I told Sonder to drop the stasis field. Cinder and Deleo weren’t coming.

Rain and Caldera came running up a few minutes later. ‘Anything?’ I asked.

‘They had a gate ready to go down one of those side entrances,’ Caldera said. She looked pissed off. ‘By the time we got there they were gone.’