Death Weavers (49 page)

T
hunder whinnied an unmistakable challenge.

“Try again, if you must,” the voice replied. “We deny access. Nobody enters Gamat Rue uninvited.”

“You tried to get in before?” Cole asked Thunder.

The horse bobbed her head.

“The legendary prison,” Callista said. “I thought we were going to the Fallen Temple.”

“Me too,” Cole said. “I guess this comes first. I have friends inside. Including Honor.”

Callista leaped down from Thunder.

Cole winced. It seemed like a long drop for an older woman, but by the time Callista hit the ground, she was a sleek, black jungle cat, not much smaller than the Mare.

“Open it up,” Callista said.

“Me?” Cole asked.

“That gate is reinforced with a host of enchantments,” Callista said. “We won't enter by force. Use your power, Cole. Let's see that raw shaping in action.”

Thunder neighed.

Cole swallowed.

The iron gate looked a lot more formidable than a rock in a field of clover. The violent music of Gamat Rue belonged to something that attacked you, not something you attacked.

Cole moved to slide off Thunder, but the horse sidestepped and shook her head. Apparently he was meant to stay aboard.

“Concentrate, Cole,” Callista said. It was odd to hear her voice coming from a big panther. “You can do this. They have your friends.”

That got his attention.

Cole stared hard at the gate. He could feel his power inside, some of it still flowing into Thunder. Jace was in there. Harvan as well, according to Dandalus. And Joe. Desmond. Ferrin. Drake. Honor.

An echomancer named Nandavi ruled this place. She had helped Sando abduct Mira. Cole would be breaking into her territory, giving her and her guards an extra advantage. But Dandalus thought Cole had a chance against Nazeem. So he should be able to handle this.

Maybe his raw shaping would help cancel out Nandavi's home-field advantage. He had Callista and Thunder with him. And his friends needed him.

Cole focused on the gate until he felt connected to it. The sheer bulk of it was intimidating. He could feel slippery tendrils of power coursing through it.

“Send out all your prisoners, and we'll pass you by,” Cole called.

The voice laughed. “Move along. If you're not careful, we might just open the gate, boy.”

“Don't bother,” Cole said.

It was the final motivation he needed. That sneering voice represented people who had hunted him. People who had captured his friends. People who were willing to unleash evil forces that they had no power to control. People who had driven Winston to the Other.

Cole forced his power into the gate and sensed the defensive weavings melting away. He crushed the iron monstrosity with everything he had. Metal shrieked and crumpled. Hinges burst from their moorings. The gate tore apart and crashed down amid a hail of shattered stone.

Cole connected to the base of the wall at either side of the gateway and pulverized it. A landslide of stone blocks came roaring down. Gritty clouds of dust plumed outward. Voices cried out in alarm.

Cole smiled. The dramatic results of his demolition efforts felt extremely satisfying. He wanted to do more. Tearing apart the fort would be easier than he had expected. But his friends were inside! Until he could see how things were arranged beyond the gate, Cole knew that doing more damage could harm the people he cared about.

Besides, Thunder was now charging forward, loping confidently through the rubble. Cole squinted until they passed through the dust cloud. Callista roared from off to one side.

Thunder galloped into a broad, high hall filled with scattering echoes, men and women. The echoes didn't match the formidable appearance of the building. Nobody had weapons or armor. As Cole and Thunder rumbled down the hall, they veered toward the flustered echoes, trampling whoever came within range. Callista pounced and growled, springing from victim to victim.

Cole felt his body stiffen but shook off the immobility with an effort of will. He opened the shutter of his lantern. Thunder ran so smoothly that Cole adjusted the beacon with no worries about falling. The glaring light immediately muted the music of the fortress and seemed to bother the echoes. He no longer felt the effects of anyone binding him, though he could see several echoes trying.

Thunder paused before a door. Cole forced his power into it and tore it to splinters. With the beacon shining, Cole felt energy feeding him faster than he could use it.

Echoes pressed against walls or dodged through doors to avoid the charging horse. Those who didn't were slammed to the ground or trampled.

The Mare faced another door, and Cole destroyed it, ducking as they rushed through and up a staircase. Cole blasted an iron door out of the way, and an angry echo charged from behind it. Rearing slightly, Thunder battered the attacker with her front hoofs, then stomped him when he was down.

Cole and Thunder raced down a hall lined with barred cells. They stopped where a familiar man stood clutching the bars of his enclosure, smiling at the intruders.

“Harvan!” Cole exclaimed.

“Look at you!” Harvan said with a laugh. “Riding in on the Mare!”

Cole focused on three consecutive bars of Harvan's cell and pushed with his power. Instead of bending them, he changed them to dust.

“You found your power!” Harvan admired.

“You were a weaver,” Cole said.

“Once upon a time,” Harvan replied.

Cole leaned down and reached toward him. “Take my hand.”

Harvan complied, and Cole pushed power into him.

“Whoa,” Harvan said, stepping back. “How'd you do that?”

“It's part of my ability,” Cole said.

“Cole . . . it's back,” Harvan said. “I feel it. Really?”

“Yep,” Cole said.

“Great,” a familiar voice said. “My one useful talent has been replaced.”

Cole shifted his attention to a shorter, balding man in a neighboring cell. “Winston!”

“Don't get too excited,” Winston said, squinting at Cole. “I'm just a dead echo. Little more than an imprint.”

“But still so very optimistic,” Harvan laughed.

“It was bound to happen, spending time with this guy,” Winston said, jerking a thumb at Harvan. “Next time we visit the Deadlands, I can join the party.”

“Is the beacon bothering you?” Cole asked as Winston continued to squint.

“It's not pleasant,” Winston said. “But let it shine. You'll need it here.”

Cole dissolved three more bars so Winston could get out. “Have you guys seen my friends?”

“Just the prisoners in this area,” Harvan said. “Sando is here somewhere, though. Just arrived.”

“Did he bring Destiny?” Cole asked.

“I don't think so. Why would he have . . . Wait, you found her?”

“And he stole her.”

“He was just here trying to pry information out of me. Maybe half an hour ago.”

“Halt,” a shapecrafter called from down the hall, having just come around a corner.

Harvan held up a hand, and the man froze.

“The echolands just got more fun,” Harvan said.

Thunder crouched down.

“Climb aboard,” Cole said. “We have places to go.”

“You two go on ahead,” Winston said. “That lantern is a little much for me. I'll bring up the rear.”

“You follow,” Harvan said. “I won't leave here without you.”

“I'm not going to go find a slipstream or anything,” Winston said, waving them away. “Go help the others.”

Harvan mounted behind Cole. Thunder rose, and they took off down the hall, slamming aside the shapecrafter Harvan had immobilized.

They dashed down more halls. Cole disintegrated doors as needed.

The echoes of Gamat Rue ran around in a state of panic. Cole met with little opposition. Thunder trampled whoever tried to take a stand. Apparently, the people who ran this place weren't used to being attacked, especially by a rampaging horse and echoes they couldn't freeze.

After descending a level, Thunder stopped by another wall of bars. Jace stood behind them. Joe sat in the neighboring cell.

Cole felt a huge surge of relief as a giant grin spread across his face. They were okay!

“Took you long enough,” Jace said, arms folded.

Cole turned some of the bars to silt. “That's all I get?”

Jace grinned. “All right. Thanks for springing me. Nice horse. Cool trick with the bars.”

“Want to see a cooler one?” Cole asked, dangling his little golden rope and pushing power into it.

“No way!” Jace exclaimed, all casual pretenses disappearing. “Is that what I think it is?”

“A friend made it,” Cole said, tossing it to Jace. Though it had left his grasp, Cole maintained a gentle connection to the rope, still feeding it power.

Jace caught it, then made the rope lengthen and curl around some of the remaining bars. “All right,” Jace said. “Time for some payback.”

“Stay near me,” Cole said. “The light from the beacon will help protect you.”

“Should I get down?” Harvan asked. “I'm probably faster.”

“Not when I have this,” Jace said, making his golden rope twirl and dance.

Joe cleared his throat.

“Hi, Joe,” Cole said, turning more bars to dust.

“Good to see you, Cole,” Joe said. “Unbelievable.”

Thunder snorted.

“We have more to do,” Cole said.

Thunder proceeded more slowly, allowing Joe to keep up. Jace stayed with them using his golden rope, sometimes grabbing distant beams or bars to sling himself forward, other times coiling the rope behind him then uncoiling it like a spring. When echoes evaded Thunder, Jace often seized them with the rope and bashed them against the ceiling, walls, floor, and any other available surfaces.

They descended many stairs. The downward angle felt precarious to Cole, but he leaned back, gripped with his knees, and held tight with his free hand. Even on stairs, Thunder remained incredibly sure-footed, keeping the ride unnaturally smooth.

Although still muted by the beacon, the music became even more threatening the lower they descended. At the bottom of a serpentine stairway, Cole crumpled an iron door, and they entered a vast cavern.

Most of the ceiling and walls looked like the natural stone of a cave, though some masonry had been added. A multitude of shapecrafters was gathered on the far side of the cavern. At the center stood a woman draped in a dark, ostentatious outfit. She faced Prescia, who knelt motionless, hands bound. Sando was among those standing nearby. Beyond the group, several cells at the far end of the cavern held prisoners, including Honor, Desmond, and Drake.

“The lady in black is Nandavi,” Jace said.

“All the most important prisoners are down here,” Harvan complained. “Why didn't I make the cut?”

Jace used his rope to spring toward Nandavi and the group around Prescia. Harvan and Joe started running in that direction as well.

Thunder knelt down. Cole took it as a signal to slide off. Once his feet hit the stone floor, Thunder bolted forward with astonishing speed.

Cole drew his Jumping Sword but paused once it was out of the sheath. Jace, Harvan, and Joe stood frozen. Apparently, they had gone beyond the range of the protective lamplight from the beacon. Nandavi had her arms extended toward them, her lip curled in an angry sneer.

Cole glanced at the beacon. He had never tried to force power into it, but establishing a connection felt easy. Gritting his teeth, he flooded power into the lantern, and it brightened immensely. The brighter beacon nourished Cole faster than before. The more energy he sent out, the more he got back! Cole pushed even harder, and the glare of the beacon intensified to fill the spacious cavern. The music of Gamat Rue could no longer be heard.

Bathed in white light, Nandavi shrieked. Jace snatched her with the golden rope and began bashing her into other shapecrafters. Prescia lunged to her feet and froze a trio of shapecrafters. Thunder raced around the room trampling the shapecrafters who tried to scatter. Harvan and Joe reached the main group and attacked with their fists.

Cole's attention shifted to the far end of the cavern, where Sando and a pair of large shapecrafters had retreated to Honor's cell. Cole pointed his Jumping Sword at a spot high on one wall and shouted, “Away!” He launched into the air. When he reached the wall, he pointed his sword at the ground near Honor's cell and shouted the command again as he kicked off the stony surface.

Rushing across the upper reaches of the cavern, Cole passed over where Jace, Harvan, and Prescia were fighting. In her panther shape, Callista had joined the melee as well. Cole kept pushing extra power into the beacon as he flew.

As he approached the rocky floor, the Jumping Sword slowed him enough that he managed to stumble to a stop without falling. Sando was already inside of Honor's cell, his assistants at her sides, holding her as she squirmed.

Sando shot Cole a wink, then he, the two assistants, and Honor all disappeared.

Cole stared at the empty cell. What had just happened? Could Sando teleport?

Cole turned to his friends. Jace continued to use Nandavi like a wrecking ball. Thunder ran wild. Callista pounced and snarled, razor claws raking. Harvan threw punches. Joe had a shapecrafter in a headlock. Prescia met Cole's eyes.

He crossed over,
her voice spoke to his mind.

Cole wanted to kick himself. Of course! At Gamat Rue echoes could cross to the Necronum side. Sando had done it when he captured Jace and Joe.

How would he follow them?

I can help,
Prescia communicated silently.

Extending his sword, Cole jumped to her.

“Send me,” he said.

“Your echo will be vulnerable there,” she warned. “Easier to kill.”

“Fine,” Cole said.