Imperial Traitor (21 page)

Reynik shuddered as he pulled his blade clear of Firedrake’s body. He had been given no choice. It was kill or be killed. That made the justification easier, but he doubted he would ever
gain pleasure from taking a life, unless it was that of Shalidar.

‘I’m pleased to see you didn’t suffer any ill effects from the transfer,’ he whispered to Calvyn. ‘I don’t know what you did to his knives, but thank you. I
think that was Brother Firedrake. He and I have tangled before.’

‘You were very fast. You’re good with that sword.’

‘Thanks. I had a good teacher.’

Reynik looked around at the familiar room, his eyes avoiding the body of the assassin. Much of the furniture had been moved back to where it had been positioned before Femke had barricaded
herself in here after her successful spying escapade a couple of weeks ago. Some of the pieces showed signs of damage from that incident. The door to the corridor was the only real change. It was
clearly new, the old one having been shattered.

‘Is there any way you can use that sensing ability of yours to work out where Femke is being held?’ Reynik asked softly. ‘I don’t want to test my skills further unless it
becomes absolutely necessary.’

Calvyn’s eyes went distant for a moment as he reached out with his mind. Reynik held his breath as he watched. It looked very strange to see a thuggish brute of a man in a trance. It
seemed wrong. The glamour was a marvel, he decided. Even Femke could not have produced a disguise of this subtlety.

The moment passed and Calvyn gave a sigh.

‘I can’t tell,’ he said. ‘Whoever built this place was very clever. Someone has protected against the interference of magicians. There are magical echoes reverberating
throughout the complex. I’ve touched Femke’s mind once before in the Royal Palace at Mantor. I thought that I would be able to track her down easily, but all I can tell you is that she
is still alive. I can feel her presence, but I wouldn’t like to guess where she is. I might be able to narrow down her position as we move, but for the moment we’ll have to search using
conventional methods.’

A loud
BONG
suddenly reverberated through the complex. It sounded as if someone had just struck a massive gong with great force.

‘What was that?’ Calvyn whispered urgently. ‘Have we set off an alarm?’

‘I don’t know,’ Reynik replied, his brows drawn into a frown. ‘I never heard that noise during my time here. I’ve no idea what it means. Come on, we’d better
get near enough to the meeting chamber to see what happens. We might learn something to our advantage. We can retreat back here if need be. There’s no other way into these apartments from
within the complex.’

Calvyn nodded and signalled for Reynik to lead the way.

They moved swiftly but silently out of the chamber with swords held at the ready. There was no one in the corridor outside, so they sped along to the end. On reaching the door that led into the
wolf spider alcove in the central chamber, Reynik opened the door just enough to peep through. Calvyn did not press to see, but reached out instead with his mind. He did not sustain the effort for
more than a few seconds. Whatever was causing the magical interference was much stronger in the chamber ahead, and his attempt to sense the underground cavern left him feeling momentarily dizzy and
confused. He leaned against the wall and rubbed his temples at the sudden flare of pain in his head.

At first, Reynik could see nothing. The light in the chamber was too dim. After a few moments his eyes began to adjust to the light. The shadowy figure of the Guildmaster was emerging from the
stairwell close to the central podium.

‘Who was it this time, Guildmaster?’

‘I don’t know yet, Brother Fox. I’m glad to see that it was not you. I’m going to the bonding stone now. Will you join me?’

‘Of course, Guildmaster. Did we have anyone out on assignment tonight? I thought we were going to leave the rest of the Imperial candidates alone. The tattle on the street is that the
nobility are rallying behind our chosen man. I didn’t expect more intervention on our part.’

‘I’ve not ordered anything specific tonight,’ Ferdand replied, ‘but several of the Brothers are out in the city following up our ongoing commitments. You’re right.
The race for the Mantle is all but done. We’ll see no further business this side of the final vote in the Imperial Court. It may be that the victor will wish to eliminate the other candidates
afterwards in order to prevent any subsequent trouble. If that’s the case, then we’ll accept the commissions.’

Reynik watched as the slender figure of the woman assassin crossed the floor to join the Guildmaster. It was like watching seduction in motion. The Fox was a born tease, he decided. Even cloaked
and hooded, she managed to make every movement play on a man’s baser urges. ‘That is one dangerous lady,’ he thought with a grim smile of admiration.

He eased the door closed and turned back to Calvyn.

‘I think I know what the sound was,’ he whispered. ‘They’re going to the bonding stone. I think the sound must ring out when an icon returns from a dead assassin.
I’m guessing that it must have taken Firedrake a few seconds to breathe his last. When they realise which icon it is that’s returned, they’ll be down here in a flash. We’ll
have to be quick if we’re to get Femke out. They should be distracted for a few moments, but unless we can get in and out without delay this could get messy.’

The thought that his own icon could return to the bonding stone at any time made him grind his teeth in frustration. If he knew what deadline he was working to, he would feel a lot more
comfortable about orchestrating this rescue. It seemed a waste to be this close and not take the opportunity of renewing the bond between his icon and the mother stone. That his life might prove
forfeit as a result was a worrying possibility. However, to attempt to reach the bonding stone would increase the risk of death or capture by an unacceptable margin. Femke’s rescue was the
priority.

Calvyn nodded and pushed away from the wall. They cracked open the door again in time to see the Guildmaster and Fox disappearing into the passageway on the far side of the chamber. No sooner
had Fox entered the mouth of it than the illusion of the wall reappeared, leaving no sign of the secret entrance.

‘Now!’ Reynik said softly. He whipped the door open and they both vaulted the waist-high wall, landing softly in the central area of the chamber. ‘Which way?’ he
whispered.

Calvyn reached out once more with his mind and recoiled at the maelstrom of magical eddies and echoes. How could he make sense of anything in the midst of this? It took a moment, but his
subconscious assimilated the sensations, converting them into images he could relate to.

Suddenly he was in another place: standing in the midst of an ornamental maze. It was night. A violent thunderstorm raged above him. There was a flash of lightning, followed instantly by a
deafening crack of thunder. A vicious gust of wind buffeted him, upsetting his balance and making him stumble to one side. Invisible hands plucked debris from the ground, swirling it into the air
and hurling it at him with formidable force. Rain battered him in torrents, jabbing his skin like a million ice-cold darts. The hedge tops swayed and danced, unearthly faces forming and
disappearing in the clouds and leaves. They were laughing. Laughing at him?

For a moment it almost felt as if the whole earth were rocking. In his mind he called out, but his words were whipped away almost before they passed his lips. He laughed, lifting his face to the
sky as the rain pummelled his skin. An edge of hysteria touched his voice as he realised the futility of his efforts. How could Femke possibly hear him in the midst of this? Yet, impossibly,
somewhere in the midst of the noise and confusion, he could feel her presence. She was there. Waiting. Hoping to be rescued.

In the chamber he staggered forwards and Reynik caught his arm. Calvyn did not notice. He was lost. The real world had gone. All that remained was the maze and the storm. Reynik sensed his
companion’s mental struggle, but could do nothing other than offer him physical support.

In his mind, Calvyn ran forwards taking turns, left and right. At first he ran randomly, taking whichever turning presented itself next. A flying branch hit him across the face and he flinched,
reeling from the pain of the impact. Then the thought struck him. If he worked methodically, he should eventually cover all parts of the maze. There must be a way of doing it. In simple mazes one
could cover all parts of a maze by continually following the wall on one’s left, allowing the wall to lead into all dead ends and back out again. The problem was, he had no way of knowing how
complex this maze was. If he were to apply this principle in a large labyrinth, he was equally likely to walk around in circles forever.

Reynik started to panic. Seconds were ticking by. The Guildmaster was likely to return any moment. Calvyn had slipped into a trance and was showing no signs of surfacing. He shook the
acolyte’s arm, but got no response. They could not stay here. He tucked an arm around Calvyn’s back and dragged him forwards.

A sudden gust of wind picked Calvyn from his feet and propelled him forwards. A dead end loomed. Flying through the air he smashed into it, the branches tearing at him like claws. He tumbled
through to the other side. Nothing looked any different. He was still in the maze. He scrabbled to his feet. If anything the storm was getting stronger. Another flash of lightning split the sky and
he flinched at the deafening clap of thunder that accompanied it. Another enormous gust of wind scooped his feet from under him and once again he was flung through the air. He had no more control
than a branch ripped from a tree. Another hedge raced at him and he barely had time to shield his face as he ploughed into it with unstoppable momentum.

Half dragging, half carrying him, Reynik lurched around the perimeter of the chamber, taking Calvyn in front of one alcove after another.

Calvyn was beyond reason: battered, bruised and bleeding. The storm seemed almost sentient – toying with him, flinging him at will, first one way and then the other. He had to escape. Was
there no way out? A presence suddenly reminded him of why he was there. She was close – very close. He could feel her. She was a haven of calm in the fury of the storm.

‘The storm isn’t real,’ he told himself. ‘You must withdraw – must break free. It’s only a vision.’ But no matter how he tried, he could not bring his
mind back to reality. He tried forming focus pictures, but the storm kept breaking his concentration. He could feel the wind gathering its strength to hurl him forwards again. There was nothing for
it. He reached for the handle of his sword and drew it, lifting it high above his head. Runes glowed brightly along the shining metal and the clouds seemed almost to growl, as if hawking up more
energy. Then in a dazzling double fork, they spat an incandescent stream of lightning at the blade.

They had gone about a quarter of the way around when Calvyn suddenly took a sharp intake of breath. They stopped by the gate bearing the symbol of the sea serpent.

‘In there,’ Calvyn panted. ‘She’s in there.’

‘Quick!’ Reynik urged, his voice desperate. ‘We’ve got to get out of sight.’

He dragged Calvyn forwards, staggering through the gate and into the alcove. They opened the door at the back and entered the corridor beyond. Calvyn paused, leaning against the wall and
breathing heavily.

‘Can you manage without me for a moment? I’ll be right behind you,’ he gasped.

‘Are you sure you’ll be all right?’ Reynik whispered. ‘What if someone comes this way?’

Calvyn nodded. ‘I just need a few seconds. That chamber has a . . . draining magical influence. Go. Get to Femke. I’ll follow you.’

Reynik raced forwards, drawing a knife with each hand. It was foolhardy, but he knew that his only advantages now would be speed and the element of surprise. He had no idea how many guards the
Guildmaster would have assigned to Femke, but there was no time to worry about it. He burst through the door at the end of the corridor and charged headlong into the living area of the
assassin’s chamber. On entry it became clear that the sea snake icon was still unassigned.

A servant, dressed in his brown robe but with the hood down, leaving his face exposed, was sitting on a chair by the far door reading a book. He leaped to his feet at Reynik’s explosive
entrance, but he was neither quick enough nor skilled enough to face such an opponent. Reynik’s first throw was true, striking the servant in the chest with deadly force. He ran to the door
where the servant had sat guard, scanning the room for hidden adversaries as he went. There were none. A lock and bolt looked to have been newly fitted. He drew the bolt, and tried the door. It was
locked. ‘No surprise there,’ he muttered. A quick search of the servant for a key was not productive.

‘Femke,’ Reynik called in a hoarse whisper, rapping the door several times with his knuckles. ‘Femke, it’s me – Reynik.’

‘Reynik! You fool! What are you doing here? It’s a trap. The Guildmaster is expecting you.’

The sound of Femke’s voice brought a smile to his face. His blood was still racing and he felt a sudden dizziness at having located her.

‘Never mind that,’ he said. ‘I’ve brought some help. Listen – do you know where the guard keeps the key to your room?’

‘The guard doesn’t have it. The key is normally held by the Guildmaster, or whichever assassin he assigns to bring me my meals. The servants are not trusted with the keys any
more.’

‘Shand’s teeth!’ Reynik swore, clenching his fists in frustration. ‘How am I . . . Never mind. I have an idea.’ He ran back to the door that led out into the
corridor. Calvyn was just approaching it, still unsteady on his feet, but looking a little better. ‘Can you open locks? The guard is dead, but he doesn’t have a key.’

Calvyn nodded. ‘Show me,’ he said simply.

Reynik led him into the assassin’s quarters and pointed at the door. Calvyn muttered something under his breath. There was an audible
snick
as the door unlocked and Femke opened
it a split second later. She ran out and stopped dead in her tracks, her face totally shocked.