The Ancient Ones (The Legacy Trilogy Book 3) (64 page)

The captain eased his hold and they hugged tightly, his eyes closed, savouring the glorious moment.

It was she who prised herself away, holding his hands in hers. ‘Time is short. Samuel is my cousin and I love him, but he has desperate plans for us all. He will sacrifice us, thinking it will be our salvation, but he will unwittingly send us to our doom.’

‘I do not think so,’ Daneel said. ‘We have come this far. He will not abandon us.’

‘Oh, but he will. He has lost sight of his goal. He will never be able to contain his demons if he continues on this path. The spirits within him deceive him. They drive him towards an end that will see them freed.’

‘Stop this!’ Daneel said, having heard enough. He pulled the woman roughly by the arm and threw her to the tiles. The captain did nothing to stop him, utterly confused, too weary to act, too beaten to think.

‘Leopold!’ she cried from the floor. ‘It’s me! Just listen to what I have to say. I did lie to Samuel. There is nothing in the temple room for him to find, except the empty box, but it was the only way to give us these scant moments to talk.’

Captain Orrell looked between her and Leopold, torn. It was plain he desperately wanted to believe her, yet evident he no longer knew what to believe. Slowly, he bent to her side and helped her to her feet.

‘Please!’ she said. ‘We can never allow Samuel to find his son. The Demon King is nothing like he expects. Neither can we allow him to challenge Poltamir. The demons have become too strong and without his casket, there is no way for him to hold them back. If he tries to use his magic, we are lost. There is no way to save Samuel now. I love my cousin dearly, but only his death will force his demons back to their realm. Samuel will be born again, as he always has. No harm will come to him. Poltamir knows all this, he can tell you, but we cannot risk letting the evil inside of Samuel take control.’

‘Poltamir,’ Leopold said, calling to the shrouded, stationary figure. ‘Is it true?’

‘It is,’ he responded, growling throughout in the room. ‘Samuel cannot defeat me alone. I am too powerful. He will resort to his demons to match me—he must.’

‘See?’ Jessicah picked herself from the floor and returned to the captain’s side, holding his arm.

‘Listen to what you are saying,’ Daneel said. ‘He is your own cousin, woman! And why should we believe this ...’ he gestured to the form of Poltamir with disdain, ‘... this magician?’

‘I know that,’ she replied. ‘Do you think I am proud? But I know what lurks inside of Samuel, and it has changed him. I have learned many things while trapped within the witch. Leopold, I heard what Lomar told you on the ship, of Samuel’s plans to use us all. It is true, he has always planned to use us. The devils make him.’

‘Is it true?’ Orrell asked.

‘That is what Lomar said,’ Leopold admitted, ‘but I cannot believe Samuel would betray us, after all we’ve been through.’

‘Whether he plans any deceit or not,’ Jessicah went on, ‘his demons will arise and it will mean the destruction of everything—all the life we hold precious. The salvation of our world does not come with battle. Conflict will only cause our ruin. The only way to save ourselves—to save everything—is for us to walk quietly out the door and leave Samuel to Poltamir. We can wait in the adjoining room; it will not take long. If he follows us, or tries to plead with us to re-join him, we must be strong and turn away. Defeated, he will be forced to follow the righteous path. There are no easy decisions for a ruler, Leopold. You must choose for the good of the people ... for the good of the world.’

‘What do you think?’ Leopold asked, turning to Kali.

‘This is beyond me, Leopold. It is up to you to decide,’ she said.

He looked to Daneel and Captain Orrell, but they were likewise unwilling to help make the decision.

‘I have known him a long time,’ Daneel admitted, ‘and he has done many dark things. I must admit, there is nothing I would put beyond him. Just when I think I know him, he changes yet again.’

‘It is up to you, Emperor Leopold,’ Captain Orrell stated. ‘To aid him or not, it is up to you.’

‘But Samuel is the only way I can have my revenge upon Lomar,’ growled Poltamir. ‘I will not be deprived of that. Let him kill the man first.’

‘I can bring Lomar,’ Leopold revealed. ‘He will come at my call.’

‘Lomar would come here?’ Poltamir trilled with delight. ‘That would be even better! Then I have no need of Samuel after all. You can go ahead and do what you like with him—I do not care.’

‘I ... I just don’t know,’ Leopold admitted.

‘You must decide quickly,’ Jessicah said, holding tightly to Captain Orrell’s side. ‘All our problems could be dealt with in a moment. Just think, Leopold. You will have saved the world. You can return to your Empire. It can be done, here and now, painlessly and without fuss. No more lives will be lost.’

‘But even if we chose to, how could we possibly do it?’ Leopold asked of Jessicah. ‘We cannot harm him.’

‘You remember his plan, Leopold—he needs us to volunteer as his servants. Not even Samuel can force us to his cause, and believe me, he needs our help. He will have no choice but to concede, and allow Poltamir to end his life. This is not a victory, Leopold; it is the lesser of our possible failures. Then, you will summon Lomar. Once done, Poltamir will send you home.’

‘Poltamir can send us home?’ Leopold asked with hope.

‘He can—or wherever you want to go.’

‘No,’ Captain Orrell said with a sudden change of heart. ‘I want to hear Samuel say it himself. If I have been misled, I want the magician to admit to it.’

‘He will never admit to it!’ Jessicah declared, looking into his eyes. ‘He will go wild at the very mention. You must agree before he comes back, or he will confuse you, he will use his cunning to twist my words into lies. You know he will.’

‘We shall find out,’ Orrell stated to the woman on his arm, gathering his scraps of fortitude.

‘What is this?’ Samuel asked with interest, standing in the doorway. ‘A rebellion in my absence? A revolt upon the castle walls?’

‘We want to know the truth, Samuel. What do you intend to do once you find your son?’ Orrell asked.

‘I would free him,’ the magician replied openly.

‘And what would happen then? Would we be safe? Will the demons be defeated or made stronger as a result?’

‘Who can say, Captain? This has always been a gamble.’

‘Would it not be safer to vanquish your son and be sure?’ Orrell asked.

‘I would not do that,’ the magician firmly replied.

‘For the sake of your boy, you would risk the unknown?’

‘I would,’ he turned to Jessicah, still clinging to the Captain’s side. ‘Come now, Rei. Your poison works quickly. I step out for only a moment and you fill the room with unrest.’

‘I’m sorry, Samuel,’ she said tearfully. ‘You know I love you, but ... but what you’ve done, what you plan to do, it’s not your fault.’

Samuel smiled. ‘This puts us in a difficult spot. What would you have me do, dear cousin?’

‘Put down your defences, Samuel,’ Jessicah told him. ‘Let down your spells. Sacrifice yourself to Poltamir.’

The magician chuckled. ‘This is a desperate ploy, even for you, Rei. These people are tired and in dire need of a conclusion to all this. In such a state they may be willing to consider your lies, but they are not stupid.’

‘There is truth in her words, Samuel,’ rumbled Poltamir and Samuel turned to face the cloaked figure. ‘You must know that I will not be easily overcome. How will you keep your demons at bay if we battle?’

‘I will hope for a quick victory,’ Samuel replied. ‘I am confident. And what say you all?’ he added, looking to his party. ‘Have you made up your minds?’

‘It’s just, we never know what to believe,’ Leopold admitted softly.

‘And we’re tired of your deceptions,’ Orrell declared, not nearly so sheepishly. ‘When will you tell us the truth?’

‘The truth is difficult to speak,’ the magician replied. ‘At times, I am not even sure what it is. Even when I do, it would only harm you.’

‘So is it true, Samuel?’ Daneel asked. ‘Could you lose control if you use your magic once more?’

‘It is possible ... highly likely in fact,’ the magician admitted.

‘Then why?’ Orrell asked. ‘Why drag us here and maintain this charade? Why keep us suffering? Would you rather not just put us out of our misery and be done with it?’

‘Why?’ Samuel asked in return. ‘Why? Because it is the only chance we have. The risks are great but the outcome is unimaginable—our salvation! If you were not here, where would you be? Still shoring up the walls in Cintar, pretending the world was well outside?’

Jessicah scoffed at this. She stopped too late as she realised her mistake. Of course, Jessicah would never make such a noise, and the captain shook her from his arm.

‘Bah!’ he roared, too furious for words. ‘And you are full of lies, too, witch!’

‘Damn you all, then!’ Rei declared. ‘Come, Poltamir. Kill Samuel now, and then the boy can summon Lomar and you can have your revenge.’

‘I will not fight him,’ Poltamir growled. He grew taller in that moment, with the hem of his cloak gathering almost off the ground. ‘It is foolish. His demons will come and that would solve nothing. If he gave himself willingly to me, it would be acceptable, but I cannot risk anything other. I will not call such an end upon myself.’

‘Kill him, Poltamir!’ Rei yelled with frustration.

‘I will not!’ returned the boom and it had everyone bar Samuel clamping their hands to their ears.

But Rei was pleased with his anger. ‘Oh, Poltamir!’ she said, stepping upon his platform beside him. She reached out to touch his cloak and he flinched out of reach. ‘Don’t be like that. We have been so long apart. We can be together now, if only you will kill Samuel for me.’

‘How you have changed your tune,’ rumbled Poltamir. ‘You once called me a snivelling little man ... how well I remember that. Across time I have thought of little else but you, much to my regret.’

‘Yes, Poltamir,’ she whispered. ‘I have yearned to be with you, also.’ She circled him, as she had done with Samuel long before in Cintar, running her finger around his girth. ‘But we are together now. What pleasures we will experience in each other’s arms. Kill him for me,’ she whispered.

‘No,’ Poltamir’s voice hissed across the room. ‘I will be your fool no longer. Kill him yourself, if you can.’

‘You incompetent fool!’ she wailed, folding her arms. ‘Then let Samuel kill you instead!’

‘Rei!’ Poltamir boomed. ‘An asp in your heart, you treacherous woman! You have only been with me short hours and already you turn against me!’ The room shook again as Poltamir filled with rage. ‘So long have I lusted after your beauty, so many countless years I have planned and plotted and killed for you, and all for nothing. I realise now I have been deluding myself with a vision of you that does not exist—and probably never has. Yes, I realise it now. I can sense what you are inside: a horrible, bitter, twisted thing disguised within a cloak of beauty. At least I do not pretend anything. I have always been repulsive and I know it, and little has changed now. But I find myself revolted by the sight of you, Rei. Never a crueller heart has existed!’

‘Damn you, you vile little man!’ she said. ‘Stop hiding in your cowl and show yourself.’

She grasped Poltamir’s hood and drew it back ... and what they saw revealed was a surprise to them all.

With the cowl drawn back, there was nothing to keep the cloak suspended and it dropped to the floor. A wavering black tentacle hovered there where a man should have been. Rei shrieked and the appendage vanished, withdrawing rapidly into a hole in the floor directly beneath.

The room tremored again, and a howling noise issued from the hole, gathering into a single word of rage. ‘Rei!’ bellowed the voice of Poltamir, brimming with wrath. ‘If not for you none of this would have happened. Look what you have done! Look what you have done to me! My desire for you drove me to this. It is you I will kill, you insidious woman, and then my fury will know no bounds!’

‘No, Poltamir!’ Samuel yelled to the room. ‘You cannot harm her. I will not allow it.’

‘Enough of this life! Enough of it all! The world shall burn!’ thundered the voice.

The room continued to shake, the walls cracking, pieces of the ceiling crashing down.

Rei was standing dumbfounded, staring at Poltamir’s empty robes crumpled upon the floor, completely stunned.

Samuel went forward and pulled her roughly away. He pushed Rei towards Captain Orrell and the surprised man grabbed hold of her once more.

‘Hold her,’ Samuel told him, ‘and don’t let her go. Get out of here, all of you. Meet us at the boat. Leopold, come with me.’

Kali picked up Toby once more, while Daneel plucked up Salu and away they rushed, with Captain Orrell dragging Rei flailing behind him.

‘The palace seems to be coming apart,’ Leopold said. ‘I think Poltamir’s beast is getting upset.’

‘Don’t you see, Leopold?’ Samuel said. ‘There is no beast. The thing that lives under this hill is Poltamir! That is what he has become.’

They passed through the dining room and the plush curtain was now opened. They could see the hole in the floor under the raised dais, with more dark robes lying flat beside it.

‘How did he become like this?’ Leopold asked.

‘Some wayward spell he could not control. I learned to absorb the power of others, and I am guessing Poltamir strove for such an ability as well, an attempt to steal his master’s strength, but he found something else altogether. Perhaps Lomar even tricked him into it—who knows. It consumed him and affected his body beyond his control, filling him with an insatiable hunger he could never appease.’

‘Where are we going?’

‘I want to show you something, Leopold: the Temple of Shadows.’

‘Why?’

‘I want you to see where this all began. And we need to delay Poltamir while the others get away.’

‘Kali did not die,’ Leopold blurted hastily as they moved along the hall.

‘What is that?’ the magician asked, continuing quickly along.

‘She did not die with the others. You saw a shadow around her and the other men on the ship. They died, but she did not. Perhaps—’