Fated

11

A lot of people think of captivity as something glamorous, but the truth is, being a prisoner is mostly just boring. No matter how sadistic the guy in control of you, he can’t focus on you twenty-four hours a day. He’s got other things to do and, while he’s busy, you’re going to be sitting alone. After a few weeks, it can get to the point where you almost welcome a visit, just for a little human interaction. When I’d been Richard’s prisoner I’d passed the time by practising divination; I couldn’t reach outside the walls, but I got to know every square inch of that room. I learned some weird skills that way. Even now I can pick up anything from a pencil to a tennis ball and hit a target first time, every time, looking into the future to see exactly how I need to make the throw. If I ever give up being a diviner, I can always make a living playing darts.

So the following day as Morden’s ‘guest’ was just like old times. The door to my room wasn’t locked but I didn’t go wandering; I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. Instead I sat in the chair with a book, and anyone watching would have seen me barely move all day except to turn a page.

But just because I wasn’t moving didn’t mean I wasn’t busy. Within two hours of sitting in that chair I knew the entire layout of Morden’s mansion, everything from the basement to the attic. My future selves roamed through the mansion, wandering, exploring, trying things, and everything they learned, I learned — everything from how the food was prepared in the kitchen to what would happen if you pulled the levers on the first floor. By noon I’d discovered four routes by which I could escape the mansion (with varying probabilities of success once I got outside), five places in which I could hide with little chance of detection (in the short term, anyway), two ways in which I could set off a small civil war between the mansion’s various inhabitants (for the record, in all the futures I saw, Morden’s side won), one way to destroy the mansion completely along with most of the people inside it (including me, unfortunately), a way to cause the mansion and most of the surrounding countryside to be overrun with intelligent giant badgers (don’t ask), and one half of a process for creating crystals capable of absorbing cold-and ice-based magic (which would be very useful if I had a spare couple of weeks and if I were worried about being attacked by an ice mage, neither of which was true).

That’s the thing about being a diviner. You learn a vast amount of information, of which ninety-five per cent is completely useless.

Anyway, it was the people I was interested in. It didn’t take me long to confirm that Cinder and Khazad were here with Rachel, confined in the west wing. Lisa was there too, recovered enough to be able to move around. In a few of the futures, I tried to talk to Lisa; she avoided me or fled. Morden’s message about disloyalty had sunk in. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s one thing to know why most slaves of Dark mages stay that way; it’s another to watch it happen.

But despite everything, I was as focused as I’d ever been. For years I’d been trying to forget my time as Richard’s apprentice, locking it up and burying it deep in my memory. The journey through Elsewhere had shattered that, bringing it all back — but now that I’d faced it, I found to my surprise that the fear had been worse than the reality. It had hurt, yes, but it had been like cleaning out an old wound, and as I looked back I realised that it didn’t scare me the way it once had. I’d gotten stronger since then.

Onyx came into my room in the late afternoon. His cold eyes rested on me as he dropped something onto the table with a clack. ‘Put it on.’

The item on the table was a bracelet, made of some kind of black metal. I took a second to look at the consequences of saying no, then picked the thing up and locked it around my right wrist. The metal had an ugly, unpleasant feel to it, but it vanished as soon as it snapped shut.

Onyx waited a second, then flicked a finger. The bracelet flared with black energy, and a bolt of terrible agony shot up my arm, locking my muscles, like an electrical shock but worse. I lost my breath in a gasp and went down to one knee with a thud. My heart raced, and I took several deep breaths before looking up shakily at Onyx, steadying myself with one hand on the floor.

‘Higher levels cripple or kill,’ Onyx said. ‘Want to see?’

I took a breath. ‘No, thanks,’ I said, my voice hoarse.

‘We leave in two hours,’ Onyx said. He turned and left.

I waited for his footsteps to fade away, then dropped the act, returned to the chair, and started work on the bracelet. It was the same design Richard had used, which made things simple. Once I was finished, I settled down to wait.

The sun was dipping towards the horizon when Onyx returned. He jerked his head in a command to follow, and I obeyed.

The morning room was wide, with one whole wall made entirely out of French windows that looked out onto the flowers of the garden. The light of the setting sun streamed in, mixing with the reflection off the leaves to light the wooden floor in yellow and gold. A table stood in the middle of the room, covered with maps. Morden was behind it, and standing in front, in a sullen group, were Cinder, Rachel and Khazad. Cinder and Khazad glowered at me; Deleo/Rachel didn’t. Lisa and Morden’s other slave girl (whose name I’d learned was Selene) stood at opposite ends of the room, their eyes cast down submissively. Onyx walked to Morden’s side and gestured for me to stand with the others. I took up a position next to the table, a carefully judged distance away from Rachel.

‘Tonight at sunset, the five of you will enter the relic and recover the fateweaver,’ Morden said without preamble once we were around the table. Now that the pecking order had been established, he didn’t waste time on pleasantries. ‘Onyx will be in command; you will obey him absolutely. Any disagreements are to be put aside as long as you work for me.’ He looked between us. ‘Do you have any objections? Cinder? Deleo? Verus? Khazad?’

Onyx’s eyes glinted as he watched us. I shook my head slightly and saw the others do the same. Rachel was holding quite still and I noticed that she was wearing a black metal bracelet similar to mine, along with Cinder and Khazad. It was the first time I’d seen the two of them since we were captured, and both looked battered and sullen. Cinder seemed subdued and didn’t react, but as Khazad caught me looking at them he shot me a hate-filled glance. I turned back to Morden, thinking as I did that it couldn’t happen to a nicer pair of guys.

‘We expect moderate resistance at the museum,’ Morden was saying. ‘Avoid unnecessary casualties, but entering is your priority. Once you’ve reached the statue, Verus,’ he nodded to me, ‘will open it. Show them the key, please.’

Everyone’s eyes were on me as I slowly reached into my pocket and produced the crystal cube. It sat quietly in the palm of my hand, the sparks glinting in its depths. Cinder’s eyes were hungry, as were Khazad’s. Rachel’s were calculating. ‘The rest of you will set up a perimeter until the door is open,’ Morden continued. ‘Should Verus fail, Onyx will employ a contingency plan.’

I didn’t like the sound of that at all.

‘Once you are inside,’ Morden said, ‘you will be in unknown territory. The relic interior has been sealed for at least two thousand years. However, given that the guardian elemental still functions, I doubt the traps will have stopped working.’

‘Traps?’ Khazad said sharply.

‘Of course.’ Morden raised an eyebrow. ‘I assumed you knew.’

Cinder and Khazad looked at him, then as one, turned to stare at Rachel. Rachel looked between them. ‘What?’ she demanded.

‘You didn’t say anything about traps,’ Khazad said.

‘I’m sure she had her reasons,’ Morden said smoothly. ‘The fateweaver is located at the relic’s centre. Once Onyx has taken possession of it, you are free to return or to stay and loot the place as you wish.’ Morden smiled. ‘I’ll quite understand if you need some time alone. As long as you accomplish your objective, the decision of what to do afterwards is entirely up to you.’ Morden looked around. ‘Are there any questions?’

Khazad had been staring at Rachel; now he dragged his eyes away to look at Morden. ‘When do we get paid?’

‘Once Onyx and the fateweaver are in this room.’ Morden looked around. ‘Anything else?’

‘One thing,’ I said and felt everyone’s eyes turn to me. ‘There were quite a few guards at the museum.’

Cinder snorted with laughter, and Khazad looked at me through narrowed eyes. ‘What’s the matter, Verus?’ Khazad’s voice was ugly. ‘Afraid of a fight?’

I didn’t look at him. ‘I’ll have trouble opening the relic if I’m dead,’ I said mildly to Morden.

‘Onyx will explain your method of approach once you arrive.’

It wasn’t what I’d wanted to hear, but I nodded. Morden looked around. ‘Anything else?’

No one spoke.

‘Excellent.’ Morden smiled. ‘Don’t look so gloomy, you four. By tomorrow, you’ll be free, rich and in my favour. All you have to do is bring me the fateweaver.’

My shoes swished through the wet grass as we walked out into the garden. The setting sun lit up the landscape around, showing hills and distant forests. Clouds hung overhead, glowing gold in the sunset. Morden’s mansion had a powerful shroud effect, but I was pretty sure we were somewhere in Wales.

As we walked I moved to block Rachel slightly, so that the two of us fell behind. She gave me a cool look, but allowed it. ‘Nice jewellery,’ I said under my breath once we were far enough behind Cinder and Khazad. ‘Onyx give you a demonstration?’

‘I’m not afraid of Onyx,’ Rachel said, turning away. She was wearing a blue coat that looked like it might have belonged to Lisa. ‘What do you want?’

Up ahead, Onyx was giving sharp orders to Khazad and Cinder, who listened sullenly. ‘Did you notice something strange about that briefing?’

‘Like?’

‘Morden wants to use the fateweaver to become the representative of the Dark mages on the Council,’ I said, keeping my voice low. ‘For that to work, he can’t leave any proof that he was behind the raid.’

‘So?’

‘Morden said we could go free or keep working for him. Either way, we might talk. The guards at the museum might recognise us. We’d be a link that could be traced.’ I looked sideways at Rachel. ‘That would be a problem for him, don’t you think?’

Rachel started to answer, then stopped. ‘Yes,’ she said at last, her voice colourless. ‘It would.’

I fell silent, letting Rachel work the rest of it out for herself. I knew it wouldn’t take her long, and I wasn’t surprised when she spoke a moment later. ‘Are you still any good with locks?’

‘Better.’

‘How long would these bracelets take you?’

‘Maybe five minutes each.’

Up ahead, Onyx turned and noticed us talking. He jerked his head. ‘Move.’

We came forward and in a moment were too close to say anything more. Onyx gestured and the air in front of us rippled. A black oval eight feet tall appeared, hovering just off the ground, soaking up the light from the sunset, then it cleared and through it I could see grass and trees.

‘Good luck, all of you,’ Morden called, and we turned to look. He had stayed behind on the veranda, and he was smiling at us, hands clasped behind his back. ‘I hope you make it back safely.’

I smiled back at Morden, my face as friendly as his. No, you don’t.

Onyx took us by gateway to three more locations: a wood, a deserted quarry and a dense forest. Gateways can be traced if you’re good enough and know what to look for; by gating to multiple locations you make it harder for anyone to backtrack to your point of origin. At each location we walked for five minutes before gating again. Cinder took the lead with Khazad on his heels, the two men forming a contrast, one heavy and lumbering, the other bird-like and quick. Rachel followed a little way behind, and I followed her a little further still. Bringing up the rear came Onyx, his cold eyes on all of us. No one spoke.

Even though I was on the receiving end, I had to admit that Morden’s plan had a kind of twisted brilliance to it. The four of us had been his main competition for the fateweaver; he’d turned it around so that we were doing his work for him. He was sitting comfortably in his mansion, while we were going out to risk our necks. I’d almost admire the guy if he weren’t so freaking evil.

However, the more I thought about it, the more I became sure that Morden’s plan included the four of us meeting with unfortunate accidents along the way. Not only would our dead bodies tell no tales, they’d make perfect scapegoats to present to the angry Council. When Morden had offered me a job as his intelligence officer and I’d accepted, I hadn’t been serious — I’d thought I’d been fooling him. I had the uneasy feeling now that he’d been the one fooling me.

Once we’d walked a short distance through the forest, Onyx stopped. ‘Wait.’ He opened a gateway and stepped through, letting it close behind him.

That left me with Rachel and Cinder, neither of whom I particularly wanted to be alone with. I heard Cinder growl something, and took the opportunity to slip away, putting a few clumps of trees between me and them. I couldn’t afford to get too far; if I wasn’t nearby when Onyx returned, he’d probably trigger my bracelet as a reminder. On the other hand, if I was quick-

I had only an instant’s warning. I darted left towards cover, but something grabbed my chest and slammed me up against a tree before I could reach it. A claw of flickering black energy pinned me to the trunk, holding me up on tiptoe, unable to move.

Khazad stepped up in front of me, and there was an evil light shining in his eyes. ‘Did you think I forgot?’ he said softly. The claw tightened slightly, constricting my chest, and I grunted. ‘You know what I did to the last man who humiliated me like you did?’

‘You kill me,’ I managed to say, my voice stifled, ‘and Onyx kills you.’

Khazad stared at me for a long moment, then the black claw loosened and I drew in a ragged breath. ‘Of course, you’ve got the key,’ Khazad said absently.

I opened my mouth to speak and suddenly the claw tightened again, and I made a strangled sound as I lost the air in my lungs. Khazad leaned in close, his dark eyes staring into mine. ‘But then, it doesn’t have to be you that uses it, does it?’ Khazad whispered. ‘I could take it from your body. You tried to run and I was forced to kill you. I’m sure Onyx will understand.’

I was choking. My chest was crushed so that I couldn’t breathe in, and my ribs were on the verge of breaking. ‘Can’t — open.’

‘What’s that, Verus?’ Khazad said with a smile. ‘I’m having trouble hearing.’

‘Won’t work — for you.’

For a long moment Khazad stared at me, head tilted as if considering. Then suddenly he smiled. ‘I think you’re lying.’ Spots were starting to swim in front of my eyes, and I could barely see Khazad as he leaned in to breathe into my ear. ‘It’s a pity I can’t take my time.’

A cold voice spoke from one side. ‘Drop him.’

Khazad twisted to look back with a snarl. The voice spoke again. ‘Now.’

For a long moment Khazad hesitated, then drew abruptly back, the claw flickering into nothingness. I sank back against the tree, using it to stop myself from falling over, and looked up as I caught my breath.

Rachel was just a little distance away, and she was wearing her mask again. If I hadn’t known it was her, I wouldn’t have recognised her as the same woman; she stood straighter, colder, more menacing. Blue-green light hovered at her palm, pointed towards Khazad. Khazad snarled again. ‘He’s mine!’

‘Try it if you like,’ Rachel said calmly. ‘We’ve got time.’

For a moment the two of them stood there, Rachel with her arm outstretched, Khazad hunched and ready to spring. Then Khazad took a step back. He shot a vicious look at me and stalked away.

The light at Rachel’s palm winked out and she walked to me. ‘Once we’re inside, you get rid of these,’ she said, tapping her bracelet. Her voice was ordinary, as if she’d already forgotten about Khazad. ‘In exchange we keep you alive.’

I nodded slowly. ‘Agreed.’

Rachel was studying me, her head tilted. ‘You’ve seen her again,’ she said in sudden interest.

‘Um …’

‘She comes more often when you’re here.’ Rachel laughed suddenly. ‘You didn’t know that, did you?’

I met Rachel’s eyes. There was a curious distant look in them, and all of a sudden I was scared, really scared. I’d called Rachel crazy on top of Canary Wharf, then forgotten about it once I’d recognised her in the mansion, but I’d been right. Rachel really was crazy. Not all the way, but far enough. Lots of people think ‘mad’ means funny, but real madness isn’t funny, it’s terrifying. Looking into the spinning futures, I saw Rachel doing a hundred different things, and I had absolutely no way of knowing which she’d choose. ‘Rachel?’ I said carefully. ‘Can you hear me?’

‘That’s not my name any more,’ Rachel said absently, looking over my shoulder.

Rachel was standing just a few feet in front of me, eyes fixed attentively on something a little way past. If she struck from this distance, her beam would go right through me and the tree behind. I stood very still and didn’t make any sudden movements. ‘Deleo.’

Rachel suddenly turned back to me, her eyes alight. ‘Yes!’ She smiled happily. ‘I had to do that. You see that, right?’

‘Um, I think so.’

‘I mean, it’s not like I could just leave!’ Rachel laughed, then frowned. ‘But she won’t go away.’ Her frown cleared. ‘She’s been quiet, though. It must be because of you.’ She smiled. ‘She always liked you. She wouldn’t say it, but I knew. Why don’t you carry on?’

I had absolutely no idea what Rachel was talking about. I tried to think of what to say. ‘Ra- Deleo. Onyx is going to be back.’

‘Onyx?’ Rachel’s brow furrowed for a moment, then cleared again. ‘Oh, he doesn’t matter.’ She smiled to herself again, then her eyes seemed to snap back into focus. ‘Make sure you’re ready to get rid of these.’ She raised her right wrist with the bracelet. ‘We have to see her again, don’t we?’

An instant later Onyx emerged from the trees, and I slumped in relief. The fact that I was relieved at having Onyx show up was scary in itself. He beckoned to me and Rachel, and we followed, Rachel smiling as if at some private joke.

‘So where the fuck are they?’ Khazad demanded.

We were in London again, having returned to the city in the evening twilight. Right now we were above a tourist shop in Great Russell Street, in the living room and kitchen of a second-floor flat. The flat looked recently occupied and I tried to stop myself from thinking about what might have happened to the owners.

The flat’s windows faced north, overlooking the front courtyard of the British Museum, and we’d been standing by the windows watching the museum for over two hours. Night had long since fallen, and the sky was dark, the stars drowned out by the city’s glow. Buses, cars and taxis buzzed past on the street, and a steady flow of shoppers and tourists filled the pavement, but the British Museum itself was silent. Not a single person had gone in or out.

‘Why’s no one there?’ Cinder rumbled.

Because it’s a trap, I thought silently. Luna had delivered her message.

‘Because it’s a trap.’ Rachel said. She glared at Onyx.

I sighed inwardly. Freaking Council. Luna had given them everything they’d needed to lay a perfect ambush and they’d managed to screw it up. There should have been guards, people coming and going, the occasional mage keeping up a pretence. Instead they’d kept their entire guard force hidden inside the museum … and in the process made their ambush so obvious that they might as well have stuck up a warning sign. This is what happens when politicians get put in charge of battle plans.

‘I said it’s a trap,’ Rachel demanded when Onyx didn’t answer. She was focused again, staring at Onyx. Khazad and Cinder stayed silent. ‘Did you hear me?’

Onyx made a slight gesture with his fingers. Black energy wreathed the bracelet at Rachel’s wrist, and she jerked, crashing to the floor as her legs spasmed and losing her breath in a strangled gasp. Rachel looked up, her eyes wild with fury, and sea-green light gathered at her hands.

Onyx gestured again and black lightning smothered Rachel, discharging into her arm, her body, the floor. Rachel writhed, helpless, spasming, trying uselessly to escape. This time the bracelet kept going and the stink of ozone filled the room. Rachel had no breath to scream, and the only sound was the scrabble of her fingers against the carpet. After five long seconds, the lightning stopped. The room was quiet again, and Rachel lay flat in the sudden silence, motionless except for the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

Onyx turned to the rest of us and raised an eyebrow. I dropped my eyes and felt Cinder and Khazad do the same. After a moment Onyx turned back to the window. Rachel took another half a minute or so to recover, then struggled to her feet, her breathing still shaky. No one spoke.

In case you’re wondering, nothing Onyx had just done was particularly unusual. Discipline among Dark mages is brutal; it has to be. A Dark leader who isn’t willing to hurt anyone who disrespects him doesn’t stay leader for long.

That didn’t change the fact that I wanted to get the hell away from this bunch of psychos as soon as I possibly could.

‘Tell me what spells are up,’ Onyx said.

I knew he was talking to me, and I considered lying before deciding against it. Any sign of deception now and I was done for. ‘The museum’s covered with a gate interdiction field,’ I said. Cinder and Khazad were looking at me, and I tried not to let my voice show how nervous I was. ‘It’s bound to the lines of the building, and it’s strong. There’s …’ I scanned. ‘one section unwarded in one of the basement rooms. About a ten-foot cube.’

‘Sink,’ Cinder rumbled.

I managed not to let my surprise show. The arrangement was a sink ward, like a magical whirlpool. Any attempts to gate into the area would be swept down into the centre, appearing in that ten-foot space. I was starting to think Cinder might be smarter than he looked.

‘So we break through the walls,’ Khazad said contemptuously.

‘They’re warded too,’ I said.

‘And?’

Khazad was looking at me and there was a glitter in his eyes. Rachel finally straightened, and Khazad turned away as if he’d forgotten about me.

I wasn’t fooled. Khazad was still waiting for the chance to finish what he’d started in the forest. As long as I was useful I knew Onyx would prevent any infighting. I also knew that as soon as I stopped being useful Onyx would have me killed without a second thought.

I wasn’t intending to stick around long enough to give him the chance. I hadn’t been idle while we’d been waiting; I’d been path-walking, and the one bit of good news was that Luna was there, in the statue room at the back of the museum. All I needed was a few seconds’ distraction. I’d make a break for it, Luna would open the door, we’d lock it behind us and Onyx and the Dark mages could fight it out with the Council to their hearts’ content.

At least, that was the plan.

Onyx stirred. ‘Close up.’

We obeyed, standing in a cluster. I found myself brushing shoulders with Cinder, who gave me a single glance and then pulled his own mask on. Khazad and Deleo were weaving spells, black and sea-green light glowing faintly about their hands. Onyx held out one hand, and the floor underneath us darkened and turned black as a horizontal gate began to form. I watched uneasily. If Onyx gated us into that sink, we’d appear under the guns of the Council guard force. I knew Onyx was strong, but-

Onyx tightened his hand into a fist and the gate formed, linking us to the museum. For one moment there was a lurch as the interdiction field tried to take, then Onyx’s spell ripped straight through it with sheer brute force. We dropped down to the floor with a thump — a white floor, with a staircase behind and a high ceiling above. We’d gated into the Great Court, right at the foot of the stairs.

We weren’t alone. A dozen people were scattered around the court, mages and guards. All had turned to stare at us, and as we came to our feet a mage threw out his arm. He was at the centre of a cluster of three. ‘Hold it! Who are you?’

At least, that was what he would have said if he’d had the chance.

It was quite terrifying what Onyx did to those men. Normal people, when they’re dropped into a hostile situation, take an instant to orientate themselves. Onyx didn’t. In the time the leader took to open his mouth, Onyx slammed a bolt of force into the mage on the left, spun and did the same thing to the one on the right, then sent a blast straight at the face of the one in the middle, who was just in the middle of getting out the word ‘who’. If the mage hadn’t jerked back, it would have broken his neck; as it was it took him off his feet. A heartbeat later Cinder and Khazad joined in, engaging the ones remaining.

While everyone else was fighting, I was running, sprinting up the curving stairs. Behind me I heard the roar of spells as the battle kicked off. It took me five seconds to reach the top landing, and for that instant I was completely exposed to the people below. But everyone was too busy to pay attention to me, and I made it to the top in one piece.

I was getting pretty familiar with the British Museum by now, and as I ran I could pick out the sounds behind me; the roar of Cinder’s fire magic, the flat slam of Onyx’s force spells, the chatter of the automatic weapons of the guards. An instant later there was an explosion and the chatter cut off abruptly. I knew that Onyx’s side was winning, and that I wouldn’t have much time before they caught me up. I reached the staircase leading to the statue room. There were no guards and I raced up the stairs. Calling out the password and passing through the barrier without a ripple. As soon as I was through I dived and rolled.

A hammer of earth magic whistled above me, passing through the space where my head would have been if I hadn’t taken the tumble. I came up from my roll and threw my hand towards the man standing by the entrance. ‘Griff, you idiot, it’s me! Seal the stairs!’

Griff had just started a backswing with a maul of grey-brown energy; he checked, halting his swing. ‘Verus?’ He stared. ‘How did you get in? The guards-’

‘They’re getting their asses kicked, and so will we if you don’t seal the stairs!’

‘There’s a barrier-’

‘Which you just saw me walk through!’

‘I’d have to collapse the-’

‘Then do it!’ I was getting desperate; I knew Onyx and Khazad were less than twenty seconds away. ‘We’re out of time!’

Griff hesitated for a heartbeat, then turned and made a fist. There was a rumble followed by a roar, and the floor shook as a section of the roof of the British Museum caved in, turning the stairwell behind the barrier into a shaft full of rubble. The barrier shivered slightly, but held. Dust flaked from the roof as I picked myself up. I couldn’t hear anything from the floor below. We were sealed off — for the moment.

‘Alex!’

I looked around and there was Luna, standing alone in the corner of the room, her eyes shining. I felt something in my chest loosen as I saw her. ‘You’re okay?’

‘I’m okay?’ Luna’s voice wavered. ‘What about you?’

I grinned. ‘Let’s catch up later.’ I pulled the cube from my pocket and threw it to her; Luna caught it in reflex. Someone else peeked out their head from behind the statue; it was Sonder, his eyes suddenly alight with interest. ‘Oh! A crystal key! It must have micro-fissures that match the pattern of the light beams. Um, Mr Verus, where did you-?’

‘Sonder, this isn’t really the time,’ I said as I got to my feet. ‘And I told you to call me Alex. Luna? Do it.’

Luna shook her head with a smile as if at some joke, and slotted the cube into the statue’s hand. It fit perfectly.

For a moment there was silence, then a gentle white light sprang up around the statue’s hand. Needle-thin beams of light sprang out from the fingers, reaching into the cube and, as they did, the cube responded. It glowed red and more beams of light appeared, starting in the cube’s centre and stretching out. The two sets of beams moved, playing up, down, left and right as if searching for something.

‘Sonder?’ I asked after a few seconds. ‘What are we seeing?’

‘It’s …’ Sonder stared at the cube, utterly fascinated. The red-and-white light sparkled and reflected off his glasses. ‘Of course! That’s why we could never get it to work!’

‘What is?’

‘The crystal’s responding to the interrogation. Look!’ Sonder pointed eagerly. One of the needle-like beams from the cube had intersected with one from the statue, and the two had merged and gone still. ‘They’re matching!’ Sonder said. ‘That’s the locking mechanism.’

‘It’d better open fast,’ Griff said sharply, cutting Sonder off. We turned to see that Griff had one hand pressed flat against the wall next to the barrier, and his eyes were narrowed. ‘You were right. Someone out there wants in.’

Now that we were looking, I could feel it: the distant crunch, crunch, crunch of force effects carving through rubble, the vibrations growing steadily stronger. ‘That would be Onyx,’ I said with a nasty sinking feeling.

‘How long is he going to be?’ Griff demanded of me.

‘If you strengthen that barrier … about eighty seconds.’

‘How long till the door opens?’

‘About seventy.’

Griff and Luna looked at each other, then Griff turned to the wall, his hand glowing with a pale brown light. There was a faint rumble as the stone reshaped itself, the rubble on the other side shifting and fusing into a dense blockade. Luna stood as close as she could to me, while Sonder waited on the other side.

One minute passed like an hour.

The booming sounds from behind us were clearly audible now, and they were causing the room to shake. Almost all of the lights from the cube and statue had intersected; only three had yet to fuse. I spoke quietly to Luna. ‘When the door opens, grab that cube and stick close to me. Take the right exit.’

Luna nodded. ‘Um,’ Sonder said hesitantly from the other side. ‘What should I do?’

‘I’d follow Luna,’ I said. ‘Unless you want to meet Onyx.’

Sonder swallowed. ‘I think I’ll stay with you if that’s okay.’

Another pair of light beams intersected, followed by another. ‘Five seconds,’ I said loudly. The booms from behind were like thunder now, and the floor was shaking with each one.

The last pair of beams matched. A pale light filled the room, and the statue seemed to fade, becoming something else. For one moment it was as though two things were stacked in the same location: the statue, glowing palely, and an arched doorway, leading into a wide chamber. ‘Go!’ I shouted, and ran. For an instant I was running through the statue, and there was a brief dizzying feeling as my eyes tried to process two sets of visual data at once, then I was through into an entrance hall with a domed roof, lit by dim flickering lights. Behind me Luna snatched the cube from the statue’s hand and ran after me, Sonder at her heels.

From behind I heard a thunderous crash and the crack of flying stone, followed an instant later by the boom of Griff’s earth magic. Suddenly the battle was in the statue room, and everything was chaos and darkness and fire. The gate was closing, fading, but too slowly, and I knew we had only seconds before the battle spilled through. I made it into the right-hand tunnel, hit something to my left, and a heavy door slammed behind us, cutting off sound and leaving us in pitch darkness.