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Chapter 9

I first met Richard in my last year of school, only a few days before my eighteenth birthday. Within a month I’d left school, left home, and moved into Richard’s mansion, the last apprentice of four. Richard is very good at being persuasive.

We studied magic in Richard’s mansion and were sent on missions together, but the lessons that really stuck in my memory weren’t to do with magic or fieldwork, but ways of thinking. I’d always been clever, but for most of my life I’d never really used it for anything, at least nothing practical. I’d thought of intelligence as an academic thing, not something you used in the real world. Richard showed me differently. Seeing patterns and predicting them, analysing people’s behaviour, looking multiple steps ahead . . . always thinking, always planning, never standing still. The other three threw themselves into their magic, and in raw power they left me further behind every day, but the biggest thing I learnt from Richard was that the mind can be a more powerful weapon than any spell. There were a hundred little tricks I learnt from watching him, and I remembered them all. It didn’t take me long to decide that I was better than Richard was. I was still a teenager, and like most teenagers I was sure I was smarter than my teachers. Richard might be good at planning, but I was a diviner.

A year after I moved into Richard’s mansion he sent us on a mission to Arizona, hunting down two kids our age, a girl and a boy. What happened to them both was ugly, and I started having second thoughts. After taking longer than I should have, I decided I was going to break the girl, Catherine, out from where Richard was keeping her prisoner. It never occurred to me that I could fail. I knew the mansion inside out, I knew the security systems, and I could predict where everyone was going to be. I had it all planned out.

It didn’t work.

I had a lot of time afterwards to think about what I’d done wrong. Looking back on things and picking up all the little details I’d missed, I realised that Richard had not only known what I’d been planning, he’d known pretty much everything that I’d been doing while I’d been at the mansion, all the little minor disobediences which I’d thought I’d been so clever in hiding. He’d let it slide, not because he hadn’t known, but because I hadn’t stepped far enough over the line.

Pain is an effective teacher. I learnt my lesson, and when I finally escaped the mansion, I did it at a time when Richard was too busy with his major plans to come after me himself. Instead he’d sent Tobruk. Tobruk was crueller and more sadistic than Richard, but for all his power he wasn’t dangerous in the same way. I tricked Tobruk and lured him into a trap, and he paid for it with his life. And then I kept running and hiding, waiting for Richard to come after me himself, and I knew that if he did then that would be the end, because while I could outsmart Tobruk I could never outsmart Richard. It took me a long time to realise that Richard wasn’t coming, and an even longer time to make myself believe it. I’d almost managed to convince myself that I’d never see him again.

Until now.

The castle was quiet. In the distance I could hear a bird calling, but here by the windmill the only sound was the rustle of the wind and the creak of the sails. I stood in the windmill’s doorway, half a step in front of Anne, the two of us staring down at the man on the grass. The moment stretched out.

“I’m glad to see you’re together,” Richard said. His voice was deep and powerful. The first few times I met Richard, that voice of his had always felt oddly jarring—you’d ignore him until he spoke, then all of a sudden he’d dominate the room. Once you got to know him better, you didn’t need the voice to remind you. “Why don’t you introduce me to your companion?”

“I . . .” Speaking was difficult; my voice sounded cracked and uneven. I took a breath and tried again. “This is Richard Drakh. My—teacher.”

I didn’t turn to look at Anne, but I felt her tense as she made the connection. “And you must be Anne Walker,” Richard said to her with a nod. He came to a halt and looked back to me with raised eyebrows, obviously waiting for me to speak.

I didn’t. My mind had gone blank and I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“No questions, Alex?” Richard said. He looked interested.

“How did you get here?” Anne said from over my shoulder. She was staring at Richard. “Did Sagash let you in?”

“A reasonable conclusion, but no. Sagash is occupied with his own research these days, and he tends not to react well to distractions.”

“Then . . . how did you get in? The shadow realm’s gate locked.”

“Yes, it is.”

I swallowed and Richard turned his attention to me. I had to take a breath before I could trust my voice to be steady enough. “Why are you here?”

“Now that is a more interesting question,” Richard said. “What do you think the answer is?”

“I think you’re here for me,” I said quietly.

Richard gave me a quizzical look. “Strictly true, I suppose, but why?”

“Because I turned against you,” I said. It was difficult to say out loud, but I wanted this out in the open. “That’s it, isn’t it? I betrayed you, so you gave me to Tobruk. Then when I got away, you sent him after me. Now you’re here to finish what Tobruk started.”

Silence. The wind blew across the grass. Richard studied me for a long moment; I held my breath, and I could feel Anne doing the same. If Richard chose to make a fight of it, I had no illusions that I’d survive. The most I could hope for would be that Anne might get away.

Then suddenly Richard smiled. “Alex. Not everything is about you.”

I stared at Richard. Whatever I’d been expecting, it hadn’t been that. “Did you really think I was here for revenge?” Richard asked. “What would I be taking revenge for?”

“I . . .” I didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t how I’d thought the conversation would go. “Catherine.”

“Catherine was a necessary component in my plans, and unfortunately she was not replaceable. You tried to remove her, and so I was forced to keep you confined. I wasn’t going to kill you, Alex. I simply removed you from the situation until you could no longer interfere.”

I stared at Richard. “As for Tobruk,” Richard continued, “I did not send him after you. In fact, I specifically ordered him not to pursue you, an order Tobruk chose to disregard. If he had survived, I would have been quite as upset with him as I was with you.” Richard tilted his head. “Does that answer your question? Let me put it another way. What significant harm have you ever done me that I would hold a grudge for?”

I didn’t know what to say. I’d been keyed up, ready for Richard to attack. Except . . . I’d never really thought about why. I’d been so caught up in how I felt towards Richard that I’d never thought about how he might feel towards me. I’d tried to rescue Catherine, and I’d failed. I’d tried to stop what was happening in Richard’s mansion, and I’d failed at that too. The four of us had ended up fighting and fleeing and dying until only one was left to take on the mantle of Richard’s Chosen . . . just as he’d wanted.

Richard was right—I had only been thinking about myself. I’d hated Richard, but why should Richard hate me? He’d won. When you crush your opponents that completely, you don’t carry a grudge against them afterwards.

“You’re playing with us,” Anne said abruptly.

I looked at her in surprise. Anne was standing to her full height, looking across at Richard. “Is this a threat? You found us, so unless we do what you want then you’ll tell them where we are?”

Richard looked back at her calmly. “What would you do if it was?”

I felt Anne tense. “No,” I said sharply. “Don’t.”

Anne hesitated, looking between us, and the moment was gone. “I did not come here to assist Sagash or his apprentices,” Richard said. “Your conflicts with them are no concern of mine.” He raised his eyebrows. “Unless you’d like to change that.”

“Then how did you find us?” Anne said slowly. “How did you know we were here?”

Richard glanced at me. “Alex?”

My thoughts were starting to work again. My mind still felt slow and clumsy, but I forced myself to think. “He’s not working with Sagash,” I said, half to Anne, half to myself. Richard didn’t lie—that was one of the things which made him so dangerous. He might leave things out, but if he said something directly, then you knew he was telling the truth. Either that, or he was just good enough never to get caught. “He found out some other way.” Richard had said that he was here for me, or partly so. Who had known I was looking for Anne? My friends, Sonder, Caldera . . . and the mages I’d spoken to at the Tiger’s Palace. Ordith, Meredith . . . Morden. Arachne had linked Morden’s name to Richard, and he’d said . . .

“Morden,” I said. I felt Anne look towards me, and I turned my head just far enough that I could see her without taking my eyes off Richard. “I saw him the day before I came. He told me to forget about you, that he’d find you and take care of it.” I looked back at Richard. “He told you and you tracked us here . . .”

Richard gave me a single nod, the same gesture he’d always used when one of us had gotten something right. I felt a moment’s satisfaction, followed by a chill. Was I trying to show off for Richard? That was insane. Within minutes of seeing him I was falling back into my old habits, apprentice to master.

That actually scared me more than seeing him did.

“You’re here for me,” Anne said, and there was a new note to her voice, tense.

“More accurately, for both of you,” Richard said. “I’d like to offer you a position in my organisation.”

There was a dead silence. “You’ve got to be kidding,” I said. My mouth was dry.

“Not in the least,” Richard said calmly. “As I expect you’re aware, I’ve been quite busy since my return, and I’m somewhat understaffed. It’s so difficult to find competent diviners. Life mages as well. You’d be working under me or my associates, primarily on political or investigative assignments. Similar to your freelance work for the Council, though I can promise considerably more support and benefits.”

I felt a chill at the word investigative. Talisid. But Anne was already answering, and her voice was flat. “I’ve had a Dark master already.”

“I am aware,” Richard said. “However, I am not Sagash. I am only interested in willing servants.”

“Maybe you’re not Sagash,” Anne said. “But I’ve heard what happened to your last set of apprentices.”

“Ah,” Richard said. “I suspect we have a misunderstanding. The Council may have assigned you to their apprentice program, but quite frankly I think that reflects their own prejudices. I’d be happy to arrange instruction, but I believe treating you as an apprentice would undervalue your abilities. The position I was offering you was that of a mage.”

Anne stopped at that. “And if we say no?” I said.

“You mean, what will I do?” Richard said. “Nothing.”

“Then leave,” I said. It came out harsher than I’d wanted it to sound. “The answer’s no.”

“If that’s your decision,” Richard said. “Although there is more to my offer.”

“There’s nothing you can offer that would make me work for you again.” I managed to keep my voice under control, but just barely. I’d been ready for a fight, but even the suggestion that I’d willingly go back to him . . .

“In which case you can say no once again, and that’ll be the end of the matter. I do, however, strongly recommend that you hear me out. You may find it changes your opinions.”

I opened my mouth and felt Anne touch my side. It was only a brush of her fingers, but I got the message. With an effort I stayed quiet.

“Excellent,” Richard said. He didn’t look at all bothered that I’d said no. “There are two additional points to my offer I would like to make. Firstly, as a member of my organisation, you would both fall under my protection. I imagine both of you have your share of enemies. I think you will find they would be far less willing to provoke me.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Except that we’d pick up all of your enemies too. No thanks.”

“And secondly, I would be willing to assist you with your more immediate problems.”

Here it comes.

“You appear to be unwilling guests in this shadow realm,” Richard said. “I can address that problem. In addition”—he glanced at Anne—“I can ensure nothing similar happens in the future.”

Anne reacted slightly. “You escaped from Sagash once,” Richard said. “And in doing so, you proved both your ability and strength of will. However, as you can see, Sagash’s power vastly dwarfs yours. You and Variam both have to be aware that should Sagash ever devote his full resources towards recapturing you, you would have very little chance of escape. So far he has not, but at any point that could change. Do you really want to live the rest of your life with that hanging over you? I have some leverage with Sagash, and unlike the Light Council, I can negotiate with him on equal terms. If you join me, I can guarantee as a condition of your employment that neither Sagash nor his apprentices will come after you ever again.”

I couldn’t help myself; I turned to look at Anne. She hesitated, her eyes flickering from me back to Richard, and I knew she was torn. It was one of the things Richard had always been so good at: finding what someone most wanted and offering it to them.

Richard was still speaking. “And then, of course, there’s your current situation. You and Alex are in very immediate danger. I entered this shadow realm, and I can bring you out the same way, quickly and safely. If you decline my offer, I will not harm you, but I will not help you either. You will be left to resolve this problem alone.”

Anne still hesitated, and I held my breath. I wanted to urge her not to do it but I knew I couldn’t. Staying here could mean our death. I was willing to risk that rather than go with Richard, but I couldn’t make that decision for Anne. If she said yes . . .

The futures shifted . . . and steadied. “You’re right,” Anne said, and her voice was clear. “We did escape from Sagash once.” She looked at Richard. “We can do it again.”

I let out a long breath. “As I understand, it took you some time,” Richard said.

“Except this time it’s not Sagash,” Anne said. “You said it yourself. Sagash hasn’t come after me. It’s just his apprentices, and I can beat them. We’ll find a way.”

“His apprentices, yes. They are, however, not alone.”

“Give it up,” I said. I felt confident now. Richard had taken his best shot, and it had failed. I didn’t know why Richard was limiting himself like this, but as long as he was going to rely on persuasion we had the advantage. “You wanted an answer; she gave you one.”

“There are, however, some facts neither of you are as yet aware of,” Richard said. “You may have succeeded in evading the notice of your pursuers, but this has been because so far they have primarily focused on guarding the exits. As of today, they have progressed to searching for you more directly.”

“So they’re looking for us. That’s not news.”

“Don’t place too much faith in this shadow realm’s shroud,” Richard said. “Anne may have stayed hidden so far, but she will not remain so forever. If you stay here, Sagash’s apprentices will find you. Very soon.”

“We’ll take our chances.”

“Alex?” Richard said. “When I said ‘very soon,’ I didn’t mean ‘later today.’”

I started to answer and paused. Richard was waiting, his hands clasped behind his back, and it was easy to look ahead. I could see movement, a lot like—

Oh shit.

There was movement at the edge of my vision. I looked up at where the castle battlements were silhouetted against the skyline and saw a black shape. One of Sagash’s shadow constructs. A moment later a second appeared.

Down at ground level, more shadows were emerging from archways: three, four, seven. They moved with a strange loping gait, white eyes glowing from within fuzzy darkness, quicker than something of that size should be. They took up positions on the grass, surrounding the windmill. Three moved to encircle Richard, arms hanging loose as they stared at him with empty eyes.

The shadows kept coming, moving out onto the grass, and now people were walking out with them. Darren, black clothes and dark skin blending into the shadows beside him. His eyes narrowed at me before switching back to Richard. The lightning mage, Sam, was close behind him, spreading out to cover Darren’s flank. Finally there was the Korean girl, Ji-yeong. She broke away from the other two at the first opportunity, hands hanging near the hilts of her swords.

Sagash’s apprentices came to a halt. The three of them formed a rough group, Darren and Sam close, Ji-yeong a little farther away. The shadows were scattered around, and I did a quick count. There were twelve: ten on the ground, two on the battlements. I could feel Anne’s tension from behind me. Richard stood between us and the apprentices, head turned to watch Darren and Sam. Between them and the shadows, he was close to being surrounded. The three groups—Anne and me, Sagash’s apprentices, and Richard—formed a triangle, almost perfectly equilateral. There was a silence, and I held my breath.

“Who the fuck are you?” Darren said, looking at Richard.

“Darren, wasn’t it?” Richard said. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Ji-yeong spoke from the other side, looking at the lightning mage, Sam. “Didn’t you say there were two of them?”

“Not now, all right?” Sam said.

“Only two used the gates, Anne and Verus,” Ji-yeong said. “That was what you said, right? Because I’m counting three.”

“I said not now.”

“Children,” Richard said, with a note of authority which made all three apprentices turn to look. “The three of us are having a conversation. I’ll deal with your queries later.”

Sagash’s apprentices stared at him. Sam seemed about to speak, but Darren cut him off. “You know where you are?”

Richard sighed. “I understand you have your obligations, but—”

“You know where you are?” Darren said again. “You’re in our shadow realm. You have one good reason we shouldn’t beat the shit out of you right now?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t,” Richard said. “I have a prior relationship with Sagash.”

“Oh, you’re friends with Sagash. Funny how everyone’s his friend as soon as we catch them.”

“You misunderstand,” Richard said, and his voice was calm. “My relationship with Sagash is a professional one. As a matter of courtesy, I would prefer not to kill his apprentice in his own shadow realm.”

Darren stared. “Who are you?” Sam asked.

“My name is Richard Drakh,” Richard said.

Sam stared at him, then spoke to Darren without looking at him. “Darren? Back off.”

“Why—”

There was an edge to Sam’s voice. “Back the fuck off.”

Richard looked at Ji-yeong. “And you?”

Ji-yeong studied Richard for a second, then pointed at Darren and Sam. “I’m not with them.”

“Good. Sam, was it? You have someone you should be reporting this to. I think it’ll save time if I deal with her directly.”

Sam stared at Richard, then lifted something from a pocket and spoke quietly. I’d been watching, seeing the futures shift between standing and talking and quickly terminated flashes of violence, but now I strained to look ahead. Who’s he talking to? Sam finished whatever he was saying and straightened up. No one was talking, and for a second I had a clear look through the futures. There was one more person coming, and it was—

I felt my heart sink with a kind of weary disbelief. Oh, come on. Not now. This isn’t fair.

Footsteps echoed from the next courtyard over, and only a few seconds later a woman appeared in the archway, gold hair bright in the darkness. It had been a year and a half since I’d seen her, and she looked quite different from how I remembered. Gone were the cream-coloured suits and the high heels; instead she wore a simple grey-and-brown outfit designed more for practicality than for fashion. The confidence was still there, though, and her sculpted features were as distinctive as ever. Before she’d looked like an aristocrat; now she looked like an aristocrat-turned-guerrilla. She came to a stop behind Darren and Sam, watching Richard.

“Mage Drakh,” Crystal said.

“Mage Crystal,” Richard replied.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Crystal said, “but I have some business with those two.” She ignored us both completely.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait your turn.”

“I think I’ve waited long enough,” Crystal said. Her voice was clear and there was something to it that gave me a chill. She didn’t look at Anne.

“My interest predates yours.”

“I know Verus was your apprentice,” Crystal said. “I could be persuaded to leave him alone.”

“Crystal,” Richard said. “I appreciate your efforts to come to a compromise. But please do not attempt to be heavy-handed. You do not have the power to even effectively pretend to threaten me. Anything you receive from me will be on my terms.”

Crystal was silent. She didn’t move, but I saw the futures flicker. Just for a second I saw a flash of combat, there and gone before I could catch any details. “Now,” Richard said. “I have no intention of involving myself in your affairs with Sagash. Once I’ve finished with Verus and with Anne, I will be leaving.”

“Alone?” Crystal asked.

Richard raised his eyebrows. “That depends on them.” And he turned back to us.

All of a sudden everyone was looking at us—Richard and Crystal, Darren, Sam, and Ji-yeong, the scattered shadows with their soulless white eyes—and I felt an ugly, sick feeling in my stomach. This was bad, very bad. Right now, Richard was the only thing holding Crystal and the apprentices back. The instant he left they were going to attack, and we were going to lose. Even against just Sagash’s apprentices and their constructs, our odds would be bad. With Crystal as well . . .

“This is it?” Anne said quietly, and I knew she’d figured it out as well. “This is the deal? If we don’t join you, you leave us to them?”

“I did not bring you to this shadow realm,” Richard said. “Nor am I the cause of your problems with Sagash. I can help, but there is a price.”

“If you want to help us, then help!”

Richard shook his head. “No handouts, Anne. If you want my protection, you have to earn it.”

Crystal and the apprentices were still watching, silent and hungry. Is there anything we can do with that? “You know,” I said, “it’s going to be really hard for us to accept your offer if that lot kill us.”

“True.”

“So how about we do this a different way? You get rid of them, and we’ll talk terms.”

“I don’t think so,” Richard said. He sounded amused.

“There might be something—”

“Alex,” Richard said. “I’m glad you haven’t lost your ability to think on your feet. But remember who taught you those tricks.”

Crap. Okay, so much for that plan. “You know, for someone who’s trying a recruitment pitch, you aren’t selling this very well.”

“Then let’s bring this to a close,” Richard said. “The offer stands. Your service for . . . two years, shall we say? That seems a reasonable span. If you agree, you’ll receive appropriate compensation and benefits. I’m not ungenerous. If you refuse . . .” He shrugged. “I won’t harm you, but I will not save you, either. I do suggest you consider the consequences carefully before answering. I expect you could probably find your way out, Alex, one way or another.” He shifted his gaze to Anne. “You, on the other hand . . . for all your power, I doubt you’d leave this castle again. Nor would your remaining days be pleasant.”

Anne didn’t speak. Crystal didn’t either. She was watching Anne with a flat, unblinking look.

“Well, then,” Richard said when we didn’t answer. “I do have other commitments. I’ll give you five minutes to make your decision, then I’ll take my leave. Crystal, we should talk.” He walked to where Crystal was standing, weaving between the shadows without seeming to pay them any particular attention. Darren and Sam turned to stare as he passed, then looked back at us. Crystal stood her ground and Richard came to a stop beside her.

Anne and I were left alone with what felt like an entire army watching us. “Um,” Anne said. Her voice was under control, but only just, and she didn’t take her eyes away from the figures menacing us. “Alex? Don’t take this the wrong way, but please tell me you have some ideas.”

“I was about to ask you that.”

“Oh.”

My eyes scanned the area, looking for weak points. “We could wait for Richard to leave, then make a break for it,” I said. The bulk of the shadows were on the grass, between us and the apprentices and the ground-level exits. Up on the battlements, two more shadows stood on a path cut into the castle walls, thirty or forty feet from the ground. The path joined to the windmill via the bridge and disappeared at the other end through an open doorway into a round-topped tower. “Up and out through the roof, over the bridge, past those shadows to the door in the corner. If we can make it through into that tower, we can break line of sight long enough to get some distance on them. Try and lose them in the castle.”

Anne didn’t look up. “Do you think that’ll work?”

I was silent for a second. “No.”

“I can’t fight that many shadows,” Anne said. “I can’t even fight one.”

“I know,” I said. Near the castle wall, Richard and Crystal were talking quietly. With my mage’s sight I could pick out some sort of field around them, probably an eavesdrop ward. Darren was still watching us, and so was Ji-yeong. Two minutes gone.

Anne took a breath. “What would Richard do if we said yes?”

“No,” I said. “Don’t even think about it.”

“I don’t want to! But what else are we going to do?”

“Anything!”

“Even if he’s a Dark mage . . . I’m more afraid of Sagash than I am of Richard.”

“If you knew him, you wouldn’t be,” I said. The old dread was back, gnawing at me. Richard was speaking quietly to Crystal. I was terrified that he’d feel my gaze, that he’d look up and meet my eyes and . . . what? I didn’t know. All I know was that the thought of going back to him was worse than anything I could imagine.

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know.”

Anne hesitated. “What if we . . . left?” Her voice was lower still; she didn’t look towards Richard and Crystal. “Pretended to go with him. Then once we were out of this castle, we could—”

“That would be worse,” I said. I’d thought of that already . . . for about two seconds. “Richard doesn’t lie, not so you can tell. But if you make a deal with him, and break it . . . I did it once. Just once.”

Anne turned to me, and a startled look crept into her eyes. “You’re scared of him.”

“More than anything in the world.”

“Why?” There was frustration in Anne’s voice, now. “I told you what happened to me, when I was caught here. If we stay . . . What could be worse than that?”

“I don’t— Look—” I felt clumsy, weak. Every instinct I had was screaming against going with Richard, but I couldn’t find the words. “You don’t know what it was like. What Richard can do. This is what he does. He finds what you want the most, offers it on a plate. And the price is you. You say yes, he owns you.”

“I know it’ll be bad,” Anne said quietly. “I lived with Sagash and with Jagadev. I’m still here.”

“You’ll be alive. You just won’t be the same.” I looked at Anne. “You’re a good person. I believe that, even if you don’t. But if you go with him . . . you won’t be. Not by the end.”

Anne looked back at me, and this time she didn’t answer. Seconds ticked away. I could feel Darren and Sam’s eyes on us, wolves eyeing their prey. We had maybe a minute left.

“All right,” Anne said. “You choose.”

“You mean—”

“For both of us.” Anne didn’t take her eyes away. “You’re right. I don’t know what Richard’s like, but you do. You gave me some advice, the night before I came here, and I didn’t listen.” Anne took a breath. “So this time I will. You’re better at working out the odds than I am. If we want to get out of this, what should we do?”

“I don’t know any way of getting out of this!” My voice was harsh. “Our odds suck both ways!”

Anne looked at me steadily. “Then tell me which one sucks less.”

I hesitated.

If I’d been alone, I’d have said no in an instant. I figured my chances of breaking away from Crystal and the apprentices were okay. Not great, but okay. Not the sort of gamble I like, but when the alternative was going back to Richard, it wasn’t even a choice. Compared to that, risking death sounded just fine.

But it wasn’t just my death I’d be risking. Taking your life into your own hands is one thing. Taking someone else’s life . . .

I looked down at Anne. She was looking back at me, slim and quiet and trusting, and my imagination showed me a vivid picture of everything Crystal would do if she caught her. When Vitus had tried to use Anne for his ritual, he’d cut her throat. Crystal hadn’t had as much time to practice. She’d be slower, more experimental. It wouldn’t be either merciful or quick.

If I said no, and the worst happened . . . I’d been responsible for those deaths last year and it had been as much as I could bear. If Anne ended up dead as well, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to live with myself afterwards.

What would happen if I told Richard yes?

Then Crystal and the apprentices wouldn’t matter anymore. We’d follow Richard out of here, let him gate us away to . . . what? I didn’t know and I was afraid to find out, but I’d survived time after time by making use of those more powerful than me. Was this really any different?

Yes. I couldn’t manipulate Richard, but he could manipulate me. If I went back I’d be his tool again. I’d spent more than ten years trying to escape Richard’s shadow. The thought of going back was a horror.

But if I said no, I might be sacrificing us both.

The silence stretched out, seeming to sharpen, waiting. The birds outside had fallen silent and the only noise was the rustle of the wind. Richard was finishing up his talk with Crystal, their voices inaudible behind the ward, while a dozen pairs of eyes watched us. I felt as though I were balanced on a razor’s edge. The choice was a horrible one. Go back to the one person in the world I most feared and hated, or risk my life and Anne’s to a fate I couldn’t see any way to avoid.

Richard turned away from Crystal and walked back towards us, stopping at the edge of the pond. Distantly, a corner of my mind noticed that a couple of white feathers were still floating on the water’s surface. It had been no more than an hour since I’d seen the fox. How had things gone so wrong so fast? “Well, then,” Richard said. “Have you made your decision?”

Anne didn’t answer. I hesitated, teetering on the brink. Before me, I could see the two paths opening up. I didn’t know what to do.

Then in that moment of stillness, a memory came back to me, a vision of something which had happened a long time ago. A stone chapel beneath the surface of the earth, two apprentices before an altar, one awake and the other dying. Richard walking a slow circle around them, his voice hypnotic, seductive. The apprentice had listened, been given everything she’d wanted . . . and it had been the worst choice she’d ever made.

I didn’t know which decision was worse. All I knew was that I wasn’t going to make the same mistake that Rachel had.

I met Richard’s eyes. Somehow I managed to keep my voice steady. “The answer’s no.”

Richard looked back at me, head tilted slightly. My muscles were tense, locked. “Well,” Richard said. “I wish you the best of luck.” He gave us both a nod. “Until next time.” He turned and walked away.

Leaving us alone with Crystal and her army.

The temperature seemed to drop as Richard disappeared into one of the archways. Violence loomed in the futures ahead, growing closer and closer, and I took in the stances of the three apprentices. Darren was staring at me as though trying to bore his eyes through my skull. He obviously hadn’t forgotten our last meeting; he’d go for me at the first opportunity. Ji-yeong was standing back, swords still in their sheaths. Up close she would be the most dangerous, but she also seemed the least committed to the fight. Sam was watching Anne, and I knew that unlike Darren, his focus would be on her rather than me. But it was Crystal I was most afraid of, standing on the grass and looking after Richard, apparently ignoring us. She was the most powerful of the four by far, and she was a mind mage. Her defensive magic was weak, and Anne and I would have been able to take her easily if she’d been alone, but as long as she could stay behind the shadows and the apprentices she could just keep hitting us with mental attacks over and over again and we wouldn’t be able to do a thing to fight back.

In the courtyard beyond, Richard’s footsteps faded from earshot. I knew we had only seconds. “You don’t want to be working for Crystal,” I told the apprentices. “If she—”

Crystal spoke over me. “Take them both.”

And all hell broke loose.

Darren and Sam fired at the same time. Darren’s spell was death magic, negative and kinetic energy woven together into a bolt of darkness, while Sam’s was a blue-white flash of lightning, there and gone in an instant, travelling flat across the earth in a path real lightning could never follow.

I’d already started my jump back, catching Anne by the arm and pulling her with me. The black-and-white bolts split the air where we’d been a second ago and the crack of the discharge hammered my ears, stone dust filling the room.

By backing off we’d broken their line of sight; we had about five seconds before they made it to the door. Anne was already running for the stairs, cat-quick, as I pulled a pair of golden discs from one pocket. Two flicks of my wrist sent them bouncing to either side of the doorway, then I was running after Anne, taking the steps two at a time. Two steps, four, six, eight, and I heard running footsteps from behind. Without turning, I called out the command word for the discs.

Magic flared behind me, a wall of force coming into existence to block the entrance to the windmill. An instant later Darren slammed into it, the thud muffled through the barrier. I didn’t look back to see how much damage I’d done. Up.

Ground floor, first floor, second. My heart was racing, feet hammering the stone. Crystal could sense us through the walls; she’d know what we were doing now and it would all come down to who was faster. Anne held back at the ladder, letting me take the lead, and I scrambled up, wooden rungs under my hands turning brighter in the light until I came out onto the roof of the windmill, wind buffeting my clothes and hair.

There was a shadow there, wings unfurled, and it reached for me. They’d sent it to block us in, but just an instant too late. I ducked under the arm, slammed the point of my dispelling focus into its torso, and felt the spell discharge into the construct’s body. The shadowy figure shuddered and came apart, disintegrating into black smoke as it fell towards the grass below. I felt Anne’s presence behind me as I darted across the bridge, towards the wall and our way out, taking in the situation at a glance.

One more shadow on the wall ahead, three more in the air, wings flapping as they headed towards us. Darren was down by the door trying to smash his way through the forcewall; I couldn’t see Crystal or Ji-yeong but Sam was up on the wall ahead and to the left, blocking the tower door that was our way out, lining up a shot. I didn’t know how he’d gotten up to our level so fast, but it was too late to change the plan. I charged.

Darren and Sam saw the movement and reacted, but if there’s one thing divination magic is good for, it’s dodging attacks. I saw the bolts coming, skimmed past the futures in which I was hit to pick one of the handful where I wasn’t. Electricity and death magic cut the air with a crack, hitting the spot where I would have been if I hadn’t broken stride, and then I was over the bridge and onto the wall and facing the shadow. Constructs are strong, tireless—and predictable. I let its first grab fall short, closed under the second, caught the shadow’s arm, my fingers sliding over the weird alien texture, spongy and dry and smelling of dust-bones-ash, then I was twisting it around to block a third deathbolt from Darren below. The shadow jerked as the kinetic energy ripped through it and I kicked its body off the wall, smoke trailing from the hole in its torso as it went tumbling down. And then I was alone on the ramparts with Sam, solid wall to my right and a sheer drop to my left to the grass below.

Sam stood his ground. It was the first time I’d gotten a good look at the lightning apprentice, and as I closed the distance I had what felt like a long moment to study him: slim and quick-looking, blond hair combed back, blue eyes nervous but not afraid enough to run. He threw another lightning bolt and I had to throw myself into a roll this time as the blue-white energy flashed out from his hands, electricity stinging my shoulder and leg as I came back up. My hand was going to the hilt of my knife but a spread of futures flashed before my eyes, electricity leaping down the metal blade and into my skin, and I changed motions mid-draw. The shock shield came up around Sam at the last instant, crackling white, but it was my armoured forearm that slammed into him and the spell-mesh absorbed the discharge. Sam went staggering back, teetering on the edge of the drop, and I moved in to finish him.

And everything went wrong.

A mental blow hit me. I’d been bracing myself for an attack from Crystal ever since we came up into view, but this wasn’t the domination attempt I’d been anticipating, it was a blast of pure psychic force. I had an instant’s warning, then the attack was hammering into my mental defences, raking my thoughts. I felt Sam readying another attack and twisted right on instinct, but this time he didn’t send lightning, he turned into lightning, and with a crack and a smell of ozone he was gone from in front of me, leaving only a purple afterimage. Another deathbolt from Darren went hissing past and I could hear the wingbeats of shadows, only seconds away. All of a sudden we’d lost our momentum.

Behind me, Anne was duelling Sam. He’d re-formed on the wall next to her, and she managed to catch him before he could get out of reach. Green light flickered and Sam staggered, but it had been a stun spell, not meant to kill. I felt the surge of another mental attack, and this time it wasn’t aimed at me. Anne reeled and Sam braced against the wall, levelled a hand at her while she was still disoriented, and hit her in the chest with a lightning bolt from five feet away, blasting her right off the wall and into space. I froze for a second, shock and terror jumping through me as her wide eyes met mine, then she was falling, thirty-five feet straight down to the ground below, hitting the grass with a thump.

Shit! I started to turn back but the shadows were landing on the wall now, one ahead and one behind, and I had to duck away. Dispel focus wasn’t recharged. Below, Anne was struggling to rise; Crystal was striding across the grass towards her and she hit her with something else, making Anne’s head jerk back. Three shadows landed around Anne and began punching downwards, their movements mechanical, steady. Anne disappeared in a sea of rising and falling blows.

With a snarl I got my knife into the first shadow, ripped it open from stomach to chest. Black smoke billowed out but it only bashed me backwards, nearly sending me into the claws of the second. Crystal was hitting Anne again, Darren was circling for a clear shot, and I knew with a sudden ugly sickening feeling that we’d lost. Three more shadows were flapping closer, blocking my route to Sam, who was charging a spell behind them. The only route left was the doorway behind me at the end of the battlements, and in a few more seconds that too would be blocked.

I turned and ran, dodging past the last shadow to sprint out of sight into the darkness.

I fled through the castle, and the apprentices followed.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in combats over the years, and most of that time has been spent on running away. It’s an underrated combat strategy with some very definite advantages. It does admittedly carry the risk of being shot in the back, but generally speaking most people can’t aim and run at the same time, which means that once they decide to chase you, attacks mostly come out of the equation and it becomes a contest of speed and information, which suits me just fine. It can actually get kind of fun after a while, as long as you’re faster than the other guy. All the excitement of a fight, none of the worry about having your internal organs carved out.

But leaving someone behind while you run away is horrible. I haven’t had to do it often—one of the few bright sides of not having many friends—but I hate it. Every step you take is a reminder that you’re getting that much farther from the person behind you. Logically, I knew that running was the only real option and that Anne had been lost as soon as she’d fallen from that wall—if I’d stayed behind there was no way I’d have been able to get her out, and they’d have gotten me too. But knowing all that didn’t make me feel any less of a coward, and it didn’t stop the creeping mixture of fear and anger and shame. All I could do was jam a lid on it to shut it out, and focus on staying alive.

I ran northeast, deeper into the castle. From glances through the futures, I knew that both Darren and Ji-yeong were after me, with Sam a little behind. Crystal wasn’t coming, and I knew why—she’d already gotten what she wanted. In a straight fight, without the advantage of surprise, I could take out maybe one of the apprentices, two if I was very lucky. Three wasn’t even worth thinking about. I needed to string them out.

My feet pounded on flagstones, dust flying up from the ancient courtyards, flitting from shadow to light. The castle seemed to watch me as I ran, silent and indifferent, just one more actor on an endless stage. The futures shifted, and I knew one of the elemental mages was gating ahead to try to cut me off. Darren—no, Sam. I switched course, angling southeast. By the time Sam’s gate completed and he stepped out onto the tower he’d been meaning to ambush me from, I was far out of sight. He tried another gate, and I turned northeast again, and this time he didn’t manage to pick up the trail. The futures in which I met Sam thinned and faded.

Three or four shadows were still in the air above. They flew slower than I could run, but they didn’t have to worry about walls and I was having trouble shaking them. From their movements it looked as though they’d been ordered to follow me. There was a cross-shaped building to my right and I changed direction to run inside.

The interior was cool and dark, with a trace of dampness in the air. Giant machines of wood and rusting metal stood silent in the gloom. I knew the constructs would be hovering above, waiting for me to come into view, and I leant against the wall, breathing hard. My chest and limbs were burning as I scanned ahead. Four exits on this floor—no, five. All led out into the open. Darren and Ji-yeong would be here in about three minutes, tracking the hovering shadows to the building below. I needed something that would give me cover—there. Two sets of stairs leading down into the darkness. On the left path the futures grew cluttered and tangled, but on the other my future self kept going. I turned right.

The stairs led down into a vast cavern of sandy-coloured rock. Water filled the level below, forming a vast natural reservoir, waterwheels and cisterns groaning and creaking in the gloom. From up ahead I could see daylight shining from two wide openings. I jogged along the edge of the reservoir and came out into dazzling sunlight.

I’d arrived on the eastern cliffs, on the edge of the castle’s bedrock. No sheer drop this time; narrow walkways and bridges were layered down towards the ocean, flat levels like a giant’s staircase. Below and to the north, pathways wound their way to cave mouths, black dots against the brown-and-yellow rock, and I started running down towards them.

I was most of the way there when I sensed the shadows returning, and I had just enough time to get under cover before the black dots reappeared far above. They circled, ranging left and right as I stayed hidden. They couldn’t see me as long as I stayed here, but the overhang I was using stretched only a little way and as soon as I turned down onto the next flight of steps I’d be in view again.

Minutes ticked by. The shadows overhead wheeled and turned. I was covered in sweat; my heart was thumping and heat was pouring off the stone. The air was fresh and smelt of salt, the cries of gulls echoing from far below. Looking ahead, I couldn’t see any way of moving without drawing the shadows’ attention—all I could do was wait and hope they guessed wrong about which way I’d gone.

Slowly, the shadows’ pattern changed. Now only two were staying out over the cliff; the others were moving back west. I looked into the futures of what would happen if I went out . . . good news and bad. The good news was that I’d managed to split them up again. Only one of the apprentices was coming down the path towards me.

The bad news was that it was the one out of the three I least wanted to pick a fight with.

The staircases and bridges built into the cliff face blocked any direct line of sight, but the shadows could see me from the air. If I made a break for it I could probably get away—at least in the short term—but I’d probably draw the attention of one of the others and that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. I stayed where I was, using my magic to scout out the ground on which I’d be fighting.

The ledge I was standing on was a long shelf of yellow bricks, about three quarters of the way down the cliff, the stones old and chipped but stable. I was hiding behind a row of eight square pillars which supported the next level up of the cliff architecture, while behind me a wooden footbridge crossed a gap to another platform and the stairs down. The stairs led down to another path which twisted and doubled back underneath; the drop to the level below was forty feet straight down and sheer, as was becoming irritatingly common in this place. It wouldn’t have killed them to put in a few railings. The main expanse from the pillars to the ledge was thirty feet wide, giving room to move as long as you didn’t get too close to the edge . . . I touched the life ring in my pocket. If I went over, I’d have maybe a second to break that before I hit the stone.

Just as with Anne, I could tell the moment I came within lifesight range. The futures of contact paused, shifting, then the shadows changed direction, coming flapping down to land between me and the bridge, blocking my way forward.

I abandoned my cover, walking out into the middle of the open ledge. Sunlight washed over me, the heat already beginning to dry the sweat on the exposed skin at my hands and face. The only sound was the whine of the wind and the crash of the waves on the rocks below. Behind, the two shadows were fuzzy black patches in the sunlight, white eyes expressionless. Glancing through the futures, I knew they’d been ordered to block me in. They wouldn’t attack—yet.

A figure appeared from the way I’d come, moving at an unhurried walk. The swords at her belt swung slightly as she descended the stairs. Once she was forty feet away, she stopped and the two of us watched each other.