Richard scares me more than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s not because he’s particularly cruel or sadistic—as far as that goes, Vihaela has him beaten on both counts—and he doesn’t have the invulnerability or connections of someone like Levistus. What frightens me about Richard is something much simpler. For most of my life, I’ve survived in a world of enemies bigger and stronger than me by being smarter than them. Richard is the one person I’ve never been able to outsmart.
“Alex,” Richard said. His voice was just as I remembered it, deep and commanding. “Sit.”
I did as I was told. When I’d met Richard a few years ago, he’d been patient, allowing me to set the tone of the conversation. This time was going to be different.
Richard sat in the armchair and clasped his hands. “I think it is time for you to learn exactly what has been going on.”
I managed to keep my voice steady. “I would appreciate that.”
Richard nodded. “Here is what will happen. I will talk, and you will listen. No comments or questions; you will have that opportunity later. Once you understand your position, I will ask you a question. Your answer to that question will have immediate and far-reaching consequences. As such, I recommend you pay close attention. Do you understand?”
My mouth was dry enough that I didn’t trust myself to speak. I nodded.
“Good,” Richard said. “I have been aware for many years that to fulfil my long-term plans, I would need additional resources. As you know, that decision eventually led me to the jinn, which in turn led me to the question of how to best harness their capabilities. I will not go into detail as to the research I conducted, nor the numerous dead ends. What matters is that after various failures, I decided that the crucial variable was the identity of the subject. As you are aware, jinn require a bearer—preferably a human—to utilise their wishes. The subject functions as a lens. If the lens is imperfect, the great majority of the jinn’s power is wasted. The more powerful the jinn, the greater the requirements on the bearer. And the jinn I was interested in was the most powerful of all.
“The requirements in question were specific. The subject had to be a powerful mage, possessed of both strength and skill. They had to be empathic, capable of partnering with the jinn in an emotional link. And they had to be strong-willed and ruthless. As you would expect, the last two requirements caused the greatest difficulty. Finding someone who satisfied one was easy; finding one who satisfied both was all but impossible. Until I came across an almost perfect subject.”
I felt cold. I knew where this was going.
“I was interested to learn that you and she had developed a relationship,” Richard said. “I doubt it was a coincidence. I suspect rather it was a case of assortative matching. You, after all, shared some of those traits too. Once I was prepared, I approached the two of you in Sagash’s shadow realm.
“I honestly do not think that either you or Anne fully understand just how much easier your lives would have been if you had accepted that offer four years ago. At a conservative guess, it would have deterred somewhere around eighty percent of your current enemies. You certainly wouldn’t have had to deal with that death sentence, nor the constant assassination attempts, and Anne’s bond with the jinn would have been made safely and under controlled conditions. But I told you at the time that it was a free choice, and I meant it. When you turned me down, I withdrew, though not without misgivings. I had no intention of allowing Anne to die, whether at the hands of Sagash and Crystal or anyone else.
“However, watching you together, something occurred to me. I’d noticed your protective manner towards your companion, and I remembered how the fate of that girl, Katherine, had been such a sticking point for you all those years ago. I could not protect Anne directly without raising suspicion—but you could. And so I decided, on that day, that you would be my agent in this matter. You would protect Anne in my stead, and because you did so of your own volition, you would be a far more motivated guardian than any mercenary.
“Of course, while you were protecting Anne, someone needed to be protecting you. That someone was me.” Richard smiled slightly. “I’ve been your guardian angel, Alex, though you may not appreciate it. On at least three occasions that you know of, and at least two that you do not, I’ve intervened to keep you alive. I’m sure you must be aware of it to some extent. You’re brave and resourceful, but do you really think that you would have survived this long on your own? Why do you think Morden went out on a limb to shield you? But anything you owed, you have more than repaid. Over and over again, you proved that you were the right choice. Sagash’s shadow realm, the pursuit following your death sentence, the Vault, those attacks on Anne’s home . . . even when those Crusader assassins abducted her two years ago. In that matter, I admit, I was in error. I’d considered the possibility of their moving against her, but I simply did not believe that they could be so stupid. But every time, when it most counted, you were there.
“Needless to say, I was never going to allow you or Anne to be executed by the Council. Once I learned that they were moving against you at Arachne’s lair, I prepared a response. We waited for them to expose themselves by bringing you outside the cave, then struck. I was sorry to hear of Arachne’s departure; I always found her a fascinating conversationalist. But to answer the question that is no doubt foremost in your thoughts, yes, Anne is safe. We extracted her along with you, and she is resting in this very building. You’ll have the opportunity to see her shortly.”
I wanted to see her sooner, but I held my tongue. Knowing that she was here made me feel a little better, but only a little. I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Which brings us to Anne and her current situation,” Richard said. “Quite simply, I need Anne as a host for the jinn. In many ways, she is perfectly prepared for the role. She’s honed her magical skills and power, and she has hosted it in the past. Their relationship has grown to the point where I believe she could fully utilise the jinn’s power. And believe me, that power is vast. The jinn that was bound within that ring is a marid, the sultan of all of the jinn in the waning days of their empire, and it was its binding by the master mage Suleiman that ended the war. It is one of the most powerful of its race ever to exist. However, without a human lens, that power is useless. Each time that Anne has called upon the jinn, the strength of their bond has grown, and its ability to act through her has increased. If she calls upon it once more, their connection will be complete. Its full power will be at her disposal.
“Which brings us to our problem. Currently, Anne is not willing to cooperate. You can see how this presents an issue. As you know, I prefer willing servants, but I have spent considerable resources on bringing Anne to this position, and my patience has limits. She will take up her place as host to the jinn. The only question is how.
“I can, of course, employ force. I can threaten Anne, or use mind magic to control her actions directly. However, both of these approaches come with undesirable side effects. I believe that to reach her full potential, Anne must complete her contract with the jinn of her own volition. And I believe the key to doing so lies with you.”
I blinked at that.
“I see you’re confused,” Richard said. “A blind spot, perhaps? Well, I believe it is important that you understand. Because this ties in very much with you. Have you considered why you are in this position now? Not here in this room, but your overall situation. If I released you right now, dropped you into the middle of London, how long do you think you would last before the Council picked you up? A week? Less? You are, right at this moment, one short step below me and Morden on the Council’s most-wanted list. They’re sending out bulletins as we speak, and come tomorrow, you will be unable to set foot in any city in Britain without drawing hunters. So I think you should take a moment to consider just how you have managed to sabotage your life and professional career so thoroughly.