‘Any idea what happened here?’ asked Hirad.
Ilkar shook his head. ‘There are a couple more bodies of guards back there but nothing’s been touched. What I don’t get is that those dead around the stone had to be mercenaries, and I’m certain they wouldn’t be hired by the Wrethsires.’
‘So you’re saying they weren’t defending the stone?’ asked Denser.
‘Well, no, I mean, it’s still here, isn’t it?’
‘Does it matter?’ asked Will. ‘Let’s just grab it and go.’ He was standing right over the case.
‘Don’t touch it!’ snapped Denser. ‘Sorry, Will. We haven’t checked it for traps or wards yet.’
‘I thought you said they had nothing to do with mana,’ said Will.
‘They don’t. But you can hire it in if you want to.’ Denser took in Erienne and Ilkar with a glance. ‘Shall we?’
The mages tuned to the mana spectrum and examined the plinth and its case. It was a brief investigation.
‘It’s clean of mana traps,’ said Erienne.
‘And what about the Wrethsires’ own magic?’ asked The Unknown, taking a pace back into the Temple.
Denser huffed. ‘They have no static magic capability.’
‘You’re sure?’ said Hirad.
‘There’s nothing over the stone,’ said Denser deliberately.
‘Nothing we can detect, anyway,’ said Ilkar.
‘All right,’ said Hirad. ‘Are we secure?’
The Unknown nodded, turning back to the path outside. Will hunched low over the case, examining its edges and panels, barely even letting his breath fall on it. The rest of The Raven stood in loose formation, watching, Thraun smiling to see Will’s hands so steady.
‘It’s sealed, not trapped as far as I can see. Access is through the top, or do you want me to smash it?’
‘No,’ said Denser. ‘We can’t risk damaging it in any way. Take your time and lift the lid. If even a shard of glass were to scratch its surface, it would affect Dawnthief.’
Will inclined his head and fished out his tools. He sorted through the intricate pieces and selected a flat-headed wedge of metal, which he inserted gently into the seal of the case lid.
There was a whispering in the Temple. A breeze blew from nowhere, taking the doors and slamming them, the sound reverberating through the building. The Unknown was caught a glancing blow. He staggered but kept his feet. The braziers blew out, leaving only Erienne’s globe to light them. Shadows fled up the walls, cutting across the masks of the statues and accentuating their height. They loomed into the Temple, threatening. Beyond the limit of the globe, the darkness closed in and the light seemed weak against it, like a child pushing on a heavy door, never quite able to force it right open.
The whispering gained in intensity, multiple voices swirling in the air, unintelligible, malevolent. The Raven grouped, swords clear of scabbards, the whispers becoming a noise like rushing wind, though the air was still, warm and cloying, the smell of the dead rising to assault the nostrils.
‘Ideas, anyone?’ asked Hirad. The Unknown pulled at the handles of the main doors. They were stuck fast. ‘Try the others. Try the shutters. Thraun, take the opposite route.’ Hirad was forced to raise his voice over the clash of hundreds of voices from nowhere threatening to drown him out.
He checked either side of him. The mages were unfocused, preparing spells, but the deep frowns suggested they were struggling. Jandyr, scared and wide-eyed, looked everywhere. Will worked furiously at the stone’s case. Hirad was dimly aware of the hammering of Thraun and The Unknown on shutters and doors, the dull thuds merely background to the increasing intensity of the whispering voices.
Erienne had her hands to her head, no longer able to concentrate. Ilkar lost his mana shape too, feeling his grip on the fuel of magic loosen. He glanced at The Raven to see them standing in a rough circle about Will and the plinth. His body went cold.
Abruptly, the whispering ceased. The light from Erienne’s globe flickered and died. Darkness was total. There was a tinkle as Will dropped his prising tool. Panic.
Erienne stumbled into Denser, sending both sprawling. From the blackness, The Unknown cursed as his head connected with a wall. Will, swords drawn, pushed his way past Hirad into space, breath rushing in and out of his lungs in huge whoops. He stepped on a body and fell, crying out. Hirad, heart beating hard against his ribs, tried to find the remotest chink of light. There was none.
‘Ilkar, Jandyr, Thraun, tell us what you see. Erienne, more light. Denser, what’s happening?’
The sound of metal scraping on stone rang around the Temple.
‘Anybody?’ Hirad asked of the dark. To his right, he felt Denser lifting Erienne. ‘We need that light. What was that noise?’ He swayed, balance diminished by the totality of the blackness, boot smearing through the dried surface of a pool of blood. The temperature was rising, the stench of death closing in, stinging the eyes. ‘Can’t someone light a taper, for God’s sake?’
‘Yes, yes.’ Will’s tone was edged with desperation. His swords rang back into scabbards; he scrabbled to find light. The scraping sounded again, this time accompanied by a series of heavy thuds that rippled though the floor.
‘Oh, no.’ Ilkar’s voice, laden with dread, cut through the tension.
‘What? What?’ Hirad was shouting. There was a clang. Then more. Another scraping and metal-shod footsteps.
‘The statues are moving. This way,’ said Ilkar. ‘We’ve got to form up. Fast. Unknown, Thraun, to the centre.’
‘Where the hell’s that?’ snapped the big man.
Ilkar could see him stumbling in vaguely the right direction. ‘Keep coming dead ahead. Thraun, give him a hand.’ He watched Thraun guide the big man quickly past the scattered bodies of the Wrethsire guards.
Hirad looked right, seeing nothing but sensing Erienne near. ‘Erienne, where’s that light?’
‘I can’t get the mana shape.’ Her voice shook.
‘Calm.’ Denser’s voice held steady. ‘It’s all right.’
‘No it isn’t,’ said Ilkar. ‘Something’s disrupting the mana flow. I can’t shape anything. And we’ve got less than a minute before they reach us. Will, get back to the circle, we need that stone.’
‘Yes,’ said Will. ‘Jandyr, guide me.’ He sounded calmer now.
Soon, The Raven was complete. The Unknown stood next to Hirad, Ilkar next to him. To the right of the barbarian, Jandyr, Denser, Erienne and Thraun. In the middle, Will, patting the floor, searching for and finding his wedge tool. He began to nudge again at the lid of the case.
The clang of metal on marble, the scraping of stone on tile came closer with every heartbeat, and Hirad could sense them. Looming presences, huge in their invisibility, terrifying in their quiet. He moved his blade to ready.
‘Ilkar . . .’
‘Gods, it’s the Temple itself.’ Ilkar’s sudden shout made Hirad jump.
‘What?’ said Denser.
‘We were blind before the lights went out. Denser, think. Circular building, domed roof, sealed absolutely, needle point spires . . .’ Ilkar trailed off; he could see realisation cross Denser’s face like the knowledge of guilt.
‘We’re in a Cold Room.’
‘Hirad, we’ve got to get a door or shutter open. Trust me on this. They’re on us in twenty seconds.’ Ilkar swallowed hard.
A clashing sound signalled eight axes brought to the ready on gauntleted hands. Hirad shook himself, fighting to hang on to his senses. Around him, The Raven stood ready. At least they would die working to save each other. He made his decision.
‘Ilkar, Erienne, see what you can do. Everyone else, let’s close the circle, try to give them and Will time. Careful underfoot, the blood isn’t as dry as it seems. Thraun, Jandyr, keep talking. Gods, that smell is powerful.’
To Hirad’s left, The Unknown tapped the point of his sword on the ground. It was time.