Sol stood near by, a statue of controlled power. His eyes, as ever, scanned everywhere, missing nothing that could prove a threat. Nothing until now. His eyes could not penetrate Denser’s mind.
‘Sol,’ said Denser softly. The Protector turned his head. ‘Catch.’ He tossed the badge and chain to Sol, who enclosed them in one gloved hand. ‘Keep it safe.’
Now Sol looked at what he held and his eyes widened. His gaze snapped back to Denser but the mage had already finished his incantation.
‘You know I had to do this.’ Wings of pure night appeared at Denser’s back, and with one lazy flap he shot into the air, orienting himself for Dordover.
‘No!’ Sol’s shout put birds to flight and shocked Hirad out of a doze for the second time. For a moment he was confused by the sound - it was the first word he had heard Sol utter. He sprinted to the Protector and, following the tilt of his head, could just make out a shape dwindling against the starscape.
‘What the—’
‘ShadowWings.’ Ilkar was at his shoulder.
‘That’s Denser?’ Hirad pointed at the smudge in the sky.
‘ ’Fraid so,’ said Ilkar.
‘Well, that’s just bloody great!’ Hirad hurled his sword to the ground at his feet, fury bringing heat to his cheeks. His hands clenched. ‘He threatens to kill Talan because of some imaginary risk to his precious quest and now he’s off to commit suicide in Dordover all because someone’s stolen his pet bloody cat!’ He flapped a hand in the direction Denser had taken, breathing out loudly through his nose. ‘I mean, just what does he expect us to do now?’
‘Nothing.’ Sol flicked the badge and chain to Ilkar, who caught it effortlessly. ‘Stay.’
‘Talking to me or to your dog, maskman?’ Hirad squared up, his blade still lying in the fallen leaves.
‘Hirad . . .’ began Ilkar.
Sol considered the situation briefly, Hirad half believing he could see the Protector frowning.
‘Stay, please,’ he said, then turned and sprinted for his horse. Hirad made to follow him, stooping for his sword on the way.
‘Don’t, Hirad.’
‘What?’
‘I think he’s right. We should stay.’
‘You’re agreeing with a Xeteskian?’
Ilkar grinned. ‘Unusual, I know, but yes.’
‘Why? Their recent record for decision-making is very poor.’ Another gesture in the direction of Dordover and the departed Denser.
‘Because if they all die, someone has to go on who knows the whole story.’
‘But without that flying prat no one can cast the spell, isn’t that right?’ Hirad pushed his sword back into its scabbard.
‘He’s the only chance right now, admittedly, but without any of us to report back to Xetesk, there’s no chance at all.’ Ilkar shrugged.
‘So we just sit and wait?’ Hirad was unused to being unwanted in what looked a certain fight.
‘No. We clear the camp and get ready for a quick exit. One way or another, we won’t be here long, I think.’
‘How will we know if he dies?’
‘We’ll know. Believe me, we’ll know.’
The library door opening shocked Erienne into dropping the book like a guilty child. Her heart hammered then missed a beat in relief as Will and Thraun stepped in and closed it behind them.
‘Gods, you scared me! How did you . . .’ She pointed vaguely to the outside.
‘By looking as if we owned the place,’ said Will. ‘You’d be surprised how often that works.’
‘Yes, but here?’ Erienne was dumbfounded.
‘I have to admit the College was pushing the point, but seeing is believing.’ Thraun smiled. ‘Our only bit of luck was avoiding your friend the Tower Master. I thought we’d have to deck him.’
‘I beat you to it.’ Erienne reprised the events of the past hour or so.
‘One thing,’ said Will. ‘Someone here’s got Denser’s cat.’
‘Fool!’ spat Erienne, slapping the table next to her. ‘I told him they would detect a Familiar. That man’s arrogance knows no end.’ She breathed in deeply but her eyes betrayed her thoughts. ‘The pain he’ll be suffering . . . poor man, it’ll be terrible.’ She paused. ‘Come on, we can’t stop to worry about that now. All in all, I’d say we’ve been luckier than we deserve. I’ve already lost my reputation pursuing this ridiculous folly, I don’t want to lose my life too.’
‘Reckon we can take the ring?’ asked Will.
‘I’m not sure,’ admitted Erienne. ‘There’s a ward down there I don’t know.’
‘So . . . ?’
‘So until I can plot the mana shape, I don’t know what it does or whether I can move it. To do that I need to get near it.’ She walked to the door. ‘Let’s get moving.’
Thraun gave the all clear and they padded quietly to the crypt entrance.
‘Will?’ asked Erienne.
‘It’s a standard through-bolt operating a latch on the other side. Heavy but crude,’ he whispered. ‘I need to know if it’s spell-guarded or conventionally trapped.’
‘Neither,’ said Erienne.
‘Good.’ Will bent to his task, inserting a metal rod the size of his little finger into the lock. He probed briefly for the latch assembly. ‘Very crude.’ He withdrew the rod and fished in a belt pouch, taking out a flat piece of metal about one and a half inches wide, welded to a cylinder which slipped over the rod and clicked into place. He pushed the makeshift key into the lock, angling it slightly and manoeuvring it back and forth. Presently he smiled, turned the key and heard the latch slide up on the other side of the door.
‘Want to go first?’ he asked Erienne.
‘I think I’d better.’ She stepped past Will as he stowed his tools and opened the door. Inside, the weight of mana was heavier than ever, causing her to pause for breath. It was also pitch dark.
‘There’s a lot of static mana here, keeping the wards sound. I can navigate by the trails. What about you two?’
‘I’ll follow him, don’t you worry,’ I said Will.
‘No light?’ queried Thraun.
‘Not until we’re down the first steps. There’s a light-sensitive ward about halfway down the flight which activates at dusk. It’s an alarm.’ She began to move carefully down the stairs, Thraun and Will behind her, the latter closing and rebolting the door behind them.
To Will, the darkness was impenetrable, the mana-laden atmosphere cloaked him in anxiety and the air was musty and stale. He hooked the fingers of his right hand into Thraun’s belt and traced the near wall with his left, relying on his friend’s directions for his every footstep.
He was concentrating so intently, he hardly heard Erienne as she advised them they were passing the first ward, but it registered and he was sure he could feel it: a deeper quality to the level of mana all around and a spike that sent fear into his heart and sent his sightless eyes probing desperately for something to anchor him. He stumbled.
‘Easy, Will,’ said Thraun, his own voice hushed by the power all around them. ‘There are maybe a dozen more steps and then we’re down.’
‘I’m not enjoying this.’
‘Nor me. Just take it steady. Step down now.’
The descent of the thirty steps ended with a right-hand bend in a narrow passage and another door through which Erienne ushered them before closing it and beginning an incantation. Will leant against the door, finding comfort in the wood and iron at his back while somewhere to his left, Erienne murmured on.