‘You know why we did that,’ I said. ‘I know our group’s not powerful, not compared to the real players. We can’t do much to change things. But at least we don’t have to make things worse.’
‘And that would be viable, were you only involved in small things,’ Arachne said. ‘But Levistus’s plans are not small things. Richard’s return is not a small thing. There are storms coming, and you will be caught in them.’
‘Then what are my options?’
‘Align yourself with one of the greater powers,’ Arachne said. ‘Or become a greater power. Or die.’ She paused. ‘I’m sorry, Alex. I wish I had better news.’
I sat in silence. ‘What if there’s another way?’ I said at last. ‘Find something to trade to one of the Council mages. Play them off against one another. I’ve done it before.’
‘Perhaps,’ Arachne said. ‘For a little while. But understand that to take this road – to make your own choices – is to walk the most difficult path. There will be sacrifices.’
I felt a chill go through me. It wasn’t physical cold – Arachne’s cave is warm. ‘Will I have you with me?’
‘I do not know how long I can stay,’ Arachne said. ‘But as long as I can help you, I will.’
I reached out and rested a hand on one of Arachne’s forelegs. Arachne reached up with her other foreleg to stroke my hair, her movements gentle. I closed my eyes and let myself relax, taking comfort in her presence. We stayed like that for a long time, silent in the lair.
3
Sunday morning dawned bright and clear. The sun was shining down out of a cold blue sky, and puffy white clouds drifted high above. There were six days until my execution order went through.
Luna and I sat at a back table in one of the cafés along Upper Street in Islington. Despite the time of day, there was a good scattering of people. Islington is an odd, mixed sort of place: from walking the streets you’d get the feeling that it’s middle class and rich, yet if you look at the numbers, it’s got one of the highest poverty rates in the country. The other people in the café didn’t seem to have much to worry about: they looked like affluent young urban professionals, chatting and laughing over their morning coffees. But maybe there was more to them than met the eye. Just like us.
‘Do you guys usually have your lessons in here?’ I asked Luna. I didn’t need to keep my voice down; Luna had picked us a table against the far wall, a good distance from the other customers.
‘Sort of,’ Luna said. ‘We switch around.’
‘I still can’t believe that you have magic lessons in a café,’ I said. It wasn’t news; I’d kept close tabs on Chalice and Luna during the early stages of their relationship, and I still went out of my way to check in with Luna after lessons even now. But it felt weird all the same.
‘It’s not as though our magic’s visible.’
‘What if something weird happens?’
‘Doesn’t seem to.’
I sighed. ‘Must be nice being so lucky that you don’t have to worry about consequences.’
Movement in the futures caught my eye and I looked up. Chalice was about to walk in. ‘How much have you told her?’ I asked Luna.
‘Just that there was a problem and that you’d be coming,’ Luna said. ‘I figured we shouldn’t really be discussing it over the phone.’
‘Good.’
Chalice came walking through the door, saw us and turned in our direction. She blended in with the morning crowd; a professional-looking Indian woman dressed neatly in dark winter clothes. ‘Hello, Luna,’ she said with a smile as she reached our table. She pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘Verus, it’s been a while.’
‘I know,’ I said with a nod. ‘Everything work out with Yarris?’
‘Yes,’ Chalice said. ‘Thank you for your help with that.’
Chalice is a new addition to my and Luna’s social circle. Earlier in the year, after months of searching for a reputable Light or independent chance mage to act as Luna’s teacher, I’d finally given in to Luna’s requests to try something riskier. Chalice was a Dark mage who had approached Luna on her own initiative. I hadn’t trusted her then and I didn’t fully trust her now, but she’d kept up her end of the deal – she’d started teaching Luna twice a week, and the results had been impressive.
But the relationship was a two-way street. In exchange for her lessons, Chalice had asked that I help her out when she needed it. In a funny way, the fact that Chalice had demanded that had actually made me feel better – I wouldn’t have trusted her if she’d claimed to be doing it for free. Equivalent exchange, on the other hand … that I could believe. The favours she’d been asking had mostly been investigations, digging up information on other mages. Most seemed to relate to Chalice’s past in India, but I hadn’t yet been able to ferret out what her long-term goals were. Maybe I’d learn something more today.
A waiter approached. Chalice ordered masala chai, while Luna asked for a pot of red tea. The waiter turned to me; I shook my head and he withdrew. ‘The tea here is quite good,’ Chalice said.
‘Maybe another time.’
Chalice glanced sideways at Luna, then turned back to me. ‘So I understand there’s a problem.’
‘I’ll get to the point,’ I said. ‘You’ve been teaching Luna for nearly a year now.’
Chalice nodded.
‘Do you think she’s ready to take her journeyman tests?’
Chalice considered very briefly. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I think so.’
I sat back slightly, glancing through the futures in which I interrogated Chalice more closely. I couldn’t see any futures in which I reacted to signs of deception. Chalice looked back at me with her dark eyes. As far as I could tell, she was telling the truth. Well, that’s it, I decided. We’re doing this.
‘I can give you the breakdown,’ Chalice offered.
I shook my head. ‘If you say she’s ready, she’s ready.’
Luna was looking between us, eyes bright. ‘Okay, Luna,’ I said to Luna. ‘You win.’
‘So this is something you’ve decided to move forward with?’ Chalice asked.
‘Looks like,’ I said. ‘You free to give Luna some coaching?’
‘That should be possible,’ Chalice said. ‘When are you hoping to schedule the tests for? Next summer?’
‘More like the end of this week,’ Luna said.
Chalice paused. ‘I’m sorry?’
The waiter reappeared with a tray. Chalice fell quiet as cups and teapots were offloaded, but I could feel her eyes on me, questioning. The waiter gave us a chirpy ‘Let me know if there’s anything else you need!’ and disappeared.
‘There’s been a bit of a change in schedule,’ I said once the waiter was out of earshot. ‘When we said “Are you free for coaching?” we meant now. As in, right now.’
Chalice gave me a thoughtful look. ‘Perhaps you should explain.’
I filled Chalice in, leaving out the parts that didn’t directly relate to me or to Luna. Chalice listened silently, taking an occasional sip from her cup. The scents of the chai and Luna’s own tea mixed together, warm and pleasant. ‘So, like I said,’ I finished, ‘time’s an issue.’
Chalice was silent, and I had the feeling that she was calculating just how dangerous this would be. ‘Can you help?’ Luna asked. ‘I could really use the practice.’
I felt the futures settle as Chalice made her decision. ‘Yes,’ Chalice said. ‘That should be possible.’ She looked at Luna. ‘Are you sure about the five-day rule?’
Luna nodded.
‘Then we don’t have much time.’ Chalice tapped her nails on the table, then gave a nod. ‘All right. I’ll clear my next few days. I’ve a prior engagement tonight, but starting tomorrow, we’ll train full-time.’