Gradually, as my hearing returned, I realised I couldn’t sense any more attacks. I poked my head out cautiously, ready to spring into movement. Nothing happened. The tree trunk was pockmarked with scars where bits of shrapnel had torn into the bark. I looked into the future to see what would happen if I left the cover of the tree and saw nothing. I double-checked and triple-checked, but the futures stretching out before me were free of weapons fire. The assassin was gone.
I pulled myself to my feet and started jogging uphill. I looked through the futures for the ones where I ran across Luna and adjusted my course to match. The adrenaline was still coursing through my system and I covered the first hundred yards at a good pace until the reaction hit me and I suddenly felt like I’d just run a marathon. I forced my legs to keep going until Luna peered out from behind a clump of trees ahead of me. As she saw me, relief flashed across her face and she said something I couldn’t hear.
“What?” I shook my head. “Sorry. Ears. Don’t stop.”
I fell into the fastest walk I could manage and Luna hurried to keep up, torn between wanting to get close and having to keep away. “Are you okay?” she said more loudly, her voice anxious.
“I’m okay. Keep moving.” I adjusted our course to avoid curious bystanders. People were heading for the site of the attack but we would be able to steer clear of them.
My hearing returned as we reached Parliament Hill, just in time to pick up the distant wail of sirens from behind us, first one and then several. We headed down the hill as the sirens grew louder, passing the athletics track on our left and heading southwest. Only once we’d crossed the railway bridge and left the Heath behind us did I start to relax. “What was that?” Luna said at last.
“That was somebody trying to kill me,” I said, managing to keep my voice steady. “Congrats, you’ve just had your first assassination attempt.”
“They were trying to shoot you?”
“Yes they were.” I shivered at the thought of how close they’d come. Divination magic is great for avoiding danger but it also lets you see every possible fate in vivid detail. In the process of dodging those shots, I’d seen exactly what would have happened if I hadn’t dodged them and I’d gotten to watch myself torn apart by high-velocity bullets over and over again. It’s gruesome and it’s one hell of a mental shock if you’re not prepared for it. I stuffed my hands into my pockets to stop them from shaking. “He was firing from Highgate Hill, across the valley.”
Luna hesitated. “Do we …?”
I shook my head. “No point. He’ll be miles away by now.”
“Who-”
“Not a clue.”
Luna fell silent and we headed west on foot towards Camden Town, taking the back streets instead of the main roads. As I walked, I started making a list of everyone in the mage world whom I’d opposed, fought with, or otherwise irritated. After I ran out of fingers to count on I decided to limit the number to people I’d pissed off relatively recently. Two names topped the list: Morden and Levistus.
Five months ago I got involved in a hunt for a Precursor relic, a powerful imbued item called a fateweaver. Levistus wanted me to bring him the fateweaver and (as I found out the hard way) didn’t want any witnesses to his involvement. Morden wanted the fateweaver too, and by a funny coincidence he didn’t want anyone left to point fingers either. For my part, I didn’t particularly care who got the fateweaver but did have quite strong opinions on staying alive.
As you’ve probably guessed, neither Morden nor Levistus got what he wanted, and I’d been expecting them to do something about it ever since. There was no way to be sure which one to blame the sniper on but my instincts said Levistus; sending agents to kill from a distance was very much his style. But there was a snag. If Levistus had wanted me silenced, the time to do it would have been five months ago. It was possible he just held a grudge and I wasn’t ruling that out, but as a motive for murder it felt a bit thin.
There was a more recent and more obvious person to blame: the Dark mage who’d sent that construct. If I hadn’t been there last night, it would have killed Meredith. Maybe this assassination attempt had been intended to make sure that next time I wouldn’t get in the way.
But whoever it was, it was clear I’d gotten into something a lot bigger than I was prepared for. I walked the rest of the way in silence, laying plans. Luna didn’t break into my thoughts. It wasn’t until I was almost home that something occurred to me to cheer me up. Despite the argument, Luna had obeyed me instantly when danger had arrived, and the relief in her eyes when she’d seen that I was uninjured had been real. It was enough to make me feel a little better as I unlocked the door to my shop.
Luna did a double take. “Uh …?”
“Hm?”
Luna pointed and I turned to see the smashed window. “Oh, right. That was the other assassination attempt.”
Luna stared at me.
I sighed. “I need to get it fixed. Go on, I’ll catch up.” Luna picked her way through the trashed shop, looking around at the damage, as I called the number of a glazier who I knew wouldn’t ask any questions. It’s not like it’s the first time this sort of thing has happened. Once I’d made the arrangements I followed Luna upstairs, then walked into the living room and stopped.
Luna was next to the sink with the cupboard open, having just taken out a glass. Meredith was in front of the balcony with the doorknob in one hand and her mobile phone in the other. She’d obviously just stepped inside after having made a call. In between Luna and Meredith was the body of the construct. I hadn’t done anything about the thing and it was still lying facedown where I’d left it. Meredith was staring at Luna. Luna was looking up and down between Meredith and the dead construct. Then, in perfect unison, both of them turned to look at me.
“Uh,” I said brilliantly.
The silence stretched out and I tried to figure out what to say. Well, both of them were technically my guests. “Okay, so. Introductions. Luna, this is Meredith, a mage. Meredith, this is Luna, my apprentice. Luna, this is Bob the Dead Construct. Bob, meet Luna. So now we all know each other.”
Okay, so social graces aren’t my strong point. Hey, you try to come up with a polite way of introducing an apprentice, a mage, and a dead body.
Meredith reacted first. “Oh, of course.” She glanced at Luna. “You didn’t tell me you had an apprentice, Alex.”
“No, I-” Luna looked from the construct to Meredith to me.
I was about to explain but Meredith spoke, moving to my side. “It was a construct assassin sent last night to kill me. Alex”-she put her hand on my arm-“saved me.” She smiled up at me.
My face went red. “No, that’s-”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Meredith looked at Luna, contrite. “Do you usually stay here? I didn’t realise I was taking up your space.”
Luna stared at the two of us for a long moment before answering. “No.” Her voice was toneless.
“That’s good.” Meredith smiled at her. “So, you’re Alex’s apprentice? Have you been studying long?”
Luna was still staring and I realised she wasn’t looking at me but at Meredith’s hand where it rested on my shoulder. I moved away, breaking the connection, and as I did, Luna’s eyes flicked up to my face, then down. “No.” She put the glass down. “I should go.”
I stared. “Already?”
“I’m supposed to meet Martin.” Luna moved towards the door. Her movements were sharp, jerky, without her usual control. My precognition flared and instinctively I moved out of her way, and a moment later Luna was through the door.
“Luna, wait!” I followed her out into the landing.
Luna was halfway down the stairs. She stopped as I spoke, and as she did I pulled myself up short. To my mage’s sight, the silver mist was lashing around her, its range and strength far greater than normal, tendrils snaking through the air and soaking into the walls and floor. Another step and I’d be in deadly danger.