A beat, then I nodded. Down below at the arena, the crowd had thickened, and all of them now seemed to be watching intently. A group of globes arced around, and another round of applause broke out, the men in their suits and the women in their elaborate dresses clapping silently behind the crystal.
‘And once you have the fateweaver, you will bring it to me.’
‘Wouldn’t the leader of the team be responsible for that?’
‘The leader is not your concern,’ Levistus said. ‘I am employing you to retrieve the item. That is what you are being rewarded for.’
‘Doesn’t the Arrancar ruling …?’
‘The Arrancar ruling states that archaeological finds must be submitted to the Council.’ Levistus spoke without heat or emphasis. ‘I am a member of the Council; therefore, you will submit it to me. The item’s destination is a Council secret. You will reveal the terms of your employment to no one, not even authorised Council representatives. Should any of the mages on site attempt to take the artifact for themselves, they are to be considered Dark agents and neutralised in any manner necessary.’
My heart stopped beating for an instant, then sped up. What Levistus was asking me to do was just one step away from treason. And keeping it secret … ‘Does the team know about this?’
‘As I said, you are to reveal the terms of your employment to no one.’ Levistus’ eyes rested on me, steady and incurious. ‘I believe it is time you gave me your answer, Mr Verus. Do you agree to the terms of this contract? Yes or no?’
I needed time to think. ‘You’re asking for a lot.’
‘Which is why you are being paid so handsomely. As I said: yes or no?’
I suddenly realised that the future before me had split into two paths. Levistus wasn’t kidding. He was only going to accept a yes or no answer. And if I said no …
I looked into the future of what would happen, and it was all I could do not to jump. If I said no, Levistus’ air elemental, Thirteen, was going to kill me, right here, right now. She would send her body down my throat and suffocate me as I thrashed helplessly while Levistus watched with his fingers steepled and half an eye on the people below. Then she would transmute my body to air and remove any trace that I had ever walked into this room. I snapped back to the present and took a deep breath. The room was silent, still but for the movements of the crowd behind the crystal. They were fewer than fifty yards away but might as well have been on the moon. Trying not to show anything on my face, I looked sideways to see that Thirteen was still standing there, her face blank, and it was all I could do not to shudder.
I’d walked into something out of my league. Levistus wanted this artifact for himself, not for the Council, and he was willing to kill to keep it. Information wasn’t my priority any more. Walking out of this room alive was.
‘You realise it may not be possible to gain access to the artifact,’ I said at last.
‘And if so, you will be compensated for your time,’ Levistus replied. ‘However, should the artifact be accessible, I will expect that it be delivered to my hands, rather than anyone else’s. Quickly and discreetly.’
The bout below had reached its climax. The crowd all watched intently as the black and white spheres swirled with dizzying speed. ‘Will I have any … assistance with this?’
For the first time Levistus smiled, a thin, dry smile that did not touch his eyes. ‘Oh, I have many agents, Mr Verus. Rest assured, they will be there, making sure everything goes to plan.’
The silence in the room stretched out, second passing upon second. ‘Well, Councillor,’ I said at last, my mouth dry. ‘You make an offer that’s difficult to refuse.’
‘Excellent,’ Levistus said. ‘I believe our business is concluded.’
7
I barely noticed the blades of the mantis golems as I walked out. My heart was still pounding and, as I came back onto the balcony ring, the chatter of the crowd below was like soothing music. I kept moving, dimly aware of people to either side of me, only caring about gaining as much distance as I could from Levistus and his personal killer.
Someone was calling my name. I didn’t pay attention. A hand came down on my shoulder and I turned to see Lyle’s face frowning at me. ‘Are you deaf? I need you to-’
Most mages don’t study hand-to-hand fighting; they rely on their magic for everything. I’m not most mages. I’ve been studying martial arts for a long time and, while I’m nowhere near a master, I’m a lot faster than I look. After you study long enough, the basic moves become reflex. I was on edge, and Lyle grabbing my shoulder was all it took to make me snap.
Lyle’s back slammed against the wall hard enough to knock the wind out of him. I leant into him, one arm against his throat, and this time I didn’t go to any effort to avoid causing pain. ‘You asshole,’ I hissed into his face from a few inches away. ‘Were you in on this? If I hadn’t walked out of that room, what would you have done?’
‘What are you talking about?’ Lyle choked. His eyes were shocked, frightened.
‘How much do you know?’
‘You’re crazy! Get off me!’
‘How much did you know, Lyle?! What did Levistus tell you?’
‘I don’t know!’ There was panic on Lyle’s face; he was sweating. ‘He just needed a diviner! That’s all he said!’
‘Do you think I’m that fucking stupid? Levistus’ pet was about to kill me! What were you going to say, that I’d just gone for a walk?’
‘What? There wasn’t anyone there!’
I glared into Lyle’s eyes for a long moment and saw only terror. He was more scared than he should be, and it was with only mild surprise that I realised that deep down, Lyle was a coward. He could act strong when he was in control, but put him in real danger and he crumbled. It’s funny how you can know someone for half your life, and then some trivial thing opens your eyes. I’d always known safety was Lyle’s religion, yet for some reason I’d never made the connection.
I let go, and Lyle fell back, shrinking into the corner of the alcove. ‘You’re a fool,’ I said quietly. ‘You’re telling me you didn’t know what sort of man you were working for? I don’t buy it, Lyle. You knew; you just didn’t want to think about it. Just like always.’ I shook my head. ‘You haven’t changed at all.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ But Lyle’s eyes were scared. I knew he was lying, and so did he.
I walked away. There were a handful of others up on this section of the balcony, and they’d all stopped to watch. They eyed me as I passed. News of this would spread quickly, but right now, I didn’t care.
The second-floor balcony ran the entire circuit of the hall, and its side was open to the floor below. Arched pillars supported the level above my head and a steel handrail gave protection against falling. After a moment my thoughts steadied enough for me to realise that I was walking back around towards the dance floor, where I’d last seen Luna. I kept going, hoping to spot her from above, and before long I was within earshot of the band again. The music was captivating, and I felt my pulse starting to slow. I settled into the shadow of one of the pillars and leant on the railing, looking down over the crowd.
As I looked from side to side my mind flitted back over my encounter with Levistus. I finally understood what Helikaon had been trying to tell me. I’d never liked the Council, but I realised now that I’d been blind to the threat it could be. I’d walked into that room without understanding just how dangerous the competition for this artifact was, and I’d nearly paid for it with my life. Well, now I did understand. Everyone after this artifact was willing to kill to get it, and if things kept going as they were, I was going to end up in the middle. That was not a safe place to be.
I felt a presence to one side and turned. A man was standing on the balcony a few steps away. ‘Mr Verus?’ His voice was cultured, polite. ‘Might I have a word?’