I glanced back at Ji-yeong. ‘You think they should have found a volunteer? Like you?’
Ji-yeong looked defensive. ‘Well, why not?’
‘The traits that Sagash and Richard Drakh valued in Anne were exactly the ones that guaranteed she would never willingly join them.’
‘It’s still stupid.’
‘Well, in the long run, it was,’ I said. ‘Sagash and Drakh both tried to mould Anne into the kind of person that would suit them. And they weren’t the only ones. A rakshasa called Jagadev, a Councillor called Levistus . . . they put Anne on a path, forced her to keep walking down it. Trouble was, once she got to the end of that path . . . it turned out what they’d actually been creating was a monster.’
‘She didn’t look like a monster last time,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘More like a victim.’
‘A lot of monsters start out that way.’
We stopped in a corner of a grassy courtyard. Sagash’s shadow realm had wards that made it impossible to gate in or out except from the platform at the end of the bridge. But it’s hard to make a gate ward strong everywhere, especially over a place as big as this castle. There was a small vulnerability in this particular spot, between two of the nodes; every now and again, the ward coverage would weaken just enough to allow a gate. The next window wasn’t due for another thirty-six hours, but I’d already used the fateweaver to adjust that. Maybe this was how Richard had broken in all those years ago. ‘This is my stop,’ I told Ji-yeong. ‘Coming?’
‘Do I have a choice?’
‘Sure,’ I said. ‘You can try to fight your way back to the bridge and gate out while they’re busy. You know the castle; you might manage it. Or you could join up with Anne. She’s recruiting at the moment.’
‘What happens if I do that?’
‘You get possessed by a jinn for two or three days.’
‘Just two or three days?’
‘Yes.’
Ji-yeong started to answer, then paused. ‘What happens after two or three days?’
‘An army of mages invade this shadow realm and kill you.’
‘Okay, that last bit?’ Ji-yeong said. ‘I think you should have told me that part first.’
I leant on the sovnya. ‘So what’ll it be?’
Ji-yeong watched me suspiciously. ‘You’re giving me a lot of chances to walk away here.’
‘As one of my old teachers used to say, I prefer willing servants.’
Ji-yeong tapped her sword hilt. The futures hovered, then settled more solidly this time. Ji-yeong gave a little sigh. ‘You can’t start dancing until someone plays the drum.’ She inclined her head. ‘Lead on, Master.’
I nodded and turned back to the grassy corner. A few touches with the fateweaver, then I channelled through my dreamstone, linking our world to Elsewhere.
‘I’ve still got my gate focus,’ Ji-yeong said. ‘But it won’t do any good unless we can—’
The air shimmered and became an oval portal. Beyond the portal was another castle, this one made of black stone instead of yellow.
Ji-yeong stopped. ‘How did you do that?’
Somewhere in the distance, the battle was still raging. I wondered how long Sagash would last. Anne wouldn’t want to kill him quickly. She’d been looking forward to this for a very long time.
I stepped through into Elsewhere. After only a moment’s hesitation, Ji-yeong followed and I let the gate close behind us.
2
I walked through a castle of black stone, brooding storm-clouds gathering overhead, a hint of rain in the air. I bent the world around me, and the stones beneath my feet became dusty and pale, the black castle transforming piece by piece into an ancient abandoned city.
Behind me I felt Ji-yeong’s steps falter. ‘Keep up,’ I told her.
‘What’s going on?’ Ji-yeong sounded disorientated. ‘I can’t feel . . .’
‘Just stay close.’
The wall ahead reshaped itself into an old wooden door. I reached out and turned the handle; daylight rushed in. I stepped through, making sure to hold the door open until Ji-yeong had followed me before letting it swing shut.
We’d come out into a small park in London. Birds sang in the trees, the sun shone down from above, and the breeze blew with the first hints of autumn. Everything was normal and sane again.
Ji-yeong looked back but the door was gone. ‘What was that?’
‘Elsewhere.’
‘Else— wait. Elsewhere? That Elsewhere?’
‘Mm-hm.’
‘I thought that was just a story?’
‘It’s that too. I wouldn’t recommend visiting on your own.’ I reached out through the dreamstone, searching for a familiar set of thoughts. ‘I have to make some calls.’
Ji-yeong stayed quiet and I turned away, walking absently across the grass as I reached out to find the mind I was searching for. There’s a moment of vertigo when I make contact with the dreamstone, like stepping over a gap that’s a foot wide and a thousand miles deep. Luna.
Luna replied instantly. Emotion overlaid her words, worry and tension and determination. Did you find him?
Her, yes. Him, no.
Frustration joined the other feelings. Where’s she hiding him?
I don’t know, but wherever it is, I don’t think he’ll be staying. Anne wasn’t alone: she had two mages fighting on her side. Caldera and Barrayar.
Possessed?
Safe bet. That’s two out of four. Vari’s probably going to be number three. I think next time we run into him, he’ll be on her side.
Luna was silent. It’s time for the meeting, I told her.
I want to come.
No.
Alex!
Once this is over, I want you to have a life to go back to, I said. And as far as that goes, walking in by my side is going to leave a terrible impression. I promise I’m not going to shut you out of this, but right now this is a negotiation and there’s nothing you can do to help.
The silence lasted longer this time. Fine, Luna said at last.
I’ve got to go. Call you later?
Okay.
I broke the connection. Luna wasn’t taking this well. I couldn’t really blame her, but right now I couldn’t spare the time to watch her. I hoped she wouldn’t do anything stupid.
I took out a communicator focus and channelled a thread of magic through it. ‘Hello,’ I said. ‘Testing.’
A voice sounded from the focus instantly. ‘Verus? Where are you?’
‘Getting ready to gate.’
Talisid’s voice was sharp. ‘You’re thirty-five minutes late.’
‘I think once you hear what I’ve got to tell you, you’ll appreciate why.’
‘That remains to be seen. Hurry up, please.’
‘On my way.’
Talisid is a political operative high up in the Council, and we’ve had a long relationship. Mostly it’s been good, recently it’s been bad, and a couple of days ago it hit rock bottom when he led a group into a deep shadow realm in an attempt to kill me. I felt as though our relations should improve from here on out, given that there really wasn’t any way they could possibly get worse.
I cut off the focus and slid it into my pocket as I walked back to Ji-yeong. ‘We’ve got a meeting.’
‘A meeting with who?’
‘The Senior Council. Or two or three of them, anyway.’