I spoke quietly into the comm focus. ‘Verus to command group. Reinforcements have arrived. Recommend you initiate immediately.’
Rain’s deep voice sounded in my ear. ‘Rain to command group. Perimeter established, Drakh’s forces contained. Ready to initiate.’
A pause, then Nimbus’s voice came in. ‘Verus. Please have Captain Landis confirm.’
‘Landis is occupied facing Sagash,’ I said through clenched teeth. It took serious effort not to add ‘you idiot’ to the end of that sentence.
Another pause. ‘Captain Landis. Please confirm.’
On the platform behind Sagash, sand and stone rose up from the platform, re-forming into the shape of Caldera. She folded her arms and stared at the mages beneath her.
What are they waiting for? I looked ahead—
Orange-red light bloomed from above and Variam came floating down. There was no obvious magic supporting him; I could sense some spell, but it wasn’t the fiery wings he’d used before. He just drifted, gliding sideways to touch down on one of the upper balconies above Sagash and to the right.
‘Captain Landis,’ Nimbus said into my ear, infuriatingly calm. ‘Please confirm.’
Landis cocked his head and spoke a single word. ‘Trident.’
‘Confirmed,’ Nimbus said. ‘Lumen and Sonder. Begin.’
‘Understood,’ Sonder said over the circuit, his voice strained. ‘Accumulator is active.’
Variam gazed down onto the room below. It had been three days since I’d seen him, and to a casual glance he looked much the same: his work clothes and black turban were clean and neat, and he didn’t look hurt. He didn’t radiate the same aura of menace that Caldera and Sagash did. Yet somehow, looking at the three mages facing us, it was him my eyes were drawn to.
I felt my heart sink. Oh no. It was what I’d been afraid of, right from when I noticed that Anne had taken five mages instead of four.
Variam’s voice rang out from the balcony. ‘You trespass.’ Standing still, the creature could have passed for Variam; speaking, the illusion was broken. The voice was measured, dispassionate . . . wrong.
Okay, four generals, Luna said over our mental link. First three are in Aether, Barrayar and Caldera, right?
Sagash is the fourth, I told her.
So Vari’s got a weaker ifrit? Luna asked hopefully.
It’s not an ifrit.
‘Master Jinn,’ Landis said courteously. ‘Delighted to make your acquaintance. I do hate to burst in unannounced, but I’m afraid that on behalf of the Light Council, I must inform you that we rather take some objection to your sultan’s plans.’
‘Yes,’ Variam said.
Landis, I said urgently through the dreamstone. Stall.
‘I don’t suppose you’d be interested in discussing the matter?’ Landis asked.
‘This realm approaches eternity.’ There was a weird dissonance to Variam’s voice, like an echo at the edge of hearing. ‘In contemplation you may understand.’
Landis paused. ‘Well, that’s certainly . . . interesting.’
‘What are we waiting for?’ someone muttered from behind me.
I spoke through the communication focus, my voice low and urgent. ‘Verus to beta team. The creature possessing Keeper Talwar is a marid jinn that used to be bound in an item called the monkey’s paw. Do not engage.’ Beside me, I heard Luna draw in her breath.
‘Excuse me a moment,’ Landis said to Variam, then spoke quietly into his communicator. ‘Verus. Analysis.’
‘Caldera and Sagash will attack first chance they get,’ I told him. ‘The marid won’t attack until you reach the platform.’
‘Understood. All units, hold fire.’
Alex? Luna asked. Tell me you’ve got a plan.
It’s been two minutes, I said. Accumulator will be ready in ten to fifteen more.
I don’t mean the accumulator!
I’m working on it.
Screw it. Luna stepped up next to me and called out across the room. ‘Vari!’
Variam turned his head slightly to look at her. From across the room, I searched his eyes, hoping for some spark of recognition, of humanity . . .
‘You’re not a marid,’ Luna called out. ‘You’re not a jinn, or the monkey’s paw. You’re Variam Singh, and I want to talk to you! Not the thing inside you!’
The marid looked back at Luna through Variam’s eyes.
‘Talk to me!’ Luna shouted. ‘Don’t just stand there!’
The marid’s voice was as calm as before. ‘The storm does not pierce the earth.’
‘You can’t do this!’ Luna shouted. ‘Variam isn’t some set of clothes for you to wear! He’s a person, and he matters to me!’
The marid seemed to focus on Luna. ‘Thought and feeling bend to law.’ The echo in Variam’s voice was stronger, as though other voices were trying to speak at the same time. ‘Your words are those of many, but they are in vain. Desire is what calls me from slumber, yet desire is not my banishment; the spark kindles the blaze but cannot bring its end. Only law is eternal.’
Somewhere away to the west, I felt something on my magesight. A sense of power, still weak, but growing. The accumulator was charging, and my eyes flicked between Sagash and Caldera and Variam. How long before they noticed?
‘What law?’ Luna said. ‘Martin signed a contract with you. Vari didn’t!’
The chamber was silent but for Luna and Variam; all around, Landis’s soldiers had their guns trained on the shadows or on the mages ahead of us. Landis stood at the front, his head slightly tilted so that he could listen to Luna without taking his eyes off Variam and Sagash. For now, everyone was obeying Landis’s order to hold off, but you could feel the tension in the air. It would only take one man to pull a trigger.
‘My allegiance was ancient when the creator of your mantle was young.’ Variam’s voice was calm, implacable. ‘The spark does not move the stone.’
Luna’s fingers clenched white on her wand. ‘Okay, fine,’ she said, and her jaw set. ‘Then maybe you’ll listen to this.’
My precognition warned me just in time, and my hand shot out to grab Luna’s wrist as she started to raise her wand. Don’t.
Luna’s eyes snapped. Get out of my way!
It won’t work, I said silently. I could feel Luna’s curse sinking into my arm; with an effort of will I forced myself to keep hold. Luna, your curse can do a lot of things, but it can’t do this. Please.
I could see the anger in Luna’s eyes, feel it through the mental link, fury and frustration, wanting to lash out. With a jerk, Luna pulled out of my grip, then she stared down at the silver mist swirling around my arm. Slowly she began to draw it back in, soaking into her own aura. It wasn’t as fast as usual.
‘I must admit, I’m a little curious as to what you mean by allegiance,’ Landis said. ‘Perhaps you could explain . . . ?’
Variam opened his mouth, then paused. He turned his head.
Adrenalin spiked through me. Get ready, I told Landis.
Variam stared west a second longer, then turned to look at Sagash and Caldera. They didn’t speak, but I could feel something passing between them.
‘All units, prepare to engage,’ Landis said quietly. ‘Do not allow those jinn to leave this room.’
Variam looked up towards the hole in the roof and crouched.
Landis spoke into the silence. ‘Fire.’
Everything happened at once.