Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6), Christopher Mitchell [finding audrey TXT] 📗

‘Yes, your Grace,’ Felice said. ‘I was starting to get worried; I thought you weren’t coming.’

‘I was watching the entire thing from my study,’ he said. ‘I told you my plan would work. All we needed to do was wait for the Third Ascendant to incriminate herself.’

‘Yes, your Grace. All the same, she nearly killed me.’

Leksandr laughed. ‘I couldn’t hear what was being said; I could only watch. As soon as she jumped at you, I activated the Quadrant. Sorry to say it, but you were a little expendable. Come on; don’t look at me like that. This morning, Arete actually suggested that you be executed along with Latude, and I forbade it. I suspected you might prove useful, eventually.’

‘Did you tell the Seventh Ascendant about Lady Vana, your Grace?’

‘No. You were right to come to me with the information. Arete’s temper would have probably led her to act rashly, but I imagine she will be very pleased with our day’s work when she returns from hunting dragons.’

Belinda sensed Felice kneel next to her head, but her vision was blurry, and the pain excruciating. Her left hand was scrabbling at the knife lodged in her throat, but she was too weak to pull it out.

‘Is it ready?’ said Leksandr.

‘I’m not sure,’ said Felice. ‘I’ve never attached a god-restrainer mask before.’

‘It’s quite simple,’ said Leksandr. ‘The nails go through the victim’s eyes; you may have to push them in hard; give it a thump with your fist, then you do up the strap at the back.’

Felice swallowed. ‘Are you sure, your Grace? She is the Third Ascendant.’

‘She is a traitor and a liar. If it were up to me, I’d remove her head and mount it on the gates of Old Alea, but alas, Lord Bastion might not appreciate that when he returns. This way she lives, but will be utterly under our control. Proceed.’

A dark object was positioned above Belinda’s face. Felice’s hands were trembling, and she almost glanced away as she lowered the mask. Belinda stared up in panic as the two iron nails got closer to her eyes.

‘For goodness’ sake, Felice,’ muttered Leksandr. ‘Don’t be squeamish. Give it a good hard push.’

Felice gagged, then brought the mask down, the nails ramming through the Third Ascendant’s eyes.

Belinda screamed.

Chapter 18

Gratitude

N orthern Kinell – 29th Luddinch 5252

‘And then I dangled her over a pool of lava,’ said Frostback, her head and forelimbs glistening in the sunlight.

Kelsey laughed. ‘I wish I’d seen that.’

Aila frowned. ‘I thought you liked Sable.’

‘I do, well, I do sometimes; it depends what mood I’m in. She’s the kind of person who needs to be dangled over lava occasionally. All the same, I’m glad she’s alive. What happened next?’

Frostback tilted her head. ‘I dropped her.’

‘Oh,’ said Kelsey.

‘Her idiot protector Sanguino rescued her. Regardless, that’s why I was disowned by my father. He had promised Blackrose that her pet insects would not be harmed, and I dishonoured him by trying to kill Sable.’

‘Is that how you see us?’ said Kelsey. ‘As your pet insects?’

‘In a way. You are the first humans I’ve really spoken to. Sable, Maddie and Millen all tried, but I didn’t know them for very long, and each of them irritated me in their own way. I wonder if they are dead. Without Blackrose’s protection, I cannot see how they could have survived in the Catacombs for long.’

‘I hope that’s not true,’ said Aila. ‘I don’t know this Millen guy, but Maddie is a friend, and Sable? Well, Sable and I… I thought we could be friends. I don’t know.’

‘Sable doesn’t have friends,’ said Kelsey. ‘Her past is littered with people she befriended, and then betrayed. I only stick by her because she’s a Holdfast, albeit a reluctant one. But, you know, family’s family.’

‘She is a devious witch,’ said Frostback.

‘Still,’ said Aila; ‘she seemed lonely to me. As if, underneath that cocky and tough shell of hers, she’s actually quite vulnerable.’

Kelsey cackled with laughter. ‘You sound like one of her victims.’

Aila shrugged. ‘That’s what Belinda used to say.’

‘And for once,’ Kelsey said, ‘that crazy god is correct.’

‘Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive Belinda?’

‘I don’t know. What she did was terrible, but I got to know her a bit in Shawe Myre, and she seemed to have changed, to have grown. When Van rescued me in Yoneath, there was a moment when I was sure Belinda could have stopped him, but she didn’t. One thing I am sure about – she doesn’t care if I forgive her or not. She needs to forgive herself first.’

Frostback sniffed the air. It was a fine morning, the coolest day of the autumn so far. The forest stretching below them was turning orange and red in patches, next to the dark greens of the pine and spruce trees. A few clouds were drifting in from the east, the first clouds Aila had seen in months. She had almost forgotten what rain felt like, and was looking forward to it.

‘I shall hunt,’ said Frostback. ‘The goats are getting harder to find, but I picked up the scent of some wild boars yesterday.’

‘That sounds excellent,’ said Kelsey.

Frostback glanced at Aila. ‘And we must keep our mother-to-be well fed.’

‘Thank you,’ said Aila, remembering to show the gratitude that the dragon expected of her.

Frostback pulled her body from the cave and stretched her wings over the broad ledge. She turned her head to face them.

‘Be good, my pet insects,’ she said, then soared into the air.

They lifted their hands to shield their eyes from the swirling dust raised by her wings, then watched as she flew away to the west.

Kelsey chuckled.

‘What’s so funny?’ said Aila.

‘You, with your wide-eyed “thank you, Frostback.” She has you wrapped round her little finger, well, she would if she had a little finger. Round her little claw.’

‘What about you? You’re happy to be a “pet insect.”’

‘How did Maddie become Blackrose’s rider?’

‘Is that a serious question? You heard what Frostback