Message Bearer (The Auran Chronicles Book 1) (36 page)

‘It won’t last long,’
Cian said, ‘perhaps half an hour, but it will do.’

‘For what?’

‘To end this.’

‘Seb!’

They spun round, arms
raised, as Cade and one other Brother raced into the room, stopping and staring
at the carnage they saw before them.

‘You survived
that
?’

Cade nodded to Cian. ‘We
had a little help.’

‘Cade. Can you fight on?’
Cian said.

Cian stepped over a
fallen chandelier, idly stamping on a still-twitching sheol as he went.

‘Whilst my body still
draws breath. The oath demands it.’

Cian laughed, the sound
coarse. ‘To hell with the oath. It’s more than that now.’ He turned back to
them, steely eyes fixing each of them in turn. ‘You fight on? To the end?’

There was no other option
as Seb saw it. If he wanted to run, he couldn’t. He nodded once, trying to put
some conviction in it. Cade’s response was more concrete. As was his comrade.

‘Count me in.’

‘Sylph?’

She staggered against the
wall, a wince on her face as she steadied herself with a shaking hand. Seb
rushed over and helped her upright.

‘You need to get out of
here,’ he said.

‘Where, out there?’ She
gently removed his hand and stepped away. ‘What do we do? You have a plan?’

‘We fight to the end.’

‘That’s it?’

‘It’s all we have. We are
lost.’

Sylph shook her head.
‘No, it can’t be. That’s not right.’

Cian frowned. ‘What do
you mean? This isn’t the time for debate.’

‘I heard Marek say. It
didn’t make sense at the time. I didn’t know what he was planning. But back
when he trusted me, he’d said that when the moment came that they wouldn’t have
long.’

‘What does that even
mean?’

Sylph shook her head. ‘I
don’t know, but it seemed important.’

Seb paced in a circle.
‘Think about it. The message was a trap. Some kind of Weave-bomb. It didn’t
kill us. What did it do?’

‘It disabled the
sentinels’ Cian said.

‘Why?’

‘They are almost
indestructible. With them Marek had no hope of taking the mansion.’

‘Right. But he had to do
it quickly. Why?’

‘Perhaps the effect is
only temporary?’

Seb thought for a minute.
He cast his mind to his astral training with the Magister and Caleb. He stopped
walking.

‘The Spoke Stone. That
powers the sentinels?’

Cian shook his head. ‘No.
It controls them. They are of magic older than this place. Their power cannot
be taken away, aside from by the Consensus itself.’

‘So why are they not
moving then?’

A light went on in Cian’s
eyes. ‘The Spoke Stone. The bomb has corrupted that in some form!’

‘Can you undo it?’

‘I don’t know. Perhaps.
We need to get to it.’

‘We all need to go.’

Cade shook his head.
‘Wait a minute. This is our plan? What then? What if you can’t undo the spell?
Marek must know we’re coming up.’

‘If it comes to that,’ Cian
said. ‘We destroy it. The binding spell is severed.’

‘But what about the
Consensus. Without the hubs in place then it will collapse.’

‘Collapse? No. Does a
wheel break when one spoke is missing? No it won’t. But if it
is
destroyed
then the rule of the observers will be broken. Reality
will
be impacted
in some way, although it is beyond my understanding to explain how.’

‘So’, Cade said, clapping
his hands together. ‘To sum up, either we stay here, fight to the death and the
Magistry is lost. The sheol led by Marek and whoever else run free amongst the
Unaware. Or we attempt to destroy a foundation stone on which all of reality is
built and that could have unimaginable effects on the universe as we know it?’

Seb smiled. ‘Pretty
much.’

Marek
surveyed the destruction within the Great Hall in the building he’d formerly
known as home. Silas swept in alongside him flanked by two body guards. The
bodies of sheol, magi and brother littered the ground around them.

‘Has the Spoke Stone survived?’ Silas
said.

Marek strode towards the double doors that
led down to the sanctum. He paused, sensing, before turning back.

‘It is intact.’

‘That is good. Then we can complete this.’

A noise at the far end of the hall made
both men turn. Reuben staggered in, covered head to toe in dust and masonry.
The gathered sheol growled and rounded on him, not recognising the warrior.
Marek raised a hand and they held their ground as Silas rushed to meet him.

‘Son, you are well!’

‘I live, but they are coming.’

‘Who?’

‘Cade, Cian and the others.’

‘That is all?’

‘All?’ Reuben pushed his father’s helping
hand away. ‘Cian is a
formidable
opponent.’

Silas smiled. ‘Indeed he is. However I
doubt he can do much now.’

‘I’ll let you tell him that when he
arrives.’

‘Alas I must decline his entrance. Marek
has instructed me to command our forces at the perimeter so that none escape.’

‘Lucky you.’

‘Keep calm, Reuben. I will see you on the
other side.’ Silas turned and left with his retinue.

‘Thanks for the support.’ Reuben muttered.

As Silas left, the far entrance to the
hall opened.

‘Ah, it seems our guests are here right
now!’ Marek’s musical voice carried over the room. Reuben turned as the last
survivors of the battle emerged into the remains of the great hall.

‘Cian, old friend, it’s good to see you!’

***

Seb
stood behind Cian to the left. The influx of Weave-energy that Cian had
channelled into him was waning now. He had to preserve what he had for the next
few moments. They would only get once chance at this.

‘Marek. You have betrayed us all!’ Cian
moved slowly forwards, his staff extended before him. All around sheol formed a
perimeter. Close, but not close enough to risk destruction. They’d seen what
damage the giant warrior could inflict.

‘There are so many, even now,’ Sylph
hissed.

Seb nodded. He tried not to think about
it, but she was right. They must’ve slain hundreds of sheol, but another
hundred at least remained. Did they ever have a chance?

‘Cian, I think you will find it is you and
your fallen friends that have been betrayed for far too long. It is I who has
finally seen the light after all these years!’

Cian scoffed. ‘Light? Selling your soul to
the sheol. You’ve lost your mind Marek. I feel sorry for you. Before I just
thought you were a poor mage, but now I know it wasn’t your fault. It is an
ailment of your mind that compels you to act this way.’

Marek smiled back. ‘My dear, Cian, even
now, at the end, you still cling to an ideal that has no place in this world.
It was your blindness that led to this. I knew how arrogant you would be, how
you fell for this plan I so carefully laid out.’

‘You planned this! All of it!’ Seb heard
himself say.

‘Ah, my little mageling. You have done
well to endure what has transpired. When Sarah fell I thought my plan’s had
fallen at the last. It was sheer luck that she found you.’

‘Be silent!’ Cian roared.

The giant warrior edged forwards. The
circle of sheol closed slightly around him.

‘Is this how it ends, noble Cian? You falling
by my hand, the last of the brain-washed magi dead at my feet?’

‘I tire of your bleating, Marek. You were
always a good talker, but in the end you are as I found you all those years
ago.’ Cian stopped his advance. His mouth curled into a rare smile. ‘You are
weak. Dim-witted and weak. My only shame is that I didn’t kill you then, rather
than soil my tunic with your tainted blood this day.’

The smile dropped from Marek’s face in an
instant. His eyes crackled with energy and his fists clenched by his sides.

‘Be ready. It comes.’ Cian hissed.

‘You always were a fool, Cian. Blinded by
loyalty. When I gain the power of the Spoke Stone I will make sure I keep you alive
for all eternity whilst I strip the flesh from your bones.’

‘You talk too much, Marek. Let us end this
now.’

Marek scowled. His eyes narrowed. He shot
a look at the gathered sheol.

‘End them!’

‘Now!’ Cian yelled.

At once they charged. Cian at the front,
projecting a concentrated field of force. They fell in behind him. The sheol,
startled at first, raced to meet them. They charged headlong into a roaring,
snapping mass of daemon.

Seb!

Seb didn’t hesitate. He called the Runic
Script that Cian had taught him moments earlier. It burned through much of his
reserves, and for a moment he thought it had failed. But then the mass in front
of him vanished. The world blurred by, and he found himself on the other side
of the carnage behind Marek, facing the doors to the sanctum. Alongside him
Sylph and Cade appeared, carried by the same magic. They skidded to a halt.

‘We made it!’

Behind them the sheol piled onto the
blazing inferno that Cian had become. Seb ran to the massive doors that barred
the way to the sanctum.

‘How does this work?’ He ran his fingers
over the ornate brass work, trying to find the mechanism that Cian had told him
of.

‘Seb. I think we need to hurry,’ Cade
said, his attention still facing towards the battle behind them. Seb snatched a
look up. Marek was turned their way, his face a rictus of fury.

Shit.

It must be here! Seb ran his hand over the
panelling that ran alongside the door frame. He stopped. What was that? He
moved his hand back up. The panel tingled with a subtle energy. He placed his
hand on the panel. Something passed through him and his skin rippled in
gooseflesh. He called the Script Cian had shown him, the one only known to the
inner circle. A lock clicked, and the door swung open.

‘We’re in!’

The three raced down the stairs that led
into the Inner Sanctum. Seb emerged first into the familiar chamber. The Spoke
Stone stood before him, surrounded by its ornate bronze carvings. He heard the
others arrive behind him but didn’t slow. He had to do this now whilst he still
had strength in his legs. He raced over. He reached the base of the stand and
reached out for the Stone.

Marek materialised before him.

No!

Before Seb could even react, the mage
struck out with the back of his hand, sending him sliding across the ground,
finally coming to a halt when he smacked into the wall.

‘Seb!’

Cade looked at Marek, and him, and then
back again. He dashed forwards, weapons raised. He struck at Marek but the
weapons passed through him like he wasn’t even there. Cade stood, confused,
before Marek pushed out with his palm. Cade rose into the air and smashed into
the wall above the doorway. He slid to the ground in a heap. Only Sylph
remained.

But where was she?

Seb scanned the room. He couldn’t draw on
the Weave. Something was blocking him, preventing him connecting. The impact
had knocked out the last ounce of energy he had. Through blurred vision he
tried to spot her but she’d simply vanished into thin air.

Then the shadows above the Spoke Stone
moved. Sylph appeared from the darkness. She took the Stone in her hand and
dropped to the ground in between Seb and Marek. For a fleeting moment a glimmer
of panic crossed the mage’s face before the icy calm returned.

‘Sylph. My dear child. I am pleased to see
you have survived this long.’

‘Don’t
lie. You betrayed me. You betrayed everything.’

Sylph spoke through gritted teeth. Tears
streamed down her face as she clutched the stone to her chest and took a step
backwards. By the door Reuben arrived, accompanied by several of the turned
Brothers. A sad thought flickered in Seb’s mind as he realised what this meant
for Cian. The Second Sword grinned when he saw Cade slumped unconscious on the
floor.

‘My child. It was for your own good.’
Marek shook his head, stepping forwards. ‘You were such a disappointment. I
thought I’d trained you better than that.’ He edged closer to Sylph, one hand
extended outwards. She swayed on her feet as if under some kind of spell.

‘Sylph! Ignore him!’ Seb tried to stand
but his legs had turned to jelly. He dropped again to his knees.

‘My child. I do not want you to suffer.
Come to me. Give me the stone. We are victorious, you and I. Together we will
restore Balor to his rightful place.’

‘No.’

Her words didn’t match her actions. She
took a step forwards.

‘Sylph! No!’

Seb managed to stand and take a step
forwards. Beyond, Cade began to stir, but all eyes were on the exchange going
on in the middle of the room.

‘Come here, my child. Let me release you
from your pain.’

Sylph and Marek took a step forward at the
same time. They met each other, Marek drawing her into his arms.

Seb’s
sense
returned. He couldn’t
channel still, but he could cast out. He focussed on Sylph, expecting to see
her under Marek’s control.

Strange. He could sense the fugue upon her
mind, Marek’s powers dulling her senses, but at the same time something else
lingered, the same defiance that kept her alive when suffering Clementine’s
barrage.

That’s when her hand dropped into her
pocket. Seb froze. Marek lifted Sylph’s face by the chin. Her tear-filled eyes
stared at him. His eyes began to glow purple.

‘I am sorry, Father,’ she said.

Marek frowned. ‘For what, child?’

‘This.’

Sylph snapped the object from her pocket.
Seb recognised it instantly. The Void collar! Before Marek could even respond
she whipped it round his neck. Marek realised the danger all too late. He
pushed out with force, sending Sylph flying away just as the collar clicked
shut. Marek howled as the dampening field he emitted abruptly vanished.

Seb stood up, his connection to the Weave
restored in an instant.

Reuben looked back and forth, confused.
Seb took advantage and dove for the Stone that still lay, cradled in Sylph’s
arms. Marek screamed and lunged too, but Seb, even with the lightest access to
the Weave, was able to beat him there. He took the stone and whipped it away
from the mage. He leapt back and hefted it above his head. Marek reached
towards him, arms outstretched, pleading.

‘No! No!’

Reuben
began to move, but something caught him by the arm. He pivoted, finding Cade
standing there, weapons at the ready. Reuben lashed out on instinct. Cade
ducked and thrust a needle-thin dagger up through his brother’s armpit.
Reuben’s sword clattered to the floor. He swung his other arm in a feeble left
hook but the blow just bounced off Cade’s shoulder. Reuben’s eyes widened as
his younger brother took a step forwards and slid a sword in through his ribs.
Reuben let out a surprised gasp as he slumped forwards onto Cade’s neck.

‘You’ve been learning well, brother,’ he
whispered.

Reuben let out a final breath before he
slumped to the floor by Cade’s feet. Without pause the warrior looked up,
ignoring Reuben’s remaining guards that surrounded him. He caught Seb’s eye
across the room.

Do it.

With one final thought about the impact
this action would have on the world, Seb smashed the stone into a thousand
pieces.

‘What have you done? What have you done?’
Marek cried. He reached for the collar on his neck but the mechanism, designed
to be impossible to open by the wearer, eluded him.

‘Stopped you. That’s all that mattered.’

‘You have undone us. All of us! I would’ve
made us kings!’

The ground began to rumble. It
reverberated throughout the chamber; a dull, throbbing growl that grew in
volume until the very walls seemed to shake. A pulse of magic surged through
Seb the likes he’d never experienced before. Then, from somewhere beyond
reality, he heard the sonorous chant of the sentinels.

‘They are coming,’ Seb said to the
prostrate Marek. The mage froze, his eyes showing fear for the first time.

‘What? No, they cannot be! They were
banished!’

‘Who’s coming?’ one of Reuben’s guards
said, his yellow eyes scanning the room in a mad panic.

That was when the giant stone knights on
either side of the door lifted their heads and stepped off their pedestals.

***

Rurik, one of Reuben’s most trusted
warriors, stood leaning against the massive stone gargoyle as he surveyed the
burning mansion. Before him rows of sheol lined up across the grassy slope,
primed and ready to pick off any escapees that fled from the inferno. He smiled
to himself. It had been costly, and the alliance with the sheol wasn’t
something he was entirely comfortable with, but the battle was won. The magi
were gone, the blight removed. The Brotherhood were free to resume their place
at
the top of the human hierarchy.