Cursed (13 page)

I
made my preparations and travelled with Meredith to Canary Wharf. According to Meredith, Belthas had an office in one of the skyscrapers. It’s not as rare as you’d think: Mages like towers. They’re a kind of status symbol in the magical world, even though no one seems able to explain exactly why. Some say it’s a leftover from the old days where mages had to worry about actual armies laying siege to their homes and a tower gave you a tactical advantage. Others say it’s from when mages went in for astronomy—a tower makes a better observation platform. Other explanations I’ve heard include a better view, attracting attention, reducing electromagnetic interference, impressing members of the opposite sex, a way to reduce the danger of vertical teleportation mishaps, and
my tower is bigger than yours
. My personal suspicion is that mages like to feel above everyone else, but I usually keep that to myself. Belthas’s office was near the top floor of the second- or third-highest skyscraper in the cluster, which meant he was either powerful and successful, concerned about his reputation, or compensating for something, depending on your point of view. The ground floor was huge, with tall wood-panelled walls and a shining white floor. A doorman showed us through the security gates and we stepped into a lift that carried us upward.

The back of the lift was mirrored and as we ascended I used the mirror to study Meredith. She’d been quiet all the way, hardly saying a word, and I wondered if she was
thinking about the mage we were about to meet. I hadn’t forgotten about the conversation I’d overheard last night and I wondered if it had been Belthas she’d been talking to. Meredith had sounded as if she wasn’t happy about their deal.

There was a
ding
and the lift stopped on the thirty-eighth floor. From what I could see, Belthas seemed to own about half the floor space. There was a receptionist to greet us but my attention was on the men with guns and body armour standing against the wall watching us with alert eyes: Council security. We were shown into a room, and after a brief wait, the receptionist put her head in with a smile. “Mr. Belthas will see you now.”

It’s not the first time I’ve been to see an important mage in Canary Wharf. The last time, it was at night in the middle of a ball, I was shown in alone, and I very nearly never walked out again. The mage I’d met had been Levistus and it had been a near thing. I could still remember the soundproofed room, silent and empty.

Belthas’s office was very different. It was set into the corner of the tower and sunlight streamed in from two glass walls, leaving bright patterns on the carpet and keeping the air comfortably warm. Belthas rose from his desk as we entered and walked around to shake my hand. “Verus. I’m glad you could make it.”

Belthas was tall, almost as tall as me. His hair was almost entirely white and he looked like a very well-preserved fifty. His features were difficult to place: His face looked English, but a faint accent to his words made me think of Eastern Europe. He had a pair of clear blue eyes and a ready smile, and his manner as he greeted me was friendly, but there was something in those eyes that made me cautious. You don’t get places in Council politics without playing the system and somehow I had the feeling that Belthas was watching me just as I was watching him. He went through the usual formalities while I gave the usual replies. Belthas wasn’t
acting as though he had anything to hide … but then the best manipulators don’t.

“Well then,” Belthas said once we were seated and I’d refused the offer of a drink. “What can I do for you?”

“How much has Meredith told you?”

Belthas frowned. “I haven’t been fully filled in. I understand you came under attack?”

“That’s one way to put it,” I said dryly. “Someone sent a construct assassin after Meredith.”

Belthas’s eyebrows went up. “I see.”

“Yes. I’d appreciate knowing why.”

Belthas steepled his fingers, seeming to think. Meredith was sitting quietly to one side, but otherwise the three of us were alone in the office. “I can certainly understand why you’d be upset,” Belthas said. “And I’m grateful for your assistance. However, as I’m sure you’re aware, the details are not common knowledge.”

“Belthas, please don’t play games,” I said. “I’m a diviner. If I wanted to find out I could, and you know it.”

Belthas didn’t react, which was revealing: If he’d really meant to keep it a secret he wouldn’t have taken it so calmly. “Perhaps this would go more smoothly if you explained your goals.”

“I don’t have any,” I said. “At least I didn’t until that construct came through my front window last night. Now whoever sent it’s got a reason to go after me too, and Meredith’s asked me to help her. Whether I agree depends on you.”

Belthas didn’t answer straightaway. I could feel the tension in Meredith off to my right but I couldn’t detect any danger. The futures branching before us were only conversation … for now. “I can understand why you’d feel that way,” Belthas said at last. “Perhaps if I explained how this situation came about.”

I nodded and Belthas leant back in his chair. “It begins
with a mage named Jadan. He was Dark, but not as hostile as some, and I had some small contact with him. As far as I was aware he was devoted to his research and rarely ventured from his sanctum. He died last month, but it appears that before his death he made a breakthrough. From what I’ve learnt, he was able to finally develop a genuinely practical method of drawing energy from magical creatures.”

I went dead still. I don’t think I showed anything on my face, but it was a near thing. Belthas was looking at me, waiting for a reaction. “Harvesting is banned under the Concord,” I said at last.

“Harvesting of
humans
. The laws don’t apply to magical beasts.”

“And the side effects?”

“As I understand it, the subjects came out sane.” Belthas regarded me. “However, as far as I know, the knowledge of how to perform the procedure is currently in the hands of only one group: a small cabal of Dark mages. They are, for obvious reasons, attempting to keep it secret.”

“And you found out about it.”

“Yes,” Belthas said. “I met with them recently and attempted to come to an understanding. It was my hope that we could negotiate something in exchange for an agreement that the technique would not be used. Negotiations were … unsuccessful.”

“And after that they decided to finish off your associates.”

“It appears so.” Belthas looked at me. “I hope you can see why I don’t wish the information to become public. Jadan’s technique has the potential to place a vast amount of power in the hands of this Dark cabal. This would not be to anyone’s advantage. In addition, there are suggestions that the technique could be adapted to humans. If this were the case, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the potential consequences.”

“I get it,” I said shortly. My head was still whirling as I put everything into place.

Belthas glanced at Meredith, then leant forward, placing his elbows on the table. “Then with that in mind, perhaps you would be interested in hearing my offer.”

I knew what he was going to say. “Your offer?”

“A simple contract of service. At present Meredith and I are the only mages opposing this group, and to be frank, we could use some assistance. You’ve already proved your ability. I would like to hire you.”

“To do what?”

“Find the Dark cabal. Stop them.”

“I’m not a battle-mage.”

“From what I understand, you’ve acquitted yourself quite well against opponents who are.” Belthas raised an eyebrow. “I’ve read the reports of the fateweaver incident. The uncensored reports.”

“Then you know I don’t get into fights if I can avoid it,” I said. “If you’re looking for someone to kill these guys, I can’t help you.”

Belthas shook his head. “Force is not in issue. I have enough influence with the Council to deal with the cabal in any direct engagement. What I need is an investigator. Someone to find the Dark mages and discover what they know about Jadan’s method. Once we know that, we can move in.”

“
You
can move in,” I said. Belthas nodded and I thought fast. “And in return?”

“As I said, I have some influence with the Council. I could assist you in any endeavours with them, should you require it. If not, I can promise future service. I would of course insist on paying for your time as well, if only on a token basis. Would ten thousand pounds a day be reasonable? In advance, of course.”

I had to stop my eyebrows going up at that. Like I said before, mages don’t value money all that much. But they still use it as a sense of scale: that much per day meant that the favours he was promising were significant. Of course,
if this job would put me in the sights of a Dark cabal, they’d have to be.

“There are some things I’d like to know first,” I said.

“Of course.”

“Meredith was on her way to see me when she was attacked. Why?”

“We had already identified you as a potential ally,” Belthas said. “I delayed approaching you in the hope that we could resolve the matter without spreading the information any more than was strictly necessary. It seems Meredith decided on her own initiative that the priorities had changed.” He glanced at Meredith, who nodded after a second.

“What are you going to do with this technique if you get it?” I said.

“I would prefer knowledge of its existence suppressed if possible.”

“And if it’s not possible?”

Belthas frowned. “Then the task will be considerably more difficult. However, I see no way to avoid that risk.”

I fell silent. Belthas waited patiently for my answer. Looking into the future, I could see that I wasn’t in any danger: Belthas wasn’t going to try to silence me or anything if I said no. The question was whether I wanted to.

If this technique of harvesting magical creatures really existed—and from what Belthas and Arachne had said, it seemed pretty damn likely—I wanted it destroyed. The idea of the magical creatures of our world being hunted down in a race for their life force made me feel sick. I didn’t know if it could be done but I was going to try.

On the other hand, I wasn’t sure how much I trusted Belthas. His explanation had been plausible and smooth but something still made me hesitate. I’m pretty good at telling when I’m being lied to; if I had to bet, I’d have said Belthas was telling me the truth but not the
whole
truth. Although his manner was friendly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that
underneath it was something calculating. He was keeping something back, maybe something important.

But for exactly that reason, I didn’t want to refuse. If I walked away, I’d have no way of learning what Belthas was up to. I already knew I wasn’t going to let this drop; it was a choice of investigating with him or without him. Then there was Meredith. I didn’t like the idea of just cutting her loose and it was pretty clear the Dark mages weren’t going to give up easily. I looked at Belthas. “You’ve got a deal. On one condition. I don’t want anybody else to gain access to Jadan’s research. If we get it, I want it destroyed.”

“Agreed.” Belthas smiled slightly. “Welcome aboard.”

To my side, I felt Meredith relax slightly. “So what’s your plan?”

“I’m working with my contacts in the Council to assemble a strike force. I need you to find out where the Dark cabal is operating from and how powerful they are.”

“And once I do?”

“I will eliminate them.” Belthas’s words were matter-of-fact, with no sign of bragging, and I pricked up my ears.

The split between Light and Dark mages is thousands of years old. There have been wars in the past, but at present there’s an uneasy peace governed by a set of rules called the Concord. Under the Concord, there’s a truce between all mages, whether Light or Dark … in theory. In practice, all the rules really come down to just one: don’t get caught. Open warfare is rare nowadays but violence isn’t, and a lot of brief, brutal skirmishes take place in the shadows of mage society, away from witnesses. Dark mages tend to come off best in these fights. It’s not that they’re any more powerful than their Light counterparts—they’re not—but they’re meaner and a hell of a lot more experienced and there aren’t many Light mages who’ll willingly engage a Dark one. Conventional wisdom is to steer clear of them; sooner or later someone else will take them down, and it’s a lot safer if that someone isn’t you. But somehow, as I met
Belthas’s steady gaze, I didn’t get the feeling he was exaggerating.

“How much do you know about them?”

Belthas nodded. “As you say, that is the weak point. So far, the cabal have worked hard to keep their identities secret. I’ve only seen them once and they were masked. There were at least two, of which one was a fire mage, but the encounter was too brief for me to learn much of value.”

“Any leads?”

“They would have had some connection to Jadan, but I do not know what. I suspect, to start with, the best avenue of investigation would be the location of the battle. I met with the Dark cabal last Thursday at—”

“—an old factory in Deptford, just south of the river,” I finished.

Meredith started and Belthas raised his eyebrows. It was the first sign of surprise he’d shown. “You’re well informed.”

I just looked at him. I didn’t explain how I knew. Bad for the mystique.

“Meredith.” Belthas turned to her. “I think it would be best if you assisted Verus.”

Meredith’s eyes went wide. “What? No!”

“You have a problem with working together?”

“I don’t want to get anywhere near these guys. It’s too dangerous. I didn’t sign up for this!”

“I believe you agreed to gather information.” Belthas’s voice was mild.

“Not like this. You—” Meredith hesitated, then started again. “You know what I agreed to. This isn’t it.”

I wondered exactly what Meredith
had
agreed to. The silence stretched out and Meredith shifted uncomfortably. “Well,” Belthas said finally. “If you wish to distance yourself, I will not do anything to stop you. However, I cannot guarantee the same of our opponents.”

Meredith frowned. I wondered what Belthas was getting at; it didn’t sound like a veiled threat unless … oh.