Consensus Breaking (The Auran Chronicles Book 2) (31 page)

Aside from the initial encounters, when Cade had taken out a handful of patrolling sentries, the group's progress thus far had been slow, but relatively low in encounters with the Ninth. A lone mage had stumbled out of some kind of dormitory, eyes still bleary with sleep. Sylph had silenced him before he could utter a word of warning, and they’d stuffed him back into a locker inside the dorm, but not before Barach had ripped what memories he could from the dead man’s mind.

Barach’s theory had held so far. Most of the forces the Ninth possessed had been sent back through the Ways at Junction, seeking to retrieve the Spoke Stones from the Families. With any mage of substance dead, it was the perfect opportunity to acquire the Stones. That meant that only a minimal force had remained at Osgog.

It seemed the Ninth had never expected an attack to come in their own backyard.

‘Where now?’ Cade said, his yellow eyes scanning up and down the corridor.

‘Left. Then down. This is the last floor of what we’d consider normal. Beyond this corridor there’s a set of security doors that lead into the catacombs. These are part natural, part man-made, but are imbued with the Ninth’s dark magic. The Manyway is there. Right at the bottom.’

‘Can we get lost?’

‘Yes, quite easily. Which is why you need to come closer.’

Cade didn’t hesitate. He didn’t share Barach’s beliefs about the Weave and who can access it, but the mage had proven several times over the past few hours that he was a worthy ally, almost invaluable, in fact. He motioned for the rest of the group to follow likewise.

‘I will share the memories I’ve found of the caverns. This mage had been there, although not recently. There are sheol there, not many, but enough to worry about. These should help us navigate down to the Manyway.’

They formed a huddle. Barach sent a gentle pulse out, connecting their minds. They were all Aware, some more than others. Cade shivered when he felt Barach’s mind touching his own, the sensation like having icy water trickled down his spine. Then the memories came, fractured images at first, then sounds, smells, scenes.

‘That’s amazing,’ one of his brothers said.

‘It won’t last. They never do for non-magi. It’ll work for a few hours though.’

Cade broke away from the huddle. Surreal didn’t cut it. From being completely in the dark about this place he suddenly had memories of being here before, but obviously not his own. It was as if Barach had planted a series of mini-movies in his mind that he could call on at will. Straight away he knew that left
was
the right route, leading down into the caverns. He saw the Manyway, not how he’d imagined how it would look, but as it was. A raised stone platform surrounded by bizarre, bone structures that framed it on all sides.

‘Sylph,’ he said, ‘scout ahead, to the left. See what we’re facing.’

Sylph shook her head as if to remove the clutter from her mind before vanishing down the corridor.

The rest of the group remained in collective awe, still stunned by the memories they’d received. For a moment they let their guards slip, looking inward, at their newly acquired memories. None of them heard the door that led back to the T-junction creak open, or the near-silent footsteps as a new arrival crept up towards them.

It was Barach that
sensed
it first. He’d experienced the acquisition of others’ memories countless times, and the initial pleasure of seeing the reaction of the group had quickly vanished. He brought up his probe, almost casually.

A mage. Right behind them.

‘Down!’ he hissed.

The group scattered as Barach called up an ultra-dense bolt of force. A figure, half-obscured by shadow, moved towards them, the shadow’s
sense
similarly probing towards them. Barach unleashed the bolt just as the figure came into the light.

‘Wait!’ Seb said.

Barach tried to snuff out the Script but it was too late. The
force
slammed into Seb, who just managed to throw up a shield at the last minute. He flew backwards as the air rippled before him, smashing into the double doors where he’d just come from.

***

Cade’s blood-spattered face appeared above him. A rare smile appeared. He held out his hand, which Seb took gratefully, rubbing his hip as he got to his feet.

‘It’s good to see you, we weren’t sure if you were even alive,’ Cade said.

‘I nearly wasn’t, several times.’

‘Where the hell have you been?’

‘Skelwith.’

Cade did a double take. ‘What?’

‘Long story.’ He looked at the warriors gathered around and exchanged a nod with Barach. ‘Good effect,’ he said, rubbing his aching hip.

‘Good defence,’ Barach replied. ‘Sorry if I did any damage there.’

‘I’ll live.’

‘What got you here?’ Cade said.

‘I had a feeling of sorts. I can’t explain it. I just felt you were in trouble. Then Gough found me.’

Cade frowned. ‘Gough? How?’

‘Not physically. You know, mentally,’ he said, tapping his head.

‘So you know of Sedaris’ plans?’

‘The Manyway. He’s going to break the seal between our world and the sheol using the Spoke Stones as some kind of hammer?’

‘Just about sums it up. We need to get there and destroy it to prevent the sheol coming through.’

‘Although Sedaris will still have the Spoke Stones?’ Seb said.

‘It buys us time. This is the only known Manyway on Earth. We can either take this down or try and stop each of the attacks on the Families. I know which has more chance of success.’

‘Agreed. Although, what about Sedaris?’

‘Let me worry about him,’ Barach said. ‘Cade, we need to get moving.’

‘Understood.’ Cade took the clip out of his weapon, checking that it was full of silver bullets. ‘You ready for this?’

‘Yeah,’ Seb said. ‘Let’s do this.’

The door at the end of the corridor burst open. A small man, brow bloodied, landed in a heap on the floor. Sylph appeared behind him, wiping her hands on her pants.

‘Cade, you need to speak to this guy, he knows -’ her eyes found Seb. The words died in her throat.

‘Hey, Sylph,’ Seb said, a strange flush suddenly making the room feel very hot.

Sylph stormed over, her mouth pencil thin, her eyes hard. Cade stepped aside.

‘You’re alive, then?’ she said, her voice tight, matching her expression.

‘Just about.’

‘Were you planning to let me -
us -
know at any point?’

‘Sorry, I sort of had my hands tied. If I coul -’

The slap cracked against his face. His cheek stung as he raised a hand to where his flesh felt like it was on fire.

‘Next time, you tell me you’re alive, you understand?’

He nodded, not daring to speak again.

‘Good,’ Sylph shook her head and blew out. She turned to Cade. ‘This guy. He’s some kind of maintenance guy; I found him near the ramp that leads into the catacombs. He claims he has information that will help us.’

‘And he just told you this willingly?’

Sylph rolled her eyes. ‘It’s amazing what people will do when death is staring them in the face.’

‘I’ll speak to him.’

Cade picked the man up by the collar and threw him into a seat. Through tear-filled eyes the man looked up at Cade, then Sylph, then back again.

‘You work here?’ Cade said.

The man nodded.

‘You have information.’

The man nodded, more vigorously this time.

‘Why should I believe you? Why are you not possessed?’

‘They needed someone to be able to keep the portal running. It’s too volatile as it stands. There’s a bunch of us that Archmage Tarmyr pulled in. Physicists, engineers, that have been employed to keep it stable. They couldn’t afford to let us get possessed or they’d lose control of the portal.’

‘Why does this help us?’ Cade said.

‘They built a separate route, an access hatch that bypasses the tunnels that the sheol run through.’

Seb studied the man as Sylph and Cade exchanged excited looks.

‘And this hatch? It leads directly to the portal chamber? Where the Manyway is?’

‘Yeah,’ the man stammered. ‘Too many were getting caught early on. So they built a secure area instead. It leads right to the bottom level. There are still sheol there but nowhere near as many as there are in the tunnels leading down. We always had a mage with us to keep us safe.’’

Cade glanced back. ‘Is he telling the truth?’

‘He’s scared. He’ll tell you anything, but I don’t sense any deceit.’

‘Good.’ Cade turned back to the man. ‘You will lead us there?’

The man’s eyes opened in panic. ‘Lead, no, I can show -’

The tip of Cade’s sword touched the man’s Adam’s apple. The man froze, the point drawing a bead of blood.

‘You will take us there. Personally. Or I kill you here. Now. What is it?’

The man blinked. A tear spilt down his cheek.

‘Perhaps you need to let him move his head, just a little,’ Seb suggested.

Cade scowled but moved the blade an inch.

‘Well?’ Seb said.

The man’s shoulders slumped. ‘We’ll all die down there,’ he muttered.

‘Good, glad to have you on board!’ Cade said, before leaving the man to stew in his own fear. Seb followed, aware that Sylph stood, leaning against the wall, firing daggers into his back.

‘What’s her problem?’ Seb said.

Cade smiled. ‘
Problem?
It is true what they say, isn’t it? Youth is wasted on the young.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Let’s talk about it when this is over. If we don’t make it out, it’s not worth it.’

‘Reassuring.’

‘I’m a realist.’

With everyone ready, Cade yanked the technician out of the chair and shoved him to the front. He turned left into the corridor, the man nearly paralysed with fear, Cade having to drag him onward.
The technician stumbled and bounced off the walls as they descended, Cade’s iron grip forcing him along like he weighed no more than a feather. Every time he fell the warrior yanked him to his feet, the man’s cries for mercy falling on deaf ears.

Eventually they came across an access elevator that only led in one direction from their floor. The man stopped.

‘Is this it?’ Cade said.

The man nodded. ‘It won’t work though. The lift only works for the magi. You’ll need to take the service shaft. It opens up in the same area. I can give you the access codes to open its doors.’

‘Understood,’ Cade grabbed the man and shoved him into the elevator.

‘What’re you doing?’

‘If you’ve got a vested interest in your life you wouldn’t walk yourself into a trap, would you?’

The man fell on Cade, his hands clasped, pleading. ‘I can’t climb down there. It’s too far. Please, I’ve got a family, kids. I don’t want to die here.’

Cade’s glare could’ve melted steel. ‘Perhaps you should’ve thought of that before you sold your soul to the devil?’

Cade flung the man to one side and stepped inside the elevator. A pale red light shone down on him as he looked down at the panel below. Two quick jabs later and the panel had popped off. He looked at the others. ‘Let’s go.’

The climb down was going to be a challenge, even for Seb, who without Avatari doubted he could’ve handled the descent. The technician had no chance, forced at gunpoint to the ladder that followed the shaft downwards, but clearly unfit for such a task. As he lowered himself down onto the first rungs his face was already crimson and sweat poured down his face as he clung on for dear life, no doubt the family he had at home making him fight on to the end.

This wasn’t right.

‘Cade,’ Seb said.

‘What?’ Cade grunted.

‘Let him go. He doesn’t need to do this.’

‘Why, he’s working for them isn’t he?’ Cade looked at the man with disdain. ‘If he falls it will be a small mercy compared to what the sheol would do.’

Seb read the man’s aura. There was no deception there, just fear, almost overwhelming him. He shook his head.

‘We’re better than this, Cade. Let him go.’

Cade glanced at Sylph, who merely gave a non-committal shrug. Cade paused, just for a moment, before nodding at one of his soldiers. ‘Get him out of here.’

The technician was bundled out of the elevator, but not before firing a grateful glance Seb’s way as he stumbled past. He made it ten feet before he suddenly jerked and fell to the floor.

Seb turned to Barach, noting the source of the Weave disturbance. ‘What did you do?’

‘Relax. Nothing serious. He’ll be out for a few minutes. When he wakes he won’t remember meeting us, and will have a sudden desire to get the hell out of here.’