Taken (28 page)

Crystal was still on the podium and her gaze was resting on Fay Wilder, just as she’d watched every other apprentice who’d stepped onto the piste. I narrowed my eyes.
Why are you watching them so closely?

Crystal turned away and raised her voice. “Natasha Babel . . .” Her eyes came to rest on us. “And Luna Mancuso.”

I felt Luna go stiff. “Go for it,” I said.

“It’s—”

“I know who it is. Kick her ass.”

Natasha was already walking onto the piste. Luna stepped out a moment later. She’d tied her hair back in a ponytail instead of her usual bunches, and as she took her place to the right end she looked quick and agile, standing balanced on the balls of her feet. The conversion field flared up around the piste and bubble shields appeared around Luna and Natasha. “Ready?” the arbitrator asked Luna.

Luna nodded. She was keeping the handle of her whip hidden and I nodded approvingly to myself. As I watched, the silver mist of her curse spread and unfurled around her, tendrils snaking out to a distance of two or three yards and causing faint flickers as they brushed the edge of the piste. Luna’s learnt over the past year to hold her curse in, but it’s more powerful when she doesn’t.

“Ready?” the arbitrator asked Natasha.

Natasha said something under her breath, not quite loud enough for me to hear. Luna frowned and Natasha gave her a thin smile. Just as in their first duel, Natasha carried no weapon. With her water magic she didn’t need one.

“Are you ready?” the arbitrator repeated to Natasha, more loudly.

“Ready,” Natasha said without taking her eyes off Luna.

“Fi—”

Natasha struck before the arbitrator had finished speaking, a lance of blue light stabbing at Luna’s chest. Water mages can’t manipulate the water in a human body—that’s the domain of life magic—and they can’t create water out of nowhere. But they can use the water vapour in the air to do pretty much anything water can do in much larger amounts, including hitting someone with the impact of a fire hose.

But Luna had started moving at the same time, and whether through foresight or the luck of her curse her sidestep took her far enough out of the way for the water lance to streak past. As she dodged, her right arm came up in an underarm swing and the whip came to life, its silvery length slashing upwards and straight into Natasha. The strand dissipated as it struck the bubble of Natasha’s conversion field, becoming a flash of brilliant light that made me shut my eyes.

“Point, right,” the arbitrator said. He was frowning, but neither Natasha nor Luna had
quite
jumped the gun.

“What was that?” Natasha demanded. “That’s not fair!”

“Point, right,” the arbitrator repeated more loudly. “One-zero.” Luna brought the whip back, the strand of silver mist curling around her feet. I’d expected it to go for the spectators, but it didn’t; it was pointed towards Natasha, coiled and ready. For Natasha’s part, she looked taken aback. This obviously wasn’t going the way she’d expected.

“Ready?” the arbitrator asked once everything was settled. I could hear murmurs from the crowd, people whispering in undertones. Luna’s curse is
very
difficult to see; my mage’s sight is better than most and even I can only spot it because I know exactly what to look for. To most of the mages here, it would have looked like Luna hit Natasha without doing anything.

“Fight!”

A spherical shield of flickering blue light sprang up around Natasha, the water magic combining magical energy and pressure to repel attacks. Luna’s whip sprang out eagerly and the silver mist bit into the sphere, but the shield held. Luna pulled back and struck again, stepping forward as Natasha stepped back. Light sparked from Natasha’s shield at the points of impact, silver-blue instead of the white flash of the conversion field. The whip was fast and responsive and it gathered itself for a new strike more quickly than any normal whip could do, but there was still a slight delay between each attack. Natasha timed it carefully, then as Luna was pulling back for another stroke she dropped her shield and sent a full-strength blast of water magic streaming down the piste. Luna was off-balance and didn’t manage to dodge. The azimuth shield took the brunt of the attack with a brilliant flash, but it couldn’t stop all the kinetic energy of the impact. Luna flew five feet before hitting the floor and slid and rolled for another ten.

“Point, left,” the arbitrator said as another murmur went up around the hall. “One-all. Is right able to continue?”

Luna got to one knee, steadying herself and locking gazes with Natasha. There was a small cut on her lip. “Oh, I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Natasha said, her eyes wide.

“You wish,” Luna said.

“Places,” the arbitrator said loudly.

Luna rose and walked to the starting lines. Her curse lashed and twisted around her, and it looked pissed off. Over the crowd I caught a glimpse of Anne and Variam watching closely. Anne looked worried. Variam just looked like he was enjoying the show.

“Ready?” the arbitrator said. “Fight!”

Both Luna and Natasha started more cautiously this time, neither wanting to risk an attack that might leave them open. Luna attacked first, her whip flicking out to glance off Natasha’s shield. Natasha struck back but this time Luna’s whip met the attack head on, slashing into the lance of water and erasing it in a flash of light before it could reach her. Natasha pulled away.

Luna began to advance. This time instead of big slow swings she kept the whip in front of her, slashing at Natasha with quick strikes that didn’t leave her vulnerable. Natasha backed off as the whip cut into her shield, the impacts landing left and right and left again. Luna kept advancing, eyes narrowed in concentration, and it became obvious that Natasha didn’t have an answer for the steady beat of attacks. Experienced battle-mages can shield and strike at the same time but Natasha didn’t have the skill. Natasha kept backing away, flinching. Left, right, left—and then Luna changed the pattern. Instead of going back to the right she flipped the whip handle through a complex move and the whip reared up behind Natasha like a striking scorpion, stabbing through the back of her shield where it was weaker in a flash of brilliant white.

“Point, right. Two-one. Places.”

Luna backed off. She was breathing hard but she looked satisfied. Natasha didn’t.

“Match point,” the arbitrator said. “Ready?”

Luna nodded.

“Ready?”

Natasha gave a tiny nod.

“Fi—”

Natasha struck with overwhelming force, sending a pillar of blue light at Luna with bone-crushing power. But Luna’s curse saved her again, her sidestep taking her just far enough away. The whip licked out without Luna even swinging it and the silver strand hit Natasha squarely in the face. The conversion field couldn’t stop it all this time and through the brilliant flash I saw a tendril of mist stroke Natasha’s cheek, soaking into her.

“Point, right,” the arbitrator said. “Match. Luna Mancuso wins three-one.”

The crowd started to applaud. Natasha just stood there, staring at Luna. Luna’s curse can’t be felt when it hits. To Natasha it would have seemed as though Luna had won without even touching her. The mages at the back of the piste released their spell on the azimuth focuses and the shields winked out. Luna turned her back on Natasha and marched down the piste, holding the handle of her whip high in triumph. She looked for me in the crowd, grinning. “Alex!” she shouted over the applause. “Did you—?”

Behind, Natasha’s face twisted in sudden rage.

“Luna!” I shouted.

Dark blue-green light streamed from Natasha’s hand and this time there was no azimuth shield to stop it. Luna had started to turn and the movement took her partly out of the line of the spell but not quite far enough. It splashed across her side and lower back.

Luna hit the floor with a shriek. A second later the arbitrator grabbed Natasha, dragging her off the piste. I was running for Luna but as I reached the piste I checked myself. Luna was writhing on the floor in pain and her curse was active and uncontrolled, twisting and striking blindly. If I came any closer—

Then Anne was there and she didn’t hesitate. She dropped to her knees beside Luna, pulling Luna over onto her front. Luna screamed again and as I saw her back I drew a breath in horror. Natasha’s spell had eaten through Luna’s clothes and skin, revealing red muscle and white bone. And as Anne touched her, Luna’s curse jumped into her, tendrils wrapping around Anne and soaking through her skin. If Anne was aware of what Luna’s curse was doing she didn’t show it. She placed her hands on Luna’s back at the edge of the horrible injury and concentrated.

Soft green light flared up, linking the two girls together. Luna arched her spine, but she wasn’t screaming anymore. The blood soaking from the wound stopped flowing, and as I watched the ruined muscles began to regrow, interlacing and rebuilding themselves before my eyes. White bone disappeared beneath flesh and the flesh disappeared beneath a new layer of pale white skin. It was over in seconds. Where Luna’s back had been a ruined mess, now it was bare and flawless. The only sign of the wound was the ragged hole in her clothes.

Anne tried to get to her feet, staggered, and nearly fell. Luna’s curse was still streaming into her and I jumped in and drew her away out of range. Luna sat up on the floor, but she was obviously dazed and didn’t know what was going on. The hall was filled with shouts and noise. I held Anne up and an instant later Variam was there, supporting her as well. I could see the silver mist of Luna’s curse glowing around Anne—

—And with a snap it was gone. I whirled, going tense. I’ve seen Luna’s curse triggering enough times to recognise it. Something was coming for Anne and I tried to watch in every direction at once, expecting danger any moment.

Seconds ticked by and nothing happened. Luna was trying to get to her feet. “Luna,” I called. “
Luna!
We’re getting out of here.”

Luna wasn’t in any state to argue. I was vaguely aware of people trying to talk to us but I didn’t care; I needed to get Anne and Luna somewhere safe. Somehow we got out of the duelling hall and into the corridor, me leading while Variam brought up the rear. My shoulders itched as we hurried down the hall. I didn’t know what was coming, but it was going to be bad.

Nothing came. We made it back to Anne and Luna’s room without anything happening.

I shut the door and locked it as Luna collapsed on the bed. Anne was sitting leaning against the wall, eyes closed, and she actually looked more drained than Luna. “Variam,” I said. “Will they be okay?”

“They’ll be fine.” But Variam was frowning. “Isn’t it dangerous getting close to—”

“Yes,” I said. I was still trying to make sense of it. Luna and her bed and her clothes glowed with silver mist, but Anne had nothing. The only way that could make sense was if the curse had already activated . . . but if it had, why wasn’t anything happening?

“Be okay,” Anne said drowsily. “Just a little while.”

Now that Anne and Luna were out of danger I was torn between wanting to stay with them to make sure they were safe, and wanting to find Natasha and kill her. Wanting to keep them safe won. “What about Luna?” I asked Anne.

“It’s weird,” Anne said. She still sounded half-asleep. “What you said last night? Now
I
feel like someone’s watching me . . .”

Something about the words gave me a chill, but it was hard to concentrate with Luna like this. “Is Luna going to be okay?”

“What? Oh.” Anne shook herself and seemed to come awake. “Yes. She just needs a rest.”

I looked over at Luna. She was sprawled on her bed with one hand resting on the pillow and she seemed to have fallen asleep. As I looked into the short-term future I began to calm down a little. It was hard to see far but I couldn’t see anything catastrophic happening to anyone just yet.

“Um,” Anne said. She sounded a little embarrassed. “I’m going to need something to eat.”

“I’ll get you something,” I said. “Don’t leave this room.” I glanced at Variam. “Stay with them.”

Variam nodded.

*  *  *

I
t took a little while to find the kitchens and talk the staff into getting me something. I kept getting distracted by thoughts of what Natasha had done, and every time I did I felt a wave of white-hot rage. I wanted to go after her but knew that in my current state it would be a really bad idea. From the noise and the lack of crowds I could tell that the tournament was still going on, and that pissed me off even more.

I got back to Anne and Luna’s room and had just set down the tray to knock on the door when I stopped. The door was open.

I pushed the door open with my left hand, my right slipping inside my coat. Luna was alone in the room, sprawled on the bed right where I’d left her, the silver mist of her curse twining lazily around her body as she slept. Anne and Variam were gone.

What the hell?

I scanned the immediate futures but couldn’t find anything. With the mansion’s wards I couldn’t see far enough to find out where they were. I leant back out into the corridor and saw a girl peeking out of a room two doors down. “Hey,” I said. “Where did the apprentices in this room go?”

“I don’t know . . .”

As I looked at the girl I recognised her. She was the same one I’d seen Anne talking to two days ago. “What’s your name?”

“Celia.” The girl came hesitantly out of her room, drawing a little closer. She was small, with blond hair and glasses. “Is Anne okay?”

“Where did she go?”

“They took her away.”

“Who?”

“Two mages. They said they were from the Council?”

“Where did they take her?”

“I don’t know. Variam went with her, he was shouting . . .”

My phone rang. I took one glance at who it was, then pointed to Luna and Anne’s room. “I need you to help my apprentice. Stay in that room and keep an eye on her. Don’t go near her, just make sure she’s not left alone. Okay?”

Celia hesitated. “Okay.”

As Celia disappeared into the room I took out my phone, hit the Talk button, and started walking. “Talisid, can you explain to me why two mages who sound a hell of a lot like Council Keepers just took Anne away for questioning?”