The Geomancer (31 page)

Gareth looked at the blunted shaft of the awl. “Do we have anything stronger?”

Adele shrugged. “Not here. Maybe if we dropped it in a blast furnace, but we're far from that. How did they carve it in the first place if it's so hard?”

“What about your geomancy? Can you destroy it from inside?”

She stared at the black stone again. It didn't seem like a small object any longer, but a hole into the endless night sky. Nothing but untouchable emptiness. “When I went inside it, I couldn't sense anything. There were no facets to touch. There was nothing I could change.”

A scuffling sound from the door brought both Adele and Gareth to their feet. Yidak stood in the dim archway with an unreadable look on his face. The Demon King said, “You cannot simply destroy your fears.”

“Oh shut up,” Adele muttered. “You're starting to sound like Mamoru.” She spat the name like a curse.

The old vampire strolled forward. “You must fight them as best you can.” His eyes went to the awl in Gareth's hands. “Oh. I was looking for that.” He took the tool.

Adele said, “Did the old monks ever tell you about a way to destroy this thing?”

“No. I'm sure it never occurred to them as something that should be done.”

“Well, it occurs to me.”

“Obviously.” He held up the broken awl.

“I had to do something. Goronwy won't wait for long. He wants this thing and he knows it's here. He'll send his packs to get it.”

Yidak smirked as he regarded Gareth. “A human giving orders to vampire packs? I suppose it's not too unbelievable.”

Adele stepped toward him. “You have no idea of his power. And I'm telling you, if this thing falls into his hands, the results will be catastrophic.”

“Catastrophic for whom?” Yidak glanced at the stone artifact lying helplessly on the floor. “I could likely make my problems go away by delivering the Tear of Death to your enemy out there.”

Adele narrowed her eyes at the old vampire, her fists tightening. “Is that your choice?”

Yidak stared back evenly at her. “Let's go back up, shall we? The weather is changing. If your prediction is right, we have much to plan.”

Adele didn't move for a long moment. Her breath clouded in the faint emerald glow. Gareth stood next to her, ready to fight no matter what move she made. She stooped toward her khukri and noted that Yidak twitched slightly before recovering his immortal calm. She motioned toward the doorway with the blade.

“Shall we?” she said.

Yidak hesitated, then turned his back to her and walked out. Adele and Gareth followed, leaving the Tear of Death lying in its place.

C
HAPTER 30

Caterina waited in the catacombs. Hundreds of dead eye sockets stared at her from every wall. The passageway to the outside gaped in front of her and a smaller tunnel for escape opened behind, should something go terribly wrong. She wasn't stupid enough to box herself into a corner. Caterina stood motionless, with her hands clutched penitently in front. A shape appeared in the passageway. Hallow cautiously entered the chamber of bones.

“Lady Hallow,” Caterina said, not trying to hide her nervous voice. “Thank you for coming.”

Hallow's eyes darted around the skeletal remains before settling back on the queen, satisfied. “I'm grateful you called on me. I knew we could make peace for the good of our clan.”

Caterina noted the
our
with a frozen smile. “You and I have been at cross purposes since you came to Paris with the Witchfinder. In some sense, Honore was already lost to us thanks to Cesare, so your attachment to him was no surprise. However, I now see you have intentions on my entire family.”

“Majesty, I—”

“Please let me finish,” Caterina interrupted forcefully. She still didn't move, keeping Hallow's attention locked to her. “I don't care if the human armies are coming. I don't care if we have to abandon Paris and flee. I won't have you interfering with my children. Do you understand me?”

Hallow adopted a calm, sympathetic demeanor. “I do, Majesty. It isn't my intention to vex you. I know you understand the threat that we are under.”

“Yes. And if you had skill in meeting it, your old clan wouldn't consist of a large pile of bones now.” Caterina slapped the wall of skulls behind her. “Your intellect failed in Britain. Cesare is dead. Flay is dead. Gareth alone survives.”

Hallow couldn't hide the flinch of pain before letting it change into a sneer of anger. “You have no idea what you're facing. You have no clue how to combat it. We are on the edge of the apocalypse and all you care about is that I am stealing your children from you. You are pathetic. Your husband is a soft failure and you are a shrill idiot. Your son, Honore, isn't much of a leader, but he's something at least. I suspect Isolde might serve better, but I'll find that out in time. Frankly, I couldn't care less what you think of me, or of anything. The time when your opinion matters is fast coming to a close. Now, are we done here?”

Caterina extended her claws. “You are.”

Hallow regarded the queen, sure that Caterina would never attack physically. Her threat was baseless, just another pathetic ploy. The tall consort shook her head at the immobile queen and spun on her heel.

Caterina struck in that moment, fueled by the memory of her daughter treating her with scorn. Hallow shouted in alarm, flailing at the queen with strength but no skill. Caterina felt blood on her hands when suddenly she was seized around the waist and pulled back from her target. Her arms were pinned and she was forcibly pressed against the wall of bone. Shouting curses, Caterina saw Fanon behind her with a look like he wished to die. But still he held her firmly. Several mercenaries stood behind him, grinning at the sight of the queen being manhandled.

“I'm sorry, Majesty,” Fanon mumbled as he fought to contain her. “Hallow suspected you would try something desperate. I've been waiting in the tunnel beyond for hours now. I wish you hadn't done it.”

“Take your hands off her!”

All eyes turned at the strange female voice. In the entrance of the passageway stood a group of vampires. Caterina recognized Kasteel and Nadzia, who stood with claws out, glaring toward the queen and her captor. Behind those two were a clutch of their rebel comrades.

“What are you doing?” Caterina ground out through clenched teeth. “Get out. You will be killed here.”

Nadzia raised her claws toward Fanon. “I said take your hands off her.”

Fanon grunted in confusion, while the mercenaries behind him laughed.

Kasteel stepped into the chamber, crunching over loose bones. He stared at Hallow. “I've killed vampires. Many of them.”

Hallow had recovered her composure from Caterina's attack. Blood soaked into the neck of her silky gown. She stared at the rebel in disbelief, and glanced at Caterina to scoff at Kasteel's childish boast. Then Hallow laughed. It was genuine amusement, not a pose or a misdirection. Her slight frame shook as she doubled over with silent, shuddering laughter. When Hallow finally looked up, her porcelain face was ruddy and tears welled in her eyes. She could barely speak.

“Oh my,” Hallow gasped. “Thank you. I haven't laughed that hard since the Age of Enlightenment. Truly, I am delighted by all of you.”

The rebel leader glowered at the still-chuckling Hallow. “The revolution that began in Britain continues here. For Prince Gareth!”

Hallow froze with a look of shock at Kasteel's cry. She pressed against the skeletal wall, suddenly disconcerted and shaken.

Nadzia leapt for Fanon. She caught the old fighter in the face with a surprising blow. The deep gashes broke him from his shock and he released Caterina to engage the girl. They slashed at one another. Nadzia was far faster and more nimble, but Fanon was much stronger. However, speed and agility had its limits in the small chamber. The old fighter would eventually corner her and beat her down.

Meanwhile, four mercenaries stormed at Kasteel and the rebels behind him. It was a blur of violence as the rebels were driven back into the passage. Suddenly more mercenaries appeared, charging down the passageway, falling on the overwhelmed rebels from behind. Clawed hands raked, cutting shoulders and backs. The rebels struggled to turn and meet the attacks from both sides.

Stunned, Caterina realized she had been trapped. She couldn't allow her own stupidity to doom these innocents. She lifted herself off the ground and ran headlong between Nadzia and Fanon. They both saw her and disengaged to avoid injuring her.

“Run!” Caterina shouted at Nadzia as she threw her arms around the stunned Fanon. “All of you! Run!”

The rebels broke. Some smashed their way through the fighters in the passageway to make for the outside. Kasteel cut across the bone chamber to grab Nadzia by the arm and they ran for the rear tunnel. Fanon tried to pull himself free from the queen but she fought with all her strength. Hands fell on Caterina's shoulders and Hallow attempted to drag her away from Fanon. Caterina drove her elbow into the pale female and propelled her into the wall with a rattle of bones. Fanon freed himself from the queen's grip and ran alone into the tunnel after Kasteel and Nadzia.

After he disappeared, Hallow seized one of the mercenaries nearby before he could take off in pursuit of the rebels. She pointed at Caterina. “Keep her from me! The queen's gone mad.”

Caterina didn't run; there was no reason. There was nowhere she could go, and there was nothing more she could do to help Kasteel and Nadzia. She saw three rebels lying at the mouth of the passageway. Two were dead; the other was badly wounded and moaning softly. Caterina knelt beside the wounded rebel and put a helpless hand on his shuddering chest.

Hallow stared at her with an impassive countenance, safe behind her mercenary, until Fanon returned after several minutes. He crossed to where Caterina waited by the injured rebel. The queen rose at his grim visage, unsure what he intended. Without pausing, Fanon dropped and executed the wounded vampire with a sharp snap of his neck. Caterina stood with mouth agape.

Fanon turned back to Lady Hallow. “They escaped.”

“What?” Hallow snarled. “How is that possible? Why didn't you run them to ground?”

Fanon eyed her with suppressed anger. “There are many passages. I returned here so you didn't come to any harm at the hands of the queen. Why didn't you tell me that Her Majesty would have forces here?”

Hallow worked to recover her composure. “I didn't know. I didn't realize how great a traitor she is.”

Light crunching footsteps announced one of the mercenaries returning along the front passage. He was spattered with blood. “We killed two. We are in pursuit of the rest.”

Lady Hallow stepped away from the skulls. “We have the most important one.” She pointed at Caterina. “Fanon, escort the queen back to the palace. The war chief will want to hear about tonight's events.”

One of the mercenaries sneered at the queen until Fanon shoved him into the wall with a growl. Then the old soldier faced Caterina with downturned, apologetic features. “I'm sorry, Your Majesty; please come along.”

Caterina kept her head high and started out. She stepped over the bodies of the dead rebels and walked down the tunnel of skeletons toward the uncertain mercy of her son.

King Lothaire sat in a large chair that might have been a throne if he had any pretentions at all. He balanced the baby on his knee and watched the proceedings with an air of incredulity. He glanced at the empty chair beside him. Honore and Hallow huddled with Isolde in one corner, quietly conversing. Fanon and several of the mercenaries waited at the door, silent and ready.

Dust-moted shafts of sunlight stabbed onto the figure of the queen standing in the center of the vast musty chamber. Caterina was careful to maintain a superior indifference to this insulting and undignified spectacle. She reminded her husband with every gesture and inflection that she was the queen and should have been in the empty chair beside him rather than standing alone in the dreadful sun.

“Well,” Lothaire intoned in a voice that reverberated in the immensity of the garish red and gold room, “it seems to me no harm was done.”

Hallow looked at the king in shock. Honore scowled with fury, and even Caterina couldn't suppress a laugh at her husband's typical attempt at ­dismissal.

“Are you insane as well as weak?” Honore snarled. “I am the war chief and Hallow is my future bride. Queen Caterina is a criminal.”

“Criminal?” Lothaire wagged his head back and forth with uncertainty. “That's not clear.”

“She lured Lady Hallow under false pretenses, and then set on her with some private militia.” Honore raised both hands with an air of indignation. “She is endangering the clan at our most critical time.”

Lothaire again glanced at Caterina, hoping his wife would speak up, defend herself. She had to help him. Instead, she stayed quiet.