Page 10 of The Dark Mirror (The Bone Season #5)

10

REUNION

I took the medium to Nick. After that, I fell asleep, reassured by the knowledge that Terebell was coming.

It didn’t last for long. I woke in a cage of cold skin, unable to move so much as a finger. I could only stare at the ceiling, feeling as if my blood had stopped flowing.

I don’t know how long I lay there. At last, I managed to snap upright. Some instinct made me pull on the cord, the dead and heavy cord, more lead than gold.

‘I’m here,’ I whispered. ‘What are you trying to tell me?’

I didn’t know why I was talking out loud.

‘Are you on Capri or Ischia?’

There was no answer. I held myself, taking deep breaths, waiting for the feeling of unease to pass.

It soon became apparent that I needed to shake it off with some force. Before the sun had risen, I was leaving the Palazzo del Domino, craving a run along the waterfront, where the streetlamps were aglow.

By the time I returned to my room, the sun was up, the streets burning. In the bar, I ordered an early lunch and chose a seat in the corner. When Nick joined me at noon, I looked up.

‘How’s the medium?’

‘He has a sore throat and a headache, but he’s stable. He doesn’t remember what he said.’ Nick held a glass of white ersatz. ‘That was quite a way for Terebell to establish contact.’

‘At least she got my message.’

‘Let’s hope she has good news about the Mime Order.’ He sat down and rested his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers under his chin. ‘Any more thoughts about Operation Ventriloquist?’

‘Not yet.’

‘And you still think Warden is on Capri?’

‘Yes. That’s the island named for love, and it’s closer to shore, so it’s more tempting.’ I pushed my hair back. ‘I think Warden is there as bait. I’m thinking about taking it.’

Nick waited for me to go on.

‘I’m trying to learn from my mistakes. I know I can be impulsive and reckless, and I need to get a handle on it. If I don’t play it safer, I’m going to get someone killed again, like I did in London,’ I said. ‘I know this is a trap. The water, the name – it’s like Nashira is testing my nerve and my loyalty, asking me how far I’m willing to go to save him.’

‘But you want to see for yourself.’

‘I’m afraid that if I don’t, he’ll be stranded there for good. It would give Nashira such a kick to prove she’d finally broken us, to the point that I would ignore an obvious sign that he’s there.’

‘Reverse psychology. It’s possible,’ Nick said. ‘If this is a trap for you, we’ve learned about it before Nashira is ready, which might work in our favour.’ I nodded. ‘What would Warden tell you to do?’

‘Avoid the islands. Don’t risk my life,’ I said at once, ‘but he’s selfless to the point of absurdity. What he would tell me to do isn’t necessarily the right thing to do.’

Nick considered for a while.

‘Going there would be dangerous,’ he said, ‘but in our line of work, everything comes with risk. Sometimes that risk is justified. In this case, I think it is. First, because Scion doesn’t know we’re aware of the islands being annexed. And regardless of your personal feelings for Warden, saving him could be a smart move for Domino. He’s been with the enemy for months, which means he’d be a valuable informant. He might even know something more about Operation Ventriloquist. You could use that to sell the idea to Command.’

‘So if I can get them on board, you’d support me doing this?’

‘Depending on the strength of our plan. We rushed into the ambush in Fulham,’ Nick said, ‘but Scion has only held these islands for a month. I doubt they’ve had time to fortify them.’

‘That’s what I was thinking. That patrol ship didn’t stop there for long,’ I said. ‘They won’t have had a chance to unload much security or surveillance equipment, but they must be planning to put it there at some point. That means we have a small window of opportunity.’

‘And no thief would get anywhere by walking past an open window.’

‘Jax said that.’

‘I think we can agree he was occasionally right. And remember what Eliza told you, when we first taught you to pickpocket,’ Nick said. ‘A mouse can steal bait from a trap. It just needs care, speed and subtlety.’

‘Carrying a big Reph off an island might be harder than lifting a watch off a mark.’

‘We got him out of Camden, even if it drew attention. I’m just glad you’ve warned me this time.’

‘I did say I would.’

Ver?a and Maria arrived at that moment, looking as tired as us. Soon we all had a drink and a meal.

‘So tell us, Underqueen,’ Maria said. ‘Are we going to Naples?’

‘Not yet. I’ve heard from Terebell,’ I said. ‘She wants to see me in Bologna tomorrow.’

‘How did she get here?’

‘No idea, but if she agrees with my theory that Warden might be on Capri, I’ll go to Command and make a case for a rescue attempt. We’ll need decent equipment – weapons, mine detectors, maybe diving gear. A way across, too.’

‘I have a few old friends in Napoli,’ Ver?a said. ‘I’m confident they could find us a boat.’

‘Any guards on the island would see a boat from a long way off,’ Nick said.

Maria reached for the basket of bread in the middle of the table. ‘Submarine?’

‘You’re not coming, however we get to it,’ I told her. ‘Not with that gammy arm.’

‘Oh, come on, it’s a flesh wound.’

‘Maria,’ Nick said. ‘No.’

‘Well, I’m coming to Naples. Ver?a, what is the voyant community like there?’

‘Very old and tight knit,’ Ver?a replied. ‘The city has two main factions of voyants, as well as an underground market in the Catacombe di San Gennaro.’

‘Will they be willing to help us?’

‘Possibly, if I’m with you. I was on good terms with both factions when I lived there.’

‘The Ranthen will want to be part of getting Arcturus back, and they’ll be useful on the island,’ I said. ‘I need somewhere discreet for them to meet us.’

As Ver?a thought about it, she chased her salmon with a sip of pale wine.

‘The Antro della Sibilla,’ she concluded. ‘It’s a cave we used for séance parties, but it would make a good place for a secret meeting. It’s said the Cumaean Sibyl used to live there.’

Nick looked curious. ‘A sibyl?’

‘Yes. Some Neapolitan voyants worship her,’ Ver?a said. ‘Legend says the god Apollo granted her long life, but when she refused to sleep with him, he elected not to preserve her youth. Her body shrivelled until it could fit inside a jar, and then only her voice was left. And whenever people asked what she wanted, the sibyl would say she wanted to die.’

‘That could be the most dismal story I’ve ever heard,’ Maria said. ‘And I was in prison.’

‘A cave sounds perfect,’ I said. ‘Where is it?’

‘Pozzuoli, on the outskirts of the province of Naples,’ Ver?a said. ‘I’ll mark it on a map for you.’

‘Thanks. Once we’re there, I can assess Capri from a distance,’ I said. ‘Since it was only cleared in the last few weeks, we think any defences will be minimal, but we need to do this as soon as possible, before Scion boosts security.’

‘There’s something there,’ Nick said, ‘or those investigation teams would still be with us. But I doubt the situation will improve with time.’ ‘Capri is a large island, Paige. To search it, you’ll need locals, or you and the Ranthen will be wandering in the dark for hours,’ Ver?a said. ‘Many voyants in Naples prefer to speak Napoletano. I can intercede with them, so you have people on the ground to help.’

‘I suppose I could always stand on the shore and set fire to a few spirits, in case you need a beacon.’ Maria sighed. ‘Thirty-six years without being stabbed. It really had to be this month.’

Ver?a patted her knee. I poured myself a little wine, telling myself there was reason to feel optimistic. Now I just had to hope that Terebell had something to confirm my suspicions.

And that we, unlike the others, would return from Capri.

Ducos had agreed to drive me to Bologna, a city about two hours from Venice, to meet with Terebell. With the knowledge that I might need all my strength to search Capri, I rested until Wednesday morning, when I rose early to eat breakfast and assemble a decent outfit.

Since the warmth showed no sign of easing, I dressed in a grey singlet, the wedge sandals and black shorts that buttoned high on my waist. I propped on my sunglasses and scrutinised myself in the mirror. Terebell was going to think I looked like a tourist, but that had to be preferable to an overheated mess. I covered the sunburn with a shirt.

Before long, Ducos knocked for me, and Noemi took us to the car park. Soon we were driving away from Venice, the city that had forced me to live alongside water. Little by little, I was growing used to its constant sparkle, the sound of the waves swashing under my window.

The journey was a blur of fields. Even with the wind in my hair, the white aster towed me back to sleep. Ducos parked and shook me awake, and we made towards a high brick wall.

‘This is the Certosa di Bologna, the municipal cemetery,’ she said. ‘I can see why your contact wanted to meet here. It’s quiet at this time of day. No better place for a private conversation.’

‘Very amaurotic remark,’ I said. She eyed me. ‘You think the spirits don’t eavesdrop?’

‘Oh, do shut up.’

Two sculptures flanked the entrance, mourning over jars. As we strode between them, my awareness of the ?ther climbed, as it always did in cemeteries. Ducos led me along a sun-baked path, lined with evergreens, cutting straight through a garden of bones. Most of the graves were pale mausoleums; some housed their own statues, posed in thought or lamentation. Though it wasn’t yet midday, the air was thick and warm as fresh caramel. I was grateful for the shade when we entered a gallery, which overlooked one of the cloisters.

Ducos leaned against the balustrade. A few spirits came up to me, flirting with my aura. Most of them seemed content in this place, even if they had chosen not to move on.

Meet the one you summoned at the Certosa di Bologna, two days hence, when the sun is highest.

Terebell Sheratan appeared at midday on the dot. Despite the warmth, she wore a black coat over trousers, fastened almost to her chin, with matching gloves and boots.

‘That’s her?’ Ducos said, watching her walk between the mausoleums. ‘She’s tall enough.’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘It’s her.’

Seeing us, Terebell came up to the gallery. Her dark hair was as sleek and immaculate as ever, her sarx untouched by the intense heat. I had only ever seen Arcturus sweat when a Buzzer had wounded him, as if his body had been trying to push out the corruption.

‘Hello, Terebell,’ I said.

Terebell just looked at me, her silence deafening.

‘I’m going to smoke.’ Ducos took her cigarettes from her pocket. ‘I’ll give you half an hour.’

She left us alone. Scores of insects chirred nearby as we took the measure of each other.

‘So you are alive,’ Terebell said. ‘You had no right to perform that manner of séance.’

‘I’m sorry if it was presumptuous. Arcturus taught me to do it.’

‘Arcturus has been languishing behind enemy lines for six months.’ Her eyes blazed. ‘Because of you.’

I deserved her resentment, but it was still hard to stop myself flinching.

‘Nick told me you were looking for him,’ I said, trying to keep my composure.

‘Yes, because he is no traitor. If you thought for a moment that Arcturus Mesarthim would betray the Mime Order, after all he has done for the cause, you are unworthy of his trust.’

‘Of course I didn’t think he would betray us. I also didn’t think he would ever raise a hand to me, but he did.’

‘Did it never occur to you that he was being coerced?’

‘Yes, but—’

‘You could not have forced him to leave with you. I accept that,’ Terebell said, ‘but you could have tracked him down again. You could have used the golden cord and kept trying to save him. Instead, you vanished, forcing a subordinate to wear the Rose Crown. You left us to search with nowhere to start, all while you possessed a compass pointing straight to Arcturus.’

‘I would appreciate it if you’d let me explain, Terebell.’

‘Speak, then, and be quick about it,’ she said coldly. ‘I have no time to waste on your excuses.’

‘A Domino agent snatched me from Paris after the airstrikes. She was giving me a lot of white aster. I was either brought to the free world against my will, or on false pretences.’ I held my nerve. ‘Look, you’re right to be angry. I see now that none of it added up. I should never have believed Nashira, but I’m going to fix it. I’m going to find Arcturus.’

‘I will find him. I no longer trust your judgement,’ Terebell said. ‘In any case, your long absence has demonstrated that the revolution is now capable of surviving without you.’

‘Why do you hate me so much?’

The directness of it must have thrown her. Her eyes gave a flare, and she failed to reply.

‘Why?’ I asked her. ‘What have I ever done to you?’

For once, Terebell didn’t say anything. She seemed to be waiting for me to get this off my chest.

‘I started a rebellion for you,’ I said. ‘I gave myself to Scion to be tortured. I deactivated Senshield. I united two syndicates against Scion. And you can’t even call me by my name.’ When she turned her back and strode to the balustrade, I sighed. ‘Can you really not even afford me that, after everything, Terebell?’

She might as well have been one of the sculptures. It was then that I knew I had to take a risk.

‘Is it because you’re still in love with him?’

Terebell turned to face me, her gaze utterly devoid of humanity.

‘What?’

This might get me thrown to my death, but playing nice had never got me anywhere with Terebell. She might respect me a little more if I gave as good as I got.

‘I know you used to be his partner,’ I said. ‘And why you’re not any more.’

Suddenly she was inches away. I stood my ground, but my aura shrank from hers.

‘Did Arcturus tell you?’

She never laid a finger on me, but she was close enough that I would have seen myself in her pupils, had they reflected light. It took a few moments to get my tongue moving.

‘No,’ I said. ‘I can reflect his gift, through the golden cord. I saw what happened by accident.’

Terebell stared into my eyes, seeking a lie.

‘He traded his dignity for your life,’ I said. ‘He sacrificed himself to years of degradation and abuse to protect you, and you rejected him. I’d say we’re about the same.’

Her gloved hand curled into a fist. At that point, I knew I was fortunate to be alive.

‘My feelings towards you have nothing to do with my feelings for him,’ she said. ‘Past or present.’

It had been like chiselling blood from a sculpture, but I had cracked her. ‘It’s just us, Terebell,’ I said. ‘Nothing we say need ever go beyond this cemetery. Only the dead can hear.’

‘Arcturus may not be the flesh-traitor Nashira claims he is,’ Terebell said, ‘but he does sympathise with mortals, despite your faults. And you – he cares for no human more than you. You do not deserve his depth of loyalty. Nothing in you is worthy of a Mesarthim.’

For the first time, her words smarted. I had never entertained the idea that the Ranthen would accept his relationship with me, but if I had, this would have been its death knell.

‘I’m not asking you to like me, Terebell. Plenty of people don’t like me,’ I said. ‘But with you, I can’t lie – it hurts. You’ve led the Ranthen through a period of terrible indignity, and you’re still going strong, fighting back. You inspire me to do the same as Underqueen.’

It was true. I had always respected her resilience. For once, Terebell looked as if she had no idea what to say. I supposed she hadn’t banked on niceties.

‘We both care about Arcturus. I can help you find him,’ I said. ‘He looked after me in Paris. If not for him, I don’t think I would ever have been able to recover. Let me pay the debt.’

A long moment passed before she spoke: ‘Have you sensed anything from the golden cord?’

It was a small victory, but I would take it.

‘It’s intact, but I haven’t felt it move.’ I watched her pace. ‘Have you heard anything?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘We searched Britain for months, but we could find no trace. Then a psychopomp came from France with a message from Arcturus, seeking my assistance to escape. From the timing, we believe he seized his chance to send word on the Day of the French Republic.’

That celebration took place at the end of July. He had survived for several months.

‘He had told the psychopomp to return to him, so I could follow it to his position,’ she said. ‘The next day, we arrived in Calais. We tracked Arcturus to various rural strongholds in France, and finally, the fortified city of Carcassonne. There, we were intercepted by Sargas loyalists. Nashira had called many of her allies to her side.’ A breeze wafted through her hair. ‘After our failure, Arcturus was moved to Toulon and placed on a ship.’

My heart thumped. ‘When was this?’

‘The last day of August.’

‘And what sort of ship?’

‘A Dryden -class patrol vessel. We lost his trail from there.’

For the first time in a while, the corners of my mouth twitched up. That was the exact sort of Scion ship that had been seen approaching Capri a few days later, in early September.

‘I think I know how to pick it back up,’ I said.

Terebell listened as I told her everything I had learned. When I was done, she seemed to withdraw into her own thoughts for a while, her gaze distant.

‘Arcturus could be on either of the islands. Both have been evacuated,’ I said, ‘but my gut tells me it’s Capri. Not only because that’s where the ship went, but because of the code name.’

‘Yes,’ Terebell said. ‘The name is clearly intended to taunt me.’

It could just as well be for her as for me, if Nashira had cottoned on to her search for Arcturus. Either way, I had to let her believe it.

‘The voyants of Naples can help us search the island, and the Domino Programme might equip us,’ I said. ‘I’m willing to do anything to get Arcturus back, but two specialist teams have already disappeared on Capri. Before we take the risk, I’d like to confirm that he’s there.’

‘How would you confirm it?’

‘He left a vial of his ectoplasm in my backpack in Oxford. When I drank it, it strengthened the golden cord. That’s what let me trace him to Camden.’

‘I have some of his ectoplasm,’ Terebell said. ‘I will give it to you in Naples.’ I nodded. ‘I will need time to bring some of the other Ranthen to Italy, to raise our chances of saving him.’

‘How did you get here?’

‘By a cold spot. We can use one to enter the Netherworld and another to leave, allowing us to circumvent great distances on Earth. The psychopomp led me to a cold spot in the Apennines. It is a dangerous way to travel, but faster than moving by terrestrial means.’

‘I had no idea.’

‘There are many possibilities that exist beyond the limits of the mortal imagination.’

‘If you’ve been on the move for months, you haven’t been in London. Is the Mime Order all right?’

‘Yes. Pleione and Taygeta stayed behind,’ Terebell said. ‘I last heard from them in August. The interim Underqueen is surviving in her position, but she lacks your strength of character. The sooner we have Arcturus, the sooner we can all return to London, so you can relieve her.’

‘Eliza doesn’t lack strength of character. She’s just too kind for her own good sometimes.’ I reached into my pocket. ‘Nick and I can’t go back until January at the earliest.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because we still need to fulfil our obligations to the Domino Programme.’

‘What of your obligations to me, and to your citadel?’

‘Domino saved me from the Archon. They expect a return on their investment,’ I said. ‘More importantly, they’ve promised financial support for the Parisian syndicate, and possibly the Mime Order. Arcturus mentioned you’d lost access to your money since Alsafi … passed on. Now his human ally in the Archon is dead, too. Unless she hid or moved the money, it will have been requisitioned by Scion. And unless you have other sources of income, I need payment. You’re going to have to bolster Eliza up for a while longer.’

Terebell was silent for a while.

‘I had assumed as much,’ she said. ‘We have some coin and assets, but if you can obtain more, so be it. We will steady London until your return.’

‘Thank you.’ I gave her a map. ‘I’ll see you at the Antro della Sibilla. My friend has marked the location.’

‘I will be there at sunset in three days’ time.’ Terebell held my gaze. ‘This was a pertinent place to meet, dreamwalker.’

‘Why?’

‘It reminds me that one day, it will be your bones in a garden like this one. Not mine.’

She walked away, leaving me to stand alone, surrounded by the dead.

After a while, Ducos returned to the gallery and raised her eyebrows. I folded my arms.

‘Think you could help me persuade Command that Warden is worth saving from an island that’s almost certainly a trap?’

Ducos looked at me for a long time, then stubbed out her cigarette on the balustrade.

‘You are fortunate that I like you, Flora.’