Page 11 of The Dark Mirror (The Bone Season #5)

11

CAVE OF THE SIBYL

NAPLES

2 October 2060

Naples sprawled across a bay in southern Italy, where summer clung with all its might. As Ver?a drove towards it, I kept an eye on Mount Vesuvius. No wonder this city attracted voyants – everyone here must accept the proximity of death, living in the shadow of the sleeping giant.

Command had taken some convincing, but I had a stronger voice in the network now. In the end, Pivot had agreed that Arcturus was worth a third and final attempt for a team to set foot on Capri. I had clinically explained his value. He had been a prisoner for half a year, and had still been able to communicate in July. He might have gained valuable information from the enemy. If anyone could help us crack Operation Ventriloquist, it was him.

The stakes were high. If Scion caught us on Capri, it would wreck the whole investigation into Operation Ventriloquist. It might even provoke Scion into attacking Italy. Ducos had wanted to join us, to ensure it went smoothly, but Nick had persuaded her that we could do it alone. I was getting the distinct impression that she trusted him to temper me.

I was glad she had relented. The fewer people who risked their necks, the better – because this wasn’t really about intelligence, for me. That wasn’t the reason I was putting my life on the line.

I was doing this for Arcturus.

Be careful, Flora , Pivot had told me. We don’t want to lose you again. At the first sign of danger, you must abort.

Naples hit my senses like a fist smothered in paint, its knuckles raw and bare. Almost every building had some kind of art on it, from cramped scrawls to detailed murals. Overhead wires and laundry crisscrossed above its roaring streets and timeworn alleys, which rippled with heat. Those alleys were awash with spirits, mostly ghosts and shades. Ver?a had told us that Naples had thousands of years of history, and it looked it – somehow both decaying and defiantly alive, appealing to the part of me that thrived on chaos.

‘I absolutely love this.’ Maria leaned out of the window on her elbows. ‘It looks you in the eye.’

‘I agree.’ Ver?a smiled. ‘Napoli can be overwhelming, but it will reward your persistence.’

‘Oh, I’m already planning a getaway.’

‘President Sala has an official residence nearby,’ Ver?a said, ‘but she isn’t there, according to Pivot.’

Nick pushed his sunglasses back up his nose. ‘How long did you live in Naples, Ver?a?’

‘About three years. It was the second place I moved after I graduated. I’d just broken up with my first girlfriend, and I needed to be … screamed awake, shaken back to myself. Napoli did that for me.’ She turned the car on to a wide thoroughfare. ‘This has always been a difficult city to govern. I wonder if that’s why it was chosen. To bring it to heel.’

A moto chose that moment to cut in front of her. Ver?a slammed on the brakes and leaned out of the window.

‘Neh, ma che cazzo stai facenno, strunze!’

Maria clutched her chest. ‘Veronika Rachele Norlenghi. Did you swear at someone?’

‘I fear I did.’ Ver?a blew a tuft of hair from her eyes before driving again. ‘My apologies, everyone.’

‘No, no.’ Maria chuckled. ‘I like this side of you.’

‘Drive like an idiot near me, and perhaps it will come back out, Maru?ka.’

Their loving conversations filled my chest with a dull ache. I looked away, resting my folded arms on the door, so the wind tore at my hair. Despite the heat, I wore my dissimulator. If our suspicions were correct, Scion would likely have spies in this city, monitoring and counting its voyants, making sure no one noticed the two islands had been annexed.

It had been a long drive from Venice. We had set out before dawn, stopping only to charge the car. I had spent most of the time asleep across the back seat, my head in Nick’s lap.

Now Ver?a drove along the sweeping Bay of Naples, away from the heart of the city. She pulled up outside a small house on the seafront. This would be our local base of operations.

‘Here we are,’ she said. Nick got out. ‘My contact works at the port. You should get some rest.’

‘We can go with you,’ I said.

‘The group I need will close ranks around strangers, even an Underqueen,’ she said. ‘I might be a few hours.’ She passed Maria a key. ‘You should be able to see Capri from here.’

She drove away, while the others filed towards the building. All I wanted to do was sleep, but I needed to stretch my legs after spending the best part of a day in a car.

The others went in, leaving the door on the latch for me. I turned to face the Tyrrhenian Sea, the sun burning on my hair. Passing two palm trees, I went up to the railings that separated the street from the waves. I squinted past the haze of light and glimpsed it in the distance.

Capri.

The island had two distinct peaks. It was as if a pair of giants had reached into the sea for lost treasure, leaving their backs above the surface. I might be looking right at Arcturus.

I might also be looking at his tomb.

In the house, I changed into a sleeveless top and cargo trousers. For the rest of the day, I lay under a fan and tried to conserve my strength. Nick checked the equipment, which I hoped we wouldn’t have to use. He had often dived in the Kattegat when he lived in Sweden.

It was almost five by the time Ver?a returned. ‘Good news,’ she announced. Maria sat up with a grimace, grasping her bandaged arm. ‘I found my old friend, a voyant who commands great respect here. He’s offered to help us reach Capri.’

I raised my eyebrows. ‘Just like that?’

‘I shared an apartment with him for the best part of my time here.’ Ver?a cleared her throat. ‘And he … may have been my fiancé. A hasty arrangement we broke a month later.’

‘Wait.’ Maria grinned. ‘Is this your Neapolitan merman?’

‘The very same. Federico Zitouni, the Sea King of Naples.’

‘Do I have competition, my love?’

‘Never, my love. Federico now swims in my past,’ Ver?a said. ‘But I am still fond of him as a friend.’ She jangled the car keys. ‘Come. He’ll meet us at the Antro della Sibilla.’

As we all returned to the car, I tried not to look at Capri. All this might be for nothing. Arcturus might not be there.

I would soon know either way.

Ver?a drove back along the coast. I put my hair in an updo, keeping it off my nape.

‘Tell me more about the factions,’ I said.

‘As I said, there are two large groups of voyants in Naples, the Figli di Partenope and the Vesuviani,’ Ver?a replied, speaking over the blustering wind. ‘The Figli are mostly hydromancers, and the Vesuviani are pyromancers. Naturally they are always fighting for territory, getting into scraps. Everyone else either chooses a side or tries to stay out of their way.’

‘Which one is Federico?’

‘The former. That’s why we’re able to visit the Antro della Sibilla, which the Figli de Partenope claimed for themselves a long time ago,’ she said. ‘The ruins are close to Lake Averno, a site revered by hydromancers. It used to be considered a gateway to the underworld.’

Maria cocked her head. ‘Will I be welcome, as a pyromancer?’

‘Federico will allow it.’ Ver?a shot her a rueful look. ‘I’m afraid he still harbours a flame for me.’

‘Ah, we’ll see whose flame is hotter.’ Maria gave her lighter a playful flick. ‘Won’t we?’

‘Ver?a, you should warn your contacts to leave Naples,’ I said. ‘They’ll be in danger once Scion establishes Orcus IV. There could already be Scion operatives sniffing around the city.’

‘Federico would sooner die than leave,’ Ver?a said, ‘but Napoli is a city of layers. Beneath its streets are many tunnels, dug through the volcanic rock – catacombs, quarries, secret passages. I will make sure the voyants here descend as soon as possible, preferably before we go to Capri. I hear that tactic has been working for the syndicates of London and Paris.’

‘Very well,’ Maria confirmed. ‘Even if the Londoners had to crawl through sewage for the pleasure.’

‘Don’t remind me,’ Nick said.

I shrugged on the shoulder holster from Domino, made for my preferred weapons, and fit my new revolver and knives into their places. For as long as Scion was nearby, I had to be ready for anything.

Half an hour later, Ver?a parked under an olive tree and led us on foot up a dusty path, alongside a hill of ruins. A hydromancer waited at the entrance to a cave, sleeves rolled up to show his lean forearms.

Federico was a sinewy man in his late forties, who I could well imagine sweeping Ver?a off her feet. Deep lines framed his mouth and scored his brown face. He wore his dark curls in a topknot and sported a trim beard, salted with grey.

‘Federì.’ Ver?a reached him. ‘Grazie che c’hê fatto venì ccà.’

‘Chesta è ’a casa toia, Verò.’ Federico kissed her cheeks, then took off his sunglasses, showing large hazel eyes. The skin around them pleated as he smiled. ‘Underqueen, I have heard of your deeds along the ley lines.’ Before I knew it, he leaned in to kiss me as well. I let him lead, certain I would go for the wrong side of his face. ‘Bemmenute. Welcome to Napule.’

‘Thanks for having us,’ I said.

‘This is Nick, mollisher supreme,’ Ver?a said. Federico bestowed his kisses on Nick. ‘Federì, chesta è ’a guagliona mia, se chiamma Maria. Maru?ka, this is Federico.’

‘Salve.’ Maria smiled. ‘Fire and water. I hear we’re natural enemies in Naples.’

Federico took the measure of her. ‘Mo t ’a faie cu na piromante, Verò?’

‘Ué, ’a puo’ fernì. Nun tene niente ’a spàrtere cu ’e Vesuviane,’ Ver?a said, her tone sharp. ‘Nun ce ’a faccio cchiù a stà mmiezo a sti ttarantelle inutile.’

‘Vabbuò. Pe te fà piacere nun ce rico niente.’ Federico kissed Maria. ‘Welcome, Maria, and the rest of you. Welcome to the ruins of Cumae. Please, come into the cave.’

‘I’ll wait for the Ranthen,’ I said to the others. They entered the cave, leaving me to roast.

I found a spot in the shade. The sun had toasted the grass, though bright wild flowers still grew strong. The sun and scents, the clement wind, the chirr of insects in the trees – it was all so different from anything I knew, I might as well have landed in the Netherworld.

When four Rephs approached from the north, I stood. Even though they might be older than the ruins, they could not have looked more out of place. Terebell gave me a curt nod.

‘Underqueen,’ Lucida said.

‘Hi,’ I said. ‘It’s been a while.’

Errai turned his nose up. Always a pleasure.

‘Indeed,’ Lucida said. ‘Terebell told us where you have been. We are pleased that you escaped your captor, and that you have returned to the fight.’

I blinked. Either Lucida had softened since I had last seen her, or the Ranthen were learning to be diplomatic.

‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘It’s good to be back.’ I looked up at the stranger. ‘Sorry, I don’t think I know you.’

‘Lesath Mesarthim,’ came the deep reply.

Most of the Mesarthim had perished in the civil war. I had only met two others. Lesath bore such a strong resemblance to Arcturus, it hurt to look at him.

‘Paige,’ I said. ‘Where have you been living for the past two centuries?’

‘Scotland, for the most part,’ Lesath said. ‘There was a small community of exiles in Knoydart, under the command of Cursa Sarin. We chose to reject the Sargas amnesty and eschew the safety of Oxford. Now we have moved to the Hálendie, the wilderness of Iceland.’

He spoke with a distinct Scottish burr, which surprised me. Every other Reph I knew had an Inquisitorial English accent.

‘I have come here for the rightful Warden of the Mesarthim,’ he went on. ‘The sovereign-elect believes you can assist us. Given your victories against Scion, Cursa has confidence in you, Paige Mahoney. I choose to trust her judgement, and that of my Warden.’

‘That’s … refreshing. Thanks, Lesath.’ I cleared my throat. ‘Let’s get him back, shall we?’

The footprints led us to an artificial gallery, lined with green moss and lichen. Federico and his people had mounted lanterns on the walls. By their wavering light, we made our way down the gallery, following the others’ voices. They had gathered in a chamber at the end.

‘Ah, the Ranthen,’ Maria called. ‘Welcome, friends. Long time no see.’

‘Maria,’ Lucida said. ‘We are pleased you are alive.’

She sounded like an automaton. Terebell must have told them all to be courteous, for some reason.

‘Of course you are,’ Maria said. ‘I’m fantastic.’

Federico peered at the newcomers, lips parting. We had agreed that we wouldn’t tell him what the Ranthen were, even if he was curious. He would have to draw his own conclusions.

‘Please sit down,’ Ver?a said. ‘Thank you for joining us.’

Errai glowered at her. ‘Who are you?’

‘I’m Ver?a, and this is Federico. He doesn’t speak a great deal of English, so I will interpret,’ Ver?a said. ‘He and his voyants can help us reach Capri.’

She was keeping her cool well, but I could see she was intimidated, as was Federico. Errai folded his arms and remained standing, while Terebell sat on a stone bench and gave them both a level stare, eyes like heated iron. Federico stared back. He must sense her strange aura.

‘Nun te preoccupà.’ Ver?a spoke to him in a soft voice. ‘Chiste stanne ccà pe’ ce aiutà.’

Federico recovered. He clasped his veiny hands and spoke in Napoletano, which she translated.

‘Neapolitans can tell that something is amiss with the evacuation of Capri and Ischia,’ she said. ‘Many of them have friends or family who lived there. They claim there were no warning signs, like earthquakes or landslides.’ She paused to listen. ‘The Figli de Partenope have noticed strangers in the city, watching its voyants. All speculation and gossip is being suppressed – even the media is silent – and the local authorities are refusing to say when their residents will be allowed to return.’ She glanced at me. ‘Your instinct was right, Paige.’

Federico nodded. Ver?a had been authorised to tell him why we were going to Capri, but he was under strict orders to keep this information to himself, even as he took steps to protect the voyants of Naples. If word got out, Scion would realise that somebody was on to them.

‘Federico will take us to Capri under cover of darkness. Four of his voyants will join the search,’ Ver?a said. ‘They used to live on the island. All of us know it well.’

‘A search in the dark will take longer,’ Nick said.

‘Yes, but it may keep us safe. Scion could have sent guards and drones, or requisitioned existing surveillance on Capri. Some of the villas have security cameras.’

‘Scion would have got rid of those straight away,’ I said. ‘They didn’t allow cameras in Oxford or Versailles.’

‘That is a relief.’ Ver?a chewed her lip. ‘It will be impossible for us to search the island in one night. I doubt the funicular or the chairlift will be working. It may be sensible for us to hide at dawn, continue our search when the sun sets again and repeat for a few days. If we are careful, we should be able to camp on the island for as long as necessary.’

‘Will you ask Federico if there are any large buildings, anywhere a prisoner might be held?’

Ver?a did, and listened to his answer.

‘A ruined Roman villa, an old charter house, several forts,’ she said. ‘Federico heard that dreamwalkers can sense the ?ther better than most. He asks if you will be able to keep us safe.’

‘I can try,’ I said.

‘So will we,’ Lucida said. ‘We are with you, Underqueen.’

I raised an eyebrow. This was going beyond civility; now they were expressing solidarity.

That was when I realised that the Ranthen might actually have missed me.

The Figli de Partenope used the ruins as a retreat from the clamour of Naples. They slept in alcoves in the walls, lined with thin mattresses, which Federico encouraged us to use. As I lay in mine, my head cushioned by my oilskin, I thought of the sibyl who had once lived here, cursed by a god to wither to dust, her voice trapped in a jar.

I’m almost there . I closed my eyes. Hold on.

I must have slept. When I checked my watch again, it was seven in the morning. Federico and the Rephs were gone, but I sensed them all nearby.

I emerged from the cave with a churning stomach. It was cooler today, though the sky remained clear. I walked away from the ruins with my bag, heading for a beach Ver?a had mentioned.

When I reached it, I sat down and slid my legs into the sea. To reach Capri, I might need to swim for the first time since the flood in Paris. I had to get used to water I couldn’t control.

Once the sun had warmed the shallows, I stripped down to my underwear, went in up to my waist, and let myself shiver. At last, I lunged, into a breaststroke. I had learned to swim at Ancroft – of course the school had its own heated pool – but I hadn’t been in the sea since I was five, when my grandparents had taken me to Cork for the weekend, and we had paddled in Clonakilty Bay. I still remembered the joy of it.

There was no joy in this. The waves shoved and sprayed me. I forced myself to duck my head under, trying to fight the strangling fear. When I surfaced, I coughed so hard it hurt, the salt water like sandpaper on my throat. Once more, and I was done. I waded back to shore.

I stayed on the beach to dry off, then donned a fresh set of clothes. By the time I got back to the ruins, Maria was sunning herself outside the cave.

‘Morning, sweet,’ she said. ‘Did you swim?’

‘Not well. Is your arm any better?’

‘Yes, but Nick isn’t relenting.’ She nodded to higher ground. ‘Federico is making breakfast up there. Once we’ve eaten, he’ll drive us closer to Capri. Are you ready for this?’

‘Not even a little.’

‘You’re going to find him, Paige. By tomorrow, he’ll be with you.’

The thought lightened my breathing. I had to believe it, or I would never get up again.

Once the Ranthen had come back, we piled into two cars. Naturally I found myself wedged beside Errai, who gritted his teeth every time my arm brushed him, even with both of us wearing full sleeves. Terebell slid a small glass bottle from her coat and held it out to me.

‘As requested.’

I took it. Inside was something like a marble, resembling smoked glass. ‘This is his ectoplasm?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It has vitrified. Do not squander it.’

‘Thank you.’

Rephaite blood lost its light and hardened once it had been outside their bodies for a while. I hoped my idea would still work.

Federico drove us through Naples and past Vesuvius, to the other side of the bay. After about two hours, we got out on a low cliff overlooking Capri, beside a crumbling outpost where four hydromancers waited. According to them, there had been no movement all night.

Terebell sent the other Ranthen off to scout, then turned to me. Capri was now close enough that I could see a spine of tall rocks near its southern coast, silhouetted against the blaze of sunlight. Keeping my gaze on it, I took out the gem of solid ectoplasm. Though its glow had faded, touching it chilled my fingertips. I swallowed it with a sip of water.

I had been afraid that nothing would happen. The ectoplasm had gone dark, and this was a long shot.

Instead, the cord sang back to life. A flash of gold across the water. The needle of our shared compass, catching the sunlight at last, so I could see where it was pointing.

‘Underqueen,’ Terebell said. ‘What do you sense?’

‘Arcturus is there.’ A weak laugh escaped me. ‘He is there.’

‘Good.’ She followed my line of sight. ‘Now we know we are not risking everyone for nought.’

The sensation was already waning, but I felt him. No emotion, no movement – just his presence, but heavier, like a weight on the end of a line, pulling me towards the island. I stared at those peaks in the sea.

There are no coincidences , Maria had said, and I believed it now. After six months apart, Arcturus and I had somehow both ended up in Italy. Nashira really had left him on that island.

Now to be the clever mouse that sprang the trap and lived.

Command had issued us each with a wristwatch, preloaded with a detailed map of Capri. I strapped it on and studied the map until my eyes were raw, while Federico called a friend, who brought his fishing boat, the Ercole .

The patrol ship had stopped next to the Grotta Azzurra. Federico refused to take us to the exact spot, since we knew Scion had been there. Instead, he would drop us off at a ruined fort on the western coast. From there, we could proceed to the small town of Anacapri, where any guards or soldiers were likely to be stationed. If we found them, we would leave someone there as a lookout while the rest of us searched the outskirts.

North of the town, an overgrown trail – part footpath, part stairway – threaded down to our destination, the Grotta Azzurra. Ver?a suspected that newcomers to the island would have missed it, or overlooked its potential, since there was an easier way up to Anacapri. I would take this path with her and Nick and comb the area for any trace of Arcturus.

If we had failed to find him by dawn, we would take shelter for the day, then venture out for a second attempt, as Ver?a had recommended. Once we had ruled out one side of the island, we would make our way to the other, taking the narrow Phoenician Steps.

The longer we lingered, the greater the risk of detection, and I couldn’t stomach the thought of Arcturus being a prisoner for any longer. I wanted to get this done overnight.

We sat beside the old tower and watched. Terebell and Errai paced along the rocks, talking in Gloss.

‘Can you feel anyone?’ Maria asked me. ‘Any dreamscapes?’

‘Too far to tell.’

Ver?a shielded her eyes from the sun. ‘I don’t see any patrols.’

‘Yes, because this is definitely some kind of horrific trap,’ Maria said. ‘Like the protest in Edinburgh.’ Her expression hardened. ‘If Hildred Vance isn’t behind this, I’ll eat my boots.’

‘Wells said she was in a frail condition,’ I said.

‘Vance could win a battle on her deathbed. I promise you, if that woman is breathing, she’s a threat.’

Federico observed the island through a pair of binoculars. Even without them, I could see that there were no reconnaissance ships, no choppers. No obvious guard at all.

It felt too easy. Scion had only held this island for a few weeks, and had no idea that anyone but Sala and Rinaldi knew about the annexation; it made sense that it might remain undefended. Still, I had to keep my guard up, and not allow my previous successes to cloud my judgement. Every single victory had been won by the skin of my teeth; each had taken its own toll. There were only so many times a mortal could slip in and out of the underworld.

I would do it one last time, for him. One last reckless heist to remember – the most audacious theft of my career – before I finally retired the Pale Dreamer and became Black Moth.

At dusk, Federico deemed it safe to leave. As he and his friends readied the Ercole , I changed into a wetsuit and matching boots. If all went well, none of us would be diving, but we might have to swim to get to the island, if the boat took any damage.

Only Nick knew about my fear of water. I intended to keep it that way. Taking deep breaths, I fastened my diving vest and secured my equipment: combat knife, gun, waterproof torch, mask and oxygen tank.

‘Call if you need help,’ Maria said to us. ‘And don’t forget to pick me up on your way back.’

‘Never,’ Ver?a said.

Our team of twelve climbed into the boat. It churned away, leaving Maria watching from the shore.