Page 9 of The Dark Mirror (The Bone Season #5)

9

VENTRILOQUIST

After the psychopomp left, I tucked myself behind a rusted metal gate to sleep, but curious spirits kept disturbing me, intrigued by a living woman in the cemetery. In the end, I chose a spot on the grass and lay there to stargaze, searching for the constellation that was known in the free world as Bootes. I found its brightest star, Arcturus. His namesake on Earth.

Can you hear me?

No reply.

I’m going to find you. Just give me somewhere to start.

The cord remained inert, like a dead limb. I fastened my jacket and leaned against the nearest tomb. If he was alive, I was going to kill him for worrying me.

Noemi returned at dawn. I climbed into her water taxi, stiff and tired. Once we reached the Palazzo del Domino, I closed the shutters in my room, stuck an aster patch on my arm and messaged Nick to tell him I had made it back. After that, I was out like a snuffed candle.

The white aster lay as thick as ever on my dreamscape, making my spirit too uneasy to rest for long. At some point, I stirred awake, shivering and burning up. In my feverish confusion, I thought I was in Paris, lying beside Arcturus. I imagined him back into my arms, so I could almost feel the comforting warmth of his body on mine, encircling me. I touched myself where he had touched me, fingers tracing my hot skin.

Then I saw the line of yellow light across the ceiling, needling through a crack in the shutters. I sat up and groped for the lamp, not sure if my face was damp from sweat or tears.

I want to spend my life with you. I want a future with you.

Why had I never told him that before he was detained?

After that, it was a waiting game. I decided to ease back into the gym and get some rest. It was sleep that fed and fortified the dreamscape, keeping its defences strong. If mine thinned any farther, my ability to deflect spools in combat would suffer, and I couldn’t afford that. If I did get a lead on Arcturus, I might well have to fight to free him.

On Saturday, I went to see the cosmetician, who had a hair salon in the Palazzo della Notte. I was starting to miss my natural blonde, but that was in all my official Scion photographs. Instead, I asked the cosmetician to lift the brown, so it was more of a honey gold.

On Sunday morning, I reported to the dentist, who pronounced that my teeth were in mint condition. She gave them a polish and sent me to the optometrist. My eyes were fine. After that, I had a few examinations and injections I had missed in Scion. Once I had done a smear and had my blood taken for testing, I visited Ducos and requested that a pocket was stitched into one of my new boots, so I could keep a knife there, the way I had in Scion.

For the rest of the weekend, I lay in bed, gazing at the wall. The longer I was alone, the more I thought of Arcturus.

Where are you?

The cord offered no answers. I burrowed into the pillows, trying to blot out the fear that it would never move again.

On Monday, a knock roused me at nine. If not for that, I might have spent the rest of the morning in bed, lapsing into hopelessness. When I opened the door, Nick held out an iced coffee.

‘Ver?a is back.’

‘Great.’ I took the glass. ‘Will I see you downstairs, then?’

‘Take your time. The concierge said you hadn’t called for any meals.’

‘I’ll have something today.’

‘You look a little better,’ Nick said. ‘Did you get any sleep?’

‘As much as I could.’

‘Good. Pivot has asked me to remove the tracker Cordier put in,’ he said. ‘It’s disabled, but better it’s out. Come and see me in the medical room later.’ I nodded. ‘Your results are back. You have mild anaemia and a couple of vitamin deficiencies. You’re also dehydrated.’

‘I’m always dehydrated.’

‘I suppose I can only blame Scion for that.’ He folded his arms. ‘At least your teeth are in good shape, against the odds. I can’t believe Colin didn’t let you see a dentist for twelve years.’

‘He was probably afraid I’d be detected,’ I said. ‘I appreciate you caring, Nick.’

‘Always.’

When he left, I folded back the wooden shutters, letting in the light of another golden day in Venice. I stood by the balcony for a long while, trying to snap out of my torpor.

The Isola di San Michele was close enough that I would sense Terebell if she arrived there. It was unsettling to not know whether or not she had received the message, or how long it would take. I distracted myself by showering, which always demanded my full attention.

Ver?a was in the bar with the others. I ordered breakfast and went to join them.

‘You dyed your hair.’ Ver?a smiled. ‘I like it.’

‘Thanks. I needed a change.’ I had wrestled my curls into a low bun. ‘Did you get the files?’

‘Yes. Pivot gave me permission to show you.’ She placed a hand on a dossier. ‘This one belongs to the medical officer assigned to Mannequin as Eléonore Cordier.’

‘I can’t believe Domino has people carry files around,’ Maria said. ‘What happens if you drop them?’

‘You don’t.’

She opened the dossier and slid it towards me. The picture was of a woman in her twenties, with styled brown curls, high cheekbones and green eyes. The lines of her face were familiar.

‘She would have dyed her hair,’ Ver?a said. ‘And this photograph was taken seven years ago.’

Maria glanced at me. ‘Is it her, Paige?’

I kept looking at the photograph, seeing more and more of Cordier.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘It’s her.’

‘Her real name is Aysel Ekren. A qualified paramedic, fluent in French, which she claimed to have learned from her Belgian father,’ Ver?a said. ‘She was signed up in Istanbul and sent to Prague for training. She wanted to work in London, but her skillset meant she was assigned to Paris, since Mannequin needed a medical officer. Her appeal was rejected.’

‘Did you or Pivot notice anything amiss?’

‘One thing.’ She turned a couple of pages. ‘This dossier includes transcripts from her linguistic proficiency tests. When I ran these past a Belgian colleague, he noticed two oddities. As it turns out, they are specific to Québécois.’

Maria raised her eyebrows. ‘So she could be Canadian?’

‘Yes, which would be unusual. Most agents come from countries that fund Domino, and Canada is not one of them. Aysel claimed she was born in Istanbul, studied in Ghent and had never lived anywhere else. Domino is rigorous about background checks, to make sure there are no conflicting loyalties or undeclared motives, but the examiner failed to flag the discrepancy.’

‘She could have bribed them to ignore it.’

‘I would be surprised. Domino personnel are selected for their integrity.’

‘Cordier is clearly an exception. So was Harald.’ Nick glanced at her. ‘This seems to indicate Cordier works for the Atlantic Intelligence Bureau. Could they have planted her in Domino?’

‘Possibly, but why?’ Ver?a was frowning. ‘I’m certain they have their own spies in Scion.’

Maria shook her head. ‘Did anything else strike you as suspicious, slunche?’

‘No, but the person who originally recommended her to Domino has since dropped off the radar. We’re trying to find him.’ Ver?a closed the file. ‘That’s all we have at present. Once this is back in Prague, Radomír will go over every detail with a fine-tooth comb, with help from our colleagues in Istanbul. We’ll get to the bottom of this, Paige.’

I nodded. ‘What about Harald?’

‘Harald Lauring was in his first year at the Boneyard when Aysel arrived. His story seems to match what he told you, Nick. He was Danish, headhunted by a recruiter in Helsing?r. Aysel was a quick study, so the pair enrolled in combat training at the same time. Radomír says the pair became close. He suspects they were lovers at one point.’

‘Radomír knew them both, then.’

‘Yes. He was not the head of the Libu?e Institute at that point, but when I enquired about Aysel Ekren, he remembered her. He said she was an exceptional recruit, and a very convincing liar.’

I supposed that should make me feel better.

‘Harald was issued with a false name – Sven Holmgren – and sent to Sweden, around the same time Aysel went into France as Cordier,’ Ver?a said. ‘I can only assume they stayed in touch, and that Aysel went to Harald for help with whatever she was plotting.’

‘But both of them wanted Paige,’ Nick said. ‘So they betrayed each other.’

I scrutinised the photograph. Harald looked similar, but the scar was missing from his mouth.

‘It still feels to me that a piece is missing in all this,’ Ver?a said. ‘We know what Harald was doing, but why did Cordier want Paige?’

‘Everyone wants me for something.’ I rubbed my temple. ‘Thank you for showing us these, Ver?a.’

‘Of course. I’ll take them back to Prague after the meeting.’ She fastened the files into her briefcase. ‘Sorry to leave so quickly, but I need to speak to Pivot. I’ll see you all later.’

‘I’ll head off, too. I’m getting a migraine.’ Nick kneaded the corner of his eye. ‘Paige, I’ll give you a scan this afternoon. Let’s get that tracker out of you.’

To keep myself from sinking into dark thoughts, I went for a run along the Riva degli Schiavoni, savouring the sun on my skin, the fresh breeze on the waterfront. In broad daylight, surrounded by other people, I found I could bear the sight of the waves. Once I had showered and eaten a salad for lunch, I went up to see Nick, sensing that he was awake.

The medical room was as beautiful as the rest of the Palazzo della Notte, with a plush examination couch and two beds. When I arrived, Nick was sitting in front of a laptop, paler than usual.

‘Nick,’ I said from the doorway. ‘Has it passed?’

‘It’s getting there.’

‘Did you have a vision?’

‘Not this time. Just pain.’ He found a smile for me. ‘Let’s have a look for the tracker.’

He pointed me to a large scanner. I stood in front of it and lifted my arms. As soon as the image fed through to his laptop, Nick could see the tracking unit in my back, no larger than a nail head. Harald might have fried it, but I still wanted the bastard thing out of my body.

‘How are your parents?’ I asked Nick.

‘I speak to them on the phone every few days. I’m worried Scion will go after Mamma.’

‘Wasn’t she one of their best engineers?’

‘I think that’s why the Icelandic government was so quick to restore her citizenship,’ he admitted. ‘Mamma had one of the highest intelligence quotients in Scion. She’s a huge loss to them.’

‘Now I see where you get it.’

‘Oh, no. I pale in comparison to her.’ He pulled on rubber gloves. ‘They’ll be all right. If they could hide out for months in Scion, they can be discreet in the free world.’

I felt the smallest pang of envy as he spoke. Nick had a family. As far as I knew, I no longer did.

The operation was short, only requiring a local anaesthetic. Once the tracker was out, Nick showed it to me. It had been placed just deep enough that no one could have seen or felt it under my skin. He cleaned and stitched and dressed the wound, and I drowsed in the medical room for the rest of the afternoon, wanting to be alert for the meeting.

I woke suddenly. Once again, I had a feeling of suffocation, of being surrounded and flooded by darkness. I blinked and looked around, finding Nick asleep on the examination couch. I left him to rest and returned to my room, where I ate dinner by myself.

By nine, the anaesthetic had worn off, leaving a twinge in my back. I changed into a white shirt and my grey suit, then pressed the dissimulator back on, making my face as tight as my burnt shoulders. I headed across the enclosed walkway to the Palazzo del Giorno, where Ducos waited at a door marked stanza blu . She showed me inside.

In the Blue Room, Pivot sat at the head of a walnut table, while a stranger, sitting in his shirtsleeves, was chewing his cheek like it was a tender cut of steak. Pivot gave me a nod.

The windows had been covered, so the only light came from a lamp on the table. I took a seat. One by one, more strangers came. The three voyants among them all clocked me at once. Even out here, my aura was interesting. At least my dissimulator kept me anonymous.

Ducos moved to stand in the corner, watching us all like a well-groomed hawk. Nick took the chair on my left, and I wordlessly poured him a glass of water. Ver?a and Maria were last to arrive, the former looking as careworn as Nick. Ducos locked the door behind them.

Altogether, there were seventeen of us. When Pivot stood, the stilted conversations died away. Ducos turned off the lamp and activated the large screen behind Pivot, which showed three white dots on a dark background.

‘Welcome,’ Pivot said. ‘Thank you for answering the summons to this emergency meeting. The people in this room are the agents, associates and valued personnel who I believe are most likely to help us understand the latest Scion military plan, Operation Ventriloquist.’

I traded a glance with Maria. Her instinct had been right. Scion was plotting something big.

‘While all Domino personnel are trusted to know the importance of discretion,’ Pivot said, ‘I cannot overemphasise the pressing need for silence in regard to this meeting, even among our own. For the sake of this organisation, no word is to go beyond the people in this room.’

Everyone nodded.

‘As you all know,’ Pivot said, ‘the Domino Programme is financially supported by twenty-eight nations that oppose the Republic of Scion. In less than half a year, three of those nations have fallen to our enemy. A fourth loss may be imminent, and exceptionally dangerous.’ She looked around the table. ‘The fourth may be Italy.’

The silence that followed was deeper. Ver?a stared at her, as did several other people.

‘To brief you,’ Pivot said, ‘I call on Aparna Wells, a former military clerk for the Republic of Scion England.’

A thin woman in her twenties stood up. Her dark hair was in a bun, strands framing a bespectacled face.

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Until earlier this year, I worked for Patricia Okonma, who stepped in as Grand Commander when Hildred Vance was hospitalised in January.’ She spoke with a pronounced Inquisitorial English accent, reminding me of my schoolteachers. ‘With Vance out of action, Okonma was the one who implemented the majority of Operation Madrigal, the principal objective of which was the occupation of Spain and Portugal. This succeeded in February, when both countries issued their unconditional surrender.’

‘Just to be clear,’ Maria said, ‘you worked for Scion as a spy?’

‘Aparna is a confirmed defector. She is risking her life to assist us with the fight against Scion,’ Pivot said. ‘If she returned to England, she would certainly be executed for treason.’

‘So long as she’s clean.’

‘I would not endanger any of you by not vetting our sources.’

‘I worked for Scion, too,’ Nick said, drawing looks. ‘Can I ask why you defected, Aparna?’

‘Scarlett Burnish. We were classmates at Ancroft,’ Wells said. ‘She recommended me for my first job in the Archon. At first, I was just pleased to have the work, and never considered the sort of violence I was helping to facilitate. I suppose I was indoctrinated.’

Burnish was the most famous graduate of Ancroft. The Schoolmistress had praised her nearly every day, and her portrait had been everywhere, serving as a shining example to us all.

‘My role within the Archon gradually became more senior, until I rose to the position of military clerk. As such, I was privy to more sensitive information,’ Wells said. ‘After the success of the first stage of Operation Madrigal, there were airstrikes on Paris and London, which were assumed to be retaliatory. Okonma didn’t seem deterred by the attacks, despite the perpetrators remaining unidentified.’

Nick slid me a glass of water. I forced myself to take a couple of sips.

‘On the twentieth of March,’ Wells continued, ‘civilian military staff in London were summoned to Whitehall. We were surprised to see the Grand Commander, Hildred Vance.’

Maria closed her eyes.

Vance had been in a coma since I deactivated Senshield. The eruption of energy must have overwhelmed her amaurotic spirit. If she was back to work, everything was about to intensify.

‘Vance was clearly in a frail condition,’ Wells said, ‘but had called us together to tell us about a new and secret Scion plan, which would supersede all future military campaigns. We were not informed of the specifics, but Vance said that Scion had come into possession of an asset – a weapon – of significant value, thanks to the Suzerain. This asset would remove the need for expensive invasions in Europe, and prevent any further attacks on our citadels. She claimed it would end any meaningful opposition to Scion; that all resistance now would be like fighting smoke. It would choke the life from all who dare to stand against the anchor, leaving no trace of its presence.’

‘That sounds like a chemical or nuclear weapon,’ someone muttered. ‘Is that possible?’

‘I doubt it,’ Wells said. ‘Scion has maintained a missile silo for many years as a deterrent, but there is no desire to use the nuclear arsenal. This acquisition was recent.’ She adjusted her spectacles. ‘Vance informed us that Operation Ventriloquist would target the Kingdom of Norway, which had long resisted pressure to convert, despite being pinned between Britain and Sweden.’

She delivered all of this levelly.

‘A week after this address from Vance,’ she said, ‘Scarlett invited me to her penthouse. I was shocked by how unwell she looked. She told me that she was a double agent, and had been since we were at Ancroft.’

I tried to imagine Burnish at the school we had both attended. Already observing Scion, even as her teachers praised her as a model student.

‘Scarlett claimed there was going to be a major leak in Scion, and told me to leave at once,’ Wells said. ‘As a military clerk, I had access to classified information on supplies and movements, which she advised me to share with Domino. She told me they could give me a new life outside Scion.’

‘Burnish confessed all this to you,’ Maria said, ‘and you did as she asked. Just like that?’

‘Scarlett was my closest friend. I trusted her. That aside, the longer I worked as a clerk, the more I had learned about the brutality that occurred during every Scion incursion. It didn’t match the promise of safety. I had nothing to keep me in England, so I agreed to go.’

I had to wonder if Burnish had singled Wells out. If she had noticed a shrewd girl at Ancroft and planted her in the Archon, so Wells could one day become an informant.

‘You say Burnish mentioned a leak,’ Nick said. ‘Did you have any idea what she meant?’

‘No,’ Wells said. ‘I’m afraid I still don’t.’

‘Please allow Aparna to finish,’ Pivot said. ‘We have a great deal to cover.’

Wells gave her a nod.

‘This was in late March. I stayed a few weeks longer, to gather a little more for Domino. We continued to pour supplies and soldiers into the second phase of Operation Madrigal, but as hard as I tried, I could obtain no specific information on Operation Ventriloquist. It was well above my security level,’ she said. ‘That is the last I saw of Scarlett.’

She returned to her seat.

‘Thank you, Aparna.’ Pivot nodded to a thickset blond man in a suit. ‘I would now like you to hear from Johan Opseth. He was previously our doublet at the Norwegian royal court.’

‘For the uninitiated,’ Ducos said, ‘a doublet is an individual who acts as an envoy for Domino in a benefactor country. This purpose is known to only one or two officials in the relevant government or court – typically the head of state and the Minister of Internal Security.’

Opseth stood. ‘Linda Groven, the Prime Minister of Norway, was always opposed to Scion, even if she maintained a position of relative neutrality in public,’ he said. ‘Given our shared border with Sweden, official policy has always been to avoid openly provoking the anchor, but also do nothing to aid it, and Norway has long been a Domino backer. However, on the eleventh of June, it joined the Republic of Scion. As confirmed by Ms Wells, Norway was formally targeted by Operation Ventriloquist in March, so this change only took three months.’

The fatigue was stealing back. I drank some more water, trying to keep my wits about me.

‘There are a few other interesting details. In early April, a popular Norwegian politician, Helen Githmark, was arrested and imprisoned for a hit and run,’ Opseth said. ‘This surprised her colleagues, as she had a spotless reputation. Over the next few weeks, other politicians and officials began to behave … uncharacteristically. Their stances towards Scion became noticeably warmer.’

I watched him, my heart thumping.

‘There is a reinforced barrier called the Brystkasse along the whole of the border between Sweden and Norway,’ Opseth said. ‘Domino had informed me of increased Scion activity near the main gate.’

‘I saw armoured vehicles heading west before I left,’ Nick said. ‘I reported it to my supervisor, who said Portr?tt was investigating.’

‘Yes,’ a tall woman said. ‘I was part of that sub-network. We had been monitoring the change around the Brystkasse on the Swedish side. I trust you were alerted in good time, Johan.’

‘Yes. Your intelligence allowed me to move my associates to safety in advance,’ Opseth said. ‘I warned the Minister of Foreign Affairs. When nothing was done, I went to Queen Ingelin, who said Groven was refusing to see her. I assumed there would be an invasion, but a few days later, Groven announced a conversion to Scion, with her as Grand Inquisitor. The Brystkasse was opened from the Norwegian side shortly before the announcement, allowing Scion soldiers to cross the border unchallenged and subdue the population.’

Each of us had been given a notepad and pen. I jotted down a few points, my palms clammy.

‘Queen Ingelin was told to abdicate or be executed,’ Opseth said. ‘She chose the former. I left Norway with her entourage.’ He shook his head. ‘I cannot explain how quickly these events unfolded, or the unnerving change in the Storting. One moment, the Norwegian parliament was full of strong-willed politicians, loyal to democracy. Within three months, they were jumping at shadows and pledging allegiance to Scion. It was as if they were being … haunted.’

Hearing an amaurotic say that word gave me a chill.

‘Thank you,’ Pivot said. Opseth sat down. ‘And now for the third and final piece of the puzzle, which pertains to Italy. As we’ve heard, Norway was the first target of Operation Ventriloquist. In the weeks preceding the conversion, odd behaviour was noted in its most anti-Scion politicians. Now we are observing a similar pattern among Italian politicians, up to the highest level.’

Ver?a swallowed.

‘As most of you will be aware, this country has both a President and a Prime Minister, respectively Beatrice Sala and Lorenzo Rinaldi,’ Pivot said. ‘Our doublet in Rome was recently approached by a whistle-blower. This source claims that Sala and Rinaldi have signed a secret treaty with Scion, giving two Italian islands to the anchor.’

Speculative murmurs went up all over the room.

Ducos tapped her data pad, and a map of Italy appeared. Pivot used a pointer to indicate three small islands.

‘Capri and Ischia, part of the Campanian Archipelago in the Bay of Naples. The Italians among you will know that both were evacuated at the end of August, along with nearby Procida.’

‘Rinaldi said the volcanic complex under Ischia was stirring,’ a man said. ‘The bastard.’

‘The press has been asking why it was necessary to evacuate Capri,’ Ducos said, ‘which is about thirty kilometres away from Ischia. Rinaldi has sent talking heads to explain that the government is simply being cautious. Ischia has not erupted since the Middle Ages, so they have no idea what to expect. We suspect at least one geologist was bribed.’

Pivot looked to the defector. ‘Aparna, what do you make of this?’

‘I fail to see what Scion would gain from possessing those islands,’ Wells said. ‘There have been some territorial disputes between France and Italy, but the Campanian Archipelago lies nowhere near French waters.’

I listened in silence. None of this was my area of expertise. I might style myself as a rebel commander, but I had no actual military training.

‘So far, this development has stupefied everyone,’ Pivot said, interlocking her fingers on the table. ‘The general public has no idea these islands belong to the Republic of Scion.’

‘Yes, because there would be a huge outcry from Italians, including this one. It implies that Italy is also about to convert,’ Ver?a said, to mutters of agreement. ‘Rinaldi is weak on Scion, but Sala—’

‘Let us not rush to conclusions, Veronika,’ Pivot said. ‘Almost as soon as President Sala ratified the secret treaty, she cancelled all of her public engagements and disappeared. The official reason is illness. We have concerns that she is either in danger, or preparing to defect to the Republic of Scion, perhaps as Grand Inquisitor.’

‘The second option is not possible,’ Ver?a said firmly. ‘Sala is a vocal and lifelong critic of Scion.’

One of the other Italians huffed. ‘And have you never known a politician to lie?’

‘But President Sala has been outspoken on the subject, even when it didn’t serve her politically. A few years ago, she made such a combative speech about Scion that she was accused of overreach and threatened with impeachment. She would never give any ground.’

‘I would have said the same of Groven,’ Opseth said.

‘Italy has been a high-priority target for decades,’ Wells said. ‘If Scion were to occupy it, the remaining free states in the western Balkans would be forced to capitulate, finding themselves virtually surrounded.’

‘We are now in the unpleasant position of having to spy on one of our own benefactors,’ Pivot said. ‘Since it is possible that both leaders are compromised, we must do this with the greatest caution. We have a duty to protect our headquarters and this organisation, but also to protect our allies. It falls to the people in this room to understand what is happening and stop it.’

Nick cleared his throat. ‘Do Rinaldi and Sala know where headquarters is?’

‘Sala is aware that Domino is based in Italy, but not where. Only the doublet knows that,’ Pivot said. ‘Rinaldi has no idea about Domino.’

‘And the doublet stayed in Rome?’

‘Yes, so as not to raise suspicions. He sent the whistle-blower to Venice in his stead.’

My gaze lingered on the map, measuring the distance between the islands and the mainland.

‘We have three key questions to answer,’ Pivot said. ‘The first is why President Sala has disappeared, while Rinaldi continues to go about the daily business of government. The second is why Scion wanted these islands. The third is what sort of weapon Scion acquired to make Operation Ventriloquist possible, and how it works on politicians.’

The more I looked at those islands, the more I understood. The fine hairs on my arms rose.

‘Perhaps this Operation Ventriloquist is simpler than it looks,’ Maria said. ‘Is it just good old-fashioned blackmail?’

‘Norway had a strong democracy,’ Opseth said. ‘It is not so easy as blackmailing one person.’

‘Domino has already taken steps to answer two of the questions,’ Pivot said. ‘Our operatives are searching for Sala. I also dispatched a team to investigate Capri and Ischia, to see if Scion has stationed troops or left supplies. They used propulsion vehicles to approach Capri underwater, endeavouring to avoid detection. They did not return. Neither did a second team. I prohibited any further attempts.’

Ducos brought up a new image of Italy, adjusted it to account for the darkness and homed in on the right coordinates. Once Capri appeared, she made the image three-dimensional.

According to the onscreen data, Capri was about four miles long. Mountainous in the middle, scattered with small white buildings; it had previously had a population of seven thousand.

‘Capri is closest to Naples,’ Pivot said. ‘So far, we have not made any attempts to reach Ischia. Before our investigation teams disappeared, they each reported a lack of light from both islands. The electricity appears to have been switched off.’ She indicated the northern coast. ‘Here is our point of interest. Early this month, a vessel approached Capri. Though unmarked and running dark, it was later identified as a Dryden -class patrol boat, used by Scion in the Mediterranean. It stopped at this spot, then left.’

‘That port of call is right next to a sea cave, the Grotta Azzurra,’ a man said. ‘It could have been an access point for soldiers.’

‘Yes,’ Ver?a said. ‘There are steps up the cliff from there.’

‘It’s notable that a Scion patrol ship was allowed to get close to Capri in the first place,’ Ducos said. ‘The navy would usually have intercepted it as soon as it entered Italian waters. Another sign that Italy is complicit.’

‘Pivot,’ I said, speaking up for the first time, ‘do you know if the islands were given code names?’

She considered me with fresh interest.

‘You have anticipated my final breadcrumb,’ she said. ‘Yes, they were. According to the treaty, Capri is to henceforth be known as Lugentes Campi, and Ischia as Orcus IV.’

That information was all I needed to know I was right.

The city in Sweden had been the third prison. Here, on the island of Ischia, was the foundation of the fourth.

‘I think I know why Scion took the islands,’ I said. ‘Scion has a long history of building secret prisons to hold clairvoyants, isolating them from the so-called natural population. I’ve been in one myself, and seen another in France. There’s always a harvest city nearby, where they can get hold of a lot of voyants. The sort of place where people can vanish.’

‘Napoli.’ Ver?a looked at the screen. ‘The largest city in Italy.’

‘If I’m right, it would mean every voyant there is at risk of being trafficked,’ I said. ‘When Scion took Oxford as a prison, they claimed it had burned down, which gave them an excuse to clear the city. That must be exactly what they’ve done with the volcano and Ischia.’

‘Scion has never put one of these prisons on an island, to our knowledge,’ Maria said. ‘Then again, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, isn’t it?’

‘There is precedent,’ Nick said. ‘My sub-network was sent to investigate a similar prison on the isle of Gotland.’

‘It would be a logical development, strategically,’ Wells agreed. ‘Scarlett told me a little about Oxford. A black site, closed down last September. The prisoners escaped using the same train that was used to transport them there.’ She looked at me, frowning slightly. ‘Surrounding the next one with water would make it far harder to get in or out.’

It would also make it harder for me, specifically, to reach it. Nashira must suspect my fear of water.

‘Maybe all this is a red herring,’ a woman said. ‘If we’re looking at the islands, what are we not looking at?’

Wells nodded. ‘Quite possible. Commander Vance is more than willing to make large, expensive gestures to achieve her purpose, even if that purpose is to capture just one person.’

Another silence rang.

‘I have given you a great deal to digest,’ Pivot said. ‘Once again, I stress that all of it must remain between us.’ Ducos switched off the screen. ‘Inshallah, someone will be able to solve the mystery. I will summon you again in a few days, once you’ve had time to consider the facts, but come to me immediately with any urgent realisations.’

We all rose. I followed Nick from the Blue Room, and we crossed the walkway.

‘Let’s mull this over in the morning,’ Nick said. ‘You must be exhausted, Paige.’

‘I’m fine. We should talk now.’

In the medical room, I shed my dissimulator and pinched some feeling back into my cheeks. Once Maria and Ver?a had joined us, Nick locked the door.

‘I can’t believe this,’ Ver?a said. ‘Italy, giving way to Scion without so much as a whimper.’ She sank on to an examination couch, arms folded. ‘I need to … warn my family.’

‘Take a moment,’ Nick said. ‘You’ve had a shock.’

‘Ver?a.’ Maria sat beside her. ‘Are you all right, dusha?’

‘No. I’m not sure if I’m more afraid or angry.’ Ver?a raked a hand through her loose hair. ‘Rinaldi has never taken a firm stance against Scion in public, except to shake his fist and offer platitudes, but Sala … I’m convinced she doesn’t want this. Perhaps she is in danger, as Command suspects.’

‘How much power does she have?’

‘The role of president used to be more ceremonial, but that has changed somewhat in recent years. Sala wields a significant degree of influence. She is the one who usually represents Italy abroad and deals with national defence and foreign affairs. She is also the head of the armed forces. I can see why Domino chose her as their point of contact.’

I went to the window and opened the shutters, needing fresh air. Ever since Pivot had broached the subject of the islands, I had been mentally elsewhere.

‘We need to decide whether to risk staying in Italy any longer,’ Nick said. ‘If Scion does invade, we could be trapped here. Ver?a, I think you should leave as soon as possible.’

‘Yes. I will visit my family in Trieste,’ Ver?a said. ‘I’ll convince them to go to Prague.’

‘And I’m leaving in November, as discussed,’ Maria said. ‘As for you two, Domino will probably send you abroad, regardless of what happens next.’

‘I’m not going anywhere. Not yet,’ I said quietly. ‘Ischia is the location of the next voyant prison, or someone wants us to think it is. Wells was right. It does make sense as their next move. An island is much harder to breach or escape, and there’s a big city nearby.’

‘Orcus IV,’ Maria said, musing. ‘Does anyone know what that means?’

‘Orcus was a Roman god of the underworld,’ Ver?a said. ‘The name was also used for his domain.’

‘It’s an homage to the Netherworld, like the other names,’ I said. ‘They’re all realms of the dead in human stories.’ Arcturus had told me that. ‘What about Lugentes Campi?’

‘That one sounds Latin.’ Ver?a took out her phone. ‘Let me have a look.’

‘Maria, while you’re here, I’m going to change your dressing.’ Nick went to wash his hands. ‘How’s the pain?’

‘I can barely feel it,’ Maria said. ‘Some days I simply forget I was stabbed.’

Nick sighed. ‘You and Paige really are two of a kind.’

‘Lugentes Campi means Fields of Mourning ,’ Ver?a said, reading off her phone. ‘Omnia says it’s mentioned by the Roman writer Virgil, who seems to have understood it as a part of the afterlife for those who died for love, where they relive their suffering for eternity.’

Those who died for love .

‘Paige.’ Nick noticed my expression. ‘Come and sit down.’

‘Yes, and don’t look at my arm,’ Maria said. Nick unwrapped it, revealing a livid red cut below her shoulder, puckered by dark stitches. ‘I can see a plan taking form. What are you thinking?’

I closed my eyes. As soon as I voiced the possibility, I would start to invest time and hope in it.

‘Warden could be on one of those islands,’ I said. ‘It would make sense for Nashira to imprison him in a Reph-controlled area, but … it’s also a huge risk for her to build a prison off the shore of a country she doesn’t control yet, let alone leave a valuable captive there.’

Ver?a looked up. ‘Who is Warden?’

‘He’s part of the Ranthen, the faction of Rephs who don’t want to kill us,’ Maria said, wincing as Nick cleaned the wound. ‘Actually, let me rephrase. The Ranthen are the faction of Rephs who may want to kill us, deep inside, but have not chosen to act on that desire.’

‘Warden was my auxiliary in Paris,’ I said. ‘Scion detained him.’ I took a calming breath. ‘Capri is clearly not under threat from the volcano, and the populations of both islands will never be allowed to return. Thanks to Operation Ventriloquist, Nashira must be confident that Italy is about to convert, like Norway. She doesn’t care how flimsy the facade is, because it only has to last so long.’

‘I can’t understand how they are doing this,’ Ver?a said. ‘What is this weapon Scion has?’

‘I can’t say I have any idea,’ Maria said, keeping her eyes shut as Nick worked. ‘But whatever is brewing, we need to stop Italy falling to Scion. It could tip the balance for them.’

I gazed back out of the window, watching the lamplight ripple on the dark water.

‘I want to go to Naples and see the islands for myself,’ I said. ‘But first I’d like to speak to Terebell. Find out whether she knows anything more concrete about Warden.’

‘Terebell is the leader of the Ranthen,’ Maria said to Ver?a. ‘And the co-ruler of the Mime Order.’ Ver?a nodded. ‘Did your message reach her, Paige?’

‘I’ve no way of knowing. Even if it did, it could take her a while to get here,’ I replied. ‘It’s not as if Rephs can fly. I’ll give her a few days. Either way, I’m going to Naples.’

‘Even though two specialist investigation teams have disappeared?’

‘I’ll wager none of them could sense the island from a distance,’ I said. ‘I can.’

‘Then we’ll need to talk to Command,’ Nick said. ‘Let’s meet in the bar for lunch. We can let our thoughts steep, then formulate a plan.’ He secured the new dressing. ‘No matter how fast Scion moves, we can’t rush into this.’

In my room, I sat alone, thinking of Ischia and Capri. One island to imprison voyants, and one – perhaps – to hold a traitor. Too subtle and poetic a brand of cruelty for Hildred Vance. She went for the throat, swift and efficient. This was a blade that aimed for the gut. A slow, torturous bleed.

It had to be Nashira, witness to our first embrace. The only person who had ever seen me kiss Arcturus. She had manipulated me before. Now I needed to think like my enemy.

Nashira knew I was willing to gamble on poor odds. She knew I had fallen for her trick in Paris, and that I might have realised it by now. By evoking the Lugentes Campi, she was not only rubbing my nose in my failure, but sneering at Arcturus for wasting his love on me.

In Paris, she had watched me plead with him, convinced he was betraying me. Time and again she had poisoned our trust.

It wasn’t jealousy. Nashira was above such a petty emotion, and had never held a shred of affection for Arcturus, but our relationship had always threatened her beliefs. In her world, a Reph and a human could simply not feel the way we had for each other. She wanted to obliterate our bond to prove it had never been strong in the first place.

She wanted me consumed by guilt. She wanted me to charge to his rescue again. This time, I had learned from experience. I could see every pressure point she was touching. An island named for star-crossed love, surrounded by a fear Nashira had instilled in me.

Hildred Vance had a method. She worked out her opponents’ weaknesses and exploited them. In Edinburgh, she had recreated the Dublin Incursion, knowing I had only just survived it as a child. She and Nashira could have designed this together.

Nashira must believe I was either long dead or in hiding. If it was the latter, she needed to force me out. Vance could have persuaded her that the best way of doing that was to send me running into the elaborate trap of Capri. That specific choice of island seemed deliberate, to draw media attention and make sure plenty of people were talking about it. Even with the threat of the eruption, there was no obvious reason it should have been evacuated.

I might find soldiers and tanks on its shore. The whole island could be sown with landmines. I might find Arcturus there, but only his severed head, left as a death blow to my sanity.

I could see it all from where I stood. Every cog and spring and lever, every move in a long game.

It felt like a trap. It also felt like a test.

What if this time, she was expecting me not to rise to the bait, leaving Arcturus there for ever, abandoned by his faithless, mortal lover?

What if this wasn’t just meant to torment me, but him?

All at once, the room was too stifling to bear. I needed to be outside. I dressed in a few swift movements and strode down the corridor, planning to jog a mile or two around the city. Before my torture, I had always thought most clearly on the roofs at night, under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of the citadel. I would try to tap into that state of mind again.

Before I could, a man blocked my path. One of the voyants from the emergency meeting – a medium, who had never spoken. I took up a defensive stance at once, but all he did was stand there. At the sight of his lax features and blank gaze, I realised he was possessed.

‘I bear a message,’ he ground out. ‘For the dreamwalker.’ I waited, heart thudding. ‘Meet the one you summoned at the Certosa di Bologna, two days hence, when the sun is highest.’

He crumpled as the spirit let him go. I caught him before he could hit the floor. ‘You’re all right,’ I murmured, while he coughed himself to tears. ‘Come on. Let’s get you to the medic.’