Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6) by Christopher Mitchell (top 10 books of all time .TXT) 📗

‘Do you know how to use it?’ said Aila.

‘No,’ said Kelsey.

Amalia laughed again, then raised her voice. ‘Maxin!’ she yelled. ‘A little assistance, if you please. Bring weapons.’ She smiled at Kelsey and Aila. ‘Place the Quadrant onto the ground and raise your hands in the air, and then, perhaps, I will be merciful, and you won’t be beaten too severely.’

‘She’s bluffing,’ said Kelsey. ‘She panicked in Yoneath, and took us to the first place she could think of, only she wasn’t expecting you, Aila. She thought it would just be me.’

‘That’s quite true,’ said Amalia. ‘However, as I have a score to settle with my granddaughter, her presence here will in no way inconvenience me. As for bluffing, we shall see, won’t we?’

‘Where are we?’ said Aila.

‘Far from Yoneath,’ said Amalia, getting back to her feet, ‘and far from anyone who can help you. By now, the Ascendants will be destroying the bickering fools standing by the Sextant. Even Blackrose and Corthie combined will not be able to stand up to them. I was the best chance they had, and they spurned it. The only reason I helped rescue Kelsey was so that I could use her to hide from Arete and Leksandr, but I was willing to share possession of the Holdfast girl, and I was willing to transport everyone out of that hideous cavern. This is their fault, not mine.’

Aila stared at the engraved marks on the surface of the Quadrant, wishing she had paid more attention to how the device operated. The symbols and lines were meaningless to her.

Kelsey cocked her head. ‘There’s no one here; no one’s coming. We should get that knife off her and force her to tell us how the Quadrant works.’

‘Maxin!’ Amalia yelled again, then shook her head. ‘Where is that boy? You would think with all the gold I’ve paid him, he would be a little more responsive.’

Aila passed the Quadrant to Kelsey. ‘You hold onto this, and I’ll disarm her.’

The sound of boots thumping up a flight of stairs reached them, and a grin split the face of the former God-Queen. There was only one door leading from the chamber and it burst open. Two men entered, one holding a crossbow, the other a long-handled axe. The man with the crossbow stared into the room, his eyes settling on Amalia.

‘Ma’am,’ he said, out of breath; ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’

‘Of course you weren’t,’ she said. ‘And who is this with you? Did you use my money to hire another guard?’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ said Maxin; ‘just as you requested. I also hired a housekeeper and a servant; I can show you the receipts…’

‘Yes, well, let’s not worry about the details right now. As you can see, I have brought us a couple of… guests. The shorter one is a mortal, like you, so be sure not to damage her; she is extremely valuable.’

Maxin pointed his crossbow at Aila and Kelsey, a look of confusion on his face. ‘What, uh, what should I do with them, ma’am?’

‘I believe the cellar has a few dungeon-shaped rooms,’ said Amalia. ‘Tie them up and put them in there. We can procure shackles and chains in the town; send our new servant out with enough gold to buy some.’

Maxin bit his lip for a moment, then glanced at the man next to him. ‘Get the rope.’

‘Yes, sir,’ the man said, then hurried away.

Amalia’s eyes sparkled as she approached Kelsey. ‘Bluffing, eh? Did you really believe that I wouldn’t have somewhere prepared and ready? While Silva was off looking for Belinda, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. That, added to the natural feeling of concern about Belinda’s possible reaction to my presence, left me with little choice but to secure myself a small refuge, just in case. Now, the Quadrant, please.’

Kelsey narrowed her eyes. ‘Forget it.’

Amalia lunged out with her hand. Kelsey hobbled backwards, but the hand was meant for Aila, and Amalia gripped her arm, sending her death powers directly into the demigod. Aila choked and fell to her knees, her skin scabbing and rotting.

Amalia smiled. ‘As you can see, young Holdfast, I’m not completely powerless. I watched Belinda heal Van, remember? Now, place the Quadrant on the ground, or I will irreparably damage Aila’s self-healing powers, leaving her to die a miserable and agonising death. I don’t need her; I only need you.’

Aila gasped, blood coming from her lips. She remembered the God-Queen doing the same to her in the City, but she hadn’t been pregnant back then, and fear ripped through her at the thought of losing the child she and Corthie had conceived. Kelsey stood in silence for a moment, as Maxin watched from the doorway, then she placed the Quadrant on the ground.

‘Good,’ said Amalia. ‘Now, take a few steps back. That’s it; a little more.’

As soon as Kelsey was a couple of yards from the device, Amalia released Aila and grabbed the Quadrant. The demigod collapsed to the stone floor, and Kelsey rushed to her side. Aila panted, closing her eyes in shame at how powerless and scared she had been. She felt inside her, and her powers sensed the life within her womb. It seemed healthy and safe, but could she be sure?

‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, her voice hoarse, her hand on her midriff.

‘It’s not your fault,’ said Kelsey.

The door swung open, and the man from before entered, along with a Fordian woman who was carrying a long length of rope. They stopped and stared at the sight of Aila on the ground, her skin slowly healing.

‘Don’t just stand there,’ said Amalia. ‘Please bind our guests, and make sure the knots are tight and secure.’

‘Should we gag and hood them, ma’am?’ said Maxin.

‘Why bother?’ said Amalia. ‘The walls here are so thick that no one will hear them if they scream.’

* * *

The shackles and chains took several hours to arrive. Aila and Kelsey had been led down two flights of stairs into a large