Cursed av-2 Read online

  I turned slowly, studying the landscape around me. I didn’t sense any danger, but it wasn’t comfortable, either. Somehow I had the feeling I wasn’t welcome here. I started walking, my footsteps echoing about the ravines.

  The first time I came to Elsewhere I was nearly lost forever. Geography doesn’t work as it does in our world and not even divination magic can help you if you’re led astray. Everything is different in Elsewhere, and what’s strong outside can be weak within. The same sources of strength and power we rely on in our world still function here … but somehow they never seem to work the way you want them to. I didn’t try to use my magic. I knew where I wanted to go: to Luna. The direction didn’t matter.

  As I walked I noticed that the crystal of the walls and outcroppings was more varied than I’d thought. It ranged from nearly opaque to clear enough that I could see several feet in, and the colour of the crystal ranged from blue to grey to clear white. One patch caught my eye, coloured a brilliant azure. As I passed I reached out for it … and snatched my fingers away just in time. Although it radiated no cold, the crystal had the icy chill of a glacier, enough to freeze flesh. I carried on, keeping a more respectful distance.

  The canyon widened as I walked, the glimpses of sky becoming more frequent, until finally the sides curved away, opening up to give me a clear view. Before me was a wide, open bowl, a vast, shallow depression in the ground. The cliffs formed a ring around it and at the centre was a palace of crystal, sharp spires pointing upwards into a brooding sky. A thick canopy of cloud cut off all trace of sun, the layer of grey drifting steadily across the sky from right to left. I altered my course for the palace and kept on going.

  The palace was surrounded by acres of broken crystal. The doors were open, leading into a long entrance hall, thick pillars rising up to a vaulted ceiling. It was darker in here and the side passages were covered in shadow. Only when I was in the middle of the room did I realise the whispers had stopped.

  I saw movement from the corner of my eye and turned sharply. For an instant I thought I saw a flash of something disappearing behind a pillar, then everything was still. I stood motionless, listening. The hall was silent … but something in the silence had changed. It was the silence of something holding its breath.

  I thought of going after it but some instinct warned me that would be a bad idea. I waited a moment longer, then when nothing moved I carried on down the hall, slower this time. I half-expected something to jump me, but I reached the doors at the end safely. They opened at a touch.

  Luna was inside. The room within was huge and circular, a ring of columns going up and up into the shadows, and Luna was at the very centre upon a wide dais. As I headed for her I noticed at the back of my mind that the whispers had started again.

  Luna didn’t react as I approached. She was kneeling, staring into a tall silver mirror that reflected not her image but only a grey mist. She wore a white dress, and as I approached I saw that her lower legs were frozen in crystal. It seemed to have grown up around her, a thin layer spiderwebbing over her ankles and knees, reaching up towards her lower body. The mist in the mirror shifted at the edge of my vision, hinting at something within, inviting me to look. I hesitated, then took hold of Luna’s arms and pulled her to her feet.

  The crystal shattered, splintering like glass, and Luna stumbled upright, shaking her head as if she’d just come out of a trance. She looked up at me and her eyes lit up.

  I grabbed Luna in a bear hug, holding her close. She made a protesting noise, but I didn’t care. Elsewhere is the one place Luna’s curse is dormant, and as I held her I felt something tense and wound-up inside me ease. Only now did I realise how afraid I’d been for her.

  Gradually I realised Luna was trying to talk. I looked down. “Hm?”

  “Can’t breathe!”

  “Right.” I relaxed my grip and looked down at her. “Better?”

  Luna pulled back. “The caves-you got out?”

  “I got out.”

  Luna sighed in relief and leant her head against my chest. “Thank God.”

  I stroked Luna’s hair. It felt good to hold her. “Were you looking for me?”

  Luna nodded. “Like the last time,” I said. “Was that where you got the idea?”

  “I couldn’t find you.”

  “It’s hard to bring someone into Elsewhere if they’re awake. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Luna pulled back again and looked up at me, her smile gone. “He’s going to kill Arachne.”

  “I know,” I said. “We’ve only got a few hours. Where did he take you?”

  “A manor house in the mountains. Belthas brought everyone here. Me, all his guards, that woman …” Luna’s face darkened. “…and Martin.”

  “Where are you?”

  “In the basement. A cell. They locked me in and left me.”

  “Okay.” I took a deep breath. This was the million-dollar question. “Do you know where it is?”

  Luna shook her head and my heart sank. “It was too dark,” Luna said. “There weren’t any lights. It’s somewhere deserted, no towns, but …”

  “But that’s not enough.” I tried to think of all the deserted, mountainous places Belthas could have set up a base. Hopeless. Even in Britain, there were thousands. Finding it would take days, weeks. “Did you see a landmark? Anything that would give us a location?”

  “No. But I think I know who did.”

  I looked at her in surprise. “Deleo,” Luna said. “She’s in the cell next to mine.”

  “Did you talk to her?”

  Luna shook her head. “I saw her.” A shadow passed across Luna’s face. “She looked bad. I think they were … getting information from her. For the ritual. She wasn’t awake. Asleep, a coma … I thought we could talk to her. I don’t know how to stop Belthas, but maybe she does.”

  I thought about it for all of five seconds. I’d never tried bringing more than one person into Elsewhere, and if I had, I wouldn’t have picked Rachel … and none of that mattered since I didn’t see how we had any choice. “Why not,” I said. “I’m relying on one psychotic Dark mage, might as well make it two.”

  Luna gave me an odd look. “What do you-?”

  “Tell you later.” I started walking again, leading Luna towards the edge of the room. “Um,” Luna said. “Where are we going?”

  “To Deleo.”

  “Okay.” Luna thought for a second. “Where is she?”

  “Up to you.”

  Luna looked at me. After a second, she realised I was serious.

  The pillars ahead turned out to be masking a tunnel into another hallway. “What did you mean about a Dark mage?” Luna said.

  “Sonder brought along some muscle.”

  “Sonder? Really?”

  “Surprised?”

  “Well, he’s a mage. I guess he can get people to do stuff for him, right?”

  “Not quite how it happened.” I glanced down at Luna. “He’s tougher than you think.”

  “He’s a bit nerdy.”

  “He went looking into this on his own. He’s the one who found the link between Martin and Belthas.” I shrugged. “Figured it out before I did.”

  As I said Martin’s name Luna’s face went blank and she looked down at her feet. We walked in silence for a little while, passing through another columned hall. There were no windows and the shadows were long and deep.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “About what?”

  “Martin.”

  “What’s the point?”

  I didn’t answer.

  “I was stupid.” Luna stared ahead of her, her voice bitter. “I knew there were things he wasn’t telling me. I thought-I thought it didn’t matter. As long as he …”

  Luna trailed off. “I know this isn’t much consolation,” I said at last, “but it won’t be the last time you make a fool of yourself over a guy. It happens.”

  Luna kept walking, head down, arms wrapped around herself. “I used to
think about it,” she said quietly. “I’d see some-one and I’d imagine it. Being with them. But I always knew it was just a dream. This time … I thought it was real. He said …” Luna’s voice wavered. “He said he loved me. That everything with the monkey’s paw was to help. He said that was why he needed to see Arachne. So we could be together.”

  I stayed silent, walking by Luna’s side; I couldn’t see her face, but I knew she was crying. I felt pure hatred towards Martin. I try to give newbies to the magical world a chance, I really do. But Martin had crossed the line.

  “There’s something else,” I said at last. “I know it’s not a good time but it’s got to be done.”

  Luna wiped her eyes, her voice muffled. “What?”

  “I’m going to get you out of there,” I said. “One way or another. But once that’s done … we’re going to have to decide if you’ll stay.”

  Luna looked up, confused. “I’ve been treating you like a half apprentice,” I said. “I’ve been teaching you but without everything else that goes with it, and it’s not working. I realised that yesterday. Belthas was able to get to Arachne through you and I got captured trying to find you. By going with Martin you put all three of us in danger.”

  “But-” Luna looked stricken. “I didn’t-”

  I shook my head. “I’m not blaming you for what Belthas and Martin did. But you should have listened when I warned you off. I nearly got killed trying to get you out of there and I can’t keep doing that. If I do, sooner or later I’ll end up dead, and probably you will too.”

  Luna and I walked for a little while in silence. “So what am I supposed to do?” Luna said at last.

  “You’ve got a choice,” I said. “We can stop the training. No more work, no more late-night outings. We can still be friends. Go on as before.”

  “Or?”

  “Or you become my apprentice-this time for real. I’ll teach you what I know, introduce you to my contacts, bring you into mage society. The Light mages have a teaching structure. You’ll have classes and tests. You’ll meet other apprentices. But there’s a price. I’ll be your master-not your friend. If I tell you to do something, you’ll do it. And I won’t be the only one. You’ll be under the authority of every other Light mage you meet. You won’t get second chances either. Disobey me and you’re out. And you won’t be able to come back.”

  Luna stared at me, then opened her mouth to speak. I held up a finger. “Don’t answer yet. Once we’re out of this, take some time and think about it. Right now, we’ve got other things to worry about.”

  Luna kept her eyes on me, searching my face as if looking for something, then finally nodded. “Okay.”

  “Good.” I stopped. “I think we’re here.”

  We’d reached a hallway lined with doors. Shafts of light fell through from small windows high above but the shadows between them were dark and cold. The door Luna had led us to looked no different from the others, yet somehow I felt reluctant to touch it. It was made of black crystal, almost translucent enough to see through but not quite. The whispers had stopped.

  As I stood looking at the door I caught the flicker of movement again and snapped my head around. This time I was sure I saw something: a flash of white vanishing back into the hall from which we’d entered. The hallway was silent. I kept my eyes on the entrance but nothing moved.

  “Alex?” Luna asked.

  I hesitated for a second. Luna might know what it was but this landscape was shaped by thought. Drawing her attention to our pursuer could be a very bad idea. “It’s nothing,” I said. “Do it.”

  Luna reached for the door, paused for a second, then put her hand to it. It opened at a touch, the doors swinging silently back.

  Beyond was swirling darkness, exactly like a cloud of smoke with every bit of light drained out of it. Tendrils of shadow drifted towards us and Luna stepped back hurriedly.

  “Um,” Luna said after we’d both stared into the blackness for a few seconds. “What is that?”

  “I have no idea,” I said honestly.

  “I thought this was supposed to be Deleo’s dreams?”

  “Maybe it is,” I said. Something about that darkness scared me. I had the creepy feeling it was just waiting for us to get within reach. I took another step back.

  We stared a bit longer. “Do we go in?” Luna said eventually.

  “God no.”

  We stood there. “Well, we have to do something,” Luna said.

  “I’m thinking,” I said. I didn’t know if it was my imagination, but it felt as though the cloud of darkness were edging towards us.

  Then a voice spoke from the darkness, focused and cold. “What are you doing here?” A second later, its owner stepped into view-and she wasn’t alone.

  Rachel is average height, with bright blue eyes. When I first knew her she was good-looking, even cute. She’s changed a lot since then. It’s rare now to see her with her mask off and when I do her face makes me think of sculpted ice, beautiful and cold. The darkness shrank from her, curling about her feet.

  Standing on Rachel’s right was a girl with dark-red hair. She was smaller and younger than Rachel and felt far more alive, full of vitality and movement. She’d been dead for ten years, but in Elsewhere that doesn’t make as much difference as you’d think. She wasn’t looking at Rachel and Rachel wasn’t looking at her, but they seemed aware of each other somehow, as if they knew exactly where the other was without needing to see.

  And on Rachel’s left was something that wasn’t human at all, faceless and eyeless, made of living shadow. Its body blended with the darkness around, making it almost impossible to pick out its shape, but I had the vague impression of something tall and slender, unnaturally still. Even twenty feet away, I could feel the cold radiating from it.

  But it was the redheaded girl who held my attention. “Shireen,” I said quietly.

  Shireen gave me a wave. “Hey, Alex! Long time no see.”

  “Shut up,” Rachel said in irritation. “You know why he’s here.”

  “We don’t know why he’s here,” Shireen pointed out reasonably.

  Rachel snarled. “Belthas couldn’t get what he wanted while we were awake. Now he’s trying dreams.”

  “You know that’s not how this place works. Just because he’s here doesn’t mean he’s there.”

  “Um,” I said.

  “You think we should give up?” Rachel said. “Tell him what we know?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Shireen said mildly.

  “That’s what it means!”

  “Excuse me?” I said.

  “You know he’s probably already got all he needs,” Shireen said. “Otherwise he would have been back by now.”

  “Maybe he wouldn’t have what he needs if you didn’t-”

  “HEY!” I shouted.

  Shireen and Rachel turned to me in faint surprise as if they’d forgotten I was there. “Oh, right,” Shireen said. “Sorry.”

  Luna was looking between Shireen and Rachel with the expression of someone who’s reconsidering whether this was a good idea. I was just as confused as she was but didn’t let myself show it. Why was Shireen in Rachel’s dreams? I mean, I knew why she could be in her dreams, but-I shook it off. This wasn’t the time. “Rachel-”

  “That’s not my name.”

  I sighed inwardly. “Deleo. I need to know where you are.”

  Rachel looked at me. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

  I looked back at her.

  “You’re working for Belthas,” Rachel said coldly. “Go ask him.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not working for Belthas anymore.”

  “Good.” Rachel took a step back.

  “Wait!” I called. “Look, Rachel, I’m trying to help you. If I was working for Belthas, why would I need to know where you are? I’d just ask him!”

  Shireen cocked her head at Rachel. She’d kept pace with Rachel, and the darkness was starting to shroud the two of them again. “He’s got a point.”


  “Shut up,” Rachel said. “He led them to us! It’s a trick!”

  “I hate to point this out,” Shireen said, “but we’re not really in a position to turn down help.”

  Rachel hesitated, then looked to her left at the shadow and her face hardened. “No.”

  I knew Rachel was about to step back into the darkness, and once she was in there, she wouldn’t come out. “Cinder’s with me.”

  Luna looked at me. Rachel paused. “What?”

  “We made a deal,” I said. “I’m going there for Luna, he’s going there for you, and we’ve both got a score to settle with Belthas. He’s with me back in the real world. We’re coming but we need to know where Belthas is.”

  Rachel hesitated. “Look, what have you got to lose?” I said. “If I’m working for Belthas, it doesn’t make any difference to you if I know where his base is. But if I’m telling the truth, this is the best chance you’ll get of letting Cinder find you.”

  I could see Rachel thinking about it. Shireen waited, silent; maybe she knew trying to push Rachel now wouldn’t help. The shadow didn’t move but I could feel it watching me.

  “Scotland,” Rachel said at last. “Northern Highlands.”

  “You saw it?”

  “I know it. An old manor on the Black Craeg mountain.”

  “Does Cinder know where it is?”

  “You’ve got the name.”

  “Anything else?”

  “How would I know? It’s a manor. It’s got cells. Belthas is there and so are his soldiers.”

  I nodded. “All right. We’ll be there soon.”

  “Then if you’re telling the truth,” Rachel said, “you might want to hurry up. Belthas has started the ritual. Once it’s done he won’t need me or your precious little apprentice.”