Fated

Ouch. An interdiction spell. I concentrated and a thousand versions of myself explored the room in a thousand projected futures, looking for a way out besides the door. There wasn’t one. I withdrew and nodded to myself: a gilded cage. I could probably break the window lock given time, but for now it wasn’t worth the risk. I walked to the door.

It opened into a living room. Comfortable-looking sofas and chairs upholstered in red leather filled the floor, while paintings of ancient battles decorated the walls. A fire burned in a fireplace, and the room was warmly lit. Doors led deeper into the mansion.

Settled in one of the chairs, the light sinking into his black hair, was Morden. He had one leg crossed ankle to knee, and was reading from a folder. ‘Ah, Verus,’ he said, not raising his eyes from the page. ‘I’m glad you’re up. Take a seat.’

I walked to one of the sofas facing Morden. Without even looking, I knew that my future depended on the decisions of the man sitting in front of me. Pissing him off would not be a good idea. Morden kept reading for half a minute longer, then nodded to himself, closed the folder and looked up. ‘Good to see you on your feet. I hope you’re feeling better?’

I nodded. ‘Just fine, thank you.’

‘Excellent. First of all, I have to apologise for the way you were brought here. I’d hoped to resolve things peacefully, but your three pursuers seem to have more persistence than sense and, well, you were in the blast radius. I took the liberty of making sure your injuries were healed. I hope there are no hard feelings.’

I’d only gotten a short look at Morden last night. His hair and eyebrows were jet-black and he had the smooth good looks of someone who’d taken the time to develop them. Physically he could have been thirty, but his voice and eyes told a different story. If I’d had to guess I’d have said Morden was older than he looked, maybe much older. At the moment he was sitting easily, welcoming, and everything about his pose suggested hospitality. How much of that was true I’d find out soon enough.

Morden had been waiting for me to answer, and I finally spoke. ‘None,’ I said. ‘You don’t need to apologise. Given the circumstances when you showed up, I’m grateful.’

Morden waved a hand. ‘As I told you last night, I had some business to discuss with you. As a matter of fact, this has worked out quite conveniently.’

I nodded, though my attention was only partly on Morden’s words. Ever since stepping into the room, I’d been looking into the future. Both Morden and the mansion around us radiated power but I couldn’t detect any immediate danger. It didn’t seem like he was planning to hurt me. At least, not yet.

‘Well, then,’ Morden said. ‘What do you want?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘What do you want?’ Morden repeated. He had a way of curving his lips up slightly as he spoke. It made it look as though he was smiling even when he wasn’t. ‘What are you looking to get out of this?’

‘Out of what?’

‘Come now, Verus. This affair over the Precursor relic and its contents. You’ve become involved, so obviously you must have some reason. What’s motivating you?’

‘Well … right now, staying alive would be good.’

Morden shook his head. ‘Oh, I think you can do better than that.’

‘Um, staying alive is a pretty big motivation for me.’

‘If survival was your priority, you’d be in hiding like the other diviners. How is Helikaon, by the way? It’s a pity he’s decided to sit this one out. I always enjoyed working with him.’

I didn’t reply. ‘Let’s try this another way,’ Morden said. ‘Who would you like to see gain possession of the fateweaver?’

‘Depends what’s in it for me.’

Morden shook his head again, still smiling slightly. ‘That won’t fly either, I’m afraid. You aren’t a mercenary.’

‘If you know so much about me,’ I said evenly, ‘why do you need to ask?’

‘Oh, I know your motivations. I’m simply curious whether you do.’

I stayed silent. ‘Did you know that we’ve met before?’ Morden said. ‘Before last night? I expect you don’t remember; it was ten years ago. We met at a tournament. You were apprenticed to Richard at the time, but I recall you quite clearly. We spoke for a few minutes before you were called away.’

‘You’ve got a good memory.’

‘I was disappointed to hear you and your master had fallen out,’ Morden said. ‘Still, I wasn’t surprised when you reappeared. Most of the others assumed you dead, but I had always had the feeling you’d be back. You’re resourceful, Verus. It’s a quality I admire.’