Taken

I didn’t let myself glance towards where Luna was hidden. I began walking in the direction Morden had pointed. The Dark mage fell in beside me. “So let’s get this out of the way,” Morden said.

“You kidnapped me, lied to me, and tried to kill me.”

“I don’t remember you describing it as a kidnapping. In fact as I recall, you thanked me.”

“That was before you tried to press-gang me into a plan that was supposed to get me killed.”

“The next point,” Morden continued as if he hadn’t heard. “Perhaps you could explain how I lied to you?”

“You said you wanted me as intelligence officer,” I said. “You didn’t mention the part where Onyx was planning to kill me as soon as we got inside.”

“And?”

“What do you mean, ‘and’?”

“Which part did you think I was lying about?”

“Oh, I don’t know. How about the part where we were meant to survive?”

“I simply made you a job offer.”

“And you forgot to mention that you’d told Onyx to take my head off?” I said. “What, did it slip your mind?”

“Actually, I didn’t give Onyx specific instructions as to what to do with any of you,” Morden said. “That was left to his discretion.”

I gave Morden a look. “I’m disappointed, Verus,” Morden said. “Don’t you recall our last conversation?”

“Enlighten me.”

“Dealing with Onyx was your responsibility,” Morden said. “If you were unable to manage such a situation, you would have proved yourself unsuited for the role.”

“Let me get this straight,” I said. “You knew Onyx was going to try to kill me and you still seriously believed I’d be willing to work for you afterwards?”

“Hopefully.”

I shook my head. “You Dark mages have such a screwed-up way of looking at the world, you know that? I was stupid enough to work for you once. I’m never doing it again.”

“Never is a long time.” Morden didn’t seem troubled. “You may have reason to approach me sooner than you think.”

“Whatever,” I said. We were approaching the end of the balcony. “Are we done here?”

“Are you really doing so well investigating these disappearances alone that you can afford to pass up help?”

I stopped and turned to face Morden. “And what do you know about that?”

“Let me guess,” Morden said. “You received an anonymous piece of information pointing you towards Fountain Reach. Am I correct?”

“And you’re expecting me to believe that was why Onyx was there? Another tip-off?”

“Why did you think he was there?”

“Maybe because the two of you are the ones causing the disappearances.”

“And what would I gain from that?”

“Fewer Light mages, more Dark ones?”

Morden sighed. “Light mages always think it’s all about them. Tell me, Verus, what made you so certain it was only Light apprentices who were disappearing?”

I started to answer and then stopped.

“Onyx was in Fountain Reach for precisely the reason you were,” Morden said. “The difference is that unlike you, we know the informant’s identity.”

“Who?”

“I believe you just implied you considered me a suspect,” Morden said dryly. “Now you want information?”

I was silent.

“Onyx will be at the White Stone,” Morden said. “Again, for much the same reasons as you. I believe the two of you could profit from cooperation but I won’t force you.”

I turned and started walking back towards Jagadev’s room. “Sure you’re not doing all this just to get back at me for stopping you from getting the fateweaver?”

“If that were my objective I would have killed you already,” Morden said. “I would have thought you would have firsthand knowledge of why the fateweaver is of little value to me.”

“Fine. So if you expect me and Onyx to help each other, are you at least going to tell him not to try and kill me again?”

“Honestly, Verus,” Morden said. “Haven’t you been listening at all? Your issues with Onyx are your own problem. I certainly won’t do anything to protect you from the consequences of your own actions. Not without something in return.”

We’d nearly returned to the point at which we’d started. “Well, interesting as this has been, I have business to attend to,” Morden said. “I hope you and Onyx can work out your differences.”

“Don’t take this personally,” I said, “but I hope I don’t see you again.”

“Are you going to stop involving yourself in matters of importance?” Morden asked. He paused a second, waiting for a reply, then smiled slightly. “I thought not. Good night.”

Morden left without a backward glance. I stepped out of sight and stood thinking.

Luna peeked her head out from a doorway. “Alex?”

“It’s safe,” I said, and shook myself. “I think we’ve outstayed our welcome.”

Luna followed without argument. Once she would have complained, but she’s learnt a lot since then. “What did he want to talk about?”

“I’ll tell you on the way home,” I said. “Let’s get out of here. Morden won’t take a shot at us if he sees us again, but Onyx will.”

chapter 8

I caught Luna up on what she’d missed, and we separated at Camden Town. She had classes the next day and we wouldn’t see each other until we met at the White Stone opening in the evening. I headed home and crashed.