Taken

I spent a few hours settling affairs in London. First I packed. My flat has a huge selection of equipment, tools, focuses, one-shots, gear, weapons, and miscellaneous stuff I’ve picked up over the years, most of which I never use. It looks like junk, and to be fair it usually is, but it’s worth keeping around for when I need something obscure, fast. That wouldn’t be an option in Fountain Reach—I’d have what I brought with me and nothing more. In the end I left the specialist stuff behind and took a selection of the general-purpose items I use the most—condensers, forcewalls, and a couple of weapons. I hesitated over my mist cloak. I don’t like to carry it unless I really need it—a lot of its effectiveness comes from the fact that most people don’t know that I have it or what it can do—but in the end it was just too useful to leave at home.

Next I wrote a sign saying that the Arcana Emporium would be closed for renovations and hung it in the window. It felt like I’d been doing that a lot lately. Now that I thought about it, between jobs, trouble, and Luna’s training, it’d been months since I’d put in a full week at the shop.

And after that I went to explain to Sonder that he wasn’t coming.

“But I can help,” Sonder said.

“I know,” I said. “That’s why I want you somewhere else.”

We were standing in the daylight outside the station. “You’re taking Luna,” Sonder objected.

“Luna’s protected. That’s the whole point of her curse.”

“I can take care of myself too,” Sonder said. He had a wounded look, like a dog that had been told it wasn’t going to be taken for a walk.

“Come on, Sonder,” I said. “You think I don’t know that? But every person we bring is an extra risk.”

“What if you need to find out what happened in the mansion?”

“You won’t be able to look into the past inside the walls anyway. Look, this job is investigation, not combat. What we need you for is research, and you can do that more effectively and with less risk from London. There’s a good chance I’ll need your help up there later, but not right now.”

Sonder sighed, though he still didn’t look happy. “What do you need?”

And finally I went to see Arachne.

*  *  *

Arachne’s home is one of the very few places I feel safe, and as I walked down the tunnel to her cave I turned off my mental radar and let myself relax. I wanted to take the chance to rest: Once I left for Fountain Reach I had the feeling safety was going to be in short supply.

I found Arachne perched over a table, working on something with her four front legs. I dropped down on a sofa with a sigh. “Hey.”

“Hello, Alex,” Arachne said. She didn’t stop working; Arachne never seems to have any trouble making something and carrying on a conversation at the same time. Either she’s had so much practice that it’s automatic, or she’s just really good at multitasking. “How was last night?”

“Well, it wasn’t boring. At least I got a good look at Jagadev’s place.”

“What did you think?”

I was silent for a moment. “Confusing,” I said. “I’ve been to mage balls, but this was different. I’m not sure what was going on.”

“Confusion is Jagadev’s way,” Arachne said. “Shadows and misdirection. Always he keeps his true aims concealed.”

“Do you know why he’d gather so many adepts?” I asked. “Or what he’d be doing with two apprentices like Anne and Variam?”

“No,” Arachne said.

I thought for a second. “Jagadev’s powerful,” I said. “And he’s a magical creature who lives in London.”

“Yes.”

“He must have dealt with the same problems you’ve had.”

“Yes.”

I looked at Arachne. “But you’ve never allied with him.”

Arachne didn’t answer. I wanted to know more, but I didn’t push. The only sound was the click and rustle of Arachne’s tools.

“He offered exactly that,” Arachne said at last. “A long time ago in your years, a short time in mine. He came here to propose an alliance, of information and assistance.” She paused. “I refused.”

I looked at her curiously. “Why?”

“Jagadev is a destroyer,” Arachne said simply. “He holds a grudge against humans. What he seeks is not creation but revenge.”

Arachne fell silent and I sat on the sofa frowning. If that was true, then what was going on between him and Anne and Variam?

“There,” Arachne said, her voice becoming cheerful. “All done!”

I looked over in interest. Arachne had set her tools down and was holding something out to me. I honestly couldn’t tell you how the tools work or what she’d been doing. By mage standards I’m an expert on magic items, but Arachne’s on a completely different level and I don’t understand even the most basic principles of how she can do what she does.

The item looked like a wand, fifteen inches long and slightly tapered so that one end was narrower than the other. A handle was built into the wider end and a small sphere was set at the base of the handle. It had the colour of alabaster or ivory but as I took it from Arachne its texture felt more like silk. “Huh,” I said, turning it over curiously.