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The Autumn Assignment
Chapter 27: Replay
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He was left alone- or, as alone as it was possible to be in this place. The cameras looked down at him disapprovingly, simultaneously guarding the artefacts and reminding him of how he had got back into the artefact room. He didn't know what they'd done with Katy- it had taken only a few breaths for the guards to come rushing into the room, for them to take in the guilty remnants of the Gift that still shone around her hands, and for them to drag her away. She smiled at him as she left.
Katy had next to no training, and no control over her magic like the Sorrocks seemed to have. The spell she had chosen to cast had no form or shape, as she didn't know how to construct it. She concentrated, and her lips moved in silent pleading. A soft light appeared around her hands, and then flickered and faded. She cursed under her breath, shaking her head as if to clear it.
Daniel watched, fascinated, not aware of the burning sensation in his foot until it was scalding. He swore loudly and kicked away whatever it was. His bag flew across the room with a thud of schoolbooks and clothes. Everything that could be dangerous had been taken away, including the book. Maybe the people who'd searched the bag had also dipped it in acid?
Katy stared at the bag, the spell almost forgotten. "Mithros wept..." she whispered, "Daniel..."
He nodded and picked up the bag, tipping the contents onto a table. He was expecting it, but was still amazed when he found the book, safely disguised as a weekly planner. The real planner was nowhere to be seen- he guessed it was now disguised as an ancient book, and under lock and key. A lazy spark drifted across the book's cover, as if the book was greeting them. It was no longer burning hot, but still warm. He opened it to the first blank page and waited.
The words appeared in a careful scrawl,
What are you trying to do?
Daniel scrambled in the ruins of his school bag until he could find a pen, remembering that he should be quiet only after he dropped half the books on the floor. He flinched and wrote back,
-Hello, Daine.
The book seemed to hesitate before replying.
Hello yourself. It's not just me here. And it's rude to read other people's letters. And that's all I have to say about that. And you still haven't told me what you're trying to do.
-We want to summon the Immortals. The ones that have crossed the barrier already.
You're an idiot. The final sentence ended with a stabbed full stop, nearly blotted in its violence. Daniel and Katy waited, holding their breath- surely there had to be more than that. After a few seconds another message appeared slowly, as if the writer didn't want to pen the thought. Numair wants to know why.
"What do we tell them?" Daniel asked in a whisper. Katy shrugged, her eyes riveted on the book.
"I vote we be honest. They know most of it anyway, and if they're asking us to explain then maybe they'll help us."
"Can't we... can't you do it on your own?" Daniel asked, feeling stupid but not wanting to voice his thoughts: before, it was just a book, a thing, unpredictable but something within their control. And suddenly it was a bridge between themselves and two living, very real and very powerful legendary mages- at least one of whom thought he was an idiot. Asking for their help was like... was like asking someone with a doctorate to teach a child how to spell. And they were people- with their own thoughts and plans and emotions- irrational and untrustworthy and unpredictable and utterly mysterious. Katy seemed to read some of this on his face. She clumsily hugged him with one arm.
"They're normal people, just like us." She whispered, "They're not stories, or gods. They need our help too. And no, I can't do this on my own. I'm not strong enough. So I vote we trust them."
Daniel nodded once, and started writing. He explained about the Stormwing, and how it had been looking for them. He told them about the Sorrocks, and the hidden ranks of mages that had been trained in this place. He told them about the draining machines. He told them about his sister.
Are you saying they deserve to die? This wasn't the same handwriting, the tone was much more direct. Katy bit her lip, took the pen from Daniel, and replied.
-It's a diversion more than anything. If their attention is focused somewhere else then we can try to break down the door barriers. People can get out and tell others about this place. Without the drainers the balance of Gift will be restored.
You underestimate the immortals, I think. They will not differentiate between these Sorrocks or the people that might escape. And if you are right then their target will not be the base but you two and this book. You could possibly fight a single guard between you, but not a single Stormwing or Spidren. And they will come in packs.
-This place is well defended. There will be time. Katy wrote, her eyes narrowing. And if we fight that single guard then we will have weapons. I am not afraid to fight.
Really? I thought you found the sight of blood abhorrent. Don't reply to that; I apologise. Wait a while. We must think.
The writing stopped abruptly. Katy scowled at the book and put the pen down. "I almost preferred it as a book. Then at least I wouldn't feel like it was talking about me behind my back."
"Katy..." Daniel tailed off, then started again, "Do you think my sister's here?"
"Probably." She replied without thinking, and then looked stricken. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't..."
"It's fine. It needs to be done. But... can we look for her if the immortals do attack?" Daniel looked at his lap, where his hands twisted round each other uneasily. "I know the big things are important, but I'd never forgive myself if..."
"Of course." Katy said quickly, "She'll be fine."
They sat in silence for a while, looking into the sterile darkness of the room meaninglessly. The complex, full of people and movement even at this time of night, hummed with soft noise. The distant rumble of voices, occasional footsteps and deep underlying murmur of machinery fused into a single wall of muted sound. Katy yawned and leaned against Daniel's shoulder sleepily.
"You know, this seems so much like a dream," She murmured, "Every time I close my eyes I think I'll open them back in my room, and I'll be halfway through studying for my exams, and my dad will be downstairs making dinner." She yawned again and carried on more quietly, "But I don't know if I want to wake up sometimes. I'm scared, and tired, and angry- but it feels like I'm doing something important, and that's a new feeling for me."
Daniel nodded but did not answer, relishing the silence. Kate's voice grew quieter. "There will be a gap between when the spell is cast and when they attack, if they even do. If they split us up, and then all hell breaks loose, you should find your sister first. I'll look for the main control room."
"That's... you can't look for it on your own. It's much more dangerous than looking for a child." Daniel said. Katy smiled, her eyes sleepily flickering shut.
"It's the best way. I can do it."
Daniel started to answer, then stopped as he realised the girl had fallen asleep against his shoulder. He shifted the book from the bed into his lap where he could see it, then leaned his head against hers and watched it. His own eyes were sliding shut when words began to scrawl across the page.
Wake Katy up and tell her to cast the spell. We will help.
The spell had glittered around her hands, and this time it was smoother and more focused. She did not move her lips, but nodded as if a voice was whispering instructions into her ear. The fire became darker and darker as streams of black interlaced with the blue. Daniel glanced at the book and realised that the black fire was streaming directly from the page they'd been writing on. As he watched, the edges of the paper began to curl up and char.
"Is this hurting you?" He asked. Daine's writing appeared almost conversationally.
-No more than it's hurting her.
The boy looked up, alarmed. Katy's face was set with concentration, but there was a set to her jaw that was more than just that. Out of the corner of his eye he could see more writing scrawling across the page, staying more in the center now that the edges were crumbling to dust.
-She knew it was going to be difficult. A spell to shout across the world needs more than an untrained hedge-witch's power. She knew that when she asked. While she is concentrating I must tell you: Do not look for your sister. She is safe enough, and we don't want... the words scrawled to a halt, then started again. It would only complicate things. It should take half an hour for the Immortals to reach you. Make sure you are ready. We won't be able to use the book for a while after this, it will be too damaged, so if you have any questions ask them now.
A scant inch of the page remained undamaged. Daniel glanced at it, then shook his head. A single sentence appeared, then was consumed.
Good-bye, and good luck.
As the page was destroyed, the fire in Katy's hands glowed brightly for a split second, blinding them, then grew into a towering beam of light that passed straight through the ceiling. Daniel blinked the sunspots from his eyes, still half blind, and closed the book.
"That was subtle," he muttered. Katy laughed weakly next to him and collapsed backwards onto the bed.
"I thought I was going to burst into flames," she said, almost in tears, "Every drop of my blood turned to fire." She raised her hands and stared at the m for a second , then dropped them and took a deep breath as if she'd been drowning. "I suppose now we just wait for the guards to arrive."