Chapter 219

Dexter's POV

"How much do you know about Roarhaven?"

Dexter and Erskine sat in the mountain facility's living room around the large table with Lament, Accord and Plight. Tanith and Lenka were not there, something Dexter was sure Lament was acutely aware of. It had taken him hours to calm down enough to ignore them and call this meeting.

He sat back and put an arm over the back of his head. "I probably don't know whatever you're about to tell me."

"You're aware there was once a coup in Roarhaven to take over the Sanctuary and use their own building to make a new Sanctuary?"

"Yes, vaguely."

"That was just the start of it," Lament explained. "From what we've gathered, the Roarhaven mages had much bigger plans. Did you know that since the end of the war with Mevolent, hundreds of sorcerers from all over the world have gone missing?"

"Sorcerers go missing all the time," Dexter shrugged. "You went missing."

"Very true," said Lament, "but we didn't meet a representative from Roarhaven right before we disappeared."

He frowned now. "You're saying the Roarhaven mages have something to do with it?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems that way. They got their way in the end, after all. The Sanctuary's in Roarhaven."

"Yeah, but that was voted in. It means nothing. The Elders chose to move there."

Plight shrugged. "We've been tucked away for thirty years, we don't know the ins and outs of the situation. However it happened, it happened. The Sanctuary is now in Roarhaven and so is The Accelerator."

Lament sat forward. "Scientists talk. We share ideas and discoveries and theories. I would never have been able to build something like the Tempest or the Cube Argeddion is in without talking through aspects of it with people more intelligent than I. Through this talk, I came to learn a man named Rote was asking questions to do with boosting the Accelerator to an incredible degree. We believe he perhaps got to a point where it would be able to give an insane amount of power to everyone worldwide – enough to turn bullets to dust and without limitations. If it ever went off, all of civilisation would cease to exist how it does today. And Sorcerers, who know how to use their magic, would be the dominant race. Unlimited powers and the ability to use them."

"And you're sure it exists? In Roarhaven?"

"We think it's right under the Sanctuary itself," Lament said positively. "We could bring it online."

Dexter immediately sat up. "Why would we want to do that?"

"So we can harness its power. Not to give magic to all of mankind, but to use it to power Cubes like the one Argeddion's for centuries without any input from other people. We could have the room and space and time to have a dozen people with True Names safely locked away before they hurt anyone, without needing to kill them. It's perfect."

Dexter thought about it for a moment and then sat back. "And how would you even go about that? If we can't go near it for fear of it sending magic to everyone, or whatever else it could do? If you can't leave?"

"I haven't thought that part through yet," he admitted.

He sighed and thought it over for a moment. "I think it would be a good idea for us to ask someone to look for the Accelerator in the Sanctuary and work from there."

Erskine was happy to call Corrival with their findings to subtly mention the Accelerator to him, and he left.

"Do you mind," Dexter asked suddenly, "if you show me how you hook up to the Cube? The one to monitor Argeddion?"

Lament's eyebrows went right up. "That's not a possibility."

Dexter sagged. "Right. I was just curious to see how it happened, I don't want to be hooked up."

"Like I said, it's–"

"Tyren," Accord said with a shake of his head, "he's not going to do anything."

Lament frowned deeply at him. "That's not the point."

"It's exactly the point! We won't have guests for much longer, and Dexter knows exactly how important it is to keep Argeddion locked away. We might as well let him see the things he wants to. It can't hurt anyone."

Lament soured but Plight nodded in agreement. "I need to monitor him right now. I would be happy for Dexter to watch."

Accord and Plight got up and welcomed Dexter to follow, which he did before Lament could say anything. They walked over to the monitoring room and Lament came in behind them a few moments later. Plight sat in the desk chair to observe while Accord encouraged Dexter through to room Argeddion was in.

Accord and Lament stayed on the first side of Argeddion and Dexter slowly walked around the small, clean room, looking over the machinery and stepping over a pipe to get on Argeddion's other side.

"This is the gadget Lenka–" Lament tried to hide a grimace at Accord's use of her name but failed "–made for us to observe Ageddion's brainwaves. We have another on the outside, but it isn't as detailed as this one. I simply put it over my eyes, sit back, and do my work."

Dexter nodded interestedly and waited for Lament to help Accord get the wires attached to the large scuba sized goggles ready. When he was behind Accord and neither of them were looking, he shoved the long pocket knife through Argeddion's eyeball and into the back of his skull.

OMG

Remus Crux: Honestly, you wouldn't believe the amount of times valkyrie and other characters throw up in the SP books. I have it twice in one chapter and it's sort of funny, but the books are weirdly full of vomit. The flowers in Ireland have to be fucked up!