Burned (32 page)

‘Fair enough,’ Chalice said. ‘How familiar are you with the Dark factions?’

‘Calling them factions is a bit of an overstatement,’ I said. ‘If you mean the beliefs they subscribe to, then yes, I know the basics.’

‘Which one was your old master a member of?’

‘None, really. Or all of them, depending on how you saw it. He believed in what you’d call the pure Dark credo. Power over all, no matter where it came from. But he didn’t follow anyone else.’

Chalice nodded. ‘There have always been some Dark mages who favour the idea of joining with the Council. You could call them the Dark equivalent of your Unity Bloc. In this country, Morden is their most well-known face, but it’s not an idea limited to Britain. There are similar movements in many places.’

‘They’re not “my” Unity Bloc,’ I said. ‘But yes, I’m familiar with some of the groups. Do you lean that way?’

Chalice raised an eyebrow. ‘You think that because I’m a Dark mage and not a crazed psychopath, that means I must be one of the “civilised” ones? Wanting to join with the Light mages?’

‘Just asking.’

‘In my experience, most British mages don’t really appreciate how much freedom they have,’ Chalice said. ‘You live under a set of laws in which Light, Dark and independent mages are – in theory, at least – equal. Yes, I know that they’re very much imperfect, and unevenly enforced. But that doesn’t change the fact that you have far more independence here than would be possible in most other countries. Take that shop of yours. One mage, unaffiliated with any major faction, running a business where magical items sit openly on the shelves. That would be an impossibility in India. Without the support of one of the major parties, you wouldn’t last a year.’

‘Ended up being pretty dangerous here too,’ I said. ‘Okay, I get your point. How do you fit in to that?’

‘The reason for the relative freedom you mages have here is because of the balance of power,’ Chalice said. ‘The Council can’t fully enforce their laws against the Dark mages because they don’t want to risk starting a war. The Dark mages can’t openly attack the Council because they know that if they push the Light mages too far, they risk retaliation. What Morden is doing will change all that. He’s trying to bring the Dark mages – or a majority of them at least – into the Council under his command. If he succeeds, he’ll turn this country into a one-party state. There’ll be no room for independent Dark mages. Or independent mages at all, for that matter. With the Council and the most active Dark mages forming one power bloc, everyone else will be forced to fall in line.’

‘And you want to avoid that?’

‘I rather like the way things are in Britain now,’ Chalice said. ‘For the most part, Dark mages like me are left in peace. Morden and Drakh have gathered a group who think that by joining the Council, they’ll come to rule the country. What those mages don’t seem to understand is that what will
actually
happen is that they’ll end up ruled by Drakh. I’ve had to leave one country. I don’t want to have to do the same thing again.’

‘Huh,’ I said, leaning back in my chair. I’d ordered tea as well, but like Chalice’s, it was sitting untouched in front of me. What Chalice was saying sounded a little odd, but it had the ring of truth to it. The more anti-Dark factions within the Council had been making a lot of noise about the Council being ‘invaded’ by Dark mages. For the most part, the debate had been dominated by them and by the Unity Bloc, one side wanting to keep the Dark mages out, the other trying to welcome them in. Neither of them had spent much time considering whether the Dark mages
wanted
to come in. Sure, there are some Dark mages like Morden, who get involved with Council politics and build their empires. But most don’t. They don’t want any masters, be they Light or Dark.

‘So,’ Chalice said. ‘Now you know where I stand. Do you wish to maintain our alliance?’

I looked at Chalice thoughtfully. ‘You want to stop Morden and Richard.’

‘Say rather that I want to limit them.’ Chalice looked back at me with her dark eyes. ‘I don’t expect you to share my beliefs. But as I understand it, you have your own disagreements with Morden and with Richard Drakh. They’re somewhat more personal than mine, but as I see it, our goals are essentially the same.’

I thought about it for a moment. ‘I suppose they are,’ I said after a pause. I might not have the same mindset as Chalice, but nothing she’d said really put her in opposition to what I wanted, or the people I cared about. And given my position, I needed all the allies I could get. ‘It’s a deal.’ I held out my hand.

Chalice smiled and reached across the table, her smaller hand disappearing into mine.

‘… so with any luck, that should be that,’ Landis said.

I was back in Anne’s flat, on the phone to Landis. Anne was sitting quietly in the armchair, working away on something in a notebook, while I wandered up and down the living room. Outside, the winter day was grey and cold.

‘Have you heard anything about Maradok and Ares?’ I asked.

‘Ah, yes! I think I’ve got some good news for you on that front. Did a touch of digging around and the word on the heights is that the contract on you is off. The Crusaders aren’t hiring anyone new and the one member I managed to talk to implied that things are on hold. Looks like you’re off their priority list.’

‘Should bloody well hope so, after what I did for them.’

‘Yes, well, you know what they say about the gratitude of kings. Could be worse. They don’t seem to want you dead badly enough to do it themselves any more.’

‘It’s sad that that’s actually an improvement. Have you heard anything about the sponsorship change for Anne and Vari?’

Anne stopped what she was doing and looked up. ‘No,’ Landis said. ‘It’s supposed to be going through tomorrow morning.’

That would put it around the time of Luna’s test. Something about Landis’s tone of voice suggested that there was more to the story, though. ‘But?’

‘But I have to confess to feeling a mite uneasy. Fingers to the wind and all that. Tell that charming friend of yours to watch herself, will you? Would hate for something to happen to her right before the sponsorship goes through.’

‘I’ll tell her. Having a good Christmas?’

‘Just off to a family event as a matter of fact. Season’s greetings and all that. I’ll be in touch.’

‘Talk to you then.’

I hung up. ‘Tell me what?’ Anne asked.

‘Landis is jumpy,’ I said. ‘He seems to think you and Vari might be in danger.’

‘Why?’

I shrugged. ‘Not a clue. But Landis isn’t the sort to jump at shadows.’ I looked at Anne. ‘Your wards up to date?’

‘I’ve still got those ones that you helped with,’ Anne said. ‘It should be okay. Though … I suppose they could just do what they did to your shop.’

I nodded. ‘I’ll stay over tonight. I should be able to see a night raid coming if I look for it. Anyway, we just need to hold out a couple more days. What are you smiling for?’

‘Nothing. Oh!’ Anne jumped up. ‘That reminds me. Stay here for a second.’

I watched curiously as Anne disappeared out of the door and came back a second later holding something long and black. ‘Here.’ She handed it to me. ‘Happy Christmas.’

I took the thing, caught by surprise. It was a long coat with a leather collar, made of some black, slightly rough material with a softer lining. ‘Is that for me?’

‘You were complaining about being cold since all of your warm coats got burned up in the fire,’ Anne said. She watched as I tried it on. ‘Does it fit?’

I stretched my arms through the sleeves. ‘Pretty much perfectly. How did you match the size?’

Anne shrugged. ‘Do you like it?’

I smiled at Anne. ‘Very much. Thank you.’

I saw Anne relax. All of a sudden, she looked happy.

We ended up spending the day together. I checked in with Luna and Variam; the responses were brief but I got the impression things were going well. I called Caldera to learn that she was being forced to stay in the office and work on Christmas Day, cleaning up the after-effects of yesterday’s operation, a duty that she complained about at length. Sonder, like Landis, was off on holiday celebrations, as presumably were most of the mages of Britain. Mages are pretty divorced from mundane society but they do still have families, and even they usually take Christmas off. Tomorrow everyone would be back to work, but for now everything was quiet.

‘So you never do anything for Christmas at all?’ Anne asked.

‘Well, it’s not like I do nothing,’ I said. Outside, the sun was setting; we were in the living room, listening to the quiet sounds of Honor Oak. Anne still had that little notebook in her lap, and she was doing something with it, either writing or drawing. My guess was drawing, but in each future where I moved to get a closer look, she hid it too quickly for me to see. I was curious but didn’t press her. ‘The last couple of years, I’ve spent it with Luna.’

‘But you don’t see your family or anything like that?’

‘Only family I’ve got in the UK is my father. And going to his house for Christmas … God. That would set a world record for most uncomfortable dinner conversation ever.’

‘Why?’

I sighed. ‘Let’s just say that he and I have some major philosophical differences. I find my life’s a lot less stressful when we stay as far apart as possible.’

‘So you don’t have any family you see at all?’

‘Not by choice.’

‘That sounds lonely.’

‘I’m used to it.’ I looked at Anne. ‘What about you?’

Anne twisted her mouth. ‘I suppose I’m not one to talk.’

‘You have a foster family, don’t you?’

‘I usually go each Christmas,’ Anne said. ‘I don’t think any of us enjoy it very much. To be honest, I always used to dread it. It was a relief to be able to tell them this year that I wasn’t going to be able to make it.’

‘Why is it so awkward?’

‘Old memories,’ Anne said. ‘I remember how things used to be. So do they.’

Anne looked down at the carpet. All of a sudden things felt awkward. I cast around for some way to change the subject. ‘How are things going with that air apprentice?’

Anne looked up in surprise. ‘Who?’

‘Wasn’t there some guy who’d asked you out? Carl something?’

‘Luna told you, didn’t she?’

‘It’s not like she’s trying to pry,’ I said. ‘I think she was just happy for you.’

‘Well, she shouldn’t have been.’

‘Why?’

‘Because the same thing happened that always happens. We went out once, he said he’d call back and didn’t.’

‘That’s weird.’

‘No, it’s not,’ Anne said. ‘The first time he didn’t know who I was. He’d just arrived from Germany; he didn’t know all the gossip the way the apprentices from here do. Afterwards, he found out.’

‘Oh.’ I paused. ‘Do you mind if I ask you something personal?’

‘No, go ahead.’

I chose my words carefully, trying to work out how to say this without giving offence. ‘So I’ve known you about three years. For most of that time, you’ve been single, right? There was that guy a couple of years ago, but since then, from what Luna’s told me, there hasn’t been anything that’s lasted.’

Anne nodded.

‘So … why is that? Given what you’ve got going for you.’ I didn’t come right out and say what I was implying. Anne is beautiful, kind and nice to pretty much everyone. I’m not that knowledgeable when it comes to the dating world, but I was pretty sure that she ought to have guys hanging off her. ‘Are you just not interested?’

‘It’s not that.’ Anne sighed. ‘Do you really want to hear about my not-very-important problems?’

I shrugged. ‘We’ve got the time.’

‘It’s not that I’m not interested. It just never turns into anything.’

I tilted my head.

‘I mean, there are the usual things,’ Anne said. ‘Guys who just want to sleep with me, and they lose interest when they find out that that’s not going to happen quickly enough. But all girls have to deal with that. It’s what I am that’s the problem.’

‘You mean being a life mage?’ I said curiously. ‘I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t appreciate that. You’ve saved my life more than once.’

‘It’s not that simple. Forget about magic for a second. Imagine you’re holding a woman who’s smaller and lighter than you are. If it came down to a fight, who’s going to win?’

I shrugged. ‘Probably me.’

‘With me it’s the other way around. If I can touch someone, it doesn’t matter who they are or what they can do. I can do whatever I like to them.’

‘Sure. You can knock them out or paralyse them or just puppet their nervous system. But you don’t.’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Anne said. ‘Men are used to being in control. Especially mages. When they’re with me, then all of a sudden they’re not. It scares them. They’ll say they aren’t, but you can see it.’

‘It’s not that hard to find guys who don’t want to be in control.’

‘I know.’ Anne sighed again. ‘This is why I don’t like complaining about this stuff. It makes me sound incredibly picky. For a while, when I was with guys, I’d try not to overshadow them. Hold myself back, that sort of thing. But it didn’t work. It made me feel like I was making myself smaller. So then I tried going out with guys who didn’t mind being overshadowed, you know, the ones who’ll tell you how much they like strong women. And
that
didn’t work either. For one thing I just couldn’t take them seriously, and for another … I think I’ve spent too long in danger. What happened back in our school, then Sagash, then Jagadev. I’d be out with those guys, and I’d look across the table at them, and I couldn’t help thinking: if something like that happens again –
when
something like that happens again – is this guy going to protect me? And the only answer I could come up with was no.’

I managed not to raise my eyebrows.
Anne
wanted someone to protect
her
? ‘Seems more likely you’d be doing the protecting.’

‘I don’t
want
to do the protecting.’ The sudden heat in Anne’s voice made me draw back. ‘I already have to take care of everyone else.’

I looked at Anne, startled. For a moment I wondered where that had come from, then an uncomfortable thought occurred. ‘I know we rely on you a lot for healing—’