‘And you are Auum.’
‘Neither of us wishes to die this night. Help us and we will not cause you harm. You know where you are?’
‘Hespyrin Square.’
‘Then you know that when the ward grid is activated, we are in a poor position.’
‘We’ll all die,’ said Brynar. ‘There are thirty wards in these gardens alone. And they will trigger the collapse of every building on the four sides.’
‘So, we are in agreement,’ said Auum. ‘I need options. Did Septern plan safe routes through the grid?’
Brynar shook his head. ‘The Garonin would probably divine them. Too risky. It’s complete blanket coverage.’
‘Second. When will the grid be activated?”
‘When all the mages return to the college, as I said. But not necessarily at that instant. Don’t get your hopes up, though. Any of us over an hour late will be assumed lost, probably to you as it happens, and therefore the grid will not be delayed.’
‘And how late are you, young man?’ asked Blackthorne.
‘I am well beyond my time already. I was late when I met Auum.’ Brynar shuddered.
The howl of a wolf sounded to the east. It was picked up by those in the park and joined by the granite growl of the ClawBound panther. Thraun calmed his pack as best he could but the four were on their feet, pacing and sounding anxiety deep in their chests.
Auum was still for a moment. He sniffed the air. Tension and magic, which was no surprise. But the agitation of the wolves and the guttural tone of the panther’s call were not to be ignored.
‘Thraun?’ he asked.
‘They’ve heard something. I don’t know what. I can’t sense anything.’
‘Well, let’s not hang about,’ said Blackthorne, and then he raised his voice. ‘Everyone. Prepare to leave. Gresse, you are going on a stretcher and I will drag you up the sides of buildings as and when I have to… I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?’
‘I said, you are a stubborn old goat and you have the beard to prove it.’
‘Ungrateful wretch.’
Auum shook his head and turned back to Brynar. The young mage stared all around him, blinking and swallowing hard.
‘It is real,’ said Auum.
The wolves howled again, their voices rising quickly to a whine high in the throat. All four gathered in front of Thraun, staring up at him and backing towards the west.
‘Something’s coming,’ said Thraun.
There was a pressure in the air that hadn’t been there a few moments ago. And Auum could hear a low throbbing sound on the periphery of his hearing. He exchanged glances with his Tai. They felt it too.
‘Quickly. Tell me. What is the trigger radius of a ward in this grid? Are we safe on the rooftops?’
‘Until someone triggers a cell of wards that brings the building down in a ball of flame around your feet,’ said Brynar. ‘I can’t overestimate the trouble we are all in.’
‘Then I am glad you are sharing that trouble with us.’ Auum stared at Brynar, looking for malice and trickery. The mage could not hold his gaze for long. ‘Do not think to walk us to our deaths. I will know your thoughts.’
‘If it’s any consolation, I think the Mount has got this all wrong. We should be heading west.’
‘Then you should have made your voice heard a little more clearly, shouldn’t you?’ said Gresse.
‘Why do you think I was dispatched to check on the ward grid, my Lord Gresse?’
‘It matters little to me,’ said Auum. ‘I do not trust you. My Tai do not trust you and nor do the ClawBound. I would have you understand that.’
Brynar nodded. ‘Not that we really need to head west. Septern told me he knew all about the Wesman ritual. He just doesn’t believe it’ll work.’
Auum pulled up short. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. He likes a drink and he likes to talk. Put the two together and all sorts comes out. Have I said something wrong?’
‘Does Densyr know about this?’ asked Auum.
‘Not as far as I’m aware. Septern told Sharyr about it and Sharyr told me. I have told no one until now.’
‘That changes everything.’ Auum waved his Tai to him. ‘Miirt. Contact the ClawBound. Ghaal. Run with Thraun. We need his wolves alive. I want a route to the college. Quickly. I’ll see you on top.’
‘You can get to the rooftops through most of the houses on this square. I’ll show you if you like,’ said Brynar.
‘Go,’ said Auum. ‘Tai, we move.’
Miirt grabbed his arm. ‘Look.’
Up on the rooftops immediately to their left, the ClawBound elf was standing and staring away to the east and high up into the sky. While Auum watched, the elf’s panther joined him and he laid a hand atop its head. The physical contact worried Auum more than anything he had seen this night that was bleeding away to a pale dawn in the eastern sky. The gesture was only ever for mutual comfort in the face of fear. And the ClawBound feared almost nothing.
The throbbing sound intensified, grew louder. The wolves were beyond control now, running this way and that, desperate for Thraun to move. Down on the ground Blackthorne was feeding Gresse some form of drug against his pain. Two of the larger men stood ready. The old baron was to be chaired away. Diera held young Hirad close. Auum came to her side.
Up in the eastern sky, the clouds were heavy and grey. It was the same grim picture all the way to the sunrise horizon. Auum fancied he could see movement within. Something that showed itself where the cloud was a little thinner. Whatever it was, the noise it emitted was rattling the teeth in Auum’s jaws and sending low vibrations through his body.
A silver shape descended through the clouds. Gently, serenely. It was bulbous, like a worn waterskin, stretched and bumpy, destined to leak. And huge. The size of a ship. Auum stared up at it. What else could any of them do? Below it, lights shone from what looked like windows and other lights played out over the city still swaddled in the last throes of night.
‘Vydosphere,’ he breathed.
‘What?’ Diera next to him could barely hear him for the growing drone.
‘Garonin.’ Auum’s heart pounded in his chest. ‘We have to get to the college before it does or we are all lost.’
Diera shook her head. ‘What about Sol and Jonas?’
‘We will rescue them,’ he said, though he had no idea how that might now be achieved.
A beam of intense light stabbed down from the vydosphere. Somewhere near the east gates there was a detonation followed quickly by a dozen others. Orange, blue and yellow fire flared into the night sky. There was a rumble and the ground shifted beneath their feet. The sound of falling buildings echoed across the city to them. Brynar gasped.
‘The wards,’ he said. ‘They’re triggering the wards.’
Blackthorne swore under his breath.
‘Run,’ said Auum and he raised his voice. ‘Run now.’
Chapter 25
Densyr ran to his east-facing balcony, Dystran and Septern to either side of him. Flame was leaping into the dawn sky, licking at the thick cloud cover above. He could see lights in the sky and blinked before realising that the dark shape he thought he had seen disappearing up into the clouds was a mere trick of the half-light.
‘Where is that?’ he asked.
‘It is the single active cell right by the east gates. Within the boundaries of the city,’ said Septern. ‘So far the
