Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6)

laid them on the floor. Aila pushed the door open, and blinked from the bright evening sunshine. Ahead of them was a series of stairs built onto the side of a huge wall, and beyond that, a small town was laid out. Wooden houses lined the streets, and dozens of chimneys were sending grey smoke up into the blue sky. Gulls called and shrieked overhead, and the air reeked of the ocean. Aila stared at the view for a moment, then led the way down the steps to the cobbled ground level. The high, thick walls encircled the small town completely, and looked ancient compared to the structures in the interior. On the left was a tall arch, and through it Aila could see a harbour with a stone jetty protruding outwards into the ocean. Several vessels were tied up, but there was nothing larger than a fishing boat. A hundred yards to the right was another arch, which led to the open countryside beyond, and Aila selected that direction.

They were walking along the street, trying to blend in with the locals, when a cry rose up behind them. Aila turned, and saw Amalia standing at the front door of the house built into the walls.

‘Stop!’ she cried, her eyes landing on the two escaping women.

‘Keep walking,’ said Aila; ‘ignore her.’

She linked arms with Kelsey and they kept going. The street was busy with people. A few had turned to glance at the woman shouting from the top of the stairs, but none paid Aila or Kelsey any attention, despite the state of their clothes and their unkempt appearance. Amalia charged down the steps and started running along the street after them.

Aila saw a tavern to their left, and they ducked in through the open door. Inside, a large fire was roaring in a central hearth, and the place was filled with the odour of cooking meat. They walked to the bar and waited for a stout, middle-aged man in an apron to approach.

‘How can I help you, ladies?’ he said.

‘We’re looking for some dinner, please,’ said Aila, ‘and maybe a room for the night. How much would it be?’

‘It’s ten silver pennies per room,’ he said, ‘and two each for dinner. Take a seat, and I’ll have someone bring over the food. Would you be wanting something to drink with your meal?’

‘Ale, and lots of it,’ said Kelsey.

The man smiled. ‘Sure thing, ma’am.’

‘Give us a moment to think about the room,’ said Aila.

The man nodded, and the two women walked to an empty table next to the fire, Aila glancing at the main entrance.

‘Did she see us come in?’ said Kelsey as they sat.

‘I’m not sure,’ said Aila. She slipped the wallet out of a pocket, and looked through its contents.

‘How much do we have?’ said Kelsey.

‘Five gold sovereigns, and about twenty in silver. Not much.’ She tossed the empty wallet into the fire. ‘We may have to steal some more.’ She glanced at Kelsey. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘A bit better. Sorry about before; I… I just…’

‘It’s alright; you don’t have to explain anything. You did what you had to. If you hadn’t hit him, we’d be back in our cell by now.’

‘I embarrassed myself. Keir would be laughing if he’d seen me. And Corthie would be rolling his eyes. As for mother, she…’

‘Stop it, Kelsey. You may be a Holdfast, but you’re not a killer; you don’t need to compare yourself to the rest of your family. From now on, I’ll handle any violence that’s required.’

Kelsey looked at her. ‘How many people have you killed?’

‘I can’t honestly remember.’

‘Pyre’s arse; you can’t remember? It must be tons, then.’

‘Not as many as Corthie. And I’ve been alive for nearly eight centuries; don’t forget that.’

A serving girl approached their table with a tray, and began to set out cutlery, along with two large mugs of ale.

‘Thanks,’ said Aila. ‘Could you please tell the barman that we’ll take that room for tonight?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Also, what’s the best way to get out of town? Do wagons leave for the south?’

‘Yes, ma’am, but the next caravan isn’t due to depart for a few days. It goes all the way to Kin Dai.’

‘Thanks.’

The front door of the tavern swung open, and Aila and Kelsey turned to see Amalia stride in. She was wearing robes, but her right arm was bare, and fully healed. She saw them sitting at the table and smiled broadly.

‘My girls,’ she cried; ‘there you are!’

She walked over to the table and sat. ‘Are you eating? Good idea. Girl, set a place for me too, and I’ll have some wine.’

The serving girl nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

Amalia waited until she had walked back to the bar, then she turned to Aila and Kelsey.

‘You treacherous little bitches.’

‘Treacherous?’ said Aila. ‘You locked us up; what were we supposed to do? Smile and nod along?’

Amalia pretended to look shocked. ‘By abandoning me, you are betraying your own world, dearest granddaughter. If the Ascendants find me, then nothing will stop them from locating and occupying Tara. Do you want to see our enemies in Maeladh Palace?’

‘So, now you want to talk reasonably? It’s a little late for that.’

‘Surely we can come to a deal; a mutually beneficial deal?’

‘You had your chance, and instead you locked us up for a month.’

‘Aye,’ said Kelsey. ‘Why don’t you crawl back into whichever hole you emerged from, and leave us alone? Better still, give us the Quadrant, and then your beloved world will be safe.’

Amalia looked like she was about to launch into a rant when the serving girl returned with a tray.

‘Your wine, ma’am,’ she said.

The former God-Queen glowered at her, then took the mug of wine and drained it. ‘Another.’

The serving girl nodded and hurried away.

‘You two,’ Amalia said, ‘are finished. Where will you go? Do you even know where we are, or how to get out of this place? I was using you to keep safe, but I was keeping you safe at the same time. Did I torture or