Van frowned. ‘Naxor’s gone. He’s run for it. The best case is that he lies low.’
‘And the worst?’
Van shook his head. ‘The worst is that he’s already talking to the Cape Armour authorities, betraying us to save himself.’
‘We don’t know that,’ said Corthie.
‘There’s too much we don’t know, that’s the problem. This whole thing could be a trap, but what choice do we have?’
‘I should have tied him up after I punched him.’
‘You punched him?’ said Sohul.
‘He was getting a little hysterical.’
Sohul’s face fell. ‘And now he’s gone?’
They reached the bottom of the gangway to their new ship, and waited while porters carried several crates up onto the deck. Once the gangway was clear, Silva stepped forward and showed some documents to a small group of sailors. They examined them briefly, then gestured to her to board the ship. Two porters approached and took their luggage, and Corthie and the others followed them up the gangway.
‘Welcome to my ship, ma’am,’ said a tall man standing by the top of the gangway. ‘I hope you have a pleasant voyage.’
‘Thank you, Captain,’ said Silva. ‘When are we due to arrive in Alea Tanton?’
‘Three days from now. If the winds are favourable, we should berth at dawn on the third day of Kolinch.’ He glanced at them. ‘I was told there would be five passengers in your party, ma’am, not four.’
‘Ah, yes,’ said Silva. ‘Unfortunately, one of our group has had to drop out.’
‘I see. You will still have to pay for the three cabins, I’m afraid. I hope that isn’t a problem.’
‘No, that will be fine.’
The captain nodded to a porter. ‘These passengers have reserved the three cabins by the aft stairs. Show them the way.’ He turned back to Silva. ‘We are setting sail in two hours, and breakfast will be served in the galley at dawn. If you require anything on the voyage, ma’am, my door will be open.’
‘Thank you, Captain.’
The porter glanced at them, then led the way to the stern of the ship, passing the two large masts in the centre of the deck. Sailors were preparing the sails for departure, and the vessel was humming with activity. The porter descended the stairs by the aft, and took them through a narrow passageway to their cabins. Silva had one to herself, and the three men were sharing the other two. They dropped off their bags, then gathered in Silva’s cabin.
‘I used my powers to search for Naxor,’ she said as they sat.
‘And?’ said Corthie. ‘Please don’t tell me that the little rat has gone to the Count’s palace.’
‘He hasn’t. He’s currently sitting in a carriage, on the way out of Cape Armour.’
‘In which direction?’
‘He’s on the road that leads to the Falls of Iron; the same road I took when I first arrived to look for Queen Belinda.’
‘Alright,’ said Van; ‘so he’s a rat, but not a traitor. Will Vana be able to sense his presence if he hides in the Falls of Iron?’
‘No,’ said Corthie; ‘her range is limited to twenty miles or so.’
‘Then, to be honest, we’re better off without him. We’ll miss his vision skills, but we won’t have to worry about him getting captured in Alea Tanton.’
‘What’s happening in the Falls of Iron these days?’ said Sohul.
‘Naxor took a look yesterday,’ said Van. ‘He said that it’s deserted. The Ascendants poisoned the land after they levelled the castle and the town. I doubt anyone’s there, apart from maybe a few scavengers skulking in the caverns.’
Corthie sat forward in his chair. ‘He told us that the Ascendants have a team of demigods in Alea Tanton that they’re using to search Khatanax. Won’t they find him?’
‘It’s possible, I guess,’ said Van. ‘Let’s hope he finds a deep cave to hide in. And it’ll help if he doesn’t use his powers for a while.’
‘He’s a risk to us all. Maybe I should have killed him.’
‘He probably suspected you might,’ said Van. ‘Well, he’s out of our reach now; let’s focus on what we’re going to be doing next. In three days we’ll be in Alea Tanton, and we’ve no idea what’s awaiting us. Vana might be there, and Belinda might be in trouble. Any ideas?’
‘If we’re going on the attack,’ said Corthie, ‘we should do it as soon as we arrive; go straight down their throats. You know where the Ascendants live, don’t you?’
‘Yes; they’ll be in Old Alea. The harbour where we’ll berth is more than twenty miles from there…’
‘Twenty miles?’ said Corthie. ‘How big is this city?’
‘Huge. We can make our way to Old Alea, but it won’t be easy getting in. The entire plateau is surrounded by walls and turrets, and the gatehouse will be heavily defended.’ He glanced at the others. ‘Are we set? Is this our decision – to attack?’
‘You know my feelings,’ said Silva. ‘We attack.’
Sohul nodded. ‘I’m under contract to the Third Ascendant; I say we go to her aid.’
They turned to Corthie.
He looked at each of them in turn. ‘If the Ascendants know I’m alive, then they’ll hunt me wherever I go. It was different when I thought I could find Aila and slip away quietly; that’s not an option any more. I’ll have to face the Ascendants again, and hope Belinda is by my side.’
He nodded to Van. ‘We attack.’
Chapter 20
The True Enemy
C atacombs, Torduan Mountains, Khatanax – 3rd Kolinch 5252
Blackrose stared down at Sable.
‘You must not utter a word in here, witch,’ she said. ‘Do you understand?’
Sable nodded. ‘Perfectly.’
The black dragon strode into Deathfang’s hall, Sanguino following in behind her. Sable and Maddie glanced at each other then walked in after them. Deathfang was stretched out on his pile of gold, while Burntskull and a few of his other supporters flanked him. Ashfall was also there, her head lowered.
‘Greetings to you, noble Deathfang,’ said Blackrose.
Deathfang looked at her for a long moment. ‘Come to steal another of my daughters from me, have you? One was not enough?’
‘But, father…’ said Ashfall.
‘Silence,’ snapped
