silent. The water receded a little and the flame licked gently at the very tip of the torn page.
‘This page contains the final prediction of a very particular seer. Someone who is connected to both this spirit and to you, Kate,’ said Dalliah. ‘It was written in the woman’s blood just before her execution at the hands of the wardens fifty years ago. Her spirit is still here in the city somewhere, bound to this . . . the last of her physical remains. Burning her blood will break her last connection to the physical world and send her soul into the black. The spirit in this wheel will not allow that to happen.’
Kate could not see what was written upon the paper, but the effect upon the spirit was immediate. The water dissipated, the room darkened and the wheel on the floor began to turn. The tiles in the outer ring flipped and grated smoothly around their channelled grooves.
‘That’s better,’ said Dalliah, allowing the match to fizzle out. ‘You wouldn’t want anything to happen to this.’
‘What does it say?’ asked Kate.
‘Your mother’s family have always done things a little differently,’ said Dalliah. ‘They knew enough to see beyond their own existence and protect the future long after their own deaths. Your great-grandmother foresaw the falling of the veil when she was ten years old and wenton to become one of the greatest seers Fume ever knew. These were her final words. She used her blood to allow her to connect with the living world even after death. This spirit will not risk harming her, even to protect its own existence.’
‘If this spirit is a member of my mother’s family, I can’t let you kill it,’ said Kate.
‘Why should that matter?’ said Dalliah. ‘Every soul belongs to somebody’s family. Why should yours be spared? And why would you care? I thought you were an intelligent girl, but you were foolish enough to try to hide the truth from me. You have let your mask slip. You know too much for a girl whose memory has truly been lost. You knew the banners in the servants’ quarter were a tradition. You recognised the spirit that was drawn to you in the street. You have remembered. Do not think I have not noticed. You may not be my student, Kate, but you will follow my orders. The veil has already shown me what is to come. No seers or spirit tricks of the mind can stop what we must do. This spirit will be cast into the black, where it belongs. It is a relic of the past.’
‘Just like you.’ Kate said defiantly. Anger welled up inside her and it was a relief not to have to pretend any more. ‘You are used to getting everything you want. You buy people’s loyalty or frighten them into doing things for you. The men who pulled the wheel from that lake never would have risked their lives unless you forced them to. You killed Ravik because he wouldn’t follow your orders. You left Silas and Edgar to die on the Continent, and now you think you can force me to do what you want. You’rewrong. I don’t care who you are. I won’t let you do this. I won’t help you.’
The two women stood on either side of the spirit wheel, but neither noticed the shifting movements of shades pressing in around the walls. They did not see the wheel illuminate two bright symbols – the snowflake and the mask – or notice the pungent smell of deep water as the lake outside slowly began to rise.
‘The Winters have always been stubborn, reckless and misguided,’ said Dalliah. ‘I expected more from you.’
‘No, you expected less,’ said Kate. ‘You wanted someone you could control. That person is not me.’
8
Bloodied Blade
At the same moment, half a city away, Silas was at the reins of a carriage speeding through the dark streets with Edgar at his side when they felt the ground tremble. Ahead of them, a flock of bats exploded from the roof of a tower before its spire slipped and smashed down into the street below.
Silas forced the horses to the right, slowing down to dodge debris
‘This page contains the final prediction of a very particular seer. Someone who is connected to both this spirit and to you, Kate,’ said Dalliah. ‘It was written in the woman’s blood just before her execution at the hands of the wardens fifty years ago. Her spirit is still here in the city somewhere, bound to this . . . the last of her physical remains. Burning her blood will break her last connection to the physical world and send her soul into the black. The spirit in this wheel will not allow that to happen.’
Kate could not see what was written upon the paper, but the effect upon the spirit was immediate. The water dissipated, the room darkened and the wheel on the floor began to turn. The tiles in the outer ring flipped and grated smoothly around their channelled grooves.
‘That’s better,’ said Dalliah, allowing the match to fizzle out. ‘You wouldn’t want anything to happen to this.’
‘What does it say?’ asked Kate.
‘Your mother’s family have always done things a little differently,’ said Dalliah. ‘They knew enough to see beyond their own existence and protect the future long after their own deaths. Your great-grandmother foresaw the falling of the veil when she was ten years old and wenton to become one of the greatest seers Fume ever knew. These were her final words. She used her blood to allow her to connect with the living world even after death. This spirit will not risk harming her, even to protect its own existence.’
‘If this spirit is a member of my mother’s family, I can’t let you kill it,’ said Kate.
‘Why should that matter?’ said Dalliah. ‘Every soul belongs to somebody’s family. Why should yours be spared? And why would you care? I thought you were an intelligent girl, but you were foolish enough to try to hide the truth from me. You have let your mask slip. You know too much for a girl whose memory has truly been lost. You knew the banners in the servants’ quarter were a tradition. You recognised the spirit that was drawn to you in the street. You have remembered. Do not think I have not noticed. You may not be my student, Kate, but you will follow my orders. The veil has already shown me what is to come. No seers or spirit tricks of the mind can stop what we must do. This spirit will be cast into the black, where it belongs. It is a relic of the past.’
‘Just like you.’ Kate said defiantly. Anger welled up inside her and it was a relief not to have to pretend any more. ‘You are used to getting everything you want. You buy people’s loyalty or frighten them into doing things for you. The men who pulled the wheel from that lake never would have risked their lives unless you forced them to. You killed Ravik because he wouldn’t follow your orders. You left Silas and Edgar to die on the Continent, and now you think you can force me to do what you want. You’rewrong. I don’t care who you are. I won’t let you do this. I won’t help you.’
The two women stood on either side of the spirit wheel, but neither noticed the shifting movements of shades pressing in around the walls. They did not see the wheel illuminate two bright symbols – the snowflake and the mask – or notice the pungent smell of deep water as the lake outside slowly began to rise.
‘The Winters have always been stubborn, reckless and misguided,’ said Dalliah. ‘I expected more from you.’
‘No, you expected less,’ said Kate. ‘You wanted someone you could control. That person is not me.’
8
Bloodied Blade
At the same moment, half a city away, Silas was at the reins of a carriage speeding through the dark streets with Edgar at his side when they felt the ground tremble. Ahead of them, a flock of bats exploded from the roof of a tower before its spire slipped and smashed down into the street below.
Silas forced the horses to the right, slowing down to dodge debris
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