Page 51 of The Dark Mirror

‘Dr Nygård has told us about the two core factions, the Ranthen and the Sargas,’ Pivot said. ‘What do they want?’

I considered my next words carefully. If Pivot could be selective about sharing, I could do the same.

‘The Ranthen have no particular grudge against humans,’ I said (mostly true), ‘but the Sargas family wants to control us – clairvoyants, particularly. They come from a realm called the Netherworld. A civil war broke out there, and the Sargas defeated the Ranthen. Not long after, they all left the Netherworld for Earth. That was two centuries ago.’

Pivot mulled all of this over with more poise than I had anticipated, but I could see the disquiet on her face. In the corner, Ducos was listening intently. She had seen Arcturus in Paris – spoken to him, worked alongside him – without ever comprehending what he was.

‘Why did they leave?’ Pivot asked at last.

‘The Netherworld started to rot. It couldn’t sustain them any longer. They’re not sure why,’ I said, ‘but one side blamed the other, hence the civil war.’

‘Is this Netherworld accessible to humans?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘When they arrived here, the Sargas chose not to reveal themselves, because they didn’t want humans to govern or subjugate them. They created Scion to ensure they could determine their own futures.’

‘The fear is understandable, to a degree. We humans can scarcely get along with one other, let alone a different species.’ She reached for a notepad. ‘Why do they hunt clairvoyants?’

Now I had to tread with care.

‘Not sure,’ I said.

‘What else can you tell us?’

Ducos came to sit beside me with a tiny cup of coffee. I took a sip of mine, gaining another moment to think.

Once, I would have been delighted to spill the Rephs’ secrets to an espionage network. But telling Pivot what I knew would arm twenty-eight nations with the ability to harm the Ranthen as well.

There was also the fact that the Rephs relied on voyants to sustain themselves. If the amaurotics of the free world knew the whole story – that we were a lifeline to creatures that posed a serious threat to humankind – there was no guarantee that they would treat us any better than Scion did. For now, I would stick to a skeletal version of the truth.

‘The Rephs have existed for a long time. They don’t age,’ I said. ‘The same ones that arrived two centuries ago are still running Scion now. They’re also stronger and faster than us.’

‘Do they have any weaknesses?’

‘Bullets slow them down,’ I said. ‘Other than that, I haven’t found a way.’

‘I see.’

I kept my expression clear, hoping she believed me.

‘I understand your auxiliary was detained,’ Pivot said.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I don’t suppose you have any leads?’

‘I’m afraid not.’

I had known it was unlikely, but my chest tightened.

‘As well as your intimate knowledge ofAdvena sapiens, you have insight into Scion operations – for example, you know Inquisitor Ménard and his spouse, Luce Ménard Frère,’ Pivot said. ‘We understand from your French allies that you brokered a truce. No executions or attacks on clairvoyants, in return for your allies leaving him alone for two years.’

‘Ménard hasn’t honoured it,’ Ducos said. ‘He never stopped the guillotines, but there may be a reason. Frère went missing exactly when you did.’

That raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

‘She wasn’t at the masquerade,’ I said. ‘I remember thinking that that was odd.’

‘Ménard has claimed she’s on an extended diplomatic trip to the newly established Scion Citadel of Lisbon, but there is no actual record or evidence of Frère having left France,’ Ducos said. ‘It is unprecedented for the Inquisitorial couple to be apart for this long.’

This did sound unusual.

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