Page 44 of Aubade Rising
Satisfied she plans to hold up her end of the bargain for now, I talk her through the Gallos principles. Her eyes widen, glittering menacingly at the Mordros’ secret.
“So, it’s not what you use, it’s how you put the magic in there?” she clarifies.
“Yes.” She is a quick student. But it should take her at least a few days to learn the principles. That will have to be long enough for Eskar to recover. We have no other choice.
“Then why did you travel all this way for serpentine?”
“Because it’s the only material we believe could contain magic.”
“Hmm. Nothing else works?” she waits for me to shake my head before walking back to the fresh crystals laid out on the bench, bigger than the ones we used before.
“Show me.”
It takes all day and involves more trips to the trapdoor to replenish my magic before Kitto deems she’s seen enough and wants to try it herself. Throughout the day, she’s been rocking on her heels in anticipation every time I wield, incessantly asking more questions than I can answer. Exhausted, I collapse in a chair, resting my head in my hands while the crystal is carried outside to detonate safely. “Can I see Eskar?”
“No. I think some time apart would be good for your motivation. Consider it your punishment for lying to me. You’re going to have to trust that he’s being well looked after.” A nasty grin slides across her mouth before she turns to count the remaining crystals before returning them to the antechamber. I watch her distractedly throw the antechamber keys in a drawer. If I can smuggle a crystal from her watchful eyes, then I can charge it and use it as a diversion. When it explodes, I can run for the cells, release Eskar and make a break for it.
It feels unachievable. There are so many opportunities for itto go wrong but, honestly, I’m out of options. Eskar won’t withstand any more torture and my use expires as soon as Kitto masters the Gallos.
That night and several more, when I finally am released from Kitto’s laboratory, I use the time in my room to rehearse the routes from the lab to the trapdoor, from the lab to the cells. I find I can’t visualise anything and my scuffs on the mud are getting worn away so I can’t depend on them either. I’m determined not to be foiled by my lack of navigation skills so I practise until I can recite the number of turns and junctions. Anything to distract myself from the knowledge that if we break free, we’ll have no belongings, no food and no obvious way of getting out of the mists. These are problems I’ll need to solve once we escape.
With no torture to oversee after a day in the labs whilst Eskar supposedly recovers, Kitto takes to bringing me with her to dinner. We sit on long tables, without rank or hierarchy. I endeavour to eavesdrop as different rebels approach Kitto for her decisions on everything from supply runs to food distribution.
The rebel at our table who led the expedition to capture us, is lazily causing his knife to spin in circles while he absent-mindedly waits for dinner to be served. His dark auburn hair matches the mud walls behind us, blending into the background. I haven’t seen him around much since we were captured; he’s never been one of my guards or one of Eskar’s. He sees my interest and laughs teasingly.
“Finally cottoned on then?”
“What do you mean?”
He glances round to make sure Kitto and the rest of the table aren’t paying attention.
“How you managed to do so much walking only to be found half a day from Tanwen.”
I flinch and fumble to grab my glass before it falls. Even with the mists, we’re only half a day from Tanwen? So close. A jolt of excitement fizzes through me; if I can trick him into revealing the base’s location, then our escape might become possible.
“Half a day? But we were on our feet for days.” His eyes meet mine, a piercing blue.
“Following your compass right,” he pauses, “or was it left…” the knife spins in the opposite direction.
Our conversation catches Kitto’s attention and she snaps at him to be quiet. His eyes widen in alarm, then he winks slyly at me before digging into his food.
As dinner ends, he sidles past me. “Walk with me, Sage. I could do with some fresh air.” The guards nod at him with respect and fade away, leaving us alone.
It could be a trap but my options are slim. He overtakes me as traffic in the corridor thins and we travel along new mud corridors, venturing to a part of the base I’ve not seen before.
After several minutes of walking, we reach a wooden hatch similar to the trapdoor Kitto keeps me from going through, although this one is at head height and doesn’t require a ladder. It swings down and I let the rebel hoist me up, clambering ungracefully through the hole. After I’m through, he jumps and levers himself through as if it’s second nature.
I take a moment to appreciate the damp, fresh air. The feel of a breeze on my face and daylight on my skin is something I’ve sorely missed. The mists linger, obscuring most of the landscape as the last dregs of daylight fade but ahead of me I can see trees and shrubland. Behind me the vast slope of the tor rises into the mist. The tunnels must be carved into its base then. At the peak the craggy silhouettes of dark stone loom. Sleep will not come easily tonight knowing these stone monoliths sit above me.
“It’s sturdier than it looks, you know.” His rueful comment pulls me back.
I huff, unconvinced. “Explain what you meant about the compass?”
He pulls a simple compass from his pocket, similar to the one Haelyn gave us. I peer at its needle, juddering under the slight tremor in his hand. “Watch.”Gently, he coaxes the needle on the compass away from north. It flickers then points to the tor behind me, towards the setting sun.
“You tricked us!” Though why I’m so affronted I’m not sure.
“Yes, it’s not a common Zephyr attitude but they eventually found a use for me.”
