Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6) Christopher Mitchell (classic reads .txt) 📖

‘Alright.’ She wiped her face, and her eyes glazed over. ‘The Sixth Ascendant is in his rooms in the western tower. Felice is… she’s inside a mansion two miles from here, in a large room with a dozen or so mortals; Banner officers I think, though it’s hard to tell; they are armed but have no self-healing powers.’ Her eyes cleared. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘If I can’t kill you,’ said Belinda; ‘then someone else will have to die.’

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Belinda stepped down from a carriage, a soldier holding the door open for her. She glanced up at the entrance to Felice’s mansion. The god governed Tordue from within its walls, preferring to live as far from Leksandr and Arete as was possible. Belinda had been inside a few times, always in the company of the other Ascendants, but it was more normal for Felice to be summoned to the Governor’s residence if Arete or Leksandr needed to speak to her.

A courtier approached.

‘Most blessed Third Ascendant,’ he said, bowing. ‘Governor Felice is not expecting you.’

‘I know. Take me to her.’

A frown flickered across his features. ‘Of course, your Majesty.’

He led her into the high-ceiling entrance hall of the mansion, where a few members of the god’s staff were talking. They silenced at Belinda’s approach, their glances following her. The courtier escorted her up a flight of stairs and along a corridor, then he knocked on a large door.

‘One moment, please, your Majesty,’ he said, then stepped inside.

Belinda waited outside the door. She was unarmed, but would find something to use, once she was face to face with Felice. A worry nagged at the back of her mind, and she released her vision powers, sending them back across the two miles to the Governor’s residence. She checked in on Leksandr’s study. The Ascendant was there, in his usual position, sitting cross-legged in front of the Sextant, meditating.

The courtier coughed. ‘Governor Felice will see you now, your Majesty.’

Belinda walked into a large meeting room. Lady Felice was alone, standing by a window. Belinda glanced at the long meeting table. The surface was littered with papers and half-full glasses of water, as if a meeting had been interrupted.

‘Third Ascendant,’ said Felice; ‘how may I assist you?’

Belinda waited until the door was closed behind her, then she strode towards Felice. She scanned the room as she walked, and noticed a long, iron poker by the cold fireplace. She would use that, she thought, but first she needed to know if Felice had told anyone else.

‘You haven’t been honest with me,’ said Belinda, coming to a halt a few yards from the god.

Felice furrowed her brow. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘I think you do. You arrested a demigod and locked her in the eastern tower of the Governor’s residence. Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Ah. I see. You’re talking about Lady Vana?’

‘Yes. Answer my question.’

‘Perhaps you should answer some of mine first, Third Ascendant. Why have you kept the fact that Corthie Holdfast is still alive from the Sixth and Seventh Ascendants? You denied having revived him, didn’t you? You were lying. Furthermore, you must have known that Vana’s cousin, a certain Lord Naxor, has used a Quadrant to travel to the salve world many times. Did your relationship with him cloud your judgement, or are you, in fact, a traitor?’

Belinda strode to the fireplace and picked up the poker. ‘Who else knows?’

Felice laughed. ‘You’re going to kill me with that? Have you lost your mind, Third Ascendant?’

‘Corthie once killed a god by smashing his skull in with an ashtray. I’m sure a poker will be able to do the same job. Who else knows?’

‘But if I tell you that, you’ll kill me. Put the poker down and talk.’

‘What do you want?’

‘Soldiers are waiting outside this room. One shout from me, and they’ll charge in, and fill you full of crossbow bolts. Sit down, and let’s discuss this like civilised people.’

Belinda walked forwards. ‘It’s too late for that, Felice. Tell me, or I’ll rip it from your mind.’

Felice laughed again. ‘Try. Go on, Third Ascendant; try to read my thoughts.’

Belinda pushed her vision out towards Felice, but her eyes were shielded by something – the thin, filmy discs that the gods used to protect their minds from invasion. Belinda blinked. Felice was prepared; she had known Belinda would be coming.

‘You see?’ said Felice. ‘You can bash my brains in, but then you’ll never know who else I told about Corthie and Naxor.’

‘Or, I can hold you down and remove those… things from your eyes.’

Felice’s expression changed a little. ‘Now would be a very good time,’ she muttered, taking a step back.

Belinda sprang at her, knocking her off her feet. She placed her free hand over the god’s mouth as they fell to the floor, smothering her cry, then she laid the poker down on the ground. With a knee on the god’s chest to pin her down, she reached for Felice’s eyes.

The air shimmered behind her, and Belinda cried out as pain ripped through her. She glanced down, and saw the tip of a sword thrust through her chest, the blood dripping onto Felice’s face. Something hit her, and she toppled to the side, the sword still lodged in her chest. She reached her hands up to push it out, then a boot kicked her in the face.

‘You foolish child,’ said Leksandr, standing over her with a Quadrant in his hand. ‘An Ascendant you may be, Belinda, but you behave like a mortal child. You have betrayed us, and now it is time for you to pay.’

He pulled a knife from his robes and slammed it down, piercing Belinda’s throat, the end of the blade embedding itself into the floorboards. Belinda squirmed and struggled, but the sword and the knife were draining her self-healing powers. Leksandr placed a boot onto her right hand, crushing it with his weight, then threw something to Felice.

‘Help me