Page 31 of The Song Rising

From the way that face had looked into my soul, even through a screen, I didn’t doubt it.

“Let’s have a little history lesson,” Maria said. “Hildred Diane Vance joined ScionIDE at the age of sixteen and served in the Highlands for five years. During that time, as Tom will remember, she helped crush several uprisings in what was then called Scotland.”

Tom, who had been watching her from beneath the brim of his hat, now came into the lamplight.

“Believe it or not, I’m a wee bit younger than Vance,” he said. “I remember how people whispered her name when I was a lad, even in Glasgow. Like they were scared she might be able to hear them.”

“Sounds like she was very young to have so much power,” I said.

“So are you,” Maria pointed out.

The thought of any similarity was unsettling.

“Young Hildred’s superiors noticed her appetite for slaughtering unnaturals, and they rewarded her for it. Her rise through the ranks was meteoric. She’s now seventy-five, and the longest-serving member of Scion’s upper echelon.”

I had to wonder how close she was to the Sargas. She sounded like their sort of person.

“When Vance moved against the rebels in the Balkans, she knew the names and backgrounds of all of our leaders. She’d planted double agents among us within days of her feet touching Bulgarian soil.” A shadow winged over her face. “She soon learned that my unit’s commander, Rozaliya Yudina, was one of our best. She also learned that Rozaliya had once had a younger brother, who had died before the family left Russia. Somehow Vance knew that, amidst all her other suffering, this was Roza’s weak spot.

“The surviving insurgents were thin on the ground when Vance set the trap. She knew that Rozaliya’s death would devastate the morale of the remaining militants. So Vance’s soldiers found a boy. But not just any boy. A boy who looked like Roza’s lost brother. During our final stand, this ten-year-old was thrown onto the street and told to scream at Roza for help. And Roza hesitated.” Her fist clenched. “The boy had been given a toy bear to hold. Inside was a plastic explosive.”

The small amount of warmth in my body disappeared.

How much did Vance already know about me? My official record would give her a decent starting point. Jaxon might have told her things, if he had sunk that low. It was clear she knew at least a little about how my gift worked. And she knew I had a father.

“One reason Vance is lethal is because she doesn’t underestimate her foes,” Maria said. “I suspect we escaped today because she truly didn’t think we’d be mad enough to take the ice.”

“So we outfoxed her with our stupidity,” I said.

“Exactly. But she’ll remember that you took that risk.” She tapped her temple. “It goes into her mental database. The more she learns about you, the better she becomes at predicting you.”

This was making the other staff in the Archon seem feeble. Vance was a puppet with a brain, and that made her far more dangerous than Weaver, who did not think for himself.

“What we need to work out now,” I said, “is if she’s brought more than a few paratroopers with her. Are we taking on an army?”

Glym made a skeptical sound.

“No. ScionIDE won’t come here,” Maria said firmly. “This is the heart of the empire. Martial law has never been, and will never be, declared in London. They have to give an impression of peace in the capital, or the whole idea of empire will collapse from within.”

Nick shifted closer to me. “Then why is Vance here at all?”

“To deal with Paige, most likely,” Glym said. “The syndicate will go back to its old ways without her. It will no longer be a threat.”

It was true. The syndicate could survive if I was captured, but it might never again be the cradle of a revolution.

“We need another lead.” I rubbed my arms, which were peppered with goose bumps. “Nick, talk to Dani again. Glym, go to Paddington and establish the truth of the report—whether the fourth order really is detectable. We also need to prepare for whatever Vance is planning next, which means that all of the Unnatural Assembly have to be properly armed, for starters. Tom, I want you to negotiate a better agreement with the arms dealers.”

When I got up, Maria said, “And where exactly are you going?”

“To make sure that Jack Hickathrift has evicted the remaining members of the Seven Seals.” I buckled my jacket. “Best I prove to Terebell that I’m following some of her orders, if not all.”

“Hildred Vance is on your trail, kid. You shouldn’t be wandering off.”

“If I lie low, she’s already won. We might as well go to the Archon and bow to the Rephaim now.” I stepped into my boots and laced them. “For the time being, we keep what happened at the warehouse between us. We’ll regroup with the others at the Mill tonight.”

I hadn’t been back to I-4 since the scrimmage. The thought of being close to Seven Dials, at the time, had been too painful.

The commanders wanted me to take bodyguards. I refused, but agreed to have Eliza with me. As we waited beneath a streetlamp for our rickshaw to arrive, hands bunched into our pockets to keep them out of the cold, Nick emerged from the safe house.

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