Page 200 of The Dark Mirror

‘Warden needs to go down there,’ I said. ‘Are you okay to lead him, Verca?’

‘Yes.’

‘Maria, you go with them. You can torch the Buzzers.’

‘With pleasure,’ Maria said.

Arcturus would need fire more than I would. Lesath joined him with the blade. As the four of them headed into the arches on the ground level, Arcturus stopped to look back at me, and I met his gaze, knowing it might well be for the last time. I nodded once and turned away.

‘We need to keep Gomeisa and his lackeys busy. There might be more of them than I can sense,’ I said. ‘Will the Buzzers leave the city once it’s done?’

‘Not with this much flesh to feast on. They are in a feeding frenzy,’ Terebell said. ‘They will need to be driven from Rome by force.’

‘I’ll tell Beatrice,’ Mistry said. ‘The troops will be ready.’

‘Good. I can handle Cade,’ I said to the Ranthen. ‘You deal with the Sargas loyalists.’

‘Gomeisa can use apport to lift anyone he sees fit,’ Terebell warned. ‘You will sense his intent if he targets you, but you will only have moments to break his line of sight. If he succeeds in levitating you, move as much as possible. It will make you harder to hold.’ She looked at me. ‘The pendant will shield you from his power, Underqueen. Do not remove it.’

‘Okay.’ I checked my weapons. ‘Let’s do this.’

I entered the Colosseum.

Cadoc Fitzours was a tiny figure in the middle of the amphitheatre, standing in a circle of salt. I walked towards him across a wooden floor overlaid with sand.

I had expected Cade to appear in a stolen body, but it was becoming clear to me that he was too cocksure for his own good. Only someone with notions would presume they could survive among the Sargas. In any case, the jump had the most power when it stemmed from the dreamwalker, not a host. I had pinballed between dreamscapes before, losing momentum each time. No,Cade wanted to defeat me himself, in his own body, to prove he was superior.

As I got closer, I noticed the bulletproof vest over his doublet. Maybe he did have a drop of sense left.

Gomeisa Sargas stood on an upper level, overseeing the scene, while Kornephoros and Castor guarded their dreamwalker. I stopped a good distance away, flanked by my own defenders. I had no armour, but I didn’t expect anyone to shoot me. Nashira would still prefer to capture me alive.

Kornephoros sized up the Ranthen. They must not have realised there would be enemy Rephs here. All we had on our side was my gift, one sword, and the element of surprise.

‘Paige,’ Cade called. ‘I knew you would come.’

‘Cade.’ I kept my voice as steady as I could. ‘There was me thinking you were an oracle.’

‘I can send and receive visions. It’s what protected me in Oxford,’ he said. ‘Most voyants only receive one gift, but rarely, some of us get more.’

‘Lucky you.’ Behind me, Jaxon had entered the arena, trailing his poltergeists. Mistry stayed back, a phone clamped to his ear.

Gomeisa kept watching. Always the spectator, keeping his distance. I had seen him so rarely, but whenever I had, it left a lasting impression. Like when he had murdered Liss Rymore.

‘I’m curious.’ Cade raised a smile. ‘How did you escape the Hôtel Garuche?’

‘Oh, your man there let me go.’ I pointed. ‘Did he not say?’

Cade glanced up at Kornephoros, whose eyes flamed. That ought to create some marital discord.

‘I assume you were planning to give me to Nashira,’ I said. ‘I really can’t work out why you’d join her, after seeing how she treated me in Oxford.’

‘I made a bargain with her, like the Vigiles do. She can kill me after thirty years, if she doesn’t get you first,’ Cade said. ‘It works for us both. She understands the dangers of our gift; how it pushes us to breaking point, even when we train our hardest. Why take therisk of absorbing my spirit, when she can have me at her side and reap the exact same rewards?’

‘She could change her mind at any moment.’

‘Any of us could die any day, Paige. We’re mortal,’ he said. ‘Better to go for a good cause.’

‘What could possibly be good about her cause?’

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