Crewel (25 page)

‘Cormac’s ordered me to have an escort at all times,’ I say, willing my voice not to quaver.

‘I should clear it—’

‘Look, man,’ Jost says with a groan, pulling away from me. ‘I’d like to get to bed, so the sooner we can get Her Majesty upstairs the better.’

The guard grins; he must be used to the night shift himself.

‘She’s
clear, so keep close to her,’ he orders him.

Jost nods and rolls his eyes a little to seal their camaraderie.

Once we’re through the door, I elbow him. ‘You can go to bed any time.’

‘Surest way to get around in here,’ he says with a wink. ‘Act annoyed with a Spinster.’

I feign a wounded expression, and his hand tightens around mine.

‘You are the least annoying Spinster I’ve met,’ he says in mock solemnity.

‘Watch yourself, Josten Bell,’ I warn him.

He follows me up the spiral staircase, but he keeps looking over his shoulder and nearly tripping into me.

‘We’ll never get anywhere if you don’t hurry up,’ I hiss at him.

‘Sorry, Your Majesty,’ he says, grinning.

When we reach the top, I duck into the studio, half expecting Loricel to be sitting there, but it’s empty. Motioning for Jost to join me, I move to the loom and pull out the digifile.

‘What are you doing?’ he asks, watching over my shoulder.

‘I learned a new trick,’ I tell him.

The piece of the compound flows gracefully onto the loom, and I turn to Jost to gauge his reaction. ‘Isn’t it beautiful?’

‘What?’ he asks, frowning.

‘The mantle,’ I say, running my finger along the weave.

‘I can’t see anything,’ he admits sheepishly.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ he stops me. ‘This is your area of expertise.’

I turn my attention to the section on the loom and carefully pull out some of the strands of the repository again. Jost stands behind me quietly, but he moves closer to me when I stand to make the rift between rooms.

With Jost here, I have to focus harder on the room’s weave before it comes into focus, but when it does I slip the strands in my hand into it, creating the opening. The repository, silent and dark, stretches out before us.

‘How . . .’ Jost asks behind me.

‘Good trick, huh?’ I can’t help enjoying his shock a little. ‘I took a piece of weave from the loom and inserted it into the weave of the room. I transplanted it to create a passage. It’s like when we rebound and a Spinster moves our weave from one spot to another, except I did that with a room.’

‘Okay, I think I get it,’ he says. ‘So we go in there and look?’

I bite my lip and then shake my head. ‘I want you to stay here and keep guard. If anyone comes, warn me.’

And if I get caught, run, I add to myself, hoping he will if the moment arises.

‘We should stick together,’ he says in a firm voice.

‘I know how it’s organised in there,’ I tell him. ‘It will only take me a moment, and I’m quieter than you.’

‘Not in those,’ he says, pointing to my feet.

I grimace and slip my heels off my feet. I take a few hops in my stockings to prove my light-footedness, and he squares his shoulders and gives a reluctant nod. Handing him my shoes, I kiss his cheek lightly and slip through the opening.

The room is silent without the hum of lamps, and I hold the digifile in front of me for light. Just in time, because I almost run into the first unit. Skidding past it, I’m suddenly thankful for the slippery stockings. I make my way to the front of the shelves where I found Sebrina’s file and begin searching for Amie. The individual units are organised by date according to geographic location. I have to find the Cypress files.

I comb swiftly through this aisle and move on to the next until I find the sequences that include
E
, for the Eastern Sector, and start searching for Cypress. I’m hoping it’s not more than that when my finger drifts onto a unit with her date. The rest of the data, including my mother’s initials, matches, and I pull out the card and scan the code. I hold my breath while the loading image blinks. And there she is: Amie Lewys.

I can’t bear to look at the information pertaining to why she was rewoven, even if I know it’s mostly lies. I save her dataset to the digifile and carefully slide the card back into storage. I wonder for a moment if taking the files would slow the Coventry down if they went after Sebrina or Amie, but if they have backup files it would be a red flag. I remove Sebrina’s card and tread noiselessly back to where I found it. I have to check the card twice to recall her sequence, since my first discovery was a complete accident. I’m slipping the card back into the cubby when I hear boot steps approaching. The steady clip of the approaching footfall sounds like Jost. I’ve been gone long enough that he might worry, but I’m not about to wait around and find out. Stealing to the side of the unit, I press against it and peek around the corner.

Clear.

I take a deep breath and move to the next set of shelves. The steps have faded away and after checking the next aisle I dart quickly back toward the rift. I’m only a few shelves from it when I see it shimmering and fading. I barely glimpse Jost on the other side as hands reach out from the other side and pull on the tear. I abandon my cautious pace and run towards the opening. It’s closing rapidly, but I think I can make it. I’m nearly there when a hand catches my wrist. I scream, struggling against my captor, but he holds me back and covers my mouth with his hand. Then he pulls me into the dark, still room, away from my escape.

I kick hard against the man holding me in the dark repository, and he falls back with a groan, dropping his hold on me. Without missing a beat, I dash to where the rift has closed and tug frantically at the air, hoping to find a remnant of the studio. Meanwhile I hear my abductor racing in my direction.

I abandon my search and flee to a nearby shelf. It’s hard to see in the dark, so I press against the shelf and creep along it. The man’s footsteps slow to a walking pace. He’s searching for me now. My only hope is the door to the repository. I could weave myself out of this moment and freeze the repository, but that won’t protect Jost, and I have to get back to him.

Snaking from row to row, I stay close to the shelves, afraid to step too far out and reveal myself. At the last row, I spy the door. I wish I’d studied the map more closely so that I’d know where it led. This room is connected to the research labs somehow, so it’s possible I could walk right into a room of scientists. My only hope is that they’ve gone home for the evening, but I can’t count on that. And to get to the door, I’ll have to move directly into the centre aisle and make myself vulnerable to my attacker, who will definitely alert anyone in the area. It’s a no-win situation, but waiting around will drive me crazy. So taking a deep breath, I bolt for the door.

I’m not fast enough. The man steps from the shadows at the end of the adjacent shelving unit and catches me around the waist. Clasping his hand over my mouth, he hisses into my ear: ‘Stop fighting me, Adelice.’

I go limp in his arms, and he drops his hold. Whirling on him, I shove him hard in the chest. He stumbles, and I barely make out the annoyance flashing on his face in the dark.

‘Remind me not to save your ass in the future,’ Erik says, regaining his footing.

‘What are you doing here?’ I demand in a low voice.

‘Rescuing you,’ he says, rubbing his chest.

‘Who closed it?’

‘What?’ he asks, confused.

‘The opening back to the upper studios,’ I whisper.

‘Is that how you got in here?’ he asks, matching his volume to mine.

I nod, and begin moving back to the spot where I opened the rift. Erik follows behind me, but there’s nothing left of the gap. I have no idea what to do to save Jost, but every second I waste here leaves him in their clutches.

‘So is this your big plan?’ he asks.

‘It was,’ I say with a sigh. ‘But I guess it’s time to move on to Plan B.’

‘Which is?’

‘There is no Plan B yet,’ I admit.

‘What exactly was Plan A?’ he asks.

‘Get information,’ I answer.

‘That’s all?’

‘Yes.’

He grimaces. ‘You need help with your plans.’

‘But we have to get back. I left Jost on the other side.’

Erik stiffens as I say his name, and I’m reminded of the rigid distance the two boys usually keep from each other. ‘Well, it won’t take them long to figure out you’re here,’ he says, tugging me back toward the repository’s door. ‘And you wasted a lot of time hiding from me.’

‘You could’ve called out to me,’ I say in an aggravated voice.

‘I’m trying to keep a low profile.’ Erik glares at me, anger burning through his eyes, but his swift pace shifts to a sprint. ‘Come on.’

‘We’ve got to get to Loricel’s studio,’ I tell him as we run.

‘I know.’ His hand is on my arm, urging me along.

At the door, he stops me and straightens a loose strand of hair. Looking at my feet he frowns. ‘Okay,’ he says, ‘this is how we’re playing it. I found you in here, and I’m taking you to Cormac.’

‘So I’m a prisoner?’ I ask.

‘Yes, so look scared.’

‘That shouldn’t be hard,’ I mutter.

Erik opens the door and grabs my arm roughly, forcing me through. I find myself in a brightly lit hallway. Up at the other end, two guards snap to attention and head our way.

‘I caught her,’ Erik calls to them. ‘I’m taking her to Cormac now.’

The older of the two men glances at his companion. Both of them must be ten years his senior at least.

‘I have level-eighteen clearance,’ he says, flashing a card from his hip pocket.

‘Yes, sir,’ both shout, but the eldest’s voice trips on ‘sir’.

I shift my eyes to the floor and drop my shoulders as Erik leads me away. Once we’re around the corner, he loosens his grip on me but doesn’t remove his hand.

‘How did you find me?’ I whisper.

‘Cormac’s going crazy,’ he says under his breath. ‘We’re on level-three alert.’

‘But how did you know I was here?’

‘When I escorted you on the goodwill tour,’ he says, glancing back at me, ‘Cormac had you fitted with a tracking device—’

‘No, he didn’t.’ I remember Enora telling me how he wanted to insert a complant, but couldn’t.

‘Yeah, he did,’ Erik assures me. ‘They put it in your food. It’s programmed to lodge in your small intestine.’

My hand flies to my stomach, and I stare at him. ‘So they’ve been tracking my every move for weeks?’ I ask.

‘No,’ Erik says, lowering his voice further. ‘I have. I corrupted their file. Only I have the tracking link now.’

‘Then you . . .’

‘Yes, I’ve been tracking you.’

‘But you haven’t—’

‘Turned you in?’ he finishes for me. ‘We have similar . . .
allies.
’

The last word is so strained that I almost don’t believe him, except that he’s here now. Something clicks into place in my mind, something that tried to be discovered earlier today but it can’t be correct. I search his face for clues and settle on his blue eyes.

‘Who?’ I demand impatiently. The vague double-talk is beginning to wear on me, but I’m afraid to utter my suspicions.

‘Now’s not the time,’ he murmurs. ‘I hope you have a very good plan to get us out of here.’

‘I told you I didn’t,’ I snap.

‘Then start thinking of one,’ he says. ‘I’m sure you have more tricks up your sleeve, and I can only get us so far.’

I lapse into silence as Erik drags me through a set of white swinging doors. We’re back in the main hall of the Coventry, and my feet catch on the thick shag carpets as he pulls me along. He leads me away from the meeting rooms, and we walk quickly towards the upper studio’s entrance. Several men in the coal-black uniform of the Guild are blocking the entrance, and as we draw closer, one holds up his hand to stop us.

‘This area is quarantined, sir,’ he states in a voice that’s all business.

‘I know,’ Erik says, pushing me forward. ‘Here’s why.’

‘Um, I need to check with—’

‘Cormac sent me for her,’ Erik informs him, ‘but go ahead and call it in. He loves waiting.’

The guard’s eyes shift from him to me, and a chill ripples through my arms, raising goosebumps. It suddenly occurs to me that Erik might not be my friend; he might be leading me right into Cormac’s hands.

‘Go on up, sir,’ the guard says, stepping aside.

I keep quiet as Erik follows me up the stairs.

‘Any ideas?’ he mutters as we spiral through the tower.

I shake my head, and he moans behind me. If he is playing me, any plans I share with him could be turned against me. Not that I’ve thought of any.

When we reach the final twist in the staircase, Erik grabs my arm and drags me into Loricel’s studio. The walls are empty without the default image shimmering on them. I keep my eyes glued to the floor, but even without looking up, I see several sets of shoes around me: perfectly shined wingtips, red satin heels, and several pairs of thick boots. Between them, knees slump against the floor.

‘Darling,’ Cormac says in an irritated voice. ‘So nice of you to join us.’

I take a deep breath and lift my eyes. In the corner, Jost – fresh blood trickling from a cut near his left eye – is being held down by two burly guards. Not far from him, Maela and Pryana are watching me with looks of triumph on their faces.

‘Speechless!’ Cormac proclaims, stepping into my line of sight and blocking my view of Jost. ‘Never thought I’d see the day. Guess we found her hot button.’

Erik’s grasp on my arm tightens, but I don’t react to Cormac’s taunts.

‘I suppose this changes your ridiculous plan for her,’ Maela sneers. No need to play nice if they’re going to kill me.

‘We’ll proceed with the remap and go from there,’ Cormac says in a quiet but firm voice.

‘She’ll be a better wife then anyway,’ Maela says, but while she looks pleased by this, Pryana’s eyes flash with anger. She must not have heard their whole plan until now. Can it be that she’s actually jealous?

Jost, who hasn’t moved since we entered the room, shifts against his captors and glares at them.

‘Don’t like the sound of that, huh?’ Maela says in a mocking tone.

‘Shut up, Maela,’ Cormac orders.

Her victorious smile fades, and she steps back towards the empty wall.

Cormac turns to Erik, who’s still holding me in place. ‘Where was she?’

‘In the research area, sir,’ he says.

I’d hoped he would rat me out and, at least, confirm my suspicion about him, but Erik’s answer leaves too much room for interpretation, and I still can’t be sure what side he’s on. I was in the research area, but why not tell them I was in the repository? Is he still buying me time?

‘Enough of this,’ Loricel says from across the room, and I turn to look at her. She keeps her gaze on Cormac and doesn’t meet my eyes.

‘We need to find out what she was doing,’ Cormac says, striding to the loom. ‘Pull up the corresponding piece of the weave.’

Loricel moves to the command panel and enters a code. The brilliant weave of the compound glides back onto the loom.

‘Loricel was gracious enough to patch up the little hole you left,’ Cormac tells me. ‘But I’d like you to show me exactly what you did and where you went.’

I shake my head, reeling from the sting of her betrayal. ‘Ask her,’ I practically spit at them.

‘Let me rephrase that,’ Cormac says in a measured tone. ‘Do it or I’ll kill him right now, and then I’ll rip your precious sister.’

One of the guards removes a thick black club and presses a button on it, sending steel spikes shooting out from the top. He holds it over Jost. My eyes meet Jost’s, and he shakes his head slightly. But this isn’t about us any more. We have to protect Amie and Sebrina.

The whole room must hear my heart racing now, but I speak slowly, careful to stay calm. ‘Fine,’ I agree.

Erik drops his grip on my arm, and I walk to the loom. Running my fingers over it, I frown. ‘It’s not here,’ I announce, turning past Loricel to speak to Cormac.

‘What do you mean?’ he asks. ‘Loricel, where is it?’

Loricel knits her eyebrows, and she leans in towards the loom. ‘I must have put it back in the wrong spot.’

Cormac pinches the bridge of his nose and squeezes his eyes shut. ‘This,’ he says with a sigh, ‘is why I need you, Adelice.’

He mutters something that sounds a lot like ‘incompetence’ under his breath and motions for Maela to join him. ‘Go com Dr Ellysen—’

‘Ambassador, he’s already off-compound for the evening,’ Pryana interrupts his order, standing at a companel. Maela glares over at her.

‘Then,’ Cormac snaps, ‘call him in and tell him to prep the remap. I’m not putting this off an hour longer. If she won’t do what’s best for Arras, then she doesn’t deserve a second chance.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Pryana says.

‘Yes, let’s just finish this up and have her transplanted all at once. And, Pryana,’ he adds, ‘tell him to prep for Adelice’s remap in the morning.’

I whirl towards him. ‘Who are you remapping tonight?’ I demand.

‘I’m going to miss your attitude,’ he says.

Loricel clears her throat impatiently next to us. ‘I’m not worth your trouble.’

I stare at her. He can’t really mean to remap his only Creweler.

‘Oh yes,’ Loricel says with a nod. ‘Cormac thinks it’s worth his time to remap me.’

‘I don’t have the time to explain the complex principles of remapping to you, you old fogey—’

‘Look who’s talking,’ she cries, straightening up. ‘At least I have some dignity.’

‘Take her into custody,’ Cormac commands, turning his back on her.

One of the guards drops his hold on Jost and moves towards Loricel, while the other drops the club and pulls Jost up into a choke hold.

‘It’s too dangerous,’ I remind Cormac, my voice breaking with desperation. ‘What will you do without her?’

‘I’ll have you,’ he says, unmoved.

‘And if you lose me, are you willing to risk Arras to have your precious control?’

‘We have time, and your sister will be ready before our raw materials run out,’ he says, staring me down.

‘She can’t weave,’ I say, shaking my head. ‘She won’t be of any use to you.’

‘If you already demonstrate the ability, she might have the recessive gene. Our scientists believe they can access the dormant gene and activate it.’ He pauses to let this sink in. ‘I’ve done some checking up on her. She’ll be a suitable substitute in every duty Arras demands.’ Cormac’s smile is mocking, twisting into something more wicked and heartless at his final threat than I’ve seen from him before.

It hits me like a blow to the stomach. Even if I comply with his wishes, Amie isn’t safe. I look at Jost, and his eyes meet mine. Even now – bent and broken – there’s strength in his gaze. He hasn’t given up, so I can’t either.

Maela saunters back towards the loom, and with a quick glance at Loricel, she smirks at me. She’s so close her over-applied perfume makes me gag.

‘The doctor is coming, and Pryana is on her way to the clinic. And I’d be happy to take care of that problem for you,’ she tells Cormac, tossing her head toward Jost.

My fist flies and makes hard contact with her jaw. My knuckles sing where they crack against bone. It hurts in a very satisfying way.

‘This is why I told them you weren’t ready, little girl,’ Maela screams, wiping the blood from her lip.

The words sizzle like spat venom. I can feel the hatred in them. I raise one eyebrow at her, and she glares in response, but Erik steps forward and seizes her arm.

‘Let me go,’ she says, wrenching free from him. ‘You’re on her side.’