Longfang (26 page)

‘Fang says we should split up and try both left and right at the same time,’ she told the others.

‘What good will that do?’ asked Pell.

‘It will show us where the two passageways meet,’ Elian answered quickly. ‘Of course one team will have to walk the passages in the dark.’

‘Fang doesn’t think anyone will be in the dark for long,’ Kira said.

‘And can you explain why he thinks this is the case?’ Pell looked sceptical.

‘He didn’t tell me,’ she answered. ‘But he does have a theory about what’s going on.’

‘Is it magic?’ asked Nolita, her voice shaking almost as much as her body. ‘Has someone put a spell on this place?’

Kira relayed the question to Fang.

‘There is no magic at work here,’
he said confidently.
‘Dragons are both sensitive to, and immune to the effects of, magic. No. There is a logical explanation to
these looping passageways. I’ve asked Fire to take the left passage. Please tell Nolita and Elian to go with him. We’ll take the right passage with Pell. Tell the others to tread
lightly and listen very carefully as they go.’

Kira did as she was told. Nolita looked relieved and flashed Elian a grateful smile as he caught hold of her hand and led her after Firestorm, who was already beginning to move slowly along the
left passageway. Pell’s expression was unreadable as he waited with Kira for Fang to lead the way into the passageway to the right. Kira was glad when Fire’s light faded behind them, as
the darkness provided a retreat from Pell’s intense stare.

Fang moved ahead of them remarkably quietly for a creature so large. His talons made barely any sound on the stone floors. Kira made a fascinating discovery in the dark. She found she had
developed something of a sixth sense. If she concentrated hard, she could feel exactly where Fang was at all times. The occasional click of his talons on the stone helped, but there was more to it
than hearing. It was almost like seeing him, but in her mind, rather than with her eyes. On several occasions she reached out and found the tip of his tail exactly where she expected it to be. It
was very comforting.

Pell did not share the silent attributes of his dragon, Shadow. He blundered along, his breathing loud and his footfalls easy to pick out. When Kira first heard the whispering noise she thought
it must be some sort of echo. It was only after hearing it for the third or fourth time that she became certain that the noise was coming from ahead, rather than being reflected.

‘What
is
that?’
she asked Fang silently.

‘It is the corridor ahead,’
he answered cryptically.

‘The corridor?’

‘Yes. I’ll explain when we meet up with the others.’

Soon a faint glow became visible ahead. It reflected along the corridor, the light bouncing from mirror to mirror. Fang increased his pace and caught up with Firestorm, Elian and Nolita as they
reached the same T-junction again. There were no other junctions.

Despite their silent approach, Elian sensed them coming and turned.

‘This is ridiculous!’ he exclaimed in frustration, putting his hands on his hips and frowning. ‘How can it be possible?’

‘Fang says he can explain it,’ Kira said. ‘I’ll relay what he says.’

‘It is actually quite simple,’
Fang began,
‘though the mechanics behind it are likely to be complex. This trap works on sequenced pressure. As we move along a
passageway, our weight on the flagstones is translated through mechanical means into signals that are raising and lowering certain mirrored panels ahead of us. The direction we are travelling
dictates the sequence and in turn shapes the passageway that we meet ahead of us. Not all the mirrors move. Most have solid walls behind them. The trick is to find which of the mirrors are mounted
on a false wall, and which, if any, conceal the way to the dusk orb. We should look to the flagstones, too. I feel it likely that the key is under our feet.’

No sooner had Kira finished repeating Fang’s explanation to the others than the voice they had heard in the main entrance hall spoke again, its booming tones echoing around the
corridors.

‘Well done!’ the voice said. ‘Well done, indeed! I never thought to see someone solve the mystery of the mirrors so quickly. You have a keen eye for detail, dusk dragon. I
shall save you the trouble of smashing up my maze. It is difficult to find craftsmen who can make suitable replacement mirrors these days. Take the passageway to the left again. You will find the
exit quickly enough. Do not tarry. Delay and you will die.’

‘Wait!’ Pell called. ‘Who are you?’

‘Pell is wasting his breath,’
Fang commented to Kira.
‘His presence has gone. I think I’m beginning to understand more than just the nature of this
castle.’

‘What do you mean?’
Kira asked.

‘I believe I’ve solved the riddle of the orb,’
Fang replied.
‘We shall see if I’m correct when we meet the owner of that voice.’

Kira did not want to wait for an answer, but she could tell from Fang’s tone that he would tell her no more at the moment. His voice had a grim edge to it. Whatever he was thinking, she
was certain it was not pleasant. The natures of the previous two orbs resurfaced in her mind’s eye. One filled with blood, another formed from a dragon’s heart – what would make
up the core of this orb?

Was the voice waiting to reveal the orb? It appeared to live here in the Castle of Shadows. If it was really waiting to reveal the answer, why was it playing games and setting
traps? The rhyme still made no sense.

The hairs on the back of Kira’s neck began to prickle.

‘The voice wasn’t bluffing,’ she hissed in an urgent whisper. ‘We’re not alone in here any more. Move! Quickly! Something’s coming – and it’s not
friendly.’

The feeling that danger was approaching was more than intuition. Years of hunting in the savannah of Racafi had tuned her senses and refined her instincts. She could not say how she knew, but
she
knew
they needed to get out of the maze as fast as they could.

Fang led the way forwards. The riders followed, with Firestorm at the rear. They rounded the corner and, as promised, a short way down the mirrored corridor was a large hole in the floor. The
stone flooring had slid aside to reveal a set of stairs that were designed for a dragon to descend. The steps were too deep for the riders to step down, but they dropped down from step to step,
Firestorm providing light with his breath.

Firestorm began his descent. No sooner had he fully committed to the stairs than a whispering grate of stone on stone began above them. It concluded with a soft
thump.
The opening into
the mirror maze had shut. A warm flush of relief ran through Kira’s body and the sensation of imminent danger dimmed to a glimmer. The tension drained out of her shoulders. Whatever had
entered the mirror maze was trapped. Despite the fact they were being herded forwards with no control over their path, Kira felt sure that an encounter with whatever was now in the passageways
above would not have been pleasant.

As they neared the bottom, Kira felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. A pile of unlit torches lay on the ground next to the bottom step. Each rider grabbed a couple of torches from the
stack. Firestorm lit one of Elian’s and he lit one each for the others. Kira climbed Fang’s side and the others passed her up the spares, which she inserted, handle first into her
saddlebags. They stuck out of the top, but she wedged them in place so they would not fall out. Then she climbed down to join the others.

The torches gave off an unusual scent, much like the musk candles that merchants from the Far East traded on markets all across Areth. The odour was warm and sweet, instantly raising images in
Kira’s mind. Not memories, but hints of dreams and daydreams; strange lands, balmy nights, exotic trees and birds with feathers of many bright colours.

The riders took the lead this time, walking with Fang just behind them and Firestorm remaining as the rear guard. The tunnel was wide enough for the dragons, and appeared to have been carved
through solid grey rock, the colour of the castle above. The walls were rough-hewn with odd alcoves and holes where darkness clung until direct light exposed their empty interior. The orange light
of the flickering torches made shadows dance and flee with swift, darting movements. More than once, Kira could have sworn she saw movements that were not shadows, but she was quick to dismiss them
as figments of her imagination. She felt no warning prickle of danger and was sure that if there were anything alive down here that could hurt them, she would sense it.

‘What was that?’ Nolita whispered, coming to an abrupt halt.

‘What was what?’ Kira asked, dropping her voice to match Nolita’s hissing whisper and scanning the passageway ahead for any sign of movement. She held her torch high, but
nothing was in sight. Nolita’s face was pale as milk and she was shaking again.

‘It . . . I could have sworn . . . there was a dragon’s tail,’ she stammered. ‘A black dragon’s tail. I saw it whip away around the corner ahead. I think Segun has
managed to get ahead of us somehow.’

‘Nonsense!’ Pell said immediately, but Kira was surprised to hear a note of uncertainty in his tone. Had he seen something, too?

‘Did you see anything, Fang?’
she asked.

‘No,’
he replied calmly.
‘I sense there is a presence ahead, but it is not close enough to see.’

‘Relax, Nolita,’ Kira said, placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. ‘After the shadow demons and the halls of mirrors it’s not surprising that our imaginations are
running a bit wild. Fang assures me there’s nothing there.’

‘But I saw . . .’

‘I saw something, too,’ Elian admitted softly. ‘I couldn’t say what it was, but something is ahead of us. I definitely saw movement.’

Nolita looked at Elian. Kira found it hard to tell if Nolita was grateful for his admission, or terrified by it.

Pell had gone uncharacteristically quiet. The heady fumes of the torches coiled around them as they paused, filling the air with their musky scent.

‘Let’s keep going,’ Kira suggested. ‘We’ll stay on our guard and be ready to let Fang and Fire take the lead, if necessary. Come on. It can’t be far
now.’

She took Nolita’s hand in hers and led her onwards along the passageway. They had hardly walked a dozen paces before a roar from behind brought the four riders to an abrupt halt. A bright
flare lit the tunnel as Firestorm belched huge jets of fiery breath back along the way they had come.

‘What’s happening, Nolita?’ Kira asked, unable to see around Fang well enough to tell what Firestorm was doing.

‘Fire says we’re being followed,’ she replied. ‘He says he wants to let whoever is behind us know that we’re in no mood for games.’

‘Did he see who it was?’ asked Elian.

‘No, but he says he’s been aware of them almost from the moment we descended the steps.’

‘Shadows in front, shadows behind – the castle is doing its best to spook us,’ Kira said, trying to sound brave, but no longer sure that she felt it. ‘Well I’m not
going to let figments stand in my way. We came for the orb. Are we still going in the right direction, Fang?’

‘As far as I can tell,’
he answered.
‘I can’t be sure, but my heart tells me we are getting closer.’

‘That’s good enough for me. Let’s get this over with.’

Chapter Twenty-four

Kira led the way forwards, striding ahead at a bold tempo. She still held Nolita’s hand and was all but dragging her companion along behind her. The boys followed, a
couple of paces back. Elian looked uncomfortable, while Pell tried and failed to appear unconcerned.

The underground passageway continued in a gentle curving descent to the right. Shadows continued to dance and leap ahead of them, but Kira ignored them. Her head was aching and her eyes felt
sore. The orb was close. She was sure of it. All she wanted to do was face whatever challenge awaited and get it over with. The rhyme did not hint at what sort of challenge it might be.
Nolita’s had been a test of bravery. Pell’s had been a test of courage, skill and endurance. What challenge awaited her?

The slope grew steeper and the steady
plink, plink, plink
of water dripping into a pool seemed to echo unnaturally loud in her ears. Was that mist ahead? Underground mist? She had never
heard of such a phenomenon. The wispy tendrils thickened until the entire passageway was filled with an unnaturally thick fog that reduced visibility to no more than a few paces. Barely slowing at
all, Kira forged onwards into the murk and was gently swallowed up.

The slope flattened suddenly. Kira stumbled as her legs adjusted to the change. The passage straightened. A glance back over her shoulder and she could see Fang’s great eyes reflecting the
torchlight above the heads of her companions. She touched him through the bond and was reassured by his calm.