The Veil (61 page)

I looked around and was stunned by what I saw.

The shuttle carriage was an absolute mess, broken apart into the sort of horrifying wreckage that took the headline pages of newspapers. But every single person, Unicorn, horse and supply was completely untouched, standing among the chaos as though they had been transported there after the fact. The tendrils lay in heaps around us, the plates that they had sprung from smashed and crackling with electricity.

Unbelievable.

I looked at Mikey, but he was staring past me, looking aghast. Turning around, I saw that we had crash landed a few hundred yards before a vast, dark lake. The track continued across it, and the Lightshuttle was still thundering along, shuddering and bumping as it reached the huge gap in the turbulent track. My stomach tightened as I watched it surge over the point of no return and arc downwards as its front section came free of the rail. It fell like a metal comet, smashing down into the lake below and exploding, creating a powerful swell that burst the banks and sent water splashing over our feet.

A few sections of metal bobbed on the surface for a moment. Then the Lightshuttle – and with it Lightwarden Elissa – vanished under the waves without a trace.

37

Gabriella

The joy of discovering the father of the man I loved was marred by the misery of the friend I had lost.

Peter Eden begged me to tell him everything about Alex, and I relayed all I could think of – right down to the smallest detail. I told him about the social outcast who had grown into someone worthy of leading. Someone who had the power and determination to finally bring the Ageless War to a close. Someone I loved with all of my heart. Peter listened intently, alternating between laughing and crying as I told him all about his son. Even though it had been sixteen years since the two had last seen each other, being so close to the man who had given life to my soulmate brought me some level of comfort, and the bleakness of my situation didn’t feel
quite
so awful.

It was hours before I finished talking – glad of the distraction from what I had witnessed in the arena – and my voice was hoarse with effort. Both of us sat in silence for some time, each contemplating what had been said. When Peter finally spoke again, his voice reminded me of Alex’s so much it made my heart ache.

“You love him?”

“More than you can ever know.”

“Then we need to get out of here and get you back to him.”

There was an absolute determination in his words, as if a dampened fire had been reignited within him. 

“I already tried to escape…but I was tricked. I failed.” I felt my stomach twist as I was reminded of my mistake.
If I hadn’t trusted that awful little man, I could be free right now and on my way back to Alex, so that we could come back and liberate this place together.
I pressed my tongue to the lock pick in my cheek.
This is the only thing I have over them at the moment. I just have to make sure not to ruin my chance again.

“Don’t be hard on yourself, Gabriella. Do you think you’re the first person that Lilith has tricked in this place? You are one of many. She creates the illusion of potential freedom to test those who have been captured. I cannot tell you how many times in my sixteen years that I thought I was close to escaping, only to have her waiting for me at the exit. It is one of her many torture tactics, one of the many ways she breaks the spirit of her prisoners. When the hope of escape finally disappears, that is when she truly owns a person.”

I can’t believe he has managed to stay strong for so long.
“Sixteen years. How were you able to endure so much for so long and keep going?” I asked.

“There are no limits to what a man is willing to do so that he might one day get back to his family. My thoughts of Elaine and Alex kept me alive.”

My admiration for Peter’s determination was followed by a wave of sadness.
He has an image of his family in his mind, one where he comes home to a loving family. How can I tell him that his wife has remarried and has another son? 
The answer was that I couldn’t. Beyond not being my place to say anything, it was outright cruel to broach that subject with a man who only had his thoughts to turn to as he sat in his darkened cell.

“Where is this place?” I asked instead. 

“We are in the Abyss. It’s located on the Yornheim continent, and is one of three Umbra colosseums…one for each of Hades’ Highguards. That was until he took them back for himself. This one used to belong to the Scorched Knight, she still sees it as her own.”

I felt anger churn in my stomach as the memory of her bringing Sunslicer down onto Grey’s neck flashed through my mind. “I am going to kill that bitch.”

Peter gave a humourless chuckle. “You will have to join the back of a very long queue. During my time here I’ve seen her take so much from so many. Lilith is the product of rejection and all she knows is that pain. Hurting other people is how she projects her own misery.”

I paused. “How do you know so much about her?”

Peter sighed. “When someone has been your personal torturer for sixteen years, the transfer of information begins to go both ways.”

He almost sounds like he cares about her. 

“Does she know who you really are?” I asked.

“No. That was the one thing she could never get out of me...not for lack of trying. I would never ever allow my family to become potential targets.”

“Why would they target your family? I mean, obviously now they would…but before?”

“Because Lilith has never been able to break me, and that is how she would do it.”

There was a long silence. “Peter, listen. I still have the lock pick they gave me during Lilith’s little game. I think they’ve forgotten about it.”

“You still have a
lock pick?
Where?”

“In my cheek.”

“Move it somewhere else.”

That hadn’t been the reaction I was expecting at all. “Wait…
what?”

“Because that is the first place they’ll look if they do remember.”

“Why don’t we just use it now? We could break free, find Troy and get out!”

“No, it’s too risky. There are almost a thousand Pitguards in this Abyss, and when there isn’t an event on, all they do is patrol. Even if we were able to find your friend – which would be next to impossible – with only three of us, we’d be caught in minutes. For now just move the lock pick to another part of your body and keep hold of it.”

“Okay.”

I couldn’t see anything in the pitch-dark cell, so I had to do everything through feel alone. I pushed my hands into my mouth and pulled open the wound again, wincing as the blood filled my mouth. I took hold of the lock pick and then spat out the blood. Taking a few deep breaths, I steeled myself and then pushed the sharp end of the pick down into the base of my right palm. I had to stifle a scream as it slid through the skin and flesh, until the tip settled near my wrist. The warm flow of blood seeped over my hand; I pressed my palm to the wound until it clotted.

“It’s done,” I breathed. 

“Great. We can use that when we escape.”

“So how
do
we get out?” I asked, hearing the slight note of desperation in my voice.

“The only real chance of escape is during a Spectacle Event. It’s the only time when the Pitguards are distracted, and there are more than one Chosen together at the same time. Plus out there in the arena we have weapons and we have relative freedom. It was how the other Chosen were able to break out some time ago.”

“How did they escape?”

“As I said it was during a Spectacle Event. Dozens of Chosen – including me – were sent out into the arena together to fight a massive selection of horrors that Lilith keeps under lock and key. We all worked together, Kinesists bringing down the Spectator stands, Levitators and Teleporters scaling the walls and attacking the crowds to cause mass panic, Pyromancers setting fire to everything. Lilith was terrified – she hates fire.”

“Then why does she use a fire sword?” I interrupted.

“Because the Scorched Knight is a contradiction. As much as fire frightens her, it also fascinates her. I think that by controlling it, she hopes to cure her innate fear of it.”

I made a mental note to use fire when I ended the sinister bitch’s life.
I’ll make the flames the last thing that she sees before she dies.

“Sorry, you were telling me what happened, carry on,” I said.

“So, I was among them, doing my part. It was utter chaos and a lot of good people died trying to secure their freedom. Lilith sent hordes of her elite soldiers – the Quiet Ones – into the arena and we rushed them, managing to break out of the arena before they could close the doors. Some Chosen were so desperate they headed straight for the exits and managed to escape, which I don’t blame them for at all. However, others – including me – went back to free other prisoners. That was our mistake.” He gave a deep, regretful sigh. “A lot of people escaped that day. I wasn’t one of them.”

“I’m so sorry, Peter.”

“Don’t be. If I’d escaped that day I might have died in the wilderness of Pandemonia as I suspect many of the escapees did. Or I might have been forced to spend my days in some hellish part of this world, never knowing what happened to my son. But I didn’t get out, and now
you’re
here. Fate is definitely involved.” 

Peter’s words were stoking the fires of my own determination. “So we’re going to get out together?” I said.

“Yes.”

“How?”

“As the others did, during a Spectacle Events. You know what I said about fate being involved?”

“Yes.”

“There is one due to take place tomorrow in this very colosseum.”

Adrenaline hit my stomach. “Really? How do you know?”

“Because when Pitguards see you as part of the fixtures and fittings, its easy to overhear things.”

“Surely it won’t be the same though? They won’t allow a repeat of what happened before?”

Peter made an agreeing noise. “You’re right. Spectacle Events haven’t been the same since that day. For one, there will be less Chosen - there just aren’t that many left in the Abyss. Either way it means it’ll be much harder to escape. But the one good thing that I know for sure is that both you and I will be fighting together in the event, which will help a lot.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because I’m Deathbreaker and you’re a Huntmaster that Lilith knows is close to my son…a person who by your accounts has been a major thorn in the Umbra’s side. There is no way that we won’t be displayed for the pleasure of the colosseum’s special guest.  

I pressed up closer to the gap in the wall, feeling the breeze play on my face. “Who is the special guest?”

“The Demon King himself. Hades.”

*

The torture started again. It began with Grey’s head, which the Pitguards mounted on a spike and placed right in front of me in my cell, igniting a flaming torch next to it and shortening my neck chains so that it was the only thing I saw when I opened my eyes. I screamed and fought against my restraints, and not even Peter’s attempts to soothe me could keep the hysteria at bay.

The image of Grey’s blank eyes staring at me was so horrific, I was thankful when the Pitguards collected me from my cell, barely registering their blows as they half-dragged me up the catacomb stairs. I was taken to a small stone room with a nasty-looking metal chair fitted with adamantine bindings. They threw me down onto the chair and used the binds to secure me. They pressed their faces against mine and swore at me, telling me how I had killed their friends during my attempted escape and that they were going to make sure I suffered. They made no mention – or weren’t aware – of Lilith’s involvement in the whole thing. That it was the Scorched Knight who had given me the means to escape and allowed her guards to be the bait along the way. I didn’t mention it either… all I could think about was the image of Grey’s severed head that had seared itself into my brain.

They guards left eventually, and in their place came Physicker Agorias. Seeing him walk through the door with a wide smile on his malformed face made me feel physically ill.

“Good afternoon Huntmaster,” he said with a small bow. “How was your first foray into the colosseum’s fighting arena?”

“Fuck you.”

The Physicker walked over and patted a clammy hand against my face; I jerked my head away from him. “Such language!” he said. “Although I can’t really blame you for being angry. I heard what happened to your friend.” He tutted and wagged a finger at me. “That was actually your fault believe it or not. Lilith wasn’t planning on killing any of you herself…just yet. But then
you
attacked
her
and made her look foolish in front of the Populace. So obviously something had to be done about that.” He stopped speaking and stood silently for a moment, regarding me with his twisted little face. A moment later there was a knock at the door.

“Come in!” he said in a cheery voice.

The door clicked open and two of the naked, malnourished Succubi shuffled in. One carried a metal stool, and the other wheeled in a tray full of black surgical tools. My stomach twisted with dread as I saw the array of horrifying utensils sitting in rows on its surface. The Succubi cast apologetic glances at me as they set the trolley and stool into place and then left the room again, closing the door quietly behind them.

The Physicker jerked a thumb in the direction of the door. “Were you related to any of those beauties?” He gave a chuckle. “No, I doubt it. But see here’s the thing. I analysed the DNA of those fascinating sections of skin I peeled from your back, and the results were very interesting. It seems that you have some Succubus genetics. Now I find that very, very peculiar as you are a Chosen.” He bounced two fists together. “And the two species do not combine well at all…or rather
at all
. So, my dear, Lilith wishes to know just how it is that you came to exist. Something that I must admit, I am somewhat curious about also.”

Physicker Agorias dragged the stool across the stone floor until it was right in front of the chair and then sat down on it, leaning in close. “They can hear, so I’ll have to be quick and quiet,” he whispered. “Why didn’t you escape when I gave you the chance? Do you know how risky what I did for you was?”