been taught to him, so why not greater ones? All had been swept aside by the Faer Karan. Now there was no history, no past at all. All that remained was the present.
He had been gone from his post in the hallway for nearly half an hour. It was time to check back, make sure that all was well. He retraced his route back through the barracks room, moving quickly. The spell was beginning to drain his energy, and he would have to rest soon. He climbed the stairs and arrived at his post, checked that the guards around the black door were untroubled and alert. He was peering into the room when he heard steps behind him in the hallway, and shrank back against the stone, out of the way.
Many pairs of feet were approaching. He pressed himself flatter against the wall, and was alarmed to see not just ten guards in Ocean’s Gate uniforms, but a taller figure at the head of them – much taller, and not walking quite like a man. Its eyes were plain white, set in a white face, and he knew that it was one of them. It paused close to him, just out of sight of the White Rock men in the chamber who guarded the black door. He wondered for a moment if it had sensed him. He did not know if the spell would shield him from the Faer Karan, and certainly had not wished to put it to the test, but the shape shifter raised its arms, began to speak.
Then it was gone, and he was standing alone in the passageway. The strange guards were also gone, as though they had been spirited away in an instant. He looked inside the chamber, and Gerique’s guards were still there, still looking alert and unharmed. The black door, too, seemed unchanged. All was well.
What had happened?
He replayed the arrival of the strange Faer Karani in his head. One moment it had been there, and the next gone, and…
The sun had moved.
He replayed the memory again and there was no doubt. The place where the sun shone through the window and cast a shadow on the wall had moved. The shadow had stepped three inches in a moment. It meant that he had been unaware of the passage of time for, what? Five minutes? Ten?
At that moment he knew that he had failed, that the plot, whatever it was, had been executed. The trap had been laid, and he had no idea what it was.
It had to be something to do with the black door. He went into the chamber and examined it. It looked no different, even when he stood right next to it. The quickest way to find out was to step through the door, but where would it lead? It could be on the face of a cliff, inside a fire, a mile below the sea. He was certain it would not take him back to White Rock any more. Stepping through it could be certain death. He looked at the mirror-like black surface and shivered. Although it shone like a mirror, there was no reflection.
But the Faer Karani had been with ten guards. It would not simply march around the castle with a noisy column in tow for no reason. The guards, he reasoned, had gone through the door to whatever was on the other side, so it would not be fatal. He was fairly sure of this, but there were so many assumptions and so few facts.
He stepped up to the black door and steeled himself. Then he stepped through.
6 Trap
Just for a moment he thought that he was dead. There was nothing beneath his feet and very little light, but his fall was short, and he landed awkwardly on hard ground. There was a lot of pain in his arm and leg.
“What was that?”
Serhan froze, holding himself rigid despite the pain, and tried to breathe quietly. The voice had been very close.
“What was what?” a second voice.
“Something came through the door. I heard it.”
Light flared and he heard steps very close to his head. He turned his head very slowly and saw two pairs of feet no more than a yard away. The feet were clad in leather boots with steel plates sewn onto them; one on top of the foot, one protecting the shin and the other the back of the calf. They were guardsmen’s boots. He was wearing something similar. He
He had been gone from his post in the hallway for nearly half an hour. It was time to check back, make sure that all was well. He retraced his route back through the barracks room, moving quickly. The spell was beginning to drain his energy, and he would have to rest soon. He climbed the stairs and arrived at his post, checked that the guards around the black door were untroubled and alert. He was peering into the room when he heard steps behind him in the hallway, and shrank back against the stone, out of the way.
Many pairs of feet were approaching. He pressed himself flatter against the wall, and was alarmed to see not just ten guards in Ocean’s Gate uniforms, but a taller figure at the head of them – much taller, and not walking quite like a man. Its eyes were plain white, set in a white face, and he knew that it was one of them. It paused close to him, just out of sight of the White Rock men in the chamber who guarded the black door. He wondered for a moment if it had sensed him. He did not know if the spell would shield him from the Faer Karan, and certainly had not wished to put it to the test, but the shape shifter raised its arms, began to speak.
Then it was gone, and he was standing alone in the passageway. The strange guards were also gone, as though they had been spirited away in an instant. He looked inside the chamber, and Gerique’s guards were still there, still looking alert and unharmed. The black door, too, seemed unchanged. All was well.
What had happened?
He replayed the arrival of the strange Faer Karani in his head. One moment it had been there, and the next gone, and…
The sun had moved.
He replayed the memory again and there was no doubt. The place where the sun shone through the window and cast a shadow on the wall had moved. The shadow had stepped three inches in a moment. It meant that he had been unaware of the passage of time for, what? Five minutes? Ten?
At that moment he knew that he had failed, that the plot, whatever it was, had been executed. The trap had been laid, and he had no idea what it was.
It had to be something to do with the black door. He went into the chamber and examined it. It looked no different, even when he stood right next to it. The quickest way to find out was to step through the door, but where would it lead? It could be on the face of a cliff, inside a fire, a mile below the sea. He was certain it would not take him back to White Rock any more. Stepping through it could be certain death. He looked at the mirror-like black surface and shivered. Although it shone like a mirror, there was no reflection.
But the Faer Karani had been with ten guards. It would not simply march around the castle with a noisy column in tow for no reason. The guards, he reasoned, had gone through the door to whatever was on the other side, so it would not be fatal. He was fairly sure of this, but there were so many assumptions and so few facts.
He stepped up to the black door and steeled himself. Then he stepped through.
6 Trap
Just for a moment he thought that he was dead. There was nothing beneath his feet and very little light, but his fall was short, and he landed awkwardly on hard ground. There was a lot of pain in his arm and leg.
“What was that?”
Serhan froze, holding himself rigid despite the pain, and tried to breathe quietly. The voice had been very close.
“What was what?” a second voice.
“Something came through the door. I heard it.”
Light flared and he heard steps very close to his head. He turned his head very slowly and saw two pairs of feet no more than a yard away. The feet were clad in leather boots with steel plates sewn onto them; one on top of the foot, one protecting the shin and the other the back of the calf. They were guardsmen’s boots. He was wearing something similar. He
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