The Veil Read online

  “So how are you all enjoying this fine city?” he asked, with a wide smile on his face.

  “It’s…interesting,” said Gabriella reluctantly. “Very pretty.”

  The bits of it we’re allowed to see, I mentally added for her.

  Aegis took a large mouthful of White Heart meat and gave a nod. “I am very proud of Fenodara. Even with the Ageless War raging outside, this place has managed to remain a sanctuary for those in need.”

  Not for everyone.

  “I heard you visited the Aquadome,” Aegis continued. “Did you enjoy the Kor’Istis?”

  “It was fine,” replied Gabriella.

  The Highwarden raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem too convinced.”

  Gabriella didn’t say anything in reply. “It was quite violent,” I said instead.

  Aegis nodded. “I heard that a few of the Mermen lost their lives this year. Very unfortunate.”

  A few? So more died after we left.

  “No one seemed that bothered about the one we saw,” said Gabriella, not even trying to keep the hostility from her voice.

  Aegis nodded. “Unfortunately the Kor’Istis is a distraction…a spectacle. As harsh as this might sound, the violence of it helps to keep the Citizens’ minds from the war. I’m assuming that’s why you both left early?”

  I stiffened.

  “My Lightwardens stationed at the Aquadome informed me, as they do with all irregularities. It is uncommon for anyone to leave before the games are complete.”

  “It was a bit too rich for my palate,” said Gabriella, taking a sip of her drink. “I see enough death in my life, I’d rather avoid it when I’m trying to relax.”

  “I understand. You should have been warned of its harsh realities. My apologies.” I couldn’t be sure, but there seemed to be a slight mocking tone to his words.

  Sophia had broken off small chunks of the White Hart meat and was gently feeding it to Midnight, who was sitting on the table next to her in the form of a bearded dragon. He darted out his tongue, snapping up the food and chewing it in an amusingly human way.

  “I have spoken with the Elder Council and they will see you, Huntmaster De Luca, and Guardian Eden as well,” the Highwarden continued. “They are keen to meet him. However, I’m afraid no others will be permitted to venture up the Tower of Ascension, but of course they will be free to explore the rest of the city whilst they wait for you.”

  The bits they are allowed to see, that is.

  “Thank you, Highwarden. We look forward to meeting the Elders too.”

  The Elf nodded and then we all carried on eating in silence. Something inside was nagging me; I could feel a slight tension in the room that wasn’t completely one-sided. He must have heard about the commotion earlier…does he suspect something?

  After a while, Gabriella broke the silence, washing her food down with a sip of the dark wine and clearing her throat. “Highwarden Caria, we wanted to visit Iralia earlier, but were told we had to ask your permission first,” she said as pleasantly as she could muster. “Can we have your permission to visit her after we have eaten?”

  The Highwarden set down his fork. “That is impossible, I’m afraid. Immediately after dining the curfew comes into full effect and all non-military personnel must return home. I am aware that you are essentially military yourself, but not in this city. So, unfortunately, you must also abide by these rules. I can assure you though; she is being well looked after.”

  “Surely you could escort us? The curfew isn’t in effect for you, after all.”

  “You will see her tomorrow.” He said the words with a finality that meant there would be no further discussion on the subject.

  I could feel the tension in the room increasing, like something palpable – growing and spreading across us all. Aegis took another long sip of his drink and then set the chalice down.

  “Now that we are all settled in, shall we broach the subject of why you deliberately broke the laws of this city and then fled instead of explaining your actions?”

  My stomach lurched. Shit, he does know.

  “What–” began Gabriella.

  Aegis held up a hand to silence her. He gestured to one of his Lightwardens; the guard stood up and pulled an identical display unit like the one on the Lightrail shuttle from a pouch at his side and handed it to the Highwarden. He set it down on the table and slid it over to me. I stopped it with my hand and glanced down at it with Gabriella. Like what the Crone had showed me, the image was zoomed in on a picture of my arm. My heart hammered in my chest as I stared down at the telltale tattoo.

  “I have been the watchful eye of this city for almost a century. Did you really think that I wouldn’t recognise the markings of the famous boy who defeated The Sorrow?”

  Gabriella raised both hands in a mock surrender. “Fine, we acquiesce. It was us. Neither of us meant to cause a problem, but that does not justify the fact that your men shot at us!”

  “They shot at you because you ignored their initial request to stop.”

  “So instead of accosting people and questioning them, their knee-jerk reaction is to execute them for a split-second of non compliance?” I barked. “A bit extreme, don’t you think?”

  “No, I don’t think so at all. This city is constantly at risk from threat, both from within and without. I would rather have to justify the deaths of two innocents than have to justify the deaths of thousands if the intruders were terrorists about to do something terrible.”

  A long silence fell over the room. We all looked to one another, waiting to see who spoke first. He…kind of has a point, I conceded.

  It was Gabriella who broke the silence, pushing the unit away from us. “Since we’re speaking candidly, maybe we should broach the next subject. Namely the atrocities occurring inside the Partition.” She gestured to herself and then me. “Atrocities we have both witnessed firsthand.”

  It was Aegis’s turn to look shocked. It was an almost imperceptible expression – a slight widening of his eyes and tightening of his grip on his chalice, but it gave him away. He didn’t know that.

  “The Partition is off-limits. It is a level-five crime for non-wardens to enter that area, accountable to high treason.” His voice was one of deep authority, meant to intimidate.

  Gabriella gave a shrug. “So arrest us. But know that Sage Faru will bring the full weight of the Alliance down on you once he discovers what happened. I’m sure our superiors would be very interested in the nasty little secrets you’re trying to hide here.” Her voice matched his in its power – trying to intimidate Gabriella was pointless.

  Aegis shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Setting aside that crime for one moment, I suppose I can assume that the three Lightwardens currently hospitalized in the Convalescence Centre was your doing?”

  “Yes.”

  Aegis stiffened. “I specifically asked you to promise me two things for your stay in this city. To not leave without permission and to refrain from causing trouble. Three hours later you have already broken the latter request multiple times.” He tapped his fingers against the table. “Can I ask why you felt the need to break forty-three of their collective bones?”

  “Of course,” said Gabriella, straightening up herself. “It was their reward for beating a child.”

  Aegis looked disarmed for a moment. He blinked several times in succession before he spoke. “I was not aware of any beatings.”

  I set down my own mug, which made a loud thump on the table. “We stopped them from beating him to within an inch of his life. Just for being a few minutes late to your messed-up sparring sessions. Because he was starving.”

  Aegis glanced at the Lightwardens around the table, an expression of mixed anger and surprise on his face. He raised a placating hand. “I can assure you, I was not aware of this, and I certainly would not condone it. Those who committed this act will be dealt with severely.”

  My ass they will.

  “So tell me, Highwarden. Is it just the desperate
Pandemonians who come knocking on your door for refuge that you trick into becoming your slaves, while stealing their children to staff your army, or do you actively send out your Lightwarden drones to capture them as well?”

  Whoa.

  In an instant Gabriella’s words thickened the already tense atmosphere of the room like flour dumped in cold water. Everyone was silent and frozen in place, staring up at her and Aegis – Troy with his fork still poised near his mouth. Looks like we’re well into no-holds-barred territory now.

  Aegis smoothed a hand along the surface of the table, wiping away something that wasn’t there. “War is an expensive commodity, Huntmaster, and this war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. With almost all of our supply lines cut, and refugees coming here to escape the war, Fenodara is in serious economic trouble. We simply cannot afford to feed and shelter everyone in the traditional sense. So long ago, the idea of the Partition was created. An area where those who could not contribute to the city were placed. The Displaced might not be comfortable, Huntmaster, but they are safe. It was either that or turn them away, and they would likely have died outside the walls of this city. At least this way they can continue to live and support Fenodara. And their work is necessary for our survival. They are important members of this society.”

  “The word you’re looking for is slaves.”

  “Not slaves. Supporters,” he replied.

  “Are they free to collect their children and leave?”

  “Well, no…”

  “Then your supporters are slaves.”

  “We allow them to survive,” he argued.

  “Exactly, survive. Not live.”

  “In war, there is only survival.”

  Danny piped up, gesturing at the opulence around us. “Not from where I’m sitting, Highwarden. Seems like those with the power are living just fine.”

  Aegis picked up his chalice and took a sip. I could see a hint of a tremor in his hand. Clearly he didn’t enjoy having his skewed opinions dismantled in front of him. “Our ration system ensures that everyone has something to eat,” he explained, setting his drink back down on the table.

  I raised a finger. “Now that’s not quite true, is it, Highwarden? Your ration system is designed to favour some above others. One of your Citizens was about to be carted off by your men until I paid for her.”

  Aegis cleared his throat. “Admittedly, we do have a structure within the rationing program.”

  Gabriella set her fork down. “So let me get this straight – it’s a ration system, which by its very nature is designed to ensure that everyone has what they need and no more. However, your ration system gives more to some than others? That isn’t rationing, it’s economic partisanship. Hardly seems fair.”

  “War is not fair, Miss De Luca. It is the greatest creator of disparities there is.”

  “No, oppression from the ruling classes is the greatest creator of disparity, Highwarden. A mindset it seems that you are quite familiar with in this city,” Gabriella replied.

  Aegis clenched his jaw and looked down at his chalice, tapping a ring against one of the jewels. He didn’t like that.

  “So, assuming we accept that a servile underclass is necessary for the city – and I’m not saying that we do – why not treat those outside the Partition the same as each other? I asked.

  “Simple. Those who have more wealth have more connections and thus more power. They can call on favours to aid us with military support or resources when facing particularly tough times. It is that support that allows us to keep fighting.”

  “So it’s a you-scratch-our-back, we-scratch-yours situation then,” said Scarlett, taking a sip of blood and then setting her spoon back in the bowl.

  “A somewhat reductive statement, Miss Reid, but a correct one. The city is almost out of money and resources. As much as it disgusts me to do it, it is a necessity to treat those with stronger connections better than those with less to offer, lest they relinquish their support. And those who have nothing left to offer the city financially only have value through their work capabilities.”

  “And those who can’t give you either?”

  “They are useless.”

  “They are people.”

  “Yes, but they are still useless. However, we don’t cart them out. They live poorly…or they survive, as you put it. But they do survive.” The Highwarden leaned forward. “You know little of this world, Guardians, only what you read in your books or hear about from those that abandoned this world long ago. So allow me to be direct and explain in a way that might make you see. It is estimated that millennia ago – before the Ageless war broke out – there were roughly around four billion sentient lifeforms in Pandemonia. Currently, there are only about eighty million of all three classes, scattered all over the planet and fighting to stay alive. That is less than the combined total of two of your most populated countries.” He clasped his hands together. “Now of those numbers, around fifty million are Umbra. Doesn’t leave a whole lot does it? The Luminar and Fera species are dying, Guardians. We are being systematically wiped out by our enemies and the Fera are being caught in the crossfire. If we don’t do everything that we can to survive, we won’t last more than another decade at best.”

  The Highwarden’s words took the rug from under my feet. Ninety-eight percent of the world’s population is dead because of this war. The number was simply staggering. I’d always known it was bad, but I’d never realised just how bad. We’re looking at the potential end of all life – the sort of war that everyone fears deep in their hearts.

  “I understand that you do not condone what is happening here, and I realize how awful it looks. But you must understand that Fenodara is one of the last bastilles of Luminar life left standing. We are the beacon of hope for all of our displaced kin out there. If the light of this city goes out, then the will to fight will be snuffed out along with it. We cannot allow that to happen, therefore we cannot allow Fenodara to fall. And to keep it standing, we must do what is necessary.”

  “Like forcing the children of the less fortunate to study combat and then turfing them back out to fight the very war they were trying to escape?” Gabriella said, speaking through her teeth.

  Aegis slammed his hand down on the table. “We do not turf them out!” He jabbed a finger at Gabriella. “Make no mistake about that, Huntmaster. These children, as you refer to them, are trained from an early age until fighting is as natural to them as breathing. We use Fae magic to simulate the harsh conditions of the corrupted areas of Pandemonia – where the chance for survival is slim at best. They become hardened and resilient to it. In addition, they are taught not to fear war but rather to embrace it, to enter a mental state where it nourishes them. Only when their physical and mental abilities have been pushed beyond the boundaries of what they ever thought possible, only then do we send them to the front line. To meet them on the battlefield would be akin to challenging death to a duel.”

  “That doesn’t change the fact that you are taking their lives away from them, removing their choice. Forcing them to become soldiers for your war. They are children!”

  “Perhaps. But tell me, is that really so different to your Alliance? Taking those who are confused, scared and often alone and crafting them into fighting machines to fight a war they didn’t start?” He gestured towards Gabriella. “How old were you when you joined the Alliance? Fourteen, fifteen?”

  Gabriella didn’t answer…her situation was pretty unique and also not widely known. Luckily Aegis’s question was rhetorical. He continued. “Many of the Chosen were barely teenagers when they had their Awakenings, but that made no difference to the Alliance. They still took them in and trained them up, to fight in a war that they didn’t choose. Are you so blind that you cannot see the blatant similarities?” He picked up his chalice and paused at his lips. “Before you are so swift to judge our actions, perhaps you should take a long, hard look at your own camp first.”

  “We were given a choice,
” I said.

  Aegis gave a condescending chuckle. “Were you really, Guardian Eden? Or were you just given the illusion of a choice?”

  I fell silent. Aegis was a hard man to argue with. He seemed to have an answer for everything. His words pricked at the corners of my mind. Is he right? I’d always been told I could leave the Alliance, but I’d also been told that I would always be a target, that Pandemonians would find me no matter what I did or where I went, that I was better off where I was. Could I have ever been anything other than a Chosen? It doesn’t feel that way. But then again, this was what I wanted…wasn’t it?

  “What we do here weighs heavily on my soul,” said Aegis. “But put bluntly, it is simply the politics of war, I’m afraid.”

  Nice. Just when I was starting to see things from his point of view, he swiftly put himself back into asshole territory.

  Gabriella held his gaze. “The policy of corruption, you mean.”

  The Highwarden took a long sip of his drink and set the chalice back down on the table. “Call it what you will, Huntmaster De Luca, it is still an unfortunate necessity. One which I was forced to come to terms with long ago.”

  “Do you actually believe any of the shit you’re spouting?” growled Troy; his hand was so tight on the carving knife he was holding that his knuckles had turned white.

  “Careful, Guardian,” warned Aegis. “You would do well to remember where you are.”

  “And do the Elders know what you do?” asked Mikey, staring at the Highwarden through narrowed eyes.

  The Highwarden’s expression darkened further. “The Elders have great wisdom, but they are old and have lost touch with the way things are. They sit high in their Tower of Ascension looking down on Pandemonia, searching for solutions with eyes that never see what is happening down on the ground, where the real war takes place.” He cleared his throat. “You have all been in this world for a few hours. You know nothing of what it is like to survive here, to fight a constant battle, with no end in sight. To watch those you care about slain for reasons no one can even remember.” For the first time I could see the real cracks in the armour of his persona, could see the way the war had left its indelible mark on his soul.