The Dire King (Jackaby #4)(70)

“I’ll leave the supernatural science to you, sir. Do be careful.”

I helped Hatun down the floating steps. Her legs were shaking terribly all the way.

“Hammett will be happy to see you alive and well,” I said. “I met him face-to-face for the first time today. He’s actually a little bit cute.”

Hatun smiled. “Don’t go calling him cute to his face, though. He will eat your toes.”

We reached the rift behind the tower and slid through. “The road is just along there,” I said.

“You go,” Hatun said. “I can find my way well enough.”

I nodded and climbed back through the rend. Just as I slid back in the Annwyn, a flash of something pale flicked in the corner of my eye. I whipped my head to see it disappear behind the ruined tower. I blinked, unsure if I had really seen anything at all. There was another flutter of movement and I definitely caught sight of something white disappearing around the corner of a squat stone building next to the keep. Cautiously I walked around the side of the structure, the black blade drawn, but when I came around the corner there was nothing to see. The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I was not alone in the courtyard.

I looked up at the third-story landing. Alina was pacing the floor, her dark hair bobbing in and out of view. I had a good view of the control stage from where I stood. Jackaby was tracing a wire to its source through a handful of cables. All manner of switches and toggles and little red lights appeared behind him. My blood froze. Two red eyes moved forward out of the darkness. The shadows took shape. A dark cloak. A black crown.

Jackaby’s back was to the figure. I screamed, but the buzz of the machinery and the droning of the generators drowned me out. I felt like I was in a nightmare.

Alina saw him. She grabbed Jackaby by his coat, but he pulled away from her. Alina stumbled backward. There was a flurry of movement and the shadowy figure struck Jackaby at the base of the skull.

For just a moment, a glimmer of hope hung in my mind; Jackaby still could not be harmed. Perhaps the Dire King did not realize the power of the gem? Perhaps this would be Jackaby’s chance to snatch the upper hand!

My hopes crumpled with Jackaby’s body. He collapsed to the floor of the control stage at the feet of the dark king. My head reeled. It wasn’t possible! How?

And then Alina stepped forward. Her shivering, frightened affectations had ceased. She sank down on one knee in front of the Dire King and held up her hand. In it was clutched the gleaming red gem.

I felt sick as realization struck, and the world spun. Alina had betrayed us.

Alina hadn’t been trying to pull Jackaby out of harm’s way. She had been stealing Hafgan’s shield from his pocket. The gem glinted as the Dire King accepted her offering. He put a pale hand on her shoulder as he held the stone up in the light. It was a perfect match for his ruby red eyes.





Chapter Thirty

I ran numbly to the edge of the tower, where I would be out of the Dire King’s line of sight.

I closed my eyes and tried to slow my heartbeat. Jackaby was down. Our army was losing. Alina had betrayed us. And I was alone. I could believe in multiple worlds, but perhaps not in a world in which I could take on an invulnerable evil king and his minions all by myself.

I opened my eyes slowly. I was going to be as good as I could be, even if I was not good enough. I gripped the black blade in my shaking fist.

Every step up the exposed stairway was agonizing. Every flurry of rock dust that trickled down to earth felt like an avalanche. Every shadow felt like the Dire King looming over my shoulder.

By the time I reached the upper landing and summoned the courage to peek up over the top, the Dire King had already latched Jackaby into restraints. I could see my employer’s battered coat rising and falling with shallow breaths. The knit hat—or possibly sundries bag—lay in a lumpy pile on the floor.

“Sir,” I whispered. He did not react.

Darkness swept past me and I froze. The Dire King stepped up to the controls. From where I was hiding, I could see only the sharp peaks of his wicked crown. “Welcome back, Seer. I know that you are awake. You can stop pretending. I can sense your mind.”

Jackaby groaned.

“Everything is in place, Seer. The world is ready to be whole again. Your eyes are all we need.”

“Ungh,” Jackaby croaked. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll pass on the multiglobal cataclysm. Eschatology was never my favorite subject anyway. The apocalypse always seemed a bit grim.”

“I said we need your eyes, Seer. Not your permission.”

Jackaby turned his head, attempting to get a good look at the king, but couldn’t seem to manage it. “You couldn’t break Eleanor,” he said icily. “You won’t break me.”

“Ah, but that is the glory of science. You humans are so inventive. The things you’ve dreamed up to circumnavigate simple spells and common curses. I’ve studied. Eleanor’s death taught us more than you can imagine about the nature of your special gift. I have corrected. You will find my noumenoneum expedites the process marvelously now.”

“Well.” Jackaby sniffed. “That is a terrible name. It sounds as though you’ve got a dab of peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. Noo-meh-nom-nom-nom.”

“Feel free to keep talking.” The king pulled a switch, and the wide lenses over Jackaby’s face realigned. “It makes no difference to me.”