Broken Veil (Harbinger #5)(65)

Captain Dumas ducked, and Cettie brought the zephyr streaking higher before he could give the order. She saw the worry in his eyes but also the determination.

“I wasn’t sure how we’d be welcomed,” he said to her, one hand grabbing a railing, the other keeping the hat on his head. “Now I know.”

The huge outer walls, which formed intersecting angles like a giant star, were nearly a hundred feet thick in places, meant to withstand a sea assault. But Genevar was vulnerable by air, and so they’d always had peace treaties with the empire to protect their interests. That they were firing on the incoming vessels indicated the erstwhile truce might be over.

The other zephyrs and the Serpentine were quick to follow Cettie’s action and rose higher. A few bullets thudded against the hull, but soon they were out of danger and soaring over the walls. She saw smoke bloom from the wall cannons below, but could not hear the thunder. The wind whipped through her hair.

Below stretched the city’s cramped houses, the angled roofs with the curved-clay tiles. It was an ancient land, a place where trade had been king for centuries. It was the poisoners’ lair now. Did they operate with the permission of the government? By the welcome they’d received, Cettie imagined they did.

“How far to the poisoner school?” Dumas asked, gazing at the mass of buildings.

“It’s deeper inland, far from the shore,” Cettie answered, “where there is more space between the estates. There are Leerings in the walls of the poisoner school that prevent people who are not part of the order from coming or going. Flying in from above is our only option.”

“We don’t know what to expect, do we?” Dumas said, frowning.

Cettie shook her head. “Just get me down into the courtyard and hold the walls.”

“Are you a maston?” he asked her pointedly.

Cettie hesitated, but in her heart she still was. And the Aldermaston had given her a chain again. She nodded.

Reaching for his collar, he unfastened one of several decorations that were pinned on like brooches. She saw the maston symbol interwoven in the design. “This is part of the Mysteries of War,” he said. “Fasten it to your collar. When I speak and give orders, you will hear them in your mind. This will also allow me to hear you. It’s a captain’s tag, so be careful with it. There is a tiny Leering hidden beneath the design.”

“Thank you,” Cettie said. She secured the pin to her collar.

“It only works when it’s invoked. Be ready. If you need help when you reach the dungeon, tell me, and I’ll send men down to assist you.”

Cettie thanked him again and continued to pilot the zephyr across the city. Thanks to the Dryad, her memory was precise. She recognized the landscape, knew exactly how to reach their destination. But as they drew nearer, her worry increased. What would be waiting for them at the poisoner school?

She glanced back at Adam, who was looking overboard, gazing down at the city. He’d rested on the short journey, but the weariness was still plain on his face. Oh, how she wished he hadn’t insisted on coming. She couldn’t bear it if any harm befell him.

Then she saw the distant hill where she’d spent the last year.

“There it is,” she said, her stomach fluttering with nerves. She recognized the walls, the taller buildings that rose into the sky. It was such a peaceful looking place, hardly distinguishable from the other expensive villas in the area. There were fruit orchards and parks and walking paths. From their vantage point, the snakes were hidden. So were the poisons.

“Which one?” Dumas asked.

Cettie pointed and described it to him. “It’s a square series of buildings with an open courtyard in the middle. The plants growing in the center are all poisonous. Do not touch them. Stay away from the rooftops as well. Poisoners are trained to jump from roof to roof. If one gets into a zephyr, you’ll all be killed.”

“Thanks for the warning,” said Captain Dumas. “We’ll roam around the perimeter. I guess we should drop lower and see what happens?”

Cettie nodded and willed the zephyr to descend sharply. She guided it in a zigzag path, making it difficult for sharpshooters below. But no weapons fired against them. She glanced at Adam, and he met her gaze in return. Was that fear in his eyes? It was hard to tell what he was feeling. As they approached the school, she saw the upper grounds appeared to be abandoned. There were no signs of people in the courtyard below. In her mind, she heard the meal gong sound, saw the girls walking from their garden beds to join together for a meal.

Could that be the explanation?

Cettie looked at the pilot, who was gazing down with nervous eyes. “Are you ready to take the helm? I’ll jump over the side when we’re low enough.”

He nodded and joined her.

“This is Captain Dumas,” the captain said, invoking the Leering at his collar. “Arquebuses at the ready. If anything moves down there, other than us, shoot it. Keep the Serpentine back until we are in position. Ready, lads. Do your duty.”

They dropped down toward the inner courtyard from above. Cettie could feel the Leerings embedded in the walls respond to their arrival, sending out a warning blast of fear to those inside the compound. A chill took hold in her heart. She could sense the evil of the place. Her confusion and disillusionment had masked it before. But fear did not own her—she was determined to prove herself once and for all, and that determination filled her with energy and purpose. She slung the poisoner bag over her shoulder and remembered her oaths, one by one. Thinking on them brought her a small degree of comfort. She was going into the enemy’s lair, a place where truth was twisted, but she would remember herself.