‘We don’t know what’s happened,’ Jason went on. ‘I don’t want cops swarming all over here and anything going wrong. Someone could get hurt. I refuse to believe Nico kidnapped her or whateveryouthink was happening.’ He glared at Rafael, who ignored him coolly.
‘The police will never understand,’ said Rafael in calmer tones. ‘I’m not sure Nico knows what he’s doing. If he put on that mask…’ He trailed off, no doubt recalling the sensation himself.
Ari remembered the feeling of helplessness, the way the mask, or whatever possessed it, had crawled into her mind in a bid to control her. Nico might not have any choice in what he was doing.
And Laure was a du Lac. There was a curse on her family.
She locked eyes with Rafael and nodded, understanding. Like it or not, it was up to the three of them.
Rafael went first, Jason lowering him carefully. Once down, he released the rope and Ari tied it around her waist.
‘Just be careful,’ said Jason quietly. ‘And if anything happens, get the hell out and get help, OK?’
‘I could say the same to you,’ she told him, and slid down through the gap between the stones into the darkness.
Rafael caught her and helped her down. He didn’t extend the same courtesy to her brother, she noticed, but then again, Jason probably would have clocked him one if he tried.
There was more light filtering through the caves than the last time they’d been here, almost enough to see some metres ahead, until the tunnel turned.
Rafael’s torch was more powerful than the ones they had carried last night, more like a lantern, and they followed the beam of light through the twists and turns, picking out Ari’s marks at each junction.
They emerged into the cavern. The pool at the far end glowed with light from outside, throwing up a rippling, moving pattern on the roof, illuminating the carvings. There were more than Ari had seen at first. It was like standing under the ocean, looking up at schools of fish, boats, and a city with seven towers and a grand harbour. There were candles at the far end, so many candles, ranging over every surface, filling the chamber with a golden flickering glow. They hadn’t been there before. Who had done this?
Jason let out a sound like a low groan, somewhere between wonder and shock.
The floor beneath them was patterned too, coloured stones like cobbles, those curious little egg-shaped stones often found buried in the sand on the shore here, in green, red, black, white…every shade. The map of Ys as it had been, stretched out at his feet.
And facing them, in the chapel-like space at the far end of the cavern, her face watched them.
‘Dahut,’ Jason murmured. ‘This…this isn’t possible…’
‘Jason, wait!’ Ari called. ‘Look.’
A dark shape sprawled on the ground between them and the dais, a man wearing a white mask.
‘Nico!’ Jason cried out in alarm, his whole demeanour transforming.
Nico jerked back, trying to lift himself up on his trembling arms. He half turned towards them and gave a hoarse growl of pain. The mask rippled against his skin, white lines snaking down to coil around his throat like the arms of an octopus, digging into his flesh. The surface caught the light, gleaming and real, like a living thing, a man’s face with high sculpted cheekbones, the fine tracery of lines giving the impression of veins. The gold gleamed and the blue was vibrant as the sky, all the treasures of the world…
Jason reached him first, trying to grab him, to hold him, to gather him into his arms. Nico’s body contorted with pain and the mask tightened its grip, slowly choking the life out of him.
‘What happened to him?’ Jason croaked. ‘What’s wrong?’
Ari wanted to answer him, but she couldn’t find the words. Someone else did.
‘Oh, he’s pure instinct now, but he won’t last much longer. I think because he fights it so hard. It pulls the life out of him even faster. It’s fascinating.’
They spun around to see Laure, half in shadows, sitting on one of the broken pieces of carved stone in front of the podium. The throne, Ari realised. Sitting on an ancient throne like she belonged there. The carving of Dahut spread out behind her, illuminated by the rows of candles. But it cast her in shadow, a silhouette, perfectly poised, a spectator.
‘Laure? What have you done?’ Rafael’s voice sounded like thunder.
‘What, this?’ She lifted her hands to gesture the cavern. ‘Reclaiming my birthright, brother. Taking what is rightfully mine. After all, I’m descended from the same line as you, from the Mac’htiern. I’ve wanted to do this for years.Years.I planned everything. But the time wasn’t right. Plus, I didn’t have the mask. That idiot Simon found it for me and then refused to hand it over. He hid it and wouldn’t tell me where. But I can be very persuasive.’
‘I don’t— Laure?’ His voice shook and he reached out blindly to Ari, his hand seeking hers. His fingers shook as she took them in hers, trying to reassure him, when in fact she was as bewildered as he was. It was like his whole world had turned on its axis. ‘You aren’t in danger? I thought…’ He glanced down at Nico.
Her cold laugh brought his attention snapping back up to her. ‘You thought what I wanted you to think. You always have, when you can be bothered to pay attention to anything. Now, come here, and kneel before her. We’re going to bring her here to finish this and I can claim my rightful inheritance.’
‘Her?’
