Death in the Jungle by Gary Smith (most inspirational books .txt) 📕

her; she’s a selfish, lying, two-faced rat. Even when I was a friend of the other Holdfasts, I loathed Sable. Believe me, Leksandr, I would never help her; never. The last time we met we tried to kill each other.’

Leksandr nodded. ‘And if Arete searches, she will find nothing that contradicts your version of events?’

Belinda got to her feet and faced Leksandr, her anger simmering. ‘That’s right. If Sable is in the Catacombs, then Arete will also find the Quadrant she used; Felice’s old Quadrant. When that happens, Sixth Ascendant, I shall expect an apology.’

His expression calmed. ‘You can have one now. I apologise, Third Ascendant. My shock got the better of me for a moment. I do not believe you assisted the Holdfast woman.’

Belinda took a breath, regaining her composure. ‘Thank you. I shall go back to work, and I recommend that you do the same.’

He bowed his head. ‘As you wish.’

She walked from his study, and descended the steps to her own quarters on the floor below. She dismissed her servants and went to stare out of the window, her thoughts torn. Should she try to help Sable and Blackrose? If Arete was correct, would that not mean that Maddie might be in the Catacombs as well? She knew that the black dragon had planned to go to Dragon Eyre, and now it appeared that she had a Quadrant that could take her there. Another part of her hesitated. If Arete was distracted by her search for Sable, then that would give her more space to develop her own plans regarding the supply of salve. All the same, Maddie had been a friend, and Belinda had precious few of those.

She sat by the window, and sent her vision out into the clear, blue sky. She glanced north, and could see the smoke rising from the northern districts of the city. Riots and disturbances seemed to be woven into the fabric of Alea Tanton, as if they were a natural feature, along with the earthquakes. Mortals would be fighting and dying on the streets; Fordians against Torduans, their centuries-old antipathy coming to the boil once more. She hated Alea Tanton, she realised, and felt a longing for how Khatanax had been before Fordia and Shinstra had been destroyed, an age that she had lived through, but couldn’t remember.

She turned from the slums and raced her vision east, crossing the irrigated plains of Tordue. Enslaved mortals were gathering in the harvests, or preparing the fields for winter, under the steady and watchful gaze of armed soldiers. Thousands of troops were needed to keep the slaves in line, and Belinda recoiled from the folly and waste of it all. She reached the mountains and climbed, passing a series of deep reservoirs. She knew the location of the main wild dragon colony, hidden in a cliffside, surrounded by rivers and pools of lava. It was impossible for any army of mortals to approach the Catacombs, let alone attack it, and the policy of the rulers of Alea Tanton had been to leave it alone in a state of nervous co-existence.

A volcano was spewing molten rock down the flank of the mountains, and Belinda came to the great rift that had once carried the main road from Fordia to Kinell. The valley floor was broken, and covered in alternating patches of basalt and lava. On the cliffs to the west, dozens of openings led into the side of the mountain, and a few dragons were circling overhead, while others could be seen within the tombs where they had made their homes.

Belinda paused, and began to scan each tomb, starting from the top. She spent only a few moments in each, working her way down the cliffside methodically. There were more dragons living there than she had realised; dozens, with several families sharing a single tomb. At last, near the bottom of the cliff, she found Maddie. The Blade girl was sitting close to the edge of a tomb, a young man next to her, while behind them, a dark red dragon was also peering out into the valley. Belinda pushed her vision into the interior of the tomb, but there was no sign of Blackrose or Sable. She returned to Maddie, and noticed that she was clutching a Quadrant on her knees.

She entered Maddie’s head.

Hello, it’s Belinda.

The young woman jumped, and nearly dropped the Quadrant over the edge of the cliff.

I didn’t mean to startle you.

Belinda? Hello, um, this is a surprise.

I need to speak to you about Sable and Blackrose.

Could you maybe appear in front of me, like Sable used to do? It’s a lot easier to talk that way.

I’ve never done that before. Alright. Walk into the cavern until you are alone, and I’ll try it.

Maddie got to her feet and muttered something to the dark red dragon, then walked into the semi-darkness of the tomb. Belinda knew what Maddie had meant; she had often heard Daphne and Karalyn talk about how to project an image of yourself, so that the other person would think they could see you standing in front of them. She went to Maddie’s eyes, and looked out from them, then imagined herself there.

‘That’s better,’ said Maddie. ‘I can see you now. What do you know about Blackrose and Sable? I admit I’m a bit wary of you; can you read people’s minds now? If so, then I guess you already know what’s happened. Blackrose was here, not long ago, with Sable.’

‘Where are they now?’

‘I don’t know. As soon as they appeared, Blackrose grabbed Sable and flew off. I think, um, that Blackrose might be doing something bad to her.’

‘Why?’

‘Because of the Quadrant. Sable was lying to Blackrose, telling her she didn’t have one, when she did. Blackrose, as you might remember, doesn’t particularly like being lied to. Wait; can I trust you? Are you working for the Ascendants now?’

A thought struck Belinda, and she cursed her lack of foresight. If Arete, or more likely, when Arete