“Ash,” he said. “This cell was for Ash.”
Nick gave him a dubious look. “Pendragon never imprisoned Ash.”
“I know.” Simon slapped the floor. “He was obviously prepared to do it.”
“And she found out,” Kate added.
Simon grinned coldly. “That must be why she arranged for Gaios to escape. She had Pendragon killed, and she destroyed the Order of the Oak. She killed my father and broke yours, Malcolm, and hounded yours, Kate. All to save herself from the man she loved.”
“All this carnage over unrequited love?” Penny raised her eyebrows in wonder. “Ash is a cold one.”
“You have no idea,” Nick muttered.
Chapter 14
Simon crouched in the center of the runes designed to confine Gaios. They surrounded him, inscrutable and fascinating and beautiful. Pendragon was both a sorcerer and a craftsman. His artistry made Simon envious; the complexity of the phrasing was amazing. Pendragon used runes and marks from a variety of magical cultures, Celtic, Norse, Egyptian, even Persian, and he combined them in unexpected ways. It wasn’t just the runes themselves but also their arrangement in space that gave them power. The cell was built to specifications that created sacred and powerful geometries. Simon felt an excited surge with every minute as he began to grasp the intricate premise and the complex execution of the inscription around him.
Simon heard a knock. His fists clenched in frustration. “I’m not to be disturbed.”
“It’s important,” came Kate’s voice.
Simon went to the door of his bedroom. Kate glanced inside where Simon had posted each rune on a sheet of paper tacked to the walls, floors, and ceiling.
“How import—” Simon began but stopped speaking when Kate held up the gold key. It was vibrating of its own accord. “That is unusual.”
“It began a few minutes ago.” Kate nodded to Penny, who stood behind her in work togs.
“I’ve never seen that before,” Penny said.
Simon took the quivering key. It wasn’t hot. It wasn’t glowing. “Let’s open it up and have a look.”
They entered Sir Roland’s private study. The rune on the wall that allowed the key to open a portal here was glowing slightly.
Simon held the key out and spoke the magic word. “Marthsyl.” The rift opened, revealing the world map floating in the air, all as usual.
Penny stepped forward and pointed at one of the dots on the globe that was blinking. “That spot in India is new. Well, maybe not completely new. But it has just returned to the map in any case.”
Simon reached out a finger to touch the dot, which was somewhere in northern India or Nepal.
A strange voice wafted into the room. “Hello? Is someone there?” Simon froze. Both Kate and Penny looked around but saw no one. They waited quietly.
“Is someone there?” The voice sounded as if it was coming through a long tunnel. It was weak and echoed. “Sir Roland, is that you?”
Kate’s breath caught.
“Sir Roland?” came the faint words again. “The Stone. He’s after the Stone, and he’s close. I don’t know how. You told me to contact you through the rune. Answer me, please.”
Kate responded in a quavering voice, “Who is this?”
There was silence.
“Who is this?” she repeated. “Sir Roland isn’t here. This is his daughter Katherine. Kate. Who are you?”
A long pause followed, and then, “What is your dog’s name?”
Kate stiffened in confusion. “My dog?”
“What is your dog’s name? Hurry, there isn’t much power left.”
“Aethelred.”
They heard a soft exhalation of relief. “Where is your father, Miss Katherine? He isn’t dead, is he? Gaios or Ash haven’t caught up to him, have they?”
“No.” Kate was firm. “He is gone. I have his key now. Who are you?”
“My name is Ishwar. I am your father’s friend.”
“Ishwar.” She looked surprised. “Tell me about the Stone.”
“The Stone of Scone. There is a man looking for it. No, not a man. A monster. He is scouring the temple precinct. Somehow he knows the Stone is here. He is killing the priests of the temple, but they don’t know where it is.” A whistling sound began to overwhelm the voice, pushing it into the background in crackling static. “We must move it.”
“It’s getting difficult to hear you, Shri Ishwar.” Kate was practically shouting now.
A high-pitched hiss drowned out his reply. There was silence, and the dot near the Himalayas stopped blinking.
“Hello? Hello?” Kate called out. “Are you there?”
There was no answer. She reached out to touch the dot on the map.