The Shadowsong Conspiracy

Chapter 22

 An assembly of people had lined up at the front of the hall, every single one holding a black staff. Sawyer's stomach flipped as he saw glassy skin and sunken eyeholes flashing from the cloak folds of at least ten figures. Someone moved forward, a man with spiky, blond hair.

"We meet again, Sabinsky."

He aimed his staff at the lock, which radiated blood red.

"Just making sure nobody tries to sneak out," he said, walking leisurely in front of the Resistance group. "Good haul, my dear. I see we have Sabinsky, Templeton, Fotheringay, Blackwell, Warden, and Cavendish, too. Oh, and of course, Bedlington." Nonchalantly, he raised his staff and Illuminated the top corner of the room on their left. There, hanging lopsidedly in the air and bound by strings of fire, was Piper. A thread of Firefiber squirmed across his mouth and cheek, which bore a deep gash, and his eyes shone very bright.

"Having seen you in action, Sabinsky, I thought we could do with a little extra ammunition. The midget hopped very helpfully into our trap when he set out to hack into our News page last night. Completely missed our Tracking Ticker, poor boy. See Jones over there?" The man motioned to a hooded creature standing close to Piper. "He is ready to Mort him the second you try to pull any of your reckless tricks. By the way, I used your chant. Isn't he pretty?"

"What do you want?" Sawyer tore his eyes from Piper, whose cheeks were wet with silent tears.

"What do I want?" The man spun around to face his companions. "What we want, dear Sabinsky, is justice. What we want is warm rooms for our children. Equal opportunities, equal money, equal living quarters. And the likes of you in gutters with their throats cut open."

"How do Aristo students play into this equation?"

"Tsk, I heard you were the cleverest student in this school. Can you not guess? We have a bargaining tool now! We have all of you, the offspring of the wealthiest and most influential Aristos in the country. We are going to send a Parchment to the Council and give them a few choices. Very simple, really. Either make some changes in the legislation and the Council itself or lose the best of the Aristo brood."

"How did you know we'd be here?" Sawyer asked, playing for time. He could hear a few suppressed sobs behind him, and he prayed that nobody would become hysterical. From the corner of his eye, he saw Christian's and Caspar's staffs alert, but Mia on his other side stared at the intruders with wide eyes.

"Because one person in your so-called society is a mole. It's as simple as that."

A cold, creepy feeling swept over Sawyer. His eyes caught Piper, who was frantically rolling his eyes sideways, as if trying to tell him something. Sawyer looked to the direction Piper was indicating, but before his eyes found anyone, someone stepped forward.

"That's right, Sawyer. Twice I already gave you to them, but you managed to slither away. Not any more!" Kairos's eyes were burning like emeralds.

"You," Sawyer whispered. "You?"

"Yes, me. For months, I've put up with your rudeness, but it was worth it, if only for this moment. And guess what? You've been making out with a half-Para. Yes, HALF-PARA!" Kairos laughed shrilly, a mixture of mania and tears in her voice. "See, Charlotte Barclay isn't my real mother at all, Millie Burns is. A Para servant! My father's snotty family forced him to marry Charlotte to keep up the appearances – Charlotte who despises my father and who has treated me like scum for fifteen years. Fifteen years of torture for me, fifteen years of misery for my father. For what reason? For your stupid Aristo pride!"