“Is that really all you’re bringing to the table, Verus?” Bahamus asked. “Threats?”
“Yes. Because for all your talk of law and stability, the only thing that you and the rest of the Council have ever really respected is power and the threat of force. There’s no real difference between you and the Dark mages. You’re both playing the same game; you’re just on different teams. So let me make this very clear. You will accept this ceasefire and you will stop coming after me or I will destroy you.”
There was no sound at all from the focus. Seconds ticked by.
“We will consider your proposal,” Bahamus said at last in an expressionless voice.
“Consider, then choose,” I said. “I’ll be waiting.”
The focus went dead. I stood in the clearing. Far overhead, clouds drifted in a clear sky. I watched the futures shift.
It was fifteen minutes later that the focus reactivated. “Verus?” Bahamus said.
“I’m listening.”
“We have . . . after some consideration . . . decided to accept your proposal,” Bahamus said. “We will cease any offensive operations against you and your immediate associates. Your legal status will become that of an unaffiliated mage. In exchange, you will undertake to take no aggressive action against us or provide any assistance to our enemies in the current war. Further details will be negotiated at a later date. Is this acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.” Bahamus paused. “I hope we can develop a better relationship in the future.”
“I really don’t care,” I said. “Good-bye.”
I cut the focus. The light on the item went out and the connection went dead. I let out a long, slow breath.
And then, from the trees, I heard the sound of clapping.
I turned to see Morden step out into the clearing. The Dark mage was smiling. “Very well done,” he told me.
“On the one hand, thanks,” I said. “On the other, could you be a little less patronising?”
“My apologies,” Morden said. “But I meant it sincerely. You conducted your negotiation skilfully and with force.”
“I suppose I should take the compliment. What are you doing here, Morden?”
“Nothing very important. This is more of a social visit.”
“Tracking me down after the amount of work I put in to stay undetected today is not my definition of a social visit.”
“I suppose I could have left a phone call, but I felt this would be a better way of getting your attention.”
“Okay, you’ve got it,” I said. My guard was still very much up. I couldn’t sense any danger, but I wasn’t going to relax until I was back in the Hollow. “What do you want?”
“It’s a courtesy notice, really,” Morden said. “I thought I should inform you of my retirement.”
I blinked. “Your what?”
“I feel as though the time has come for me to exit the political sphere,” Morden said. “The British one, at least.”
“And do what? Teach adepts?”
“Possibly. I took up the practice through necessity but I’ve discovered I quite enjoy it.”
“Right,” I said. “I don’t want to come across as discouraging here, but I don’t think the Council is going to take ‘I’m retiring to become a teacher’ as a valid reason to leave you alone.”
“Not if presented that way, no,” Morden said. “Which brings me to the other reason I was observing your negotiations. I had something of a personal interest in your success.”
I frowned.
“The Council and I have been in contact,” Morden said. “They are currently under the impression that you and I are acting as associates.”
“I’m not working for you anymore.”
“I didn’t say you were. Still, given the assistance I’ve provided . . . and that you requested . . . it’s not an unreasonable conclusion.”
I started to answer, then paused. I’d approached Morden in his shadow realm, and it had been on his guidance that I’d attacked Heron Tower. Then he’d helped with that diversion last night as well . . . “I suppose not,” I said. “Though I don’t see—”
I stopped as I remembered what Bahamus had said. We will cease any offensive operations against you and your immediate associates. I’d assumed he meant Anne, but if he had, why hadn’t he used her name? “Associates” implied more than one . . .
I looked at Morden. Morden looked back at me with his eyebrows raised.
“You used me for this,” I said.
“Just as you used me.”
“I wondered why you were being so helpful,” I said. “Let me guess. You also gave them the impression that we both had access to Levistus’s blackmail files, and it’d be in their best interest to leave you alone.”
Morden inclined his head slightly.
I studied Morden. “I could tell them you were lying.”
“You could,” Morden said. “Though it would result in a rather awkward conversation where they attempted to decide which of us to believe. I also suspect it would encourage them to reconsider your deal. You forced them to the negotiating table by projecting an image of strength, but if they sense they could play the two of us off against one another . . .”
Shit. Yeah, that was exactly how the Council would see it. I might be able to make it work, but it’d be a risk . . .
. . . a risk that would gain me nothing. It wouldn’t help me, it wouldn’t help Anne, and it wouldn’t help my friends. On the other hand, if I kept quiet, it’d give me leverage over Morden in the future. He wouldn’t be able to threaten me the way he had in the past.
And besides . . . did I actually care whether Morden got one over on the Council?
Not really.
I looked at Morden. He was watching me calmly, and I wondered how much of my thoughts he’d been able to guess. “Why are you really doing this?” I said. “And don’t tell me it’s for health reasons, or that you want to spend time with your family. You and Richard worked towards this for years. Why step away now?”
Morden nodded. “I am willing to gratify your curiosity, on condition that you keep the remainder of our conversation private.”
I thought for a second. “All right.”
“My arrangement with Richard worked most effectively while the two of us operated in separate spheres,” Morden said. “I was on the Council and dealt with Light mages; he stayed in the shadows and dealt with Dark ones. Unfortunately, once I made my final break with the Council, that was no longer sustainable. For a while I took the role of teacher, training adepts in Arcadia, but the distance between us was greatly reduced. As time passed, Richard and I were forced to take decisions that encroached upon each other’s freedom of action.”