Veridian Shores

Chapter 24 - Within These Walls

"Capper," she said quietly. "We've got to go."

"I know."

"We can slip into the debating chamber when they're in full swing – no-one will notice."
"I hope you're right. We've still got plenty of guards to dodge between here and there."

"Well we don't have a whole lot of choice. If we don't rejoin the Synod, someone will notice."

"And what about the Keystone?" he asked. "If anyone sees it..."

"They won't. Grab his cloak and tear off a piece. We'll wrap it up – keep it under your jacket. No-one will be examining us in the chamber anyway. They should be in full swing with your damned debates by now."

"Probably," he conceded. "But we'll need to pick our moment."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Gliss motioned him onwards. "Follow me."

Allowing her to lead the way back through the passages, he remained close on her heels, acutely conscious of the spherical lump of the Keystone pressing against his side. The rag they'd wrapped it in shielded him from the strange, cold cleaning effect that it seemed to generate, but the vestiges of the sensation still clung to him, as though he still dropped with ice cold water. A thousand doubts and fear whorled through his mind but he did his best to shake them away. One thing at a time. Any other approach would leave him paralysed.

They retraced their steps, carefully gliding around the handful of patrolling guards that still stalked the halls. Although he didn't know the layout of the estate precisely, even Capper could feel the sheer concentrated force the gathered Aspects of so many Elders and Elder-Blood. Like a lighthouse in a storm, the combined power drew them onward until eventually they came to a long passage with a heavy double door at the far end, ornately inlaid with spurs of gold and bronze. From within he could hear the dim clamour of voices and feel a violently churning sea of presences. Whatever was being discussed certainly had the vampires within riled up.

"There'll be a guard on the other side of that door," Capper whispered. "We need to get him out of the way."

"I know. Get into the shadows there," Gliss told him, gesturing to a side passage with one gloved hand. "And keep your Aspect under control. I'll get him to come out of there." Silent and lithe as a cat, she padded up to the door and slid her lock picks free again. The heavy brass lock proved more challenging than the smaller specimens they'd broken through before, but it wasn't long before a heavy clunk sounded.

Instantly she darted back and joined Capper in the shadowed alcove just around the corner, hidden in a nave that may once have housed a statue of some kind. Capper braced himself. If they were caught now they might start a war right in the middle of the Baelock Estate.

A moment later the door swung open and out of it flowed the thunder of noise that seemed to be passing for debate in the main chamber. He had no idea what had been said, but it had pushed the order of the Synod into a barely controlled rabble by the sounds of it. The noise was their saving grace. As the guard stepped past them, a grim expression below furrowed brows, he couldn't hear the soft footfalls as they slipped from their refuge and into the light and noise of the debating chamber.

Capper swallowed hard. Aspects were exploding off each other in the air around them as vicious arguments reached boiling point. The noise was a cacophonous clamour in his ears. He could feel the cold bulk of the Keystone against his side, but between his jacket and Gliss's body tucked against him the thing was as concealed as it could be. Unlike the other artefacts that would have announced their presence, the dead nothingness of the Keystone actually served to keep it concealed from prying minds.