The Blood Line by Ben Yallop

warm orb appeared above his hand, creating a soft light. ‘You have to sort of squeeze the air. Compress it and kind of imagine it as tiny grains bumping against each other as you rub. You just have to keep concentration.’ The globe vanished. ‘Ah,’ he said. ’I can’t do any of this for very long.’
    Sam found that in his tired state he could do none of it at all, but resolved to try if he ever made it back to London and recovered from his exhaustion.
    ‘May it be a light to you in dark places , when all other lights go out,’ said Aleksy. ‘There is more to this presence I am sure. I am experimenting. I think this is the same power that we have heard of in stories about Thor and the Greek Gods. The white lightning you saw me use. I was sure it was possible so I kept practicing. As a child I not only liked pirates and storms. I also studied the Greek Gods. I was taken by the idea of Zeus’ thunderbolts. Perhaps there was some truth in it, blurred by the passage of time. I think there is much more that can be done, but we are finding our way. Baby steps, yes.’
    ‘Another thing that occurs to me,’ Aleksy continued, ‘is telepathy. What we do when lifting, pushing and throwing used to be called telekinesis in our world, perhaps telepathy can be real too. Speaking to others via your mind. But I have never dared to reach out for fear of who I might find. I do not know if it would be like a telephone call to one person or like a radio where anyone with a receiver can listen in. I am, you understand, not keen to reveal myself. It may be like a beacon in the night, but perhaps one day we will speak across distances. I am sure that there is more to presence. I think we are only at the very beginnings of understanding this power. Babies to the gods who used to wield such power in the past, or will wield it in the future and take it to our past to be worshipped by ancient peoples.’ Aleksy stood. ‘Come, I do not want to wait too long.’
    By late afternoon Sam could tell they were near the Complex, he could feel it and indeed, it was not long before Aleksy stopped him and whispered in his ear. ‘Quietly now.’
    As they rounded a fold in the hills Sam saw it for the first time. Mountains framing an enormous building of white blocks. A ziggurat of pale stone overlooking the plains below. A black door at the centre seemed to lead underground.
    ‘There it is,’ breathed Aleksy. ‘Rivenrok.’
    Sam stumbled along shakily. The presence was so strong it made him feel ill. Aleksy ushered him to a safely concealed spot. They watched for a little while. Sam saw a little bit of foot traffic moving in and out of the building, most clad in the black robes of the Riven. Men and women of various sizes and people of more unusual and fantastic shapes.
    ‘The line is over there,’ Aleksy pointed to a flat patch of land nearby guarded by two Riven, both standing to attention. As Sam and Aleksy watched a man appeared wearing what Sam considered to be ordinary clothes rather than the black robes most of the Riven seemed to wear. The guards quickly and efficiently moved to intercept him but following a short conversation they were clearly satisfied that he was supposed to be there and they let him go on his way into the Complex.
    Riven dressed as normal men thought Sam. That was something he had forgotten about since he had seen Riven dressed in black suits, dark ties and sunglasses enter the shop owned by the Auld Witch in London.  Before that he had naively assumed that the black cloak was a requirement. Of course, it made sense that they should want to move around unnoticed.
    ‘So that line leads to London, our time,’ said Sam. ‘But it looks impossible to use.’
    Aleksy smiled. ‘I have an idea. We need a distraction to get through there. Wait here, don’t be seen. I’ll be back with some help. When I say, go for the line. Don’t look back, just run.’
    Sam waited for a long time during which he continued to feel