The Named (26 page)

He climbs half out of his easy chair, turning to get a better view of me. ‘You don’t know what you’re saying.’

‘Denial, Dad? I wish I could find that
un
believable. But you know, it’s just so like who you’ve become. I thought fathers were supposed to set examples. It’s not that I want you to fight, Dad, I just want you to be who you really are. Live to the fullest of your potential. You know what to do – the choice is yours.’ I turn, go to my room, flop down on my bed, stare at the ceiling and wait. I wait to hear his footsteps come down the hallway to confront me, demand answers, or at least to admit the truth about himself and who he was – who he is, ’cause I realise now that being in the Guard is not a choice thing. It’s what we
are
. What Dad’s done is cop out.

I wait so long without hearing a sound that I inadvertently fall asleep.

I wake and land in Arkarian’s octagonal central chamber. Arkarian is not alone. Carter is sitting on a stool examining his fingernails. He glances at me and gives a small acknowledging nod. Jimmy is here too, and takes my hand in a strong shake. A puff of shimmering dust ignites the air in front of me and Isabel
lands, squarely on two feet, her hands extended for added balance. She straightens and gasps in delight.

Her successful landing gets a round of applause from Jimmy and Carter and a big grin from Arkarian. He points to each of us in turn, ticking off his fingertips. ‘One, two, three, four, and me five … Yes, we’re gathering.’

‘How many are we supposed to be?’ I ask, catching his excitement.

‘Eventually nine.’

‘That’s right,’ Isabel says. ‘That number’s mentioned in the Prophecy. So who else is yet to join us?’

I think about this, coming up with the first missing member. ‘Well, there’s my father – the warrior who must return. That would make six.’

‘Don’t forget the warrior who can’t be trusted.’ Carter also knows the Prophecy.

Arkarian throws him a troubled look. ‘I don’t think it quite goes that way.’

Carter simply shrugs.

Jimmy remembers another line. ‘The other seeded of evil.’

‘And a leader pure of heart,’ Arkarian says with reverence.

Suddenly, Isabel doubles over, stumbling forward a step. Jimmy is quick to catch her around the waist. Arkarian runs to her side. ‘What is it, Isabel?’

‘I – I don’t know. My head is weird, my stomach …’ She groans, then heaves. ‘Get back!’ With this warning she starts to vomit.

Arkarian looks over her head to Jimmy, his eyes asking questions.

‘Matt went out hours ago. He hadn’t returned by the
time I went to bed. I thought it was safe.’

His words startle me. ‘What do you mean, safe? Safe from Matt? Is he suspicious or something?’

‘He’s been watching Isabel sleep,’ Jimmy says.

‘No way! But he couldn’t know.’

Isabel, clutching her stomach, whispers hoarsely, ‘He read the Prophecy.’ She glances up at Arkarian. ‘I’m sorry. It was an accident.’

‘I know,’ he says softly. ‘Jimmy told me.’

‘
Ark-ar-ian!’

The word, screamed with undeniable emotion, echoes through the chamber. I recognise the voice; it’s Matt’s. ‘Oh no, he’s mad! How much do you think he knows about us?’

Isabel straightens a little and takes a deep gagging breath, her face distorted as she stares in distaste at the puddle of vomit before her. ‘Um, there’s something you should know.’ We all wait nervously. ‘I inadvertently called Arkarian’s name the other night, and Matt heard.’ Her eyes lock with Arkarian’s. Neither of them speaks. They could be the only two people in the entire universe. Jimmy shares with me a tolerant smile.

‘
Ark-ar-ian! Whatever you are, why does my sister not respond?’

Isabel groans again, almost passing out this time. ‘He’s shaking me.’

Carter gets off his seat. ‘The Prophecy would make no sense to anyone who doesn’t know about the Guard. Matt’s just hit the jackpot with the name. I’ll go and pay him a visit. I’m sure I can stall him long enough for you to get to King Richard and back.’

Arkarian grips his shoulder, then lifts his hand to the
front of Carter’s face with a circular motion. ‘Good man! Now go, and hurry.’

Instantly, Carter disappears, leaving behind only a fragment of shimmering dust drifting to the floor. And for the first time I actually find myself liking the man. But it seems to take forever for Carter to get over to Matt’s house. ‘Where does he live?’ I call out as Isabel’s pain worsens and she vomits again. ‘Doesn’t he have wings?’

Jimmy rubs my arm. ‘No, he doesn’t, and remember, he has to wake in his mortal body first, then drive over to Matt’s house. But don’t worry, Carter drives like a demon possessed with the speed of light.’

I try to laugh. I try to relax. But it’s hard with Isabel doubled over in pain. I know what this feels like. Her breathing has already started to become laboured. Arkarian, though not a healer, has nurtured many qualities over the centuries, and among other things, he has learned the skill of bringing comfort to the bereaved and pained. He’s with Isabel now, and his touch is helping to keep her calm.

We can tell when she suddenly relaxes that Matt must be distracted, probably to answer the door.

‘We can’t wait much longer,’ Arkarian says, and everybody knows who he’s talking about, who we’re hanging around waiting for – my father. While Isabel gets her breath back, Arkarian and Jimmy start clearing away Isabel’s mess.

‘We’re wasting our time, he won’t show,’ I tell them. The thought that my father has chosen to ignore the struggle and hide in his shell makes me so mad that my blood boils. ‘He’s a coward!’

The second I say these words, dust shimmers in the
air in front of me, and Dad lands flat on his feet, his eyes looking straight in my direction.

‘Dad! I didn’t mean—’

‘You call me a coward because you have no idea just how much courage it took to withdraw from the Guard.’ He doesn’t wait for me to respond. ‘I wanted only to stop the bloodshed. You were just a tiny child. He would have come after you too.’

‘I’m sorry, Dad. It’s just, all my life you’ve been …’

‘A coward? Because I chose peace instead of war?’

Arkarian lays a hand on Dad’s shoulder. ‘By withdrawing, not dealing with the situation, you have in fact created more bloodshed.’

He looks outraged. ‘How so?’

Arkarian glances briefly at Isabel. ‘Marduke almost killed Isabel, possibly to lure you out, as she is someone your son cares for. He has also turned one of our Named ones into a traitor.’

This latter part is terrible news. I wonder who he means and whether I know him.

‘Marduke is restless. He won’t wait for ever, Shaun. He’ll come after your loved ones, and all those they care for, the circle ever widening.’

Dad looks at Arkarian with pleading eyes. ‘I don’t want my son in danger. I just want him to live a normal life.’

‘Like yours, Dad? Is that what you’re doing? ’Cause I don’t want that. It’s not living.’

Dad’s eyes narrow and he seems to withdraw. ‘Ethan, you’re my son. I don’t want you to be a part of this dangerous game.’ And to Arkarian he says with bitterness in his voice, ‘I thought you were my friend, but you tricked my son and used his innocence to further
your own quests.’

‘He needed our help, Shaun. He was four and had witnessed a horrible death. He was floundering on the edge of insanity.’

‘No! I would have—’ Dad pauses suddenly, realising that he couldn’t help me then, as he’s still unable to now. He gives Arkarian a hostile stare. ‘Whether I could help my son or not, you and the Tribunal had no right to steal his childhood and youth. You should all be ashamed!’

Arkarian sighs. ‘It’s difficult to be ashamed, Shaun, when we’re so proud of what Ethan’s become.’

Dad looks suspiciously at me. ‘I’ll not let him make the same mistakes I did, Arkarian, no matter how twisted you’ve made his thoughts against me.’

‘You’re judging me unfairly.’

‘Am I? I don’t think so.’

‘I admit, we did at first have a plan, a simple plan. We thought if you knew Ethan was training, you would come back, want to be a part of that. You were meant to be his Trainer, after all.’

‘Ethan is Named?’

‘Yes. But as you had withdrawn, training was granted to me. I’ve been honoured. Ethan has developed higher than all our expectations.’

‘Are you lying to me, Arkarian? I don’t trust you.’

‘Of course Ethan is Named. We couldn’t reveal the secrets of the Guard to him otherwise.’

Dad’s eyes grow wild for a second. Finally he calms. ‘If what you say is true, then what are Ethan’s skills?’

Arkarian glances at me, lifting one eyebrow. Quickly I think, what illusion could best make Dad realise how much he is needed now, more than ever before? I think
of Sera, and of the way she looked at that moment, so close to death, when she told me to remember Marduke’s name. She was making sure I could identify her murderer, so that I could tell Dad and her death could be avenged. I could show this scene to Dad, play it out just as it happened, but decide against it. That event is still too raw, even after all these years. Dad hasn’t dealt with his grief; it would only make things worse. He might withdraw completely. Sharing my thoughts, Arkarian agrees with me with a barely noticeable shake of his head.

I have another quick think. There is of course nothing stopping me from reminding Dad of the source of our problems – Marduke. Didn’t he tell Isabel on that mountain top that I could reach him through my illusions? That if I called him he would come? What better way to prove my skills to dad than to bring Marduke physically into this room, while remaining within the safety net of my illusion. So now I know exactly what to do. Closing my eyes, I concentrate for a few seconds. Moments before he appears within a green light, the scent of evil fills the octagonal room. Isabel sucks in an audible breath, lunging backwards until she hits machinery behind her. Jimmy plucks a knife from his boot. Arkarian waves Jimmy’s hand away. The creature in our centre casts a look around the room with interest, stopping when he sees Dad. Then he straightens to his full enormous height, raises his arms and roars.

‘Marduke,’ Dad whispers hoarsely as if seeing a ghost.

Marduke lowers his arms, locking eyes with Dad. ‘You have grown old.’

‘And you are even uglier than I remember.’

Dad’s spirit almost makes me laugh out loud, knowing full well how vain Marduke is. But, instead, tears well up in my eyes as I glimpse a fragment of the man Dad once was.

Marduke’s yellow eye blazes as bright as a flame at the insult. ‘Count your hours with your loved ones,’ he says in his guttural voice. ‘You have only a few left. Finally, we will settle this argument. And of course I will win.’

‘Don’t be so sure!’

Marduke scoffs and spittle flies through the air, some of it landing on Dad’s face and chest and arms. But Dad doesn’t flinch one bit.

‘Name the place,’ Dad volunteers.

Marduke laughs, but I don’t get why, and by the puzzled look on Dad’s face, he doesn’t either. But then Marduke makes himself clear. ‘We meet in the woods of the Ardennes forest. You know the place.’

‘But that’s …’ Dad glances at Arkarian. ‘The site of our last mission together. In France where we duelled.’

‘This time we will finish it.’

Arkarian brings up a valid point. ‘You can’t go back to the exact time.’

Marduke lifts one heavy shoulder slightly. ‘We will meet a year to the day later.’

Dad stays silent.

Marduke swings back to him, grinning. ‘If you don’t show up, I will go on a rampage the like of which you’ve never witnessed before.’

‘That attitude is bound to get you into trouble,’ Arkarian says. ‘Even the Order has rules.’

Marduke laughs outright this time. ‘I have my goddess’s
blessings in whatever I do. I am,’ he adds slowly and with mocking humour, ‘her favourite after all. She worships me.’

Dad snorts loudly. ‘You always were the ladies’ man.’

Dad’s sarcastic words obviously hit a sore point. Marduke seems to grow larger before our eyes, his one eye swelling. ‘Bring three with you,’ he spits out; and with these words he disappears, leaving behind a lingering foul smell.

Arkarian looks to Dad. ‘He plans to bring five of his best.’

Dad remains silent, and nobody says another word. They’re giving him time to think, to work through whatever demons still pound through him. Finally, Dad looks to me. ‘That was amazing, Ethan. You have the power to bring reality into an illusion. I’ve never seen anyone do that before.’

‘Your son is incredibly gifted,’ Arkarian adds. ‘He has other talents too. You should get him to show you when we’re not so busy. He makes us all proud.’

As I listen to Arkarian’s words, I try not to think about how I disgraced my position by revealing a skill in public, and how the Tribunal refuses to award me the power of flight because of my immaturity.

‘Tell us, Shaun, what is your decision? Will you rejoin us?’

Dad inhales sharply. ‘There’s only one thing for me to do.’ He sighs heavily, his shoulders drooping. For a second I think this means Dad has decided to leave, but then he crosses his arms in front of him. ‘As usual you’ve boxed me into a corner, Arkarian. I’d better fulfil this mission, then finish with Marduke, if only to reduce the number of dangerous and distasteful
creatures that surround my son.’

Arkarian smiles in relief and shakes Dad’s hand heartily. Jimmy thumps Dad on the back. ‘Glad to have you back, Shaun!’

Dad turns to Arkarian. ‘It’s been a while, but how is my friend John of Gaunt?’

‘Dead,’ Arkarian replies drily. ‘And his son Henry rots in exile.’

‘Quickly, Arkarian, give me my instructions.’

As Arkarian explains, he proceeds with the ritual of reigniting Dad’s skills.

Chapter Thirty-six

Isabel

As Ethan and I have already met King Richard II, but were never properly introduced, we’re to use the familiar aliases of the cousins Hugo Monteblain and Lady Madeline of Dartmouth, although only the names remain the same. It’s expected that the king will not be too unfriendly towards us, as our lord is known to be a strong supporter of the king, who is fast losing allies in a world quite hostile to his asserting his regal power in his own right. He has exiled many important earls and nobles recently, John of Gaunt’s popular son Henry among them.