The four of them emerged through the gap. Peter was last out and threw a word net backwards, creating a blue protective dome. He was more successful this time. Raelinn and the lion appeared at the opening and had to stop, not able to penetrate the shield. Orfeo pulled up behind them, angry. He could only watch as Yas, her mom, Sam and his dad ran across the gravel driveway.
Yas had the portal in her mind and she ran to where she hoped it would be. She was relieved to find that her pendant grew hot, telling her she was in the right place, followed by the ‘whoomph’ that she had hoped for. The doorway opened and the four of them ran through it, Yas being sure to close it behind them.
They skidded to a halt in the kitchen, narrowly avoiding colliding with the furniture.
Chapter 8
A map to the peacekeepers
The four of them stared at the space where the portal had been in case it re-opened. Fortunately, nothing happened.
“Well,” Yas’s mom said, with a sigh of relief. Then, as if guests had just arrived, she added, “Tea, coffee, anyone?”
“No,” said Peter, looking at Sam. “No thank you. We should go home. We have a lot of talking to do.” He looked at Yas’s mom. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met?”
“Oh?” replied Yas’s mom. “Of course. I’d seen your picture on the television... Detective?”
“Peter,” Peter held his hand out by way of a greeting. “Peter Swift. And you know Sam?”
“Mary Oakham,” replied Yas’s mom, shaking Peter’s hand. “And this is Yas, my daughter.”
“Dad, we can’t go home just yet,” Sam interrupted.
“Why not?” asked Peter.
“Vickers,” Sam said resolutely. “You need to get her to move out. She’s not who you think she is.”
“Its not that simple,” replied Peter, rubbing his head. “What’s been going on, anyway?”
“You heard that man at the mansion, Dad. Vickers told him about Yas and I. She’s working for the Controllers.”
“What?” asked Peter incredulously. “No. We don’t know that for sure.”
“Yes, we do!” urged Sam. “She attacked me when I went to her for help.”
“Hang on a moment,” said Peter, raising his hands.
Sam didn’t wait though. He was still pursuing the outcome he wanted. “Yas was there!” He looked at her, pleading.
Yas was not happy to be pulled into what was a private argument, but she also couldn’t deny the facts. She nodded, awkwardly.
“Sam!” said Peter, indicating that he was running out of patience for the conversation. Then he looked at Mary. “I’m sorry about this.”
“Maybe that cup of tea?” replied Mary, filling the kettle. “Sam stayed here last night. He’s welcome to again if it helps. He said there was some disagreement at home.”
Peter nodded. “I need to talk with her,” he agreed. “Although,” he continued, looking at Sam, “there’s more to all of this than you know.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Sam, with a scowl on his face. “You’re not going out with her, are you?”
“No!” replied Peter, with a look of disbelief. “I’d tell you if I was.”
“So, what is it then?” Sam continued. “Are you going to tell me what ‘this’ is all about?”
“All I can tell you is that she was trying to keep you safe.”
“Well she wasn’t doing a very good job!” shot back Sam. “I was trying to find you and she wouldn’t help.”
“I know,” replied Peter, placating Sam. “And I’m grateful you did. But there’s a lot more going on here and I didn’t want you involved. I needed you safe.”
He looked at Mary and Yas.
“I want to thank you both too,” he said. “But I fear you have may have put yourselves in danger.”
The kettle boiled and Mary poured water into four cups.
“Wait a minute. Oakham?” Peter said to himself. “I know that name from somewhere.” He looked at Mary with a puzzled expression. “I’m sorry. I recognised your face, but with the hound thing, I didn’t connect. There was a missing person’s case. That was you? Your father? You were on the news?”
“Yes,” replied Mary sadly. “Its ancient history though. It was over two years ago.”
“Your father was involved in the realms, wasn’t he?” questioned Peter.
“Milk? Sugar?” she asked in reply, trying to distract his attention.
“I’m sorry to ask,” continued Peter. “The peacekeepers? That man seemed to think you knew something. From your father?”
Mary brought the cups over to the table. She sighed. “I wish I could tell you more, Detective. Yes, my father disappeared. Yes, within the realms. It was rumoured he was working on a secret project, but he never told me the details. He took it to his death, I’m afraid.” She sat down, glanced at Yas and then at the tea in the cup. Yas could see that this was painful for her. She reached out and touched her mom on her arm.
“I’m sorry,” Peter replied, to try to soften the hardship. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“What do you think happened to Ms. McVale?” Mary asked, to change the subject.
“I’m pretty sure she got out,” assured Peter. “Do you have a means of contacting her by any chance?”
“I don’t,” replied Mary, regretfully.
“I have her cell number,” suggested Yas, pulling out her phone. “She uses it to tell me if there’s any change in my work shifts.”
“Maybe text her?” suggested Peter.
Yas nodded. She typed a text and sent it.
“And what’s next for you, Detective? Where do you go from here?” Mary asked, to continue to keep the topic away from her father.
“I don’t know how much you know about all of this,” replied Peter. “I have a feeling the Controllers may be making the next move. Whatever the peacekeepers are, the Controllers seem to be interested in these two,” he gestured to Sam and Yas. “They believe they are key so its likely they’ll be looking for another means to grab them.”
Peter looked away thoughtfully to the doors at the back of the kitchen. A memory flashed in his mind. “That’s what it was,” he said to himself, realising.
“What Dad?” Sam asked. “What is it?”
Peter held up his hand, to ask for a moment of quiet.
“At the mansion,” he said, “I smelled someone I recognised. A cologne from the precinct... I couldn’t place it at the time, but I think it was Detective Wheeler. He was there. And he was afraid.”
“Okay?” replied Sam, not really seeing. “But why is that important? What would he have to do with everything?”
“I don’t understand why he would have been there,” Peter puzzled.
“You think he was one of the other creatures?” suggested Yas’s mom.
“Yes,” replied Peter. “The more I think about it, I’m sure he was.”
“But captured? Like you? Or working with them?” Sam asked.
“I intend to find out,” Peter replied resolutely. “I know one thing for certain. Something smells off. There’s more going on here than we first thought.”
Yas’s phone buzzed. She looked at it, then showed it excitedly to the room.
“She’s okay!” Yas exclaimed, feeling relieved. “She went back to the store.”
“Good,” said Peter. “She’s safe then.”
Yas’s phone buzzed again. She looked at it and then at Sam, puzzled.
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“She’s suggested we meet her tomorrow after school at the library?”
“Both of us?” asked Sam. “Why would she ask for me to be there? I don’t really know her.”
“True,” agreed Yas. “I don’t know why. But will you come with me?”
“Sure, I’ll come if you want.”
Peter looked at Yas. “Did she say why she needs to see you both?”
Yas texted again. It wasn’t long before her phone buzzed with an answer.
Peter looked at Yas. She thought he was going to express some concern, but he stayed silent.
“You know, I think it was me that captured McVale that day, from Victorian London,” he expressed quietly.
“You?” asked Yas, surprised.
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
Yas wasn’t sure what to say. She found it difficult to believe that he could have done that.
“Different pieces keep coming back to me. Like I’m in a dream. Yet I know I wasn’t. You were there weren’t you? Off to one side? Behind a door? I keep catching glimpses.”
“Yes,” confirmed Yas.
“The more time I spent trapped as the wolf, the less I could remember who I was! I existed inside a dream. Now I’m me again I only remember flashes. Does that make sense?”
“I think so,” agreed Yas. “Ms. Vickers mentioned that time may be running out for you. I think somehow she knew that.”
“That’s because she’s working with them!” added Sam, venomously.
“Sam! Look, we’ve been over this!” replied his dad.
They heard a key turning in the lock of the front door. They looked in that direction, even though they could not see along the hallway from where they were seated.
“Hello?” called Yas’s dad. He’d arrived home from work. Yas immediately became nervous. She knew he was testy on anything to do with the mention of her grandpa or realms. She looked at her mom, who stood up straight away.
“Is that the time?” she said, excusing herself from the conversation. “I must be getting on.”
Yas’s father came into the kitchen.
“Oh, hello?” he asked, surprised to see guests. “Hi Sam,” he said, recognising him from the previous evening.
“Detective Inspector Peter Swift, Mr. Oakham,” Peter said, standing up and offering a handshake. “Your wife was kind enough to invite me in.” He gestured towards Sam. “Thank you for letting my son stay here last night.”
“Oh, I see,” said Yas’s father nervously. “Of course,” looking at Peter’s crumpled clothing.
“Weren’t you missing?”
“Yes,” smiled Peter. “I arrived back today. Please excuse my appearance.”
“Oh, not to worry,” said Yas’s father unconvincingly. “You were on the news, you know? A suspected kidnapping?”
“I believe so,” replied Peter. “I wasn’t intending to be a celebrity, though.” He smiled. Yas’s father smiled back, unsure what to say next.
“Well,” Peter said, gesturing to Sam to get up. “We should leave you in peace. I need to go home and change.” Peter looked to Mary, who was starting to prepare food. “Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome,” Mary replied. Yas thought she saw something different in her mom. She seemed more alive somehow.
Peter headed towards the front door with Sam.
“See you in the morning?” called Sam as they headed outside.
“Yes,” replied Yas. “See you tomorrow! Usual place?”
“Sure.”
The door closed, leaving an awkward silence in the room.
“What did he want?” asked her father suspiciously. “There’s been no update on the news at all.”
“Yes, dear” replied her mom. “He’s just returned.”
“Then why would he come here?” her father asked. Yas saw that he had a point. It was going to be difficult to come up with a convincing story. Yas’s mom was ahead of the game, fortunately.
“He was thanking us for looking after Sam,” she replied nonchalantly, reaching into the pantry for some herbs. “And picked up Sam’s things.”
“Oh, I see,” said her father. He was expecting a different answer. “So not on any police business then?”
“No,” replied her mom. “Were you expecting him to be?”
“Well,” he said hesitantly. “I was expecting questions about your father, what he was involved with, what we knew.”
Yas’s mom went over to her father and grabbed him on the shoulders gently. “Its the past,” she soothed.
“It just seems unusual for him to be here. I’m sorry,” he said. “I guess... I just expect it all to resurface again, you know?”
“I know,” she said.
“I just, I don’t know if I can go there again. All the gossip and hearsay. Our lives were not our own.”
Yas’s mom just nodded and touched him on the chin, reassuringly. She smiled. “I’m not asking you to.” She leaned forwards and gave him a quick kiss.
He kissed her back, then gave Yas a welcome home hug and headed upstairs.
Yas’s mom waited for him to head out of earshot, then she looked at Yas, her eyes brighter than Yas had seen for a long time.
She spoke quietly. “I tend to agree with Detective Swift. The Controllers will try to find you again. We’ll try and protect you, but...” she paused. She reflected on the brief conversation with her husband. Trying to ignore things was one way. This afternoon however had shown her something different. “Right now, you know very little,” continued Yas’s mom. “If you want to know more, there will be no going back.”
Yas nodded. There was nothing to think about. She wanted to know whatever it was that her mom had held back all these years.
“Okay,” said her mom, grabbing Yas’s arms gently with her hands and looking into her eyes. “You’re a different person to Akoni.”
“What does that mean?” asked Yas.
“Ssh,” shushed her mom, her finger on her lips. She looked up, indicating that the words could still carry through the floor, upstairs.
“Firstly,” said her mom, quietly, “I will do my best to protect you, but I know from experience that it may not be enough. Promise me you will be as safe as you can. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Promise me, Yas?”
Yas nodded again.
“Good,” she replied, taking Yas by the hand and heading out of the kitchen and along the hallway. “I have something for you.”
“What?” asked Yas.
Her mom went into the front room and over to one of the bookshelves that sat either side of the fireplace. For a split second, the front room exactly matched one of the images that had been shown to her and Sam in Alexandria. Yas’s mom pulled out a small book, grey and dull with a blue binding on the spine. There was no writing visible on it, just a design Yas recognised, the intertwined flower stalks and two heads. She handed it to Yas.
“What is it?” Yas asked, opening it very gently and looking inside.
“It’s a book of your grandpa’s,” explained her mom. “He gave it to me before he disappeared.” She paused. It was still painful to remember. She’d never really said goodbye to her father. “I don’t really know what happened to him, but he was very specific about this book and where to put it.” She smiled at the memory, but there was sadness there too.
“What happened?” asked Yas.
“Your grandpa was involved with a group of people trying to protect the realms.”
“He was a guardian?” asked Yas, a little too loudly with her excitement. She felt the truth that she’d needed to hear was finally being spoken.
“Ssh,” shushed her mom again, nodding, looking nervously upwards.
“There was some issue and he thought he had a solution,” she continued. “Akoni was headstrong. He encouraged your grandpa to share it.” She looked up at Yas. “That resulted in him and Akoni working with McVale,” she said sadly. “I know they travelled together on some quests, but I don’t know exactly what they were doing. He told me that he was borrowing pieces from tales, tiny pieces that no-one would notice were missing. I didn’t really understand what he meant. Then there was some almighty disagreement with Akoni.” She paused, putting her arm around Yas’s shoulder. “Then, later that same evening, Grandpa gave me this and said that you’d told him where he needed to hide it.”
Ya
s turned to look at her mom, confused. “I told him?”
“Apparently,” confirmed her mom. “I didn’t understand either. I was worried about him. He seemed confused. But on this he was very clear. Hidden in plain sight, he said. He was adamant about it.”
Yas remembered the phrase from something that Y’an had said in Alexandria, but it didn’t make sense. “I told him that when I was younger?” asked Yas. “When?”
“That’s all I know. That’s what he said.”
“I don’t remember ever knowing anything about this,” defended Yas.
“I know,” replied her mom. “I don’t understand either. He said that many would come looking, but that he knew he could only trust two people.”
“Who?”
“Me,” said her mom. “And you!”
“Us?” asked Yas, initially puzzled. It made sense why her grandpa had chosen her mom. But why her? She knew nothing. If she was connected to this in some way, why had no-one ever told her? “What about Dad?”
“I don’t know, hun. I’ve had so many questions too. I spent a long time trying to figure it all out, without much success. Its affected me and your father has worried about losing me as well as Grandpa and Akoni. I became anxious and depressed, caught between trying to help my father and protect you. I’m so sorry...” Tears welled in her mom’s eyes, “I wasn’t always there for you...”
“Mom,” said Yas, hugging her. It seemed to clear the air between them.
They heard a noise from upstairs.
“Don’t be angry at your father,” her mom continued. “He just wants to protect us both. He’s reluctantly kept this secret. Its been hard on him and he was kind of hoping that this would just all go away quietly.”
So, this was it, reasoned Yas. This was why they had been avoiding talking about anything that came close to this topic.
“The events of today have shown me that, like it or not, your grandpa’s work is still key and the Controllers are still searching for it. Whatever the cost.”
“So, can you tell me what’s so special about it?” asked Yas, looking down at the pages. “I mean, this just looks to be a journal.” She could see rough sketches of creatures and part scenes, with some notes that she couldn’t make out.”
The Word Guardians: and the Battle for the Peacekeepers Page 18