The Gilweean Gateway

by R A Lindo

  The words drained the anger out of Guppy’s face - the realisation hitting home that her mother was involved in a dark plot. Anticipation and realisation were very different things, Guppy was quickly learning - the very thing Jacob had mentioned to Kaira as they prepared for this very journey.

  Meyen Grayling’s embracement of a dark path meant many troubling things, including her own fate and the fate of her children. One thing was certain - reference to ‘great powers’ was not referring to magic that would protect the S.P.M.A. The power contained within the glass prison was a Terrecet fragment. How Kaira knew this couldn’t be fully explained, although the mention of the desire to ‘pass on your great powers’ was linked to a certain Society fable: The Curse of the Saralin Sands.

  The story centred around a boy named Elias Reepe … a boy who had traded ‘seven steps for seven grains of sand’, shredding youth for old age in a devil’s deal. A boy who realised too late the dark bargain he had forged … left with an artefact containing the power to defeat death, beckon the creatures of the underworld and bend the will of men.

  As the realisation dawned that Meyen Grayling had, indeed, succumbed to the twisted temptations of dark magic, Kaira signalled towards the Cympgus with two critical pieces of information added to their ever-expanding puzzle: the Terrecet existed and the boy/man within the tale - Elias Reepe - was almost certainly alive.

  The Cympgus returned them to the peace of The Cendryll where they found the silhouette of Jacob pacing by The Seating Station.

  “What took you so long?” he whispered, encouraging urgency in Kaira and Guppy’s explanation before returning to their bedrooms.

  “It’s what we thought it was,” stated Kaira, remaining alert to the smallest sound.

  “You’re sure...?”

  Guppy nodded whilst Kaira remained focused on the doors resting in their ill-fitting frames. The S.P.M.A. logo dominating the intricate marble floor could still be made out, thanks to the Crilliun eye drops.

  “As sure as we can be without actually seeing it,” replied Guppy.

  “That’s not very definitive,” stated Jacob as a soft light flickered ahead … most likely a candle or a Spintz charm, neither of which were a good sign … adults coming to check on the activity on the ground floor, keeping some awake and others increasingly irritated.

  “It was what your mum said,” added Kaira, “and the way the artefact moved in its metal container: violently.”

  “What did she say?” pressed Jacob as the flickering light neared the top of the spiral staircase.

  “Something about finding its master to pass on its powers,” added Guppy, keeping her eyes on the illumination reaching the top of the spiral staircase.

  Unlike Kaira’s instinctive desire to hide in the darkness of The Seating Station on her return from Dyil’s Ditch, there was no such fear now. Instead, there was an element of control over the figure who appeared in a familiar, all-blue attire, blonde-bobbed hair and humourless face - now a symbol of disloyalty and betrayal. Knowledge was power and they now had knowledge of Meyen Grayling’s secret plot to betray the magical world they all loved dearly.

  As Guppy and Jacob’s mother stood at the top of the staircase, staring towards The Seating Station shrouded in darkness, Kaira studied the bitter face lit up by the Spintz charm, wondering what price she would pay for her betrayal. They would need to tell the adults in the morning, ensuring that their explanation was logical and their actions justifiable.

  “Jacob, Guppy … bed,” came Meyen Grayling’s familiarly spiteful tone.

  Deciding that adopting the role of compliant children to limit the expected interrogation, Guppy whispered, “Meet in Quandary Corner in the morning. We need to get our hands on a new artefact.”

  Jacob nodded, knowing what artefact Guppy was referring to. He stood from their circular refuge somewhat reluctantly, longing for the time when he could avoid his mother’s company altogether. His disregard for her had only deepened with the knowledge gleaned beneath The Floating Floor. As one enemy was confirmed, another was clouded in doubt. One had come to their rescue this morning whilst the other - his own mother - had secured a more sinister fate.

  Despite their lack of magical training and knowledge of the intricate architecture of the S.P.M.A., Jacob was determined to stop his mother’s planned betrayal. They had the element of surprise on their side, after all, as well as the secret passage offered by The Revolving Room. Added to this, their own adult army was forming around them, including the Merrymope twins, Farraday and Smyck and, most importantly, Casper and Philomeena Renn: water people with magical abilities yet to be unleashed.

  As the purple hue of the Crilliun eye drops faded, Kaira walked with Guppy through the darkness towards the revolving lift. Guppy’s battle to distance herself from her mother’s ill will had already been won, allowing her to share the bedroom in Philomeena Renn’s quarters. Children shouldn’t be alone, least of all in a world alien to them - a conclusion Kaira’s dad and aunt had drawn, and one not challenged by Meyen Grayling.

  As they stepped into the lift and pushed the button for the fourth floor, Kaira studied the darkness of The Cendryll, the vast chamber resting before the sunrise flooded in through the skylight, waking the army of Quij who would decorate the magical faculty with a shower of multi-coloured light once more.

  Not quite sure how to address Meyen Grayling’s betrayal, Kaira skirted around the issue, deciding to enquire about the new artefact they needed.

  “A Panorilum,” came Guppy’s reply, her expression reflecting a combination of determination and mild disgust.

  Kaira recognised the name, remembering the first time she had seen one on their journey through the Tunnels - negotiating The Web of Azryllis to be addressed by The Orium Circle in Tauvin Hall. Melina Guest, one of the six members of The Orium Circle, had used a Panorilum to provide an overview of current events in the Society.

  She remembered the image of her dad on a section of the magical artefact … walking through a desolate landscape, using his overcoat to protect himself from the wild landscape. The memory marked Kaira’s first feelings of betrayal - Guppy withholding information regarding her dad’s whereabouts.

  She now knew that her friend had been protecting her from further worry at a time when her dad and aunt had vanished on ‘Society business’. The sense of betrayal felt now, however, was far more palpable because it wasn’t a simple act of white lies but the secret hoarding of a fragment which controlled the underworld.

  “Where do we get one?” asked Kaira in reference to the Panorilum Guppy was keen to acquire.

  “Tallis & Crake, first thing in the morning.”

  “They don’t sound like the sort of thing that’s easy to get hold of,” added Kaira, blinking to use the last remnants of the Crilliun eye drops.

  “They’re not. I’ll have to trade my Vaspyl for one.”

  Kaira glanced at Guppy in shock. Trading her Vaspyl…? A Vaspyl was morphing steel, able to transform into any object and only limited by the space it occupied. It was rare and spectacular but Guppy explained the necessity of the trade.

  “Your aunt gave us one each so we’ll still have a Vaspyl. We’ll also need the other artefacts we’ve got; the Panorilum is the missing piece because it allows us to study lots of things at once.”

  “Like a map of movements.”

  “Right.”

  “And if my aunt asks why we’re late?”

  “Just say we lost track of time,” suggested Guppy, clearly preoccupied with her mother’s transgression towards evil. “We need to be careful who’s listening in from now on,” she added, glancing towards the stairs leading to her mother’s quarters. “Words travel, even at night.”

  Kaira nodded as they creaked open the door of her aunt’s quarters, thankful there was no one waiting at the dining room table. The wonder of the kitchen which stretched to the heavens caught Kaira’s eye as they tip-toed through the darkness towards their bedroom, buzzing with adrena
line from their midnight trip beneath The Floating Floor.

  Another magical realm had been discovered, moving them closer to the shadows spinning in their ever-evolving universe: shadows that would swarm before long.

  13

  Family Secrets

  Morning seemed in no hurry to arrive - at least in the eyes of Kaira and Guppy who spent much of the night ruminating on various theories, mainly centred around Meyen Grayling’s plans for the dark artefact hidden in The Phiadal. Guppy was convinced that her mother was working with Erent Koll, the monstrous figure whose deadly clutches they had escaped.

  Koll was building an army, Guppy suggested in the low whispers used to avoid waking Kaira’s aunt who, unbeknownst to them, was also wide awake, listening to the hushed tones in the adjacent bedroom.

  Allowing her niece and friend the platform for covert movements was one thing, pondered Philomeena Renn, but this didn’t extend to pushing the boundaries the adults had set down. Night time brought a different pallor to The Cendryll and the Society as a whole, and it wouldn’t be long before the impulsivity of youth landed them in deep water again.

  They were, of course, being watched at all times via various means, including Follygrins, Looksees, Panorilums and illustrated windows: the precise combination of artefacts the young trio would need to work out an ever-evolving puzzle.

  Little did they know of the adults’ knowledge of their run in with Erent Koll, or their recent discovery of The Phiadal beneath The Floating Floor. Morning would bring more than the young bargained for, Philomeena Renn pondered, as Kaira and Guppy’s whispered conversation continued until the early hours before the weight of fatigue forced sleep onto them.

  Erent Koll was no fool and would have sensed their presence this morning. The added appearance of Isiah Renn was the critical factor in the adults’ decision to gather the young in the morning. The fury in Casper Renn’s face on being called to Farraday’s quarters - a shambolic space filled with little more than furniture and a concoction of Society brews - held its own danger.

  The darkening narrative of the S.P.M.A. had been further complicated by the re-appearance of Kaira’s grandfather, viewed as a malev (a disgraced Society member) whose name had become synonymous with betrayal. Like all things, it was more complicated than that, leading to a schism in the Renn family whose proud, magical lineage was now stained with associations of Gorrah.

  For years, Casper Renn had fought an internal battle centred around degrees of honour: honour to the S.P.M.A., forcing him to disown his father in public, whilst repressing a private need to maintain some form of contact - something which had been kept secret from many, including his daughter, to avoid the inevitable suspicions.

  What few people knew was that Isiah Renn continued to work with the Society, specifically in matters of security and known threats. Maintaining order within a secret, magical world was no simple feat, requiring a delicate balance of laws, structures and conflicting forces.

  The principle of the uneasy relationship between Isiah Renn and the Society centred around a singular truth, often used by Kaira’s grandfather to justify his study of Gorrah: negotiating darkness was a necessity to peace. Without understanding darkness, you could not truly know your enemy.

  Such thinking, once viewed as unacceptable, had increasingly proven to be accurate. For how, indeed, could Casper Renn protect his daughter from danger without fully understanding the powers of the dark legend people were killing for…? The Tereccet … hunted for decades … first by the Koll family as it fractured between nobility and criminality before a silent belief formed in the existence of a lethal power only referred to in a handful of Society manuals.

  As he studied the illustration of The Phiadal - the room his daughter and Guppy had discovered beneath The Floating Floor - he was increasingly aware that the secrets he had kept from his daughter were gradually rising to the surface … secrets regarding the complex relationship with his own father, and the true reason behind his secretive journey to The Wenlands.

  Casper Renn rubbed the bevelled edge of his Follygrin, zooming in on the figure who remained in The Phiadal, hovering over a particular shelf which seemed to entrance her, a hand stroking the glass encasement containing infinite fury. The sight of Meyen Grayling’s slow, psychological descent into the claws of dark magic, and the memory of watching his daughter and Guppy appear in The Phiadal, was enough to force Casper Renn’s hand regarding the steps necessary to avert disaster.

  Guppy and Jacob’s mother had chosen a road to oblivion, and her children were now aware of this fact. With suspicions rising, it was time to disclose certain information pertaining to the various movements already made to protect the S.P.M.A. Searings above ground had been the first sign that the Society’s secret world was gradually tearing at the seams, and now a catalogue of injured and dead was building up.

  Fractures within a social fabric caused people to take sides, and Meyen Grayling had clearly chosen hers, sealing her fate. The consequences of her actions would depend on the effectiveness of the plan about to be enacted, involving those closest to him - young and old.

  Morning arrived, causing Kaira and Guppy to spring out of bed, washing and dressing quickly. Attempting to shake off a mild headache, Kaira brushed her teeth and studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She was surprised by a face that seemed somewhat older despite the fact that so little time had passed since her entry to the S.P.M.A. Perhaps the shock of discovering its existence had wisened her, shaking off a layer of innocence regarding how the world worked.

  After all, in the above ground world, Kaira had existed in a micro-routine of home, school and weekends centred around 12 Spyndall Street and the wonders of Leaning Lane. Nothing could have prepared her for the colossal glory of The Cendryll and the multitude of magical events that had happened since, leading her deeper into the more mysterious aspects of the Society. Questions regarding those choosing the wrong path were part of the day’s agenda, but not before a certain artefact was acquired from Tallis & Crake: a Panorilum, allowing them to map menace.

  A note had been left by Aunt Phee to meet in Merrymopes at mid-day, and to not be late, suggesting another discussion was needed, hopefully not linked to last night’s trip below The Floating Floor. They had a plan should they be questioned by the adults - a plan that included the trading of Guppy’s Vaspyl, allowing them to study suspicious characters which, in turn, would help to justify their recent actions.

  Unlike previous brushes with danger, each act was now calculated to piece together the puzzle of potential malevs - those planning to endanger the magical universe Kaira was determined to protect. Also, Merrymopes had become synonymous with The Revolving Room, used for secret passage and, it seemed, secret meetings. The Cendryll existed in perpetual movement as Society members used the numerous doors to travel within multiple, magical realms which stretched across countries and continents.

  Despite it becoming a home-from-home for Kaira and her friends, including the distant and morose Conrad Kusp, there were limited places for discrete discussion. The Revolving Room offered the secrecy required - a space controlled by the Merrymope twins whose many eccentricities included their use of defensive charms. Few challenged Henkle and Bevan Merrymope, mainly due to the way in which their unique ice-cream and milkshake parlour could morph into a less inviting environment, should it be necessary.

  Acquiring a Panorilum would help them study the obvious threats at once: Erent Koll and The Sinister Four, along with Meyen Grayling and, to a lesser extent, the Melackin. Isiah Renn was a particular puzzle … the man feared by many who had come to her rescue. It was fair to say that greater knowledge had both clarified and complicated matters - something a Panorilum would help to fix.

  Jacob wasn’t waiting for Kaira and Guppy in Quandary Corner, meaning that he was either still asleep or had been forced back to Creative Charms by his mother.

  “Mum’s suspicious nature’s at work,” commented Guppy as she and Kaira sat in
Quandary Corner, situated in the far recesses of The Cendryll. “She probably didn’t believe Jacob’s story about why he was hanging around near The Floating Floor last night.”

  “Do you think she suspects us, as well?” asked Kaira as a small collection of luminous, orange Quij fluttered above, searching for a little human interaction. Kaira opened the palm of her hand and watched as they rested in it - the warmth of their tiny, glowing bodies offering a welcome comfort in a faculty still dominated by adult indifference.

  “Probably,” replied Guppy with a surprising detachment. “I mean, if I’d hidden the one thing that was sure to get me kicked out of the Society, I’d be paranoid.”

  “So, do we wait for Jacob or carry on with our plan?”

  “Jacob will find us later, if he can get out of Creative Charms. He knows where we’re headed and can always catch up with us at Merrymopes.”

  “We need to be there for mid-day,” Kaira reminded Guppy, remembering how the word ‘not’ was underlined in her aunt’s note. It was clear that being late would pose problems, for reasons yet unknown. Something told Kaira that the allotted time had little to do with respecting lunch protocol: it felt more like a summons.

  A Worble charm had been activated from the moment they’d returned last night; it had been re-activated this morning, acting as protective cover. Guppy and Kaira were wise enough to understand that they were not the only ones spying on people: Follygrins, Looksees and Panorilums were designed for this very purpose.

  With much to discuss and decode, their communication needed to be protected. Had they been senior Society adults, this repeated need for secrecy would have raised eyebrows. Luckily, they were not and already looked upon as rebellious youngsters, causing mild havoc - not entirely untrue.

  With the Quij decorating The Cendryll with luminous, multi-coloured light, Kaira threw a glance over the discarded leaflets near her feet. The blank leaflets were copies of No News is Good News - the Society pamphlet printed each day to reassure members that all was well. Of course, since the death of Cialene Koll in Dyil’s Ditch, sinking into the mudlands as the vampiric Ameedis swarmed and fed, all clearly wasn’t well, signified by the discolouring of the pamphlet, according to Guppy.