Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One)

by Peckham, Caroline

  "I only found out recently," he said pathetically, his voice echoing agonisingly back at him from around the stadium.

  "What do you mean?" the woman asked, her brow furrowed.

  "I was brought up without any knowledge of the other worlds, on Earth," Oliver said, hoping this would win back some credibility.

  The man with the moustache stepped forward again. "Of course you knew. You just didn't want anyone to find out. Thought you'd hide yourself behind a couple of famous mages to take the focus off of yourself. But you don't fool me."

  Oliver shook his head. "You're wrong, I didn't-"

  The man cut across him. "You knew. And you let everyone believe that you're harmless. Were you planning on going to find Rimori, perhaps help finish what he and your father started?"

  Oliver stood up in a flash of anger. "Of course not." He felt his face flush as his blood burned hot.

  Ely appeared at the side of the stage and whispered into Ray Falls' ear. She bent down and shook her head at him.

  Truvian Gold leant forward and said, "Team Pandalin are going to take a ten minute break before returning to answer your questions."

  Ray Falls looked at him with fury in her eyes. Truvian shrugged and waved the group off of the stage. Oliver was boundlessly grateful to him in that moment as he ascended the stairs.

  Ely pulled him into the corridor beside the stage whilst the others remained on the steps, their eyes following him. Oliver's head was spinning as he leant against the wall. He heard music start up again in the arena.

  "What's going on? Why are they accusing me of helping Rimori?" Oliver asked, the words tumbling on top of one another.

  Ely rested a hand on his shoulder. "They're trying to get a rise out of you but you mustn't let them, it'll only add fuel to the fire. They're reporters, it's their job to get a story but you mustn't give them one."

  "How could they find out?" Oliver asked, his mind in a daze.

  "Your name. It's not hard to find out once they started looking into it. I would have liked to have entered you under a fake name but it's not possible. You had to register yourself as a key holder when you entered Aleva, you can't lie about who you are without them knowing."

  Oliver leant his hands on his knees, feeling sick. "All of those people out there hate me," he groaned.

  "I doubt it. They'll understand that you only just found out yourself. It's not your fault that he's your father. If you can face it, I say you go out there and answer their questions honestly then they won't have a bad word to say about you."

  "But what can I say? I hardly know anything about my father."

  "Then tell them that. Just be honest. If you run away now they're going to print something terrible about you and, if they do anyway, then at least you will have had a chance to defend yourself."

  Oliver nodded, feeling slightly better. He knew the only thing that linked him to William Knight was DNA.

  Ely squeezed Oliver's arm encouragingly before he returned to the stairs. He braced himself for the questions from Rogan and Quinn but they didn't come. They all looked at him, clearly unsure what to say, which he found somehow worse to bear.

  The music stopped and they returned to the stage in silence, sitting back down to the sound of boos and hisses.

  Ray Falls chose another woman to ask a question and Oliver braced himself.

  "If we are to believe you had no knowledge of being William Knight's son, then what's your explanation for that?"

  Oliver took a deep breath to steady his voice. "My mother brought me up with my adopted sister, May, on Earth without any knowledge of the other worlds." He wanted to make it clear that May wasn't related to William Knight, although it was clear the reporters had done their research anyway.

  The crowd was quiet as they listened intently and the woman asked another question. "Is your mother here today to answer on your behalf?"

  Oliver knew he had to be honest. "No, she disappeared a few months ago and we went to live with our grandfather, Ely Fox, in Oakway Manor. That's where I learnt about the existence of the other worlds."

  "Ely Fox, as in Eugene Fox's father?" The moustached man piped up.

  "Yes," Oliver said and the crowd booed him again.

  "And where did your mother disappear to?" the woman asked without a shred of empathy.

  "I don't know."

  The crowd muttered amongst themselves and Oliver caught the words guilty conscious from a bald photographer.

  "Next question please," Ray Falls said.

  A tall man stepped forward. "I'd like to ask Miss Thorn and Mr Ganderfield if they still intend on competing alongside Mr Knight after this news coming to light?"

  Oliver gripped the table. Every chance he had of getting May to Brinatin was pinned on their answer. He peeked a look at Rogan's face but couldn't tell what he was thinking.

  Quinn was shaking her head and was about to lean forward to answer when Rogan said, "Yes, we do intend on competing with him. People should not be judged by who they're related to but by their own actions and Oliver has done nothing to deserve persecution. I'm sure we will be good friends as well as teammates."

  The weight in Oliver's chest lifted and he looked at Rogan with thanks written across his face. Rogan smiled at him, clapping him on the back. The crowd cheered and camera flashes went off in their thousands. Quinn smiled brightly, taking Rogan's hand supportively. Oliver eyed her and sensed her reaction was all for show.

  To Oliver's relief, the questions finally turned to focus on Rogan and Quinn.

  The woman in the frilly dress stepped forward again. "Will you be setting a date for the wedding any time soon?'

  "We will hopefully be getting married early next year in Brinatin but we haven't set a date just yet," Quinn answered and stroked Rogan's arm gently.

  "Yes, we can't wait." Rogan leaned in and kissed Quinn on the lips.

  The crowd cheered and applauded. Cameras flashed like mad, stinging Oliver's retinas.

  The questions continued to be aimed at Rogan and Quinn but Oliver couldn't get over what had happened. He barely heard a word that was spoken around him as his mind raced.

  Ray Falls eventually announced the end of the questions. Oliver felt numb. He could feel the eyes of the audience watching him as he exited the stage. He saw people pointing at him from the stands as they talked amongst their friends.

  Oliver didn't want to listen. He didn't want to catch the words that carried to his ears from the crowd.

  He pushed past the others and legged it upstairs into the corridor. He hurried along back to the room with the golden silk draped along the walls.

  Ely appeared a moment later then May entered from the corridor.

  Oliver sighed with relief. "Can we go?"

  "Just a minute. I think you better talk to your teammates," Ely said softly.

  Oliver knew he had to but every part of him just wanted to run away.

  Abbicus Brown burst into the room. He no longer looked merry and tipsy, his face was stern and he had pulled himself up to what, Oliver now realised, was a surprising height.

  "How dare you neglect to inform me of your parentage!" Abbicus roared at him.

  "William Knight is connected to Oliver by nothing more than blood. Why should Oliver be punished for the crimes of his father?" Ely stepped in.

  Oliver felt a burst of hope at Ely's words. He was glad he was there to defend him because, at that moment in time, he wasn't sure he could have managed it alone.

  "That's not the point. He's made a laughing stock of me. How dare you let the public think I allowed the son of an anti-Gateway rebel to enter the race,"Abbicus barked at Oliver, his jowls wobbling as he shook his head in anger.

  "No one should have known. It's irrelevant and you will keep your word on letting Oliver race or, so help me, I will turn you into a pile of soot," Ely snapped, emanating power as sparks crackled in his palms.

  Abbicus backed away. "Don't you threaten me you, you old cretin." He tried to keep himself c
omposed but couldn't stop his eyes from flicking between Ely's hands.

  "What's going on?" It was Laura. The rest of the committee had re-entered the room and were talking in hushed whispers. Oliver tried to catch Laura's eye but couldn't.

  "This man is threatening me." Abbicus pointed at Ely with a trembling finger.

  Ely rolled his eyes.

  "Oh, do calm down Abbicus," Laura said. "We need to discuss this rationally."

  Abbicus Brown looked as though he were about to retaliate but bit his lip to stop himself.

  "Oliver's just had more of a shock than we all have so let him speak," Laura commanded, and all eyes in the room turned to Oliver. "Do you still want to compete?" Laura finally met his gaze. Her eyes were warm, encouraging and so like his mother's he couldn't help but relax.

  From the corner of his eye Oliver spotted Rogan, Quinn and Anna enter the room. He took a deep breath and answered Laura. "Look, I don't know much about my father but he didn't raise me so I'll never have any attachment to him. I want to compete. Please don't stop me because of him." No one answered for a moment.

  "I don't see any reason why he can't compete," Laura said firmly.

  "It's not up to you," Abbicus snapped.

  "No, but it's up to the Race Committee as a whole. You'll have to put it to a vote," Laura insisted.

  "But what if the boy's helping Rimori like his father did? We can't risk letting him compete," Abbicus said, a wild glint in his eye.

  "Nonsense, Abbicus. Why ever would Isaac Rimori recruit a teenager to help him?" Ely said, shaking his head at the man.

  Abbicus eyed Oliver warily like he was an assassin about to pounce then helped himself to another drink from the table. "I have every right to question the boy," he said, puffing out his chest as he added alcohol to his glass from his hip-flask.

  "Oliver found out about all this mere days ago," Ely insisted. "Do you really believe that Rimori has returned from Vale, approached a sixteen your old boy, and plotted the fall of the Gateways with him in that time?"

  "Oho, so that's what he's plotting is it?" Abbicus said, sipping at his drink. "Maybe you're in on this, too, old man. It'd make sense. Your son was another friend of Rimori's wasn't he?"

  "You've gone mad," Ely said furiously.

  "And you, you're the boy's aunt. How can I trust you?" Abbicus rounded on Laura. "We have traitors in our midst!" he announced loudly to the room, swinging his drink around to gesture at Oliver, Ely and now Laura.

  The bald committee member put his hands on his hips. "That's enough, Abbicus. It has to go to a vote."

  Abbicus stormed over to the table and concocted himself yet another spiked drink, muttering into it as he sipped. "Fine," he grunted a moment later. "I vote no."

  "I vote yes," Laura said loudly.

  "Team Pandalin would need a fifth member to fill Mr Knight's spot if he is removed. It'd be awfully inconvenient at this late stage to try and find someone else," said a white-haired woman on the committee.

  Oliver felt hope balloon in his chest at her words.

  "They'd be queuing in the streets to fill that position," Abbicus said, dismissing her comment with a wave of his hand.

  The balloon in Oliver's chest burst, and he frowned heavily.

  The four other committee members gathered together at one side of the room and began to have a hushed discussion. Oliver spotted Rogan muttering quietly to Quinn and his gut twisted sharply.

  "We won't compete," Rogan announced loudly to the room. "Unless Oliver's allowed to."

  Oliver's breath caught.

  Quinn looked angry but didn't argue with him.

  "You can't do that," Abbicus hissed.

  "We can. And we will. And you'll lose all the publicity you would have gotten from us competing," Rogan said, folding his arms.

  The committee looked alarmed then slowly, one by one, they all voted yes.

  "Fine," Abbicus snarled. "You can compete, but this better not come back to bite me in the arse." He stormed out of the room.

  "It'd take a whale of a mouth to bite that arse," Quinn muttered.

  * * *

  They returned to the hotel. Oliver didn't say a word on the journey home. He still felt the strong urge to be as far away from people as possible. He was beyond grateful to Rogan for swaying Abbicus's decision but guilt wracked at him. He hadn't been honest and now he had put his friends in the firing line alongside himself.

  They exited the pod and walked into the lobby. Oliver trailed behind the others. He walked forward, intending to take the lift straight up to his room but Rogan put an arm out to stop him. "Can I talk to you a sec?" He was smiling but Oliver could tell he didn't have a choice.

  He shrugged and followed Rogan into the lounge. Oliver looked back to see Ely and Quinn heading towards the lift. Anna and May were watching them from the lobby. They hesitated, looked at each other uncertainly, then followed Oliver and Rogan into the lounge.

  "Look, before you say anything I just want to say sorry. I should have been honest with you Rogan," Oliver said. "I told Anna. I should have told you too."

  She nodded a little guiltily.

  "I get why you didn't," Rogan said, his mouth turning down at one corner.

  "Thank you for standing up for me. There's no way Abbicus was gonna let me compete," Oliver said.

  "Don't worry about it," Rogan said earnestly.

  "There's something else." Oliver hesitated. He wanted to be completely honest about everything. "May do you mind?" He looked at his sister who's green eyes blazed at him.

  She wet her lips before she answered. "No, but I'll say it." She looked at Rogan and Anna then took a breath. "I'm cursed. I have to get to Brinatin as soon as I can or the curse is going to kill me." Determination spread across May's features and Oliver felt a swell of admiration for her.

  Rogan and Anna were stunned into silence.

  "And we're going to see your father to find out if he can help May," Oliver said, delivering the final secret to Rogan.

  Rogan nodded slowly and, for a moment, Oliver thought he was going to storm out of the room never to be seen again. But, instead, he took two long strides over to May and pulled her into a hug. "Then we'd better get you a key," he said, setting his jaw.

  20

  Those Who Wait

  Ten Days Ago

  "Kogure?" Rimori addressed the vark, pacing the cave. His bare feet slipped in the thick grime on the floor. He could sense the creature's presence.

  "Yess. I'm here," he answered.

  "Is he ready for us? Is it time?" Rimori snapped anxiously, his heartbeat quickening with excitement.

  "Yess, yessss. It's timee. He iss beyondd the Gatewayyy. Let usss go. He iss waiting," Kogure's voice was full of anticipation. Rimori knew it was the most dangerous time to be around him but there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

  Rimori stopped pacing and relief flooded every inch of his body. He almost felt like weeping. He was returning to the human worlds at long last after ten years in Vale. He could take Kogure with him, he hardly believed it was true. The creature had power over an army of varks and they were his to command now.

  "Yes, Kogure. It is time to go at last." He glanced at the remains of his discarded bag in one corner of the cave. He didn't need it anymore. He kept the knife at his waist as one of the only items that would return with him, along with the Lock that had hung at his neck for all these years.

  His clothes were in tatters and it was so long since he had been clean he had forgotten what it was like. His thick beard itched; he had dreamed of the day he could take a razor to it and now that day was within reach.

  "Noww? Are we going nowww?" Kogure hissed anxiously.

  "Yes. But you remember our agreement? You will stay with me unless I tell you otherwise. You will do as I command until we have conquered the seven worlds. Then, and only then, will you be free."

  "Yesss. Oh, master, yess, I agree."

  "Good. Then we shall go. Lead me back to the Gateway
, Kogure."

  "Yess." His voice became distant and Rimori could feel the pull of him.

  He followed the vibration out of the cave and across the desolate landscape.

  They arrived at the Gateway: just a blackened, dead tree. A branch curved over to make the archway on one side of it.

  Rimori's heart was beating at an alarming rate. He couldn't believe he was returning after so many years of living in the same cave with only the vark for company.

  There were so many things he had forgotten. It all started to flood back: hot showers, fine food, the feel of the sun on his skin.

  "Noww. Do it noww," Kogure said.

  "Hush. You must learn to be patient. Once we go through, there'll be many things to do before we'll be able to bring down the Gateways."

  "I underssstand."

  Rimori nodded. He held up his Lock and red light the colour of blood emitted from the key to Vale. He felt the creature inch closer and the archway filled with light.

  It had taken him ten years to reach this moment. Ten years in Vale.

  He had greatly underestimated what it would take for him to be able to return to the human worlds with the vark. He had waited whilst his friend set everything in order. He had had to convince him to trust Kogure over time. His friend had performed new magic on the vark, designed from his own experiments, that would allow Kogure to come through the Gateway into the human worlds in his full form.

  He hadn't realised that the varks who visited the human worlds did so at a cost to themselves. They were damaged by the journey in the same way he would be by returning from Vale, although, they weren't susceptible to death like he was. But he would survive, he had taken precautions to be sure.

  He felt nothing but pure joy as he stepped through the Gateway, any pain to come would be worth it.

  A soft breeze was the first thing he experienced. Then the smell of dust and a wave of heat from the desert in Arideen. He fell to his knees, his body suddenly weak and exhausted. He couldn't see because of how watered his eyes had become.