Cain smiled broadly at Jack.
‘You did well,’ he said. ‘Well done for finally learning how to blend. I knew it would save your skin. You must have practised very hard – you were hopeless.’
Jack didn’t know how to tell Cain that he hadn’t practised at all, instead he nodded as a general answer feeling that it would be better that way.
‘We were well met,’ Dax said, his deep, unreadable eyes resting steadily on Jack’s own.
‘Thanks to Loomis,’ Jack said awkwardly. Dax had been banished from his home for helping Jack.
‘Perhaps,’ Dax nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on Jack. Doug, too, had been banished.
‘What will you do?’ Jack turned to Doug and asked.
‘Aloysius has extended the hospitality of Five Oakes to us indefinitely,’ Doug said, indicating Dax. ‘We will survive. In time we may return or perhaps found a new settlement.’
‘Well thank you. Thank you for everything. I never would have found Sophie without your help,’ Jack said, feeling inadequate. Doug nodded.
‘Sometimes we all have to chase our destiny,’ Dax spoke again, making Jack jump and look at the water nymph curiously.
‘How…’ Jack began quietly, before Aloysius interrupted.
‘Are you ready?’ Aloysius asked. Jack hesitated, looking at Dax then he saw Sophie over Dax’s shoulder and nodded. He looked round at all his friends, wondering when he would see them again.
Aloysius walked over to the far wall and passed his hands over it. The door appeared, opened, and Jack could see out into the bowl-shaped clearing. Home was close.
‘Gordy will escort you to the edge of the woods,’ Aloysius smiled.
‘You’re not coming?’ Jack asked.
‘No, not this time Jack. However, the wood will be hidden from neither you, nor Cali, nor your sister again. We will be here for you to visit whenever you want.’ Jack’s throat closed up. He did not know what to say, so instead he touched his left fore finger to his brow then his chest and held his hand palm upwards. Aloysius repeated the gesture, a watery gleam in his eye before he turned and left the room.
‘Let’s go then,’ Gordy said, his voice a little hoarse as if he too had had to choke back a lump. Brayden, Esther, Dax, Doug and Cain said a final, fond farewell to the three of them and followed Aloysius from the room as Jack left Five Oakes.
‘This is pretty,’ Sophie said as they emerged into the clearing, looking round at the five huge trees.
‘Yeah it is,’ Jack said. He had not told her yet about how he had met Gordy. ‘I’ll tell you about it someday.’ She looked at him curiously and nodded.
‘Jack,’ a familiar voice spoke from behind him, one that had helped him, perhaps, more than any other except Cali. One that he had relied on for his life on several occasions. One that his mind consistently forgot, as if it were some part of her camouflage, her Glamour.
‘Keeper!’ Jack said.
‘My work is done. For now,’ the Keeper said.
‘No, no it’s not,’ Jack said, ashamed of his forgetfulness, wanting her to stay. She did, after all, make him feel very safe as long as he was not trying to answer one of her riddles.
‘I will be of no use once you leave these woods,’ she said calmly, her voice the same warm honey as it always was, though Jack watched as a tear slid down her cheek.
‘Will I see you again?’ he asked.
‘Would you like to hear my riddle?’ the Keeper replied.
‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ Jack said ‘thanks. Thanks for everything. We never would have rescued Sophie without you.’ She nodded and began to fade.
‘Where will you go?’ Cali asked her voice choked, speaking for the first time since they had left the Earth Elementals headquarters.
‘Would you like to hear my riddle?’ the Keeper replied, her voice faded as she did until it sounded like only an echo on the breeze. Jack stared at the empty space that she had occupied until moments ago. He reached out, sure that he would find her comforting warmth. Nothing.
‘You’ll find her if you ever need her again,’ Gordy said soberly. ‘You have a blood bond; it lasts forever.’ Jack nodded slowly and turned back to the others.
‘Let’s go,’ he said. He didn’t know how he was going to take any more goodbyes. They seemed so final.
It didn’t take long to reach the outskirts of the wood. The trees, ancient and huge made Sophie gasp as she walked through them, and Jack looked at them with new eyes again.
‘It’s my turn to say goodbye now,’ Gordy said, looking Jack straight in the eye. ‘If there’s ever anything you need…’
‘I know,’ Jack said.
‘You too,’ he said looking in the direction of Cali and Sophie.
‘We’ll visit, all the time,’ Cali said, tears streaming down her face. Sophie nodded.
‘It’s time Loomis,’ Gordy turned to the Fire Elemental. Loomis nodded and they watched as he shrank, shrank to the size of a puppy. And to Jack’s astonishment he was white gold and his eyes were deep brown.
‘I chased my destiny. In the end,’ Jack said to Gordy, thinking once again of Dax’s remark. Gordy nodded.
‘Your parents should be proud,’ Gordy said.
His parents! They would be his parents again; life would return to the Manor! He turned back to Gordy and grasped him in a huge bear hug.
‘Gerroff,’ Gordy muttered gruffly, but Jack felt Gordy squeeze him quickly before he shook Jack off. The gnome turned and stumped grumpily back into the woods. Jack watched until he disappeared from view and then turned to look up at the Manor. Loomis jumped around Sophie’s feet, yipping excitedly.
‘Let’s go,’ Jack said, taking one last look over his shoulder he thought he saw a movement where he had last seen Gordy, almost as if the gnome had stopped to turn and watch them walk up the hill. Jack smiled as he turned back. He took Sophie’s hand, then Cali’s as they walked up the now worn path to the driveway. As they got there Cali turned to him.
‘I guess this is just for you two,’ she said quietly, looking down at Sophie and smiling.
‘No, you have to come too, you did just as much as me. More even…’ Jack said, unwilling for the only person who had travelled all the way with him to depart.
‘I want to see my Granddad,’ she said simply. Jack nodded. She gave Sophie a hug and squeezed her hand. Then she turned back to Jack. She hugged him tightly.
‘See you tomorrow?’ Jack asked hopefully.
‘Sure,’ Cali smiled. Jack nodded and watched as she walked down the path towards the front gates and the gardener’s cottage where her grandfather lived. As Cali reached the gates she turned to wave then slipped through and disappeared from sight.
‘I guess it’s just me and you,’ Jack said to Sophie quietly. She nodded and looked at him seriously.
‘Want to go and see Mum and Dad?’ he asked. She hesitated a moment then smiled and turned to run up the driveway towards the Manor. After a short wait, Jack followed. For the time being all thoughts of war and Elementals and lost friends escaped his mind. He was racing his sister up the drive to their home, their new home and their new family. The Manor would be haunted no longer.
Elemental: Steele Stolen: Part 1 and 2 Page 22