“I was,” her grandmother replied. “But now I need to be here.” She held Willow at arm’s length. “Goodness me, what are your parents feeding you? You’re so tall!”
“Tallest girl in my class.” Willow hugged her Gran tightly. “Can’t believe you’re here. It’s so good to see you!”
Isobel smiled. “I’m thrilled to see you too. It’s nice to know I was missed.” She turned towards her daughter who was now standing beside her. A look passed between Audrey and Isobel as they kissed each other’s cheeks. Thomas pushed his chair back and came to embrace his mother-in-law too.
Not a word had passed their lips, but Willow could sense that something had been communicated between mother, daughter and son-in-law, and no-one was smiling about it.
“I’m counting on a few stories about your adventures later,” Isobel informed her granddaughter as she settled herself in Thomas’s chair while he went in search of another chair and an extra table setting.
“Sure, Gran,” Willow said. “And I want to hear about your adventures in China.”
The sun was low on the horizon when Willow made her way to the back seat of their hired minibus and stared out the window at the scenery below. Someone once had a dream about creating a vineyard to make wine, she thought. And now, here it was, growing amongst the hills, doing just that – and possibly for over a century or more. Dreams could live on for a long time.
Hugo plonked himself down on the seat next to Willow.
“So where exactly are we?” she asked him, her eyes following the moving scenery outside.
“We are in ze beautiful Provençal region,” Hugo said in his best French tour guide accent. “A most wonderful part of ze world – oui?”
“Am I meant to laugh now?” she asked, turning to face him and struggling to hold back a smile.
“If you cannot contain yourself, zen please go right ahead,” he replied, continuing the accent. “I am just tryeeng to lighten ze at-mos-phere with my impeccable sense of ’umour.” He pretended to curl the ends of a long moustache.
“Thanks. But I wouldn’t make a career out of being a tour guide – or a comedian, if I were you.”
“Hmph! Such cheek, Mademoiselle!” Hugo gave her a smirk.
Willow gestured towards the front of the bus. “Seems our parents are catching up with other Keeper members.”
“Yeah. I’ve seen a couple of them before,” Hugo said returning to his normal speech. “I’d bet they’re all trying to figure out what the announcement will be at the meeting.”
They drove slowly through a small village with narrow streets, and Willow’s gaze followed the revived shop fronts of the old buildings. A bank, a newsagent, a dress shop, a bakery, a computer store and, of course, a patisserie. There weren’t too many people about, with half the shops already closed or in the process of closing for the evening. She watched a woman walking along with her shopping bags and texting on her phone. A car somewhere behind the minibus honked its horn and the woman looked up and waved. The village outskirts gave way to a main road with slopes of forest on both sides.
Twenty minutes later, in the middle of the French countryside, Hugo’s father made a turn through a set of huge iron gates, and then slowed down because a line of cars stretched all the way up the long driveway. Willow peered through the window trying to see the head of the queue, but all she could see was a forest of trees. They inched along the cobbled road for a few more minutes before the trees eventually thinned out and she sighted an enormous fortress-like building. “Wow. So this is your school?”
“Our school,” Hugo corrected her. “Pretty impressive, huh?”
“Very.” A slight thrill rippled through her.
An attendant directed them to one of the gravelled car parks directly outside the walls. Everyone was so grim-looking it was as if they were attending the funeral of a dear friend. Hugo stepped away towards a group of teenagers and greeted them with some kind of hand gesture where they first touched the back of their hands together, then their palms, and then finished with a handshake. A girl wearing a bright red scarf gave Hugo a big hug. Willow lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling shy and alone, and moved closer to her parents.
They crossed the car park and followed a path to the entrance, a huge medieval arch. Hugo was still talking to his friends and now walking with them. Willow made herself focus on her surroundings.
Passing under the archway, they found themselves in an enormous square, flanked on all four sides by imposing buildings. In the centre of the square stood a tall white obelisk with symbols carved over it. The swelling crowd gathered, their voices making a low hum, like a swarm of bees. Willow felt almost disappointed as she studied the crowd. If there were any witches amongst them, they sure didn’t stand out. Not that she was expecting pointy hats and broomsticks. Her gaze was caught by an African woman wearing a bright, multi-coloured dress with matching headscarf. Willow watched the woman embrace another woman who was dressed in the Western style. They spoke a few words then looked at each other soberly. She noticed the same sober look repeat itself through the crowd, over and over.
She sighed and turned towards a row of windows that were sparkling a golden orange from the setting sun, in stark contrast to the grey surrounds. From the turreted roof-line high above, gargoyles and dragons watched her intently from their rigid posts. They were spooky-looking, but since she was a welcome visitor, they were surely her protectors.
Hugo suddenly appeared beside her and pointed to the building on their right. “That was my main study hall over there.”
“Must be great coming back so soon and seeing your friends again,” she said.
“Yeah, it is,” he admitted. “Thought it would be ages …”
Feeling a pang of guilt, Willow lowered her head.
Old friends of Willow’s parents emerged from the crowd, greeting them with warm familiarity, but they all had that same joyless look about them. Again, she scrutinised the people gathered. How many were Light Keepers? And how many of them were new like her? Willow stretched up on to her toes, certain that she’d seen her Uncle Alex, but it wasn’t him.
She turned back to Hugo. “Hey, what was that handshake you were doing before?”
“Oh, you saw that. It’s a Keeper’s greeting you learn when you come here.”
“I saw most of it, but what was the end bit?”
Hugo scrunched up his brows. “I guess I can show you. You are here afterall.” He offered his hand to Willow. “Copy me.”
Willow placed the back of her hand against his with fingers pointing upwards, followed by their palms. When she went to finish with the handshake, Hugo stopped her.
“No, no. First we do this.” Hugo turned Willow’s hand so that her palm faced up. He then placed his palm on top of hers, extending his thumb and little finger outwards. “You have to do the same.”
Willow matched his hand so that their thumbs and little fingers touched.
Hugo then moved his hand ready for a normal handshake. “And that’s it,” he said.
“Huh, not so weird,” she said.
Hugo gestured to a building across the square. “See that building over there? That’s the Council Chambers. Light Keepers and their Helper families usually sit together at meetings.”
The Council Chambers jutted out slightly from the rest of the buildings. Willow wondered what secrets and stories this centuries-old structure guarded within its walls, what magic it had seen through each passing generation as Light Keepers did their work to ward off the Dark Forces. A wintry breeze was settling in, swirling dry, rusty leaves around the square. She wrapped her coat around herself more tightly and glanced up at her protectors. Their stony eyes stared right back.
The huge wooden doors of the Council Chambers groaned open. Willow’s mother broke off the conversation she was having and rejoined her daughter.
“Ready for your first Gathering?” Audrey asked.
“I guess so …”
The Darkness Rises
Her eyes were drawn to several stained-glass windows along the back wall. In one of them, a young man sat cross-legged with a ball of light in front of his chest that shot out a gold and white streak of light towards distant stars. Must be a Light Keeper making a Light Stream, she thought. The next one looked like Merlin the Magician casting a spell. She scanned the rest of the windows along both sides of the room, hoping to see witches on them. But as far as she could tell there weren’t any; at least none that looked obvious.
Halfway down the aisle Willow’s parents turned into a row. She followed them, shuffling her way along the wooden pew, and sat down. There were lots of people still coming through the doors; she calculated that at full capacity the room could hold between five and six hundred people. Willow sat next to her mother who was pulling at the fingers of her gloves to coax them off. She then shoved the gloves into her handbag and absent-mindedly began to twist the wedding band on her finger. Willow diverted her attention to Hugo who was sitting on her other side, but half out of his seat, waving to his friends as he glimpsed them. She focused instead on the closest chandelier and began to count the candles.
Willow turned instinctively at the sound of the heavy doors closing behind them. As the iron latch clicked into place, a blue glow shimmered across the doors. The shimmer split in two, each branch snaking across the walls on either side of the room and quickly reaching the opposite end of the chamber where they collided with a blue crystal embedded within the wall directly behind the Council members. The blue crystal instantly lit up.
“What was that?” she whispered to Hugo.
“It’s a type of force field – for protection. The rest of the school has one too, just slightly different. Talk later; they’re about to start.”
Willow sat up straighter, craning her neck to see above the people in front of her. One of the Councillors stood. She was tall and pretty with warm brown hair that sat above her shoulders in thick waves. Beneath her cloak she wore a crisp white shirt and a navy skirt that finished just above her knees. Everything about this woman looked immaculate and normal.
Audrey breathed in heavily, took her daughter’s hand into her own and gave it a light squeeze.
“Good evening,” the woman said in a heavy French accent. “I hope you can all hear me.” A few murmurs in the audience had her respond with a repositioning of the small microphone that was clipped to her cloak. “For those of you who do not know me, I am Clarice Leveque, Head of Council. My fellow Councillors and I would like to welcome you all. We know many of you have travelled long distances. We thank you for responding so quickly to this urgent situation.”
Willow gazed at Clarice Leveque. This woman knew secrets. She was privy to closed meetings and gatherings and maybe even knew the hidden spells in the TriGamon. And yet, thought Willow, she didn’t look scary or powerful with that knowledge. She was not much older than Willow’s mother and there was softness in her face.
“I am sure you all want to know what is going on so I will get straight to the point.” Councillor Leveque surveyed the room and cleared her throat. “Firstly, I am pleased to announce that we have re-established direct communications with the Dream Keepers’ High Council. However, while conducting a search between our worlds, a tear along the space-time path was discovered near a Doorway. It is large enough to cause concern. As a consequence, we find ourselves in a position not experienced for centuries.” She paused, taking in a deep breath.
Willow’s skin prickled down her spine and her head throbbed uncomfortably. She pulled her coat off, suddenly feeling quite hot and dry in the mouth. The broad, tailored shoulders of the man sitting directly in front of her heaved upwards and then, like a slowly deflating balloon, sank back down.
Councillor Leveque continued. “It has been determined by the Dream Keepers’ High Council that this tear was not created by natural cosmic forces. This tear is being used as an entry point to gain access to the path of human dreams. Our dreams are being tampered with.” Her gaze stayed fixed on the crowd as a burst of quiet whispers filled the chamber.
“Some dreams,” she said a little louder, “are being deflected from the Light Stream, only to return tainted with a drop of hopelessness. There is only one force capable of this appalling act. Regrettably, I must inform you all that we have once again entered a time when the UnderLord Maliceius has dared to violate the Universal Order.”
Councillor Leveque draped in deep blue had officially delivered the bad news that everyone was dreading. The whispers around the chamber grew louder; charged with anguish. Willow scanned the worried faces. Her chest felt tight. She desperately wanted to go outside for some cool air. She turned to her parents. Her mother, unable to curb the tears gathering in her eyes, looked away, trying to blink them dry. She looked at her father for some kind of reassurance, but while he stretched an arm over her mother’s lap to wrap his hand securely over her own, she wasn’t entirely comforted.
Out of the corner of her eye, Willow saw Hugo give her a sideways look. She didn’t dare turn towards him. She wanted to seem fine, cool, strong; she wanted to show him that even though she was only nearly thirteen, she could handle it.
As the whispers subsided, Councillor Leveque proceeded to outline the actions to be taken. “With the assistance of the Dream Keepers’ High Council we have devised a plan to limit the damage until a permanent solution is in place. Dream Keeper devices have been positioned along the Light Streams to help shield our dreams from being tampered with in the short term.” She then explained that all Light Keepers, even those who had retired, would need to participate in any way they could to help open as many Doorways as possible. There would be a schedule given so that a continuous cycle of Doorway openings could be established across the planet. It was crucial to instigate the plan as soon as possible in order to maintain the balance of Light and Dark Forces.
“The Laws of Conduct within our Universe have been challenged,” she told them. “And the UnderLord Maliceius would like to succeed in bringing chaos and darkness to our world – to extinguish the light within us all. He wishes to harness our dreams because he understands their power. He wants us to become slaves of perpetual fear and misery so that he may feed upon us and grow stronger. But we will never let this happen. Let us not forget who we truly are – or what we are capable of,” she said, sweeping her gaze across the room. “We will send him a clear message: We are the Protectors of the Light, chosen by the Ancients. We have the knowledge of the TriGamon. We have the Dream Keepers. And we have magic. Together we are a formidable force to be reckoned with. And we will restore stability to our world.”
Willow felt a surge of energy rise within her. She, Willow Beatrice Bloom, was being asked to do something significant. Was she up for the task? Yes, she was! She was equal to it – or so she hoped. If there was ever a time to find out what she was capable of, this was it. She listened as Councillor Leveque informed everyone of the following three-day schedule. There would be extra training for Light Keepers and Helpers on active duty and refresher courses for those who had retired, and others in the community would begin to open the dormant sanctuaries around the world.
What about me? Willow gave a sideways glance to the window depicting the Light Keeper with the Light Stream. She thought about Maliceius and the tear he had made, and the new dangers it now posed. She had no experience under her belt. No exploits to give her some kind of perspective. Her thoughts were halted when she heard her name in a French accent from the platform at the end of the room. Her hear
t began to race. What had she missed? Was she supposed to do something – say something?
“We would especially like to welcome her as she is our youngest ever Light Keeper,” announced Councillor Leveque. “It would have been preferable to introduce her to this world under different circumstances, but it is not to be. Welcome, Willow. We also need to make welcome her Helper, Hugo. I taught him myself, so I am sure he will be up for the task. Make me look good, Hugo!” she called out, and the crowd tittered with laughter for a moment.
“Hugo, Willow, where are you? Stand up, please,” Councillor Leveque invited.
How embarrassing. Willow nudged Hugo discreetly, gesturing for him to stand up first, then she slowly joined him, smiling awkwardly at the hundreds of people who clapped for them.
A purple night sky stretched over them as they exited the Council Chambers. The cold air on Willow’s face felt good. She made her way through the crowd but could feel people’s stares as she passed. Making a bee-line for the minibus she heard a woman behind her say in hushed tones, “And she’s so young, too.” Then to her left, she heard, “It’s a lot to bear for young shoulders.”
Willow sighed heavily and quickened her pace, leaving the others behind. It was one thing to be new at something, but it was another thing entirely when you were singled out, when you became the focal point of unwanted attention, when everyone would be watching to see how you responded and performed.
“Willow?” Hugo fell into her step beside her. “You okay?”
“Fine. I was hoping to blend in, that’s all.” She climbed the steps of the minibus. “I just need some space.”
As she lay in bed that night all Willow could hear was Councillor Leveque’s speech playing over and over in her head. By the seventh repetition, feeling utterly restless, she sat up and opened the TriGamon to divert her thoughts. She read for hours, eventually falling asleep, her dreams filled with darkness.
Willow Bloom and the Dream Keepers Page 9