Unwrapped: A Fated Realms Novel - 1

by M J Sherlock

  I knew she’d been holding back on us. 'Come over, say you’re coming to help, so my parents can focus on work.'

  'I’ll let you know. In the meantime, stay safe.'

  'Before you go, the Oracle wants me to meet Wyatt, Vashtin’s successor tomorrow. Any suggestions on how I escape my parents?'

  ‘Ask Taine to go with you. It may be a trap. A switch of location may fool any spies they have.' Stella paused. 'I have a contact that may work.'

  'I would quit but part of me thinks my role must be important for the Venator to be so focussed on me.' The Étoile pulsed with light.

  'You are braver than me. Talk to Taine and I will catch up with you later.'

  Taine connected as soon as Stella finished. Normally I only heard voices, this time I saw an image. Taine sat cross-legged, wearing a ridiculous bow tie, shirt, trousers and a red fez. An homage to Dr Who.

  I grinned. 'How?'

  'Stella said if I projected an image of myself that you would see it too.'

  'Can you move?' I asked and then watched bemused as he did a series of back flips worthy of an Olympic athlete. Not something he could do in real life.

  'Impressive. I’m meeting a Cloaken tomorrow. Will you come?'

  'Dangerous. Guaranteed to be a trap.' Taine’s avatar resumed its cross-legged position.

  'A last-minute switch of location may help. Stella is sorting it for us.'

  'Give me a couple of hours’ notice of where to meet. Bye for now.' Taine’s image slid away.

  Hours later, the Étoile flashing woke me yet again. Stella said, 'It’s done. We switched the meet to Richmond Park. Tell your parents you fancy seeing some deer. I am sure they will take you. We can meet up near Kingston Gate at 11:30 a.m. I will distract them. You and Taine can meet Wyatt between Ladderstile Gate and Dann’s Pond, which will be to your right. I’ll let Taine know.'

  Maybe we would survive tomorrow. I drifted back to sleep, conscious thought buried and forgotten.

  Chapter 19: Rendezvous

  I was groggy with sleep and barely heard Mum when she woke me at seven. 'Dad and I have been called into work. The Board has called an emergency meeting at two to discuss project funding. We need to go in and prepare.' She pecked me on the cheek. 'Wait for Aunt Stella. She will come and take you and Taine to a park somewhere. Okay?'

  'Great, thanks Mum.' I rolled over and dropped back off to sleep, comfortable the obstacle of my parents had been resolved.

  I woke again at ten to the strong citrus and floral scent of Stella’s perfume. She enveloped me in a hug and instructed me to get ready while she ordered breakfast. Showered, dressed and feeling more human, I entered the sitting area to find Taine already there along with our meal. I tucked into bacon and eggs as we finalised our plans. On entering the Park, we would all stick together. The Venator were searching for a teenage girl meeting a six-foot-two black man not a family group. Any trouble and we would split up and rendezvous back at Elderton Manor.

  We arrived safely at Richmond Park and made our way towards Dann’s Pond. A beautiful black and white cat stalked some birds near the water. As we drew closer, Wyatt transformed from a cat to a Cloaken in front of us.

  ‘I have so many questions I don’t know where to start.' My hands were quivering so I clasped them behind me.

  'Let’s all sit and get to know one another while we eat.' Stella produced a bag of goodies bearing Elderton Manor’s crest.

  Taine unrolled a couple of picnic blankets and we all sat. I was unsure whether I would get food past the lump in my throat. Stella insisted we ate and we soon relaxed.

  'Where to begin… The Council want to meet with you so they can match your gift with the right mentor. Alex and India are chasing after Venator bases. They need to become more discreet.' Acid dripped from Wyatt’s tone.

  Taine reddened, preparing to speak.

  Wyatt beat him to it. 'Taine - we were less aware of until he spent time with Ellie-Grace. Since Vashtin’s disappearance, we have kept someone on both your trails. Partly to watch for spies, partly to keep you safe until you come into your full powers.'

  'Were you in Paris then?' asked Taine.

  'Yes. A watching brief unless you were in direct danger. We observed with approval as you trained. What you lacked in finesse you made up for with effort.'

  Stella choked as a carrot stick caught in her throat.

  My pulse quickened and thundered in my ears as my temper brewed. 'Where were you when the Venator came after me at the river or when they trashed my home?'

  Wyatt didn’t flinch. 'We observed. You had Taine and Niall to defend you although you fought off your would-be bag thief well enough.' He helped himself to a prawn salad and began eating.

  An image of the rampant vandalism of my home and destruction of precious photos and heirlooms filled my mind. I glared at his indifference as my nails dug painfully into my palms.

  Taine came to Wyatt’s defence. 'Since we Guardians are supposed to keep the balance, I suppose your neutrality makes a certain kind of sense.'

  Wyatt smirked in approval while I counted to ten. ‘Given Vashtin’s disappearance and probable death, we knew the danger we’d face if we showed ourselves. We considered it prudent to wait for a more fortuitous time.'

  Wyatt had me there. The Cloaken lost one of their own in my defence. My anger evaporated and my pulse slowed. 'Okay, so what’s next? How do we set up this meeting?' I grabbed a plate and loaded it with a ham salad sandwich, sausage rolls and some crisps. A bottle of water peeped out of the bag and I grabbed it.

  'We would like to meet with all four young Guardians to understand your gifts and provide you with training. There has been a dearth of available Guardians while we waited for you to mature.' Wyatt avoided glancing at Aunt Stella, but it made his reproach more obvious. He drank some iced tea before continuing. ‘A Regent is in place. Our once united race has split into factions. Each support a different claimant to the throne.'

  Something teased at my memory. 'What can you tell me about Cloaken artefacts and their purpose?'

  Taine raised his eyebrow but said nothing when I gave a slight shake of my head. I popped a sausage roll into my mouth, unhealthy but delicious.

  'We have the orbs that Guardians receive at their initiation. A dispute has arisen over who should succeed to the throne from a gaggle of equally placed contenders.'

  I tensed, waiting for his next words.

  'A jewelled globe is given by the Lead Guardian to the Heir Apparent ahead of the coronation. It disappeared and without it no ceremony can take place...'

  The hairs on my body bristled. Something felt off. 'Pardon? I missed a bit.'

  'Why do you ask?’ Wyatt’s brown eyes dilated like those of an uncomfortable cat.

  I bold-faced lied. 'Curiosity.' Was there more going on with the Regency than he was telling us? Wyatt stared at me a moment longer before offering me a book on Cloaken customs and history. I had a copy already from Taine but took it anyway.

  ‘We cordially invite you to meet the Cloaken Council in two weeks’ time at -’

  '-Looking Glass Pond,' I finished for him.

  'Yes, how did you know?'

  ‘I took Niall there yesterday and the portal began to open.’ As soon as I spoke, I had a sour taste in my mouth, as if I should have kept silent. Too late.

  ‘Interesting.'

  He reminded me of a cat that had got the cream. Smug and self-satisfied. We gathered up our picnic things, stowing them back in Stella’s bag and bade our farewells.

  Once we settled on the tube, tension leached out of me. 'What an anti-climax.' I rolled my shoulders before lolling back against the spongy blue seat.

  'Great though. Our switch of destinations worked a treat.' Taine pulled open a can with a hiss.

  'Don’t let down your guards,' warned Stella, 'you’re not home free yet.'

  She did not know the half of it. We hadn’t told her how close the Venator came to getting the contents of the safety deposit box and
us. I now carried the globe and papers with me everywhere. That was what made the attempted bag snatch and burglary so scary. How closely were they spying on me?

  Stella fished an apple out of her bag and ate. 'Let’s hope we get a reprieve before the Venator find you.'

  ***

  Hyde Park Corner, London

  Galden and his team kicked their heels as they waited in vain for their targets to materialise. Two hours past the agreed rendezvous time, they disbanded and made their separate ways back to LZ One. Either Relentless was wrong or someone had caught on to their spy’s existence and changed the plan. Either option would be unacceptable to their superiors. He contemplated activating his escape plan instead of being the bearer of unwelcome news once more. Galden thrust the thought away. He knew his sister and her family would be tortured if he disappeared. Payment for his deal with the devil was now overdue. He jogged back to base and reviewed the mission.

  In categorising their enemies as worthless and inhuman, the Venator dismissed their ingenuity, survival instincts and ability to think on their feet. Their self-satisfaction made them vulnerable to today’s switch of location. Maybe ‘Relentless’ was exposed but left in place in the same way Enigma’s decoding success was disguised during the Second World War. If so, the Venator’s failure to learn from history doomed many of their attempts before they began.

  On arrival at LZ One, Galden found his unit outside. They knew the price of failure. Their superiors were as prone to shoot the messenger as the true culprit. Honour guard or self-protection? Maybe both. He was prepared to die for his unit if necessary but living would be preferable. The run gave him the headspace he needed to dump the blame elsewhere and he quickly put his plan in action.

  Galden strolled inside and directed his team to shower and change and meet back at the canteen an hour later for formal debrief. Their raised eyebrows gave hints of their surprise, but they followed his orders. He marched down to Orev’s quarters to file his own report. This time he hoped the rumours were true of hidden cameras beaming events in real time to the head honcho.

  'Captain, report.' Orev barely glanced up from the stack of papers he was scrutinising.

  'The targets failed to show, Sir. Either Relentless got the intel wrong or someone planted the wrong destination. The spy may have been discovered.’ Galden did his best to keep his voice inflectionless. He was determined to show no weakness. ‘Today’s no-show could be a last-ditch attempt to thwart our plans.'

  'No matter. While you failed to intercept them earlier, we know where two of the Guardians are right now.' Orev gaze swept over him, checking for the faintest twitch.

  Galden considered asking how but rejected it. 'What are our next orders, Sir?'

  'Wash off, eat, and regroup with your team and nap. Report to me in three hours. Be prepared to crash a hotel and kidnap those Guardians.'

  'Yes sir.' Galden saluted and swivelled, elated at the news.

  'And Captain?'

  'Yes sir?' Galden twisted back to face the Commander, working hard to show no emotion.

  'Don’t fail again. I may not be able to protect you next time.' The Commander picked up his papers, dismissing Galden with a curt nod.

  Chapter 20: Mind the Gap

  The tube huffed and whined in and out of stations. My skin crawled and I struggled to settle. Long two-tone horns sounded as we clattered round bends and into tunnels before emerging again to dazzling stations. ‘Mind the gap,’ announced the tannoy as passengers hopped on and off the tube. The sound faded into the background like white noise.

  Taine sat next to me with Stella opposite us.

  'Chocolate for them.' Taine tossed me one.

  'Why did the Venator leave us alone for thirteen years? What are we missing?’

  Taine folded his arms. ‘There were other attacks before you came along.’

  ‘Not many,’ said Stella, ‘they’ve become more brazen or perhaps more desperate.’

  A mother bustled passed us, pulling her snot-nosed kid along behind her as she searched for a seat.

  ‘What brought them out into the open?’ I asked. ‘Their attacks made news headlines back in February and this month with the bank.’

  ‘Not Cloisters End?’ Stella straightened.

  ‘Two weeks ago, Annie told me to empty the safety deposit box immediately or it would be too late. We went the day after Taine’s birthday.’ I fiddled with my Etoile feeling the points and beaded ends.

  ‘What happened?’ Stella hugged her bag close.

  ‘We barely portalled out in time. The Venator held up the Bank Manager. They wanted the contents of the box and our records. Alex wiped our electronic trail.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘I shouldn’t have given you the key-’

  ‘-I knew you would react like this. That’s why I didn’t tell you. It’s done. We need to focus on what to do next.’ I shook my head, exasperated.

  ‘Return to Elderton Manor then eat and sleep,’ said Taine, yawning.

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘the Venator have a plan and we don’t. We can’t keep dabbling, hoping for the best-’

  '-Pardon?' Taine yanked me round to face him.

  His action made my jaw snap shut and my teeth caught the edge of my tongue. It throbbed with a burning pain only ice could soothe. Yet Taine’s glare could have scythed through an iceberg and kept on going.

  'You’re the latecomer. Alex and India are risking their lives right now. I’d be with them if Titus hadn’t asked me to stay. You’d be dead in a ditch somewhere without me.'

  I jerked my head in surprise. Why, when I chuntered on about India abandoning him, had he never said the Cloaken asked him to stay?

  ‘Sorry,’ I stammered, ‘I wasn’t saying we were idle.’ My voice sped back up. ‘But what we’re doing isn’t working. There has to be a better way.’

  Random posters hung in a strip above his head including the latest comedy, ‘Off my trolley.’ I shook my head. ‘I don’t want to live my life like Stella - sorry - waiting for them to turn up and take me out permanently. We need to defeat them or-’

  Stella reeled back as if slapped.

  '-How should we do that, Ellie? If you know so much and we’re so atrocious.' Taine balled his fists.

  I fought to contain my frustration as my own fists curled. ‘Why can’t you understand it’s not about you?’ What was it today? Why didn’t they get it? None of what I was saying should be news. ‘The Venator - remember them? We need to work out what their endgame is and ruin it for them.'

  ‘Mind the gap,’ announced the tannoy again as passengers blurred across in front of us.

  'They came for me and Vashtin with modified tasers, hand guns and sniper rifles. I know how far they are willing to go. I need something that will help us survive.' Tears stung my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

  'You’re right,’ said Stella. ‘Running only left me petrified that anyone I got close to would finish up in a body bag. I missed most of your childhood...’ She pulled a tissue out of her bag and blew her nose. 'Let’s talk later. Too public here.'

  My emotions were all over the place, but it had been a full-on twenty-four hours. I was convinced the Venator would ambush our next meeting. Who knew what other attempts they might make between now and then?

  When we got back to Elderton Manor, Stella ordered fresh snacks and drinks. We settled around the table in the sitting area.

  ‘It can’t be coincidence these incidents increased after I became a Guardian. Let’s recall Alex and India before the Venator take them out.'

  Taine shifted in his chair and his eyes fell.

  ‘If the Cloaken have noticed them blundering around, the Venator-.

  ‘-The next lair could close on them as tightly as a Venus flytrap on a wandering insect,’ said Stella.

  My eyes widened. 'Not an image I’ll forget in a hurry.'

  Taine tilted his head. ‘Fair enough. Let’s regroup and work out a battle plan.' Taine nipped outside and contacted Alex and India. He
returned a few minutes later.

  'I’ll ask Pierre to come.’

  I repacked my bag, adding my new clothes and footwear and the water from the minibar. We couldn’t stay here. It was too exposed.

  A knock sounded at the door of the suite. We tensed, frozen. Another knock. I gulped and moved to peer through the peephole before opening the door. ‘Inspector, we meet again.’

  Detective Inspector Pierce was dressed in a navy suit, with a grey tie and polished black shoes. ‘Aren’t you going to invite me in?’

  ‘Got a warrant or badge?’ Taine came and stood next to me.

  ‘And the whole gang is here,’ said the Inspector. He held up his badge.

  It appeared legit but how would we know?

  ‘Now move aside and let me in.’

  What choice did we have? I stepped back, shutting the door behind him. ‘How can we help?’

  ‘I understand you now have three more crime scenes linked to you.’ He followed me back to the table and we all sat.

  ‘Three?’ I asked, hoping I had misheard.

  His body language was open while we all sat with our arms crossed. Defensive. We weren’t fooling anyone.

  He rattled them off. ‘Cloisters End bank, an attempted bag snatch and the vandalism of your home.’

  I was shocked he knew about the bank. It didn’t bode well for staying hidden from the Venator. ‘I was the innocent victim.’ Bitterness dirtied my tone like ink dipped in water.

  Tilting his head, he addressed his words to me. ‘Indeed. What did you take from the bank? Don’t bother denying it. Your friends may have wiped the bank’s CCTV but plenty of cameras caught your journey there although more interestingly not your return.’

  ‘Family jewellery and papers. Who are you calling my friends?’ Fear and anger twisted my stomach, making me queasy.

  ‘How did you hide from the cameras or get out of the room unseen?’

  I shrugged.

  ‘Who would graffiti your room and break-in without setting off the alarm? Or have a knife that burns?’

  ‘You’re the Detective.’ I leaned forward. Did he have any answers?