The Legacy of Souls

by M S C Barnes

  Seb was reluctant to leave but, making the door appear, he bent down and kissed Nat on the cheek.

  “I won’t be long,” he said.

  She looked disappointed but then smiled. “I’ll stay with Riven for a while,” she said.

  “Will we wait here?” Aiden asked hopefully, seemingly as reluctant to leave as Seb was, and when Seb nodded he grinned happily.

  Accompanied only by Alice, Seb went through the door and, arriving in his bedroom at The Cottage, took a shower. The hot water felt so good on his tired body that he stayed in far longer than he had planned. He was only jolted back to reality when Alice spoke.

  “Seb, you need to get dressed. I am getting a message from Dierne. He says something ‘unexpected’ has happened and you need to get Scarlet and go straight home.”

  Confused and a bit concerned Seb dressed quickly.

  “Did Dierne say what? What was the unexpected something?”

  “He couldn’t; he’s busy sending messages to the rest of their group and to Henri who will get Zach, Aiden and Nat home.”

  As soon as he was ready, Seb returned to The Light House and was met by Henri. The rest of Aelfric’s group and most of his own had already gone. Scarlet was the only one remaining, standing with Henri’s group, who all looked upset.

  “Get yourself and Scarlet back to your home,” Henri said.

  “What’s happened?” Seb asked.

  “Aelfric has been arrested,” Lotty answered, sounding sad.

  Seb couldn’t speak for a second. Arrested? It was a word that belonged within the setting of everyday human life and, given what he had experienced that night, it didn’t, at first, make sense.

  “Arrested?” he mumbled, confused.

  “All Dierne could say was that, after dealing with the trespassing soul, Aelfric tried to open the doorway to his office at the school, where he keeps a change of clothes. Apparently all his other clothes have been lost?” Henri said, confused himself and Seb nodded, remembering the sight of Aelfric’s boat being torn apart by the stormy sea. “Well, the doorway opened in the school’s main corridor instead of his office, and as they were trying to establish why, Mrs Reeves came around the corner. When she saw Aelfric, she screamed for two police officers, who had been in Reception, and pointed him out to them and they arrested him. Other officers were already in Aelfric’s office, going through his files, and Trudy and Morgan have been taken up there, while Aelfric has been taken to the police station.”

  “But what have they arrested him for?” Seb asked in disbelief.

  “Kidnapping,” Reynard growled.

  “Who?” Seb couldn’t believe his ears.

  “You Seb,” Scarlet answered quietly. “Mum has reported us missing and Dierne said something about the police having a photograph of Aelfric with you, almost unconscious, in his arms — by a river. That’s why they were going through his files, trying to find him — and you. They are worried he has killed you. He is covered in blood …” She sounded horrified.

  Seb suddenly recalled the moment when a bright light flashed in his eyes as Aelfric lifted him up from grass beside the riverbank, the shouts of the fisherman ringing in their ears. And he remembered Aiden’s whisper, “He took a picture. I am sure he took a picture.” He could imagine what the police thought.

  “Let’s get home; tell Mum we are okay. Then they’ll let Aelfric go,” he said, urgently to Scarlet.

  “And where do we tell Mum we have been?” she asked.

  “Aiden’s. We just say we were all at Aiden’s."

  “Aiden is saying there are police officers at Helen’s house too,” Alice said. “And Nat and Zach also have officers at theirs. Your mum gave them details of all your friends — and Mrs Reeves was apparently very helpful in providing Helen’s address. When the police knocked on the parents’ and Helen’s doors, they discovered the others were missing too. They have been searching for you all for over an hour.”

  “But they are all home now, and when we go back and we are fine, they’ll let Aelfric go,” Seb said. “So come on, Scarlet, we need to show Mum we are okay.”

  He made the door reappear but Henri stopped him before he could pass through.

  “You can tell them nothing of tonight; nothing of what we do — what you are, what Aelfric is. You know that?” he asked, warily.

  “But if they —”

  “Nothing!” Henri said. Only when Seb nodded did he let him go.

  “Zach is saying he has told the police you were all having a secret party — at The Cottage. You knew your parents and Helen would disapprove, so all snuck out during the night. You thought you would get back before anyone noticed you missing,” Alice said. “Nat is telling her parents the same thing and Aiden will tell Helen that too.”

  “That still doesn’t explain the photo,” Scarlet said, as they stood on the threshold of the door.

  “Just say it’s a fake,” Alice relayed Zach’s words. “Someone who has got it in for Aelfric is using the convenience of us all being reported missing to make trouble for him; that person has created the picture with some fancy photo editing software. The police will never disprove that; it’s impossible to tell on the internet and smart phones now what is fake and what isn’t and since we are all back safe and well, and since we all deny having been with Aelfric, they will have to accept it’s a fake. But you two need to get back to your house. At the moment, they think Aelfric’s bumped you off Seb!”

  Agreeing to stick to that story, Seb and Scarlet walked through the doorway. It opened in Scarlet’s bedroom and they tiptoed to the top of the stairs and listened. Muffled voices reached them from downstairs.

  “I can hear Cousin Sarah,” Scarlet whispered.

  They crept down the stairs, Seb feeling relieved that he had showered and changed and wasn’t, himself, returning home covered in blood. A stout police officer, who had been leaning against the bannister with his arms crossed, lurched upright as he caught sight of them.

  “They’re back,” he shouted excitedly, fumbling with the button on his radio and repeating the message twice to his control room. “Control, from 439, I’ve got the Thomas kids. They’re back home.”

  His radio crackled. “Confirm both mispers located?”

  “Yes, yes. Both of them are here,” the stout officer said.

  “Do you need an ambulance?” the control room voice asked.

  “Er, standby.” The officer looked at Seb. “Are you injured?” he asked, his brow wrinkling. “Have you got any injuries?” he said, more slowly as Seb stared at him blankly. He eyed Seb up and down and then physically turned him around, checking his back. “No injuries,” he said, confused.

  “No he hasn’t got any injuries. Why would he?” Scarlet asked sweetly.

  “You are Scarlet and Sebastian Thomas aren’t you?” the officer asked, now beginning to worry he had spoken too soon.

  “Yes,” Scarlet said. “Are we in trouble?”

  “No,” the officer said, relieved. “Well — maybe. No,” he decided, “not really; at least not with us,” he muttered just as there was a screech and Cousin Sarah flew at them from the kitchen.

  “Julie,” she yelled, “It’s okay, they’re here!” She spread her arms and embraced them in a double hug. “We have been so worried,” she cried. “Are you okay?”

  Their mother emerged from the kitchen now, looking dazed; her eyes red and puffy from crying. She ran over and as Sarah let go of Seb and Scarlet, she grabbed them and hugged them.

  “Are you hurt? What did he do to you?” she asked, releasing Scarlet and checking Seb for injuries.

  “Who?” Seb asked, trying to act confused. “Mum!” he said, pushing her hands off him as she started to lift his top. “I’m not hurt. Why does everyone think I am hurt?” He glanced at the police officer. “I’m fine; we’re both fine.” He lowered his eyes to the floor guiltily. “I’m sorry if you were worried. Are we in trouble?”

  His mum looked at the police officer in total dismay.
“But you said, you said Ael…” she stopped herself. “Where have you been? Scarlet?” She turned her eyes on Scarlet and when she didn’t reply and just looked guiltily at Seb their mother took a deep breath and crouched in front of them, holding their hands as if they were tiny children. “You aren’t in trouble,” she said, softly. “It’s just that we thought — we thought you had been —”

  “Is it Christmas?” a loud voice from upstairs suddenly called out and their brother appeared, tottering down the stairs in a reindeer onesie, rubbing his eyes. Cousin Sarah rushed up and scooping him in her arms took him back to his bedroom.

  As the sound of his questions and Cousin Sarah’s muted answers died down, the police officer’s radio crackled again.

  “439 from control, do you need an ambulance?”

  “Negative, control. They both look fine,” the officer answered. “Can you tell the Guv’nor I’ll private call her,” he added. He moved over to the other side of the room and began punching buttons on his radio.

  “So you are both okay?” their mum asked and they nodded. “Well then, where have you been?”

  “Mum, we are so sorry,” Scarlet said. “We should have told you, but because we never spend time here with you, we thought you’d be upset. We were at The Cottage — at the school — having a, a sort of party. Nat was there, and Aiden and,” she looked embarrassed, “and Zach,” she almost whispered his name, looking sheepish. “We thought we’d get back before you woke up.”

  “Were you with anyone else?” their mum asked.

  “No!” Scarlet said, sounding surprised. “It was only a small party. We thought if we invited anyone else some parents would be sure to find out. So we kept it to just us.”

  “You five? No adults?” she asked bluntly.

  “Why would we want adults there?” Scarlet sounded stunned.

  “Zach and Nat both say that the police and their parents seem to be accepting their story,” Alice said silently to Seb, “though Zach’s parents are not impressed. Aiden says he knows Helen doesn’t believe him but she is going along with his story while the police officer is there. He’s not sure what she’ll do once she leaves.”

  The stout officer now approached them all. “Mrs Thomas, my Inspector wants Seb and Scarlet checked over by a paramedic.” He pulled her to one side but Seb could hear his mutterings, “We still have the prisoner in custody and need to see if there is any evidence of a debilitating drug in their systems.” Seb’s heart sank. His palm had started to ache.

  “But they seem fine and Seb certainly isn’t injured,” his mum spoke more loudly than the officer had. “I know they wouldn’t lie to me; if they say they weren’t with an adult, then I believe them." Now Seb felt a stab of guilt. His mum believed them and yet they were lying to her. But what choice did they have? “I don’t think there is any need for them to be examined,” she said to the officer.

  “My inspector wants it done. Evidential reasons. The witnesses from the bagel shop, which included two police officers, thought they saw your son and that he had been drugged; in the photo he looked drugged.” The officer lowered his voice. “This is a head teacher we are talking about and there could be serious safeguarding issues for many children. Your children’s account may not be accurate — if they were drugged. Surely it can’t harm to just have them checked over?” he asked, anxiously.

  As the pain in his palm grew stronger, Seb had an idea.

  “Mum,” he said, “I need the toilet.” Without waiting for permission or discussion, he darted back towards the stairs. “Won’t be long,” he called. “Alice,” he said, silently, “explain to Scarlet, get her to distract the policeman and Mum. It won’t take long for me to deal with this.”

  “Mrs Thomas,” the officer said, sounding concerned, “I think we would need a sample before —”

  But it was too late, Seb had disappeared up the stairs and into Scarlet’s room. Capturing light from the hundreds of flamers that instantly appeared around him, he shone it towards the wardrobe. As the door appeared, he took a deep breath and leapt straight through, Alice beside him.

  Time to Get On With It

  The clattering of metal on tarmac close by made Seb jump and duck back into the trees which lined the country road he and Alice had emerged beside. Across the road, a motorist, who was struggling to change the tyre on his car in the darkness, now kicked the jack he had just thrown to the ground in frustration. It made another, loud, clattering sound.

  Quickly, Seb checked the woodland opposite then, taking a few careful steps to the right, glanced up and down the road, trying to locate the trespassing soul that had brought him here.

  With just a thought from him, the woodland around them was suddenly festooned with thousands of flamers. “Can you see anything?” he asked Alice silently.

  “There,” Alice answered and Seb, looking to where he was pointing, jumped again. Standing beside the tree that held the door they had passed through, was a tall figure, dressed all in white. It looked like a ghost and Seb panicked as it raised its hand, and waved towards the angry motorist.

  “What do I do?” he asked Alice. “I don’t know what this is. Do I do the same as always or is it like a shadowtrail sort of thing?” And then he felt suddenly stupid. The ghostly white figure, had a blue aura. Aelfric! Aelfric was standing, mere yards away from him, dressed in a white tracksuit and now the mist trail he had just beckoned, flew past Seb and slammed into his chest.

  In just a few seconds he had read the soul and, as it emerged from him, he sent it to rest. Seb was still staring, open-mouthed at him. Aelfric smiled and waved him over.

  “Walk with me, Seb,” he whispered and stealthily picked his way between the trees, heading away from the road. As quietly as he could, Seb followed, still not understanding how Aelfric could be here. Dierne materialised beside him.

  “Dom is in place, the CCTV is reset and you have just under half an hour until the Detention Officer does her next check,” he said out loud, Seb guessed for his benefit, and Aelfric nodded.

  The woodland didn’t go far back and in seconds they were clambering over a fence and walking up a steep hill, flamers spreading ahead of them as they went. As they got to the top, Aelfric sat down and patted the damp grass beside him, indicating for Seb to do the same. Staring out at twilight fields, the sky to the east showing the first glimmerings of the approaching dawn, Aelfric spoke softly.

  “I just wanted to check that you are okay?”

  “Me?” Seb said, surprised. “What about you? They’ve arrested you!”

  Aelfric gave a small smile and shook his head. “Mm. That was a bit of a surprise.”

  “Well, they’ve seen I am safe now, so they have to let you go soon,” Seb said, hopefully.

  Aelfric smiled again. “Let’s see how the day goes. In the meantime —”

  “But what can they keep you arrested for? They thought you had kidnapped me and maybe killed me; but I have turned up okay and so have all the others. I know they have the photograph but Zach says we just say it’s a fake. They can’t prove it isn’t.” He suddenly stopped, and stared at Aelfric, looking at the cheap-looking white tracksuit and white plimsolls he was wearing. “Why are you dressed like that?” he asked.

  “They have taken my clothes for exhibits,” Aelfric said, watching a slow-moving bank of clouds roll in from the north. “Once they have finished speaking with Trudy, the police will allow her to bring me the clothes from the school office, but for now,” he tugged the white sleeve, “I get to wear these.”

  “Exhibits?” Seb said, appalled. “That’s bad then. You know they are thinking all sorts of crazy things. The officer was saying they had witnesses from the bagel shop earlier who thought I was drugged, and then this photo of you carrying me and I looked semi-conscious. They think you did something to me,” he was rambling now, as the enormity of Aelfric’s position hit him. “And even though they can see that I am all right that doesn’t seem to be good enough. They said something about safeg
uarding and you being a head teacher. But I am fine. They know I am fine. You haven’t done anything. We told them we were having a party, just us, no adults. So there is nothing they can accuse you of — at all.” Aelfric didn’t react. He just watched the horizon as if lost in thought. “They’ve taken your clothes!” Seb said.

  “Seb, it really doesn’t matter.” Aelfric turned to him. “What matters is that today is the day of the winter solstice, and The Restoration of Souls will take place this evening. I know it has been a very hard night for you and, actually, a difficult few months. What I want you to know is that I can and will undertake The Restoration by myself if you do not feel up to it.”

  Seb couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “You are just brushing aside the fact that the police have arrested you,” he said, astounded. “Isn’t that an issue for you? Doesn’t it bother you?”

  Aelfric looked surprised. “There really isn’t an issue. At the moment, Dom is enjoying the hospitality of the Custody Suite on my behalf; one sleeping figure wrapped in a blanket looks much the same as another. He will swap in with me on each occasion that I need to leave there and Dierne will reset the CCTV every time —”

  “I don’t mean that!” Seb said. “I mean that they think you have done something bad. They’ve got a photo of you carrying a semi-conscious teenage boy, by a river, at night, and I know Zach says to say it’s a fake, but people will still think — even if they let you go, people will still think such awful things. The school staff will talk; Mrs Reeves certainly will talk, the kids that go to the school, their parents, the press — everyone will be suspicious of you — even when they release you.”

  Aelfric regarded him for a moment and then spoke softly. “You know, Seb, I found it incredibly hard witnessing Heath’s Legacy and realising that, to all others, his reputation would be one of betrayal. And that wasn’t because what we witnessed in his Legacy would ever be told, it was because it would never be told — leaving all, in their ignorance, to assume, based simply on the fact that he had been banished.” He paused and shook his head. “That saddened me beyond words, because I saw more in his Legacy than that. At the time, I told you it seems that Nature judges Custodians on the worst act of our service rather than on the sum of all our acts. But Henri and Nicole taught me something tonight. Nature doesn’t judge our acts at all! Nature simply displays those acts as a backdrop to provide context for the emotions behind them.” He looked intently at Seb. “The thing I viewed in Heath’s Legacy — which overwhelmed and eclipsed everything else — was not his betrayal, Seb, it was —”