by Victor Kloss
Ben took a deep breath, and started speaking in a soft, but authoritative voice. Don't sound weak or they won't work with you.
“Anne, have you heard of the Royal Institute of Magic?”
Anne nodded almost immediately. “Yes.”
Ben did a silent fist pump. “From where?”
“Greg and Jane.”
The answers were short, but then that was how it worked. The suspect in the trance would do no more than answer the question.
“What do you know about the Institute?” Ben asked.
“Greg and Jane claimed to work there. They said it was responsible for the kingdoms discovered by Queen Elizabeth that were hidden from ordinary people.”
“Did you believe them?”
“No.”
Ben was careful not to curse too loudly. Any noise during these sessions beyond the questions could be harmful to her memory.
Anne's eyes flickered and, for a moment, Ben thought the spell had ended, before she reverted back to the trance. He didn't have long, time perhaps for one or two final questions. He thought fast.
“You said the elf you saw recently reminded you of something. What did it remind you of?”
“The message.”
Ben's heart quickened. “Did my parents leave any message for me?”
“No.”
Her eyes flickered again, longer this time. Ben bit his lip and tried one more time.
“Did they leave anything with you? Any message or some object?”
“They left me a message.”
Ben's eyes widened. “What was it?”
Anne shook her head immediately. “I cannot remember. I do not have access to that part of the memory bank – it is buried too deep.”
Before Ben could even work out what she meant, Anne blinked, and stared up at Ben with surprise, and then anger.
“What do you think you're doing, Ben? You're blocking the TV.” She started waving her hand. “Shoo! Get out the way.”
Ben went up to his room and plonked himself on his bed, trying to process what had happened.
His parents had left Grandma a message.
It could be nothing, he told himself, but, as a natural optimist, he couldn't help thinking the message was significant. There was just one problem: the memory was buried deep, and wouldn't be easy to access. It was certainly beyond his abilities to retrieve it. He needed help. He needed Natalie.
— Chapter Thirteen —
Tricks of the Trade
Absolutely not,” Natalie said firmly when they met the following morning.
Ben had fully expected that response, and he was prepared. The two of them had a few minutes to kill before they went on cleaning duties. Charlie was due to arrive a little later, as he spent some early mornings at Barrington's, studying his A-levels.
“Can I give you my reasons before you dismiss me out of hand?” Ben said with a smile he hoped would soften Natalie's hard stance. It did so. A little.
Ben went over to the tea corner, and quickly made them both cups of tea. He picked out her favourite sticky bun, which he was happy to see thawed her a little more.
“Honestly, you shouldn't have cast that memory spell in the first place, Ben,” Natalie said. “It's really dangerous to do something like that after a memory wipe.”
“I know,” Ben said, sitting down with his own cup of tea. “I just had a feeling my grandma might know something.”
“It might be something completely insignificant,” Natalie said, taking on Charlie's pessimistic role in his absence.
“You're right: it might be. It's certainly a long shot. I'll admit right now I'm desperate for clues. I've spent hours and hours looking for the sword, and I have nothing to show for it.”
“We have Joshua,” Natalie said.
“Yes, we have him, if he ever shows up. And even then, we have absolutely no idea what he's going to say. It might be a completely false lead. But now we have another lead: my grandma.”
Natalie wasn't convinced. “Your grandma seems like an even more feeble lead than Joshua.”
“Yes,” Ben admitted, “and no. It could be something completely irrelevant – or it could be a clue to the location of the sword.”
He leaned forwards, narrowing his eyes, as if he were about to reveal a secret. “Think about it for a minute – wouldn't it be clever, hiding a clue to the sword with the last person anyone would think of? Yet I see her every day. It's brilliant.”
Natalie didn't respond, but Ben could see she was struggling to maintain her scepticism. “I'll admit, it would be a good idea – if your parents planned it that way.”
“They might have,” Ben said with a smile. He had her. “But we won't know either way until we get the memory from my grandma.”
“A week,” Natalie said.
Ben's confidence took a sucker punch to the stomach. “A week until what? Until you'll do the memory spell?”
“It should be two,” Natalie said. “Even a week is pushing it. If we tried it any earlier, your grandma would be in real danger of damage to her memory. It needs time to recover from the two spells we cast.”
Ben was tempted to argue, but when Natalie dug in on something, she could be as stubborn as anyone, and any debate might just sour matters. So, with great reluctance, he nodded.
“A week,” Ben said.
Ben thought the week would pass slowly, such was his impatience to access his grandma's memory, but he was wrong. First, there was the constant chatter from the apprentices about the terror-inducing raids. It appeared they had occurred all over the southeast of England, causing mayhem, and the apprentices couldn't stop talking about them, especially during lunch.
“I saw six fly over my old school,” Amy said. She gave an evil smile. “I kind of hoped they would land there, but they didn't. I heard several of the teachers fainted, though. I wish I had been there.”
“Only six, eh?” Simon said, his voice muffled as he downed a chicken leg. “I saw a dozen – managed to take down a couple myself.”
“Only two?” William said with an amused smile. “I would have thought you would have taken the whole pack down.”
“I probably could have, if the Institute had given me enough spells,” Simon said with complete sincerity.
“Well, I don't think it's something to be chirpy about,” Natalie said, giving Simon a disapproving look. “Hundreds of people were scared out of their skin without knowing why. Can you imagine what that feels like?”
Natalie's reprimand took them by surprise, given that it was so rarely done, and even Simon shut up after that.
Back on their apprenticeship, only Ben had managed to stay on target in Trade, as the challenges on the checklist became increasingly difficult. He decided to help out Natalie and Charlie on a couple of practical steps they were stuck on. Two days had passed since Natalie had stated a week's wait, and despite Ben's eagerness for the week to run its course, he found he was so busy that he was able to take his attention off Grandma, most of the time.
“So, tell me about these Trade practicals you guys are stuck on,” Ben said, grinning and rubbing his hands.
“I've got a real deal I'm supposed to close in the Trade room,” Charlie said glumly. “I've tried twice this week already, and they offered me less than seventy percent of what I'm supposed to get. Every time I mention the asking price I need, they go into hysterics.”
“Who are you dealing with, and what for?”
“Street goblin merchants representing Gorbon's Bank.”
“Ah, yes, I can see why you're having difficulty,” Ben said with a smile. “I'll come and have a look at how you're doing.” He turned to Natalie. “How about you?”
“Not quite as bad,” Natalie said. “But equally frustrating. I'm trying to place a small order with the W store Trade department for fifty levitation spells. The elf I'm dealing with says she has to stick to a price list, and will not budge. The price isn't terrible
, but I need to somehow get it down ten percent.”
“Everyone will budge, if you give them a reason,” Ben said. “You just need to give them an incentive. Have you tried—”
Ben stopped talking the instant he saw Draven coming their way. With him was Joshua.
For once, Draven barely gave Ben a look as they passed; he was focused on Joshua, who looked considerably worse than when they last saw him, just a few days ago. His eyes were bloodshot and, if Ben didn't know better, he would have said it looked like Joshua had been crying. Ben tried to make eye contact, and was surprised when Joshua met his gaze, if only for a second.
It all happened quickly and, within a few heartbeats, Draven and Joshua were around the corner, and out of sight.
“My goodness, did you see Joshua?” Natalie said, whispering despite the fact that they were clearly out of earshot. “He looked terrible.”
“Yeah – I'm almost starting to feel sorry for him,” Charlie said. “Which is something I never thought I'd say. Do you think we should give him time to recover, before confronting him? He doesn't look in any state to talk.”
Last week, when Joshua had made his escape from the antique shop, Ben was so desperate to track him down that he would have spoken to him in any state. But things had changed – time had served to calm Ben down a little, and his grandma had provided another possible lead.
“We probably should,” Ben admitted. “Let's see if he's any better this afternoon.”
With some reluctance, they continued on to the Trade floor, and attempted to take their minds off Joshua, if only for a few hours. The hustle and bustle of the main Trading room helped do the trick. Thanks to Ben, both Charlie and Natalie managed to get their prices down, and left the Trade room far happier than when they entered it.
“Have you thought about going into the Trade Department?” Charlie asked. “You're ridiculously good at it.”
“It will be one of the departments I continue to study when I graduate to the fourth grade. I have to admit, I do enjoy the thrill of Trade, but Spellsword is still my chosen choice, if they'll have me.”
“I'm sure they'll have you,” Natalie said.
“So, now what? How do we find Joshua?” Charlie asked.
“I think we should split up. He could be anywhere. Let's meet back in the common room in an hour. If we can't find him, we may need to start asking around. I bet Draven knows where he is.”
“I hope it doesn't come to that,” Charlie said, as they approached the apprentice floor.
Natalie came to a sudden halt, her green eyes widening in shock as she stared up at the doors leading to the apprentice department.
“I don't think it will,” she said softly.
Standing on the landing just in front of the doors was Joshua. He was watching them. His eyes were considerably less bloodshot, and he looked almost respectable again.
“We need to talk,” Joshua said, staring at Ben.
— Chapter Fourteen —
Joshua's Revelation
The four of them sat around the table in the Diplomacy conference room. Ben had been tempted to see if they could use the Crimson Tower again, but it would have taken time to arrange with Dagmar, and Joshua wasn't prepared to wait. As a compromise, Ben had cast the strongest shielding spell he had, a new one he had just learned how to cast last week with Volvek. That, combined with the magical security of the room, was enough to satisfy him.
“Well, we're here,” Ben said, trying to inject a modicum of cheerfulness into the room. They had been sitting there for a couple of minutes, though it felt like longer, and Joshua had done nothing except stare at everyone.
“I need to speak to you alone,” Joshua said.
“We've been over this,” Ben replied, interlocking his hands and placing them calmly on the table. “I told you – it's all of us or none. We work together. I have no secrets; they know everything.”
Joshua shook his head firmly. “That is simply not acceptable. What I have to say is for your ears only. Furthermore, I need you to swear to me that you will never divulge it to anyone else.”
Ben spread his hands, palms in the air, and gave a shrug. “Then we're at an impasse, Joshua. I'm not getting rid of Charlie and Natalie. So the choice is yours: do you want to talk or are we wasting our time here?”
Ben could see how desperate Joshua was to talk. Ben was just as desperate to hear what he had to say, but Ben hid it under an air of nonchalance. He watched Joshua carefully and, for one horrible moment, thought he was about to leave. Instead, he sunk his shoulders in defeat, and closed his eyes. In that one moment, he transformed – the stubborn insistence replaced by a frailty Ben had seen just a few hours earlier when Joshua had been with Draven. He took several deep, almost shuddering breaths. For a moment, Ben thought he was about to break down, and he exchanged a couple of concerned looks with Charlie and Natalie.
“My father disappeared last night,” Joshua said.
Ben never thought he'd empathise with Joshua, but that one swift sentence almost did the trick. Natalie gave a little gasp, and even Charlie looked put out.
“I'm so sorry to hear that,” Natalie said softly. She looked as though she wanted to reach out and touch Joshua's hand.
Ben could see that Joshua was uncomfortable with the sympathy – something Ben could relate to.
“Do you know what happened?” Ben asked.
“I do,” Joshua said, taking a deep breath.
“You don't have to tell us if you're not ready,” Natalie said, intervening.
“No, I need to,” Joshua said. He took another deep breath, and then began. “The Institute's spy network got a tip that a strong unit of dark elves had taken over a small castle on the south coast of England, and were going to use it as a strategic stronghold for the invasion. My father led a team of top Wardens and Spellswords to raid the castle and take them down. There were over fifty members, chosen by Draven himself, all of them specialists in both magical and physical combat. They were confident that there were no more than thirty dark elves present. More were due to arrive the following day, so they needed to act quickly.”
Joshua paused again, and placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose, needing another moment to compose himself. Ben, Charlie and Natalie gave him all the time he needed.
“There was just one problem,” Joshua said, when he continued. “There were just thirty dark elves present, but leading them was Prince Ictid, son of King Suktar. Without him, Draven assures me, the Institute would have succeeded. With him there, they stood no chance. Ictid tore into them. The members fought bravely, I am told, and a few got away. My father wasn't among them.”
Joshua finished talking, and was greeted with stunned silence. Natalie made a move to go over and give Joshua a hug, but Ben cut her off with a vigorous shake of the head.
“Did anyone actually see your father go down?” Ben asked.
“No,” Joshua said, looking up, and giving them all a flash of vague hope. Ben pounced on it.
“If nobody saw him go down, he may still be alive. They take prisoners, especially important ones. Your dad is one of the top Wardens.”
“That's what I keep telling myself,” Joshua said. “And that is why I'm here. If there is any chance of finding my father, the dark elves need to be defeated. Suktar needs to be defeated.”
Joshua seemed to gather himself, sitting up straighter, and giving them all a serious stare that, given the circumstances, both impressed and surprised Ben.
“How did the idea of toppling Suktar lead you to us?” Charlie asked with genuine confusion.
In response, Joshua glanced at Ben. “How strong is the shield you cast?”
“Level four. It's strong. Between the security of the room and the shield, we are safe,” Ben said.
“Good,” Joshua said. “Now, do not interrupt what I'm about to say next. I know it will be difficult. You are going to be shocked.”
“We won't interr
upt,” Natalie assured him.
Joshua nodded. “What I'm about to tell you, I learnt by casting dozens of memory spells on myself, and going back to several different incidents, including the one with my uncle and Greg. I was determined to find out the real reason behind my uncle's death. It all started with the dark elves. They were looking for a powerful artefact – in fact, the only artefact with enough power to thwart Suktar. It is called Elizabeth's Armour. You know about this, and you know of its history. So do I.”
Ben very almost choked, and he wasn't the only one.
“You know about Elizabeth's Armour?” Ben said in whisper.
“I know about it, and much more,” Joshua said, his face serious. “Shall I continue?”
Ben nodded, despite the questions bubbling inside his head.
“The dark elves believed that Barry was a Guardian, and therefore entitled to a piece of Elizabeth's Armour: the shield. They had the right family, but the wrong person.”
Ben was suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. This wasn't going how he had imagined.
“The right family?” This time it was Charlie, eyes almost popping from his skull. “Your uncle? Are you saying that there is a Guardian in your family?”
Joshua tapped the table impatiently. “Yes, that's what I'm saying. Now, please let me finish.”
“Sorry, go on,” Natalie said with a weak smile.
Once Joshua was sure he wasn't going to get interrupted again, he continued.
“The dark elves’ first mistake was getting the wrong family member. Their second was believing that your father had taken upon it himself as the Head Guardian to gather all pieces of armour for his own possession, shield included. They told Barry that Greg had the shield, which Barry was entitled to. This is what the argument between Greg and my uncle was about.”
Joshua stopped, and it was just as well. Ben's head was spinning, and he wasn't the only one suffering. Charlie had gone completely red, and Natalie kept opening and closing her mouth, as if she were trying to speak.
It took a couple of minutes of extremely hard work, but Ben eventually finally managed to clear his head.