Volunteers assisted the library employees in tidying the chaos and re-cataloguing the books. It was time-consuming, but it would be possible to resume normal business within a few days.
“Help me with this one, will you?” Sam asked Yas, pointing to the next bookshelf to be righted. They were in the section behind the administration desk, where it looked as though someone had played dominos on a grand scale. They moved books carefully out the way so that they could reposition a shelf.
“I’m surprised there’s not more damage,” remarked Sam, “given what had been reported in the realm.”
“Yeah,” agreed Yas. “I’m glad that turned out to just be fiction.”
“No kidding,” added Sam. “Although,” he smiled. “I quite enjoyed the jet-skis. Being undercover. Pursuing the bad guys. You know?”
Yas laughed. She knew what he was thinking. “You want to be a secret agent?”
“Yeah… well… I don’t know,” Sam replied, becoming more self-conscious under the look Yas was giving him. “I was thinking about what the Commissioner said about a career in law enforcement.”
“Well, maybe you need to work on recognising subtleties, if you’re going to go all ‘shaken not stirred’ on me?” she half-laughed.
“What do you mean?” asked Sam, defensively.
“You were a royal pain in the ass in the realms. Taking it out on Eddie when he wasn’t the problem.”
“He was being controlled by Orfeo, though!” Sam protested, staring at Yas.
“And who was controlling you?” Yas retorted.
He breathed. He knew what Yas was referring to.
“You’re right,” he relented. “I guess I was jealous. I thought… you know… that you might like Eddie more.”
“Eddie? Over you?” asked Yas. She moved closer to him, looked into his eyes and touched his jacket.
“Yeah, well… he’s older… intelligent… dresses smart… seems to pick up on the same things you do. The energies in the realms and that telepathy thing you have. That’s not me, Yas.”
Yas laughed. “Oh god, Sam. Is that what you think?”
“Yeah… well I did… until you just laughed.”
“You’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about,” she reassured, grabbing his arms. “I wouldn’t and he wouldn’t. We’re just friends.”
“You seem really close, though.”
“Look,” Yas said, a little more assertively. “Eddie’s going through a lot and just needs someone to talk to. Okay?”
Sam nodded.
“I guess, I think of him as a brother...” She paused. She realised that she could have a conversation with Eddie in a way that she couldn’t with anyone else, including Sam. That shocked her and she felt a pang of guilt. She didn’t want that. “A brother I never had, really,” she added.
Sam nodded and listened. She remembered that he was good at that. He didn’t feel the need to fill the space and offer an opinion. She smiled. It was one of things that had enabled them to become close friends initially.
“Besides,” she continued. “You seemed to get along better with him after the water chase.”
“True, I guess. I think because he needed my help… you know?” He remembered Eddie’s panic when they jumped in the water from the boat. Then it was Sam’s turn to feel guilty as he recalled spraying Eddie when they were on the jet skis. “I guess… he’s not that bad after all.”
“He’s not a threat,” soothed Yas.
She reached up for a kiss and Sam returned it.
Then she moved across close to his ear and whispered, “besides, I think he’s looking for a different kind of relationship.”
Sam pulled back and looked at Yas, his face portraying the question that was on his lips.
She nodded.
He understood. In fact, the more he thought about it, it made a lot of sense. “Does Akoni know?”
“What?” she replied, looking puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” replied Sam. “Don’t you find it a bit strange that wherever Akoni showed up, Eddie was there also. The Hanging Gardens. Then in the Hall of Mirrors they were fighting together like close buddies? That’s all. I just wondered if…you know… how Eddie did that?”
Yas just shrugged.
“Well, that’s up to him who he spends time with,” she said a little tersely, focussing her attention on replacing more books on shelves. “Akoni’s an adult. I’m okay with it either way.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. He knew that she was not okay with it but was also smart enough not to press with more questions now that her defence shields had gone up. There was a short, awkward silence between them.
“I might be jumping to conclusions,” Sam offered, trying to soften the blow.
Yas remembered what she had been shown when freeing the custodians. She realised that she was holding herself against disappointment in that moment, that she was protecting herself and she tried to relax. She placed the armful of books she had on the shelves temporarily.
“Sam,” she said.
“Yes,” he turned towards her. She grabbed his hands and pulled him closer.
“I need to let you in more,” she said, looking into his eyes.
“Okay?” said Sam, feeling a little uncomfortable and confused. He wasn’t sure where she was going with this.
“The Fates showed me that because of my past, I can… protect myself at times.”
“I know,” he replied, as gently as he could.
“I don’t want to do that with you.”
“That’s good,” he said. “I don’t want to do that with you either. You were there for me when my dad disappeared. I’m here for you now, too.”
She nodded.
“We’re okay, right?” Sam asked after a pause.
“Yes,” she smiled. They shared a quick kiss again.
“Look,” she said, hoping that what she was about to say was her putting her promise about opening up into action. “You’re right. I honestly don’t know how I feel about Akoni being back in my life... you know? It’s going to take time to process.”
“Totally get it.”
“And trying to think about if he’s in a relationship… I can’t even begin to get my head around it. I don’t know where he’s staying right now. He didn’t come to the house last night and it kind of brings up memories of when he first disappeared, you know? I don’t know if he’s alright or not.” She felt herself becoming flustered.
“He is,” said Sam, touching her arm while looking across the foyer.
“You’re just saying that.”
“No, I’m really not,” said Sam, looking back down at her.
“Then, how do you know,” she asked, looking up at him.
“Because he’s over there. With Eddie.”
“What?” she asked and turned around to face them.
“Akoni!” she shouted and ran over to him. Sam followed at walking pace, wondering if she was going to thump or hug him.
Yas stopped just in front of Akoni.
“What are you doing here?”
“I just came to check up on you,” he replied. “We kind of went different ways after the battle.”
“Where have you been?” she continued. “You didn’t come home last night?”
Akoni glanced at Eddie.
“I’m sorry,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Eddie offered me a place to crash.”
“Oh,” said Yas, genuinely taken aback. She glanced behind to Sam and wondered if he was right about them.
He smiled back at her, hoping to portray a look of support, and hoped that she hadn’t seen it as ‘I told you so’.
“Look,” Akoni said. “I just need time to figure some things out. I don’t know if Mom and Dad will want me back or not.”
“They just need to get used to the idea, Akoni. Don’t run off again!” Yas protested, immediately regretting the words. That felt like what she hoped was the old her, trying to rebuild the family she felt she had lost.
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Akoni looked hurt and anger flared.
“Is that what you all think of me? Leave when the going gets rough?”
“No,” Yas sighed, berating herself. She could see that the emotional wounds ran deep for him. “Please,” she added. “Look… I don’t know what to think. I also need to get used to you being around again.” She paused and took a breath. Sam moved forwards beside her.
“Baby steps?” she asked, looking up at him.
Akoni looked at Eddie questioningly. Yas wasn’t sure why, but she waited to see what happened.
Eddie nodded.
Akoni looked back at Yas.
“I’ll pop round later today,” he said. “Say hello. On the way to somewhere, kind of thing. Short and sweet. How about that?”
“Yes,” Yas nodded. She realised it may be uncomfortable for everyone, but the new her still wanted her family to get along, if that was possible. She wasn’t sure if this was coming from wanting to resolve the frustration and fear that had been present in the house night after night when he had first disappeared. She hoped not. She didn’t want to come into this new situation trying to broker a peace. This time, she would simply get everyone together and let events take their course. She didn’t know how that would turn out and she felt the familiar anxiety rise in her gut. She looked at Sam, realising that she had him with her this time around.
She also knew that Akoni was right. While in the midst of battle, her parents had seemingly accepted him being present. But real life was very different. There was a lot to work through. There was mistrust and bad feeling on both sides. The emotional wounds would take time to heal.
She looked at Eddie and Akoni.
“So, the two of you are… friends?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
“Yes,” replied Eddie. “Friends.” He replied perhaps a little too quickly for her liking.
“Okay, then,” she said, looking at Akoni. She was searching for any tell-tale sign, any emotion that would tell her once and for all what was between the two of them. There was nothing.
“So, you’re okay with Akoni staying with you?” she asked Eddie, still digging for something.
Eddie nodded.
She looked at Akoni, who returned a questioning ‘none of your business’ look. She agreed with him and nodded in reply, before stepping forwards to give him a hug.
“See you later, then,” she said, simply. She pulled back and saw him nodding. That was good. A part of her still needed to know that he was as good as his word. She figured that Red would be proud.
Then she moved to Eddie and gave him a hug too. “Just be careful?” she said, trying her best not to be too sisterly. She pulled back from the hug to find him questioning but smiling.
“Of course, I will,” he said.
Then Akoni and Eddie turned and headed back out of the library.
Yas looked at Sam and realised she was holding herself tense again. She pulled him closer.
“What?” he asked, putting his arms around her.
“Do you think it will be okay? You know, Mom, Dad, Akoni?”
They turned and headed back the way they had come.
“I really can’t say,” he replied. “I don’t think it’s possible to have a normal family life and be a Word Guardian.”
Yas looked up at him and nodded. He was right.
On a sandy beach, it was dusk. A man was sitting on a rock looking out at the waves gently lapping the shore. A way behind him was a stone structure, in which the body of his friend lay. She was resting, or at least that’s what he told himself. Deep down, he knew the finality of her situation. He had seen death so many times in his line of work. Intended targets, crimes that had escalated and victims who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. In all his years in the police though, he had never witnessed the death of a friend. Someone who, through finding herself again, had helped him become a better person too. It was too hard to bear. He felt the pain of loss so keenly, yet he was also numb.
Index materialized a little way from James and took in the scene. His trench coat flapped slightly in the breeze, while his combat boots made heavy prints in the wet sand. He made his way over to the rock and stood there in silence, just out of sight.
“What are you doing here?” asked James, without moving.
“I need to talk with you,” replied Index.
“I don’t feel like talking,” James said, tersely. “I lost a friend, remember? Talk to someone else.”
“I will,” replied Index.
“What?” James asked, not really interested, but hopeful that Index would leave him alone.
“I will talk with the others.”
“Which others?” asked James, intrigue rising from the depths of his sorrow.
Index paused, listening to the breeze and the lapping waves.
“I saved her.”
“Not soon enough,” James shot back.
He turned to face Index.
He was surprised to see the questioning face of a child, behind the mask of the man.
“I saved her,” Index repeated, not understanding.
“Well, tell that to the body that’s laid to rest over there, then,” James said, raising his voice. “Because last I checked, she’s dead!”
“No, you’re wrong,” replied Index simply.
“Wrong?” retorted James, standing and stepping aggressively towards Index. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong!” He knew the man was more powerful than him, but he really didn’t care. What could he do to him? “I’ve lost everything! She was my friend!”
He pushed Index backwards. Index shrugged it off and allowed himself to be pushed.
“I was just getting to like her, damn it!”
James pushed Index again. Index took another step back under the onslaught.
What Orfeo had said about James was true. He was Famine. If Index took his life now, that would be a gift. A release.
“Come on!” James pushed him again and then again, puzzled why Index did not retaliate. “What are you waiting for?”
Index pointed at the ground, and the sand sprang up to form a defensive shield in front of him. James moved to dodge it, but it changed position to match. James continued to push at it, trying to break through but ended up covered in sand. He lost his temper and conjured word balls, throwing them at the wall and breaking it apart, only to have it reform. He quickly lost his breath, the anger burning out of him.
He stood still, breathing heavily. The adrenaline was burning through what little energy he had left.
Index dropped the wall of sand.
“What do you want from me?” James asked, wondering if there was an easier way to end the conversation.
“What do I want?” questioned Index.
“Yes!” shouted James, the anger returning. “Just take it.”
“Take what?”
“Whatever you came here for?”
Index cocked his head sideways, towards the rock structure in which Raelinn lay.
“No! Not her. Don’t even think about it!” shouted James, angrily.
“You don’t understand,” said Index simply.
“I don’t understand?” James shot back, irritated again. “No! You don’t understand. Orfeo created you. Why would you?”
“Orfeo created me?” asked Index.
“Yes,” replied James, his anger turning to puzzlement. “I was there. He formed you from me and three others. The four horsemen, he called us.”
“The four horsemen?” asked Index, clearly needing to understand.
“Listen! You repeating what I’m saying is getting really irritating!” James shouted. He breathed heavily again for a moment. “Yes! The four bloody horsemen. War, Pestilence, Famine and,” he nodded to the structure at the back of the beach, “Death.”
“But she is not death,” replied Index innocently.
“But she is dead,” said James.
“No. I saved her,” repeated Index.
“I don’t
know what you’re talking about,” said James. “She was a vampire, then became free from Orfeo’s loyalty and came back to life, only to die again.” He paused, anger spilling over to grief. “She was finally free,” he cried, tears brimming. “She had so much life left in her.” His voice caught and he struggled to control his emotions.
“But I have visited her since,” replied Index, simply.
“Since the battle?” asked James, recovering his composure. “I don’t understand.”
“She has decided to join me,” Index stated simply.
“What?” James said. He spotted Index glance at the stone structure again. Concern grew within him.
“What did you do?” he shouted, starting to run towards the resting place of Raelinn. “No! You didn’t! What did you do?”
He crossed the sand at a sprint, moving above the tideline and struggling through the dry sand as quickly as he could. He reached the doorway and pulled the wood that he had placed there aside.
“No!” he shouted out loud as he went inside. The stone crypt was empty. “Where is she?”
Behind him, Index smiled.
“What have you done with her?”
He ran back outside again. Index was no longer there.
He looked about quickly, anger running unbridled within him.
“Damn it!”
He slapped his hand in frustration on the wooden door, then clenched his fists, looked up and shouted. It was a single word and it echoed around the beach and, unbeknown to him, through several realms.
“INDEX!”
Other books by this author
The Word Guardians and the Battle for the Peacekeepers
There’s a secret that has torn Yasmin Oakham’s family apart. She’s lost a grandfather and brother to something that her parents have never talked about, and its all about to come to a head.
She thought she knew a lot about books too. An escape for when things were bad at home, she’s about to find out that there’s much more than the words on the page and the pictures they create in the mind’s eye. Yas is about to find a magical world and be pulled into the middle of a battle that her grandfather started.
The Word Guardians: and the Twisting Tales Page 32
