“What do you mean?”
McVale sat and thought for a moment.
“I regret what happened to your grandfather dear. But then again, much of that was down to that headstrong brother of yours.”
“What’re they to do with all of this?”
“It was more what they didn’t do. They wouldn’t honour an agreement to share the peacekeepers. They were the ones that started this.”
“What?” Yas was becoming irritated and continued to wriggle and try to create magic with her hands to free herself. “How do you mean?”
“Oh, I’d save your energy there. The bonds dampen any other magic from forming. You won’t conjure your way out of those, my dear!” McVale added dismissively.
“I don’t know who you are anymore!” Yas bemoaned, feeling hurt. A tear threatened to form but she was damned if she was going to let it show.
There was a ‘whoomph’ behind them. Vickers stepped through, with Sam just ahead of her.
“Ahh, good. You’re here too.” McVale said, standing up and making her way over to where they had appeared.
Yas turned her head to look to her right and behind her. “Sam?”
“Yas! Are you alright?” He started to move towards her, but Vickers pulled him back.
“Sam’s agreed to work with us,” said Vickers, triumphantly. “Haven’t you?”
He said nothing but looked down at the floor, guiltily.
“No, Sam!” Yas said, a tear trickling down her face now. “Please don’t. They’re not who you think they are!”
“Why don’t we all take a seat,” suggested McVale. “The others are on their way.”
Vickers motioned for Sam to take a seat next to Yas. She stood behind him.
“Yas,” he said, glancing at her. Yas ignored him and stared resolutely ahead. There was only one person she felt she could rely on right now and that was her mom. She remembered the warning from the Fates. Be careful who you can trust. Well, she’d messed up that one, hadn’t she? More tears appeared.
“Yas,” said Sam again, touching her on her leg to try to reassure her.
“I don’t need your help!” she retorted quietly, anger rising. She moved her leg away from him.
Sam looked at Yas, desperately wanting to communicate, but she was ignoring him.
To their right, a doorway opened and in came Orfeo, with Sleight and Wheeler, still in the form of the gargoyle and the lion.
“I’m so pleased you could join us,” Orfeo said. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Orfeo made his way around the opposite side of the table to Yas and Sam. Wheeler and Sleight took up position behind them. Clearly, they were on guard duty.
Orfeo looked at Yas. “I trust you know everyone.”
“Let me go!” Yas shouted, struggling against the bonds holding her tight. Orfeo smiled but ignored her plea.
“Ms. McVale here reliably informs me that you have a gift,” he stated.
“She’s wrong,” Yas rebuked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Orfeo chuckled in reply. “I see you have the same temperament as your grandfather,” he said.
“Yeah, well I tend to get upset when someone ties me to a chair!” She stared angrily at McVale.
“Anyway, what do you know of my grandpa?”
“Only that he was of great service to our cause,” Orfeo explained. “He was helping us create a peacekeeping force.”
“That’s a lie! Why would he do that?”
“To help smooth the way for change.”
“What change?” Yas asked, angrily.
“The interconnected world,” Orfeo answered, raising his hands to indicate its wonder. “Always on. Always exchanging information. Always providing the opportunity for the right news to be broadcast. A place that needs our influence.”
“What do you mean, the right news? Who decides what is right?” She paused for a moment, and the penny dropped. “Ahh, you mean you?”
“Think of your grandfather’s work as providing a service. Helping police the realms against the undesirables, the disrupters, those free radicals that inspire delusion.”
“You want to control what others imagine,” realised Yas. “You want a dictatorship?”
“Not so,” replied Orfeo calmly, enjoying the exchange. “You assume a clear line between good and evil, right and wrong. What’s best for the population may not be the best for individuals.”
“What’s best?” Yas shot back. “What about freedom of thought and speech?”
“So angry. So direct. I like her,” laughed Orfeo, looking at McVale. “She’ll be a great asset.”
“I’m not helping you!” Yas said resolutely. “Ever!”
“Oh, I think you’ll change your mind,” replied Orfeo. He looked at the door that he had entered through. It opened and in walked Wesley.
“Wesley?” said Yas, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
He looked at her awkwardly but said nothing. Orfeo nodded at him and Wesley made his way over to behind Yas. She strained upwards to see him.
“What have you done to him?” she asked angrily. “How are you controlling him?”
“I’ll release him, and your friend, if you give us what we need.”
“Why would I care?” Yas shot back. She gestured to Sam. “He’s not my friend.”
“Oh, I disagree,” said Orfeo, sagely. Yas saw a movement out of the corner of her right eye.
“Hmphgrarghh,” Sam tried to say. Wesley had sent tendrils out from his body which had wrapped around Sam, smothering his mouth and tying him to his chair. He wrestled violently, trying to get a hand hold but finding his arms being trapped and pulled behind him.
“Sam!” shouted Yas from beside him, wriggling violently again to try to get free and help him. Then to Orfeo. “Let him go! He’s on your side, anyway!”
“Let him breathe,” said Orfeo to Wesley. “For now.”
Yas chided herself. She realised she’d just let Orfeo know that she still cared.
Wesley slackened the tendrils around Sam’s face. His movements became less violent, but he was still wriggling against the bonds.
“What are you doing?” asked Yas, looking at Orfeo.
“Proving a point,” remarked Orfeo.
Behind them, Yas heard some strange creaking and stretching sounds, ones that she remembered from the mansion when Sam’s dad was transformed from the wolf. She strained to look behind her but could not tell what was happening.
“Detective Swift!” said Orfeo. “I might have known you’d turn up!”
Peter stepped forwards, helping the transformed Wheeler stay on his feet. He looked at Sleight, who had also transformed back, with bandages on his hand and nose.
“Who are you?” asked Peter.
Sleight tried to respond but was hoarse.
“It will take time,” offered Peter.
“You won’t win any allies there, detective!” said Orfeo.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Peter turned his back on Orfeo and looked at Wheeler. He whispered to him. “I can help you, but only if you help me.” Wheeler looked at him, confusion of the transformation clearing. He nodded.
Peter continued talking to Orfeo. “I think you’ll find your workforce tends to change allegiance after being punished once too often.” He moved across to Sleight. “Isn’t that right?” He slapped the bigger man on the shoulders. Sleight regarded him cautiously. “I’m sure that nose job will look great when the bandage comes off.” Sleight glared at him. “Do you have dental too?”
Orfeo laughed. “Why are you here, detective?”
Peter finished circling around Sleight and walked forwards to the table. “I promised I’d find the son of a friend.”
He looked at Wesley, who regarded him back. “Eddie,” he stated, quietly.
“Eddie?” asked Orfeo, feigning knowledge, but getting Wesley to turn and look at him again. Peter figured that he needed eye contact to control the boy.
&
nbsp; “Eddie?” said Wheeler stepping forwards and looking to Peter, then back at Wesley. The boy looked in his direction nervously. “Is that you?”
Eddie turned back and looked at Wheeler, then nodded ever so slightly, a strain showing on his face.
Wheeler rushed forwards, but then halted when new tendrils appeared from Wesley’s body. Orfeo was still in control. Wesley looked down at them in confusion and they stopped, waving in the air.
“Enough with the family reunion,” said Orfeo abruptly.
“What have they done to you?” Wheeler said, looking at his son.
“It was all your doing,” Orfeo said pointedly, looking at Wheeler. “Your upbringing left him with such anxieties that choice became difficult for him.” He paused. “I have given him a different perspective. A purpose. He’s much happier now.” He looked at Wesley who was still looking at Wheeler, confused. Then Wesley felt everyone’s eyes upon him, and he became surprised and anxious with the attention.
“Aren’t you, Wesley?” Orfeo continued.
Wesley nodded uncertainly, looking at Orfeo and then downwards in submission. Then he looked back at Wheeler, with curiosity.
“Eddie,” Wheeler said with sadness and regret in his voice. Wesley continued to watch his father, curiosity changing to confusion. The tendrils that were outstretched retracted, along with those wrapping around Sam. Peter took the opportunity to grab Sam on the shoulder. Sam stood up, moving behind his dad. Wheeler, tears starting to form in his eyes, reached forwards and pulled his son into a hug. Wesley stood awkwardly and did not return the embrace, so Wheeler let go and stepped back, feeling confused. Vickers took advantage of the moment and quickly stood up and grabbed Sam before he had time to react. She caught him on the arm and twisted it behind him.
“What the?” reacted Sam trying to wrestle his way out of the hold. Vickers moved back, away from the table, pulling Sam with her.
“What are you doing?” Peter shouted. He turned and fired a small word ball at Vickers shoulder to distract her, but she deflected his shot with a shield and fired another. Peter ducked as the shot sailed across the table and hit the wall near Orfeo.
“They both need to stay here!” retorted Vickers.
“Which side are you on anyway?” replied Peter, firing another shot at her. In reply Vickers threw a large word ball back. It missed Peter and landed on the table, erupting and sending word shrapnel in all directions. Everyone ducked down as much as possible, Wesley taking cover next to Yas.
“Who am I?” Yas heard Wesley ask from beside her. She looked around but noticed that no-one else had heard him.
She replied in her mind. “You’re Eddie. Not Wesley.”
Wesley glanced at Yas quickly. He figured she must have heard him.
“Keep them here,” shouted Orfeo above the melee, while avoiding the debris around him.
McVale stood up and pulled Yas’s chair backwards with her, while exchanging shots with Wheeler on the other side of the room. Wesley looked confused but followed McVale and Yas.
“You are Eddie,” Yas repeated in her mind.
Shots fired all around her. She was not sure how much longer she was going to be able to avoid them while still strapped to the chair.
“I need your help, Eddie.”
Wesley looked up at Yas from his position. “What happened to me?” he communicated telepathically.
“I think you’re under some sort of spell. I’ll try to help you if you can free me.”
He nodded at her.
Across the room, Peter had managed to distract Vickers enough that she had let go of Sam, but Vickers had ensnared Sam’s ankle with a magical bind, pulling him onto the floor.
Orfeo walked around the table and through the middle of the battle without being hit by any of the shots being fired. He joined McVale who still had Yas bound to the chair.
“I think we need to take you and your friend somewhere a little more private, don’t you, my dear?”
Yas knew she was running out of time. “Eddie, can you loosen these binds?” she asked mentally, as calmly as she could. She didn’t want to be taken to wherever Orfeo wanted her to be.
Orfeo opened his hand out to his side and then pulled it towards him. Sam slid across the floor to join them. Sam pushed himself up into a crouch and tried to loosen the tendril around his ankle.
Yas felt the binds around her start to loosen. She moved ever so slightly to test them, checking whether McVale had noticed. She was fully occupied defending Wheeler’s shots.
“Thank you, Eddie,” she thought back. “I can create a doorway. Can you create a diversion? I can get you away from here.”
“Yes,” replied Eddie telepathically. His thoughts seemed to be growing stronger.
“A forest,” she thought. Eddie nodded at her. She remembered the forest, picturing it literally just in front of her. She felt the connection to the place and sensed an energy rush through her. She sensed McVale distracted for a moment by it, and Orfeo looking at her with surprise. She figured that they were able to sense the energy for a potential doorway.
“Now!” she thought to Eddie.
A doorway popped into existence just in front of her. With the appearing ‘whoomph’, Eddie pushed outwards with his hands. Two waves of energy rolled outwards, one hit McVale and Orfeo knocking them backwards off their feet, the other knocked over Peter and Vickers.
With McVale no longer holding the bindings, Yas grabbed Eddie by the hand and dived forwards through the portal. The bind holding Sam had also broken and he scrambled through the doorway. Yas slammed it shut behind them. She hoped it was closed firmly enough.
It was dark. She hadn’t expected the forest to be at night but looking around she figured that it probably worked in their favour. Eddie seemed confused, uncertain, but she could see he was more himself now, his features were slowly changing from the character that had been Wesley.
“Now what?” Eddie asked aloud. It was the first time she had heard the real him talk.
“We run,” said Yas. “Fast!”
They started running. She looked around and saw Sam, joining them.
“How the hell did you get here? You traitor!” She held her hand up ready to defend herself and Eddie.
“Its not what you think, Yas!” Sam pleaded. “You have to believe me!”
“Oh right,” Yas said angrily. “What is it then?” She was struggling to continue the argument while also seeing where she was running in the dark. With little moonlight, it was a world of varying shadows. Larger trees and roots on the ground were easy to spot, but thinner branches and undulations on the forest floor could only be seen at the last second. It would be a constant battle to avoid getting whipped by fine twigs or landing awkwardly on the ground. “The Fates told me I had to lose a friend,” she yelled. “I didn’t want it to be you!”
“Yas, I’m on your side! For God’s sake, I would never betray you!”
“Prove it!” she shot back.
Back on the ship, Orfeo raised himself from the floor supernaturally. Vickers ran across the room to where the portal had been and McVale recovered her balance after being thrown backwards. Peter fired word balls at Orfeo and Vickers to try to buy Yas, Sam and Eddie more time. Wheeler followed suit, firing at McVale. Orfeo used magic to pull the table from the other side of the room towards Peter, who realised at the last second and dived to the side, rolling and getting to his feet quickly.
“Where did they go?” Orfeo asked Vickers and McVale.
“I know where,” said McVale. “I heard their little mind talk.”
“Head them off, then,” said Orfeo matter-of-factly. “And do it quickly.”
Peter leapt over the table, balls of word magic forming in his hands. He rushed at Orfeo while Wheeler continued to fire at McVale. Orfeo saw Peter approaching and created a magic shield which caused Peter to glance off and miss, colliding with the wall. Vickers had fired at Wheeler which had given McVale a few moments break, enough time to create a por
tal.
Peter turned, forming a fresh word ball in his right hand. He threw it, to try to distract McVale, but Vickers was watching him and had anticipated it. She threw a word net which protected the two of them and the doorway. Peter ran towards McVale and Vickers, aiming to rugby tackle them to the ground. Orfeo saw this and ambushed Peter mid run with his own word ball, sending Peter crashing to the ground near the doorway. It gave McVale and Vickers enough time to step through.
Orfeo fired another word ball at Peter to keep him at bay. He smiled cruelly as he started to step through but hadn’t reckoned on Peter firing a hook shaped word string. It caught onto Orfeo’s jacket and pulled him sideways, away from the portal. Orfeo looked down and dismissed the magic, unhooking himself. Then, with a look to Peter that indicated it was a valid try but not good enough, he stepped through and closed the portal behind him.
Peter thumped the ground with his fist in frustration.
“Damn it!” he said angrily. “Where’d they go?” He got to his feet. “And where’s your friend?”
“Sleight?” said Wheeler. “He must have left earlier.”
The two men stood still in the Captain’s quarters for a moment. Peter tried to think what to do next. “Why’d you do it?” he asked. “Why?”
“I’m sorry Peter,” he replied genuinely. “I needed a quick way to repay my debts. It got out of hand.”
“There’s never a quick way, James.”
“I know. I was in so deep though and couldn’t get out. I put Eddie in danger.”
“And Sam!” shot back Peter. “And the others!”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Wheeler said, with remorse. “I wasn’t sure I could ask for help. Not after the last time.”
“I’m your friend,” replied Peter. “But I can’t help you if you go beyond the law.”
Wheeler nodded, glumly. He recognised the warning and tried to think of a way to make amends. “Look,” he said, stepping towards Peter, placating. “I think I know where they are.” He paused. “I can’t blame you for not trusting me, but please let me try to help Sam and the others.”
“How?” asked Peter, clearly guarded.
The Word Guardians: and the Battle for the Peacekeepers Page 21
