Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One)

by Peckham, Caroline

  "Ha, yeah," Oliver said, regaining composure.

  Oliver took another sip of tea just as he caught a word from the older couple that made his ears prick up.

  "-Rimori?" the grey-haired man finished.

  "I just hope they catch him before it's too late. If he gets enough support from the Arclites he could start some sort of uprising," his wife responded dramatically.

  "Now, now. No one's starting an uprising, dear," her husband said, getting to his feet.

  She stood and they linked arms as they walked past Oliver and May to exit the car.

  Oliver frowned, thinking back to the night he had overheard Ely and Laura talking. He wanted to piece together what they had been saying.

  "What?" May asked, eyeing his expression.

  Oliver explained what he had heard and, with a pang, realised what Laura had been insinuating. "She reckons Rimori returning and Mum's disappearance are linked. She suggested Mum actually chose to go to him."

  "The timing is pretty coincidental," May said thoughtfully. "But Mum wouldn't abandon us to go and meet up with some murderer, especially one that killed her husband. Plus, we saw her room, it didn't look like she left by choice."

  Oliver pushed away the feeling of dread that stirred inside him."You're probably right," he said slowly then lowered his voice. "But what about that curse on you? What are the chances of all these events happening within a few weeks of each other?"

  "I can't see the link though," May said with a frown, touching her chest where Oliver knew the mark was located beneath her dress.

  "We don't know enough about all of it. I feel like there's a whole lifetime of information we've missed out on and now we have to try and catchup," Oliver said, exasperated.

  May nodded slowly, sipping at her tea. Oliver finished the remains of his, mulling over his thoughts. The waitress flashed into his mind again and, with a burst of confidence that he was sure had more to do with the tea than himself, almost considered going to find her.

  May yawned. "I think I'm done. I'm knackered."

  Oliver nodded vaguely then they stood and returned to their room.

  He shivered at the cool air that was being pumped into the room and fiddled with the panel on the wall until he figured out how to turn it off. "Oh, I left my jumper in the lounge," Oliver said in realisation.

  "Okay, I'm going to bed," May said, yawning broadly.

  "Night then," Oliver said, heading back out the door.

  He grabbed the jumper from the chair in the lounge and made his way back to the room at a slow dawdle. As he entered the corridor he spotted Larkin standing in front of someone in the entrance to the dining car, blocking their way.

  "Come on, let's have a drink," Larkin said.

  "No thanks. Excuse me," a girl's voice answered.

  Oliver found himself walking towards them.

  "Just a drink, don't be boring," Larkin said, spreading his arms out to lean on the door frame.

  The girl attempted to duck under his arm but he moved so she was pinned against the frame. Oliver recognised the pretty waitress from dinner.

  "One kiss and I'll let you pass," Larkin said with a cheeky grin.

  "No way," she said, folding her arms.

  Larkin leant towards her.

  "Oi!" Oliver barked.

  Larkin span around and his eyes landed on Oliver, narrowing to thin lines. "What are you looking at?" he spat.

  The girl took the distraction to duck under Larkin's arm.

  "Looks like someone being rejected." The words were out of Oliver's mouth before he could consider how Larkin might react and he felt his heartbeat quicken.

  "What did you say to me?" Larkin asked in a deadly tone, turning to square up to him.

  The girl wandered over and stood next to Oliver. "He has a point," she said firmly.

  "Give over, you were well into me before this loser showed up," Larkin said.

  "Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes.

  "Didn't look that way from where I was standing," Oliver said, folding his arms.

  Larkin looked as though he was going to retaliate then walked forward and barged Oliver with his shoulder as he passed, disappearing in the direction of the lounge.

  Oliver was suddenly painfully aware that he was standing alone with the girl. He looked at her and all words seemed to desert his mind. Instead, he made a strained noise in his throat then coughed to cover it.

  The girl looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Erm, thanks," she said with a half smile.

  "No problem. I'm Oliver by the way." His voice was higher than usual and he felt a flush of embarrassment.

  "Anna," she said. "That guy's a tool."

  Oliver grinned. "Yeah I noticed," he said, glad his voice seemed to have returned to its usual tone.

  "He told me I was the luckiest girl on the train because he'd chosen to have a drink with me. That was his opening line," Anna said with a laugh.

  "Seriously?" Oliver grimaced.

  Anna laughed. "Yeah."

  A woman appeared from the dining car and raised her eyebrows at Anna. "Could you check the drinks cabinet is locked up in the lounge, please? Then you'll be finished for the night."

  Anna nodded. "Sure, night Nadine."

  The woman smiled and disappeared back into the dining car.

  "Wanna come with me?" Anna asked Oliver, her dark brows raising up.

  A warmth spread through his chest and he nodded. "Yeah, sure."

  He followed her back to the lounge which was now empty. She pressed her hand to a scanner which opened a hatch in the wall. A cabinet of bottles were revealed behind it all suspended on wracks of silver.

  She helped herself to one filled with amber liquid at the bottom of the cabinet and grabbed two glasses from a trolley. "Want some? This one's for staff," she said.

  Oliver shrugged as she dropped into an armchair and he sat opposite as she poured him a glass.

  "What is it?" Oliver asked, swirling the amber liquid around.

  She frowned in confusion. "It's Jinu," she said as if it were obvious.

  Oliver took a sip from the glass. It was fruity and sharp, fizzing pleasantly on his tongue and throat on the way down.

  "This is great," Oliver said as she topped his glass up.

  "Haven't you ever had it?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

  "Nope," Oliver said, holding the glass up to the light. He could see a faint glow swirling inside it that reminded him of the Gateway keys. "Is it alcoholic?"

  Anna smiled with amusement, shaking her head so her chestnut-coloured hair danced around her shoulders. "No. It's one of the most popular drinks in Aleva! Where are you from? You don't look Glacian. Brinatin?"

  "No, Earth actually," Oliver said, feeling like an alien species.

  Anna burst out laughing. "You're funny," she said.

  Oliver frowned, not getting the joke. She spotted the look on his face and stopped laughing.

  "You're serious? You're actually from Earth?" Her bronze eyes went wide.

  "Yeah, why's that funny?" Oliver asked, shifting under her piercing gaze.

  "It's not, I mean, it sort of is. It's just most of Earth don't even know the other worlds exist so only a few ever come through."

  "Well, my dad was from Aleva," Oliver said then hesitated before continuing. "His name was William Knight."

  She gasped, clutching the arm of the chair. "The William Knight?"

  "So I've been told," Oliver said slowly, anticipating her reaction.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," she said gently.

  "For him being my dad?" Oliver asked, irrationally offended.

  "Oh- No, I meant sorry because, well he's, he-"

  "He's dead. Yeah. But I didn't know him. I mean, it's awful and all but I never met him. It's hard to know how to feel about it actually," Oliver said with an exhale of breath.

  "I guess you can't help who you're related to," Anna said thoughtfully.

  Oliver nodded.

  She took a sip of her dr
ink and watched him as if she were itching to say something.

  "What?" Oliver asked, anxious at what she might be thinking about his parentage.

  "I guess you heard about Rimori coming back from Vale?" she asked tentatively.

  Oliver nodded. "Yeah."

  "Does it bother you?" she whispered as if she wasn't sure she should ask.

  Oliver considered his answer. When he had found out about his father's murder he had been glad to know Rimori was gone. "It does," he admitted. "I mean, I think he should pay for what he did."

  "Yeah, me too," she said with a smile and the tightness in his gut unfurled.

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Anna said.

  "I don't mind." Oliver sipped at his drink and leant back in the chair. "So, are you entering the race?" he asked to change the subject.

  "I wish, but I can't afford the entrance fees. Plus mum would never let me." She rolled her eyes. "Not 'til you're eighteen," she mimicked her mother in a high-pitched squawk.

  "Oh, that sucks. How old are you?" Oliver asked.

  "Sixteen, what about you?"

  "Same. I could have offered you a place on my team," Oliver said, finding himself wishing she could join them.

  "You're racing? And you have a spare space? That's so not fair." Anna threw her head back with a groan. "I've been working on the Traverser with my parents to save up for it."

  "Maybe I could talk to my grandfather and see if he can help out? It's kind of urgent that we get a key to Glacio," Oliver said with a frown.

  "How come?" She bit her lip immediately as if she hadn't meant to probe again.

  Oliver didn't want anyone to know about May's curse despite Anna seeming trustworthy. "My sister and I are going to meet someone in Brinatin," he said truthfully.

  "Oh right. Well, it's a really tempting offer but I couldn't ask your grandfather to pay for me, that's absurd." She smiled and finished the contents of her glass, getting to her feet.

  Oliver stood up too.

  "I'll still talk to him," he said with a grin.

  She smiled again, lighting up her dark eyes. "That's really kind of you but I couldn't. Maybe I'll see you around?"

  "Yeah, course," Oliver said weakly, watching as she left the lounge with a sinking sensation in his stomach.

  13

  Accomplice

  One Year Ago

  Rimori slowly scraped his fingernails across the stone. He dragged them towards his knees, leaving trails in the thick layer of blood that covered the cavern floor. The metallic tang that hung in the air barely registered with him anymore.

  His teeth were gritted, his long hair and beard were matted with blood and his eyes were squeezed shut in concentration. A cracking noise stirred him from his thoughts and he opened his eyes reluctantly. An animal carcass had slipped forward off of a rock.

  He pushed his hands into the coagulated blood and stood. His naked chest was slender, nothing but lean muscle. He exercised each day and lived off the raw carcasses brought to him by the vark. He imagined the way his appearance must have changed since entering Vale and wondered what it would be like to see his reflection again one day.

  His head suddenly filled with the familiar voice of the vark he had named Kogure. The creature had shown him more of Vale over the years. The world was barren. Miles of dark rock, mountains of it. Rivers of black shadow and precipices filled with burning embers. He hadn't wanted to stay this long but his return to the human worlds had to be meticulously planned.

  After Kogure saved him in those first few days he had grown to relish the time he spent with the creature. The voice in his head had initially frightened him but now it thrilled him. He could communicate with the practically formless vark. Its body, if you could call it that, was a hulking shadow that could become invisible at will.

  Kogure could be ruthless. It could hurt him through his mind and possess his body. It was more powerful than the varks he had known of before, even those with bladed limbs.

  He soon realised Kogure held power in this world. The other varks did as he bid them to but Rimori would soon exert his will over Kogure when they returned together to the human worlds.

  For now, he relied on Kogure to bring him food. He had grown to savour the taste of raw meat, his face and hands constantly bloody.

  "Tell me mmore about your planss. Tell me mmore," Kogure's rough voice purred in his ear, sending chills through Rimori's spine.

  "I will share with you when you have shared with me. Have you spoken to my friend?" Rimori spoke aloud. He didn't need to, but using his voice occasionally broke the silence of the cave.

  He had discovered that Kogure could travel to the human worlds, not fully, but enough to be able to speak with his friend on the other side. It had taken hundreds, perhaps thousands of attempts to locate him but eventually Kogure had made contact.

  The vark could only spend mere minutes in the other worlds before he was seemingly dragged back to Vale. It took days for Kogure to recover between each visit, but the vark persisted in the hope of appeasing Rimori. In return, Rimori promised Kogure many things once they returned to the human worlds, namely blood.

  "Yessss. Yesss," it hissed. Rimori could almost feel cold breath on his ear.

  "And has it been organised?" Rimori spoke evenly.

  "Yess. He sayss it's almossst time. Almossst ready." Kogure's voice was quickening with anticipation.

  "We must be patient."

  "We've waited longg enough." Kogure snapped the last word with a sound like that of gnashing teeth.

  Rimori didn't fear Kogure. The vark could inflict pain on him if he wanted to, maybe even kill him but Kogure could be pacified with words. He wasn't the most intelligent creature but his abilities were useful and Rimori couldn't risk damaging their precarious alliance.

  "Hush Kogure. We must play this right. There's no room for error."

  "I want to hurrtt themm. Take the other worlddss for ourselvesss. Start the warrr. The othersss grow restlesssss." He spoke slowly and Rimori could hear the desire in his voice.

  "You'll get your chance."

  "I WANT IT NOW!" Pain ripped through Rimori's body and he doubled over, his hands clawing at the blood-smothered floor.

  "Enough!" Rimori forced him from his mind, a trick he had learned a few months after his arrival, earning the hesitant respect of the creature.

  "You promissed," Kogure hissed like spitting fire.

  "And I will keep that promise but you must wait a little longer."

  A pause followed these words and Rimori braced himself for another attack.

  "I cannn do that," Kogure said, resigned.

  Rimori relaxed. "Now, tell me what my friend had to say. Did he mention the girl? Is she safe?"

  "She issss. She still knowsss nothing of the other worldssss."

  "Good. What else did he say?"

  "You're friend isss still hessssitant to talk with me. Can we trusst him?"

  "I would trust him with my life."

  "He ssstill fearssss me."

  "Do you give him reason to?"

  Kogure was silent.

  "Do you?" Rimori insisted, his temper bubbling under the calm of his voice.

  "He cann be impertinenttt. Sssometimes he musst be taught a lesssssson."

  "He knows I would never send you to hurt him. You're causing him to mistrust you. It will be your own fault that you cannot return to the other worlds with me."

  Rimori cracked his knuckles.

  "Noo. Noo. You promisssed," Kogure hissed.

  "I can't be blamed. It is your actions which threaten our chances of bringing down the Gateways together. Perhaps I should find another vark to assist me," Rimori said coolly.

  "Noo you musn't. I'll try harderr. I won't hurt himm. I will perssuadee him to trusst me." The creature had become desperate, just as Rimori had hoped.

  "I will consider it. Leave me now. I wish to be alone," Rimori said.

  "Yesss. Forgive mee, forgive mee." Kogure drifted from his mind a
nd Rimori felt his presence lift from the cavern.

  Rimori stood, his bare feet squelching in the blood. He began to stretch slowly as he thought through his coming plans.

  14

  An Invitation

  Oliver awoke to the smell of Glacian tea. He rolled over to find a steaming cup of the sweet mixture on his bedside table and slurped it down, giving him the kick he needed to get up.

  He dressed and went through to the living room, feeling particularly chirpy. "Morning," he said brightly to May who was sat in an armchair, sipping on tea and nibbling biscuits.

  She smiled at him then nodded to the window. "Look at the view."

  Oliver turned. The view beyond it was breathtaking; the Traverser was gliding through a picturesque valley bordered by towering, snow-capped mountains. A lake glistened and shimmered in the hazy, morning light where deer-like animals bathed in the lapping water.

  A knock on the door sounded and Oliver opened it to find Ely standing there.

  "Good morning," he said brightly as he entered and took a seat. "Beautiful isn't it? We're entering Crome's outlands. This is the sort of landscape you'll be racing through. It looks stunning, but trust me, it's not easy to traverse. You'll be relying on your team every step of the way to get each other to the finish line," Ely said.

  "What place did your team come when you raced?" May asked curiously.

  "My team placed seventh. But that was many years ago, they've made the race more difficult these days because it's become so competitive. It's a more popular idea to travel to the other worlds than it used to be."

  "Is there any way we can prepare for it?" Oliver asked anxiously.

  "There's not much time to build yourselves up physically but, I suppose, I can give you one or two pointers to help prepare you mentally."

  "Like what?" May asked, putting down her tea.

  "Well, the first thing you need to remember is that you compete as a team for a reason, to test how cooperative you are. It sounds simple, but many contestants are out for themselves and that can be their downfall."

  "That would be easier if we knew who our teammates were," Oliver said in frustration.