Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One)

by Peckham, Caroline

  "How are you feeling? Can you stand up?" Truvian asked, tilting her chin to the side to get a good look at the now healed wound.

  She nodded and he pulled her to her feet.

  "Who was it? Did you see?" Oliver asked her through gritted teeth.

  "No, they came up from behind. I was looking for Rogan. I saw someone standing there and thought it was him. When I went over, whoever it was had disappeared. That's when they hit me," she said, tears filling her eyes.

  "I'll have to report this," Truvian said. "I can't believe this has happened."

  "No, don't report it. Please. What if they don't let me compete?" May said, looking pleadingly him. Oliver realised her point and looked at him.

  "We need this chance at getting a key. Please don't tell anyone," Oliver said to him.

  Anna gazed hopefully at the man.

  Quinn gripped Truvian's arm. "Please, for me?" Her large eyes glimmered at him.

  "Well, I suppose if it's really that important to you. I don't want to jeopardise that," he said, squeezing Quinn's arm. "You sure you feel up to it?" he asked May.

  "Definitely. I'm completely fine," May said with a smile, although the paleness of her face didn't suggest she was entirely fighting fit.

  "I'll walk you lot back to your cabin," Truvian said.

  "That's not necessary. We'll be fine," Oliver said, looping an arm under May's.

  "But if the attacker's still out here I should really be around to help," he said, glancing about like they might appear from the shadows.

  "I think I've got that covered," Quinn said as a crackle of light sparked in her hand.

  Truvian eyed the magic. "I guess you do."

  "Good night then," Oliver said and Anna moved to his side.

  Truvian walked away, glancing back at them as he headed in the opposite direction. Quinn led the way as they walked back to their cabin.

  "Thank you, Quinn," May said quietly.

  Quinn turned back and threw her a sympathetic smile. Oliver felt a swell of gratitude towards the girl.

  "This doesn't seem right. Someone did this to you, May. They should pay for it," Anna said angrily.

  Oliver clenched his fists, the fear he had felt replaced by a burning, vengeful anger.

  "Do you think it was Larkin?" May asked, looking up at him.

  "If it was, he's dead," Oliver snarled.

  "Larkin could have killed us when he threw a rock at that hogtrout. Seems like he's capable," Anna said worriedly.

  "It's true," May said.

  "You just better be careful. Don't go anywhere on your own, again. Let's just get this race over with," Oliver said, gritting his teeth.

  "Alright," May said firmly, determination etched in her features.

  Oliver opened the door to the cabin and found Rogan waiting for them in the living room.

  "Where've you-" he stopped mid-sentence as he spotted May's pale face and the blood drying into her hair. "Are you alright?" he asked in a panic.

  "I'm fine," May said.

  "What happened?" Rogan asked frantically, escorting her to a seat and practically taking her from Oliver's grip.

  "Someone attacked her," Oliver informed him angrily.

  "What?" he growled, fire igniting in his palms. "Who?" he demanded.

  "I don't know. They ran off before I could see who it was," Oliver said.

  "We suspect Larkin," Anna said.

  Quinn shook her head but didn't say anything.

  "I went looking for you when you left. Someone came up behind me and hit me on the head," May said with a frown.

  "Oh no, May. I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have come after me," Rogan said, kneeling in front of her.

  "Maybe you're right," she joked, rubbing her head.

  He touched her wrist and a flash of light ran up May's arm, drying every inch of her clothes as it travelled. Within a few moments the lake water had completely dried and May's hair hung about her shoulders looking silky soft.

  Quinn fidgeted awkwardly as Rogan glanced at her.

  "Are you two ever gonna make up?" Anna asked, looking between the two of them.

  Rogan got to his feet but didn't make a move and Quinn glared at him.

  "Come on, we have to race together tomorrow," Oliver said imploringly.

  Quinn sighed in resignation and gazed at Rogan, her hard exterior visibly melting. "I'm sorry, I acted like an idiot tonight."

  Rogan reached out a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her into a hug as she reached up and pressed her lips to his.

  "Hooray. I'm going to bed," Anna said with a yawn and disappeared into the girl's room.

  They all followed suit. Oliver crashed into the soft bed and listened to Rogan's low snores as he tried to get to sleep. His mind was on overdrive from May's attack and an ominous, nagging feeling of dread kept him awake for hours before he finally got some rest.

  27

  Ripples on the Water

  A bellowing horn sounded across the lake and echoed through the cabins. Oliver jumped out of bed and almost ran into Rogan who was standing there in a skin-tight wetsuit looking uncomfortable.

  Oliver laughed. "What the hell is that?"

  His face dropped as Rogan held out another wet suit. "For you," he said, grinning.

  "You're kidding."

  "Nope. Here." He shook the suit at him.

  Oliver took it and stomped into the bathroom to put it on. He returned, tugging the tight material away from his chest. He released it and Rogan laughed as it snapped back against his skin.

  "Let's go see the girls. Quinn's gonna love this," Rogan said.

  Oliver followed him into the living room and saw Quinn checking herself out in a mirror, admiring the figure-hugging suit. She turned around and cast her eyes over the two boys.

  "Hey gorgeous," she said rushing forward and kissing Rogan on the cheek.

  May stood awkwardly in the middle of the room with her arms folded across her body.

  "This is a complete joke!" Anna screeched from the girl's bedroom.

  She appeared in the doorway in the wetsuit with a towel wrapped around her.

  "Oh, stop your complaining. You look hot," Quinn said, applying lipgloss to her full lips.

  "This is not what I signed up for," Anna said, blushing furiously.

  "You wanted to compete," Quinn said in a sing-song voice.

  "Yeah, but that was before I realised I had to wear this," she said, gesturing to the suit.

  A second horn sounded outside.

  "We've got an hour before the race starts. I'll go and get us some breakfast," Rogan said, clearly taking the opportunity to escape the girls.

  "I'll come with you," Oliver said, chasing after him.

  They took some fruit and energy bars for everyone from the breakfast buffet and walked slowly back towards the cabin. The weather was perfect for the race; the air was cool and the sun was shining on the calm water of the lake. Oliver took a deep breath, trying to suppress the fluttering feeling in his stomach.

  "When I saw May last night-" Rogan cut off, at a loss for words.

  Oliver nodded in understanding. "I know."

  "I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure we win a key today. I've been thinking about that curse and I wanna go with you two to Brinatin. I might be able to help you get to my dad," Rogan said.

  Oliver stopped walking and looked at his friend with a swell of gratitude. "Thank you. That would be brilliant."

  Rogan turned back to him. "I have to tell Quinn about the curse, you know. She'll be coming with us."

  Oliver had known he would and, after Quinn had saved May the night before, he wasn't sure he minded. "I know."

  "You can trust her. She acts like an idiot sometimes but she's a good person deep down."

  "Yeah I believe you."

  They continued walking back, their shoes kicking stones that had migrated onto the path from the beach.

  "You know your dad?" Oliver asked tentatively.

  "Yeah?" Rogan as
ked, elongating the word.

  "Ely told me that he hasn't been seen for years, so have you not seen him either?"

  "Nope, not since I was nine. I remember the last time I saw him-" he gazed thoughtfully across the lake "-he came here to Aleva. Dad worked in Brinatin but he started to come home less and less, he said it was for his job. Mum took it personally but Dad said he was working on something big, something important.

  "He turned up on my ninth birthday here in Aleva, I hadn't seen him in months. He gave me a letter saying he had to go away for a while and all that evening he and Mum fought while I sat on the stairs and listened. I never saw him again after that." Rogan continued to gaze across the lake. "He didn't say goodbye."

  "I'm sorry, that sucks," Oliver said with a pang of sadness.

  "Yeah," Rogan said vaguely.

  A third horn sounded out across the complex making Oliver tense up as his nerves returned.

  "Oh, Vale. We've only got thirty minutes. We better go get the girls," Rogan said, running back towards their cabin as Oliver hurried behind him.

  After wolfing down their food, Rogan and Quinn donned their gauntlets and they all headed back out towards the hall where the teams were readying for the race.

  Anna had finally discarded her towel and walked awkwardly next May, trying to keep herself covered.

  "You've got nothing to worry about, Anna." Rogan turned back to her with a grin and Oliver nudged him automatically. Rogan gave him a wry smile as Oliver looked back at her.

  She turned bright red and linked May's arm. "Thanks," she said quietly, smiling at them both.

  They shuffled up behind the crowd of contestants in the hall and saw Abbicus Brown standing above them at the far end. Groups of Race Assistants were moving amongst the teams, handing out packs.

  Abbicus cleared his throat. "Welcome to the second day of the Great Race of Aleva. Today, you will participate in a one mile race to the island at the centre of Glacio lake. Each team will be provided with a rowing boat. Once you have reached the island, you must make your way to the summit of Mount Laurell where you will find the Gateway to Glacio. You have three hours to finish the race. The first ten teams to either reach the Gateway or make it closest within the time limit will be granted keys. Are there any questions?"

  The room was quiet. Determination was etched into the faces of the other contestants and Oliver started to doubt their own chances.

  "Very well, please make your way out to the lake where the boats await you at the starting line," Abbicus said.

  Oliver and his teammates were the first to leave the hall and hurried along the edge of the lake towards a large crowd of people standing on the pebbled beach. In front of them, was a long line of rowing boats ten yards or so from the water's edge.

  Oliver looked out towards the lake. In the time since they had awoken, a heavy mist had blown down from the mountain, concealing the island at its centre. He cursed internally and his fists curled into tight balls.

  As they approached the boats, the crowd cheered wildly. Oliver tried to place Ely amongst them but couldn't see him. They found the navy blue boat inscribed with their team name Pandalin and stood beside it in a row.

  Rogan lowered his voice as he spoke. "May, you sit at the front and direct us. Oliver you sit next to me, behind May. Quinn, Anna sit next to each other at the back and take an oar each." He nodded to Oliver and Quinn. "You two get on the other side of the boat."

  Oliver and Quinn rushed around and gripped the edge of it.

  The Visikins took their place next to them and Larkin sneered as he spotted them. Quinn turned away, looking toward the stage beyond the row of boats. Larkin frowned for a moment then quickly adopted a casual expression before turning back to his teammates. Oliver glared at the boy, wondering if he was truly responsible for hurting May.

  Truvian Gold and Ray Falls were standing up on the side of the stage giggling with one another. Abbicus Brown gestured at them furiously from the side and they rushed over to their microphones.

  "Good morning everybody!" Ray shouted to the massive crowd who cheered madly back at her.

  They seemed more riled up today than the previous day, making Oliver's heart hammer in his chest.

  "The race will begin in two minutes. Family members of the contestants are to make their way to the ferry for your complimentary ride to the island to meet your relatives at the finish line. Anyone else can buy a ticket for a ferry once the race has begun," Truvian said, gesturing to three small ferries lined up along the pier behind him.

  "Team Zhoulin and Team Visikin will need to wait for their sixty second penalty after the race commences before they can begin," Ray said.

  "One minute to go," Truvian announced and a clock began counting down on a huge survision screen above him.

  The crowd roared, the noise echoing across the lake and bouncing off of mountains that were veiled by the mist. Oliver felt Quinn brace behind him and mimicked her.

  The crowd counted down from ten. Oliver could barely hear them over the noise of his heart pounding in his ears. He glanced at May. Her jaw was clenched. He focused and took one, deep, steadying breath.

  "Three, two, one, GO!" Ray Falls' voice cut through the noise of the crowd and Oliver began running and hauling the boat towards the lake.

  He became submersed in freezing water up to his waist in moments. May jumped in the front and the others climbed in after, facing away from her. Oliver could hear them shouting his name as he continued to push the boat in hopes of giving them a head start. The muscles in his arms burned as he gave the boat a final push before pulling himself up into it.

  Rogan helped haul him inside and water splashed over Quinn and Anna as he swung over the edge. They barely blinked as they focused their efforts on rowing as hard as they could. Oliver grabbed his oar and quickly fell into rhythm with Rogan, then concentrated on synchronising with the girls as May called out the beat. He pulled back hard then pushed the oar into the water with as much energy as he could muster.

  Oliver could just see back to the beach where Larkin's team and the Zhoulin's were pushing their boats into the water at last. The red hull of their boat sped towards them and he could see the muscles tensing in Larkin and Arrows' backs as they rowed to the fast beat of Kuti's shrill cries.

  He spotted several teams struggling to organise themselves in their boats and knew they must be ahead of at least half the competition.

  Oliver gritted his teeth and focused on keeping up their own pace, letting May's voice fill his mind to block everything else out.

  May started screaming, "VEER LEFT! LEFT, LEFT!" Her shouts intensified as they all steered as hard as they could.

  "NO, MY LEFT!" she roared and they all desperately steered in the opposite direction.

  They passed by two rowing boats that were upside down in the water, missing them by mere inches. The two teams were shouting at each other and frantically trying to turn their boats over. Oliver let out a breath of relief at the close call.

  The mist descended on them as they sailed away from the chaos and the noise of the crowd began to die away into the distance.

  "Just keep heading straight," May said with a heavy sigh then started calling out the rhythm again.

  No one spoke. They rowed until their arms were burning. Oliver could barely feel his hands from the tight grip he had on his oar and was sure they would be blistered and sore when he eventually released them.

  He could no longer hear any of the other teams around them. The only noise to reach his ears was the splash of water as their oars sunk in and out again and May as she said, "Row. Row. Row," in a voice that had diminished to a monotonous drone as the excitement wore off.

  "What do you see, May?" Rogan asked after several more minutes of quiet.

  "Nothing. I can't see anything," she said.

  Oliver couldn't see a thing back the way they had come either. The mist had thickened so their vision was restricted to just a few feet around the boat.

 
; "Wait. Stop rowing," May hissed.

  "What? We can't stop we'll fall behind!" Quinn said, sounding outraged.

  "Just stop!" May commanded.

  Reluctantly, they did so. Oliver turned around to look at her, panting from exertion. "What's going on?"

  "Shh. Listen," she breathed, holding a hand up to stop him talking and they fell silent.

  The water lapping against the boat was the only sound Oliver could hear. That was, until he heard a scream.

  The noise ripped through the air like a knife. It sounded close by and far away at the same time. The girl's scream echoed off of the surrounding mountains then abruptly cut off.

  "What's happening?" Anna asked in a panic.

  "May, can you see anything?" Oliver asked, trying to lean around her.

  "No, nothing," she said, craning forward over the edge of the boat so her ponytail flopped over one side of her face.

  "We should keep going," Quinn said.

  "Towards the screaming? Are you mad?" Anna said in alarm.

  "That's the direction of the island. We're already wasting time!" Quinn insisted.

  "But what if we bump into whatever the team ahead of us just did?" Anna said, rubbing her arms in the cold, damp air.

  "What if they need our help?" Oliver said.

  "There are mages around to help. We need to get on with the race," Quinn snapped, glaring at him.

  Oliver frowned back.

  "Okay, we should keep going. But let's change direction slightly. We can veer away from the direction of the screaming then turn back towards the island," Rogan said.

  "We could completely lose our sense of direction if we go off course," May said, looking back at him with wide eyes.

  "Hopefully this mist will clear up soon. What other choice do we have?" Rogan asked.

  No one spoke.

  Oliver agreed with him. "Let's get-" he was stopped mid-sentence by a violent jerk of the boat.

  "What in Vale was that?" Anna shuffled closer to Quinn who steadied her.

  "No one get up, we'll capsize," Quinn instructed in a hiss.

  The boat jerked again. A great thump from underneath sent May lurching forward and Oliver lunged for her arm but it was too late. She fell, with a splash, face first into the water then resurfaced with a scream.