‘Right, I think we can get back to the Headquarters from here,’ Gordy said, looking intently at the wall.
‘You can,’ Loomis said, stepping forward.
‘How do you know?’ Gordy asked, looking at Loomis suspiciously.
‘I am a Fire Elemental, although my new status is as traitor,’ Loomis said quietly. Gordy nodded in agreement and waited for Loomis to continue. ‘I used this wall when I came to see Jack the first couple of times.’
‘Oh. Good,’ Gordy said ‘you can help then,’ and the two of them stood looking at the wall, not doing very much. Jack could hear the approaching guard.
‘They’re coming…’ he said.
‘Patience,’ Gordy and Loomis said together. They looked at each other and then back at the wall. Gordy muttered under his breath. Nothing happened. He looked stumped. Then Loomis muttered something. This time the now familiar door appeared in front of them, the door leading to Five Oakes.
‘Quick,’ Gordy said as he led the group back through the door, Brayden and Esther bringing up the rear.
Jack turned to look through the door back at the cavern, now dark and dead. Gordy and Loomis stood on either side of the door ready to seal it. Jack watched as Gordy muttered under his breath, watched as the door grew smaller and as it did he saw the Black Prince approaching, fury and anger and terrible hatred raging on his face, the red rimmed eyes blazing white, lighting the way for the dozens of guards who followed him. Jack wanted to tell Gordy to hurry up but the words froze in his throat. The door closed as the Black Prince reached out, reached to Jack, his eyes so white they were almost blinding, promising death to everything Jack loved.
Chapter 16: Home
The quiet hammered against Jack’s ears, unbroken except for the heavy breathing of the others. Jack could see green spots floating in front of his eyes from where he had looked into the murderous glare of Auldred.
‘Can he follow us?’ Jack asked quickly as he scanned the room. The portal they had arrived through had vanished again as if it had never been - but this didn’t comfort him.
‘No. He can only follow if he knows where we have arrived. Few people know of this portal,’ Gordy said. His voice sounded completely normal, though it seemed to Jack shockingly loud.
‘What do we do now then?’ Cali asked. She was holding Sophie’s hand.
‘I’m going to find Aloysius. You wait here until I come back,’ Gordy said and walked through the large glossy door and into Five Oakes. Jack had the strangest sense of déjà vu and looked at Cali. She was grinning back at him; she too remembered the first time they had come to Five Oakes. It seemed a lifetime ago. Jack looked around at the others in the room.
Brayden and Esther stood close to one another, they were not speaking but Jack watched as Brayden’s hand crept to Esther’s and clasped it in his own. She blushed and looked at the floor, but she didn’t drop his hand. Cali and Sophie were still standing together, holding hands and talking animatedly. Cali glanced up at Jack and smiled again. Dax, Doug and Loomis stood together too, their heads were close and they looked like they were in deep discussion. Brayden’s family - father, mother, brother - stood looking around, dazed but happy. Very few people escaped the Black Prince.
Jack stood alone. He didn’t know what was going to happen to him. Now that they were back in Five Oakes, now Cali and Sophie and the others were safe, Jack had to face what he had done. He had given the Black Prince the Amulet. He wouldn’t allow Sophie to take the blame - the Amulet had been his own responsibility and he had given it to Sophie not knowing what she would do with it, but willingly. He felt the familiar fist of ice clenching in his stomach.
Gordy soon returned. Aloysius was with him, looking grave. Jack thought he had aged ten years since they had been gone. Aloysius’ eyes lingered for a particularly long time on Brayden - whose eyes dropped to the floor - and then fell on Jack. Jack looked back steadily, though the fist in his guts gave another vicious squeeze.
‘Thank you all for being so patient,’ Aloysius said, looking at Jack’s companions. ‘Someone will be along shortly to escort our guests to their rooms. Brayden, Esther - someone will need to debrief you before you can leave.’
‘What about my mum and dad? And my brother?’ Brayden asked quietly. Aloysius looked at them, huddled together.
‘They can go home for now. We will, of course, need to debrief them in due course but I think the priority now is rest and recuperation.’
‘Thank you,’ Brayden whispered. Aloysius nodded and turned to Jack.
‘Jack, I know you’ve had a long journey but I need you to tell me what happened. You can bring Sophie with you,’ he said his voice warm but his eyes still serious.
‘Oh, but…’ Cali began. Aloysius held up his hand.
‘I’m sorry Cali, but this is urgent. I have to know everything as quickly as possible.’ Cali looked at Jack desperately, as if hoping that he would back her up, but Jack just smiled and shook his head.
‘It’s OK,’ he said. Cali nodded and gave him a watery smile.
‘Whatever you want,’ she said softly.
Jack took one final look at the others - his friends, after all they had been through together the best friends he had ever had - they all looked back, the same uncertainty in their eyes. Jack wasn’t sure when they would all be together again.
‘I guess I’ll see you around,’ he said, turning to follow Aloysius quickly so they wouldn’t see how scared he was. Jack could her the whisper of the Keeper’s massive paws as she followed close behind.
‘This way,’ Aloysius said and led them a little further down the corridor to an empty room. Jack had another feeling of deja vu. It was the meeting room where he had spoken to Esther the night they had left Five Oakes (and Jack found himself wishing, as he had then, that they were in the room with the beach instead). There were trays of hot food and a jug of water on the table. Jack looked at them, his stomach turning over. There was no way he would be able to eat.
It took Jack the best part of the day to tell Aloysius exactly what had happened and, to his surprise, he found that he could eat after all; in fact, he was ravenous. He often had to back track to tell Aloysius things he had forgotten and to answer questions both Aloysius and Sophie had. They were interrupted twice. Once by a messenger who had given Aloysius a note and once by Gordy, who wanted to know when they would be finished.
When Jack recounted his first meeting with Sophie, she reached over and took his hand, squeezing it tightly.
‘I had just woken her up when he turned up. Auldred,’ Jack spat the name.
‘What happened?’ Aloysius asked, his eyes gleaming.
‘He asked me for the Amulet in exchange for Sophie and I… I agreed,’ Jack said. Sophie’s hand twitched in Jack’s.
‘Oh but…’ Sophie interrupted, her eyes round and unbelieving.
‘In a bit Sophie, OK?’ Jack said, his face white and strained. He would do this for her - he hadn’t been able to reach her for two years; the least he could do was protect her from whatever blame that might be heaped on her if anyone knew the truth.
‘You gave the Amulet to Auldred?’ he asked his eyes sharp. Jack nodded.
It didn’t take Jack long to tell Aloysius the remaining facts. Sophie kept trying to attract Jack’s attention but Jack knew how important it was for Aloysius to know exactly what had happened and so he forced himself to ignore her.
‘So, the Black Prince has the Amulet and war is upon us,’ Aloysius said when Jack had finished.
‘No its not,’ Sophie said. Aloysius looked up at her and smiled his gentle, patient smile.
‘I’m afraid it is Sophie. By now he will be sure that Jack had help. He will know I had a hand in your escape. Who knows what will happen now?’
‘Aloysius, the Black Prince… Is he…I mean, are you…’ Jack stuttered to a halt.
‘Am I…?’ Aloysius asked kindly, though he sounded tired. Jack could not bring himself to ask the question that had been bur
ning in his mind since he had first seen the Black Prince at Mount Terror.
‘Never mind,’ Jack said shaking his head. Aloysius smiled again.
‘He is my brother. My twin brother.’ Jack’s eyes widened. He had suspected it but to hear Aloysius confirm it made it worse somehow.
‘But … but how?’ Jack whispered.
‘My mother was an Earth elemental. My father was a Fire and cast out, branded a traitor for mixing with other kinds.’
‘I thought… I mean when Abel was teaching us…’
‘Elementals are free to mix and find partners. It is rare indeed to find a Fire Elemental who is willing to do so. It is… discouraged in their society,’ Aloysius said.
‘So Auldred is only half-Fire?’ Jack said.
‘Yes. When he comes of age, an Elemental may choose his path. Auldred and I wanted different things,’ Aloysius said heavily. The Griffin flashed through Jack’s head again - forced to choose at birth - at least Aloysius and Auldred had the chance to experience life before making their choice, ill-advised or not.
‘Why, I mean, you’re twins…’ Jack said. Aloysius shook his head.
‘Auldred could never accept our father’s expulsion. He was determined to redeem the family name. To reinstate it. I suppose he has done so, after a fashion. It must have been a very hard road. The only thing that Fire Elementals hate more than a traitor is a half-breed,’ Aloysius said. Jack could actually hear sympathy in his voice.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Jack said miserably. Aloysius’ eyes regained some of their twinkle. ‘Jack, you did your best and that is all a man can do. More than most gnomes would have been able to do,’ Aloysius said.
‘Can I show you something?’ Sophie asked Aloysius softly. Jack looked at Sophie in surprise and saw that she was smiling. Aloysius opened his eyes and nodded wearily. Sophie reached a hand into the front of her dress and pulled the Amulet out, resting it on her palm. Aloysius’ eyes widened and he sat forward in his chair again, looking at the Amulet closely.
‘Sophie! How?’ Jack gasped. He reached out to touch it, not believing what his eyes were telling him. It felt the same, warm and silky. There was something different about it now though, but Jack couldn’t put his finger on it.
‘He wanted me to wear it,’ Sophie said her voice still soft, ‘I was his Amulet.’
‘This makes a difference,’ Aloysius said, a smile skimming across his face briefly.
‘It’s excellent!’ Jack said, grinning.
‘The Black Prince will not start open hostilities while we have Sophie and the Amulet on our side. Not yet,’ Aloysius said.
‘Not yet?’ Jack asked, frowning.
‘The news of the Hatchery is… troubling,’ Aloysius said. Jack, remembering his long-short walk-run across that terrible place didn’t answer. The Griffin’s cry echoed in his brain and somewhere it dislodged something else.
‘The missing stone!’ Jack said, looking down at the Amulet.
‘What?’ Sophie said.
‘You noticed,’ Aloysius said smiling at Jack. ‘Well done!’
‘The stone in the middle,’ Jack said to Sophie ‘it was missing when Aloysius gave it to me. It’s there now.’ The new stone was a silvery grey, more beautiful than the others. They looked at the Amulet together then Jack, buoyed by Sophie’s revelation asked the question that had been burning in his mind since they arrived back at Five Oakes.
‘Does this mean we can go home?’
‘Sophie will be in danger wherever she is,’ Aloysius said ‘but I can see no reason why she can’t go home with you.’ Jack grinned widely and this time it was his turn to squeeze Sophie’s hand tightly.
‘You will, of course, be under constant guard,’ Aloysius continued. ‘I would like to put someone with you permanently. Obviously they would have to be disguised so there would be no suspicion.’
‘Who?’ Jack asked.
‘I thought Gordy would be a good choice. You get on well…’ Aloysius replied. Jack gave an instinctive shake of his head and Aloysius stopped mid-sentence.
‘No, he’s too…’ Jack stopped as he realised what he was saying and had to scramble around for a word that wouldn’t offend. ‘Exacting?’ he tried. Aloysius smiled.
‘Do you have anyone else in mind?’ Aloysius asked, looking at Jack closely. Jack started to shake his head but suddenly he had an idea and nodded instead.
‘What about Loomis?’ Jack said.
‘Loomis…’ Aloysius said slowly.
‘He can’t go back to his people – they think he’s a traitor,’ Jack said. Aloysius nodded.
‘But he is a Fire Elemental…’ Aloysius began.
‘Please. He hasn’t got anywhere else to go,’ Jack said.
‘He is a Fire Elemental, but that does not mean that he is untrustworthy. Indeed, he has more than proved himself,’ Aloysius said. Jack blinked and the ghost of a smile found its way onto his face.
‘Does that mean…?’
‘I will discuss if at the Council. If it is agreed, then Loomis will be your guardian. He will, of course, have to report in every day.’
‘Of course,’ Jack said. He looked at Sophie, who was beaming, and back at Aloysius.
‘You’re going home,’ Aloysius said.
Jack and Cali spent the next few days at Five Oakes, renewing an old acquaintance, and introducing him to Sophie.
‘First the Empress of Time, now Sophie Steele,’ Bob said when he was introduced, shaking Sophie’s hand vigorously.
Bob was ecstatic to see Jack and Cali and regaled them with all the goings on and new projects that had been assigned to the Miscellany Department while they had been away. Jack hadn’t mentioned the Griffin to Bob but once, when they were walking around Bob’s department, Jack had lagged behind the others to study the Griffin-egg, still angrily rattling in its black pot. He once even reached out, vaguely thinking what if… before Bob had called him to stop lolly-gagging.
Esther came to find them three days after their return though it seemed much longer to Jack; the horror of Mount Terror had faded, it was more like dream and remembered fear didn’t have a sharp edge.
‘Can you go to the Head of Council’s office? He has news,’ Esther said brightly. Her stutter was gone and her beard was growing rapidly, long and a luxuriant green.
‘What news?’ Jack asked as he pulled on his old trainers.
‘You’ll have to wait and see,’ she said, but she was smiling.
Jack, Cali and Sophie all rushed to Aloysius’ office. They knocked and waited for permission to enter.
‘Come in,’ Aloysius’ voice, warm and inviting. The three of them looked at each other and clasped hands as they walked through the door. Aloysius was sitting behind his desk, Loomis on the guest seat opposite. Loomis’ face was impassive and Aloysius had a ghost of a smile drifting across his face.
‘Hi,’ Jack said.
‘Hello,’ Sophie said, brightly as always.
‘News?’ Cali said excitedly.
‘What no greeting? For shame,’ Aloysius said, his eyes twinkling.
‘Oh, yes, sorry. Hi. So. Any news?’ Cali said.
‘Quite understandable dear, you have been stuck here for a long time’ Aloysius said. Jack, Cali and Sophie watched him in silence. Aloysius didn’t keep them waiting. ‘Loomis has agreed to be your guardian,’ he said to Sophie ‘he even said he would disguise himself as a puppy.’ Jack looked at Loomis, whose face had broken into a wide smile.
‘So you are ready,’ Aloysius said.
‘Does this mean…?’ Jack asked.
‘The Council, Gordy and Loomis were - for once - in total agreement. Even old Win. You can go home as soon as you’ve packed whatever you want to take,’ Aloysius said. Jack, grinning, turned to look at Sophie and Cali. Sophie looked ecstatic.
‘Mum…Dad,’ she said and put her hands over her face. Cali looked like she couldn’t decide whether she was happy or distraught by the news. She was smiling widely, but her eyes looked m
isty and glazed, as if she there were tears that she didn’t want to let fall.
‘Let’s go and pack,’ Jack said, taking them both by the hand. He walked Sophie to her room first.
‘As soon as you’re done, come to my room, OK?’ he said as he left her there. She smiled and nodded. As they walked towards Cali’s room, Jack took her hand again.
‘You OK?’ he asked. Cali sniffed and nodded.
‘It just seems so… I don’t know. Final. This is it, you know? We know all this stuff, this whole other world within our world and we’re just … leaving.’
‘Do you want to stay?’ Jack asked.
‘No, it’s not that. But I don’t want to go either. I don’t want not to know, that’s the point. I don’t want to not know again,’ Cali said, looking miserable and confused.
‘It’ll still be here. Loomis will still be with us and he has to check in every day. I’m sure they’ll let us visit sometimes…’ Jack said. But now that he said it he realised that that was not necessarily true. After all, Five Oakes had to be hidden, especially now. He walked back to his own room feeling a lot more pensive than before. He couldn’t un-know what he had done, what they had done, but what if Aloysius wanted them too? Glamour was a powerful tool…
It didn’t take Jack any time at all to pack, he had gathered few personal belongings since he had arrived at Five Oakes and most of those had been left behind at Mount Terror. Later the very same day they stood together in Aloysius’ office ready to say goodbye. Loomis was waiting there for them. So were Brayden and Esther.
‘You have to come to our bonding ceremony,’ Esther said shyly, looking at Brayden from under her lashes.
‘You too Loomis,’ Brayden said, looking directly at the Fire Elemental. Esther nodded. Loomis hesitated before answering.
‘I’d be honoured,’ he said quietly holding out his hand to shake Brayden’s. The moment healed the final rift that had been created on Jack’s journey.
‘Of course. We’ll all come. If we can,’ Jack said, thinking once more about what might happen before they were allowed to go home. At that moment Aloysius arrived with Gordy, Cain, Dax and Doug.
Elemental: Steele Stolen: Part 1 and 2 Page 21
