The Protectors (Royal Institute of Magic, Book 3)

by Victor Kloss

  Maybe they were.

  Two weeks passed in a flash, and though Ben and Charlie often worked together on their second-grade checklist, they saw less of Natalie than usual. She still joined them for lunch most days, but they didn’t meet up after Institute hours as much as they had during their first-grade studies.

  “I’m sure she’s just busy,” Charlie said, as they headed to muster, having arrived from Barrington School. “She’s on the third grade now, remember. I’m sure her checklist is really demanding.”

  “Still, she normally joins us on the Dragonway,” Ben said.

  “Not always,” Charlie replied. He frowned, and gave a sly smile. “What does it matter anyway?”

  Ben shrugged. “It doesn’t. But don’t you think she’s been acting slightly differently lately?”

  “How so?” Charlie asked.

  “It’s hard to explain. Just different,” Ben finished lamely.

  The sound of familiar laughter came from behind them as they walked along the corridor.

  “Well, now is the chance to ask her,” Charlie said.

  They turned, and saw Natalie walking towards them. She was smiling and talking animatedly to Aaron, who was listening and smiling back at her.

  “Ben! Charlie!” Natalie said. She had been so focused on Aaron that she nearly ran into them.

  “Good afternoon,” Charlie said, with a smile.

  “Have you guys ever been properly introduced?” Natalie said.

  “Not formally,” Aaron said. He extended a pale, muscular arm to Charlie. “Aaron D’Gayle. I hear you’re the man to turn to when it comes to the library.”

  “I know my way around,” Charlie said, sounding pleased.

  Aaron turned to Ben. “I was really impressed with your spellshooter examination. Not many people can say they had a B1 as their first spellshooter. I had hoped to make it myself, but the trigger of my test spellshooter jammed just as I was about to fire, making me lose concentration.”

  “I didn’t know they could malfunction like that,” Charlie said.

  “You wouldn’t,” Aaron said coolly. “It rarely happens with the weak spellshooters.”

  Charlie frowned, clearly unsure what Aaron was getting at. Natalie, though, clearly hadn’t been paying too much attention.

  “Aaron was telling me about his home,” she said. “He lives on Alexia Bay, which is one of the most exclusive islands in the Unseen Kingdoms, and he said we could go there whenever we want.”

  “There are some beautiful sights there,” Aaron said, all smiles again. “I feel quite blessed.” Aaron’s eyes flickered beyond them. “Looks like Dagmar has arrived. We should get going.”

  Ben had been so involved with the apprenticeship that he hadn’t been paying attention to the dark elf situation, and it wasn’t until that muster that he realised just how serious it had become.

  “One further bit of news,” Dagmar said, addressing the apprentices after roll had been called. They stood to attention, ready to be dispatched for their afternoon studies. “Taecia Square will now be—”

  An impatient knocking on the door cut her announcement short. Before she had the chance to reply, Draven, the Director of Wardens, burst in. His beard looked even rougher than usual, and his face was red, as if he’d been running.

  “I need more apprentices,” Draven said, marching right up to Dagmar. “Things are getting out of hand. I’ve just had three separate reports of a hill giant in the Sussex Downs, as well as half a dozen kobolds running amok in Covent Garden. My Warden Department is overloaded. I need more eyes on the ground.”

  Dagmar met his gaze impassively.

  “Are you hearing me? I don’t have time to waste.”

  “I am in the middle of muster, Director,” Dagmar said. “Please do not interrupt again.”

  Draven looked ready to explode, but Dagmar calmly turned back to her apprentices and continued to speak as if the intrusion had never occurred.

  “Taecia Square will be closing at 6pm from now on, for security measures, so I suggest you do your shopping earlier if you need. Also, the hills of Ogborn are out of bounds to all apprentices under the fourth grade. There have been some sightings that need to be investigated. Class dismissed.”

  Ben noticed Dagmar didn’t even bother looking at Draven until the majority of the class had filed out.

  “Now, you wanted to speak to me?” Dagmar said, turning back to Draven just as Ben passed by. Ben dragged his feet, hoping to catch a snippet of the conversation, but Draven waited until everyone had left. Just outside the classroom, Ben ducked down and made a show of tying his shoelaces.

  “I need more apprentices,” Draven said.

  Ben smiled. Draven’s obnoxiously loud voice could be heard clearly.

  “I have given you everyone suitable from the top three grades,” Dagmar said.

  “What about the second grade? It’s not exactly hard. They’re just reporting. They don’t need to get involved beyond that.”

  “It’s still dangerous,” Dagmar said. “However, there are a few second-grade apprentices whom I’m willing to put forward.”

  “What about Greenwood and the chubby kid? I’ve been told they’re handy with a spellshooter.”

  “They are. But I thought you said they would just be reporting.”

  Ben could almost visualise Draven’s wave. “Yes, but using a spellshooter could still be useful.”

  “I will see what I can do,” Dagmar said, after a moment’s silence. “Will there be anything else?”

  “Not right now.”

  Ben heard Draven’s footsteps and he quickly dashed away, skipping into the common room. It was busier than usual, but Charlie and Natalie had saved him a space in the corner.

  “How’d the spying go?” Charlie said, guessing exactly what Ben had been up to.

  “Interesting,” Ben said, sitting himself down on the squishy armchair. He quickly relayed Dagmar and Draven’s conversation.

  “So it sounds like we’re going to get our scouting and reporting duty soon,” Charlie said. “I just hope Dagmar manages to get us a spot near the school, so we can continue looking for the helm.”

  “Speaking of the helm,” Ben said, lowering his voice. He glanced up to make sure nobody was in earshot. There were plenty of people in the room, but it was a hive of activity and nobody was watching them. “I think we should be doing more to find it. It’s been two weeks since we got back and I’ve been so busy I haven’t given it enough thought.”

  Natalie also double-checked to make sure nobody was listening. “I agree, but what can we do?”

  “Research,” Ben said simply. “We know nothing about the helm or its Guardian. We need to change that.”

  “Where would we look?” Natalie asked. “It’s not exactly a well-known topic.”

  “The Guardians’ common room,” Ben said, looking Natalie and then Charlie deep in the eye. “It’s where we found out about the boots. There might be some information about the helm there too. Maybe we can find something that will help our search.”

  None of them spoke for a moment, but Ben could see Natalie liked the idea. Charlie, however, seemed to be struggling with something.

  “I’d love to go back there,” he said, after a moment. “But do you remember how much of a pain it was to get in last time?”

  “We know how to get in now,” Ben said. “Besides, haven’t you noticed? Nearly all the Spellswords and Wardens are either in meetings or else out on duty. I think it will be a lot easier this time.”

  “When would we do it?” Natalie asked quietly.

  “Tomorrow at 2pm,” Ben replied. “That seems to be the emptiest time at the Institute right now. People have lunch and then head out. The place starts filling back up again between 4pm and 5pm, though, so we need to keep it under two hours.”

  Charlie groaned. “We managed a whole two weeks without doing anything dangerous. I guess that’s improvement.”

  “This isn’t going to be dangerous,” B
en said, with a smile. “Trust me, I have a plan.”

  — Chapter Eight —

  Caught Red-Handed

  Ben was too distracted to concentrate on his lessons at Barrington’s the following morning. When the lunchtime bell went, he was first out, joined soon after by Charlie and Natalie. They said little on the journey to the Institute, partly because there wasn’t a lot to discuss, but mainly because they didn’t want to be overheard. Muster passed uneventfully and the three of them convened in the library, where they attempted to study for an hour. When two o’clock finally arrived, they stood up quietly and exited the library.

  “Remember, just act casual,” Ben said. “You’re doing fine, Natalie, but, Charlie, please try to relax. You look like a robot.”

  Ben was pleased to note that the marble staircase was almost empty and the few members who hurried past were nearly always Scholars, Traders or Diplomats; as Ben had predicted, most of the Wardens and Spellswords were out on duty. Nevertheless, his heart started beating like a drum the moment he reached the Department of Spellswords and passed through the double doors into the corridor. He listened intently for any tell-tale sound of footsteps.

  They made it halfway down the corridor before disaster struck.

  A flicker of movement, and then a strangled cough cut sharply through the silence.

  Ben stopped and went very still. “Did you see that?”

  “I heard the cough, but I didn’t see anything,” Natalie replied, in a barely audible whisper. “What did you see?”

  “I’m not sure,” Ben said.

  “Did someone see us?” Charlie asked anxiously. He had his arms extended and looked like a frozen scarecrow.

  “I don’t think so,” Ben said. He replayed the flicker of movement in his mind, and felt sick. Ben bit his lip. They weren’t turning back now. “No,” he repeated, firmer. “Let’s keep going.”

  Natalie appeared relieved, but Charlie was staring at him suspiciously. They continued down the corridor, and heard nothing further beyond the sound of their own laboured breathing.

  “Here we are,” Ben said, stopping at the locker room door. Despite their exposed position, he couldn’t help pausing for a moment to prepare himself. He took a deep breath, turned the handle and opened the door.

  The locker room was empty.

  Charlie and Natalie followed Ben in, both with relieved smiles.

  It always took Ben a minute to adjust to the Spellsword locker room, as it was far nicer than their apprentice version. There was enough width to have a bench running down the middle of the room. Each locker was at least twice as wide, and the eyes were all varying shades of blue. They were staring directly ahead, like soldiers standing to attention.

  Ben hurried over to his dad’s locker, near the back of the room. It was just as scuffed as he remembered, with a fraction of a stone missing from the base. The blue eye seemed bigger than the others, and it had a cut running across it.

  Ben commanded the door to open. There was a moment’s silence, as they all stared at the locker. The blue eye gave a little wink, and the huge stone door swung open. Ben hurried Charlie and Natalie inside. Before following, he took one glance back at the locker room door, half expecting someone to come bursting through. It was pitch black inside, but Ben felt his way over to the far corner of the locker and started patting the stones. It wasn’t long before he heard the familiar click, and a small door opened, letting light flood in.

  The secret passageway ran gently downwards, lined on both sides by torch lights. Ben felt more relaxed now; as long as they were inside, they would be safe. The passageway did not last long, and they were soon staring at a wall, engraved with the faint outline of a door. Ben grabbed the handle and turned. The door opened easily, and they stepped through.

  Despite the time constraint, they couldn’t help stopping to admire the large, circular room. It was lit by a decorative chandelier that hung from the high ceiling, creating a warm glow through magical means. Squishy leather chairs were placed in twos and threes on a thick, gleaming golden carpet. Painted on the walls were murals of famous Institute members, some of whom Ben now recognised. In the centre of the room was the magnificent long table, surrounded by high-backed chairs. Behind the table was a replica statue of Queen Elizabeth, wearing a full suit of armour. Next to her was a large globe, which floated in the air and spun gently on its axis.

  Charlie rubbed his hands together, staring with obvious relish at the grand bookshelves that lined the room.

  “Let’s split up,” Charlie said, and he practically bounded off to one of the more laden bookshelves before they could respond.

  Ben and Natalie exchanged smiles before joining Charlie. Many of the tomes were heavy and dusty, and it was hard work scanning each of the titles. After less than ten minutes, Ben’s head was starting to spin. Charlie already had a collection of books by his feet, and was sifting through another with an intense expression. Natalie looked less thrilled, but she had managed to amass a couple of books. Ben continued gamely for another fifteen minutes, and even found a book that might be useful (Early History of the Institute) before he decided on a change in plans. He made sure Natalie and Charlie were still occupied, and then slid along the library bookshelf, scanning a very different set of topics.

  The underworld. The Undead and the Unseen. The void.

  Bingo.

  Ben’s finger trailed the titles, until he found one called The Void: A Study Of. But after five minutes of browsing the minute, indecipherable text, he put it back again, and continued searching. Time and again he picked out a book, until he stumbled upon a smaller work, titled A Journey through the Void by Prof. A. Dackov. This one, with its bigger type and illustrations, looked more promising. Ben opened the first page, and started reading.

  “You are, I suspect, wondering how an account of the void can be made when so few return, and those who do are often crazy. Well, the answer to that is to do it yourself. I ventured into the void, on numerous occasions and, piece by piece, learnt about this intriguing, deadly world. As of this writing, I still remain quite sane, though I cannot comment on my future. The truth is, I shall keep venturing into the void, and I will most likely meet my end there. But until that time, I shall document my journey for the benefit of the Unseen Kingdoms and knowledge at large.”

  “Ben!”

  Ben turned and saw both Charlie and Natalie staring at him.

  “Wow, I’ve never seen you that into a book before,” Charlie said. “Find anything interesting?”

  Ben hastily tucked the book under his jumper, feeling guilty for deviating from their intended purpose. Charlie had clearly been busy. He had found a ladder and was halfway up, with one leg straddling an upper shelf. Natalie stood below, helping support the preciously balanced ladder.

  “Just a little night-time reading,” Ben said. “How are you guys doing? Can I help?”

  Charlie threw a piece of scrunched paper, which would have landed squarely on Ben’s head had he not snatched it out of the air.

  “Between the two of you, research everything on that piece of paper.”

  Ben opened the paper up and read it.

  “Timothy Dawson”

  “The Unseen Revolution”

  “The Locket Keepers”

  “What are all these?” Natalie asked, staring at the paper.

  “I’ll explain later,” Charlie said, his head still stuck in the book. “Just find what you can. We’re running out of time.”

  Ben glanced at his watch. It was past 3pm already. He and Natalie split up, taking opposite ends of the shelf, and worked methodically, searching for any hint of the keywords Charlie was looking for. By the time 3:45pm rolled round, they had a small mound of books next to the door.

  “Do we need all these?” Ben asked.

  “Yes,” Charlie replied instantly. “I would have taken more, but they would have been too difficult to carry.”

  “Great,” Ben said, lifting four sizeable books into his arms
. Charlie and Natalie took three each, and they left the Guardians’ common room and headed back up to the inside of the locker. Upon re-emerging, Ben put the books down and placed his ear against the locker door. He couldn’t hear anything, but that wasn’t surprising as the door was almost two feet thick of solid stone.

  “What do we do if someone is in the locker room?” Charlie asked anxiously.

  “We play dumb,” Ben said. “Just follow my lead, and try not to talk.”

  Ben commanded the door to open. There was a soft click, and Ben pushed the door open gently, until he could peek his head out.

  “All clear,” he said, with a smile.

  He grabbed his books, and Natalie and Charlie followed.

  Ben paused before he opened the locker room door. “Walk quickly until we get to the staircase. Same rules apply – if we are caught, let me do the talking.”

  “With pleasure,” Charlie mumbled.

  Ben tried to dismiss the flicker of movement he had seen earlier in the corridor, but it kept replaying in his mind. Heart pounding, Ben eased the door open and stepped into the corridor.

  It was empty.

  With the four books tucked awkwardly under his arms, he set a quick pace along the corridor, longing for the grand staircase and safety. Just two corners and a set of double doors, and they’d be off the hook.

  “There they are!”

  Ben’s heart almost exploded. Standing at the end of the corridor, with a triumphant finger pointed right at them, was Joshua. Next to him was an older gentleman who Ben knew immediately must be his father. He had the same dashing good looks, with a full head of blond hair and a slightly stuck-up nose. His well-cut black suit was rather more modest than his fashion-conscious son. Hovering over his shoulder were four red diamonds.

  “I knew it! They’ve been snooping around the Spellsword Department.” Joshua’s laugh had an almost manic edge. “You’ll have to bust them now, Dad.”