The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls Page 12

  Tom was left in the centre of the room, still holding Molly’s hand, but his usual serene expression had been replaced with a stern look. Amy’s heart had never throbbed so hard.

  Ethan moved forward, a deep loathing behind his jet black eyes, and Molly suddenly jumped. She rubbed her hands as if Tom had hurt her and ran to Tracy. Tom didn’t notice she’d left his side; he was staring straight at Ethan. As his eyes began to sparkle, Amy’s talisman pulsed. Amy crept around Ethan and Kate and stood in front of Tom.

  ‘We don’t want any trouble,’ Amy said, her heart racing so fast, she felt faint and struggled to stand firm. No matter how she felt, she wasn’t going to let Ethan hurt Tom. Mark had followed Amy, taking up a protective position behind them as the crowd waited for Kate’s response. As Winston walked towards them, it looked like he was walking through a place that had been frozen in time.

  Ethan moved slightly as if about to attack them but, as the crowd gasped, he smirked and led Kate to some seats in the corner. Every child who hadn’t been picked up knew to move out of his way.

  Ethan’s menacing eyes didn’t leave Tom as he sat, but the room seemed to settle as he did.

  ‘Do we just leave them there?’ Winston whispered.

  ‘I don’t want anyone to get hurt so…yes,’ Amy said.

  ‘Shall I shout Aunt Ad…’

  ‘No!’ Amy said insistently, looking behind her at Mark wondering how much Winston had allowed him to know.

  ‘Shall I get the cake then or something?’ he asked, looking round the room at the people who were staring.

  ‘Err…’ Amy didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to move.

  ‘We can take Tom into the kitchen if you want so he can ice his own cake,’ Winston said.

  ‘Okay,’ Amy agreed shakily, trying to smile for everyone’s benefit. ‘Come on, Tom, let’s go and ice your cake!’ Leaving Mark standing in the centre of the room, Amy led him to the kitchen. Just like Ethan, Tom kept his eyes on his enemy. His hand, tingling with energy, tickled Amy’s palm.

  As they reached the arch, Ethan stood, his stance and posture one that only men of power would hold, and glared at Tom with a frightening, macabre stare.

  ‘What’s wrong with that kid?’ Jack demanded. Amy didn’t answer, for Kate had grabbed Ethan’s arm to walk towards them.

  ‘Up!’ Tom said, raising his arms and starting to dance on the spot. She picked him up immediately and moved farther back behind the counter, her back almost touching the kitchen door.

  ‘Hello, Tom. I’ve not seen you for ages,’ Kate said in a friendly tone, a completely different one than what she came in with. She walked behind the counter like it wasn’t off limits and a few people in the café stood to look at them.

  ‘Hello.’ Tom gave her a half smile but was looking down at Ethan who, like a tiger waiting for its prey, circled Amy’s legs. Amy’s talisman felt like ice around her neck.

  ‘Say hello to Tom, Ethan,’ Kate said, like she was now in control.

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he glared up at him. ‘Hello…Tom.’ His eerie, haunting tone sent a chill through Amy. His demeanour, fully composed, created a sense of foreboding. As Francesca began to cry, Jack took her into the play area.

  ‘Tom no like Ethan,’ Tom said matter-of-factly while tightening his arms around Amy and trying to lift his legs higher so they were nowhere in reach of Ethan.

  ‘What did he say?’ Kate asked, taken aback.

  ‘Tom go now, bye.’ Tom waved frantically with his lit hand.

  ‘Bye, then,’ Kate said, as if she hadn’t noticed his light. ‘Come on then, Ethan, let’s get some food.’ As Kate walked away, holding his hand, Amy placed Tom down so she could secure the counter with the shutter. Before she could, Ethan’s head spun around, the whites of his eyes turning totally black, and made towards Tom. Tom’s lit hand shot out in front of him and Amy’s talisman made a warping sound as it began to pour out light but Ethan lifted his hand and a dark mist flew towards them, dispelling the luminescence.

  Amy pushed Tom into Winston behind her but as she did Ethan glanced at Amy’s knees, which made them buckle, throwing her to the ground. His expression oozed menacing pleasure.

  ‘No!’ Tom bellowed, breaking free from Winston as Amy felt her body harden. Ethan glared at him instead and, unable to stop him, Tom ran in front of Amy with an unblinking stare. Everyone on both sides could now clearly see both children, who were standing between the two counters.

  Enraged, Ethan squared up to him. Tom’s hand began to shake by his side as if he strained to keep it there but, as if Ethan was some kind of magnet, Tom’s hand shot up.

  Tom placed his other hand on top of his arm and pressed down on it with all his might. His hand closed into a tight fist. Ethan took another step closer, his eyes, shining like oil, growing larger. Amy tried to imagine children of any age who looked more concentrated than these two. Amy, still on her knees, threw herself in-between them to guard Tom but Ethan, with a quick sideways glance, sent her flying dramatically sideward, making her crash into the kitchen door where Winston helped her to her feet.

  ‘Give it!’ Ethan growled, turning back to Tom, whose hand had dropped.

  Tom’s hand rose towards him again and this time, sweat pouring from his forehead, Tom stared Ethan square in the face. Ethan’s back arched like a ram’s, ready to attack, and Tom’s nose began to bleed.

  Amy screamed and, as everyone began to panic, a blast of light flashed in between them and Tom flew backwards, crashing through the tables in the café area and hitting the wall ten feet behind. Amy ran to him as the customers jumped up from their seats to help him.

  ‘Get that horrid kid out of ‘ere!’ shouted one of the mothers from the play area. ‘I can’t believe you just let him kick Tom like that!’ she added to Kate.

  ‘You what?’ Kate said, looking confused.

  Amy lifted Tom into her arms. ‘Tom…Tom,’ Amy said, shaking him in her arms. He wilted like he’d lost consciousness. As she struggled to stand, Mark charged through, effortlessly scooped them both from the floor and carried them into the kitchen. Winston and Jack followed.

  As Mark put her down, his hands still supporting her shoulders, his gentle touch seemed to melt her pain. She placed Tom on the worktop while Jack fetched a wet cloth.

  ‘What the hell?’ Jack said. ‘That kid’s bad enough, but is Kate on something or what?’ No one answered him.

  ‘Someone needs to sort that lot out,’ Amy said as commotion broke out between the guests and customers.

  ‘You two go. I’ll stay,’ Winston said to Jack and Mark. As they obliged, Winston shut the door firmly behind them.

  ‘Ethan not nice!’ Tom said, coming around. As he said it, he placed a glowing hand on his nose. Amy wiped his nose again—the blood had stopped flowing.

  ‘Are you okay, Tom?’ Amy asked.

  ‘Okay me. Okay you?’ Tom placed his hand on her shoulder and, no sooner had the tingling began, it felt better.

  ‘I’m okay,’ she said.

  Amy turned to listen to the commotion, and Kate’s voice shrilled above everyone else’s. ‘You know nothing!’ she screamed.

  ‘I know he’s a bully!’ shouted someone. ‘I also know he’s not normal!’

  ‘How dare you?’ Kate snapped. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about! Amy…Amy!’ she yelled, banging on the kitchen door.

  ‘What?’ Amy said, from behind the door.

  ‘Amy please…I don’t know what happened but…I want to say sorry.’

  ‘Just go home!’

  ‘Please, Amy! I don’t even know what I’m doing here…I’m always confused…What’s wrong with me?’ Her voice trailed off and Amy’s heart went out to her.

  Kate opened the door but Amy stood in the doorway, blocking her from entering. Winston covered Tom. ‘Kate…you need to take a good look at your son…he’s…got powers. Dark powers! He’s dangerous!’ Amy said.

  ‘What? No!’ she said, looking do
wn at Ethan, who glared at Amy, his malicious eyes glistening. ‘Say sorry to Tom!’ Kate told Ethan, now with tears in her eyes.

  ‘No!’ he growled. The door flew open and he barged past and held his hand out once more to Tom but Winston stood firm in front of him. ‘Give!’ he said, his voice booming around the kitchen, his face frustrated and full of rage.

  Tom’s hand opened and Ethan leapt forward to grab what he held: the letters T, O and M from the set Mark had bought. As his hand connected with Tom’s, electrifying sparks shot out of Tom’s hand and Ethan soared backwards, falling hard against the counter. As he slid down, his arm sizzling and cracking with electricity, he began to tremble.

  ‘I’m taking him home!’ Kate screamed hysterically and, dragging Ethan up without checking to see if he was okay, marched him out of the café.

  As Tom healed his bleeding hand, Amy looked back at Kate who was now being led by Ethan. She seemed to be gliding along peacefully but, through her lifeless expression, Amy could see a hint of fright.

  Amy turned back and hugged Tom. ‘He’s gone!’

  ‘Tom play nice now,’ he said. She lifted him from the counter and he skipped back into the play area in his usual, joyful manner.

  ‘Are you going to invoke the light now or what?’ Winston said abruptly.

  ‘I said if I was in danger or if Tom was because of me,’ she said defensively.

  He shook his head. ‘You need to realise that what Aunt Adaizi tells you is for your own good, man!’ He shook his head and made to walk out.

  ‘I keep my word! Tom can obviously defend himself so he wasn’t in danger and I wasn’t in danger!’ she said forcefully. ‘I said if I had to call Adaizi!’

  ‘But Tom hurt him! He’ll take ages to heal because he hasn’t got his full powers! He won’t be confident enough to come back for years after this!’ He looked at her like she was mad for stalling for time.

  ‘Good!’ Amy said, trying to hide her guilty feelings. The idea that Tom could have a normal life seemed squashed, but she still clung to the idea that she would somehow change his fate, which meant, until then, she needed to stay away from her higher self.

  THE DIVINE REALM

  THE DISCUSSION

  Nevaeh had a sudden intuitive feeling that something was happening in the Divine Realm, and turned from her Omni-Pod and looked up at the dome. She closed her eyes to tune into the Decision Maker, who never left his thought pattern closed to her, and began to watch through his eyes a pearl white soul slip out of the stream and onto the opalescent floor. She watched as he cast his lime eyes to the universe above, marvelling at its stunning display of stars, his wings dancing with flecks of blue as he did.

  ‘Hello, Professor,’ said the Decision Maker, floating with elegance towards him. It seemed strange to Nevaeh that the Professor, one of the twelve gifted souls who ran Omnipion and whose field was always in demand of him, would have any reason or time to come to the Divine Realm.

  ‘Hello, Decision Maker.’ The Professor bowed.

  The Decision Maker bowed in return. ‘What may be the topic for our discussion?’

  ‘I’m here on behalf of the Interference Squad,’ he stated. He paused, waiting for a reaction, but didn’t receive one. ‘They have some concerns about the Protector.’

  ‘I will hear them.’

  ‘Thank you, Decision Maker. They believe they should send someone to take over the Bright One’s welfare. They think, due to the Protector’s stubbornness, the child is in danger.’

  The Decision Maker smiled. ‘I understand your concern, but I remain confident in her abilities as his mother. She will do the right thing. She is protecting the child.’

  ‘Ah, but she is protecting him from the mission.’

  ‘The instinct is still proven.’

  ‘She needs the light to protect him and she clearly doesn’t want the power. What makes you think, having reached this stage, she will come through?’

  The Decision Maker looked amused. ‘My renowned judgement.’ Nevaeh could feel the love inside his being as he spoke the words, which made her wish even harder that he was right.

  The Professor bowed with embarrassment. ‘Yes, of course.’

  ‘Don’t forget, Professor,’ the Decision Maker added, his inky glitter piercing, ‘we do have Guardians in place.’

  ‘Hmm.’ The Professor’s expression darkened. ‘Although one of which doesn’t understand his place.’

  ‘A Guardian’s place is to listen to their hearts, wherever it may take them. The Guardian you refer to is one of our best. He has also completed his mission and is entitled to help in any way he chooses.’

  ‘How will that help? It is unheard of that Guardians have feelings of such humankind.’ The Professor shuddered. ‘What good can come of it?’

  Nevaeh knew exactly who he was talking about and she wanted to know what the Decision Maker would say more than anything else. She had been watching the Guardian in question through Amy’s eyes with avid interest herself, wondering the same.

  ‘That will remain to be seen, but be assured that good always comes from a Guardian following their heart.’

  The Professor grimaced. ‘Is it even possible?’

  ‘Anything is,’ he answered with a smile, but when the Professor’s wings dulled to a musky grey, his tone become compassionate. ‘It will all come together, Professor. It may be a confusing puzzle right now, but I trust both of their souls.’

  ‘Please, Decision Maker, can you maybe think about the request? The Protector should already be training. She should be past this acceptance stage and already have the light by now. I believe she won’t be able to complete the mission.’

  ‘If she took the maximum amount of time to accept her role, I believe she’d still be able to complete the mission. She’s the most powerful of us twelve. Don’t forget, none of us has ever experienced being human before. However she’s dealing with it—you can be assured it will be better than how we would have done.’

  ‘I know that, Decision Maker,’ the Professor said sincerely. ‘Even though I trust your judgement, we have souls on guard ready to interfere if you change your mind.’

  ‘Thank you for voicing your concern, but you may tell them to stand down. Winston is right. The Dogod won’t be back for at least two years. By that time, the Bright One will communicate well.’

  ‘Yes, Decision Maker,’ the Professor agreed with a final bow. He took one last look at the stars above and floated to the circular ledge. Before he attached to the downward stream, he bowed to the Decision Maker, who stood with an unwavering smile.

  Nevaeh turned back to her Omni-Pod, hoping Amy would one day allow her communications in, which she sent over and over through the subconscious waves.

  CHAPTER 11

  THE JOB FOR TOM

  ‘We need to get him out of there!’ Winston said, referring to Tom who, at just over three years of age, still sat in the ball pit alone.

  ‘He’s fine!’ Amy retorted but as she looked at her son, now the size of an eight-year-old with a mind to match, she knew he wasn’t.

  Tracy never came back after Tom’s first birthday. It took Tom almost a year to get over losing Molly. Every Wednesday he’d sit by the window and peer out longingly. Other days, he sat inside the comfort of the ball pit—his sanctuary—isolated from the world around him.

  ‘He’s such a lonely kid,’ Winston murmured in sympathy.

  Amy watched as her overgrown son viewed the children around him with strange interest. A polite spectator, he stood apart from the crowd, just outside of life. ‘He’s got us!’ Amy said optimistically, knowing how much Tom adored the adults in his life.

  ‘I know, but Guardians need to be doing something. They need to be of help or service or they feel lost. The only time he enjoys himself is at closing when he can clean.’

  ‘He enjoys reading the books Mark brings.’

  ‘He knows them inside out, man! Can’t we have him serve the customers or something? He’d enjoy it
more on this side.’

  ‘He’s three!’

  ‘He’s a Guardian! He needs to feel useful. Let me try and you’ll see the difference.’ Amy grimaced. ‘You want him to be happy, right?’

  ‘Course!’

  Winston smiled at her then turned to the ball pit. ‘Tom,’ he shouted. ‘Come here, man.’

  Tom scrambled out of the pit and walked towards them, his beautiful eyes wide with interest. ‘Yes?’

  ‘We need some extra help on the café side. Me, Jack and your mum are getting too busy.’ Winston paused and scratched his afro. ‘Could you help us out?’

  ‘I’d love to!’ Tom said as though he’d been told he was going to Disneyland.

  ‘Thanks, man, you’re a life saver!’

  ‘What do I have to do?’ Tom asked, elation plastered on his charming face.

  ‘You can start by taking those sandwiches for Jack,’ Winston said, pointing to two plates Jack was walking past with.

  Jack spun back and passed them to Tom. ‘Table eight, mate.’

  ‘Table eight it is,’ Tom said, taking the plates.

  As he walked away, Amy turned to Winston, who stood, arms folded, with a smug grin. ‘Okay, smarty pants!’

  By the end of the week Tom had iced a birthday cake, buttered bread, prepared salad and washed the pots. Having taken cold food and drinks to tables meant he’d also received tips from customers, who for the first time responded well to him.

  When Winston handed him his pay at the end of the week, Tom looked confused. ‘I did it to help!’ Tom said, handing back the pay packet.

  ‘I know,’ Winston said, pushing his hand away, ‘and you’ve saved me a fortune through not having to hire someone else.’

  ‘I could save you even more if you take this back,’ Tom argued politely.

  ‘Look, man, it’s not as much as I’d pay someone else but we all get paid!’ Winston ruffled Tom’s thick locks. With the pay packet still held in the air, Tom looked at Amy.

  ‘Go on, Tom,’ she said. ‘You’ve earned it!’ Tom smiled and took the money.