FIFTEEN WELCOME TO THE GUILD
FIFTEEN
WELCOME TO THE GUILD
I take a seat on the stone steps of the Sarumbourne
Guildhall, taking in the calm of the market square.
The sun dips below the distant rooftops, casting a warm, golden glow over the square’s gradually receding activities.
A group around my age walk past, laughing and chatting.
They’re probably off to the cinema. I ache for that to be me right now, sandwiched between Lily and Jack, off to go lose myself in some action-packed adventure or cheesy romcom.
Instead, here I am, anxiety tightening its grip as I wait for Nathaniel to appear and tell me Sarumbourne Council – or the Guild – are ready for me.
‘You’re a nail-biter, huh?’ Tariq says, taking a seat next to me.
I hastily retract my fingers from my mouth and fold my arms.
‘Relax. Every Keeper needs to be inducted. It’ll be quick, trust me; they’ll want to move on to other matters as quickly as possible.’
‘Other matters like Draven’s offer?’
‘Yeah, he’ll be their priority.’
‘Do you think they’ll accept it?’
‘I hope they do. I’ve given it some thought. The only thing that matters is keeping you alive. I don’t trust Draven, but if there is even a chance his offer stands, then we should take it. He said it himself he shouldn’t be here in Sarumbourne long.’
‘But then we don’t find out what they’re up to.’
‘But you stay alive. That’s what matters, and that is what should matter to the Guild. But they’ve made stupid decisions in the past, so…’
Tariq looks away. I can tell he is reliving a memory.
‘Like when?’ I say.
‘Remember when I told you about Thomas, and what happened to us at the church?’
I nod.
‘We were there on Guild orders. For weeks there had been activity going on in that place. The Guild investigated and instructed Nathaniel to send us in. We were told Dark Friar numbers were low, and that Draven had left the city. But when me, Opel, and Thomas arrived… well, you know the rest.’
The Guild seems careless. I know it wasn’t intentional, but Tariq’s little story has just upped my worries even more.
Nathaniel emerges from the doorway. He looks around, as if we are invisible.
‘Where’s Opel?’
‘Here.’ Opel appears, making her way up the steps.
Tariq stands and I follow.
‘You’re actually attending a Guild meeting?’ Tariq says to her.
‘Can’t exactly miss this one’s induction, can I?’ she says.
I can’t tell if she’s being sarcastic or not. Either way, the tension from earlier in the training room seems to have been forgotten.
‘Shall we head inside?’ Nathaniel says, leading the way.
This isn’t my first time inside the Guildhall.
They had a careers fair on last year that Mum dragged me to.
I didn’t really take in how grand it looks though.
We walk across a rich, maroon carpet. A flight of stairs greets us, with a polished, dark wooden banister that stretches upward in four distinct sections, vanishing from sight.
The white walls are decorated with intricate gold-painted details.
We halt before a pair of imposing doors; the hushed murmurs from beyond cause my heart to race a little faster.
Nathaniel turns to me. ‘This is the Sarum Courtroom.’
‘Court?’ I mutter, feeling a knot in my stomach.
‘This room serves as the heart of official Guild proceedings,’ Nathaniel explains. ‘When we enter, follow me to the front. Tariq and Opel will stand with you. Speak only when spoken to.’
My ‘anywhere but here’ mindset is stronger than ever.
Nathaniel knocks firmly on the door.
I turn to Tariq. ‘It’s a courtroom? Seriously?’
‘Yeah, and you’re about to get life imprisonment,’ Opel says.
Tariq nudges her. ‘Ignore Opel.’ He rests a hand on my shoulder. ‘It’s just a room, Liam. Don’t let the formality get to you.’
Easier said than done.
‘Enter!’ a voice booms from within.
With a deep breath, I brace myself and follow Nathaniel’s lead, crossing the threshold.
The space isn’t as vast as I had imagined, yet the atmosphere is charged, with a hundred pairs of eyes instantly locking onto me.
The room is dimly lit, the last remnants of daylight seeping through three large rectangular windows, casting long shadows across the proceedings.
The high-ceilinged chamber is almost triangular in shape.
Rows of dark-panelled benches ascend before me.
On one side there’s a raised platform where I assume a jury might typically sit.
But the focal point is an elderly man, sitting in the judge’s throne.
His eyes lock onto me instantly. There’s something familiar about him.
He has a long Gandalf beard, but with no wizard robe to pair with it. Instead, he’s in a dark brown suit, with a mustard-coloured handkerchief poking out of his chest pocket.
As Nathaniel leads us toward the front pew closest to him, the murmurs and hushed conversations come to a standstill. I go to sit, but a hand reaches under my arm, keeping me up. Tariq mouths something about standing.
‘Esteemed members of the Guild.’ Nathaniel’s voice cuts through the silence, his words amplified for all to hear. ‘May I present to you Liam O’Connor, our newest Keeper. He bears the abilities of the Auctus, the First Keeper.’
Tariq then pivots me to face the gathered attendees, and the room erupts in applause. I have no idea what I should do, so I just smile and wave.
Opel puts her head in her hands and Tariq looks as though he’s trying to hold back a laugh.
I’m pulled back, this time by Nathaniel. He turns me to face the old man peering down at me over his glasses.
The applause gradually fades as the old man raises a hand. He studies me for a moment, before breaking into a smile – an odd smile, that’s neither kind nor sinister.
‘Welcome to the Guild, young Keeper. My name is Charles Martindale. I am the head of the Guild.’
That’s why I know his name. He’s the bloody mayor! His face comes to mind from our school’s prize-giving evening. He shook hands with Lily and Jack as they received their awards. Naturally, I received nothing. Why did I attend at all, now that I think about it?
‘Please state your name in full for the record,’ Charles says.
‘Liam Kalen O’Connor.’
‘Date of birth?’
My eyes shift, landing on a woman stationed with purpose near the jury box. Fingers dance nimbly across some sort of tablet screen.
‘Er… 5 September, 2007.’
‘Which means you’re seventeen, correct?’
I nod.
‘Thank you, Liam. Now, I’m going to ask you a series of questions. Please answer them truthfully and concisely.’
I cast a fleeting glance back at Tariq, and he offers me a half-smile.
‘Were you born within Sarumbourne city or within a ten-mile radius of it?’
Even though I know I was born here, I still have to think about it. Sarumbourne Hospital, clearly within the ten-mile radius. ‘Yes.’
‘When did you first discover your gifts?’
The term ‘gifts’ throws me. I hesitate.
‘Your abilities, Liam,’ Nathaniel clarifies.
‘Er… just a few days ago, I guess.’
‘Do your powers align with that of the First Keeper?’
‘I… I think so.’
Charles’s brows crease. ‘You “think” so?’
‘I am yet to test him,’ Nathaniel begins, ‘but Tariq tells me he has displayed enhanced speed, strength, and dexterity, in line with the First Keeper’s abilities. However, heightened senses have yet to appear.’
A face in a row of seats behind Charles catches my eye. It’s the boy from the park. Lucas. He’s sitting beside an older boy and a younger girl. I assume they’re all siblings; they all share the same ghostly complexion. Lucas introduced himself as a Martindale. He must be Charles’s grandson.
‘Mr O’Connor,’ Charles continues, ‘were you familiar with the Keepers of the Crossing before this week?’
‘No.’
‘Had you encountered any knowledge of the Crossing itself prior to this week?’
‘No.’
‘Prior to this week, had you experienced any supernatural occurrences?’
After a moment of reflection, I shake my head. ‘No.’
‘Thank you, Mr O’Connor. Now, for the Keeper covenant.’ Charles waves a hand, summoning the young man beside Lucas. He makes his way down toward us.
‘Who’s that?’ I whisper to Tariq.
‘Theo Martindale, Lucas’s older brother.’
He looks older than me, probably even older than Tariq. He looks just like Lucas – dark eyes and white hair – although where Lucas’s hair is shaved and dishevelled on top, Theo’s is swept stylishly to one side.
The chain around my neck loosens.
Tariq raises his eyebrows gleefully. ‘You won’t be needing this much longer,’ he whispers, taking his pendant back.
When Theo reaches the front, he unveils a small stone under a piece of black silk. It’s a seresberi stone.
‘This is your Keeper stone,’ Charles begins.
‘As I’m sure you’ve already been made aware, this stone has several properties.
It can help dispel certain magics and ward off evil.
It can offer Keepers some protection, as well as keep your powers grounded and under control.
’ He pauses for a moment. ‘It also aids us in tracking Keepers in case they stray.’
Stray. That’s a weird word to use.
‘Extend your hand,’ Theo says. He produces a small knife.
I glance back at Tariq, then at Nathaniel, who offers me a reassuring nod.
I hold out my hand.
I recoil as the blade pricks my finger. Theo’s grip tightens as a few drops of blood drip onto the stone.
Theo releases me and I hold my bloody finger in my other hand.
Everyone’s eyes remain on the stone.
It absorbs my blood, like water sinking into sand.
Theo closes his hand around the stone. He shuts his eyes, then mumbles some sort of language I don’t understand. Within seconds, his hands glow bright. White light engulfs my vision. Onlookers around the room gasp and whisper.
As the light dims, Theo pulls his hands apart to reveal the stone, now attached to a silver chain. The setting is shiny and new, and different from Tariq and Opel’s pendants. It spirals around the stone in a number six sort of shape.
Theo dangles the chain before me.