THIRTY-ONE THE KEEPER CHRONICLE
THIRTY-ONE
THE KEEPER CHRONICLE
N early two weeks have slipped by since the confrontation with Draven and Layla at the Crossing.
It’s strange how time can crawl forward, and right now, I’m feeling the drag of it more than ever.
As I lie in bed, my duvet feels heavy. I trace the patterns on my ceiling, hoping this reopened wound heals quickly.
Mum has been in full nurse-mode, hovering and fussing over me with bandage changes and constant check-ins. It’s sweet, but it’s also driving me up the wall. I don’t need her to cater to my every need. I’m seventeen, not seven.
Still, I get it. I’ve scared her pretty badly with my near-fatal escapades lately.
After what happened at Old Sarum, Tariq told my mum that I’d tripped while we were out on a walk.
She bought it, although she’s a little less enthusiastic about Tariq now.
She thinks he should have taken better care of me.
She softened with him a little yesterday when he brought over some flowers for her in an attempt to score brownie points.
He’s been coming over every day since I’ve been back from the hospital. Even though Nathaniel says he no longer needs to watch over me as the Dark Friar threat is gone.
There’s a knock and my bedroom door opens part way.
‘Hi, love. Lily and Jack are here,’ says Mum, peering around the door.
‘I’m decent,’ I say, double-checking I am wearing underwear. ‘They can come in.’
Mum nods and leaves the door ajar.
I check my phone. There’s a message from Tariq:
Hey. Your mum working later?
I message back that she is, followed by many question marks. He replies quickly:
Good. Opel and Nathaniel want to see you. I’m bringing biscuits.
I heart his reply just as Lily and Jack burst into the room.
‘Hey, guys,’ I say.
Lily sits on the end of the bed as Jack fist-bumps my foot.
‘I’d dogpile you,’ he says, ‘but you’re all injured and stuff.’
‘I appreciate the sentiment.’
‘How you feeling?’ Lily says, playing with her hair. ‘Your mum says you’ve still got a few days before you can go out.’
‘Yeah, she’s being extra cautious this time. I can’t afford to pull my stitches again. No fresh air for me until I’m healed.’
Jack delves into the opened box of Celebrations on my desk. ‘We miss you at college, bud. It’s not the same.’
‘It doesn’t help that history keeps getting cancelled,’ Lily says, putting her feet up on the bed to top and tail with me.
‘Still no substitute?’ I ask.
She shakes her head. ‘What kind of teacher just ups and leaves in the middle of term?’
The evil kind. And Miss Williams isn’t coming back any time soon.
‘She’s written to the principal and everything,’ says Jack, a mouth full of chocolate.
Considering Principal Gellar is part of the Guild, I’m sure she’s already cooked up a story as to why Miss Williams is no longer teaching at college.
‘Has the visitor centre reopened yet?’ I ask Lily.
‘Nope.’
The incident at Old Sarum was breaking news for Sarumbourne. The Guild wangled it that teenagers had broken into the site overnight and defiled some of the ruins. The place has been closed since.
‘I’m telling you, no history and no work is making Lily a very sad girl. All I’ve got is Insiders, and with half the club on the Festive Fling committee, it’s been pretty dull these past few weeks.’
‘Dull? Surely not?’ I say, then smirk.
Jack laughs and Lily throws my dressing gown over me.
‘Speaking of,’ Jack begins, holding up his phone to us, ‘what do we think of my outfit for the Fling?’
I’m actually impressed. It’s a sharp maroon suit with a white shirt and teal bow tie.
‘Jack, that’s… quite sexy,’ Lily says, taking the phone from him for a closer look.
Jack’s eyebrows shoot up. ‘Sexy, really?’
Lily looks up quickly, at Jack, then me. Her face turns a slight shade of red as she hands Jack his phone back.
‘So… er, Liam,’ Lily begins, ignoring Jack’s huge grin. ‘You think you’ll make it?’
‘Doubt it,’ I say, propping myself up against the headboard. ‘Even if I was up to it, Mum would lose it.’
‘You got to come, mate,’ Jack whines. ‘There’s not another party until Springaling in April.’
‘Jack, Student Council are not going with your name suggestion,’ Lily says.
‘No? What about Ready, Set, Bloom? Or Frost-Free Fiasco?’
I laugh.
‘Jack, stop eating Liam’s chocolate!’ Lily says.
‘What? I’m having a massive sugar craving,’ he says, throwing another wrapper in my bin. ‘Hey, Liam, you think your mum could rustle us up some pancakes? Preferably American style.’
Lily rolls her eyes.
‘Sounds like Mum is on the phone to Aunty Orla, so no.’
Lily and Jack look at one another.
‘What?’ I say.
‘How do you know your mum is on the phone?’ Jack says.
‘Because… I can hear her?’ I say, slowly.
They stop and listen.
Mum is nowhere near my room and is probably in her usual phone-chatting spot – the sofa in the living room.
‘I can’t hear anything,’ Lily says.
My wound reopening isn’t the only thing that happened at the Crossing. Ever since that night, my abilities have been coming to me so naturally that I don’t even have to think about it. Which, for the Keeper part of me, is great, but it is making life difficult for the normal side of me.
‘You got super-hearing or something?’ Jack says.
Or something.
I’m in the good books with the Guild after helping to stop Alastor from rising; the last thing I want is Lily and Jack finding out about my Keeperness. Besides, if what happened at the Crossing is anything to go by, they’re best not knowing and staying far away from it.
It feels weird hobbling around my kitchen making tea for strangers I met only a few weeks ago. I flick the kettle on as Tariq and Nathaniel take a seat in the living room. Opel arrived on the phone to Theo, and is currently pacing up and down the hallway looking irritated.
Luckily, I managed to kick Lily and Jack out just after Mum left for work. It gave me time to wash and dress in something slightly more presentable than pyjamas.
‘I imagine the trains are quite a nuisance,’ Nathaniel says, looking out the window.
‘I’ve gotten used to them,’ I say, pouring the hot water into the mug. Of course, it’s only Nathaniel who wanted a tea.
Opel strides into the room, shoving her phone into her jeans pocket and collapsing into Mum’s favourite armchair.
‘You alright?’ Tariq says.
‘Just Theo…’ Opel says, through gritted teeth.
I hand Nathaniel his tea and take a seat in the spare armchair. It’s warm from the afternoon sun, and I pull my feet up to snuggle in.
‘Well, thanks for having us over, Liam,’ Nathaniel begins. ‘And it’s wonderful to see you’re recovering well.’
Ever since Tariq said they’d be coming over, I’ve had a sinking feeling, like I’m about to be handed some bad news, like we weren’t successful at the Crossing after all, and Alastor did escape.
‘Not to sound…’ I hesitate; all three of them have their eyes on me. ‘Well, rude. But what are you guys doing here? Because if the Dark Friars are still out there and…’
‘Liam, relax,’ says Tariq. ‘Everything is fine.’
‘More than fine, actually.’ Nathaniel sets his tea on the coffee table. ‘The Guild are quite certain the Dark Friars have left Sarumbourne, at least for now.’
‘For now?’ I say.
‘Their quest to raise Alastor from the Crossing failed, but with Draven and Layla gone, I imagine they will be looking for a new leader in their ranks.’
I sigh, letting my head fall back.
‘They won’t ever stop, Liam,’ Nathaniel continues. ‘They will try again, a year from now, ten years from now, who knows when. But the important thing is that the Keepers are here to stop them. Which brings me to my next point, and this will be news for all of you.’
Nathaniel takes a sip from his tea as Tariq, Opel, and I wait in anticipation.
‘After what happened, and how close the Dark Friars came to releasing Alastor, the Guild have made it their mission to reunite all six Keepers, beginning with Heather.’
Nathaniel pulls a piece of paper from his jacket and slides it along the table for us all to see. I instantly recognise the Wellbeing Centre logo stamped in the top left corner. The title of the letter reads: Authorisation of Release .
‘They’re letting her leave?’ Tariq says, happily.
‘Indeed,’ says Nathaniel. ‘After I explained to the Guild how she’d helped you both gain the information you needed on the summoning, they conducted some tests and deemed her fit for duty.
She will be coming to live at the Seven Angels and, while she still has her powers, will be fully reinstated as a Keeper. ’
‘What about the other two?’ Opel asks.
‘The Guild will be upping their game to find them,’ Nathaniel continues. ‘I imagine, if awakened, the Defensor Keeper will be found quickly; it’s the Tempus that will be tricky. There hasn’t been one on record for many years.’
‘How exactly will the Guild be “upping their game”?’ Tariq says.
‘Well, for a start, Charles is tasking his grandsons, Lucas and Theo—’
‘Uh, dick,’ Opel says, rolling her eyes.
‘… with the responsibility,’ Nathaniel continues, ignoring Opel. ‘As both of them are in the running to take over from Charles when he steps down, I think the Guild see this as a test for them.’
I can’t believe they’d even consider Lucas for chairman of the Guild. If he had his way, Heather would be being killed, not released. Hopefully Theo steps up. Although, right now, I don’t think he’d be Opel’s first choice.
‘Can we do the thing now?’ says Tariq, eyeing Nathaniel but nodding in my direction.
‘Oh, yes, of course.’ Nathaniel fumbles around in his briefcase for a moment, before pulling out a large book and an envelope. He hands both to me.
Tariq looks too excited, like one of those kids at a birthday party watching their friend get their favourite toy.
‘What’s this?’ I say.
‘Open the letter first,’ Tariq says.