Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
OTIS.
I awake with a start; to my walkie-talkie beeping an incoming call.
Clem stirs, but doesn’t wake.
It’s Tony on the other end.
Swiftly I get out of bed and take his call out in the passage. “What’s up?”
“There’s been strange activity detected,” Tony’s voice crackles.
“Where?”
“At One Moonbeam Lake. Close to the rock fall.”
Shit. I know exactly the spot. It’s where the roof of the cave fell in, some weeks back, exposing a large swathe of Earth above.
“Our surveillance has detected footsteps, and breathing,” Tony explains. “It’s still too dark for the cameras to pick up images.”
I have no idea what the implications of this are, but it’s worrying. “Where are you?”
“Just outside your house.”
“We’ll take my jeep and go together.”
This is not what I needed today. But it can’t be ignored.
It’ll take a good hour to drive there, but hopefully we’ll be back in time for Mom’s birthday party.
I dress swiftly, careful not to wake Clem. I kiss her softly, then creep out to the kitchen, where I leave a note for everyone.
Tony is waiting outside the house.
He hops in and we drive at speed along the tunnels, which are less illuminated the further we go.
The jeep’s headlights light the way, but I know the route almost by heart.
This is the spot where we used to come as kids.
We would picnic by the edge of the lake, and afterward, all of us younglings would climb up to catch sight of the stars or the tiny glimmers of Earth’s daylight through a crack in the rock roof.
Only recently, when those rocks fell, has a wider expanse of Earth been exposed.
We’ve stopped monsters going there, we can’t afford them to climb up on Earth and be spotted from the human lookouts embedded in the Sparkle dome.
But we did have the foresight to fit surveillance and cameras.
The fact that there has been activity is scary. What if the humans have bypassed the portals, and are coming in through here instead? They’d have to wear breathing apparatus, but it is possible.
When we finally arrive, I park a little distance from the lake, perch Tony on my shoulder and run down the last of the tunnel until it opens up to the lake.
Moonlight from Earth sends beams of silver beauty into the space.
The lake is calm and deep blue, the ferns and flowers around it bowing into the water, as if peering at their own reflection.
A waterfall fills the lake from the far end.
Everything is verdant and thriving like I’ve never seen it before.
One Moonbeam Lake, as always, is the most serene and beautiful place in the Labyrinth.
I sniff the air. Earth air is a powerful force for us monsters, it can make you feel almost giddy with joy, even in the tiny amounts we enjoyed as kids here.
And now, since the rock roof fell in, there is so much more of it.
I fight the feeling. I am here to investigate unusual activity, not get high from breathing Earth air.
I have one gun. Our only gun in the whole of the Labyrinth. It belongs to the sheriff and is passed down through the generations. I pull it from the holster, wondering if I’ll even be able to fire it if need be.
I detect shadowy movement in the ferns nearby.
“Who goes there?” I call out. “Show yourself.” My words echo around the cave.
Only silence answers.
“We know you’re hiding in there. Come out, or I will shoot regardless.”
More rustling of leaves.
Then a large form rises out of the bushes.
Big shoulders.
A huge torso.
A strong, wide-boned, proud head.
A mouth framed by two massive white tusks.
I drop the gun and hear it clatter on the rocks next to me, the echo filling the air before my voice joins it.
“Dad!” I croak.
If you’ve ever hugged someone who you’ve believed dead for three years, only to discover that they’re miraculously alive, you will know that your whole body and soul go into that hug.
This is how I hug my dad.
And that’s how he hugs me back. Like one risen from the dead.
And then he turns to Tony and picks the little guy up and they’re clapping each other on the back and laughing, all three of us shedding tears of joy.
Finally, when we’ve all calmed down, we sit on a rock as the first rays of sunlight beams through the hole above us.
This time I let the joy in, and breathe deeply of the intoxicating air.
It takes a while before I can get the questions out in any coherent fashion.
“What happened, Dad? Where have you been?” I ask, still unable to fathom that he is here. He looks stronger, more powerful somehow than I remember him. And if he has aged at all, it doesn’t show in his shining visage.
“For many years I have been part of a secret taskforce of white magic that formed to prepare the Labyrinth for it’s greatest battle,” he tells us both, “To stop the human authorities from taking back occupancy of Earth, and destroying our monster brethren in the process.”
“So you faked your own death?”
He nods. “Sadly, it was necessary. The cost has been great to your mother and you all, I know, which has given me great pain.” His dark red eyes are sombre. “All the while my psyche has been sending messages to your mother to let her know I am alive.”
“So that’s why Mom has a steadfast belief you are alive. She has been receiving communication from you?”
“In her dreams, yes.”
“I wouldn’t have minded a sign you were alive, too.”
Dad shakes his head. “You would not have stepped up as sheriff if you thought I was alive.”
“Possibly true.” My lips twist ruefully. “But Dad, what is this group you are part of? We know nothing of it.”
“It has been top secret for many years. A coven of white magic formed soon after the Rebellion. A small group of witches and warlocks hid out on Earth, and of late, some monsters have also been recruited. I was one of those who received the call, and there is no backing away from that once it happens. It was my duty to go out on Earth, work with these forces and prepare us all for the time when monsters will rise up once again. The dark magic is strengthening in the human realms, and very soon we will need to fight for our freedom.”
“So you are back to take on the role of sheriff.”
“No son, you must remain sheriff for now. With Tony as your deputy.”
I huff a sigh. Tony does the same. I’m sure he’d rather have Dad as his boss, but he’s too diplomatic to say so.
As for myself, I badly need my father at my side, right now. So many times I have wished for it, but now he has materialized, the need for his wise counsel is even stronger.
“How long can you stay?”
“A day at most.”
“Is that all.” I can’t help my disappointment showing. “We need your wisdom in the Labyrinth more than ever before.”
“Yes, sir, we surely do,” Tony says gruffly.
Dad sighs heavily.
“The coven have your backs. We are watching closely, waiting. If we act prematurely, it could lead to greater harm and bloodshed. The runes will speak when the time is right for us to join you.”
I rub at my tight forehead “But if that’s the case—why are you here now?”
“To let you know that you are not alone, that the magic is working alongside you.” He pauses, and his serious expression relaxes. “And to celebrate a very special day. Your mother’s fiftieth birthday.”
My face lights up. “You remembered!”
“How could I forget? Your mother is my mate. I have missed the last three but I will not miss this special one.”
I feel tears prick my eyelids and swallow hard. “She always said you were still alive, and I just passed it off.”
“Yes, her soul knew the truth.” Dad gets up and smiles, a little sadly. “Hopefully your mother and you younglings will eventually forgive me.”
“It’s a given,” I reply, gazing steadily into his eyes.
“Thank you, eldest son,” he says, then his own eyes light up almost mischievously. “You have found your soulmate also, I believe.”
“H-how do you know?”
“As part of my training in white magic, I have learned to tap into soul energy.” Dad gives me one of his winks. “And your vibration told me you’ve fallen madly in love, Otis.”
“I hope that’s all the vibrations can tap into,” I mutter. “You don’t have cameras, I hope?”
Dad laughs. “Don’t be daft, son. Even if the magic had eyes, which it does not, I would respect your privacy.” He grins and puts an arm around my shoulder. “I can read soul energy, that’s all. Yours and your beautiful human’s. You are meant for each other.”
I nod, unable to speak for fear of weeping like a youngling. And yet, my heart blooms with gratitude that my father is alive, that there is a mysterious group of magical beings hiding out on Earth, ready to support our cause, and that my Mom will finally have reason to smile again.
I have so many more questions, but when I open my mouth, Dad gently raises a hand to stop me.
“No more talking, Otis, there will be time enough for that.” He rises to his feet. “Let’s go celebrate your mom’s birthday.”