Guardians of the Akasha (22 page)

Keira stopped him with a quick “Shh,” stopping him in his tracks.

“Please, Justin. Wait a minute. First tell me who is here and what has been happening.”

“Well,” the boy said, suddenly serious. “Things have been a bit tense around here. Nobody knew where you were or when you’d be back. They’ve been trying to decide what to do, but everyone has their own ideas. Marco is really losing his patience, and they are not telling me anything!”

Keira lay a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “Who are
they
, Justin?” she asked.

“There is Marco, Rafael and Chloe. And Zina and her fiancé Kamau. Well, he calls himself her fiancé but she doesn’t seem so sure about it and he can do this really cool thing with the rain….” And Justin rambled on about rain clouds and water until Keira had to stop him again and remind him of her question.

“Then there’s Adam, but you know him from the cave. Man but he is strong! And his two sisters….” Here Justin stopped and cleared his throat. A slight blush tinged his ears and Keira raised her eyebrows.

“Well,” he continued hastily. “Simone is also here and Chetan. He’s super cool. You met him at the castle, didn’t you? Keira, he’s a firewalker! He’s already taught me so much. And you know Mr Harigaya from Japan, but I don’t know what he does ‘cause he says he’s only here to observe. What does that mean Keira?”

Justin didn’t wait for an answer and continued talking. “And there are a lot of other people here who needed a place to hide, but not all of them can fight, and Rafael has tried to teach them but it’s not really working. And everyone thinks I’m too young to know what’s going on, but I’m not stupid!” and he kicked at another pebble in the sand.

“You are definitely not stupid Justin. Maybe they just want to protect you,” Keira tried to soothe his hurt feelings.

“Yeah, well, they can go protect themselves. I can take care of myself!” Justin grumbled.

“Okay, so why don’t you tell me what they’ve been discussing?” Keira asked.

“Daemon sent a message that the Council members are all dead, he murdered them all. The Draaken wanted to leave immediately and go get Daemon, but Marco said that’s exactly what he wants and it would be a trap and that we would fight him on our terms. So everyone’s been training and trying to prepare. Oh Keira! I’m so happy you are here! Marco wanted to leave and go get you and Simone said he must stay here and Adam wants to fight Daemon by himself and Chloe hasn’t been able to See anything since the cave. It sucks! At least Amber’s dad got word to us that they’re safe, but they’re being held in the castle and are forced to cook and clean,” and Justin threw his arms around Keira once again.

She stood silently, trying to take in all the information. So many new developments to be considered, weighed, and acted upon. Did this change the course she knew she had to take?

No, she decided. It didn’t.

“Justin!” a concerned voice called from the house’s open back door.

“Over here!” Justin called back and tugged at Keira’s hand. “Come inside, everyone will be so happy you’re here.”

Keira let herself be led to the house, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the horse was following. She dragged her feet, wishing her heart would not beat quite so loudly in the quiet of the early evening.

Justin stopped in front of Marco. “Look who is here! Keira came! I don’t know how, but she’s got this big horse, wow he’s beautiful—can I ride him Keira?” and they let the boy babble on while they stood in silence and just looked at each other.

After a long moment, Marco tore his eyes away from her and asked the boy, “Justin, please take him to the stable. Make sure there’s enough water and hay.”

“Okay, sure Marco,” and Justin led the horse away, talking to him all the while.

Marco and Keira were left in the bubble of silence.

“So you….”

“How long have….”

Embarrassed laughter.

“You go first,” Keira smiled.

Marco drank in the sight of her. He noticed her clear, determined eyes and relaxed posture. A short, black riding jacket over a white shirt, black breeches and knee-high boots hugged her body tightly. A clear crystal winked from her throat.

“You are looking well,” he said.

“Thank you. Nothing like a week or so in the country,” she teased.

He laughed softly. It sounded like it was the first real laugh he’d had in a long time.

“How are you?” she asked in return.

A slight shrug of his wide shoulders. “The ranch is shielded but the entrances are being watched all the time, so progress is slow. News is coming through, though: our network is still up, but it’s not looking good.”

She nodded. “Cassandra told me the Council members have been murdered. Who is making decisions for the good of the Akasha?”

“Right now, the Families still out there are just trying to survive. So they are not concerned with the ‘greater good.’ This means we, the Draaken, are making the decisions.” Marco gave a frustrated sigh. “And that has not been easy, as you’ll soon see.”

“Dissention in the ranks?” she asked.

“To put it mildly,” he agreed.

Silence fell over them again, but this time it was companionable, almost comfortable.

Standing so close to him, she noticed the tired circles under his eyes, the drawn corners of his mouth and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and soothe his cares away.
Let me take care of you, now
, she wanted to say. But of course, she didn’t.

The mood was broken when a loud shouting match erupted inside the house. The frown was back between Marco’s eyes.

“Let’s go in,” Keira said and unselfconsciously put her hand in his. This time it was she that led the way as they walked through the door.

Chaos reigned in the big sitting room. A merry fire crackled in the stone fireplace, but that was the only happy sound in the room. People stood face to red face, arms gesturing and veins bulging.

Keira couldn’t immediately make out what they were arguing about, but it was serious. Marco wanted to step forward and interrupt, but she held him back. They stood and watched.

Then she said, “What does a girl have to do to get noticed around here?” and her voice carried like silver gossamer strands through the room, leaving stunned silence in its wake.

“Keira!” Adam shouted and rushed over, grabbing her in his arms and swung her around and around. She was quickly surrounded by clamouring voices. Everyone wanted to know where she’d been and what had happened. After a while, her friends had a chance to step closer and welcome her back.

Adam brought his sisters over and introduced them as Jemma and Nikki, both identically blonde and beautiful. “Hiya!” they sang in unison. “We’re so happy to meet you!” Keira immediately liked the happy pair.

“So, go on then, tell her what you do!” Adam prodded them.

“We sing!” one of the girls replied—Keira wasn’t sure which one it was—and they spontaneously started to sing their own version of “Waltzing Matilda”. Keira suddenly felt her foot tapping to the rhythm of their hypnotic harmony.

“That’s enough,” Marco interrupted firmly. “Next time, give us time to put up our shields,” he said to the girls. “They are sirens,” he told Keira, as if that explained everything.

Next came Chetan, and he and Keira shared a long look. “You do Surya proud,” Keira said softly.

His mouth twitched in surprised emotion. “My life is yours,” he rumbled, nodded, and stepped back.

Zina was waiting with a very tall man by her side. His skin was as glowingly dark as her own, but where her eyes were the deep brown of the Zambezi River, his eyes were the soft grey of rain clouds over Kenya’s plains.

“Keira, this is Kamau,” Zina said.

Keira had to tilt her head back to look up at Kamau.

“A gift from my Queen,” he said and opened his palm where a drop of water was transforming into a big, lustrous pearl.

“Please give my thanks and regards to Modjadji,” Keira said. “I was honoured to meet her.”

Kamau nodded and walked back to a couch with Zina.

“An honour to meet you again,” Mr Harigaya said and gave Keira a formal bow. He was dressed in an immaculately tailored gray suit, and as he bowed, Keira caught the glint of silver steel at his waist.

She bowed back, just as formal. “Thank you, Mr Harigaya. It is good to see you again; and I would like to express my hope that our families would have greater cooperation in future.”

“Spoken like a true diplomat,” he approved and smiled for the first time.

Keira was introduced to a young couple from South Africa, a family from Russia, a mother and son from Egypt, and a group of people from the Santana Family. All of them sought refuge at the ranch when their own homes were attacked or their Families went into hiding.

After the greetings and introductions, everyone settled down on the couches, or on the rugs scattered on the floor, while Keira told them of her time at Cassandra’s cabin. She skipped over the finer details, but no one noticed. They were all too curious about the old woman in the woods; excited to learn about the living legend. In turn, Keira was updated on developments within the group, Daemon’s takeover of the Guardians’ castle and resources, and the individual Families’ positions.

A few hours later the fire was only a burnt-out heap of ashes, and during a lull in the conversation, someone asked: “So, what now?”

“We fight!” Adam punched his fist in the air and was loudly supported by his sisters sitting on either side of him. But other eyes rolled in clear indication that this topic had been worn out already and voices raised again.

Keira lifted her hand; an immediate silence fell as everyone turned expectantly to her.

“Let’s discuss this tomorrow. Right now, I would really like to go to bed.” Keira stood up and the others followed. If they were disappointed, they didn’t show it as they said goodnight and drifted off to their rooms.

Keira and Marco were left, sitting side by side on one of the wide couches. He was lying back, eyes closed, his long legs stretched out in front of him. She sat with her legs drawn up and curled beneath her, watching him.

“I’m glad you’re back,” he said, sounding half asleep.

“So am I,” she replied. “But it won’t be for long….”

He sat up and stared at her. She met his blue gaze calmly.

“So. You have a plan,” he stated.

“More of an idea than a plan. But yes, it’s something that needs to be done,” she said.

“Mind filling me in?” She could hear a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

“No, I don’t mind. I actually need you and the Draaken to come with me,” and here she stopped. Cassandra had said that she would not be able to fulfil her task without Marco by her side, but it was still difficult to ask him.

He waited attentively. In a low voice, not wanting to be heard by anyone who might be still up, she continued. “Daemon is hunting two things: me and the Book of Knowledge. There is a danger that he will find the Book soon, and once he does, he needs
me
to open it.”

“Keira,” Marco whispered. “You are in bigger danger than I realised.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “So
we
have to find the Book before him. If he gets his hands on it, he can enter the Akasha and alter the fabric of time. No one will be able to stand against him, not us, our families—not the most powerful nation in the world. We would be slaves to his will.” Keira swallowed at the horror of it. Her hatred for Daemon threatened to bubble over the lid she had so carefully placed on her emotions.

Marco looked at her in silence. She could see the thoughts clicking away in his mind, and could only hope that he would understand and support her request.

“What do you need?” he asked, his eyes clear of doubt.

Keira could have cried with relief, but just smiled gratefully. “All I know is that I need to find the Book, and the best place to start looking is inside the castle.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Marco laughed. “We’ll need a distraction,” he continued, sounding relieved at having something to focus on.

Keira smiled. “I don’t know anything about strategies and tactics and…stuff. That’s why I need you. Get me into the castle and I’ll take it from there.”

Marco grinned back at her, “All right, I’ll take care of the
stuff
and you do the rest.”

They sat for a few silent moments longer. But Keira had more questions weighing on her mind.

“Marco,” she started. “My parents and friends, are they okay?”

“Yes,” he immediately replied. “I have guards stationed all around them. Your parents are at the estate and I’ve assigned a team to them. Both your friends, Alison and Sammy, are back at the apartment in London and another team is watching over them. Unfortunately Daemon is keeping an eye on them as well, but he hasn’t made any move towards direct contact. I suspect he is waiting to see if you will try to visit them.”

“What did you tell them—about me being away—and everything?” she asked.

“Only what we agreed on: that Victoria’s death had upset you greatly and you were taking time to deal with it. Simone has been their contact person, since they’ve met her before as Victoria’s assistant. This has pacified your parents, but your friends are becoming difficult. It might be necessary to call them. We’ve got a secure line here if you want to speak to them.”

“I could do that?” Keira asked, happy at the thought of speaking to Alison and Sammy again.

“Of course. Simone can set it up tomorrow. Keira, there is something you should know before you do,” Marco continued.

“Yes?” Keira asked.

“Victoria’s will has been read. And she’s left everything to you. Her businesses, properties and the castle. The lawyers are clamouring to talk to you.”

Keira was stunned. “Well,” she gulped. “The lawyers will have to wait. I’m sure there are people managing everything better than I could. But the castle…. All the more reason to get that bastard out of there, as soon as possible!”

“Agreed,” Marco nodded and stood, holding out his hand to pull her up as well.

“Try to get a few hours’ sleep. It will be dawn soon, and we have to start planning. I assume our little ‘side trip’ into the castle is not for general knowledge?”