The Guardian's Apprentice (Beyond the Veil) (30 page)

Ms. Hoskins snorted scornfully.
 
“Off to see some of the Council, I expect.
 
He received a note from one of them shortly before midnight and he was off this morning before sunrise.
 
Left about two hours ago.”

“Is something wrong?”

The old woman turned from the window and smiled warmly at Keegan.
 
“The Council took the news of your grandfather’s death very hard, young Master.
 
It will take some time for them to adjust, that’s all.
 
Now, up and about before Master Wycroft returns,” she said as she shooed him out of the bed.
 
Bustling about, she gathered up the soaked bedclothes and whisked out of the room.

Keegan just shook his head in amazement.
 
Acamar had told him Ms. Hoskins was incredibly old – she had served at Pahret T’pur longer than anyone could remember.
 
Yet she whisked about with the energy of someone much younger and was a force to be reckoned with on matters concerning the castle or its occupants.
 
Keegan stretched one last time then dressed in his apprentice robes.
 
Gathering up his staff and two books on the history of magic he was supposed to have read the night before, he headed down to the study.

Reaching the study, he placed his books on the desk and leaned his staff in the corner.
 
True to her word, Ms. Hoskins had indeed left a tray on the desk with a fresh pot of tea and a mound of freshly baked scones.
 
Helping himself to a steaming cup of tea, he broke open the scone and applied liberal amounts of thick Devonshire cream.
 
He had developed a taste for Ms. Hoskins’ scones and the clotted cream she always provided – giving him something to look forward to before his lessons with Acamar began every morning.
 

He had just taken a large bite of the scone when a portal snapped open near the balcony window.
 
The swirling blue-white portal crackled with power as Acamar stepped through.
 
The portal snapped shut, leaving behind nothing but the faint smell of ozone and an electric tingle in the room.
 
Acamar dusted off his robes and frowned at Keegan.

“You’re just now having breakfast?
 
You should have been up well over an hour ago,” snapped the older wizard.

“Mmph-mmph,” was all Keegan could manage through a large mouthful of scone.
 
He quickly swallowed and washed it down with a too-large gulp of tea, scalding his mouth in the process.
 
“I’m sorry, Acamar.
 
The nightmares came again, only worse this time.
 
I woke up screaming – Ms. Hoskins even came in to see if I was okay.”

“The Shadow again?” asked Acamar.

“Yes, only worse this time.
 
I was trapped in Seba’an’s cave and they surrounded me, draining my life force until I was nothing but a husk.”

“Mmm.
 
A fate you may well experience if we don’t get you trained up in time,” warned Acamar.
 
“We have to focus on your defensive skills if you are to stand a chance against Ducat, much less the Shadow.”

Since the death of Phineas, Acamar had strengthened the Veil using the Blackstar amulet and virtually cut off travel between the two worlds.

“I’m afraid we have an even bigger problem at the moment, Keegan.
 
I have just come from the Council.
 
I was summoned there late last night by several of the members.
 
It seems that several of the Black order have decided since the Guardian died before you completed your apprenticeship, you are no longer qualified to hold the position.
 
They have found support among the Grey order as well.”

“What?
 
Why would they support the Black order?”

“I’m not certain yet, but if there is one thing I’ve learned in my service to your grandfather, it’s that Council politics are dangerous.
 
Very
dangerous.
 
Not only is there the issue of your apprenticeship, but the Council seat held by your grandfather must still be filled.
 
Rightfully that position would be held for you as the Guardian, but now that is in question as well.”

Keegan was at a loss for words.
 
His grandfather had died in an effort to seal the first gateway, yet now the Council members were fighting for power over his vacant seat and the Guardianship itself.

“So, now what do we do?”

“You and I have been summoned before the full Council, or what’s left of it.
 
The Grey order has not yet named a replacement for Ducat, leaving the Black with four votes to three for each of the other two castes.
 
We have been ordered to appear within the hour; I’m very sorry, Keegan.”

Acamar picked up Keegan’s staff and handed it to him.
 
With a final glance around the study, he conjured a portal back to the Council and they stepped through.

###

Chapter 34 –
The Breaking

The Council chambers appeared much as they did before, although there was now a large scorch mark on the floor left as a reminder of Ducat’s escape.
 
The mood in the chamber was a somber one, although Keegan was not sure why.
 
The first thing he noticed was the number of empty chairs around the table.
 
None of the members of the White caste was present, and the seats formerly belonging to Phineas and Ducat were still vacant.
 
Cedric was also absent, however his deputy Portia was seated next to his chair.
 
The other two members of the Dark Arts were there as were the three elected members of the Grey order.
 
As Acamar and Keegan approached the others, Portia rose to greet them, almost as a lion would rise to greet an antelope arriving for supper.

“Well, Master Wycroft, you and your protégé have finally decided to honor us with your presence,” she said as she leaned forward with her palms on the table, looking every bit like a hawk about to disembowel a rabbit.

“You will forgive me, Portia, but we came as soon as we were summoned,” he said with a polite nod of his head.

“I will most certainly
not
forgive you, Master Wycroft!
 
Were it up to me, you would still be confined to your feline prison.
 
You and the
whelp
should have appeared before us immediately upon the Guardian’s death, so the Council could choose his successor!”

Acamar visibly bristled at Portia’s accusation.

 
“I was expecting Master Thornback,” said Acamar in a cautious tone.

“Cedric no longer holds sway with our members, Master Wycroft, ever since he abandoned his loyalty to our Order and sided with the Guardian.”

“Portia, if we do not stand united against Ducat and the Shadow, we will all surely perish!”

“I still have no proof of the Shadow, Acamar.
 
As for Ducat, he is simply a power-mad fool.
 
I have now taken Cedric’s place as head of our Order.
 
Furthermore, the Black and the Gray have agreed that with power vested for so long with the Order of White, the Guardian’s former place on this Council is now forfeit and will not be filled.”

Keegan was too stunned to speak and Acamar looked shocked.
 
By forfeiting his grandfather’s seat on the Council the Order of White would have only three voting members while the other Orders had four each, once the Gray replaced Ducat and the Black replaced Cedric.
 
It was a dramatic shift of power.

 
“
Young Master Whitestone is the rightful successor to the Guardian, whether the Council wills it or not,”
was his terse reply.

“I beg to differ, Master Wycroft.
 
If the Council wills it, so shall it be!” she said with a hiss.
 
“We have decreed that a new successor shall be chosen, since our poor young apprentice is left without a Master.”

Blinded with rage and the lingering loss of his grandfather, Keegan could hold his tongue no longer.

“ENOUGH!” he shouted, silencing the room with a sweep of his arm.
 

His ring began glowing and a tingling pain shot down his arm as Nekk’ar tried to stop him, but his anger carried him onward.
 
Angrily he advanced on the Council members, who remained seated in stunned silence.
 
Even Portia was taken aback by his sudden outburst.

“This stops now!
 
I am not your pawn, to be discarded at a whim!
 
My grandfather died to protect all of you from certain destruction.
 
His final words to me were to carry on his work, and that I will do, whether the Council wills it or not!”

“Ha!” laughed Portia.
 
“You know little of our world and even less of magic.
 
My word is final, youngling.”
 

Bringing her wand out from her sleeve, she flicked the tip towards Keegan and smoky black tendrils shot forth to envelope him.

Acting on instinct and blinded by rage, Keegan brought his staff upward with a flourish, his ring still glowing white.
 
The air around him shimmered and the advancing tendrils withered and dissipated as they contacted the unseen shield spell around him.
 
Bringing his staff back downward with a sharp stroke, he struck the Council table a tremendous blow with the head of the staff.
 
The sound of thunder echoed throughout the room and with a flash, the granite table was broken in half.
 
The Council members scrambled for safety as the shockwave knocked Portia backward and hurled great pieces of granite to the floor.
 
As the dust began to settle, Keegan remained standing in front of them, gripping his staff.
 
His ring shone as brightly as a star and the air in the room crackled as waves of magical force ebbed and flowed through him.
 

“You
fool!
” screamed Portia.
 
“The Oracle will destroy you!”

No sooner had she spoken these words than the shining orb began descending through the dust-filled air of the chamber.
 
It hovered briefly over the remains of the council table, pulsing slightly, before coming to rest directly in front of Keegan.

Keegan watched the crystal intently, waiting for it to incinerate him or encase him in crystal, but nothing happened.
 
Watching the myriad patterns reflected off the crystal’s surface, he slowly became aware of a voice.
 
The voice was distant, yet near – alone, but many.
 
It was like a thousand whispers carried on the wind, just out of reach.
 
Concentrating on the crystal, he listened intently.
 
Finally, he nodded in understanding and smiled.
 
Moving carefully, the Council members slowly advanced towards Keegan and the Oracle, unsure of what was happening.
 
Keegan turned to Portia, who was standing a few feet from him with her wand at the ready.

“This Council is broken.
 
You may continue to bicker and fight amongst yourselves but you no longer speak for the rest of us.
 
You are no longer worthy to call yourselves leaders.
 
It is my responsibility to protect this world and stop Ducat;
I am the guardian.
”

As he spoke, the Oracle began to glow brighter, forcing those in the room to shield their eyes from the glare.
 
With a sudden flash, the light was gone and the Oracle had vanished.
 
In its place however, appeared a shining jewel the size of a large egg, suspended on a silver chain around Keegan’s neck.

“It’s not possible!”
 
Portia gasped, as she pointed at the jewel in disbelief.
 

“Of course it’s possible,” smiled Keegan.
 
“It’s magic.”

Turning on his heel, he walked away from the shattered remains of the Council table.
 
Gesturing towards Acamar, he raised his staff and a portal opened.
 
Almost as powerful as the one he had seen his grandfather conjure, it encompassed both wizards and took them home, leaving the Portia and her supporters standing in darkness.

###

The air in the study crackled with energy as Keegan’s portal snapped open, disgorging him and Acamar in a heap on the floor.

“Ow!
 
Get OFF me!” snapped Acamar at Keegan, who had landed on top of the older wizard.

“Sorry!” said Keegan as he scrambled to get up.
 
He extended his hand to Acamar and helped him up before setting his staff against the bookcase.

“What in the name of the Ancients did you do back there?!
 
Or perhaps I should ask
how
you did what you did!
 
You’ve struggled for weeks to learn a basic shield spell that can’t even repel a half-powered stinger, and yet back there you managed to block an attack by one of the more powerful witches I’ve ever known?”