The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls (16 page)

‘Give it!’ Ethan growled, turning back to Tom, whose hand had dropped.

Tom’s hand rose towards him again and this time, sweat pouring from his forehead, Tom stared Ethan square in the face. Ethan’s back arched like a ram’s, ready to attack, and Tom’s nose began to bleed.

Amy screamed and, as everyone began to panic, a blast of light flashed in between them and Tom flew backwards, crashing through the tables in the café area and hitting the wall ten feet behind. Amy ran to him as the customers jumped up from their seats to help him.

‘Get that horrid kid out of ‘ere!’ shouted one of the mothers from the play area. ‘I can’t believe you just let him kick Tom like that!’ she added to Kate.

‘You what?’ Kate said, looking confused.

Amy lifted Tom into her arms. ‘Tom…Tom,’ Amy said, shaking him in her arms. He wilted like he’d lost consciousness. As she struggled to stand, Mark charged through, effortlessly scooped them both from the floor and carried them into the kitchen. Winston and Jack followed.

As Mark put her down, his hands still supporting her shoulders, his gentle touch seemed to melt her pain. She placed Tom on the worktop while Jack fetched a wet cloth.

‘What the hell?’ Jack said. ‘That kid’s bad enough, but is Kate on something or what?’ No one answered him.

‘Someone needs to sort that lot out,’ Amy said as commotion broke out between the guests and customers.

‘You two go. I’ll stay,’ Winston said to Jack and Mark. As they obliged, Winston shut the door firmly behind them.

‘Ethan
not
nice!’ Tom said, coming around. As he said it, he placed a glowing hand on his nose. Amy wiped his nose again—the blood had stopped flowing.

‘Are you okay, Tom?’ Amy asked.

‘Okay me. Okay you?’ Tom placed his hand on her shoulder and, no sooner had the tingling began, it felt better.

‘I’m okay,’ she said.

Amy turned to listen to the commotion, and Kate’s voice shrilled above everyone else’s. ‘You know nothing!’ she screamed.

‘I
know
he’s a bully!’ shouted someone. ‘I also know he’s not normal!’

‘How dare you?’ Kate snapped. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about! Amy…
Amy
!’ she yelled, banging on the kitchen door.

‘What?’ Amy said, from behind the door.

‘Amy please…I don’t know what happened but…I want to say sorry.’

‘Just go home!’

‘Please, Amy! I don’t even know what I’m doing here…I’m always confused…What’s wrong with me?’ Her voice trailed off and Amy’s heart went out to her.

Kate opened the door but Amy stood in the doorway, blocking her from entering. Winston covered Tom. ‘Kate…you need to take a good look at your son…he’s…got powers.
Dark
powers! He’s dangerous!’ Amy said.

‘What? No!’ she said, looking down at Ethan, who glared at Amy, his malicious eyes glistening. ‘Say sorry to Tom!’ Kate told Ethan, now with tears in her eyes.

‘No!’ he growled. The door flew open and he barged past and held his hand out once more to Tom but Winston stood firm in front of him. ‘Give!’ he said, his voice booming around the kitchen, his face frustrated and full of rage.

Tom’s hand opened and Ethan leapt forward to grab what he held: the letters T, O and M from the set Mark had bought. As his hand connected with Tom’s, electrifying sparks shot out of Tom’s hand and Ethan soared backwards, falling hard against the counter. As he slid down, his arm sizzling and cracking with electricity, he began to tremble.

‘I’m taking him home!’ Kate screamed hysterically and, dragging Ethan up without checking to see if he was okay, marched him out of the café.

As Tom healed his bleeding hand, Amy looked back at Kate who was now being led by Ethan. She seemed to be gliding along peacefully but, through her lifeless expression, Amy could see a hint of fright.

Amy turned back and hugged Tom. ‘He’s gone!’

‘Tom play nice now,’ he said. She lifted him from the counter and he skipped back into the play area in his usual, joyful manner.

‘Are you going to invoke the light now or what?’ Winston said abruptly.

‘I said if I was in danger or if Tom was because of me,’ she said defensively.

He shook his head. ‘You need to realise that what Aunt Adaizi tells you is for your own good, man!’ He shook his head and made to walk out.

‘I keep my word! Tom can obviously defend himself so he wasn’t in danger and I wasn’t in danger!’ she said forcefully. ‘I said if I had to call Adaizi!’

‘But Tom hurt him! He’ll take ages to heal because he hasn’t got his full powers! He won’t be confident enough to come back for years after this!’ He looked at her like she was mad for stalling for time.

‘Good!’ Amy said, trying to hide her guilty feelings. The idea that Tom could have a normal life seemed squashed, but she still clung to the idea that she would somehow change his fate, which meant, until then, she needed to stay away from her higher self.

THE DIVINE REALM

THE DISCUSSION

Nevaeh had a sudden intuitive feeling that something was happening in the Divine Realm, and turned from her Omni-Pod and looked up at the dome. She closed her eyes to tune into the Decision Maker, who never left his thought pattern closed to her, and began to watch through his eyes a pearl white soul slip out of the stream and onto the opalescent floor. She watched as he cast his lime eyes to the universe above, marvelling at its stunning display of stars, his wings dancing with flecks of blue as he did.

‘Hello, Professor,’ said the Decision Maker, floating with elegance towards him. It seemed strange to Nevaeh that the Professor, one of the twelve gifted souls who ran Omnipion and whose field was always in demand of him, would have any reason or time to come to the Divine Realm.

‘Hello, Decision Maker.’ The Professor bowed.

The Decision Maker bowed in return. ‘What may be the topic for our discussion?’

‘I’m here on behalf of the Interference Squad,’ he stated. He paused, waiting for a reaction, but didn’t receive one. ‘They have some concerns about the Protector.’

‘I will hear them.’

‘Thank you, Decision Maker. They believe they should send someone to take over the Bright One’s welfare. They think, due to the Protector’s stubbornness, the child is in danger.’

The Decision Maker smiled. ‘I understand your concern, but I remain confident in her abilities as his mother. She will do the right thing. She is protecting the child.’

‘Ah, but she is protecting him from the mission.’

‘The instinct is still proven.’

‘She needs the light to protect him and she clearly doesn’t want the power. What makes you think, having reached this stage, she will come through?’

The Decision Maker looked amused. ‘My renowned judgement.’ Nevaeh could feel the love inside his being as he spoke the words, which made her wish even harder that he was right.

The Professor bowed with embarrassment. ‘Yes, of course.’

‘Don’t forget, Professor,’ the Decision Maker added, his inky glitter piercing, ‘we do have Guardians in place.’

‘Hmm.’ The Professor’s expression darkened. ‘Although one of which doesn’t understand his place.’

‘A Guardian’s place is to listen to their hearts, wherever it may take them. The Guardian you refer to is one of our best. He has also completed his mission and is entitled to help in any way he chooses.’

‘How will that help? It is unheard of that Guardians have feelings of such humankind.’ The Professor shuddered. ‘What good can come of it?’

Nevaeh knew exactly who he was talking about and she wanted to know what the Decision Maker would say more than anything else. She had been watching the Guardian in question through Amy’s eyes with avid interest herself, wondering the same.

‘That will remain to be seen, but be assured that good always comes from a Guardian following their heart.’

The Professor grimaced. ‘Is it even possible?’

‘Anything is,’ he answered with a smile, but when the Professor’s wings dulled to a musky grey, his tone become compassionate. ‘It will all come together, Professor. It may be a confusing puzzle right now, but I trust both of their souls.’

‘Please, Decision Maker, can you maybe think about the request? The Protector should already be training. She should be past this acceptance stage and already have the light by now. I believe she won’t be able to complete the mission.’

‘If she took the maximum amount of time to accept her role, I believe she’d still be able to complete the mission. She’s the most powerful of us twelve. Don’t forget, none of us has ever experienced being human before. However she’s dealing with it—you can be assured it will be better than how we would have done.’

‘I know that, Decision Maker,’ the Professor said sincerely. ‘Even though I trust your judgement, we have souls on guard ready to interfere if you change your mind.’

‘Thank you for voicing your concern, but you may tell them to stand down. Winston is right. The Dogod won’t be back for at least two years. By that time, the Bright One will communicate well.’

‘Yes, Decision Maker,’ the Professor agreed with a final bow. He took one last look at the stars above and floated to the circular ledge. Before he attached to the downward stream, he bowed to the Decision Maker, who stood with an unwavering smile.

Nevaeh turned back to her Omni-Pod, hoping Amy would one day allow her communications in, which she sent over and over through the subconscious waves.

CHAPTER 11

THE JOB FOR TOM

‘We need to get him out of there!’ Winston said, referring to Tom who, at just over three years of age, still sat in the ball pit alone.

‘He’s fine!’ Amy retorted but as she looked at her son, now the size of an eight-year-old with a mind to match, she knew he wasn’t.

Tracy never came back after Tom’s first birthday. It took Tom almost a year to get over losing Molly. Every Wednesday he’d sit by the window and peer out longingly. Other days, he sat inside the comfort of the ball pit—his sanctuary—isolated from the world around him.

‘He’s such a lonely kid,’ Winston murmured in sympathy.

Amy watched as her overgrown son viewed the children around him with strange interest. A polite spectator, he stood apart from the crowd, just outside of life. ‘He’s got us!’ Amy said optimistically, knowing how much Tom adored the adults in his life.

‘I know, but Guardians need to be
doing
something. They need to be of help or service or they feel lost. The only time he enjoys himself is at closing when he can clean.’

‘He enjoys reading the books Mark brings.’

‘He knows them inside out, man! Can’t we have him serve the customers or something? He’d enjoy it more on this side.’

‘He’s
three
!’

‘He’s a
Guardian
! He needs to feel useful. Let me try and you’ll see the difference.’ Amy grimaced. ‘You want him to be happy, right?’

‘Course!’

Winston smiled at her then turned to the ball pit. ‘Tom,’ he shouted. ‘Come here, man.’

Tom scrambled out of the pit and walked towards them, his beautiful eyes wide with interest. ‘Yes?’

‘We need some extra help on the café side. Me, Jack and your mum are getting too busy.’ Winston paused and scratched his afro. ‘Could
you
help us out?’

‘I’d love to!’ Tom said as though he’d been told he was going to Disneyland.

‘Thanks, man, you’re a life saver!’

‘What do I have to do?’ Tom asked, elation plastered on his charming face.

‘You can start by taking those sandwiches for Jack,’ Winston said, pointing to two plates Jack was walking past with.

Jack spun back and passed them to Tom. ‘Table eight, mate.’

‘Table eight it is,’ Tom said, taking the plates.

As he walked away, Amy turned to Winston, who stood, arms folded, with a smug grin. ‘Okay, smarty pants!’

By the end of the week Tom had iced a birthday cake, buttered bread, prepared salad and washed the pots. Having taken cold food and drinks to tables meant he’d also received tips from customers, who for the first time responded well to him.

When Winston handed him his pay at the end of the week, Tom looked confused. ‘I did it to help!’ Tom said, handing back the pay packet.

‘I know,’ Winston said, pushing his hand away, ‘and you’ve saved me a fortune through not having to hire someone else.’

‘I could save you even more if you take this back,’ Tom argued politely.