The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls (3 page)

‘Please,’ Amy said again.

Adaizi lowered her voice. ‘We’re following all three suspected children until we know which one is the Dogod, but if it is this child’—Adaizi jerked her head to the door—‘which is more than likely because of the commotion his mother keeps causing down the hall, it means he knew you were here. It means his powers are
much
stronger than before! You are both in grave danger. He will try to kill you and Tom as soon as he can.’

‘Adaizi…’

‘We were hoping he would be born after Tom because now he’ll receive his full powers four hours before Tom, giving him the advantage.’ Adaizi smiled for a moment. ‘Tom must have been comfortable in there.’ She nodded towards Amy’s stomach, like the conversation was a casual one.

‘I will scream if you don’t leave this room right now!’ Amy threatened, the coil wound so tight it now caused her pain.

Adaizi’s eyes filled with sympathy. ‘Amy, I know this is hard because you don’t remember any of this yet. You won’t until you invoke the light but…you have to trust me.’

Astonished at how Adaizi could still look as innocent as a nun, a sudden burst of anger surged through Amy’s body like a tornado. Her response was immediate and extreme. She sat bolt upright and screamed: ‘Get away from us!’

Amy clutched Tom and made to run but, before she could, Adaizi raised her palm, which emanated a dazzling, white light, and warmth stronger than ultraviolet covered the surface of Amy’s skin.

Instantly numb, Amy’s tension and anger drifted into a world of their own. Void of motion, Amy could only stare deep into the marvel of Adaizi’s starry eyes.

Adaizi leant in and spoke in soft, dulcet tones. ‘There there, beautiful gal,’ she sang. ‘That’s enough for today. You sleep now. It will all be clear in time.’ A dense, silvery light descended upon Amy, washing away her surroundings. Feeling nothing but ease, Amy drifted into a state of unconsciousness.

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN WORLDS

THE IMMAGE

A shiver of euphoria rushed through Amy as she floated and swirled through an expanding vortex of stardust. Twirling and rising, her body becoming lighter, she headed to somewhere familiar, warm and safe.

In the distance, coming from a vast, expanse of milky light, she could hear a sonorous voice calling her name. The voice, so smooth, calm and persuasive, beaconed her forward until the light consumed her.

As her eyes adjusted, a luminous ankh shape flowed towards her, his pearly wings outstretched, his face the most welcoming she’d ever seen. As though he had a magnetic pull, she rushed towards him at high speed, the opalescent floor beneath her flashing a multitude of colours as she did. As she gained close proximity, she could feel the charge of electricity rushing through her outstretched arms, making her experience real.

‘Remember me,’ he said, his voice creating an immense, loving sensation to rush inside her heart. His black glittery eyes, piercing into hers like a probe, studied her intently. ‘Remember yourself,’ he added.

Another pearlescent being whose wings sparkled with violet drifted out of the mist. ‘My name is Nevaeh,’ she said as she reached his side.

The name struck a powerful chord inside Amy, but it was her eyes that captured the majority of her attention. Charcoal, with a slight hint of azure: they were not only a stunning complement to the rest of her pearlescent being, but they were also unique. Unique yet, on a paler scale, not dissimilar to hers. As she gained a familiar feeling to the silky being, it felt like she was looking at some bizarre mirror.

‘This is your higher self,’ said the metallic-looking man.

Amy didn’t turn to him. She couldn’t take her eyes off Nevaeh. Becoming more and more transfixed, the realisation struck. She
knew
that was herself! The more she stared, the more she felt the connection to some former forgotten life. The fact startled her, yet it was like being shown something she’d always known.

CHAPTER 2

THE DARK DAY

Amy woke, lightheaded and confused. Eyes heavy, white mist in front of her vision, she was unable to focus on the room. As thoughts rushed inside her mind like a swarm of locusts, she held her head in her hands, straining to separate them.

Forcing her eyes to see beyond the mist, she tried to take in her surroundings. Daylight shone through the window to her right; a window that brought a vague feeling of confusion and fear, and to her left, a young midwife was tending to Tom. Tom! With one look at her son, she regained the disturbing memory.

‘Afternoon,’ the midwife said. ‘He’s not cried for a feed but I’ve fed him for you anyway. You were talking in your sleep just now,’ she added peering back over his crib. ‘You were saying Nevaeh over and over. That’s an unusual name. Is she a relative of yours?’

Amy didn’t know where she got the name Nevaeh from, but it made her stomach turn. Although her dream had faded to the recess of her mind, the cause hadn’t. ‘Last night,’ Amy gulped, ‘did Adaizi give me some drugs?’

‘I’m sorry,’ the midwife said, snapping out of her gaze, ‘who’s Adaizi?’

Staring in disbelief, her breathing instantly heavy, Amy wondered if
anyone
at the hospital knew Adaizi. Did she even work here? If not, how did she get into the hospital? Was she real, or just a phantasm of Amy’s mind? Before Amy could ask, the door opened and, seeing her dad walk through, Amy felt relieved.

‘How y’ doing, chuck?’ he said, rushing to her and kissing her cheek. He turned to Tom and lifted him from his crib. ‘What a gorgeous little laddo he is!’

Amy smiled as her dad tickled Tom’s chin.

Amy’s brother, Frank, came through next, swinging his broad shoulders. ‘Where’s the reason for your educational decline, then?’ he said, his voice booming.

‘Shall I leave you to your guests?’ the midwife asked.

‘Yes,’ Amy yapped; she wanted her out of the way now for sure. Not only did she not want to be embarrassed by her older brother, she couldn’t discuss the enigma in front of her family; they’d have her committed.

Following Frank was Amy’s mother, Joan, who began sniffing the air. ‘It’s stuffy in here, isn’t it? I’ll open the window and let in some fresh air,’ she said, like the room would poison her. ‘Oh dear, this wallpaper is hideous.’

‘We can’t all afford the posh hospitals like him and Alicia you know, Mother!’ Amy said, pointing to her brother. Frank and his wife could do no wrong in Joan’s eyes, especially when Alicia had chosen to give birth to their child in a private hospital.

‘I know that, sweetheart,’ Joan said, insulted.

‘What a lovely big smile!’ Thomas said proudly. Amy’s head spun back. ‘What’s his name?’ he asked.

Amy’s face was instantly plastered with worry. She remembered her baby’s smile vividly. She searched her dad’s face, gritting her teeth as she waited for his reaction. Thankfully, his smile remained.

‘Look on his wrist, Dad,’ Amy said, relieved he didn’t realise the baby’s expression was far too advanced for his age.

Thomas saw the name
Tom Croft
around Tom’s tiny wrist and tears welled in his eyes. ‘Oh you daft thing, he doesn’t want
my
name!’ Thomas sat on the bed beside her.

‘Yes he does!’ Amy said flatly. ‘Anyway it’s
Tom
,
not Thomas!’

‘Babies don’t
smile
, Dad!’ Frank interrupted.

‘Maybe yours doesn’t smile at you, son,’ Thomas mocked, ‘but who can blame her? She’s got sense!’

Amy laughed for too long, hoping to divert the conversation.

‘Alicia sends her apologies for not coming,’ Frank said to Amy whilst rolling his eyes at his father. ‘She’s finding it hard to get about, you know, with only having Francesca a couple of weeks ago.’

‘How is Francesca?’ Joan asked Frank. ‘I’ve not been today because of coming here.’

‘Excuse me, Missus,’ Thomas said before Frank could answer. ‘Come and look at your grand
son
, will you?’

‘Yes dear,’ Joan said. With a panicked look, she hurried over and took Tom. ‘Oh he’s bonny, isn’t he?’ she said like the fact amazed her.

‘Yes,’ Amy said with a smile.

‘Francesca was bonny first born too, wasn’t she Frank?’ Joan said like she’d made a satisfying speech. ‘They were nice at BUPA, weren’t they, Amy?’ Sitting prim and proper, her short-cropped hair immaculate as if ready to have her photograph taken, she looked like she’d done nothing wrong.

Amy’s smile faded as her mother spoke. She wondered if Francesca would take precedent over Tom, just as Frank did with her. Amy answered, ‘Yes.’

‘Anyway,’ Frank said, ‘where’s the stalker?’

Adrenaline shot through Amy at once. ‘His name is Luke!’ Frank’s torments about Luke being a stalker hit the nerve right on target every time. It started after Amy stupidly told Frank that a boy who used to go to her school followed her everywhere she went, trying to get her to go out with him. Amy thought it was cute—so cute that after four relentless months, she finally gave into him. What annoyed her was, even though they’d been together for two years, Frank still carried on like he was weird, even though Luke had been a faultless boyfriend.

Amy had never forgotten the time she had scarlet fever, and, even though Luke was there by her side night and day, bringing her everything she needed, not bothered in the slightest whether he caught it himself—which he later did—how Frank disregarded his actions by stating it was merely his duty to be there for her. She also remembered how, even after Luke went out of his way to get a signed rugby ball for Frank from one of his idols, attending a charity event and bidding almost all his savings to get it for him, Frank began to call him a creep. Amy, caught in the middle between her brother’s animosities toward her boyfriend, could only take Frank’s hostility in small doses.

Amy glanced at the door, hoping Luke would pop in any second, kiss her and Tom on the forehead, and rightly prove Frank wrong. The seconds ticked by and Amy’s heart sunk.

‘He’ll be coming!’ Thomas rebutted, shooting Frank a look of contempt. ‘Won’t he, Amy?’

Amy half smiled and half shrugged in response. Luke said he’d be there when she’d phoned to tell him she was in labour, and that was the last she’d heard from him. She reminded herself to phone him once her family left.

‘So rest it for today, will you, Frank!’ Thomas added.

‘Okay, I will,’ Frank said. ‘For
today
!’ he mouthed to Amy, with a smirk that made him look like an idiot. Frank was six feet tall with dark brown hair and rugged looks, and at twenty-two years of age, his childish attitude didn’t suit him at all.

‘Oh my,’ Joan said in a high-pitched voice, ‘Tom just smiled at me!’ She turned and held Tom at arm’s length, donning a face that said
help me
.

‘
And
?’ Amy snapped. After all Adaizi had said, Amy needed the acceptance of her family more than ever.

‘Babies
don’t
smile!’ Frank shouted, stomping towards Tom. ‘Let
me
have a hold!’ He took Tom from Joan. ‘
I
can’t see…’

Tom gave his biggest smile yet. Frank sat and blinked in astonishment while Tom held clear eye contact with him. ‘It’s…wind!’ he said, although clearly stunned in spite of his conclusion. Frank made to give Tom back to Joan but, because she still looked shocked, he turned and passed him back to Thomas.

‘Heard the news?’ Thomas asked Amy as he took Tom, still oblivious that the smiling wasn’t normal. ‘Electricity companies aren’t sure what happened last night, but a massive surge hit the whole Manchester area!’

‘What hit?’ Amy asked, hoping to find some answers.

‘It happened at ours too,’ Frank interjected. ‘The lights, the TV and everything came on in the house.’

‘No way,’ Amy said, the logical side of her mind kicking in, telling her what happened wasn’t because of Tom. She now had an actual explanation for it: a surge!

‘Way!’ Frank said.

‘We’re normally asleep at that time,’ Thomas said. ‘But with us knowing you were in labour, we couldn’t sleep. We were too excited, weren’t we, dear?’