The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls (39 page)

As she forced every ounce of feeling into her stomach, her hands began to spark with the power. The surging white light began to jut up to her elbows in thick wisps as her father’s head glowed. The more she thought about Mark in particular, the colder and more powerful her hands became.

It was around ten minutes of concentration that Adaizi smiled triumphantly and looked at Amy in her most loving way. ‘You did it,’ Adaizi said. ‘It’s gone!’

‘What?’ Amy cried in disbelief. The light snapped back into her palms and, after leaving a faint glow on Thomas’ crown, faded completely.

‘Look!’

As Amy lifted her hands, she saw her dad’s sunken, hollow, washed out face begin to change. As the grey hue of his skin and the deep furrow of his brow lifted as if sunshine had spread across his face, Amy began to weep.

‘What’s going on?’ Joan asked, lifting her head and looking confused. ‘Has something happened…I fell asleep…is he all right?’

‘Look,’ Adaizi instructed in her cool voice, making Joan stop and take notice. Joan’s jaw dropped as she watched her husband transform back to life. His sunken cheeks began to lift and plump back into shape. Colour began to swirl into his cheeks and after taking a long, deep breath, he looked bothered by the respirator. Adaizi removed the tubes and Thomas opened his eyes, which now glistened with life.

‘I know you,’ Thomas said, addressing Adaizi. He was fully awake but confused. ‘You stood waiting for me in the light.’ A tear fell from his eyes. Amy covered her mouth and fell to her knees. She rested her head on her dad’s pillow and stroked his forehead. ‘How long have I been here?’ He sat up without any effort and then looked a bit shocked that he had. Amy sobbed on the sheets. ‘Oh love,’ he said, ‘come here.’ Amy scrambled herself up onto the bed and into his arms and nearly hugged the life back out of him. Then he suddenly looked confused. ‘Why am I at the hospital?’

‘You’ve got a…’ Joan began but Adaizi placed her hand on Joan’s arm.

‘You’ve not been well, Thomas,’ Adaizi reported. ‘But you’re okay now. We’ve come to take you home!’ Joan looked bemused, like she sat waiting to wake up from a dream.

Thomas looked at his daughter and then around the room as if things were now coming back to him. ‘I had a tumour?’

‘Yeah,’ Adaizi said with a cool smile.

‘And…it’s…
gone
?’ he asked nervously.

‘It has.’

‘No,’ Joan yelled, back to her senses. ‘The doctors say they can’t do anything. Who are you? Why are you trying to give us hope?’ Thomas reached over and grabbed Joan’s hand and his touch made her jump. She stared in disbelief for a moment then threw herself next to him and broke into tears.

‘We need to be quiet,’ Adaizi said, looking over her round glasses out the door to make sure no one was coming. She turned to Amy. ‘We have to get him out of here!’ Tears still streaming down her cheeks, Amy nodded and made to help him up. Thomas didn’t need telling twice; he hurried out of bed while Amy helped him with his balance.

‘Hey you…you with the hands,’ the old lady across the hall yelled. ‘I know you’ve got powers…I’ve just seen them. Please…I want to
go
!’

Adaizi took one sympathetic look at the lady and stopped.

‘Come on,’ the lady continued desperately, her lined face scrunched, making her look like a bulldog puppy. Adaizi sauntered over to her, placed her hands in hers and stared lovingly into her eyes. ‘I can…see them,’ the old lady whispered now with a little fear in her tone. Adaizi gently kissed her forehead and she drifted slowly away.

Amy didn’t know how to feel. One half of her felt totally shocked that Adaizi had just helped someone die, but knowing what she knew—that she would now have entered bliss—she couldn’t help but feel pleased for the woman. Amy had never seen such relief sweep across somebody’s face; death left her with such a content expression that Amy smiled. Amy’s parents were simply in awe.

As Adaizi returned, Amy grabbed her parents and Adaizi’s hands and they Light-Voided to the living room of the Crofts’ cottage.

‘Arhh!’ Joan said with a shudder.

‘I’ll leave you to talk for a while,’ Adaizi murmured, the glint in her eye now sympathetic. Knowing she didn’t have long left with them, Amy’s heart sank.

CHAPTER 27

THE GOODBYE

No sooner had Adaizi left in a Light-Void, Amy’s parents began speaking at high speed.

‘What the…?’ Thomas began.

‘How on Earth?’ Joan interrupted.

‘How’s this possible?’

‘I don’t understand…’

‘Please, tell me what’s going on!’ Thomas cried. ‘How am I better? Who the hell was that woman? How the hell does that bubble thing work? What is…’

‘Sit down,’ Amy instructed, not knowing where to begin. ‘I’ll make us a pot of tea and then I’ll try to explain.’

As Amy walked through to the kitchen, dawn broke. As a few rays shone through the window, she thought of Tom. She knew Mark would take care of him when he woke but, once she’d explained everything to her parents, she would have to tell him he was right; he wouldn’t see them again.

After making the pot of tea, Amy spent all morning explaining who and what she and Tom were, the powers she had been given in the hope to save Tom from his fate, and the truth about Adaizi and Mark. Her parents held expressions of amazement, awe, confusion and disbelief throughout but, as Amy showed them the light in her hands, her parents broke into tears.

This time, even though the information looked like it had it scared them beyond belief, her parents couldn’t have been more apologetic. In this moment, peering into both her parents’ sorrowful eyes, the thought of having to say goodbye broke her heart.

‘There’s something you’re not telling us, isn’t there?’ Thomas said, noting the pain behind Amy’s eyes. She nodded and, as her sparkling eyes filled with tears, hung her head.

‘What is it?’ Joan asked, exhausted from the amount of information she’d already taken in.

‘I have to say…goodbye to you. You’re not safe if we stay in your life. The Dogod will kill anyone I’m close to,’ she answered, trying to sound strong.

‘I don’t care who’s after you,’ Thomas said. ‘I can look after myself!’

‘It’s not as easy as that, Dad,’ she reasoned, taking his hand. ‘It’s for your safety. I’ve seen what he can do, and it’s more than vicious,’ she said, trying to wipe out the flashing images of Mark’s parents from her mind.

‘There’s always a way,’ Joan interjected.

‘There isn’t. He will slaughter you! Then he’ll laugh as he revels in the pain he’s causing, just to get at Tom and me. You are not safe! I’m sorry, I have to say goodbye.’

‘No!’ Joan said, her eyes filling with tears. ‘I won’t have it! You can tell that Guardian of yours that we won’t lose you.’

Amy’s eyes were full of pain as she stood tall. ‘I’m going to get Tom to come and say goodbye. Phone Frank and tell him what’s happened. Tell him to come over because we need to say goodbye to him too. I’m so sorry. Adaizi!’ Amy called before they could protest. Another flash and Adaizi entered the living room.

Adaizi turned to look at her parents’ distraught faces. ‘I’m so sorry,’ Adaizi said to them. They stared coldly at her like she was to blame, their shades darkening, like Amy had done herself so many times before. Amy looked from their eyes to Adaizi’s and, watching Adaizi take every ounce of their contempt, felt much sorrow for her.

‘We’ll be back soon. Get Frank!’ Amy instructed, taking Adaizi’s hand.

‘Are you all right?’ Adaizi asked as they landed inside Amy’s bedroom.

Amy held her chest. ‘This is harder than I thought!’ Amy answered, feeling a dreadful compression inside her heart.

‘I know, beautiful,’ Adaizi said, allowing Amy to lean into her. ‘You’re doing so well. I’m so proud of you.’

‘What am I going to say to Tom?’

Adaizi looked at Amy with much love in her eyes. ‘How about the truth?’

‘Hmm,’ Amy said, determining how she could whitewash the truth. She wiped her eyes before she walked downstairs and headed straight into the classroom.

‘Can Tom be excused today, Mr Smith?’ Amy asked, her voice high and jolly as if everything were fine. ‘We have a family matter to attend to,’ she added.

Mark noted her brave face and put one on himself. ‘Okay class,’ he said in a similar tone. ‘Mr Croft has to leave early today so I think it only fair that Miss Richards can finish too.’

‘Yeah!’ Lucy yelled, putting her hand up to high-five Tom. Tom smiled at Lucy, but Amy could see he wasn’t falling for the false pleasantries.

‘We’re going to see Grandma and Granddad, aren’t we?’

‘Yes, Tom, we are.’

‘Why?’ he asked, looking fearful.

‘Let’s go have a little chat,’ she replied, holding her hand out for him. As she made to leave, Mark gave her a supportive smile and she smiled gratefully back. She will always remember the way in which he had helped her. As the vivid image flashed through her mind, her heart flapped as though in a state of panic.

Looking at him in this moment she knew, no matter who else she was about to lose, that he would always be there for her. He would do anything he could for her. He was her family now!

Amy took Tom up to his room and, after David followed through, shut the door. ‘Sit down, Tom,’ Amy instructed, holding his hand and sitting on his bed. He sat and David jumped up beside him, staring at Amy with nearly the same sad expression Tom held. ‘I’m going to try to explain as best I can what’s happening,’ she began, trying to stop her eyes from watering.

‘Okay,’ Tom said patiently. Not even five years of age, yet his mannerisms resembled the wisdom of a man.

Every time she looked at him, even before knowing about the power he held inside him, and without noting his pure white shade, she knew he was special. Since her visit to Omnipion, she knew he
was
the Bright One, the Dogod’s nemesis, but at this moment he was still just her child, innocent and unaware of what was to come. She was about to do what she didn’t want to do: tell him things! She knew she would have to tell him some things, even if she was still going to protect him, but she still felt strongly enough to make sure he’d never live out the fate set out for him. As she stared at him, she also knew he was intuitive enough not to be misled.

‘Granddad’s not going to die any more, is he?’ he asked, although the question was more of a statement.

‘No, he’s not,’ Amy said, her heart turning in appreciation for the fact. ‘He’s well again.’

‘But we can’t see them any more, can we?’ He looked like he could have cried at any moment.

Amy’s throat was so dry she had to swallow hard before she could respond. ‘No we can’t,’ Amy answered, holding his hand.

He sat up, his stunning grey eyes full of pain and spoke in a soft, trembling voice. ‘Why?’

Her heart tightened. ‘They’re not safe if we stay in their life,’ Amy replied, trying her best to hold it together. ‘It’s for their protection that we stay away.’

He looked at her for a moment and then something wild flickered in his eyes. ‘Because of Ethan!’ The words again needed no confirmation.

‘Yes.’

Tom leant forward and squeezed her hand, his expression full of concern. ‘That’s okay, Mum,’ he said in a comforting tone. ‘I want them to be safe. Don’t you?’ Amy looked at him in awe. As soon as he knew the reason why, the fact was fully accepted and instantly understood. It didn’t matter who he was—for anyone to be so clear minded for right and wrong was beyond her.

She stared at him for a moment. ‘Yes.’

‘Then let’s go and say goodbye,’ he said, wiping another tear that fell from his eye and standing from his bed.

She took both his hands and pulled him towards her. ‘Do you know how much I love you, Tom?’

‘Yes, I do,’ he said, a smile spreading across his face and reaching his eyes.

‘I love you enough to cover the amount of all the family you’ll lose today!’ she cried, taking him into her arms.

‘I know that too,’ he repeated, squeezing her as hard as she squeezed him.

‘As long as Jack lives here we can keep him, though.’

‘Because Mark can protect him, can’t he?’

‘Yes. We’ll always have Mark. And Adaizi!’

‘Then I’ll always have plenty of love around me. Don’t worry, Mum,’ Tom said, again comforting her. ‘You will always have enough love from me to cover what you’ll lose today!’ His shade was almost blinding as he spoke.

She couldn’t help it; she broke down into tears. She didn’t know about the rest of the world, but he was definitely
her
saviour. She stood proudly with the strength he’d given her, and took his hand.

‘We’re going in a bubble of light, aren’t we?’ he asked, excitedly.

‘Yes,’ Amy said. ‘Watch this,’ she added.

‘What?’

‘Adaizi.’

‘Wow!’

‘Hello, gorgeous boy!’ Adaizi cried, as she materialised. ‘You ready?’ she added to Amy with a sympathetic look.