The Key (34 page)

A few freight wagons are left on the track and Viktor walks towards one of them, slides the door open and climbs inside in one agile movement. Then he holds out his hand to help Minoo. She is not as agile.

The air inside is stale and cold. It smells of damp and dirt. Light enters through a couple of ventilators near the roof. The interior is empty apart from some old beer cans and some rags which might once have been clothing.

‘What are we doing here?’ Minoo’s voice is a tinny echo against the bare walls.

Viktor pulls the door almost shut.

‘Clara found this place. We used to come here when we wanted to be left in peace.’

He looks intently at her. ‘After what you did …’ he begins, then pauses, before starting again. ‘Minoo, I’d do anything for you. Anything at all.’

She shivers a little in the chilly morning air. Viktor pulls his jacket off and drapes it over her shoulders. ‘Have this for a start,’ he says.

For once, this doesn’t come across as one of his empty gestures.

‘Thank you.’ Minoo wraps it closer around herself.

‘I know you have many questions to ask,’ he says. ‘Ask away.’

‘Haven’t we done this before?’

‘I’m serious. And I’ll try to answer everything.’

‘Then, please start with Adriana.’

Victor nods.

‘She has been told that she came to town to find the Chosen One. But the stress was too much for her and after a while she began to behave … irrationally. Using magic she couldn’t handle. Then things went really wrong; she failed to carry out a particular ritual and ended up losing a lot of her memories. The medics on the Council claim that major magic efforts had to be made to save her.’

It pains Minoo to hear this because she understands how ashamed Adriana must have felt when she heard these lies. Yet another failure for someone who has always been told how useless she is because of her poor magical abilities.

‘Does she believe everything she’s been told?’

‘No, she doesn’t believe it,’ Viktor says. ‘But questioning Council statements simply is not part of her mental make-up. I suspect she tries hard not to think about it at all.’

Adriana has again become the person she hated being.

‘Does she remember anything about the court case and the trial?’

‘Not a thing.’

‘How is it possible to keep all that from her?’ Minoo asks. ‘There were so many Council members present.’

‘Adriana meets no one not vetted by Alexander. And everyone is given strict orders not to bring up her past. She isn’t even allowed to go out without Alexander’s permission. She is employed as his secretary and housekeeper.’

Minoo thinks of Adriana. So lonely, caught in the hellish situation she tried to escape from. Minoo saved her life, but instead she has been sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment with her brother as her jailer.

Adriana is held captive, not only by her oath of allegiance to the Council but also by the way they punished her for trying to run away with her lover, Simon. They chained her for life with a magic link that makes it hard for her to disobey orders and impossible to try to escape again.

Perhaps it’s just as well that she doesn’t remember how she once wanted to help the Chosen Ones. She is much safer, as long as she is loyal and willing. But Minoo can’t stop wondering whether what she did to Adriana was right; if there really was no other way to help her.

‘I think I know what’s on your mind,’ Viktor says. ‘But, Minoo, you did save her life. This existence is better, after all, than not existing.’

Minoo nods and hopes Adriana would have agreed.

‘You wanted to know what happened to Olivia,’ Viktor goes on. ‘I don’t know where she is now. But Clara was in the school that night in the gym. She was the one who got the message through to Alexander. He picked up Olivia and went away for a few days. My guess is that he took her to the Council’s headquarters in Stockholm.’

‘What will they do to her there?’

‘Don’t know. I don’t even know if she’s alive.’

Minoo knows she is. The guardians have seen Olivia return. But she isn’t allowed to tell Viktor that.

‘Alexander won’t speak about it,’ Viktor continues. ‘There’s so much he doesn’t want to speak about, ever since you and I helped Adriana.’

He looks sad and Minoo feels sorry for him.

She knows that Viktor and Clara’s biological mother was a heroin addict who died when they were seven years old. Now she has seen Clara’s memories, she understands that, to Viktor, Alexander must have felt like a saviour. He knew about Clara, and accepted her, and he gave Viktor a more secure life.

Minoo realises that she must tell Viktor what she knows about him and Clara.

‘When I was trying to cure Clara, I happened to see some of her memories. I didn’t intend to snoop; I just didn’t know how to help her and I got off to a wrong start.’

Viktor stares at her.

‘I didn’t intend to,’ Minoo says again.

‘How much did you see?’ he asks. ‘Or, actually … no. Don’t answer. It would be like sneakily reading her diary. I’ll tell Clara and she can decide what she thinks.’

Minoo feels guilty, even though she knows that there was no other way. At least, she’s not the only one who has been spying.

‘One of the things I saw was that she had been following us about.’

Viktor looks embarrassed. ‘Yes, she came here first for a few short reconnaissance trips. Alexander sent her to investigate what Adriana was up to in Engelsfors, because he didn’t trust her reports. But it was difficult for Clara. Adriana had her raven and animals can see invisible people.’

‘Did she live here all the time with you and Alexander?’ Minoo asks.

Viktor nods.

‘How much did she really see?’

‘Less than you’d probably believe. She hasn’t been out all that much because she’s been unwell a lot, ever since she came here.’

That explains why the fox didn’t spot her, Minoo thinks.

‘But she went after Robin. I saw that in her memories.’

Viktor sighs.

‘I tried to persuade her to stop. Not because Robin didn’t deserve all he got, but because it was such a strain on her. Also, I didn’t want Alexander to find out.’

‘You’ve always protected each other,’ Minoo says.

‘Yes. Nobody else did.’

She sees a small bird flitting past the gap in the door and soon afterwards she hears it land on the roof.

‘What do you know about Walter?’ she asks.

‘Not much. He’s Alexander’s boss and I’d only met him a couple of times before he came here. But it seems you and I will see a lot more of him in the autumn.’

‘Are you the water witch in the new circle?’ she asks.

‘Yes, I am.’

She looks at Viktor, trying to imagine what it would be like to be in a circle with him.

‘Do you know who else is in Walter’s circle?’

She wonders briefly if Alexander will be one of them, but then she remembers that he is a trained witch.

‘No. Well, Walter himself.’

If Walter is going to be part of it, he must be a natural witch. A strong one.

‘Do you really think it’s going to work?’ Minoo asks.

‘I think it’s the best alternative. The
only
alternative,’ Viktor says slowly.

He is silent for a few seconds, before he speaks again.

‘I have sworn allegiance to the Council.’

Minoo stares at him.

‘But I thought you didn’t need to …? Didn’t the Council make an exception for you?’

‘When Walter came here he told me that the guardians had selected me as one of the members of the new circle. But in order to join, I had to take the oath.’

He meets Minoo’s eyes. ‘If someone tells you that you’re selected to help save the world … you have to go along with what is required of you. Don’t you agree?’

Minoo has no answer to give. Viktor has given up his freedom in order to become a member of the Council’s circle. And the risk he is running by telling her everything and exposing his superiors to outsiders, is even greater than she’d imagined.

‘You haven’t spoken to the other Chosen Ones, have you?’

‘No, I haven’t,’ Minoo replies. ‘I have to make my decision first. I don’t even know how to explain it to them. Everything is turned upside-down.’

‘I know. Just to be told all this stuff about demons and guardians and the end of the world …’

‘You didn’t believe any of it before, did you?’

‘Not when I first came to Engelsfors. I thought the tale of the Chosen Ones and their great task was so much fairy-dust. But now …’ He shakes his head. ‘So much has changed for all of us, hasn’t it?’

‘I don’t know what I believe in any more,’ she says and, to her surprise, tears come to her eyes.

Viktor gingerly puts his arm around her.

‘I believe in
you
,’ he tells her. ‘No one has powers that can hold a candle to yours. If there’s anyone who can stop the apocalypse, it’s you.’

Minoo blinks the tears away. She is so tired. Tired of turning everything over and over, of trying to see all the options from all possible angles. Tired of questioning and resisting.

Eventually one reaches a point where one must stop messing around and decide what to believe in
.

And, suddenly, she knows what to say to the others.

‘Thank you,’ she says. ‘I must go now.’

Viktor takes his arm away. She hands him his jacket.

‘I just have to ask you something.’ He hesitates. ‘Did you see our mother in Clara’s memories?’

‘No.’

Viktor looks relieved. Minoo thinks of when Clara was watching him in that darkened room and the image of Vanessa came up on the screen. Viktor had looked very vulnerable then. And he looks vulnerable now.

‘I know you’re in love with Vanessa,’ she says. ‘I just want you to know that I know and that I will never tell anyone.’

Viktor blushes from the base of his throat all the way to the top of his forehead.

‘Right …’ he says. ‘Listen, it’s not that strange, is it? How can one
not
be in love with Vanessa?’ He looks bashful for a moment. ‘I know I haven’t a hope. And I accept that. It’s enough … just to be in the same town as her.’

He falls silent and the colour in his face deepens. Minoo feels just as embarrassed. But he has told her so much now. Not telling him wouldn’t have been right.

Viktor slides the door back and the light pours in. He jumps down and then holds out his hand to help her. She lands softly on the grass.

The air outside is warmer now. The sunlight is brilliantly bright and small clouds sail across a clear blue sky.

‘One last secret,’ Viktor says.

Minoo hears the sound of wings flapping and the bird that perched on the roof suddenly flies down to them. It’s a blue tit.

Viktor holds out his hand and the bird lands on it, puts its head to the side and looks at them with black peppercorn eyes.

‘My familiar,’ he explains.

The blue tit flies back to the roof again.

‘So you have been able to see Clara through its eyes?’ Minoo asks.

Viktor nods. ‘I suppose you’ll tell the others about it?’

‘I have to,’ Minoo replies.

‘Perhaps you might mention to Vanessa that I can’t always keep tabs on it,’ Viktor says and blushes again. ‘She will know what I’m referring to.’

*

Viktor drives her to the town centre, and from there she walks the few blocks to Nicolaus’s house. She lets herself into his flat, slumps down on the sofa in the sitting room and sits there for a while, listening to the silence.

Then she reaches for her mobile and texts the others.

Minoo has no sense of how long she has been talking. All she knows is that when she has finished she is hoarse. The room is as silent as the grave. Nobody has asked any questions, nobody has made any comments. And even now, when Minoo has nothing more to tell them, nobody speaks.

Anna-Karin sits on one of the wooden chairs, leaning forward, her hair falling across her face. Vanessa sits cross-legged on the chair next to Anna-Karin and stares at the bare brown wall in front of her. Linnéa, who settled down on the floor near Vanessa, is the only one who looks at Minoo, but her expression is inscrutable.

If Ida had been there, she would have spoken up. Minoo can almost hear her.

Collaborate with Council? Good luck with that, Minoo. You’ll probably enjoy every minute. Until they figure you’ve made some mistake and decide to execute you on the spot. Or whatever
.

‘Come on, say something,’ Minoo says. ‘What do you think?’

‘Creepy,’ Vanessa responds. ‘I’ve been stalked by both Viktor’s sister and his blue tit.’

‘He did say he couldn’t always control his familiar,’ Minoo says. ‘Besides, that’s not what I meant when I asked.’

‘Of course I realise that, Minoo.’ Vanessa looks straight at her. ‘But you have already made up your mind, haven’t you?’

‘Yes, I have.’ Minoo’s voice is low.

‘The guardians have told you that you must,’ Vanessa says. ‘And we have already decided that we have no choice but to trust them.’

‘But maybe there’ll be an alternative,’ Minoo muses. ‘You can carry on practising and grow stronger …’

‘Sure,’ Linnéa agrees, chewing on a poison-green nail. ‘We’ll practise.’

Minoo feels worried. ‘Linnéa, I know you don’t like this at all.’

Linnéa snorts.

‘You bet I don’t like it. I don’t like it one little bit. The
Book of Patterns
. The guardians. Matilda. The Council. This fucking Walter character. I don’t trust any of them. But, Minoo, I don’t know what to say. What could I say?’

She spreads her hands in a helpless gesture.

‘You must do it.’ Anna-Karin looks at Minoo. ‘But you will still be one of us.’

It is a relief to hear her say that.

‘No one can replace you,’ Minoo says. ‘We are friends.’

‘Sure,’ Linnéa says, getting up. ‘I’d better be off.’

Vanessa looks at her. ‘Where to?’

‘Just something I’ve got to do.’

‘Now? But we must talk.’ Vanessa sounds confused.

‘I’ve talked enough about this.’

Linnéa leaves the room. The front door slams behind her. They listen to her boots on the stairs, then to the main door opening and shutting with a bang.