David Baldacci - The Keeper

The sky was suddenly blackened with flying things. As one drew close to me, I could see that it looked like an inficio, only far smaller, about the size of Harry Two. But there must have been thousands of them. And they were all bearing down on us with clawed wings and screeching cries.

I went into a dive. I could feel my canine’s rigid body against my chest. I could sense the things right behind me. I even felt the tugs on my cloak as one grabbed it with its claws. I sped up and disappeared through a canopy of leaves. I was praying the creatures would not follow us down here.

My prayers were not answered.

I zoomed along the ground with the swarms closing in.

I pointed my wand behind me and cried out, “ Engulfiado .”

A surge of water shot out and as I looked back, I saw it slam into the wall of creatures, knocking many of them down and scattering the rest.

But I knew they would regroup and be after us again.

Up ahead I saw it. I had no other choice.

I pointed my wand at the huge double doors of the massive stone building that had just appeared in my line of vision.

“ Ingressio .”

The doors sprang open. I looked back. The swirl of foul creatures was feet from us. I could see their razor-sharp claws and beaks and the murderous looks in their eyes.

Harry Two and I zipped through the doors. Pointing my wand behind me again, I cried out, “ Securius .”

The doors slammed shut and bolted.

A split second later, I could hear hundreds of thuds against the thickened doors as the clawed creatures slammed into the wood. But, thankfully, the doors held.

I landed and let Harry Two out of his harness. My chest heaving, I watched the doors just as I had back at Stacks in Wormwood when the pair of jabbits was after me. That door had not opened. It didn’t look like these would either.

But those foul things out there, had they attacked Delph and the others? Had they carried them away somewhere to... to... I couldn’t think it. I felt the tears now rush to my eyes. It felt like my heart had been ripped clean from me.

I managed to regain a bit of calm and looked around. The place reminded me of Stacks with its high ceilings, stone stairs, white marble balustrades and arched columns leading into other rooms. I started up the stairs to see what was on the second level, when I heard it.

“May I help you?”

Halfway up the stairs, I whirled around, trying to locate the source of the words. My gaze had passed over a corner on the first floor. But then I came back to it as the, well, whatever it was, moved out into the open where I could see it clearly.

The figure was really just an outline. The light coming in through the high windows shone right through it, as with the wendigo.

“May I help you?” the figure said again.

I slowly walked back down the stairs and stopped as the thing glided over to me. Yes, it was gliding, not walking.

When it drew close enough, I could see that it was the image of a tall male bent with age. He had on boots and a long robe open in the front. With a thrill I saw the image of the three hooks imprinted across the breastplate he wore.

“I’m looking for my friends,” I said quickly. “There were three of them. They just vanished. I’m very worried. Please, can you help me?”

“Three friends vanished?” he said. “Dear me, that is not good. I am sorry.”

He looked me up and down and then gazed for a moment at Harry Two.

“I haven’t seen a canine in ages,” he said. He reached down to pet Harry Two, but his hand passed right through my canine. I saw Harry Two shiver slightly.

“Blast,” said the male. “I forgot about that. Oh, well.”

“Who are you?” I asked. I also wanted to ask what was he.

“My name is or was Jasper Jane.”

I nearly fell over. And I would have but I was apparently frozen to the spot.

“Well, I’m Vega Jane ,” I managed to say.

He looked at me curiously. “We share a surname. Do I know you?”

“I doubt it.” I paused and then continued. “I saw your grave,” I said slowly. “At the Wolvercote Cemetery.”

“My body is buried at Wolvercote. But my soul is not. My soul is right here in front of you. ’Tis all I have left.”

My eyes widened. “How do you separate your soul from your body?”

“There are two ways of doing so. For me, I did so because my body was dying but I did not want to fully perish. Thus, using magic I removed my soul before my physical self breathed its last.”

“You said there was another way?”

“Yes. But I do not wish to describe it. It is too horrible.”

He suddenly saw the ring on my finger. “Where did you get that?” he exclaimed.

“It belonged to my grandfather. What does it mean?” I asked. “The mark?”

“It is our Trinity. Our mantra: Peace. Hope. Freedom. Precisely in that order.”

“Look, I need to find my friends. Every sliver that passes—” I gulped.

“I’m not sure I can help you, not sure at all. You see, it’s really not my place to help those trying to pass through here.”

“I know that! But Astrea changed her mind. She trained me up to escape here. To take up the fight once more against the Maladons.”

This all came out in a torrent. He looked stricken.

“Astrea? I... Helped you to leave here? Fight again? I can scarcely believe it.”

In my mind I searched for something that would make him see that he had to help me. I held up my wand. “And this was given to me by another ancestor, Alice Adronis. She told me I had to survive. To fight. You have to see the truth, Jasper, don’t you?”

Jasper was now staring at me, openmouthed. His hand ran up and down the symbol of the three hooks on his breastplate. “See what?” he said breathlessly.

“Eight centuries is bloody long enough to hide. And the Maladons will find us. They will. If they’re truly as evil as everyone says, they will never stop looking. Well, I would rather come out of hiding and take the fight to them!”

He looked down at my wand. “Alice... Alice gave you that?”

“It was her Elemental. And now it’s my wand. It has a strand of her hair embedded in it.”

“Alice was the most courageous of us all.” He slumped to the floor and sat there cross-legged. “This is quite astonishing,” he said. “Quite. We had our plan, you see. And...”

“And you carried it out very well. But it’s over now. It’s over!”

“How came you here, to my castle?” he said sharply.

“I was chased by flocks of very lethal flying creatures.”

“Oh, yes, the dreads,” he said absently.

“The what?”

“The dreads. My creation. If they followed you here, they’ll be waiting just outside. If you attempt to leave, they will cut you and your canine to pieces. They never give up once they have prey at hand. Dreadful things, hence the name.”

My patience was exhausted. “Fine. If you won’t help me, I’ll find my friends by myself.” I turned and started to walk off.

“But the dreads!”

I turned and shouted, “I don’t care. I can fly, so I have a chance. And they’re my friends. I will die for them. And if you won’t help me, then go to bloody Hel!”

As soon as I finished speaking, he vanished.

Good riddance.

We rushed from the room and reentered the main hall. I stared at the double doors where the dreads, according to Jasper, still lurked. So I knew this was probably the end.

I knelt down and hugged Harry Two, pushing my face into his fur, breathing in his scent. “I love you, Harry Two. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me.” He licked my face, and in those wonderful mismatched eyes, I could see that my canine was more than ready to stand by my side, and die with me.