Vega Jane and the End of Time, page 18
I walked forward, my gaze never leaving his face.
‘What were you doing?’ I asked.
‘Nothing. Just . . . nothing.’
My brother had lied to me before, so this was nothing new. But it still hurt.
‘Do you like jabbits?’ I said, pointing to the now-clear sky.
‘Of course not.’
‘That’s good to know. We will most assuredly have to fight some one day. Have you ever fought a jabbit?’
He looked at me goggle-eyed. ‘No. Have you?’
‘Numerous times,’ I said. ‘I’ve certainly killed quite a few. You saw me dispatch one at the Duelum in Wormwood,’ I reminded him. ‘Don’t you recall that? It nearly killed me and a great many other Wugs.’
He looked at the ground. ‘I . . . do remember that, Vega. It was quite terrifying.’
‘They are terrifying. So, if I were you, I wouldn’t go around incanting their image into the sky, all right?’
It wasn’t quite an order, but close enough.
‘All right, Vega.’
‘Have you seen Morrigone’s spirit since you’ve been here?’
‘No, I have not.’
‘I thought for sure that she would come and visit you, considering how close you two were back in Wormwood.’
I did not mention that Morrigone had told me that John had left her home prior to leaving Wormwood.
‘I don’t know why she hasn’t sought me out. Is it, um, unusual speaking with someone not living?’
‘Not really,’ I replied. ‘One quickly gets used to it. Sometimes, it’s more enjoyable and informative than talking with the living.’
I continued to look at him, wondering whether I could trust him. Then I had an idea.
‘Have you fought anything with your wand, John?’
He looked first at his wand, and then directed his gaze at me.
‘Yes.’
‘Have you killed with it?’
‘N-no.’
‘You do know the death incantation, though?’
He nodded. ‘I read about it in a book.’
‘The difference between reading about it in a book and performing it against another is the difference between living . . . and dying.’
He looked startled. I made up my mind right then and there.
‘You and I are going on a trip together, right now. To Maladon Castle.’
34
JOHN’S INCANTATION
We flew along under the cover of my invisibility ring.
‘What will we do at Maladon Castle?’ asked my brother.
‘There is a man, Jason, the arch-henchman of Necro. We are going to rescue him.’
‘Why?’
‘He can be of help to us. And, well, it’s complicated, but I’ve found out he’s not really who I thought he was.’
‘This could be dangerous,’ said John.
‘Every time we go against the Maladons, it’s dangerous.’
He glanced at my hand. ‘Why do you wear that glove, Vega?’
I had been wondering when he would ask me that.
‘It’s to cover a mark. The mark of the three hooks. Nearly all magical people who are not Maladons have that mark on them when they enter this world. It was the Maladons’ doing. It is their way of tracking us. I wear the glove, which blocks the signal it would send to the Maladons. I have fashioned similar gloves for all the others.’
My brother looked down at his hands and saw there were no marks upon them.
He caught me staring at him, and quickly looked away. In that look, I saw the remnants of my little brother. He had always been unsure of himself, afraid of his own shadow. My heart went out to him, just like it used to when we had been children. I could not help myself.
But we were no longer children.
‘I see,’ was all he said, his voice small and hesitant.
‘You will be ready to fight them, won’t you, John? If it comes to it?’
In answer, he held up his wand. ‘I will be ready, Vega.’
‘Just so you know, they have jabbits and garms in the castle. They’re on leashes. The Maladons can control them.’
‘Interesting,’ said my brother. ‘But hardly surprising.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘These are evil creatures, and the Maladons are an evil lot.’
‘I guess that makes sense,’ I said, looking at him warily.
‘And what if this Jason is dead? What then?’
‘Then we gather as much information as we can before we leave the castle. Every little bit helps.’ He nodded and I went on. ‘Do you remember me telling you about Necro killing Miranda Weeks’ mother? He took her magic. He did the same to Virgil.’
Tears welled up in his eyes. ‘He killed Virgil?’
‘Yes.’
I saw his fingers tighten around his wand.
‘Do you think we will see Necro at the castle?’ he asked.
‘It’s possible.’
‘I hope that we do,’ he said.
I looked away, my spirits considerably lifted.
We landed within a hundred yards of the castle, and I took quite some time looking around. The place was dark, but that was not unusual. The gate was down and there were no signs of activity or Maladons coming and going.
‘How do we get in?’ John asked.
Good question, I thought.
We took to the air once more, circling around to the back of the castle.
I knew that the dome of the castle could open, because I’d seen it happen once before.
I closed my eyes and sent a wand wire to Victus.
‘Victus, it’s Vega. I need to get into the castle. I’m around the back. Can you help me?’
Some minutes passed as I waited nervously for him to answer.
As time went by, my dread deepened. Had Victus been discovered as a spy? Had they killed him?
And then in my head came his reply.
‘There is a door. You will see it open presently. You must be swift.’
I instantly flew John and me closer to the castle. We landed and waited.
Another minute went by and then I saw it.
A small door that I hadn’t even noticed before opened at the rear of the castle.
I saw Victus emerge. He was carrying a bundle of something. He passed through the door, leaving it open.
Not wasting a moment, John and I shot through the opening.
A few moments later, Victus returned without the bundle. He shut and locked the door behind him.
We were in a low stone corridor off which a series of doors opened.
In a low voice I said, ‘Victus, thank you. Do you know where Jason – I mean, Endemen – is?’
Victus gave a searching look up and down the corridor. Though he had no eyes, I knew that he could still see. In fact, he saw more than most here, I wagered.
‘He is in the Room of Removal.’
I gasped. ‘Do you mean they’re taking his magic?’
That was where my fellow Wugs were imprisoned. I would have another chance to free them.
Victus nodded and then said, ‘Whatever you mean to do here, Vega, you must do it quickly.’
I knew better than to ask needless questions.
I said, ‘Thank you,’ and then hurried off with John right behind me.
‘Where are we going?’ he whispered, as we darted left down a corridor.
‘To find Jason.’
I led us quickly to the hall that I knew the room to be in. We were just about to reach the door when I grabbed John and pulled him close to the wall.
‘Wh—’ he began, but he didn’t have time to finish.
The garm turned the corner and came down the hall. And it was not on a tether, and it was not being accompanied by a Maladon.
I could feel my brother breathing quickly behind me.
I put my hand over his and squeezed, to reassure him. The garm grew closer to us. I could see its shiny blood on its chest, a characteristic that made the garm perpetually angry; it never stopped shedding its own blood.
The garm stopped. It sucked in its huge nostrils.
It was smelling us, I thought.
I held my wand at the ready. If the thing struck, I would conjure a shield to protect us. But that might give us away . . .
‘It’s OK, Vega,’ whispered my brother. ‘It won’t harm us.’
And, as we watched, the garm turned and went back the way it had come. I glanced at my brother.
‘How did you know it wouldn’t attack?’ I said.
‘I’m not sure. It was just something I sensed.’
‘Have you sensed these things before?’
He nodded.
‘Just with garms?’
He shook his head. ‘With garms, freks and . . . jabbits. I can read their thoughts, sort of. Is that not normal?’
I didn’t tell him that it was as about as un-normal as it was possible to be. Except perhaps for a Maladon.
I focused my wand on the door and cast my incantation. Inside the room were two Maladons in long cloaks. On the walls were the hideous mirrors.
Now the dilemma was, how did we get in without the blokes noticing?
Then I saw a gap under the door. I knelt down, pointed my wand through the gap and said, ‘Paralycto.’
I cast the spell to see through the door. Both Maladons stood frozen.
I opened the door, and John and I went inside.
‘Vega!’ John exclaimed, gazing horror-struck at the mirrors.
‘I know, John.’
It was the Wugs from Wormwood. They were still in the mirrors.
‘Can’t we do something to help them?’ said John. The look on his face was one of stark horror.
‘I’ve tried. They’re all dead. I saw their graves back in Wormwood.’ I pointed my wand at the mirrors. ‘I don’t know what exactly they are.’
‘Didn’t you tell me that Thansius was alive when you went back to Wormwood?’
‘Yes. He died in my arms. I buried him myself.’
John nodded but continued to look at the Wugs in the mirror. ‘And yet there is Thanisus over there.’ He pointed to one of the mirrors.
‘I know. It’s inexplicable, John.’
I moved around the room, keeping a watchful eye for the glass holding Jason.
‘Morrigone’s not here,’ John said slowly. ‘Why not?’
‘She was killed by the Maladons,’ I said.
‘But, according to you, so were all of them.’ He pointed at the mirrors. ‘Why is her spirit at Empyrean and not here with the other Wugs?’
I pivoted on my heels, taking in all the Wugs behind the glass.
John said, ‘I don’t believe these are spirits, Vega. I believe these are Wugs!’
My mind whirling, I said, ‘So . . . so they just dug those graves and put nothing in them. To . . . to fool us. But, as I said, Thansius was alive when I got there. I buried him.’
‘Dopplegang, or something like it,’ said John.
I knew of dopplegangs too. They could match their looks to anything.
‘So, the Wug I buried was not Thansius.’
‘I don’t think so.’ He pointed at the glass. ‘I think that is Thansius.’
He quickly counted the number of glasses. ‘One hundred exactly,’ he said. ‘Surely there were more Wugs before.’
‘I’m sure there were,’ I said. ‘Maybe some were killed by the beasts from the Quag.’ I glanced up and down the walls. ‘But regardless of their number, we need to free them. We have to free them.’
John had passed down to the furthest end of the chamber. ‘Vega!’
I rushed to where he was standing.
Jason was lying unconscious in the glass. Underneath was the foul bottle collecting his magic. It looked to be very nearly full.
‘So how do we free him? How do we free any of them?’
I gripped my wand, thinking back to what Astrea had told me.
Next, I sent a wand wire to Victus.
‘How many Maladons are in the castle presently?’
The answer came back a few moments later. ‘One hundred and forty-three.’
I smiled grimly and looked at my brother. ‘This will be the biggest blow to the Maladons yet. Astrea told me how to free those behind the glass. I thought I would have to find Maladon spirits, but this is far better.’
I told him the incantation and wand movements necessary. ‘You will take that half of the room. Be quick with your wand, for we will have mere moments.’ I stared hard at him. ‘Are you ready?’
He took a long breath and stood up to his full height. In my eyes, he had just transformed from a little boy shuffling down the street to a man.
‘Ready, Vega.’
I opened the door to the room, and then we made three slashes in the air and cried out, ‘Periculo nomadus.’
We ducked down as Maladons from all over the castle flew through the open doorway, their bodies catapulting into the glass, at the exact same time the Wugs and Jason were ejected. Right before the seams closed up, we cried out, ‘Impacto.’
The spells shot out of our wands and, collectively, hit all one hundred and one glasses. There was a shattering sound and smoke everywhere. Screams rang around the room.
When the air cleared, every single mirror had shattered and what remained was a blackened ruin.
A hundred Wugs slowly rose from the floor. Faces I hadn’t seen in a very long time flooded my field of vision.
Thansius recovered before the others and stumbled over to me.
‘Vega,’ he said, falling into my arms.
I hugged the mightiest Wug of all as tightly as I could. Roman Picus, Cletus Loon and Domitar joined us at that moment. They all hugged me. Even Loon and Picus, who had been enemies of mine back in Wormwood!
But we had no time for a lengthy reunion. There were still dozens of Maladons left in the castle and they would no doubt be converging on this room very soon.
And then I saw him. Duf Delphia was lying on the stone, for he had no timbertoes on which to stand. I rushed over to him, knelt down, and hugged him.
‘Vega, is that really you?’
‘’Tis, Duf.’
I waved my wand over him and wooden timbertoes were neatly attached to what remained of his legs. I helped him to stand.
He gripped my arm. ‘Delph, is . . . is he alive?’
‘Alive and well. And you will see him soon. I swear it.’ The knowledge that my fellow Wugs were alive and not dead in their graves was intoxicating. I don’t think I had been this deliriously happy in a long time. Even John, I could see, was delighted in greeting them.
I then hurried over to Jason, who lay still on the stone floor.
I grabbed the bottle containing Jason’s magic and tipped it over his body.
Just like they had with my grandfather, the grains of magic were instantly absorbed through Jason’s skin.
I watched anxiously to see whether he would come around or not.
I could hear footsteps running down the stone halls. The Maladons were coming. And perhaps Necro too.
Jason’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked around before his gaze came to fix on us.
‘I know you,’ he said.
‘My name is Vega.’ I pulled him to his feet. ‘We must hurry, the Maladons are coming.’
The magical tethers came out and attached themselves to each Wug and to Jason. I said to everyone, ‘I’m taking you home.’
‘But Wormwood is your home,’ said Picus.
‘Not any more,’ I replied.
35
REUNITED, TWICE
As we all landed on the front steps of Empyrean, the enormity of what was about to happen hit me.
Uma and Jason were about to be together again for the first time in hundreds of years.
Delph was going to be reunited with his father.
We went inside. I had a supportive arm around Jason because he was still very weak.
John followed us in. Along with all the others. I had sent a wand wire ahead to my mother, telling her that we would be bringing many people with us.
As soon as we stepped foot inside, Pillsbury came hurtling into the hall, his metal arms raised in an aggressive posture.
‘Maladon! He’s a Maladon!’
Alerted by Pillsbury’s shout, everyone came rushing into the front hall.
An array of wands were pointed at Jason.
All the Wugs jumped back, probably believing I had led them into a trap of gigantic proportion.
I put myself between them and the others.
‘No,’ I shouted. ‘This . . . this is Jason – Pillsbury, don’t you recognize him?’
Pillsbury dropped his hand. He took a step forward and peered more closely.
‘J-Jason,’ he stammered.
Jason looked up at Pillsbury.
‘Pillsbury? Is that you? Under all that armour?’
Mrs Jolly toddled into the room and shrieked, ‘Jason?’
‘That’s Mrs Jolly,’ I said to Jason. ‘The household staff was enchanted during the war.’
Jason slowly nodded. ‘I see.’
Then his gaze fixed on something and he went rigid.
I saw where he was looking.
Uma had just floated into the room.
The look on her face was like nothing I had beheld before. It was a mixture of so many emotions that it was impossible to say which was dominant.
Uma drew close to us, and I watched as the tears started to stream down Jason’s cheeks. He let go of my arm and reached out to her. I knew his hand would pass right through hers.
To my astonishment, it didn’t.
Their hands gripped each other’s.
‘But that’s impossible,’ I said under my breath.
‘No, it’s not.’
I looked around to where Astrea was standing.
‘But Uma is dead,’ I said. ‘That’s just her spirit.’
‘That is what love can do, Vega. It can conquer all sorts of barriers, physical and otherwise.’
‘But . . . but she can’t come back to life, can she?’
‘Sadly, no. But they can hold hands. For now.’
That last bit sounded ominous, but I said nothing in reply. I watched as Jason and Uma slowly went off together, a man who was over eight hundred years old but still looked young, and his love, who was dead.
And then Delph rushed into the room, with Petra close behind.
