Axel Light Trilogy: Wands and Shield

Chapter 31-B

Axel could feel someone was still dabbing at his face. But he could open his eyes now. There was no waterfall sound, and it was very quiet suddenly. He was resting on something soft too, not the hard, cold, uneven floor of the cave.

A shadow had hovered over him and on instinct, Axel quickly grabbed his wand from his jacket – but he was not wearing his jacket nor was there a wand or two for him to grab.

The shadow was trying to grab his hands now – Axel tried to fend them off quickly, hitting at whoever or whatever that was in front of him.

'Axel! It's alright, it's OK...'

Axel could not see clearly, everything was ablur. But the voice was calm and assuring. Familiar too. He blinked his eyes again and he could see a clearer figure in front of him, grabbing at his hands.

For a moment he thought that it was Cyrus Veldor, or the boy named Trax. After he had realized that it was Linden, he cried out distressingly.

'Johnson!' he gasped, 'She! She...'

'We know... we know...' assured Linden calmly, 'You are safe now.'

'My wands!' cried Axel again.

'Here,' Linden picked up his wands from the table next to the couch and placed them in Axel's hands.

Axel grabbed them and held them close to him, hugging them; his hands grasping them tightly. He felt himself shaking and he was jumpy.

Axel stared at his hands in bandages. He could feel stabbing pain in his heart and tingling pain on his sides. He recalled an Elite had stabbed at his stomach. His head was dizzy, and his vision was going on and off. He thought of his key and quickly felt for it with his clammy fingers – amazingly it was still safe and beating on his chest.

Linden was watching him quietly – he looked devastated. His eyes bloodshot and his hair unkempt.

'Axel, I am... so sorry,' said Linden softly, 'We had...I had failed you – failed to protect you.'

Axel was still clutching his wands like his life depended on it, looking warily at Linden and breathing unevenly. Was this the real Commissioner Linden or was he a fake? Or was he like Johnson – an undercover working for Cyrus Veldor?

Linden tried to reach for Axel's shoulder to stop him from shaking, but Axel drew out his wand, pointing at the Commissioner. Axel could see some tears in Linden's eyes. Surely someone with emotions could not be fake or worked for Cyrus Veldor?

Axel lowered his wand slowly.

'How did you find me?' asked Axel weakly.

He stared around wildly; his eyes could barely focus – he was not in the hospital. Instead, they were in Linden's office.

'Elliot. We needed to go to all the places you had been, and Elliot told me about the cave. We didn't really know where you had gone to, we had to try everywhere,' explained Linden, brushing his tears aside quickly.

Axel was relieved, only Elliot knew about the cave, Linden should not be lying or a doppelganger.

'Did Johnson try to kill you?' asked Linden edgily, 'Where did she bring you to? We still can't find Johnson.'

Axel shook his head, which was hurting him badly, 'Johnson brought me to Cyrus Veldor, and she left. I don't know where she is...'

'So, you did meet Cyrus Veldor,' Linden looked at him darkly, 'We went to Veldor Mansion, but you were not there. But we were certain that Johnson was working for him. We just could not find you and Johnson or any evidence that Cyrus Veldor was the mastermind behind everything.'