Guardians Book One - Magic Rising

Chapter Fifteen

Once they'd traversed the minor perils of a hectic Waterloo — Lady purchasing both the tickets while Kath and Pes watched the endless florescent scrolling of train times on the overhead boards until the Penzance train was announced — Kath was more than happy to sink into the soft seats of the train, closing her eyes as London started to whisk away. She knew it all entirely too well — the London Eye on the riverbank; the traces of the festive tinsel at Pimlico still visible months later; the high street of Clapham Junction and the endless rise and fall of terraced houses and flats; the scaffolding-covered remains of Battersea power station. She wasn't sure she was ready to see the familiar old landmarks through the eyes of someone who knew there was more, infinitely more, under the surface of it. Besides, the lack of sleep and the batterings she'd taken were starting to catch up with her. Combined with the stuffy heat of the train on a hot day, dozing off was easy.

Distantly, she could hear Lady and Pes talking, seated opposite her.

"The time must be coming. I didn't know she'd got strong enough to come into such a busy place as the city...?" Pes' spoke softly, perhaps in deference to Kath's apparent snoozing, perhaps just to conceal the topic.

"Father...admitted as much." Lady's voice was low,, traces of worry riding on her usually unruffled voice. "He believes the mass population increase directly correlates with the strength of the more...belief-based Guardians, such as Dream, those who depend on human interaction. The Dark Lord plans to — Father believes — use this to force...a resolution." Her voice dropped even lower.

"But...why? That would destroy...the world! Letting every power lose..." Pes' voice was exasperated. "I remember when...when I was born. The crises — the diseases. The 80s was in chaos. And that was just me, and..."

"And I," Lady finished. "The power of Water. Indeed. Father told me...often." She sighed. "Yet, now, we have Kath. A Seer...a whole Seer."

"She can read the threads of the world," Pes agreed. What the hell does that mean? In her drifting state, Kath couldn't quite focus on the words, but they still sounded strange. Maybe they'll tell me. Maybe Lady's dad...there were still hours to go on the journey, and she couldn't concentrate any more on her friends' voices. Kath's eyelids drooped, and she let herself rest.

When she woke, they were pulling out of Dawlish and Lady, too, was asleep, her body curled up against Pes' side, her face pressed into his shoulder, breathing deeply. Pes noticed Kath wake, and pressed a careful finger to his lips, glancing down at Lady. Kath nodded.

"Not you?" she mouthed at him, and he grinned.

"I don't sleep," he breathed back.

"Never? You are missing out!" Kath mimed the comfiness of snuggling in and snoring, and Pes smothered a laugh, his thin face brightening with amusement. Kath wondered why he looked so almost-human while the Night Mare so very much didn't. Maybe he chose it. Maybe because I guess it's people who get ill and think of a figure behind it, and animals don't think like that. I guess humans thought up the Night Mare, too, though.

The train rocketed along the coastline. "We are now approaching Teignmouth," the tinny pre-recorded voice announced, and Pes nodded. Very gently, he touched Lady's hands, curled up against her chest.

"Time to go," he murmured to her, and her eyes snapped open.

"Ah...yes, of course. Forgive me..." She stretched herself up, her chin rising, gaze scanning the carriage and the scenery outside.

"Nothing to forgive," Kath assured her cheerfully as she stood, heaving the suitcase down from the luggage rack. "So what's happening when we get off?"

"Father messaged me — he is driving to the station to collect us," Lady said. "Although he has kindly allowed that I visit the beach near where I grew up, in Shaldon, before we return to the house on Dartmoor."

"Great! Let's get ice cream!" Kath grinned. Lady shook her head.

"I require...the energy of the water." She paused, and added, anxiously, "Although of course if you wish for dessert I would not wish in any way to hold you back from doing so..."  

Kath snuck her a glance from the corner of her eye. "I'm only joking, don't worry!" Lady looked genuinely relieved, and Kath hid a smile. Are we friends now? Is that what's going on here? Pes was grinning away to himself; Kath caught his eye and he winked.

They lugged the suitcase to the old-fashioned door of the train; Lady leaned out of the pull-down window to open the handle on the outside of the train.

"Wow," said Kath, eyeing the ancient door. "We're really not in London any more, are we? Not a flashing button in sight." She hadn't quite taken it in at first. As they exited, she saw even the buildings of Teignmouth station had a gentle, old-fashioned feel with their chipping white-painted frontage and baskets of flowers hanging from the signs, although Kath could feel something strange in the air. There's something...here. Something pure and kind, but terrible. I can feel it... From the station car park Kath could stare right down the hill of the town to the misty sea, hear the yearning, echoing cries of seagulls and the distant chiming of boats' rigging. The air was dizzyingly fresh, in a way it never was in London, and the endless, cloudless sky was a flawless cornflower blue.

Lady breathed in deeply, her eyes closing, a blissful smile spreading over her face. Kath blinked; was it an illusion? No — Lady's skin was glowing, very faintly, a soft bluish nimbus. When she opened her eyes, they were radiant and lively, the stress and coldness melted from her face. For the first time since they'd met, she looked — happy. Pes was watching her, his dark eyes soft; when he caught Kath staring at him staring at Lady, he looked away.

"Home," said Lady, with deep satisfaction. She glanced around the car park and pointed at a large metallic silver car, its windows blacked out. "That is Father's car." Kath felt a weird shiver run through her. I knew. Before she said. The car seemed somehow more solid than those around it, more real. More car than it had any right to be. It made Kath's head spin to look at it. The sensation of awful love she'd felt leaving the platform, intensified, and she shuddered.

The car door swung open, and even from the other side of the car park the palpable power made Kath stagger as she stared for the first time at the Lord of Light.