The Boy of Shadows and Sin

Chapter 13

The moment Will and Damian passed through the gate, Damian disappeared, muttering something about how someone would help Will figure out what to do. Sure enough, not two minutes after the son of Hekate ran off, a kindly looking old man appeared at Will's side.

"What are you here for?" asked the man, gesturing for Will to follow him as he walked off.

Will had a sudden flash of him and the old man waking through a jail cafeteria discussing their rap sheets, but dismissed the image immediately. "Erm...what do you mean?" he asked, trailing alongside the stranger.

"Religion. Parentage. Where you you fit in? We have new-agers, Norse warriors, Egyptian magicians—oh look, here's Sadie now."

A girl, possibly a few years younger than Will, marched up wearing what looked like a martial arts uniform. "Dave!" she shouted, distinctly British. "This is the last straw. I told that Aztec kid to mind his own business, but nooo. I've dealt with him for three weeks, and I am done! Do me a favour and let the secretary know that I'm gone. I'll be in Brooklyn if you need me." With that, she stormed off, the electric blue streaks in her hair flashing in the dying sunlight.

Dave sighed. "Sorry about that. Sadie—she's an Egyptian godling and a very powerful magician with an ego bigger than those combat boots she wears. She's been having some issues with one of the young priests of Huitzilopotchtli. I suppose she's done with him."

"What is this place?" Will asked before the old man could continue on inter-religious youth relationships within a safe haven.

A smile created a crack in Dave's wrinkled face. "Welcome to Temple. This is a safe have for people of all different religions, origins and parentages. We have people of all ages from all around the world who come here to learn, train and worship. The strongest discipline taught here is silence. Most of our residents have taken vows of silence—some lifelong, others temporary. Here are some parts of Temple where silence is mandatory, others where it's requested but not required. Other things that are taught include combat, healing, stealth, weaponry, smithing, automotive mechanics, anything you can think of."

"And Damian?" Will asked cautiously as they walked through an open field. "What does he study?"

The grin on Dave's face widened. "Ah, Mr. West. He's our prodigy among the Greek and Mage residents. He's best at enchantments, not to mention the whole Edward Scissorhands battle thing. When he's here, he teaches the younger Hekatians enchantments. In the wide range, though, he's most skilled in celestial magic. He's been with us for, oh, about twelve years. I believe he's about your age."

"I'm seventeen," Will told him.

"So you are the same age!"

"But that would mean he's been there since he was about five."

"Yup."

"How?"

As they walked along, they passed people who looked like they were from all over the world. Every one of them nodded in greeting to Dave, and a few of them greeted him in flawless, accented English.

"Also," Will continued, "does everyone here speak English? I mean, we're in France."

They passed through a marble pavilion with tables and benches and mats scattered about with no specific placement. "Second question first. When you enter into Temple, there's an enchantment around the boarder so that everyone can understand what everyone else is saying. Technically, we aren't speaking languages right now, just vocalizing thoughts in the form of interpretation. So you think that I'm speaking English, and I think that you're speaking French, but we're not actually talking in either of them."