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  “Very well, Cerberean. You will die and it is your death, your death and the death of the other Cerbereans that will open the gateway. By the time you return, Dark will have engulfed the Earth.”

  Elisabeth wanted to tell him that his plan would never work, that he would never open the gateway, but Jedd had winded her badly.

  “It was Fate that led you to follow your curiosity and eavesdrop at the bedroom door. Destiny brought you to me. I already possess two of the Cerbereans; four more and I have myself a doorway. My time is now!”

  As he turned to walk away, his gloating and neurotic laughing stopped abruptly.

  “I know where they are. It seems another traitor has come good.”

  Dasrus’s evil cackle ricocheted off the trees as they headed out of the clearing and into the wood towards the dell, Elisabeth, Jedd’s prisoner once more, surrounded by hungry, salivating shadow beasts.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kaden was still a ball of light as he arrived back at the cottage. As he was materialising in the bedroom, he could see Cecily lying down on the bed and Fen and Sol talking quietly to each other, probably so as not to wake Cecily, but they also had a lot of important things to discuss themselves. As humans in this lifetime, they had been attracted to one another and had come together. However, as Cerbereans, and warriors, their relationship was forbidden. They should have only one thing on their minds and that was protecting the gateway. He did not worry about Fen and Sol as they were fiercely loyal to the Light; however, mistakes had been made before, but he did not want to dwell on that at this time. To Kaden, it seemed a shame as he knew their true feelings. He had known them through many lifetimes.

  That was why Kaden never got involved romantically. He did not have the luxury of forgetting like the others. He too was a Cerberean, only he was also an agent of the Light; a Light Doer. He was a connection between the Light and its warriors on Earth. You would have thought that the Higher Power might have come up with a more suitable title for a celestial being such as himself, like ‘ambassador’ or ‘emissary’, but ‘doer’ was sufficient. It simply meant that he gets things done. It was his job to remember everything, to keep a record in times of peace and to look for signs of imminent danger. That is why on this occasion, he felt that he had not lived up to his job title. He should have been more proactive. If he had, a lot more people would be alive. They would have Elisabeth and he could have prepared everyone slowly. They may even still have Jedd. According to his Masters, ‘What will be, will be.’ He did not like relying on destiny alone.

  He startled Fen and Sol as he returned to his human form, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

  “How is she?” Kaden asked with genuine concern.

  Sol replied. “She hasn’t woken up yet.”

  “She just sort of passed out,” Fen added.

  Kaden turned to look out of the window. His protective barrier was glowing icy blue around the cottage, invisible to all but Kaden, shielding them from evil discovering their location. It was also concealing them from Elisabeth and Jedd. He just could not risk it.

  “Kaden?” Cecily must have heard his voice as she was beginning to come around. She sat up with a sudden start.

  “What… what is happening? Please tell me that I’ve had another one of my nightmares and we haven’t actually been to the party yet?”

  She had broken out into a cold sweat and panic laced her words. Fen and Sol wore empathetic looks on their faces and Kaden let out a deep sigh.

  “You still don’t remember then?”

  “Remember what exactly? Are you trying to tell me that everything I have just witnessed really happened? Jedd kidnapping Elisabeth? Cian killing Lord Bramble? Those monsters, those things from my nightmares, eating the villagers? It was like a scene from a horror movie. How did we get out alive when others didn’t? Cian changed, he…”

  She started sobbing loudly. Her shock had certainly passed and the reality of what had happened was sinking in, even though she still refused to believe it. Kaden felt sorry for her human self.

  “We know, Cec. We know what he is and what he changed into.” Kaden tried to soothe her with his words. “I am so sorry, but he has deceived you from the very beginning.”

  Cecily was now crying uncontrollably, inhaling massive gulps of air. She would have to quieten down a bit or there was every chance that Purdey may reappear. Fen rubbed her back in a pacifying manner, trying desperately to calm her down, as both her and Sol offered words of comfort. Cecily was obviously deeply in love with Cian. That was the one thing Kaden wished she had not remembered.

  It was some minutes before Cecily regained control of herself. Kaden knew her well and so he was ready for the barrage of questions that followed.

  “Why did you take me to the clearing in the wood? What did you mean when you told me ‘to shut the place down’?” She looked at Fen and Sol. “Why were you all talking about a ritual?”

  Kaden took a deep breath. “Cecily, the clearing in the wood, the six ancient tree stumps to be precise, is a gateway, erm, that is, a kind of portal, to the Realm of Dark.”

  Saying it out loud to someone who did not understand sounded ludicrous, even to him. Cecily looked like she had just been slapped in the face.

  “What, you mean Hell?” Cecily scoffed.

  “Well, I suppose some would call it that, yes.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! I hardly think now is the time to be joking around.”

  Kaden stole a sideways glance at Fen and Sol. “Cecily, I think it is time to tell you a story.”

  Cecily said nothing, but sat on the end of her bed wearing a defiant look on her face, as if daring her three friends to pull the wool over her eyes by playing some highly-wrought trick.

  Kaden began. “The Realm of Dark exists, Cec, whether you remember or not. To balance out the Dark is the Realm of Light. Earth is the in-between place separating the two realms and this plane is neither light nor dark.”

  “I can’t believe what I am hearing,” spat Cecily. “You are telling me that Heaven and Hell actually exist?”

  Kaden turned to look out of the window. He knew she would find it hard to believe him, but he had to continue as he needed her to remember and he was hoping that he may be able to stir some memories by starting with the basics.

  “Not Heaven and Hell in the sense that religion portrays, simply light and dark. From the first moment of consciousness, the Realm of Light has existed. The Realm of Light is filled with spirits who want to help people. The Light wants to preserve Earth and show humans the error of their ways, make them choose the Light. The Realm of Light acts as guardian and protector of Earth and the human race.”

  “So, there is a God,” Cecily chipped in sarcastically.

  Kaden chuckled. “There are many gods, Cec, but there is a Higher Power, even above them. Everyone is accountable to the Universe.”

  “What about the Dark?” Kaden could tell that Cecily was alarmed, especially after everything she had seen that evening, but she was trying to put on a brave face. “Are there gods there too?”

  “Of course. As there are spirits of Light, so are there spirits of Dark. Everything in the Realm of Light is mirrored in the Realm of Dark. That is how a natural balance is achieved. The Realm of Dark has existed since the very first evil deed, which happened shortly after consciousness. It contains all true evil. Unlike the spirits of Light, the spirits of Dark want evil and darkness to dominate the Earth and humanity. The agents of the Dark are a law unto themselves, battling one another for ultimate power. They spread chaos and destruction wherever they go. They want to get rid of the Realm of Light because it is the only thing that stands in their way. The Earth plane is fair game for both realms. The Dark tries to take over, the Light tries to keep the Dark at bay and so the battle goes on. The Light relies on humans to do the right thing and make the right choices. And that is what we call ‘Reality’.”

  Kaden, who had been keeping watch on the woods below, now turned
to look at Cecily, hoping that he had triggered some well-buried thoughts. However, her face was blank as she stared into nothingness. Kaden, Fen and Sol left her that way, letting her digest what they had just revealed.

  After a few minutes, Cecily began to laugh in a vehement fashion. When she had composed herself, she said, “I get it now! Cian originally wanted to hold a murder mystery party. Is that what happened? Oh my, you guys really got me! I think I’m going to be disturbed for life! Let’s go back up to Bramble Hall and tell him I have worked it out!”

  Kaden returned to his look out at the window. He felt more helpless than ever. They needed Cecily at full strength.

  “After everything you have witnessed tonight, are you not convinced that we are telling you the truth?” He let out a deep sigh.

  It was Sol’s turn to try. “Cec, you have to get it into your head that Cian is not Cian. Cian does not exist and he is certainly not the nephew of Lord Bramble. He is nothing more than a murderous demon who has tricked you into loving him. Everything you shared was fake. Cec, you have to try and remember!”

  Cecily choked up again. “So my nightmares are real? Those monsters in the shadows… exist?”

  Kaden was not sure how much more of Reality she could take tonight, but he needed her to remember.

  “They are not nightmares, they are echoes of the past, events that really happened. The dreams are designed to wake you up. They are a warning sign that danger is coming. I’m afraid those monsters are indeed real. Agents of the Dark, always hungry and always watching.”

  “Are they watching us now?”

  “They cannot enter the cottage just now as my enchantment is protecting it.”

  Kaden wholly expected Cecily to break down again. Instead she asked quietly, “And what of the ritual? You still haven’t told me about that.”

  “We do not know exactly what Dasrus has planned, but one thing is for sure, he is trying to open the gateway. That is the only thing the ritual is used for. The Wise Ones told me that it was Lord Bramble’s destiny to hand over the guardians. Thankfully, he had the courage to blow the plan at the last minute, otherwise we all would have been trapped inside Bramble Hall. As it stands, he has two Cerbereans, one by choice and one against her will. It is crucial he doesn’t get us too as he needs all of us to perform the ritual.”

  “Cerbereans?” questioned Cecily.

  “Yes,” replied Kaden. “That is what we are. Warriors of Light and guardians of the gateway. Protectors of Earth and humanity.”

  Cecily looked very uncomfortable, but she continued to ask her questions.

  “What will happen if he captures all six of us?”

  “He will kill us and use our blood to open the gateway. If that happens, Dark will be released on Earth,” said Fen, matter-of-factly.

  “Oh,” replied Cecily. She paused before she went on. “You asked me to shut it down. Why?”

  “Because you have the power, Cecily, you just have to remember it. You are our leader on Earth and the Cerbereans follow you. You have the magic to stop Dasrus from entering the clearing in the first place.”

  The room fell silent. Moments later, the only sentence Cecily could muster was, “Is that his name? Dasrus?”

  Fen held her hand tightly. “Yes.”

  Kaden waited in the silence that followed for Cecily to ask him the most obvious question, ‘Who am I?’ but she did not and he imagined that this was because she was on information overload and would rather not know or had not thought to ask. Instead, she got up off the bed, grabbed some clothes from the back of her chair and went to her small bathroom to change out of her ripped gown. As Kaden looked out over the cottage garden to the dark wood beyond, he thought carefully about their next move. Cecily was still out of action. He had to get her somewhere safe and help her get her memory back. They would have to worry about Jedd and Elisabeth later. Their main aim at the moment was keeping Dasrus from opening the gateway, which ultimately meant keeping the four of them out of Dasrus’s way. He knew just the place and it would serve him for both priorities. However, there was still one thing they had to take care of before they left. As he was pondering this thought, he caught a glimpse of rustling foliage at the edge of the wood and he knew what was there before he saw them.

  Fen had sensed it too and she gasped loudly, “He’s here!” as Sol rose to his feet. “Does he know we are here or is he guessing? Your shield is supposed to be protecting us. He is here too soon!”

  It dawned on Kaden why they had been discovered so quickly. As he put the puzzle pieces together, he realised how very naïve he had been. As he spoke, he did so with regret.

  “There was already an evil presence here when we arrived tonight.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cecily felt she could react one of two ways. She could flee her home and run into the deep, dark night, never to return again and think for the rest of her days that her friends were madder than she was. Or, she could stay and listen to them. They were her best friends and they loved her. Why would they lie to her? Just because she could not remember. Maybe all she needed was a little faith. After all, she had seen some horrific and unnatural things, with her own eyes. Not only that night, but previously in the store at Bramble Hall. All this talk of Light and Dark, Cerbereans, magic and an existence that she needed to remember was mind boggling, but her gut told her to trust her friends. And now, on returning from the bathroom, she discovered that this Dasrus, the one who had deceived her, was outside her home. Worse still, if she were to believe her friends, they were all in serious danger. Yet she could not move. She remained sat down on the edge of her bed, frozen to the spot.

  The bedroom door flying open made her jump out of her skin. It hit the wall with such a force that the others, who had been looking out of the window, spun around to see what was coming through it. To Cecily’s joint relief and dismay, it was only Purdey. She felt a momentary pang of guilt that she had not even considered that Purdey was still in the house and that she may fall victim to the murderous demon that had just arrived outside. But again, Kaden seemed to know something she did not.

  “How could you? Your own daughter?”

  Cecily was very confused. Kaden spoke with such venom. She really was not used to seeing this angry side of him.

  “It’s all over now,” spat Purdey just as viciously. “You were foolish to think your trickery would work on me for long, Cerberean. Dasrus is here and this sorry tale is at an end. Eighteen long years I’ve waited for this moment.”

  Cecily thought how ridiculous she must look, sat dumbstruck on the edge of her bed, with her mouth hanging down to the floor. She certainly did not recognise this version of her mother either.

  “She’s your own flesh and blood! Why betray her to him when you know what he will do to her… and the rest of the human race?”

  Kaden was now furious and Cecily swore that his eyes were glowing a pale, ice blue. However, like Fen and Sol, she could not look at Kaden for long as she was staring in disbelief at Purdey.

  “She’s no flesh and blood of mine!” Purdey gave an obligatory nod in Cecily’s direction, but did not look at her. “The Lord approached me shortly after her birth and told me what she is. He convinced her father and me to move out here to Bramblegate and said this is where she was meant to be. He offered rewards beyond our wildest dreams just to be guardians to her until after her eighteenth birthday. He showed me what would be mine. After I found out about her, it was so difficult to love her. Over the past few years, I’ve barely been able to look at her. It is only because I know what is owing to me that I’ve stuck around at all.”

  You could almost see the pound signs in Purdey’s eyes. Cecily knew there was no love lost between her and her mum, but she was still her mother after all. Surely, she did not mean these things she was saying?

  “Mum, what are you talking about?” Cecily did not mean for the question to sound as whiny as it did.

  “What I said!” she snapped. “You are no daug
hter of mine. You are simply borrowing that body until it grows old and tired and you can get your hands on another one.”

  “I… I don’t understand,” replied a befuddled Cecily.

  “You are weak, just like your father. If you were strong, you wouldn’t be in this position now, just like your father would still be alive if he were strong. All I had to do was browbeat you both and keep you downtrodden to stop you from fulfilling your destiny. With a little help from Dasrus, of course.” Her eyes lit up as she mentioned her master’s name.

  “And what of her father?” asked Kaden.

  “He was spineless!” screamed Purdey. “He never wanted to agree to the bargain in the first place and so he spent the rest of his days with his head in a book, trying to find a way to stop Dasrus or a way to awaken Cecily early. Professor was his guise. He dedicated his life to protecting that little trickster!” Again, she indicated that she was referring to Cecily with a nod of her head. “What a waste!”

  “You killed him, didn’t you?” dared Kaden.

  “Yes, I killed him! It was easy though. Like I said, he was weak.” She looked at her daughter properly for the first time. “Oh, how I have enjoyed seeing you struggle with grief and nightmares ever since!” She let out a wicked chortle.

  Cecily had no words and she certainly did not have any tears left. As she listened to her mother’s speech, she knew deep down that every word was true. It all made sense now. She had known all along that her mother despised her. Cecily felt anger, not for herself, but for her father. Purdey murdered her father, the one shining light in her life and the one person who made her feel safe. She felt hatred burn throughout her body. She could not let Purdey get away with this.

  But before Cecily could think any more, she heard familiar growling and snarling sounds emerging from the shadows. The acrid breath made her feel faint and dizzy, as the shadows cast by furniture began to ripple. Out of the darkness of her little bathroom, she saw a black mass gathering, eyes glowing.