The Dragons Egg : XII : The Secret Map : Theodore: Draft

XII

The Secret Map

22^nd April 1941

Theodore

A thick swirl of tobacco smoke danced about in the warm air before Theodore, who sat pensively in his study; his right hand clinging to his ebony pipe and his left hand tirelessly shifting through maps of London. For a brief moment he abandoned his work and looked out of the bay windows, his eyes upon the ever present knights, who stood like statues upon the other side of the quiet road. Unlike shadows, the knights were tall, dark and eerily mysterious, both dressed in black cloaks which hid their faces and bodies. As he looked down at the knights, he momentarily caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection, dressed to perfection in a suit. Tonight he and his doppelganger wife, Laura would be visiting the residence of the new Keeper of London, William, to celebrate his new position, despite the current unstable environment of the great city itself. The gateways used by guardians had been shut down, an act Theodore believed to be aimed at himself. It seemed that his allies as well as his enemies were spying on him and suppressing his freedom to move. Theodore had sifted through all of the known gateways in London and used his now limited contacts for information and found his efforts to be futile; none of the known gateways were open. With a pained headed, he knew that there was only one last spring of hope and it resided in the old Keeper’s house which was situated in Oxford. It was for this reason and the need to get his wife out into society that he had agreed to attend the new Keepers party. He would if chance allowed him, slip out of the party for a couple of hours, take one of the many cars that would be lined up and down the street and make for the house of Leer. He knew that the old Keeper had somewhere an old secret map of the London gateways, and hoped severely that if he found the map, he found find one of them to be still open. He would not give up in his quest to return to Eveline, and he would be damned if his allies or enemies could stop him. He served no master now but himself.

Taking another deep intake of his pipe, Theodore felt his hands tighten into balls. Beneath all that was happening about him, he knew that it was Heiden who had ordered Gabriel to in turn order the Keeper of London to shut all access out and in of the city, in a bid to keep Theodore separated from his granddaughter. A surge of anger caused his body to sway ever so slightly at the thought, so much so that when the slight knock at his door came, he groaned aloud.

“Yes?” he said with impatience, refusing to turn his eyes to the heavy oak door.

“Teddy, it is time to leave now for the party…” a gentle voice returned. Theodore closed his heavy eyes, he had never thought that having another wife would be so much of a hindrance, and yet she was stuck to him like glue and he could not rid himself of her presence, especially since that night in which he lay with her. It had been foolish of course, but he had been rendered thoughtless and was in need of comfort, and cared not for the source. Yet since that night, his rather out spoken and energetic new wife was a constant thorn in his side. She was too happy, too optimistic and too like his real wife in looks that he found it impossible to disconnect his true anger towards Eveline from her lookalike. And he knew under all of the frustration, that he needed to keep her close to him, she was like an innocent sheep who was being preyed upon by beasts she could never have foretold or imagined; and yes he was declining evermore into a darkness of which he had promised himself to refrain from, but he would not allow her to fall victim to his actions or the hands of those who would cause her great pain for a crime she did not commit. With renewed hindsight, Theodore opened his eyes and dropped the ebony pipe from his lips.

“I am coming,” he said with a scowl as he brought himself to his feet and hastily scrunched up an old map, digesting it into one of his jacket pockets. It was despite his last meeting with the council of guardians, a pleasant surprise to be invited to the new Keepers inauguration party, despite the current hostilities and problems within the great city itself. It had been two weeks since himself and Laura had been out of the house, and so any cause in which to get out was welcomed. Opening the study door, he glanced down at his doppelganger wife, whose brows were bent with anxiety. She wore a beautiful red satin dress, but still despite the overall affect, she was not moved. “Eveline, what is it?”

“I am anxious about the party,” Laura returned as she walked away from Theodore and made for the reception hall in which she found her fur coat and put it on. Theodore stared at her reflection in the large mirror and frowned.

“You have never been at a loss for words before, so why now?”

“I do not know any of the women or men,” Laura said with a shy smile as she put on her gloves and rolled them up her long arms, turning to Theodore.

“But you will be glad of some company, yes?”

“Of course I will, I have detested being piled up in this big old house for two weeks, with only the housekeeper for conversation,” Laura said with a fiery glare. “And you have been stuck in your study.”

“You know why we cannot leave the house,” Theodore said with a resigned sigh as he collected his hat, gloves, scarf and coat.

“I know, but…”

“But what?”

“I don’t know,” Laura said with a shake of her head as she came to stand before Theodore, her hands reaching up to fix his bow tie. “Have you ever felt as though you are living someone else’s life?”

“Sometimes, why?”

“I feel like that more and more as the days pass,” Laura replied as her hands dropped away, only to be caught by Theodore’s.

“And this bothers you?” Theodore asked with concern.

“Yes. I know why they are hunting me, but I don’t feel connected to the reason, if that makes sense?”

“I suppose it does a little,” Theodore lied, for he knew only too well why she felt the way she did. “But try not to let it burden you. These are testing times and we both find ourselves at the mercy of them.”

“I just wish we were at home, by the fire and with Wordsworth,” Laura sighed as she placed her arm within Theodores. With a wave of his hand, the large front door opened to reveal the setting sun, a great beam of light filling the cold reception hall. “Where has he gone do you think?”

“I wish I knew,” Theodore said truthfully, for he had always greatly adored the Irish wolfhound.

“Do you think he will return to us one day?” Laura asked as she looked up into his sun filled face.

“I do not know,” Theodore replied quietly, her golden eyes filled with sadness and forlornness.

“Do you not find them creepy?” Laura asked Theodore as they desceneded the steps and made for the bustling black Ford Anglia.

“The knights?”

“Yes.”

“I should, but I have been too much in contact with shadows and demons, so much so that they have become a normal part of my everyday life,” Theodore returned as his eyes rested upon the haunting and fearful knights, who stepped closer to the edge of the road, their faces hidden beneath their cloaks.

“They scare me,” Laura said with uncertainty as the door of the car opened. Theodore guided his young wife into the back of the car and shuffled in beside her, placing a reassuring arm about her. Soon the car, driven by a young guardian sped off into the centre of London, making for Highgate village. It took but forty minutes to find the destination of William’s house, which was located at Bisham Gardens. When eventually the car stopped, Theodore peeked out of the window and gazed up at the Victorian house. A great sea of guests filled the bay windows and suddenly Theodore felt his heart flip with impending need to make his way to Oxford as fast as his feet would take him, but patience must be his friend until he had settled his wife into the party.

“Shall we?” he turned to Laura and offered her his hand. Laura stayed quiet as she placed her hand into his own and followed him out of the car. When they entered the large house, a great beam of heat hit their faces.

“Cael!” a familiar voice called out from his left. Theodore turned and found his eyes settling upon William, the London Keeper.

“William, this is quite some party, when one considers the unfortunate circumstances we are in,” Theodore said curtly as William clasped his hands.

“How true your words are,” William said with a nod. “However my wife has been the sole instructor of this party, my own issues be damned. I say is this your lovely wife?”

“Eveline I would like you to meet the new Keeper of London, William,” Theodore said kindly to the beaming Laura.

“How enchanted am I to finally make your acquaintance,” William said with a smile as he brought her hand to his lips, planting a light kiss upon her knuckles. “Come, my wife has been pestering me for an introduction. Cael, I shall see you in my study for a few moments?”

“Now?” Theodore returned with a groan.

“Yes now,” William said with knowing eyes. “It is down the hall, two doors to the left.” Theodore waved goodbye to Laura and made his way through the throng of guests until finally he found the study and opened the door. It was larger than his own, and instead of their being one table, there were two. With his hands in his jacket pockets, Theodore began to investigate the large collection of books that filled the shelves of the room. As he made his way about the edge of the study, he came to stand before a door. With a squint of his eye and a rise of his brow, he placed his right hand over the knob and turned it. The small door opened to reveal a wall.

“Strange,” he murmured to himself as he looked closer. The rim of the doorway was engraved with old English and thankfully, due to his extensive care of British history and love of languages, he was able to read the engravings quite well.

A foot here and a foot there

With a furrowed brow, Theodore tilted his head slightly and allowed his fingers to cast themselves over the engravings. It was a riddle that much was certain, but he had never been a great student of riddles and so he stood for several minutes, analysing the words and running them over in his head. A creak of the door alerted Theodore and with a sudden swiftness of his hand, he closed the door and stepped away.

“Ah, I see you are making yourself acquainted with my study,” William smiled as he entered with two glasses of whiskey in his hands. “I thought you may like one.”

“I believe your study could almost compete against Leer’s,” Theodore said with a smile as he thankfully took the glass and drew a sip from its contents, his throat instantly soothed and warmed by the liquid.

“I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t always jealous of his great volume of books,” William said with a sparkle in his eye as he sat down upon one of the leather chairs and motioned to Theodore to follow suite.

“May I ask why it is that you have two tables?” Theodore returned as he took a seat and folded one leg over the other.

“John often comes to work in my study, so I thought it logical to give him a table,” William returned as he swirled his whiskey gently.

“The viscount?”

“Indeed, we went to Cambridge together,” William answered as he took another swig at his drink. “Now, I think that we should talk don’t you?”

“Is there anything that we need to talk about? I think I know enough.”

“Cael, I am being stretched in several different directions by those who are serving various different agenda’s,” William began as he looked directly into Theodore’s blue eyes. “You must understand that I have no cause to believe you a problem.”

“But those in high places do?”

“Yes, they do.”

“People like Gabriel?”

“Indeed, although he is acting on the directions of his masters.”

“You mean Heiden?”

William put down his glass and sat back in his chair, studying Theodore’s profile.

“I have the power to sweep aside the worries of guardians, but when it comes to the orders of our master, I cannot stand in opposition, this you understand of course?”

“Has anyone ever wondered whether the master we serve is indeed on our side?” Theodore said darkly in response, his eyes upon the patterned rug below. “We follow him blindly and yet he would dispense with a loyal subject just to ensure that he lives on.”

“Is that what you truly make of your God?” William replied cautiously.

“The humans of this world think it somehow a blessing that God keeps his true self from them, as though it were a pleasure instead of a sadistic act of power and oppression,” Theodore said with feeling. “He keeps himself well hidden from his own people. Do you know the mind of the master you serve?”

“It is natural that you should find yourself disillusioned with Heiden, considering all that you are currently going through,” William began as he sat forward and placed his elbows upon his table. “But Heiden serves the light.”

“Heiden wears many faces, and one should never follow anyone that powerful wearing only a veil of ignorance,” Theodore returned curtly. “He is so powerful that all those who serve him are too scared to question his true intentions for fear of being killed or exiled, or worse deemed a shadow.”

“Cael what you say is treason…”

“I speak the truth, and it seems that all those who have previously stood against Heiden have somehow either mysteriously gone missing or turned to Lagar for assistance and aid. Do you not think it strange or perverse even that though we are taught to believe in our own freedom of expression and thought, that we are indeed silenced by an underlying fear of being silenced?”

“Heiden has never stolen power for himself, in order to achieve his own agenda,” William said as his face turned dark.

“He is willing to have me killed in order to preserve his own agenda, would you not agree that that in itself is a violation of his oath to serve his subjects?”

“He is not willing to have you killed…if that were true, you would not be sitting here in this study with me.”

“It would be too compromising to simply kill me now,” Theodore laughed deeply. “No, Heiden will wait until he has a valid reason in which to get rid of me.”

“Then be sure as to not give him a reason,” William said with an authoritive voice. “Do as you are told and you will be safe. If you go against your master then you have sealed your own fate.”

“So you are admitting to me freely that he indeed wishes me gone? That I stand in the way of his plans?”

“I admit to nothing, I am simply warning you to be vigilant and to be cautious. You are a very headstrong and determined guardian, you always have been and for this you have broken many laws and have been the cause of some dubious situations. There is already enough collateral against you as it is.”

“My life is now a ticking time bomb,” Theodore said as he slammed his empty glass down upon the table and pounced out of his chair, turning away from William and rolling his hands into tight fists. “Can you claim that other power seeking guardians have not broken rules in order to increase their power? Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me that you have not used unlawful means as a way of rising to the position of Keeper?”

“Cael please calm yourself,” William returned gently. “In answer to your question, no I have not used any unlawful means as a way in gaining a higher position. Have I known of guardians who have? Yes. None of us are perfect, it is said that even our God is not perfect.”

“And yet, why is it that I believe that you would accept my death as a means of protecting the future of the universe and its heavenly family?”

“I believe that you have crossed a line Cael, a line crossed quite some time ago.”

“Have I not served Gabriel and Heiden dutifully?”

“You serve yourself Cael, and whilst you have softened in the last decade, due in part to being oblivious as to your real self, you have been at the mercy of your own selfish quest for power for a long time. You are like a child, who when their toy has been stolen from them, you will use any means possible not only to retrieve the toy but to bring misery to the person who took it from you.”

“Have I not a right to claim what is mine and to defend it with any means possible?”

“No.”

Theodore stopped moving and felt his body stiffen. Slowly he turned his flashing eyes to those of William, who was calm and collected.

“She does not belong to you, this you know. She belongs to no one.”

“You lie, she belongs to him!” Theodore said with a thunderous cry. “Even now she is racing to the stones so that she may jump through time and return to him.”

“Before this year, you both were masquerading beneath masks of untruth,” William said as he raised a hand. “You married under different pretences. When your masks had been taken from you, you were both unveiled for the first time and unfortunately I believe you both found yourself bound to someone with whom you did not really know.”

“Of course I knew her, I was the one that willingly stepped forward to take the position as her guardian.”

“And you swore an oath to never touch her and yet you did, you broke the very oath that was weaved in order to protect her. Her fate was interwoven with Galean’s before her birth.”

“She choose to marry me!”

“She married a man who when unmasked, was far from his true self.”

“You are twisting my words and her own feelings, so that you would make me believe that she married me blindly.”

“In a way you both did.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Cael, why do you really want to seek her out? Is it love that drives you or the jealousy of a young boy whose toy has been taken from him?” William asked as he stood up from his chair and came to stand before Theodore. “You do not love her, not as you loved Jophiel. I remember the pair of you, I believe I even tried to bring you together before you were given the post of guardian under Gabriel. For years you tried to claim her hand and when you did, it wasn’t the fear of loving Jophiel that drove you from her, it was your greed for position. You do not want to find Celestine because you are ardently in love with her as you would believe yourself to be, you want to return to her so that you may keep her from returning to Galean. Am I right?”

“I wish to protect her.”

“You wish to protect your own self-interests Cael, at the risk of harming her and the possibility of victory. This situation is bigger than you, it is on such a scale that you yourself cannot possibly conceive of her significance. Tell me, if you were Heiden, what would you do?”

“Whichever way I turn, I face opposition. It does not matter the reasons for my being here or wishing to be with my wife, you and those who serve you and your master will take away any legitimate feelings I have for Eveline. You would even see me dead.”

“No, I do not wish to see you dead. But I do not believe that any words I speak will bring you comfort.”

“It would seem that the whole universe is against me and I am powerless to stop it.”

Theodore turned on his heel and left the study, slamming the door behind him. Seething with anger, he weaved his way through the crowds and spotted Laura, happily in conversation with a group of young woman. Content that she was happy and relaxed, he quietly made his way to the front door and exited, hastily running down the steps to the empty Ford Anglia. Sweeping his hand over the handle, the door opened and with cautious eyes, he jumped into the car and turned it on. He had but a few hours in which to drive to Oxford and find the secret map of gateways. He had meant every single word that had come forth from his lips when in conversation with William, it seemed to him that every conversation had the same context and now it simply bored him. As he sped through the streets, he felt his fingers tighten around the steering wheel. No one was willing to aid him or willingly to defend him against Heiden and so he would have to take matters into his own hands, he would have to shape his future and ensure that his life would go on. He would no longer serve any master but himself.

*

The sun had set long before Theodore had reached Merton Street in Oxford. The street was empty and with only the lights of the houses alerting Theodore to any signs of life. As he drove slowly, he caught sight of Leer’s Austin Cambridge car and slowly parked his own car on the opposite side of the street. A small park lay upon the opposite side of the Victorian house and with a quick flashing of remembrance, Theodore closed his eyes and found himself remembering the night in which the old Keeper had been murdered, in order to save Jophiel from the same fate. She had run with purpose down this very street and had with a deep anger killed the shadow who had unceremoniously thrown the lifeless body of Leer down before the gate of his own house. With a pain curling inside his stomach, Theodore opened his blue eyes and picked up his hat upon the opposite seat and placed it upon his head. Before exiting the car he looked about wildly to see if there were any traces of shadows. Confident that he was quiet alone, he got out of the Ford Anglia and made his way across the street, opening the metal gate quietly. A gentle breeze swept over him as he made his way up the short path and found himself before the black door.

“Na glow!” he muttered under his breathe. A sudden light appeared at the tip of his right index finger. Holding it up before him, he looked at a newly adorned mark. It was an eight pointed star, the star of Lagar, which had by the looks of it, been inscribed with a pen knife and smeared in blood. Theodore knew what this meant. The house had been looted and with it cursed. Anyone who stepped forth into the empty shell, would either die or be accosted by something far darker. Quietly, Theodore stepped across the small garden and peered in through one of the windows. Straining to see inside Leer’s front room, he observed that the floor was covered in books and pieces of parchment and that furniture had been overturned in the process. As he peered within, he heard something close by and quickly curled his index finger within his palm. Slowly he turned about and gazed through the thickening mist and darkness. He saw nothing, but felt as though a pair of eyes were upon him. His heart racing, he made his way back to the door and opened it. “Ectee opa!” he whispered under his breathe. Gently the door opened wide to reveal a darkness more harrowing than the darkness he currently found himself in. A terrible smell filled his senses and with a wave of his hand, he covered his nose. Not knowing what lay ahead and keenly aware of the curse, Theodore bent down and picked up a pebble. Rolling it between his fingers, he skimmed it through the door and watched it fall onto the ground. A gentle white light illuminated the doorway and a sudden bolt of electricity hit the threshold, throwing Theodore backwards upon the ground heavily. Wiping away his thick hair, Theodore slowly came to feet once more and picked up another pebble. This time when he threw it, nothing happened and with certainty, he stepped over the threshold and entered the cold and unlit house, once again producing light from his index finger.

Shards of glass were sprinkled across the wooden floor and with care, Theodore stepped through the hallway, making for Leer’s study. The door to the study was swinging against the breeze that had drafted in through the open door. With caution, Theodore entered the messy room, in which dozens of books had been thrown from their shelves and tens of dozens of pieces of parchment had also been thrown to the floor haphazardly. Theodore knew where Leer had kept his most precious items of knowledge. Behind a shelf upon the right hand wall was a secret door, which led down to a hidden cellar beneath. Quietly, he skimmed his hands across the shelf and felt a slight breeze tough the skin of his palm.

“Ectee Opa!” he said quickly. A click forced him to stand back from the shelf as it opened wide. A great gust of cold air hit him straight on the face as a narrow corridor made itself known to him. With a wave of his hand, the unlit torches that lined the walls suddenly erupted into light. Turning his head to make sure that the coast was clear, he began to make his way down the steep stairs. The air was thick and filled with dust and as he descended the stairs, he could feel a light breeze upon his skin. When the stairs came to an end, Theodore found himself before another door. “Ectee Opa!” he said with feeling. Nothing happened. “Ectee Opa!” he said again. He pushed against the door and found that it would not open. Instead a small opening in the wall appeared. Confused, Theodore bent down and peered through it, to find a small knife and a plate. Taking the knife and plate from the opening, Theodore held them in front and wondered to himself what it meant. Then as he pondered the reason behind the objects, letters began to appear upon the door.

Et In Sanguine Meo

“Ye blood of my blood,” Theodore murmured under his breathe. Suddenly it made sense and without thinking, Theodore took up the knife and plunged it gently into the palm of his left hand until it drew blood. He listened as droplets of his blood fell into the small plate and when it had filled, whispered. “Hal en nacht.” The wound began to bind itself together and when it was healed, he placed the plate of blood into the opening. Waiting, he watched as the blood from the plate began to rise and move in the air, until it filled the veins of the engraved letters. When the words had been filled with his blood, the door opened for him. Again another cold draft hit his face, along with a cloud of dust. Without much thought, Theodore entered the room, now alight with several torches. It was small, with one table and a chair situated in the middle. Theodore looked about the room and found that the walls were empty, there was nothing but the table and chair. Confused, Theodore walked to the table and looked down at it. Along the rim were engraved pictures and runes. As he inspected the table, the chair suddenly moved backwards, causing Theodore to jump instantly. “God!” he swore under his breathe. With shaking hands and lips, he made for the chair. It was simple and without elegance, just a wooden chair which looked uncomfortable and old. Curiosity spiking, Theodore sat down upon the chair and was instantly moved forward, until he met with the table. His hands upon the wooden top of the table, Theodore drew in a deep breath as words began to appear before him.

Ask and you shall receive

It was rather simple, Theodore thought.

“The secret map of gates,” he said aloud, hearing a noise from above the cellar. Another deeper noise brought him back from the room above the cellar and he turned to see the wall change. Another small opening appeared and from it, Theodore saw a thick roll of parchment being brought forth. The chair in which he sat moved backwards and quickly he rose and went to the opening, retrieving the scroll. Carefully he brought it back to the table and took another seat upon the chair, which thrust him forwards once more. His ears alert and his senses heightened, Theodore gently opened the scroll of parchment and unrolled it, placing it across the top of the table. The flickers of light fell across the ancient map that lay before him. With intrigue and a need for speed, Theodore examined the map and noted all of the gateways that had been scribbled in their locations of London. He had seen them all before and sighed with frustration as he threw his tired head into the palms of his hand. “I need a gate that is open!” he said to himself. As he spoke a silver light appeared upon the map, drawing his attention away from the contours of his hands. His eyes tired and sore, he spotted the silver mark and took a closer look. It was in the shape of an eight pointed star and lay across a familiar place, St Barnes Cemetery, the place in which the shadows of London met. It couldn’t be he thought to himself, how could there be a gateway in a cemetery? And why was it still working. As he devoured the map, he heard another noise from above and looked up from the table. His chest tightened as he listened intensely to another noise, this time louder and more prominent. Quickly he scrolled the map up and thrust it back into the opening of the wall and with urgency ran out of the room and closed his eyes in anxiousness as the door shut behind him. Throwing himself upon the wall, he waved his hands and extinguished the lights and stood pensively. Quietly he drew his dagger from the inside of his jacket pocket and prepared himself as the footsteps of the intruder now made their way down the steps. A blue light glimmered and when the intruder finally stepped out before him, Theodore recognised him as one of Lagmar’s henchmen, a young shadow by the name of Gildof. Before the shadow could act, Theodore leapt forward and threw his light body against the wall.

“Stunna!” he yelled, directing his index finger down at the shadow, who kicked him hard in the shin.

“Gora letcha!” Gildof cried out, the spell throwing Theodore off his body. With a crash, Theodore fell against the wall and was flung upon the floor. His head spinning, Theodore lifted his index finger.

“Doramortom!” he said. A sudden white light erupted from the tip of his finger and hit the young shadow square in the chest. With a piercing cry, the shadow fell into a heap, one last breathe struggling to draw itself forth from his mouth. With the lifeless form of the shadow now in a heap upon the ground, Theodore, his body pained and scorched by the burning curse, pulled himself up and forced his way up the stairs, aware that there could be more intruders within the house. Stumbling, his head light and his stomach churning, he fell into the study and shut the door behind him. He lay for several minutes, his blue eyes upon the open door and listened. Quickly he looked at his watch, he had been away from Highgate for nearly two hours and knew that if he didn’t leave now, William would grow suspicious and his plan would be foiled. With renewed strength he brought himself to his feet and moved towards the doorway, plastering his body to the frame and scanning the corridor. He could see nothing either way and with a groan, he limped towards the front door, stopping a moment as a wave of scorching deep pain seized at him.  When the wave had passed he forced his way out of the house and scanned the road, it was clear and empty. With time running out, he limped heavily across the street to were the car was and quickly opened the door and fell inside. As he pressed his forehead against the steering wheel he noticed shadows passing by on the opposite side of the street and held still, tilting his head side wards for a side view. Several shadows ran into the house and for a few moments, Theodore saw great red lights fill the corridor and front room. With greater urgency he roared the Ford Anglia into life and put his foot down and haphazardly directed the car out onto the road and sped with all haste, seeing in the rear mirror, shadows pouring onto the street behind him, sending bolts of red light his way. Skidding, a piercing noise perpetrating from the rubber wheels, Theodore forced the car onto the main road and raced towards Highgate at full speed, uncaring of other vehicles that passed him by.

*

With blood dripping down the side of his face, Theodore sped up Bisham Gardens and made an emergency stop outside William’s house. Looking into the rear mirror, he wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket and fixed his hair. His heart still racing, he sat back and drew in several breathes, going over the last hour in his head. The only gateway still open in London happened to be in the very place where no guardian would dare cross, St Barnes Cemetery, and for good reason. And yet as he sat in silence, awaiting his body to relax and his heart beat to slow, he realised that he was at his wits end, he had no other choice, he would have to venture to the cemetery and find the gateway. Closing his eyes he groaned into his hands. Whether he would get to the gateway alive was another issue. The whole of the universe was against him and so the odds of making it to the gateway alive were non-existent. He would have to plan and set a watch, if he was to make it back to Ravinston alive, he would have to understand the everyday schedule of St Barnes Cemetery. His heart beat a little slower, Theodore opened the door of the car and got out, taking a few moments to ready himself before making his way to the house. The party it seemed was still going strong, a few men stood outside upon the steps smoking and talking in depth, Matthew among them. Passing his adversary, he kept his eyes low as he slipped into the house. The smell of cigars and wine filled the air alongside Vera Lynn’s voice, whilst overhead planes passed by, most likely carrying bombs that would fall upon the centre of London.

With his eyes alert, Theodore scanned the room and found Laura in a corner, in conversation with a young man. His blood boiling, he made a direct cut through the crowd and found himself at her side.

“Theodore there you are!” Laura said with a faint blush upon her cheeks. “I have been looking everywhere for you!”

“I was with William in the study,” Theodore returned, his dark blue eyes upon the young man.

“For two hours?” Laura replied with a frown.

“Yes,” Theodore said sharply. “And who is this dearest?”

“Oh this is Mr Hiddleston,” Laura said with a smile. “He works for your dear friend William.”

“He does, does he?” Theodore said with a hard stare.

“Well I have only just taken a post under him,” smiled Mr Hiddleston, his eyes betraying his innocent smile.

“I’m sure you are wondering why it is that the guardians of London are partying the night away considering the irrefutable danger that the citizens of London find themselves in?”

“Well yes…yes I suppose I am or at least should be,” the young gentleman replied with an air of confusion.

“One would almost think that our allies have their priorities out of sorts, wouldn’t you agree?” Theodore returned with a thunderous smile upon his lips.

“Teddy dear, why are you bleeding?” Laura whispered into Theodore’s ear, her hand upon his arm.

“Bleeding?”

“Yes, blood is dripping from your forehead,” Laura said quickly as she lifted a linen handkerchief from the table and wiped his head.

“Would you mind terribly if we were to return home?” Theodore asked Laura as a few male guardians turned their gazes towards him. Laura stared up into his eyes for a moment and saw the urgency and simply nodded.

“Of course, let me fetch my things and I will meet you at the door in five minutes, yes?”

“Yes,” Theodore said quickly. Together they made their way through the crowd, Laura making her farewells to the a few women. Theodore waited for his young wife by the entrance, his eyes upon Matthew.

“I saw you leave quite some time ago,” Matthew said as he puffed on a cigar. “Where did you go?”

“That would be none of your business,” Theodore said as he bite down on his lip.  Soon Laura joined him by the door and looked over at Matthew.

“Shall we go?” she said kindly.

“Yes, lets.”

Together, the couple made their way over towards the black Ford Anglia.

“Oh, who will drive us home?” Laura asked as she stood awaiting a driver.

“I will,” Theodore said quickly as he opened the passenger door and helped her in.

“But this isn’t our car?”

“I will return it tomorrow morning,” Theodore said as he entered the driver’s door and closed it sharply behind him. As he thrust the car into life, he saw William dart forth from the house and run down the steps. “Hold on dear.” With a great lunge forward, he put his foot down once again and eased out onto the narrow road and with a scowl upon his face, raced up the road, passing William and several other guardians by. Beside him, he could feel Laura’s anxiety and with a strong hand, placed it upon her leg.

“Won’t your friends be angry with us?”

“A little frustrated yes, but not angry,” Theodore lied as he kept his eyes upon the empty roads, as the sound of fighter planes flew overhead.

“I certainly hope not.”

As they made their way through London, bombs began to fall like flies and Laura began to fret wildly.

“Theodore we need to find shelter!”

“We are nearly home,” Theodore said as he tried to navigate his way through the bustling streets of dazed and confused citizens; passing by fire engulfed buildings and terrified families. The sound of fire engines and ambulances filled the air alongside the sound of the London sirens. With impatience, Theodore fought his way through the streets of London until he finally came upon Chelsea, which had also been hit during the night. When finally they stopped before their house, Theodore rushed out of the car and hurried to the passenger’s side, aiding Laura out. As they climbed the steps behind them, they both felt a force propel them backwards. With a heavy thud, Theodore hit the curb of the pavement and saw Laura fall beside him, her body bouncing against the ground mercilessly. His head spinning once more, he turned and saw the two terrifying figures of the knights descend upon them. “Stunna!” he cried out as he forced himself to his feet, whilst also tapping at Laura’s unconscious body. “Eveline get up!” he cried out as the knights crossed the road, bolts of red light aimed directly at him.

“Exexta Nova!” a deep and resounding voice called out. Theodore felt a horrid of fire arise within his chest and plummeted to the ground, his body writhing in agony. As he fell, he watched as the body of Eveline began to rise from the ground.

“Cacta!” he cried out as he tried to protect Laura. The fire in his chest grew deeper until he felt nothing but darkness take him. As his eyes began to close a sudden bright white light filled the air and with a heavy thud, he crashed his head against the curb and lost consciousness.




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