Guardians: The Last Elder

Chapter 10: Ava, the spy!

"For the way loneliness is worse when you return to it after a reprieve—like the soul's version of putting on a wet bathing suit, clammy and miserable."
~ Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bone)

                                                                          ______________________ 

The sight before me was startling and agonizingly familiar. A man with sand-colored hair was lying down on the stretcher, his face colorless. I could see those same markings in his bare chest and I felt that fear coiling at the pit of my stomach. However this time, the man's arms and legs were bent in strange angles, like they were broken and limp.

Mr Blackwell's face was stoic, no emotion betrayed, as he examined the corpse. He lightly touched one of the marks and muttered something under his breath. Blue sparks appeared from his fingertips and blanketed over the mark but then quickly vanished. He frowned but didn't say anything. He walked over and opened one of the man's closed eye lids. Muttering to himself, he closed the person's hauntingly vacant eye.

Mr Blackwell turned to face the expectant gaze of Sarah, Vanessa's mother, Mr Walker and a bunch of other people.

"Did you find something?" Sarah asked.

"Not much," Mr Blackwell said, sighing. "I think it's time we called a meeting with The Council."

Mr Walker and Sarah's eyes widened and they both exchanged a look.

"I'll give the announcement," said someone from the small crowd and rushed off out the door of that very room in which I had found myself in my first day here.

"There are lot of things to discuss. This is very serious. We should move to the Assembly Hall. The others would follow as soon as they get the news," Mr Blackwell said. Everyone nodded and started filling out the huge door. I was glad. Every time my eyes wandered back to the dead man's face, it wasn't his face that I saw. It was mom – still deathly pale and very much lifeless and unresponding to my horrified and disbelieving cries and shrikes.

But at least, Vanessa was still here with me because I wasn't quite sure what to do amongst so many adults I barely knew.

Sarah turned to look at us and said, "Both of you should go back to your dorms. No loitering around, Vanessa. Hear me? Your father and I will be busy with the Council, for how long I don't know."

Vanessa looked like she wanted to protest. But her mom gave her a look that said loud and clear – no arguing. Vanessa nodded glumly. But her expression turned to one of wicked mischief as soon as her mother disappeared. She grabbed my hand and dragged me out the door, saying, "C'mon Ava, we need to get Josh and Kace!"

"What for?" I asked confused. She looked at me incredulously, "Why, to spy of course! Do you not want to know what would happen on the meeting?"

"Yes, of course I do," I said quickly, although I was sure we'd be in great trouble if we got caught but I didn't voice aloud my worries, trusting Vanessa to know what she was doing. But that was only partly the reason. I did want to find any possible clues that would help me avenge my mother. I haven't forgotten my resolve to find the leader of The Hooded Ones, far from it really.

We stumbled down a few hallways and staircases, both our adrenaline pumping but no sooner had we turned a corner that we crashed onto something or rather someone. Both of us fell on our butt and judging from the groaning sounds, someone else did too. But it wasn't just one, there were two guys.

"Vanessa?" a guy said. Blinking, I realised a split-second later, it was Kace. "Ava?"

"What are you two doing here?" Josh asked, standing up.