Destiny (1)
Chapter 8

“Um, where exactly are we?” I looked around sceptically.

We were surrounded by skyscrapers, bustling streets and people. A lot of people considering it was a Thursday.

“London.”

I suddenly felt worried. Panic bubbled up inside me as I realised I couldn’t go back to Mya.

“Wait, I can’t return can I? Josie will be going out of her mind, mainly with confusion, but still! And Mya will be terrified!”

Ash frowned. “Who’s My-ah?”

“Mya. My foster mum.”

“Oh. Well anyway, they’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. Your friend will just think you’re off sick. And Mya will think…” he stopped, and I could tell that he was unsure of what Mya would do. Probably call the police, and that wouldn’t help matters.

“See! What do we do?”

Ash’s brow furrowed further, and I could see him in deep thought.

“There-” he paused. “there is something we can do. There’s a way we can wipe her memory of you, and she will never know she had a daughter.”

“Excuse me, what!?” I yelled so loud a few passers by gave us some funny looks. “Why’s it so important?”

Ash carried on, but this time in a hushed voice. “Well, if I’m right, and I hope I’m not, there’s one person after you. They want to kill you, and it is vital they don’t, otherwise the world will be plunged into a realm of terror, torture and death. You have to stay away from your home town, where they will look for you first, and always keep on the move.”

That didn’t sound like a life I wanted to live.

“They’ve already looked for you. Sasha, Zach, Michelle and Aurelia, they were just the start. Whoever it is after you, they made a clone to go after you. A clone of Sasha. I think… I think it went wrong. Four heads. So they masked it as a gang of humans. They sniffed you out, and when you transformed, it was obvious.”

“So how would we wipe her memory?” I ranted, agitated from my upset. Ash glanced around nervously.

“When the Guard made the Sceptre, they created an ancient book alongside it. It was locked up, with a code only one could open, and it contained incantations that were supposed to be able to destroy anything, and restore anything, as long as those things weren’t alive.”

“And where did they lock it up?”

Ash lowered his voice even farther, so it was barely audible over the chatter of the crowds.

“Londinium, AKA London. The middle of the city, hiding in plain sight.”

We hared through the city, winding between towering buildings and passing Big Ben, which was still in scaffolding. The raucous shouting from the crowds around us was almost overwhelming, and I was more than happy to keep moving.

“Where are we going?” I asked, puzzled.

“Well, when the Romans came and called London Londinium, some of the Guard that occupied Italy at the time came, and brought with them the ancient book. They hid it in the very centre of the city, and in 1633 the statue of King Charles I was built on top of it. The Guard decided in 1649 that it was too hard to access it, and ordered the statue to be moved. The non-magic population kept it for sentimental value though, and in 1675 it was returned to its rightful place,” He said all of this without pausing for breath, and without looking away from where we were walking. “it should take us about ten minutes to get there.”

I thought for a moment, slowing down a bit, and Ash slowed his pace too, trying not to leave me behind.

“So, in the meantime… can I ask you something?”

Ash shrugged.

“Sure,”

“What was your power?”

Ash turned his head towards me and gave me a look of exasperation. Then he smiled wryly.

“I guess I walked right into that one.”

“You’re avoiding it again!” Ash sighed in defeat, and sped up his walking pace, this time with a hurried, clumsy gait, nervous.

“I protect the woodland creatures. You know, squirrels, hedgehogs, badgers, voles, foxes, rabbits, bats, martens-”

“Martens?”

“Oh, Pine Martens, they’re like ferrets, ish, they're severely endangered in Britain. Anyway, I can - could - shapeshift into them.”

I blinked. “What?”

“I could turn into them. Endless possibilities… you can’t even begin to imagine the nights I spent outside playing with the young bunnies. They were so cute! Anyway, I ran away from the orphanage. My- my parents are gone by the way. They joined the siege led by your parents. And then…” His expression turned sour. “Sasha came. I don’t know how she found me in the acres of forest I was hiding in. We used to be best buddies, I mean, as good friends as cousins can be. My dad’s sister’s daughter.” He began to choke up. “Sasha used the Sceptre. I have no idea how she got it, but she drained me. It was even worse than the most horrible feeling you can imagine.”

Throughout that, I had remained quiet, absorbing what he was saying. But he had stopped, and I understood why. He’d started to crack, a bit like how I did when I tried to think about my parents. It’s so hard.

We strode the last few steps up to the statue. It was magnificent, with the king seated magestically atop a grand horse. It was all perched on a huge pedestal.

We were too busy gazing up to see a small homeless girl sitting with her legs crossed at the base. She grinned, and jumped to her feet.

“Ash!” she cried with euphoria. She ran, leaping like a gazelle, and hugged him.

“Thalia!?”