The Endless Knight: The Seekers Trilogy (The Watchers Series Book 6) Read online

  She shrugs, her body language refusing to give up on that deflated, negative demeanour. It’s unlike her, but I know what’s brought it on: the injury to her sister, which is still playing on her mind. Without her by her side, I know she doesn’t feel whole, like half of a single person, her flank exposed.

  “And Vesuvia too,” I make sure to add. “When she’s better, obviously.”

  “Maybe,” is all she gives me. “But the way they just took out most of Athena’s Watchers…it was brutal, like they were nothing.”

  I step up from my armchair and move towards her in the flickering light. Her head remains low as I drop beside her on the sofa.

  “Velia, it sounds horrible to say it, but those Watchers were nothing to the Seekers.”

  My words draw a frown over her eyes, an element of shock within the hazel at the callousness of my words. But that’s not how they’re intended.

  “What I mean,” I say, explaining myself, “is that they had no chance against them. Most of Athena’s Watchers have limited gifts and abilities. They were cut down easily because they were the weakest of us. The rest of us held our own.”

  “Until we didn’t,” she says. “Holding our own is good and all, but it makes no difference if we can’t win. What’s the point in just holding out, only to be defeated? The way they fought together, it was like they were fighting as one. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

  “And when we fought them separately,” I counter, “we were almost getting the upper hand. Had Link and Drake been there, who knows what could have happened.”

  I’m trying to imbue some positivity into her, to bring back the Velia I’m used to. To a degree, it works, her shaking head turning to a weak nod, her expression telling of some agreement. It’s not much, but it’s a start at least. Right now, negativity isn’t welcome here. That’s what Drake, or Jackson would say. And when they’re not around, it’s up to me to take on that mantle, to help lift those up who are beginning to falter.

  We sit by the fire, and talk for a little while longer, trying to move onto other things. I’m reminded of when we were last here, when the two of us sat here, late at night, trying to bring some light into our lives, to shoo away the darkness, if only briefly.

  So we do the same as the evening descends, my own aim to make her smile as much as possible, even laugh. When I finally achieve that goal, the sweetness of her giggle brings a warm smile to my own face, and I feel an urge to lean in a little closer to her, get a little nearer. I find my eyes lingering on her lips, soft and pink, her white teeth shining behind as her smile brightens the dim room.

  For a split second, I forget all my worries in that moment. Forget the concerns for those I care about. Forget about the Baron and the Seekers. Forget about the war. For that single, fleeting moment, I think only of Velia, this beautiful, tough, passionate girl before me.

  And just as I creep closer, wanting that moment to strengthen into another, into something greater, a voice sounds behind me, breaking the spell.

  “You’re back…”

  It’s so sudden I almost jump out of my skin, the room coming back into stark contrast as I swivel around and see Ajax peering around the door frame.

  He looks at me, now right up close to Velia on the sofa, with a glint in his eye and one corner of his mouth curved into a grin.

  “Sorry…I’m not interrupting am I?”

  “No, no, not at all,” says Velia hurriedly. She sounds like she was just as embedded in that spell as me.

  “You sure? I can, um, come back later if you want.”

  “No, seriously, AJ, we were just talking,” I say.

  He shrugs and steps further into the room.

  “Alright, I believe you.”

  “How’s my sis doing up there?” asks Velia, keen to swiftly move onto another subject.

  “She’s just sleeping,” says Ajax. “I heard some laughing, so thought I’d get in on the joke. What have you guys been up to?”

  “Not much, just chatting,” I say. “I saw Drake earlier. He’s getting better fast.”

  “That’s awesome, Theo. We need his leadership right now. I mean, your dad’s done a great job, don’t get me wrong, but Drake’s led armies before.”

  “Yeah, and he’s got that foresight,” I add. “Seriously, it was so good seeing him back. I felt sure he was dead for all those weeks before we found him.”

  “Yeah, and the Baron made a big mistake not making that happen. It might come back to haunt him.”

  As we speak, the sound of commotion outside begins to grow closer to the door. Then, suddenly, a fresh burst of voices rumbles into the house, the sound of Cyra and Ellie and Leeta bustling inside. I hear Leeta and Cyra move off into the kitchen, as Ellie’s eyes swing into the room.

  “Hey kids,” she says. “Leeta’s cooking up her famous beef stew. You want to come help set the table?”

  She frames it as an offer, but really it’s an order. As our school Principal back home, she’s used to that.

  Despite everything that’s going on, I know that our parents, our mothers in particular, want to ensure that some semblance of normality is maintained. Dinnertime is one such opportunity, so just like back on Eden, we help set the table in the kitchen and offer to aid Leeta with the cooking.

  I do consider that, perhaps, it’s better to have someone else perform the job, given how many other things they have to do, but don’t bring it up. Truth be told, doing something as relatively mundane and unimportant as cooking and preparing dinner is probably welcome respite for all of us.

  Back on Eden, of course, the world hadn’t quite come to the verge of collapse as it is now. Mostly, life was going on as normal, with the threat of violence simmering in the background. Now, it’s come to the boil, and yet our parents still consider it important to maintain this particular custom.

  Dinnertime on Eden was also something I welcomed; an opportunity to sit down and pick my father’s brain in particular. That evening, however, he doesn’t materialise, my mother telling me that he’s too busy participating in war meetings with Markus and the various leaders of the war effort.

  Link, however, does appear, fresh from a day of training and meetings of his own. He looks stronger than he did the day before, his wounds quickly healing and his full powers returning in force. It’s an extremely comforting and rousing sight, and helps to give the rest of us strength too, particularly Ajax.

  And, right now, it’s just what we need after the last few days we’ve had. Some good, home cooked food, the company of friends and family, and the unnerving positivity of the likes of Leeta and, to a lesser extent, Ellie.

  At a time like this, it’s the little things that make you realise just what you’re fighting for.

  4

  State of Play

  It’s not until the following morning that I see my father again. He enters my room after a brief and sharp bout of knocking, and sends his eyes over Ajax and me as we groggily sit up in our beds.

  “We are holding a meeting in the Master’s chamber to update you all on the current state of affairs across the country. Meet me downstairs in five minutes,” he says.

  As quick as he entered, he’s gone, his footsteps taking him off down the corridor. A check of my watch informs me that it’s still only a little past dawn, regular hours perhaps not such a fixture at a time like this. As quickly as possible, Ajax and I dress and head downstairs to find Ellie and Cyra awaiting us. Moments later, Velia appears from the top of the stairs as well, alone once more and without her sister.

  “Vesuvia not coming?” I ask her with a whisper.

  “She’s still weak,” she tells me. “I’ll update her later.”

  Given her current state of health, it’s also possible that she simply didn’t get the invite. Whether a Watcher or not, a serious injury like she sustained is enough to take anyone out of the game.

  We head off together up towards the main chamber, the command post in the square of our residential chamber a
lready growing busy. I see Leeta already there, getting on with her many tasks, busily working with her team.

  Link, I learn, will meet us there. According to Ellie, he woke early to get some further rehabilitation work in before the meet. Trust Link to do such a thing. Most people who’d suffered such injuries would be getting as much rest as possible. Link, meanwhile, prefers to spend every spare minute he has recuperating his abilities, pushing his body right to the limit.

  I hope that he doesn’t suffer any sort of burnout. When I bring the concern to Ajax, he merely shakes his head and declares that his father knows just what he’s doing. I have absolutely no basis to counter than argument.

  Through the main chamber we go, led along by Jackson as we sweep through the city, drawing many early morning eyes with us as we march. They look at us and see action, wondering what plans we’re cooking up to save them all from the spreading shadow. Right now, I’m wondering exactly the same thing.

  Soon, we’re at the entrance to the passage that leads to the chamber of the city Master, given to the discussion of war just as it was two decades ago. As it was then, all designs for our cause will begin in there, all major plans drawn up by the brains trust of Petram in that cosy chamber. I look upon Jackson and Cyra and Ellie with confidence, knowing that they’ve been through all of this before.

  Now, it’s the turn of the younger generation to join in and help in the fight.

  Many guards line the passage, maintaining a constant vigil over their leader. We pass through the corridor as the rocky walls turn smooth and flat, the mountain neatly morphing until its appearance resembles that of a man-made building. We reach the heavy wooden doors and pass straight through into Markus’s war room, finding many others already there awaiting us, Link among them.

  I scan the room immediately and see many familiar faces. Markus himself stands around the central table, already in discussion with several others whose faces I recognise. One, I know to be General Trent, commander at Fort Warden and head of the Eden military forces. Another is General Proctor, commander of the forces of Petram. Others are Senators and Governors from Eden who either escaped the destruction of the capital or were absent from the city when the fighting began. By the looks of it, half the luminaries from across the nation still on our side have congregated here.

  Athena, too, is present, standing beside Link with her two Watchers. I think of how many others she’s already lost, and whether she has any remaining. The eyes of some of Markus’s personal guard suggest she does, several more having been left behind to protect the city when she went on her hunt.

  As we enter, bringing the room to its full complement, Markus’s eyes draw up to us and order for the doors to be shut. The many voices in the room hush, all eyes swivelling towards us. Then, Markus’s voice brings them back to him.

  “Good morning, everyone,” he begins. “I’ve gathered you all here to bring you up to speed on exactly what’s happening across the country as we speak. Some of you will be up to date, others won’t. Suffice to say that right now, things are developing quickly, and we need to be ready to act fast in response.”

  His eyes sweep across the room as he addresses us, before stopping on my father.

  “Jackson, would you start. Bring us up to date on the health of our President…our true President.”

  My father quickly informs those who don’t know that Drake is currently awake and doing well. That his wounds are largely superficial and his mind is just as sharp as it was.

  “He’ll be right here with us in no time at all,” he concludes, bringing a short round of applause as he does.

  There’s not a single person in this room that doesn’t have the deepest respect for my grandfather, of the things he’s done. Having him back up and running will be an enormous boon to our cause.

  “That is excellent news,” says Markus, currently running the show in his stead. “However, all good news is tempered with the bad. As of right now, there’s plenty of the latter.”

  The mood quickly darkens. I listen to him intently, desperate to hear what’s happening out there that I don’t already know.

  “We have had reports coming in over the last two days. Ever since Eden was destroyed, the regions have been under siege. The Baron’s forces are spreading through the lands, giving those they meet a single choice…silver or lead.”

  “Silver or lead?” asks Ellie. “You mean, join or die?”

  “Essentially, yes,” says Markus. “The Baron is working to build his forces further, and create a new world order. We have a young man here today who can bear witness to this.”

  He swings him arm over to the left, and for the first time I see a young man, cowed and timid amid such esteemed company, ruggedly dressed and weary looking.

  “This is Elton, a young man from the small town of Ship’s Haven on the North-eastern coast. He’s travelled here overnight to tell us his story. Please, Elton, step forward.”

  Nervously, the young man moves ahead of the watching eyes of a room full of Generals, Senators, Governors, and Watchers, many of them legends of the past and present. He’s hardly able to make eye contact with anyone as he speaks, his voice brittle and nervous.

  “My town…we were attacked,” he begins slowly. “We’d heard about Eden, and the fighting. But we never expected it to come to us. They rounded us up like cattle and pointed their guns at us. They…they asked us if we wanted silver or lead, like the Master says…”

  His eyes begin to water as he speaks, his body trembling. Standing nearby, my mother steps to his side and gently puts her palm to his back.

  “It’s OK, Elton,” she says softly. “Take your time.”

  He looks at her in wonder, her presence giving him strength. His voice firms up, and he continues.

  “They explained that if we took silver, we’d join them, and live prosperous lives. But if we didn’t, we’d be shot and killed right there on the spot. It wasn’t much of a choice. But some…some refused the man, maybe they didn’t believe him. They were killed right there in front of me.”

  “And those who said silver?” asks Jackson.

  “They were put into a truck and taken off. I…I don’t know where…”

  “The same thing is happening everywhere,” cuts in Markus. “Right now, we don’t know what the Baron will do with these people, but none will get the prosperous life he promises. Other reports have come in, telling of people going willingly. It’s well known that not everyone has been happy with the current regime. Droves of people are joining his ranks without needing to be threatened.”

  “Any you, Elton,” says my father, turning all eyes back to the young man. “How did you escape?”

  He shakes his head. “I didn’t, sir. I…was let go.”

  “Let go?”

  “Yes. They told me to come here, stand before you like this, to tell you my story. They want you to know what they’re doing.”

  “And who was it who told you this?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t see his face. He was wearing a…a cloak, and his face was in shadow.”

  He doesn’t need to continue. We all know who he’s talking about.

  Markus steps to his side.

  “Thank you, Elton, for having the strength to come here,” he says. “But you’re safe now. Rest, and eat. You will be well looked after.

  “Well done…you did well,” I can hear Cyra whisper to him as he’s led towards the door. It opens, and I see a young city official waiting outside to take him off. When the door shuts, the conversation resumes, Markus once more taking the floor.

  “News of the Baron’s sadistic choice is starting to spread through the regions. As of now, people are fleeing their homes before they’re found, escaping into the wilderness where they think they’ll be safe. Many are coming across to the Deadlands. Already, we’ve had a few reports of dead bodies being found out there, killed by the heat. We can expect many others to be ill prepared for what greets them in the wasteland. And yet, still they
come…”

  “And the city continues to fill,” adds in Jackson. “We have only so much space and provisions to house them, but they know Petram to be our only impenetrable fortress. When the going gets tough, this is where the people flock to.”

  “Indeed. We who experienced the last war know what it’s like to see this city swell. However, the playing field is very different from last time. We have our own standing army here, and spread across the Deadlands. General Proctor, would you fill us in.”

  Now, all eyes move to the man in charge of the forces of Petram. He’s typically grizzled and gruff for a military man from these parts, someone who’s never tasted the air of Eden, his life spent in the desert and mountains. With a mane of warm brown hair and searching brown eyes, he looks every bit the predator, stalking the floor as he begins to speak.

  “Our forces are spread across the Deadlands at their posts. If given the order, they are ready to rally and march to battle. Unlike across Knight’s Wall, my men are completely loyal to our cause…”

  It’s a veiled insult to the forces of Eden. Already, some have defected willingly, their own commanders part of the Baron’s plan from the beginning.

  “General Trent,” says Markus, calling out the leading military figure from the regions. “Perhaps you’d like to fill us in on your own movements.”

  Older, taller, and quieter than his counterpart, the wiry figure of General Trent turns his keen eyes to General Proctor.

  “Your point is taken, General,” he says, his voice precise and measured. “But none of us foresaw what Baron Reinhold was up to. He was a resident of these lands, and yet his plot slipped under all of our noses. Now isn’t the time for pointing fingers. It is the time for action.”

  General Proctor bows his head respectfully at his words, as Trent continues.

  “Regarding our military movements, we’re doing all we can to protect the major cities and larger populations. Over the last couple of days, our entire military force has been mobilised, with all our bases, including Fort Warden, emptied out. We are doing what we can, but it’s a losing battle. We don’t have the manpower to cover all settlements, and have no means of predicting where and when the Baron’s men will turn up next. Currently, ladies and gentlemen, we are losing this fight…”