The Rise of Isaac, Books 1-3, page 79
"Ganderfield survived somehow. I will do the same. When I return, I will do so with an army of varks at my back and we shall destroy the Gateways together."
Isaac embraced his friend then pulled back so he was inches away from William's face. He gripped the back of William's head, pulling his hair tightly with his fingers. He pressed a brief, rough kiss onto William's lips, taking him by surprise. Isaac abruptly turned away, shouldered his pack and walked up to the Gateway, holding his Lock high.
White lightning appeared within the portal, crackling and sparking. William held his breath as Isaac stepped forward, glanced back at him with an encouraging smile then disappeared into Vale.
23
Liar
Eugene returned to the room before they could make a move to leave. He looked around at them all as if he sensed a change in the atmosphere.
Ely cleared his throat and held his composure. "It's time for us to go. I'm sure you've had more than enough company for one day."
Eugene eyed him. "Dad, can I- would you mind if we had a word in private before you go?" he asked, gazing hopefully at Ely.
Ely glanced at May and Oliver with a look of warning. "Just briefly."
Eugene nodded and smiled a little. He took the lead out of the room.
Ely lowered his voice as he spoke. "Just go. I'll meet you back by the yacht." He turned and followed his son out of the room.
Oliver heard the creak of the stairs as they ascended to the next level. Their footsteps sounded across the floorboards, passing above them and dislodging dust from the ceiling to cascade down over the table. Their voices sounded as a distant din.
"Let's go," Oliver said, taking May by the arm.
He glanced at her when she didn't move and found her gazing up at the ceiling. He could no longer hear Ely's voice.
May went to speak but Oliver pressed his finger to his lips.
A loud thud sounded as something hit the floor.
May jumped, suppressing a squeak. "What was that?" she hissed.
"Sounded like someone hitting the ground," he whispered in a panic.
Oliver followed his instincts and ran over to the kitchen drawers. He opened them, rifling through the contents looking for a weapon. He grabbed a large knife and twisted around just as the kitchen door opened.
It was Eugene.
"Where's Ely?" Oliver demanded.
Eugene smiled, looking unlike his frightened self. "Oliver. Put the knife down." His voice was changed. The tone was deeper and his words were more fluid.
"Where's Ely?" Oliver repeated, waving the knife at him.
May closed the gap between them so her shoulder rubbed Oliver's.
"Upstairs. He's fine," Eugene said innocently.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted," May spat.
"Hmm. No, Eugene was definitely a man who could be trusted. But, unfortunately for you, I'm not Eugene." He pressed the tips of his fingers together, pointing them back at his chest. Sparks of electricity burst to life between them.
Oliver and May backed away until they were pressed against the stove.
"Who are you?" Oliver demanded.
"Oh Oliver, don't you even recognise your own father?" He waved a hand over his face and ran it down his body. His skin twisted and reshaped until William Knight's body was revealed.
Oliver's throat constricted so tightly he couldn't draw breath for a second. "It can't be you."
"Oh I assure you, it can. You're quite privileged actually, I've kept up this ruse for nearly ten years. I've got quite good at it, don't you think?" William said, taking a step forward.
"Stay back!" Oliver shouted, holding the knife higher.
"Oliver are you really going to stab your own father with a kitchen knife?" he asked, waving a hand to one side.
A flash of magic wrenched the blade from Oliver's hand. It shot across the room and embedded in the wall, its hilt left shaking from the impact.
"You've got Mum," May snarled.
William's mouth turned up at one side. "And how do you know that?"
"It was on the news. Your twisted little cult," Oliver snapped.
"Cult? Oliver please, give us a bit more credit than that. It is an army," William said, wetting his lips.
"How are you giving people magic?" May asked, clearly trying to keep him distracted.
William folded his arms and regarded her. "Why don't you both come with me? I'll show you."
Oliver let out a cold laugh. "As if."
"Why are you holding her hostage?" May snapped.
"Who's to say she didn't come to me willingly?" William said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Liar," Oliver growled. "She'd never."
"Enough of this. You have evaded death for far too long I'm afraid May," William said, pointing a finger at her.
Oliver sidestepped in front of his sister.
"You really must stop putting yourself on the line for her," William said, rolling his eyes. "Move aside or I'll make you move."
"You'd have to kill me before I'd ever let you get near her," Oliver snarled.
"Clearly I'm not going to do that. I want you to come with me when I'm finished here."
There was an ear-wrenching CRACK and the floor above them collapsed.
Oliver turned and pushed May to the ground, broken floorboards cascading over them as they hit the hard tiles. Dust rose all around, making them cough and splutter. He squinted through the haze but couldn't see anything but darkness.
"Oliver! Here! Take my hand!" Ely cried.
Oliver firmly gripped May's arm and reached toward the voice with the other. He found skin and tightly took hold of Ely's wrist. He felt an immense tug and the heat of magic where Ely's palm had hold of him. They were dragged to their feet by a burst of power then Ely let go of his hand, sparks bursting to life in his palms.
A concentrated ball of light whizzed past May's ear and the wall behind her exploded. Oliver's head snapped around and he saw his father rising from the rubble. His face was a picture of rage; his eyes were focused purely on May.
Ely cast a storm of electric energy that burst from his palms and knocked William flying through the wall into the far room. Ely kept moving towards the hallway with Oliver and May close behind him.
Ely sent a fireball at the front door. It spiralled through the air and cut a spherical hole where the door had been.
Before they reached the exit, a whip-like slither of light caught May by the ankle. Her hand was wrenched from Oliver's as she fell and flew backwards through the air, landing at William's feet with a scream.
Ely held his palms aloft, his face screwed up in concentration and anger. Blue spheres exploded from his hands in a torrent of unrelenting magic. The balls crackled with lightning. William had to focus his attention on deflecting them and, whilst he was distracted, Oliver charged towards May.
Ely cried out with exertion as Oliver fell to his knees amongst the rubble and dragged May across it. She clung to his arm and dug her heels in to push herself up. Panic consumed him, driving him on to move faster.
All too soon, Ely's energy depleted and William instantly returned his focus to May. Oliver had gotten her half way to Ely when a flash of silver flew past his face then boomeranged back around, circling towards May.
He dropped to the ground, roughly taking out her legs as he made the decision. She fell just as the magical blade sliced over her head, cutting a piece of blonde hair clean off.
She gasped in fright.
As the blade boomeranged back towards May, Ely recovered and sent a red disc-shaped shield in her direction. With a thunk, the blade embedded in it.
The disc and the blade dissolved and there was a moment of silence that seemed to last forever. Oliver looked up at Ely, his heart pounding in his ears.
Ely swung his arms and a tremendous force burst from them like a visible hurricane, pouring out into the house until the walls vibrated with the energy contained inside of it.
William twisted his splayed hands away from each other and a large red disc appeared between them like the shield Ely had made moments ago. He split his hands apart and the disc became a box, encasing his body.
"Run!" Ely roared.
May was up first, tugging Oliver by the hand. He leapt to his feet and sprinted towards the exit, his breathing ragged.
Ely's face was strained and turning crimson from the force emitting from his body. The house began to shatter and break apart, debris falling from the ceiling.
Oliver knocked into Ely, forcing him backwards through the exit. They collapsed onto the grass outside.
Oliver glanced back at the house and, for the split second that it was still standing, saw his father kneeling on the floor encased in his shield. Then the house imploded.
Dust rose into the air in great plumes.
Oliver rolled off of Ely and reached for May who was standing above them, miraculously still on her feet. She took his hand and helped him up then he turned and pulled Ely up after him.
"Go," Ely coughed. "Go, go. Come on." He pushed May's back, encouraging her forwards.
They fled down the hill, glancing back again and again. The brambles tore at Oliver's skin but he barely noticed them. He turned his head as another loud crash sounded behind him. The house was gone and dust was rising endlessly into the sky.
May's foot caught in a thick vine covered in thorns and she flew forward. Oliver swooped down, grabbing her just in time and planting her on her feet.
The yacht loomed ahead at the end of the pier and Oliver's lungs burned as he increased his pace. They hurried aboard and Ely rushed to put in the coordinates, setting the speed as high as he was able to.
May and Ely were covered head to toe in dust and Oliver reckoned he hadn't faired much better. He ran a hand through his hair and a shower of plaster fell around his shoulders.
Ely leant against the control desk inside the cabin, his shoulders shuddering.
Oliver looked to May and she gazed over at Ely with sympathy.
The quiet seemed to press in on Oliver's ears. His heartbeat was still quicker than usual as the last of the adrenaline left his system.
A noise emanated from Ely's pocket and he reached inside it, retrieving his Flash Screen which had a lightning bolt of a crack in it. Oliver and May hurried over.
"It's Rogan," Ely said flatly, not looking at them. He reached up to his ear, ripped the earpiece off and slammed it down on the side with the screen. He walked away and descended to the lower deck, leaving the two of them gazing at the ringing Flash Screen.
May moved forward, picked it up and clipped the device to her ear. "How does this work?"
"Just sort of, focus," Oliver said vaguely, unable to concentrate.
May gazed at the screen and an image flickered to life. Split down the middle by the jagged crack, was Rogan's face. He smiled then his face dropped at the sight of May.
"What's happened?" he said in alarm.
"It's a long story," May said, glancing at Oliver. Her lip was split and a splash of blood dripped from it onto the control desk.
"Vale! Are you okay?" Rogan demanded, moving closer to the screen as if he could reach through and help. She dabbed at the cut with the back of her hand, nodding.
Oliver moved and sat down on a bench a few feet away. May joined him, holding the screen out so they were both in shot.
"My father paid us a visit," Oliver said bitterly.
"What? How's that possible?" Rogan asked, an anxious v-shape forming between his eyes.
"It was a trap. He was disguised as Eugene," May explained.
"How? That sort of magic is just, unthinkable. I wasn't sure it was even possible," Rogan said, running his fingers through his hair.
"I guess this explains how Truvian Gold was in two places at once back in Aleva. William filled in for him while he attacked us in the forest, gave him the perfect alibi," May said coldly.
Oliver glanced at her in surprise. "You're right."
"Is Ely okay?" Rogan asked.
May shook her head. "I think he needs some time. He just found out his son's actually dead."
"Has been for years," Oliver said grimly.
"Oh man, that's rough," Rogan said.
"Where are you now? Any luck finding Quinn?" May asked hopefully, sounding desperate for some good news.
"Sort of," Rogan said. "We're in the capital, Cerulea. We got some help from the government, they've sent out search parties and there'll be an appeal broadcast to the public today. Hopefully it'll just be a matter of time..."
"We'll probably head to you then," Oliver said. "We've not heard anything from Wallace yet."
"And we may not ever again," May said, throwing him a look.
"We will," Oliver insisted.
"Oliver! I can smell you from here! Take a bath!" Larkin's voice sailed to them over the Flash Screen.
He saw Rogan shoot him a look of venom off-screen. "Shut up. They've been attacked."
"What?" Larkin said, sounding taken aback.
"Attacked!?" Anna cried, coming into the room behind Rogan. "Why didn't you tell me you were ringing them?" She sat down beside Rogan, making him perch on the edge of his chair so she could share the seat. She looked at the screen and gasped. "What happened?"
Oliver filled her in and she was left in a state of anxiety.
"But what if he comes after you? How far away from the island are you? Is Ely on the deck? Maybe he should be keeping a lookout. He's the only one that can fight him," Anna said in a jumble of words.
Oliver smiled a little. "Don't worry it's fine. We're well away from the island now. He can't exactly walk on water."
"If he can disguise himself as someone else, maybe he can," Anna said in alarm.
Rogan muttered something to her and she quieted.
Larkin came into view behind them, looking shocked.
Rogan frowned. "We'll leave you guys to it. We're staying at The Merrymoon Hotel in central Cerulea. I'll send a map to your Flash Screen."
"Be safe," Anna said, gazing at them intently.
"We will," Oliver said with a half smile.
"See you soon," May said and the screen went blank.
Oliver's heartbeat was finally steadying. He rubbed his eyes wearily and May placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
He nodded though he felt shaken. William had come close to killing May too many times. "It's just a lot to process."
"I know," she mumbled and he looked up at her with a sad smile.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded, her eyes shining.
The sun beat down on the cabin and they soon had to descend beneath the deck to cool off, despite wanting to give Ely some space.
They found him in a small bar at the far end of the yacht. It had one table with stools fixed to the floor around it and a large window behind it that overlooked the open sea.
Ely sipped on a drink that resembled a whiskey with ice.
"Ely?" May said gently. "Are you alright?"
Ely looked up and took another sip of his drink with a sharp shake of his head. "No."
"Do you want some space?" Oliver asked, receiving an unsubtle elbow to the ribs from May.
Ely shrugged. They tentatively took a seat at the table with him and sat quietly for a while.
"I've been so angry at Eugene for all these years," Ely said eventually, gazing down at his drink. His hands were locked around it in a tight clasp. "And all this time-" his voice broke and his bottom lip quivered but he didn't cry. "They murdered him. Your father and Rimori. That's how they entered Vale. William told me when we went upstairs. He said Eugene knew. That he was s-scared." Tears leaked down Ely's cheeks. He let them fall, not bothering to wipe them away.
May reached out and lay a hand on his wrist.
"Laura and Pilford don't know," Ely said abruptly, moving to stand.
Oliver gripped his shoulder. "It can wait."
Ely nodded, sinking back into his seat. "It'd be better face to face anyway, of course," he said, shaking his head. He took another sip of his drink then rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "The last time I saw Eugene he came to me at Oakway Manor. He told me he'd quit university to follow his dreams, to gain all of the Gateway keys with his friends." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "I was furious. We fought for ages, just screaming at each other. Then I told him to go, that I-" Ely's lip shook uncontrollably. "That I never wanted to see him again."
Oliver glanced at May and she chewed her lip.
"I didn't really mean it, it's just one of those things you say when you're angry. But...he left." Ely's words hung in the air speaking of all the moments he and Eugene had never had together because of Isaac Rimori.
24
The Merrymoon Hotel
After returning to Barlin to retrieve their things, they headed back out to sea.
The yacht pulled into the small island where the Gateway to Glacio resided. Oliver spied the tall, blossoming tree up on the hill. He shot a confused look at May.
"Ely? Why are we back here?" Oliver asked.
"I'm going back to Aleva. I need to talk to Laura and Pilford. I'll come meet you in a few days," he said in a monotone voice. He walked over to the control panel and input new coordinates. "I've set the boat to take you to Cerulea, just focus on the Flash Screen when you're ready to go. The government will need to be informed of what's happened."
"Wait! What?" Oliver said in alarm. "You can't go back to Glacio. Dead Xen's in power. It's not safe."
Ely waved him down. "I'll be fine. The Gateways are open, I checked the news. People are travelling through as usual."
"But if he finds out you're there-" May started but Ely cut her off.
"He won't," he growled, then softened at their anxious faces. "I'm sorry but I have to tell Laura and Pilford about their brother. It will only take me a few days. Just a few days..." He looked aged in the short time since they had discovered the truth about Eugene.
Oliver gazed at him, feeling worried. "Just be careful," he said earnestly.
"I will, my boy. Take care of your sister," he said, smiling at May.
