Page 10 of The Light Within

A sharp intake of breath from Cinn. “Look!”

The intruders had donesomethingto a small portion of the barrier—its red shimmer flickered before fading.How have they done that?Filing through quickly, the group moved forward with clear purpose, heading straight for the crack.

“Who are they?” Julien muttered, although he had a hunch. He squinted, unsuccessful in his attempt to zero in. But even if they were closer, it would have been impossible to see their faces, each head shrouded by a hood.

Elliot groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. “I can’t ignore seeing this. I’ve got to run into HQ and see who’s on shift to help.” A second later, Elliot was partway down the hill, leaving them no room to protest.

Losing sight of the cloaked group was unavoidable, as they had to walk around the large crest of the valley to access the portion of the barrier that had been tampered with. Once they’d slipped through, Elliot insisted that Julien, Darcy, and Cinn remain there while he fetched assistance.

As soon as he’d turned the corner, Julien said, “So, you two are going to stay here while I go find our mysterious guests.”

Two simultaneous glares pierced him. Darcy simply sighed, green eyes rolling to the back of her head, while Cinn protested, “As if. Why do you even want to talk to them?”

“He thinks they could be the Arcane Purifiers.” Darcy’s mind-reading skills were en pointe. “Although why he thinks they’ll be receptive to interruption is beyond my understanding.”

“Okay… We can try to approach them, I guess.”

Cinn took a step forward, but Julien’s arm flew out, blocking his path. “You’re staying here,” he said, more sharply than he intended. He winced. “In fact, go wait up the hill where we just were. They could be dangerous. In fact, weknowthey’re dangerous.”

A slight flush coloured Cinn’s cheeks, and his nostrils flared. “In that case, it’s too dangerous for you.”

“Ican protect myself,” he stated firmly, before pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

“Fuck that!” said Cinn, stepping towards Julien, unmistakable challenge in his narrowed gaze.

Darcy tugged at Cinn’s sleeve. “Don’t bother. There’s really no point trying to reason with him when he’s in this mood. Just let him go.”

“They literally blew up a building on my first day here! If it’s too dangerous for us all to go, then it’s too dangerous for him.”

“I’ll be back in five.” Julien spun on his heels and bolted away from them before Cinn succeeded in making him change his mind. He’d been impressively close.

The temptation to look back was remarkably strong, but Julien urged himself onwards. He’d made the right call. Cinn wouldn’t be able to follow him, because that would leave Darcy alone. Darcy, who apparently thought his entire plan ridiculous. But how could he pass up a fleeting chance to speak to the organisation that had potentially got his sister killed?

The cold afternoon sun was bright, forcing him into the shadows it created. Creeping around the edges of buildings, he passed through the numerous interlocking courtyards of the Veiled Gardens, inching closer to the fissure in the earth that had split the Institute in two. On eitherside of the path, trees stood stark and bare, their branches glistening with frost.

Julien froze.

A lone hooded figure stood underneath a large beech tree, facing away from him. Keeping guard? Julien pivoted, treading quietly as he took the longer route all the way around Caelum Hall. His fingertips glided over the cool, smooth surface of the ancient slabs of Roman stone the cathedral was composed of. Its weathered texture was a testament to the centuries it had lasted—it was the only building originally on this site, each of the others having been purpose-built around it.

Somewhere nearby, a bird squawked, interrupting Auri’s unusual near-silence. Julien quickened his pace. Who knew how much longer he had, before Elliot arrived with the cavalry?

It happened so quickly. One moment he was taking hurried steps towards the rift in the ground, eager to see it up close, and the next, a hand was over his mouth, and many arms were restraining him.

“Hmmhmmph!”

Julien’s teeth searched for flesh to bite, but instead found thick leather. His shoulders strained against the firm grip of his opponent. Blood pounded through his ears as he readied to reach for motes. If these two assailants thought it would be that easy, they had another thing coming.

“Wait! That’s Julien Montaigne.” A man’s voice. Deep. One he didn’t recognise. Julien tried to turn his head, but someone’s forearm pressed against his neck.

A pause.

Was his name about to work in his favour, or against him? These people would despise his father, who’d actively spoken out against AP. Yet, they may have counted Béatrice Montaigne as one of their own.

“Montaigne?” said the other at last. A woman. “So he’s… Why are you here, JulienMontaigne?”

The pressure on his neck slightly lessened. “Why are you here?” Julien spat, as he gulped a lungful of air.

The man grunted. “That’s it. I’m knocking him out. We don’t have time for this.”

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