Seven Wardens: Books 1-4

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"You know this building wasn't always used as a school?" she asked as they walked deeper into the catacombs. She'd explored them when she first came to the college. She may have used regrowing her tail as an excuse to justify her exploration to Izban, but in truth she was simply curious. Living in a place that she hadn't completely searched for anything interesting was no fun. So she'd spent dozens of nights walking through the endless tunnels beneath the school, enjoying the atmosphere of mystery and the forbidden. Strangely enough, there were few warded doors; the teachers probably thought that nobody would be interested in wandering so far into the maze of corridors. Luckily, Amber had an excellent sense of direction and only got lost a few times. And while her magic wasn't strong at all, she was able to summon a light bright enough to find her way. That wasn't to say that she hadn't occasionally stumbled on the uneven floor. Once she even broke through a decayed wooden trapdoor into a hidden chamber beneath. And that was exactly where she was leading Izban now.

"What was it before?" he asked as he followed her closely behind. She could almost feel his breath on her neck.

"It was used by the Shifter Government at some point, but before that, it was a prison. Do you believe in ghosts?"

He chuckled. "Not really, although some of your teachers might pass as one."

"Then let me change your mind."

They'd reached a small door, not much wider than Amber. It was going to be a slight squeeze for Izban. She still didn't know why anyone would build such a tiny door. It didn't make sense - but then, not a lot in this place made sense.

"Try not to offend her," she whispered and opened the door, revealing a dusty chamber that was likely host to a few hundred spiders. In the middle of the room was a large square hole in the floor; the place where the trapdoor had been before Amber had broken it.

"Bea? Are you there? I brought a visitor!" she called, peering down into the darkness beneath them. She'd only been in there once before and wasn't planning on repeating that experience. Bea didn't like people seeing her down there either. She preferred to come upstairs to welcome her one and only visitor - Amber.

Izban shrieked as Bea shimmered into being and Amber had a hard time stifling her snicker. He was pretending to be so strong and brave, but confront him with the ghost of a 17th century woman and he freaked out.

"What is she?" he shouted and the woman tsked.

"Don't you know it's impolite not to address the ghost in question?" Bea asked, adjusting her bonnet. She was in her fifties, an old age back in the times she lived in.

"S...Sorry," Izban stammered. "What are you?"

Bea chuckled and turned to Amber, who was watching the exchange with a wide smile on her lips. "Is he always this slow?"

"I wouldn't know, I only met him today."

"Well, he doesn't seem very bright. You may want to think about it before you start a relationship with him. I know how overwhelming young love can be."

Amber blushed and turned to hide her reddening cheeks. "You're daft, Bea. Now tell him what he wants to know."

The old ghost tsked again, then sat down in the air, crossing her legs until it looked like she was meditating.

"I'm dead, dear boy, and I've been a ghost for about three hundred years now. They let me starve in here, thinking I was a witch. Well, I wasn't, but my cellmate was. With her last breath, she wished that I would live - and she got her wish, even though it was not as she intended." She paused, seemingly lost in thought, until her eyes cleared and she began to stare at Izban.

"Is blue hair the fashion nowadays? I don't get out much, I don't like leaving my body behind."

Izban looked like he was tempted to look down into the chamber beyond the trapdoor, but Amber shook her head. The skeletons in there were not a pretty sight, nibbled on by generations of rats.

"I like it," he said defensively and the old woman chuckled.

"Oh, me too. I would get my hair dyed, if I could, but alas, it's destined to stay white, just like the rest of me. But Amber, darling, you've not come down here in a while. Tell me the latest gossip, will you, dear?"

"There's not much to tell you, Bea," she said, studying her clawed fingertips intensely.

"Really? Then how come you're stood here in your scales and not one of those gods awful baggy shirts you normally do?"

Amber shuffled from side to side, not sure what about this was making her so uncomfortable. It wasn't like Izban hadn't seen her in her normal clothes, it was what she wore to school every day. But something about it being brought up made her feel odd.

"I do that for my tail," she pointed out.

"Which you seem to have lost again." Bea didn't seem particularly concerned by that, nor surprised in the slightly.

Amber hissed.

"Don't hiss at me, young lady, it's not my fault you haven't given them a little nip and taught them not to mess with you," Bea scolded.

"You know I can't do that," she protested.

"Why not?" Both women's heads turned to the side in shock. Amber had almost forgotten Izban was in the room with them, and Bea seemed to have done the same.

"It could kill them," Amber admitted softly. "I may not want them ripping off my tail, but I also don't want them dead. It's terribly bad luck."

Izban chuckled softly.

"Ripping off your tail would be their bad luck if you bit them."

Bea's tinkling laugh filled the room. "I change my mind. Keep this one, Amber."

"He's not mine to keep," she muttered, her cheek flushing as she spoke. It wasn't even appropriate for Bea to suggest that. Not when he was her teacher. Except...no, he wasn't her teacher, he'd just been pretending. That opened a whole new level of complications.

"And I still don't see why you don't wear nicer clothes, Amber. Let everyone see the real you." Bea gave her a stern look. She did this almost every time Amber came to visit. She really seemed to hate the idea of Amber not reaching her full potential. At least it made her miss her own family less. With someone else watching out for her, there was definitely a comfort in that.

"The human's would likely have a fit if they saw I have a tail." Amber shrugged.

"Spell it?"

"That's not possible," Amber protested instantly.

"Seriously?" Bea raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at Izban rather than Amber. "Is it possible?"

"I've never tried, but I shouldn't think so. It'd just need a hiding spell placed on it," he replied, a thoughtful look on his face.

"That's beside the point," Amber interrupted. "I don't have any other clothes anyway, so it's not something I need to worry about."

"You don't have any clothes right now," Bea teased.

"I can summon them for you if you want, though?" Izban asked tentatively. Despite herself, Amber appreciated the offer. It seemed genuine too, as if he actually wanted to help her.

"My scales are fine, thank you."

The three of them lapsed into silence for a few moments. It was unusual for Bea to be quiet for so long, and Amber worried about that. She didn't want things to become awkward between her and her only friend at school.

"So tell me about you," Bea prompted Izban after a few moments. "Why are you here?"

Amber perked up at that. She was eager to find out what he'd been doing. And why he wanted such weird items.

"Erm..."

"You can tell us," Bea added. "Amber and I are very trustworthy."

Izban frowned, as if he was considering hard for just a few moments. "I have a list."

"Of..."

"Items."

"Cryptic," Amber added in exasperation. What was the point in only half opening up? He may as well have just stayed silent.

"Sorry, I'm not used to being able to say much about my abilities. I spend a lot of time around humans, you know what they're like."

Amber nodded. But Bea shook her head.

"Actually, no. I don't. I was a human until a mage spelled me, but I was clueless about the supernatural world until then. I'm not sure how humans would act. Especially humans now." She pouted, a highly amusing expression on a ghost. It'd probably be a lot more effective if she wasn't translucent.

"Sorry," Izban offered. "They're not very accepting of anything or anyone that's different. They're definitely not ready to know about our world."

"Good to know," Amber said, nodding her head.

"You didn't already?"

"No. I'm a beithir, remember? We basically live with our swarm in the mountains unless we're at school. Other than that, we fly in the storm clouds. We don't really interact with humans very much." She shrugged. It was probably something she should rectify. Especially if she didn't want to spend the rest of her life in the same place she was born.

"I didn't realise beithirs were so antisocial," he admitted.

"Explains a lot, right?" Bea teased. "Now, your list, young man."

"Yes." He rustled through his pocket and pulled out a worn piece of paper with words scribbled all over it. Amber's curiosity was piqued, and she leaned over to look down the list. Only getting annoyed with herself when she couldn't work what any of them meant. Except for sgiathan sìthe, but she had no idea what anyone would use a fairy's wings for. Other than fairies, naturally. She understood their use for their wings.

"Hand it over," Bea said, holding out a hand and making a grabbing motion.

Reluctantly, and with a clear expression of confusion on his face, Izban handed it over. Bea's spectral fingers closed around it, seeming surprisingly solid as she held the paper.

"Hmm." Her white brow furrowed, and a slither of anxiety wormed its way into Amber. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.

"What is it?" Izban asked.

Amber was a little taken aback. Why didn't he know what was on the list? If she were him she'd have studied it time and time again, until she knew it by heart and could recite it aloud.

"Do you know what's on this?" Bea asked, her words coming out slowly as if she was still thinking about them.

"Yes, I memorised the list."

"Do you know what they are?" The same tone coloured her voice, though Amber didn't know if it was wariness of Izban, or over what was on it.

"Most of them yes."

"Who gave it to you?" This question came quicker, as if Bea was coming to actual conclusions and not just clutching at straws.

"My grandfather."

"Do you know why he's looking for the ingredients to gain immortality?"