The Promise (The Seekers Book 1) Read online

  Getting to her feet was a bit tricky, but as soon as she was upright Millie searched for her crystal. Once again her pockets were empty. She remembered what had happened last time but could see nothing that might be the crystal in another form. Kicking vainly at the sand Millie accepted her fate. Right, what would Oliver do? No point in wandering along the beach, that could take hours; she should head in-land and look for help.

  Once she had a plan she felt a little bit better but this was going to take some explaining and what about the others? Millie hoped they were all together, at least that way Oliver would be okay and Quark would find her soon, somehow.

  Millie’s head was throbbing and she tried to look for shade but the sun beat down on her remorselessly. Eventually a beach hut came into view. It was isolated but looked quite large, colourful awnings fluttering in the gentle breeze from the sea. There was someone on the front porch. Millie knelt down and approached stealthily from the side, she wanted to take a good look first. The sand had given way to an area of scrubland and Millie hid behind a patch of grasses.

  Pottering around on the decking was a young man in his late twenties maybe; he was listening to music and poured himself a large orange juice from the jug on the table. Millie’s eyes were drawn to it. The ice cubes clinked at her. He settled in a white cane chair and opened his book, leaning back against the wall he sipped at his drink and looked perfectly normal. She watched him for five minutes but couldn’t take anymore.

  He never looked up and nearly fell over when Millie started up the steps, “Whoa – where did you come from?” He spilt juice all over his shorts and stood up in a hurry to hide his embarrassment.

  Millie couldn’t have cared less, “I think I’m lost.”

  “I’ll say, your miles from anywhere, that’s why I rent this place. How did you get here?”

  Millie decided to stick with as much of the truth as possible. “My brother and I were visiting some friends and I got separated from them. I wandered around for a bit and then saw you; may I use your phone?”

  “Sure. Come on up, but would you like a drink first? I’ll just fetch another glass.”

  Millie nodded; she was so thirsty she could have drunk the whole jug.

  “There you go.” He placed the large tumbler on the table and Millie filled it to the top. “My name's Stefan by the way.”

  Millie didn’t stop drinking to reply, she downed the whole glass in one go and then struggled to say “I’m Millie.”

  He laughed easily, “Would you like another?”

  Millie studied him as he poured the second glass. She decided everything about him was ordinary. Average height and build, medium brown hair cut in a modern short style, normal beachwear of plain grey shorts and plain blue T-shirt. Everything said ordinary. He reached into his pocket for his mobile phone, “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” Millie sipped at the freshly squeezed orange juice and tried Oliver’s number first. She wasn’t too surprised when she couldn’t get through. She tried Aunt Viv’s home number next, she wasn’t really sure what she was going to say but she had to do something. But it wouldn’t connect either, so she handed the phone back with a shrug. “No luck I’m afraid.”

  Stefan smiled at her, “Sometimes the signal is not too good here.”

  Millie turned to leave, “Well thanks for your help...”

  “But where will you go? We are miles from anywhere, that’s why I come here to work! I can’t let you just wander off, your parents will be frantic with worry if I do that.”

  He seemed genuinely concerned, his pale blue eyes searching for an answer. Millie decided she could trust him, “Well, maybe I could try again in a short while.”

  He looked relieved, “Do you want to go inside out of the sun or do you like it hot?”

  Millie gazed at the heat shimmering on the beach, “Why is it so hot today?”

  Stefan frowned, “Well, I don’t know where you’re staying of course, but this is typical for round here.”

  Millie had a sinking feeling in her stomach, “Where, exactly is ...here?”

  His spotless white teeth dazzled her, “Why, California of course.”

  California...U.S.A. No wonder I didn’t get through.

  40

  Oliver gently stroked Winston’s head but there was no response, except for the occasional whimper. His white fur twitched and looked oddly crumpled in the dreary light. For the hundredth time Oliver paced up and down his small cell, his long legs ached but his pride was hurt the most. How could he have lost Millie again? He was supposed to be protecting her and where was Quark when you needed him?

  Oliver kicked the heavy wooden door and instantly regretted it. He sat back down. There was no way out that was for sure, the room was very small but the ceiling was so high the one tiny slit of a window gave hardly any light. The walls were solid stone and the whole place reminded him of school trips to medieval castles. Creepy.

  The moron with halitosis hadn’t even provided water so Oliver was guessing hospitality wasn’t their strong point. He patted his jacket, it had so many different pockets they might have missed something. Three dirty tissues, an old bus ticket and a piece of chewing gum later Oliver was just as depressed, but at least his mouth was no longer dry.

  He looked at the bus ticket. Oliver couldn’t even remember the last time he went on a bus. He squinted at the small black print on the pale blue card, a 99p return to Portal Street. Quark!

  41

  “Are you okay?”

  Millie’s legs had turned to jelly, “Er ... I think inside would be best ...”

  “Sure, follow me.”

  The inside of the “beach hut” was cool and refreshing, and Millie realised it actually had air conditioning! A large American refrigerator stood proudly in the open plan kitchen and the living space was scattered with papers. Stefan rushed forward to make room for Millie, “Sorry. I write for a local T.V. station, mostly rubbish actually, but it pays the bills.”

  Millie felt slightly sick. How on earth was she going to get home from here?

  Stefan was still talking, “... Actually you’re the second strange thing that’s happened today.” He pointed to a small wooden box on the coffee table. “I guess it was washed up on the beach. Looks pretty old eh? Funny thing is I can’t even figure out how to open it.” He turned away and put his work in a folder. Millie tried not to stare, but the chest was only three feet away! She was not alone after all.

  Stefan looked at his watch, “Look, I’m really sorry but I have a meeting with my Producer in an hour, I can’t cancel it unfortunately. Will you be alright if I go take a quick shower and then maybe I could drop you off at your friends place on the way?”

  Good luck with that...

  Millie smiled her sweetest smile, “That would be great, thank you.”

  Stefan looked a little uncomfortable as he headed for his shower and Millie guessed he didn’t have many guests, but he was kind of sweet in his shy way.

  As soon as the door closed Millie leapt off her chair. “Quark,” she hissed, “are you in there?” Falling water drummed into the silence. Maybe she should just try and lift the lid anyway ...what harm could it do?

  Samael preened himself in the mirror as he let the shower run empty, how vain these humans were, but she had fallen for it. Now if she would just hurry up and open the damn box we can all get out of here.

  Millie didn’t know what else to do. Quark obviously wasn’t here and he did say she was the only one who could uncover the Stone of Destiny, so it was down to her anyway. How else was she going to get out of this mess? Her hands shook slightly as she lifted the first golden hinge. She glanced at the door but the reassuring sound of the falling water spurred her on. As she opened the second hinge, however, a heavy white vapour started to pour out from under the lid and onto the floor! The dense mist swirled around her feet and spread quickly. Panicking slightly she tried in vain to close the lid, but there was no stopping it now. It seemed to have a life of it
s own and finally she could see it! The Stone. A pale sandstone block with one corner clearly clipped off, it had a central groove along its length with two small rings at either end.

  Millie reached in to touch it but could not make contact. The room swayed before her eyes and peeled away like a plastic covering. Her senses were reeling as everything unwrapped before her. All she could see, feel, touch, taste, hear, was dissolving around her. Reducing down to complete barrenness until there was nothing left. No. Thing. Anywhere.

  42

  “I’m sorry Sarah, but I don’t understand it. They are usually so good about phoning and the front door was still locked, I was painting in the back and I didn’t even see them go. I know I can be preoccupied at times but ...”

  Sarah almost dropped the phone. It just didn’t make any sense, they were good kids, they didn’t pull stunts like this. She tried her best to remain calm, “It's 9 o’clock now Viv and you haven’t seen them for over ten hours! Why are you only just ringing me?”

  “I kept expecting them to return with some story about low batteries or bad signals; you know what it’s like down here. Plus I didn’t want to worry you, they grow up so quickly and I guess I didn’t want to get them into trouble.”

  Sarah moaned at the naivety, “Viv – they might actually be in trouble! That’s the point.”

  Viv was more upset than she was letting on, “Well they are all together so what could possibly happen? They probably wandered too far and are having to find a pay phone, which is the devil of a job round here.”

  Sarah bit her lip and remembered the day they had been late, “Yeah, maybe...but it’s so isolated in your part of the world.”

  “And that’s how they’ve got lost. One country lane looks much like another and before you know it you are miles out of ...”

  Tears filled her eyes as her gaze fell on the new school photo in pride of place on the mantelpiece. She would never forgive herself if something had happened. Please God help us.

  Jamie took the phone from Sarah, “We are coming down Viv, we can’t just sit here and do nothing. Phone us on Sarah’s mobile if you hear anything at all. We’ll see you as soon as we can.”

  Viv gripped the phone with clenched fingers; she knew the next number by heart.

  43

  Samael had shed his persona and the illusion had been withdrawn. He studied the stricken figure at his feet, barely breathing but still mortal. Why was He still bothering with such pathetic creatures? There was nothing to them, except of course the most important fact in the Universes ... Hah! Access to unimaginable riches if they did but know it... Fools. They had it all and gave it away so easily and still the game went on. It was like taking candy from a baby.

  Some distant memory stirred and for a moment Samael almost felt pity. It lingered briefly in his being, desperately trying to revive some fleeting emotion. But like a candle in the wind it flickered and died. He still did not dare to touch the Stone but he could transport it now as was expected of him. Would the Master let the girl live? It was of no concern to him, he had completed another successful mission, but there would be no reward, for such things did not happen. Extinction alone awaited those who failed. And a long wait.

  44

  Oliver stirred from his sleep, sitting up in the darkness, his back was killing him and he felt chilled to the bone and slightly sick. Lying beside him, Winston was still unconscious and Oliver was deeply concerned. He took a few deep breaths to clear his head and then strained to listen in the stillness. There it was again.

  Sitting in the opposite corner of the room was a mouse. He could see it clearly now in the moonlight, cleaning its ears with its paws, its whiskers quivering slightly. Despite feeling miserable Oliver laughed, “Lucky for you Millie is not here, she hates mice.”

  The mouse scurried at the sound of his voice, but it came towards him not away from him, “Lucky for Millie that I am here!” it whispered in return.

  “Quark!”

  “Shush ...Your Highness, it is better not to speak so loudly.”

  Oliver bent over, trying to look casual, “Sorry,” he whispered finally, “but where is Millie? Is she alright?”

  Quark scampered over Oliver’s best trainers and up his jeans, coming to an abrupt halt on his knee. “I am afraid we were betrayed Your Highness and Millie has been deceived. Our enemies have the Stone.”

  Oliver groaned, “But where is she? Is she alright?”

  “They are holding her in a Vortex, but we need help with this Your Highness, we must leave here immediately.”

  Quark hurried over to Winston and to Oliver’s relief the terrier got somewhat drunkenly to its feet. Oliver stood up too, “Are we going to get Millie? What is a vortex anyway? ”

  Quark waved his tiny paw in the air, just like he would with his own hand, “It is beyond your knowledge Oliver, but if you imagine an energy field where everything goes in and nothing comes out, you will have some idea.”

  “Can we get her out?”

  He hesitated. “Millie is trapped.”

  Oliver felt close to panic, as a twin he had often felt similar emotions at the same time as his sister, but this was the first one of such intensity for a long time.

  “Do not fear Oliver, there are still things we can try. Come.”

  Oliver stamped his feet trying to get his circulation going; he had pins and needles everywhere. “But how did they find us under the Tor? I just don’t get it. And what happened to Joseph?”

  Winston was looking quite dejected and Quark did not like adding to his woes but he gestured in his direction, “I am afraid they must have met Winston before and planted a Sleeper so that gave them access to the tunnels. Joseph had to conceal The Chalice immediately as that is his primary duty. I followed Millie but I was too late, so I came to find you. ”

  Quark was keen to leave and began his transformation. Soon Oliver recognised his familiar form but it was twice the height and build he was used to.

  “No point in blaming anyone now Your Highness, we must do what we can.”

  Oliver watched in amazement as Quark poured himself into the lock and a second later the door swung open from the other side. “Neat!”

  Quark bowed, “I am that which is not, so that that which is can be.”

  Oliver scooped up Winston and followed Quark along the murky corridor, “You will explain that to me sometime, won’t you?”

  Quark grinned, “When you are a professor you can explain it to others!”

  Oliver had no energy left to ask what he meant by that as Quark led him at breakneck speed through a maze of twists and turns. They were definitely going up but they finished at some rusty iron railings that barred their path. Outside was pitch-black and the stars twinkled promisingly. Quark waved his hand and the barrier disappeared, but unfortunately it appeared that so did everything else. Oliver looked into the abyss. He’d never seen anything like it before. There was nothing there.

  45

  Michael paced up and down, his red cloak fluttering behind him. His agitation had grown with the delay and was now reaching barely tolerable levels. He could do nothing till permission was granted and the old ways still perplexed him, even after all this time...

  At last the messenger entered and bowed low. Placing the small golden bowl of incense at Michael’s feet he placed his forehead to the ground and waited. Michael lifted it with trembling hands. He raced to the altar and placed it respectfully on the crystal glass top. His huge hands were clenched at his side while he waited. The small trail of incense rose slowly from the bowl and began its ascent. He watched as the whispery white plume made its painful way to The Rock.

  Just one...just one will do it...come on, come on...

  He strained to hear. But when it came, tears filled his eyes, for the still small voice commanded him once more... “Go now.”

  46

  Oliver gripped the side of the wall and tried not to look down as he found he could not even judge the depth of his immediate surr
oundings. The lack of light was suffocating and the void in front of him appeared bottomless. Oliver felt dizzy. He looked over at Quark, “I am assuming you have a plan?”

  Quark inclined his head, “Not exactly a plan, Your Highness, more of a reaction to our present circumstances.”

  Winston opened his eyes, “This is hardly the time for semantics, can’t we please just get out of here?” Then he closed them again with a sigh.

  Quark laughed, “We will, but we need to wait for reinforcements. If I try to take you over the Valley you will be spotted straightaway. I can go alone at a speed that would unfortunately, er ... terminate your biological framework, so we must wait.”