Prophecy of the Nexus

Chapter 6

Now, I was terrified. With no one to copy or to take the heat, it left me to defend myself. Sir Atticus's full wrath will be upon me, and I would wither in fear. But Sir Atticus did not shout at me. "Have a seat," he said, gesturing to a chair opposite him. We both sat down. It was like being sent to the head teacher's office. Sir Atticus sat back and studied me for a second before shaking his head. "What in the Divine's name made you go back?" he asked. His voice was soft, the gentle tone he had used to comfort me after the demon attack.

I thought back to the last two weeks and why I had done the stupidest thing of my life. It was hard to remember, like the memories of such a short time ago were a different lifetime. Sir Atticus's eyes were sharp, and I knew he didn't need a truth blessing to see my lies. "I just had too," I explained. "Something deep inside just need to know if I had a destiny or not."

Sir Atticus just looked at me. Waiting for his response ached in my bones. I just wanted this to be over, but time was moving like treacle. Finally, he took a deep breath. "A prophecy is an exciting thing, but don't let it cloud your judgement. We don't even know what it is." He then lent low over the desk, his gaze boring into my soul. "And I need to make this clear. Under my command, I will not tolerate this kind of action. More for your own safety than anything else. Understand?"

My mouth had gone dry, so I nodded. Then, realising what he was saying, I blurted out, "Wait, you are going to train me?"

"Of course," sir Atticus said, relaxing in his chair a moment, "it has been decreed."

I collapsed in my chair. "But, I'm so far behind the rest," I said, the full extent of what was actually happening to me dawning on me. "And my parents, and school, and-"

Sir Atticus put up a hand. "I'll handle the logistics. There's a lot of paperwork to sort out." He looked tired, adding a bit of maturity to his features. Every edge of his face was sharp and ready with a wisdom beyond his years. I wondered if I would ever look so respectable.

"What will happen to me now?" I asked.

Sir Atticus sighed. "Squires aren't allowed off base without permission or on leave. And since you have a habit of finding trouble for yourself, I want to keep you on base."

My heart felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over it. "What? I'm a prisoner?" I said, astonished at such a reaction.

Sir Atticus raised an eyebrow. "No, you're a Squire. And staying here is an order. You've tempted demons twice now, and this Fallen won't let you escape a third time." He plucked out a mobile phone and asked for my home phone number. I was tempted to lie and put off being stuck here. I had so many unfinished things: exams were in a few months, my parents were probably worried where I was, and Alice. But I concluded I had no choice. Sir Atticus typed in my number and waited. "Hello, Mr Blanc?" Sir Atticus said. Now, it definitely felt like detention with the head teacher. "This is Sir Atticus of the six-seven-six order. I'm with Sara now. Yes, she is quite safe, we are at the Mantle, and a situation has arisen." I watched and listened as Sir Atticus explained the situation. My ear strained to hear my dad's voice; even a syllable would be comforting right now. After ten minutes, Sir Atticus and my parents agreed to drop some stuff off for me the next day. Sir Atticus then handed me the phone. "I'll give you a moment," he said and left the room.