Fire Rebel - The First Three Chapters

Chapter One

Abigail headed down to the kitchen, black rain jacket and Nottingham Forest cap in her hand, as she readied herself to get lost in a run. With her grandmother’s disappearance from the Guardian world, she had finally been granted the opportunity to return to her old life, but it had come at a cost. Abigail kept moving down the corridor as she shook her head, trying to dismiss the thoughts in her head. She couldn’t let herself focus on that.

She pushed open the kitchen door and went to pull a water bottle from the cupboard, hiding her smile as she walked straight past her dad. For the last two months, he had been in the kitchen every morning when she had got up. Her hand paused as she brushed in past the jars that Beth and her mum had used for painting as she grabbed the water bottle. She gulped down her rising emotions. She was concentrating on the normal.

Abigail headed straight for the sink and filled her water bottle. She wouldn’t give herself any time to think about anything that would throw her back into grieving. Abigail snatched up her mud encrusted trainers from the pile at the back door and yanked them on. She inserted the water bottle into its pocket on her running belt and strapped it around her waist.

“Don’t think that you’re going for a run before you’ve had some breakfast, Abi.” Her dad smiled at her. “At the very least, get a piece of fruit and have some juice.”

Abigail kept her head down, making sure that her headphones were synced into her mobile phone. She inserted her headphones and zipped her door keys in the running belt. She then turned her attention to her trainers, reminding herself to act normally. Neither her nor her dad, needed emotions to take over or they would both end up in tears. She doubled knotted her trainers.

“You know, I coped okay on my own, Dad, I didn’t starve. I’m still here.”

“I’m sorry that you had to learn to cope, Abi.”

“It’s okay.” She grabbed an apple and took a bite; she wouldn’t open the wormhole that answering any more than that would cause as a threatening, awkward silence filled the air. Hadn’t her dad read the script; they weren’t doing the emotional stuff. “See? I’m eating. I still need your advice.”

“If you say so, Abi. Where are you running today?”

“Just to the park and back. I don’t want to overdo it and I’ve a couple of essays that need finishing for Monday too.”

Abigail pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and put on her cap, tucking the ponytail through the hole. She zipped up her waterproof running jacket and pulled the collar up to protect her neck. She looked like a real contradiction. She was wearing a short pair of shorts and ankle running socks under her trainers so that her movements wouldn’t be restricted, but the upper part of her body had every part of her skin covered and protected from the elements.

“The weather’s shocking, so much for it being June! I won’t be out long in it.”

Abigail set the playlist on her phone going and tucked it into her running belt next to her keys. The wind gusted at her as she opened the kitchen back door and stepped off the patio, down the steps and onto the muddy grass. Rain hammered down on her the second she stepped out the door. A smile formed on her lips as she looked upwards, letting the rain splash over her face. It would be cooler out here today and less populated in the park.

She stretched out her body, before pausing as she turned her attention to the fitness tracker. Beth and Leigh had got her this for her birthday. She bit down on her lip. She wasn’t going to let herself focus on that. She was meant to be running and not thinking about Beth. She needed to get moving. Abigail glanced back at the house, seeing her dad watching her from the kitchen window, as she set the timer on the tracker. She was not doing emotions today and her dad watching over her like she was seven, not seventeen wouldn’t help. She crossed the garden and hurdled the back fence onto the next street.

Abigail broke into a run the second both feet touched the neighbouring street. She treaded out her first few steps, making sure that they were precise and controlled. She channelled her energy into the movements as the fire awakened in her body, simmering, ready for action. She wasn’t going to let herself pick up another injury through stupidity. She crunched her fists inward, focusing on tHeir heat for barely the second they deserved. She pushed her foot down, bouncing off the surface with each step as she released her fists.

Abigail pushed her head up, letting the rain splash against her face again, and giving her a better wake up than any shower could have done. Worries washed out of her as she ran. She focused just on her feet, nothing else. She wouldn’t hit those records if she let herself get distracted. Splattering in and out of the puddles, all her energy went into a quick pace, ignoring the mud marking her legs. She turned the last street corner of her run and sprinted the hundred yards into the park, upping her energy levels and pace as she got closer to the gates. She pushed on through the gates as if they had invisible tape across them that marked the end of her goal. Her hands shot upwards into the air as she broke through the barrier.

She slowed, panting slightly as she checked her time. Her smile grew. That was her best time this week. Reaching to her running belt, she took out her mobile phone and typed the time into the notes app. She pushed the mobile phone back into her running belt and reached for her water bottle. She swallowed several large gulps as she walked a few steps and stretched out her legs. Abigail scanned around the park as she headed towards the children’s play area, giving her body time to recover, before she pushed herself to beat her time on the sprint home. She stretched out her legs as she took a couple more sips of water. She had been right, it was empty, apart from one woman sat on the bench by the children’s climbing frame.

She pulled her headphones out and pushed them into her running belt as she took a few purposeful steps towards the woman. She may as well get this over with. If she was sat out openly in this world it was for a very specific reason, it wasn’t to see if the Spirits were being temperamental with the weather. This was very deliberate, but then, Eva White was always very deliberate and calculated. Eva had chosen a spot that Abigail was bound to see her, but stayed well away from the protective cocoon that her dad had placed around tHeir home.

Abigail walked over, fire licking over her fingers. “Eva.” She kept her smile tight. “What would you like?”

“Abigail,” Eva glanced down at her diamond encrusted watch, “you’re late.”

“What?”

“You usually reach this point ten minutes earlier than you have done today.” She crumbled a rock about the size of a tennis ball into nothingness in her palm. “I hope nothing important has changed your timing.”

Abigail kept her smile fixed. “How long have you been watching me?”

“That is not important, I don’t have the time or the patience to argue with you today.” Eva formed a small rock in her hand, before crushing it. “You promised Lindsay two months ago that you would come back. I am not waiting any longer for you to keep that promise.” She opened a portal. “We both have a meeting to attend.”

Abigail glanced at the portal, “I’ve changed my mind.”

“I thought you might say that. You are still your mother’s daughter, when the going gets tough you turn your back on the mess you have helped create. Still selfish and still self-centred.”

“That world locked me up, that world killed my mum and my sister, that world broke my family. Why in Spirits would I want to come back?”

“You’re not the only one that has happened to. You need to do your duty.”

“No, I don’t.” Abigail glanced around to check they were alone, before she let her own voice rise. “Why do you care, Eva? You’ve got what you wanted. You got rid of Lucas and The Elite. You got rid of me, I’m nowhere near Josef.”

“And because of that, my son is in the Carcer.”

“What?”

Eva pierced through her with a single look. “Josef is locked in the Carcer and has no chance of getting out of there without your help.”

Abigail shook her head. “He can’t be.”

“Josef killed my father, a member of The Elite. He has been in the Carcer for forty-two days now. You couldn’t honestly think that he would get away with that. Josef has committed treason and that’s enough to condemn him, even if Andrew doesn’t pass those new laws that he has his heart set on. Josef didn’t follow the rules to remove an Elite. He acted to save you. That still counts as murder and he has to be held accountable for it. Unless he can prove that he was trying to save the life of our special little rebel Heir.”

“But he didn’t murder. He didn’t have a choice and Andrew wants rid of The Elite.”

“The problem is that no one knows that story but you and Josef. And you’re not around to tell the truth. Andrew is happy to let our world stay in chaos, to have people fight each other while he finds his feet. Neither side back Josef’s actions without understanding why, many believe that he killed my father, so Lucas could rise higher up in The Elite. Others believe that he was trying to take control for himself. You need to end it, with all your self-pity, come to this meeting.”

“I…”

“Abigail! My son is on level six in the Carcer, you know what that is like. You fell apart when you were in there.” A shudder ran down Abigail’s spine at Eva’s words. She remembered only too well what level six of the Carcer was like and she doubted that conditions would have improved for an Heir under Andrew’s regime. “It is your responsibility to get him out of there. And in addition to that, I don’t believe that you don’t have feeling for Josef any more. His feelings haven’t changed for you. Come with me and I can get you in to see Andrew and we can get my son out of there.”

“What make you sure that I can do that? That Andrew will listen to me?”

“Are you selfish enough not to try?”

Chapter Two

Abigail allowed herself one quick glance at the park gates. One burst of energy and she could be out of those gates and away from Eva. She was well away from the Guardian world. She had her dad’s backing for that and she could jeopardise that in a second by stepping through a portal. She was in her world, in her element, in mud-soaked running gear, this was as normal as her life was ever going to get now and she was about to throw a grenade into it.

A shudder ran back down her spine and she gulped in a couple of breaths. She couldn’t leave Josef in the Carcer. Her body shook again as she remembered the Guardian prison. She could only pray to the Spirits that they hadn’t broke him like they had her. Josef should never have been in the Carcer in the first place. That was her fault and she needed to correct that.

Abigail swallowed down her rising fears. It wasn’t just the Carcer. Going back into that world meant everything would become real again. Her wishful mind wouldn’t be able to trick her into thinking that Beth was just travelling with Leigh or something. She’d be going back into chaos, with an Elite in hiding, the Keepers in control and everyone trying to get her to play their poster girl. That, or they would want her locked up in the Carcer. 

She turned away from the gates to face Eva. With Josef involved there wasn’t even a single element of doubt. She never should have walked away from him the first time. Turning her back on problems hadn’t made them disappear, and it was about time she faced the consequences. She would just need to think of a way that she could explain it to her dad. Abigail stepped through Eva’s portal and landed back into the Guardian world. She was followed through by Eva, landing in the Porta, just seconds after her.

“Where do I find Andrew?”

“Where do you think?”

Abigail turned, not waiting for a response. Andrew was a self-important, smug git. The Justicia. This was the area where The Elite had once made and enforced Guardian laws. She headed down the tunnel and paused. Her intake of breath stuck in her throat, clamming it up.

The reception was still a mess. She frowned. How could it still be a mess? Didn’t people care? Two months had passed since the incident with Declan Keene and there were still cracks on the floor. Marks from her Fireball still scarred the wall. There were even parts of the broken desk in the seating area, piled on top of each other in some kind of haphazard structure. How in Spirits had this not been fixed yet. She swore. There were reminders everywhere of that day. She glanced down at her hands, almost expecting to see Beth’s blood on them or Declan gasping as he clawed at that Airball.

Her frown deepened. She didn’t get it. Why had it been left like this. The Elite wouldn’t have stood for this level of imperfection. That was it. The Elite were gone. It had been left to show that was the case. Abigail bit down on her lip. She had wanted The Elite gone, but not like this. This didn’t feel right. She took a couple more minutes to take in the room. No, there had been some changes. All The Elite’s portraits had been taken down and replaced with different photos. Abigail scanned them unable to make out most of them. Amongst the unknown, she could clearly make out the photo of her mum that hung just to the side of the door that led to The Elite’s private chambers.

She pushed open the door to The Elite’s private study. Andrew was sat at Lucas’ old desk, looking through some papers. His outfit of jeans and tight white t-shirt under a denim shirt couldn’t have been further from Lucas’ pressed three piece designer suits. He wanted to give the impression that he was the anti-Lucas in every way possible. A laugh sounded in Abigail’s head. Most would have expected anyone taking over from The Elite to take the seat of her grandmother or Declan, as the senior members, but not Andrew. Nor had he taken Anthony Hughes’ chair, the traditional Water Guardian seat. Andrew had a history with Lucas and wanted to prove he had won the fight.

“Andrew,” Abigail fixed a smile on her face, there was no point opening hostilities until she needed to. “We need to talk.”

“What a pleasant surprise to see you here, my dear girl.” Andrew looked up, returning her smile. “And indeed, you are correct we are overdue a conversation. It has been quite some time since our last, a lot has changed. We need to decide your role in government and where would be the best use of you going forward. There would be no point in wasting you.” He placed down the papers that he had been reading. “Where do you see your best fit?”

“I’m here to talk about Josef. You have no right locking him up.”

“Of all the things we could possibly talk about and you want to talk about Lucas’ son. Lucas murdered Julia.”

“Josef isn’t like his father.”

“I have to say that I am surprised and disappointed in your stance.”

Abigail laughed. “You’re not the first person there. There are far too many people that are disappointed in me to care what you think about that. Josef is different. He is nothing like Lucas.”

“He killed, like Lucas did.”

“No.” She paused, still unsure how she would describe Declan’s death, but she couldn’t let Andrew see that she had doubts. If he did, he would twist those feelings. “It wasn’t anything like that.”

“No, what Josef did to Declan Keene was worse. Much worse than what Lucas did when it came to Julia, no matter how we both want to see it. Look at it objectively, Abi. Whether she was forced or not, Julia agreed to die, you gave me that paperwork when you were in the Carcer. Lucas did not kill a member of The Elite. Lucas didn’t kill a relative. Josef did both of those things. He murdered his grandfather.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. It wasn’t like that. Andrew was twisting words and events, just as he intended to do when Josef when to trial, if he let this get to trial. Lucas had killed her mum in cold blood to advance his position. It was planned. Calculated. Pure greed. Ambition. Simple as that. Josef was different. Abigail forced herself to gulp down the hockey-sized ball that had risen in her throat. As much as she hated what Josef had done. Josef had thought that he was doing the right and only thing that would save her life.

“It’s not the same.” She looked directly at Andrew as she crunched her hands into fists. “I want him out of the Carcer, right now.”

Andrew released a laugh that echoed around the room and bounced right back at her. “What gives you the right to make those demands, Abigail? You are no longer the Heir to an Elite system. Those days are gone, both you and Josef White should be finding out that the Heirs have lost their right to make demands. You are to be treated the same as everyone else.”

“That may be.” She forced herself to smile, it was about time that she made her so-called special status count for something in her favour. “But you’re forgetting the fact, Andrew, that I am still, no matter how much you may want to change things, I am still your most important ally. Just minutes ago you wanted to talk about how you could use me to support your cause. That means that you need me. That’s why I get to make demands. Josef gets out of the Carcer today.”

“Ah, but Abigail, my darling girl, you haven’t been around for two months.” He kept his tone measured. He clearly didn’t want to give her any hint of what was going on in his mind. “How can you count yourself as my ally, let alone regard yourself as my most important ally, when you haven’t been around?”

“And without me being around, showing my support, how much trouble have you faced?” Her smile grew as she watched his forehead knit together. “I’m your link to, old system, but at the same time, I’ve rejected it. That makes me your perfect ally and the right poster girl to present to the crowds.”

“I have Lindsay Hughes for that.”

“We both know that you would prefer me. The special Heir. Julia’s daughter.”

He studied her face. “And what do you propose?”

“I’m the sweetener that you give to the Guardians who prefer the old regime. You can show them, through me, that your system of governance works because their golden girl, the one that The Elite produced, is backing it, is backing you. I’m the proof the old system works. I’m the one with the birthright. The heritage. The Heir craved for centuries. And I’m supporting you. Think of the power that brings. Isn’t it better to offer that kind of thing, giving a sweetener to all those who are unsure of you, rather than constantly fighting fires and having to throw people into the Carcer?” She formed a Fireball in her hand and bounced it a couple of times. “It’s much less time consuming.”

Andrew’s smile grew and his laughter bounced around the room as he clapped his hands together. “Oh, my dear girl, Heather was right when she told me that you were a lot more intelligent than people gave you credit for. You truly are your mother’s daughter. That was just the kind of argument that she used to make. You are just like my Julia.”

“I’ve been told.” She pressed her hands together, crushing the Fireball between them. “We go and get Josef out now and you give him a fair trial. We look at all the facts. Declan had just murdered my sister and was about to smash a boulder into my head. There should be no doubt what the right decision is after that.”

“Oh, Abi, Abi, Abi,” he tutted as he shook his head, “even your mother, who I would have done anything for, even Julia, my sweet child, didn’t get anything off me for nothing in return. There is always a price.”

“I’ve just offered you my support. That’s fair. It gives you power and legitimacy to your government.”

“I need more than that. I would get that off you in time anyway. If you ever wanted to stay part of this world and not end up in the Carcer yourself, you would give me that. Otherwise, you would have to maintain your exile. But even if that agreement worked for me, I am not foolish enough to make deals that are based on trust, especially with teenagers. Teenagers can change their minds so easily, just like Julia did back in the day, they can’t be trusted on just their word. I need more.”

Abigail bit down on her lip, “What else?”

“Take a seat. We have some paperwork to go through.”

Abigail glared at him. It was so tempting to tell him to get lost and if she was just here for herself, she would have already done so. But she was doing this for Josef. She had to help him and if that meant making deals with Andrew then so be it. She was sure that she could always find a way to get out of any deal later.

Andrew reached for one of Declan’s whiskey bottles and waited for her to take a seat. Abigail yanked over her grandmother’s chair. She positioned it directly opposite him. She took a seat, looking Andrew directly in the eyes, crossing her arms as she waited for him to start. Andrew smiled at her as he carefully poured himself a large drink and took a sip.

“Shall we start with what am I willing to allow before we agree what you shall do in exchange for it? I am willing to place yourself and Holly on the list of Heirs that have supported the system and are not being tracked. I am also willing not to place you on trial, for your role in Declan’s death, after all, my impulsive little darling, you were the one that chased him down. Josef, however, has killed. He must have a trial to show that the new regime is just and holds all people to account. Heirs will no longer be allowed to receive special treatment. I will hold an open trial and let Josef call his own witnesses.”

“When’s the trial?”

“It shall be at my discretion. I am in control of this, not any Heir, no matter what status they may think that they have.”

“Fine.” She forced the smile on her face to remain. She should have expected him to react like this. Andrew was never going to make things easy and she couldn’t react. That was what he wanted. She wouldn’t give him any more of an upper hand than he already had. “You call the trial when you want, that’s your prerogative but Josef comes out the Carcer today.”

“If you insist. It is rather touching to see you care so much for the boy.”

“He saved my life, I’m getting him out, whatever it takes.”

Andrew smiled at her. “Whatever it takes? Interesting choice of words there. You will do whatever it takes.”

Abigail swore. She could kick herself for those words, but she couldn’t take them back now. “You need what I’m offering just as much, you need my support. You need me to back your government to get people onside.” She smiled at him, to win with Andrew she was quickly learning, she needed to talk about her mum. “You may even be willing to do whatever it takes to get Julia’s daughter supporting you.”

“You have grown up, that should make the negotiations with you so much more interesting. You know how to play Julia’s games so well. The negotiations that I had with Julia were always interesting but then I’m not sure that you will offer the same things that she did to conclude our deals.”

A gag rose in her throat. She hoped that he wasn’t suggesting what she thought he was. No, he couldn’t be. Her mum had been married to her dad when she was still making deals with Andrew. Her parents had loved each other. They had behaved in an utterly embarrassing fashion so often that they must have loved each other. Her mum wouldn’t make deals like that. Andrew couldn’t have meant what she thought.

“Josef comes out the Carcer, today.”

“Yes, yes, as you insist, that will be arranged. We can agree to that. You can have the boy to do with as you wish.” He took another sip of his drink. “Now, my darling girl, for my side of the deal. Fair is fair, Abigail. I want what you have offered, your support, however I want that offer of support to be made in public, in front of all Guardians present, at a public meeting.” He smiled at her. “It will be far harder to take back any of your words that way.”

“Consider it done.”

“I’ve not finished. I will require you to repeat that support for me on a regular basis. I will need you to move back into this world, to live in the Vicus. I can hardly have you at your father’s and disappearing on me, like you have done for the last few months. You are one of my girls, now, you need to be seen as such. I have a house that I have acquired, it currently has Lindsay, Heather and Cassie in there. You can take the spare room. It’s quite fitting really, they were Beth’s allies in her attempt to change The Elite, you can take her place.” He pushed forward a piece of paper. “Sign here.”

Abigail scanned down it, just like when Declan had offered her a contract, the key points that were detailed on it, were already there. Written long before she had come down here. Were her actions that easy to read, to manipulate? Had she ever actually led any of this discussion. She couldn’t let herself dwell on that. It hardly mattered right now, she had to take this deal.

“This will let Josef out?”

Andrew pushed a pen over. “I always keep my end of the deals that I make. He will be out of the Carcer within the hour.”

Chapter Three

Abigail picked up the pen and pressed it onto the paper, writing a letter A before she paused. Holly would kill her if she knew that she was about to sign something that she hadn’t read yet, but then this wasn’t Holly’s mess to clear up. “All you want is my public support and for me to move into the Vicus?”

“It really isn’t that much to ask for is it, Abi?” He smiled at her. “You were ready to offer that yourself when you came down here. If you like we could go through all the finer details, but that will take time and I thought that was something that was a pressing concern of yours. All this paper does it makes it all official, my dear girl.”

Abigail dropped the pen. “I’m my own person, I’m not my mother, I’m not going to become one of your girls. If we are going to make any deals, you need to get that. I’m me, not anyone else.”

“I can live with that.” He made a small adjustment on both copies of the contract that sat between them. “Sign away, Abigail. We wouldn’t want Josef to stay in the Carcer a minute longer than necessary, not when the boy did save your life.”

Abigail grabbed the pen, there was no point thinking anymore about this. Thrashing out details would just take time and she was running out of that. She signed her name before she took a minute to glance at the date on both pieces of paper.

“Wait!” She got to her feet and slammed the chair; she had been sitting in against the floor. She swore. “This is dated six weeks ago, the day that you took Josef into the Carcer.”

“Everything you asked for was already written in there. There was no point in writing a new deal up. That would have wasted time and been completely unproductive,” Andrew said. “I did tell you when you came in that I was surprised to see you here, today. I was on the verge of giving up on you. I was starting to think that the White boy wasn’t enough. I expected you here as soon as you found out, not that you would just try to disappear. I guess that was grief, but I was starting to get disappointed with my intelligence. However, you have agreed now, so we need not concern ourselves over that anymore.” He looked directly at her face. “Is something wrong, Abigail? You look quite upset. Julia could never hide her feelings either when she was your age. Has something happened that you didn’t want?”

“Can we just get this over with and get Josef out?”

Abigail folded the paper several times. She would have to read it later, see what she had agreed to and work out the loopholes. She searched for a pocket. Her running belt was full and she didn’t have any pockets in her shorts. She bent down and stuffed the contract in her muddy sock. It should be safe in there, although it made her look like she was wearing a police tag. She laughed. She had just put a tag around her ankle, tied herself to Andrew.

“I will need a copy of that before we do.” Abigail signed the second paper and watched as Andrew filed it away, taking note on where he placed his version. “You will also need to complete your marking. The last time that you split your fire mark, you didn’t bind yourself to me, just my son. I will need that allegiance to be to me. May I see your tattoo?”

“That can wait until Josef is out.”

“No, Abigail, we don’t play games, here, that is not how it works.”

Abigail bit down on her lip, “What if I let you complete the marking in public, as I declare my support? Wouldn’t that show that I really support you and it’s not just an act.”

“Very well, I will get Will to take you over to Josef.” Andrew sent a ball of water energy out of the door. “Oh, and my dear girl, in case you didn’t read the whole contract, if Josef does something that he shouldn’t, it is you who is held responsible for that.”

Abigail blinked twice as a man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties walked into the room. This had to be William. She hadn’t really had a chance to look at him when she was in the Carcer. William was the double of his father, even more so than she was of her own mum. There were some key differences when it came to her mum. She had inherited her dad’s height and had already been taller than her mum when she had died. Her hair was a more vibrant red and longer in length. Abigail had more freckles, lots of them and her body was more toned due to the fact she preferred competitive sport to sitting around painting. William, however, was the spitting image of his father. Same height, same hair colour and cut, same body shape. Both of them were wirier than Andrew’s other son, Steven.

“Abi, meet my oldest child, William,” Andrew said as William gave her a smile and curt nod as his eyes checked out her appearance. “Will, can you take young Abigail to the waiting room in the Carcer and release the White boy. She can see him after he has been issued his bail conditions, under your supervision. Abigail will then be moving into the house, if you could let Lindsay know, while she goes to say goodbye to her father.” Andrew reshuffled his papers. “I expect you in that house within twenty-four hours or I will come and collect you myself and I don’t think your father has ever liked me.”

Abigail resisted shooting Andrew a two fingered salute as she followed William out of the room. They crossed the reception and William opened the door that led to the formal entrance to the Carcer. Abigail paused as the door banged shut behind her. The last time she had walked through here, she had been shaking so much at the relief of her release that she hadn’t taken anything in. The long tunnel was imposing but barely different to the Justicia. It had the same shining white marble on all four surfaces. At the end of the corridor was a stone archway, right out of a medieval castle, complete with a portcullis.

William stopped ten yards away from the archway and Abigail paused behind him. He released a Waterball and threw it straight at the portcullis. A force field burst out of the portcullis and disappeared instantly as William whispered the words, “habeo jus imperandi.” The portcullis lifted and he lead her through to a stone corridor with a dozen wooden doors spaced out equally on both sides.

They headed into the third door on the left. The walls were a steel grey colour and the floor was made out of a similar shade of granite. There was a dim light and no windows in the room. There was no brightness. Even the steel table set in the centre of the room with four metallic chairs around it, added to the greyness. It wasn’t somewhere you would like to spend a long time. But then, compared to how Abigail could remember the Carcer cells, this was heaven in here.

“Wait here.”

Abigail settled herself at the table and glanced down at her fitness watch. Spirits. Two hours had passed since she had left for her run. She had told her dad that she wouldn’t be that long and he wouldn’t have expected her to be out that long either, given the weather. She wouldn’t have taken herself off for a casual walk in torrential rain. She pulled out her mobile phone. There was a missed call and a text. She fired back a quick reply. ‘I’m okay, home soon.’

She put the mobile phone back. She didn’t need to see the reply. How could she tell her dad, after weeks getting what she could of her life back, she was going to leave to live in Vicus? How could she do this to him after what had happened to Beth and with Holly refusing to return home?

“Abigail.”

She ignored the jolt to her system as she got to her feet and turned around to face Josef. Josef didn’t call her Abigail. She took in his appearance. His face was drawn and pale. His wavy brown hair was longer than she had ever seen it before. His eyes were cold and he had a thick stubble that any Movember contender would be proud of. But none of that was important. He was here.

She’d missed him. How easy would it be to give in and run over to him. She needed him. She always had and always would. She wanted to hold him, to be held by him. She would give anything for Josef to tell her that everything was going to be okay but something held her back. She wasn’t ready for that yet. Not everything was going to be okay. Too much had changed, they had both been through too much. Things weren’t going to be okay anytime soon.

She couldn’t give into her heart and rush over to him. It was one thing helping Josef to get out of the Carcer, but another thing completely to look at Josef as if nothing had changed. Andrew was right, Josef had killed his grandfather. Just like Lucas had killed people. For Spirits sake, why couldn’t she get that nagging voice out of her head? Why couldn’t they go back as if she had not called that meeting. What would she give to go back to their kiss and disappear into a different reality where everything was all right, Beth was still alive and Josef had no reason to go to the Carcer? She stood her ground and settled for a smile as she looked at him.

“Hey,” she whispered, her voice barely carrying across the room. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better, Abigail.” He nodded at her outfit. “You’re back running. It’s good to see that you got your life back, but then you were always going to find a way to get away of things. Just like your mum did.”

“She died. I wouldn’t call that getting away with things.”

“Perhaps.”

Abigail bit back her retort. Emotion was filling every part of her, settling in her stomach and sending it into turmoil. Her head was spinning. Josef may have a point that she had got away with some things she shouldn’t, but the people around her had suffered. Her mum had been murdered. It didn’t get much worse than that, but it wasn’t worth the fight now. Not while they were standing here with William watching over the pair of them.

Abigail pushed the gulp of fear in her throat into the turmoil of her stomach. She pulled her cap off and made her way closer to Josef, keeping about an arm’s reach away. There was still a barrier between them, neither of them willing to get closer and take those last few steps. It had been forever since they had been this close. Their eyes met.

She took a few steps towards Josef. “Have they hurt you?”

Josef stepped backwards, stopping her from getting too close. The marked distance filled the air. Despite the fact that she kept telling herself that this would be the easy part, much easier than talking to her dad or swearing her support to Andrew, the tension was growing. This reunion was proving anything but easy.

“No.”

“Good, okay. That’s good, right?” she offered him a weak smile. “Let’s get out of here, let’s get your life back, J.”

“Let’s hope it’s as easy as that, as easy as it’s been to get your life back.”

“Look, I get it okay.” Her voice rose despite the reminders in her head not to do so. “I get it, I get how you feel, I know what it’s like to be in there. It’s going to be okay now. You’re out.”

“Oh, you get it, you understand how I feel and you know things are going to be fine.” His glare bore into her. “That’s good to know. Our precious little golden girl is working for me now. Forget the two months that she couldn’t care less about anyone but herself, but she’s here now. I guess I should be bloody grateful.”

“Don’t yell at me.” She dropped the cap to the floor as her fingertips glowed red. “Don’t you dare! Not when you don’t know what I have done, what I have been through.”

“Yes, because it’s all about you.”

“I’ve just sacrificed everything to get you out.”

“Bully for you.”

“Don’t!”

“I was in the Carcer, while you were making up your mind, so please excuse me if I take my time to give you my thanks.”

“I get that, I’ve been in the Carcer too, but you’re out.”

“You were in there for four days and you completely fell apart. You were a mess. I was in for a lot longer. So don’t you try and tell me that you get it and understand. No one hurt you, they just used a few scare tactics.” Josef turned to William. “I am ready to go, I’m done with her. Can you go get my mother?”

William gave Josef a tight smile, it looked like he was fighting back a laugh. “I’ll be right back.”

Abigail watched William leave. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not, at least you are not sorry about the right things.”

Josef turned his back on her. Abigail grabbed up her cap, tucked it into the back of her shorts and pulled out one of the chairs by the table. She took the seat, hugging her knees up to her chin as she did so, her feet touching the steel rim of the edge of the chair’s seat. Knotting herself together into a protective hold, she wrapped her arms tightly around her legs and watched Josef.

He paced in front of her, not once turning round to see her or even giving her a single glance as he walked. She kept her eyes on him, taking in everything that she could and trying not to feel too hurt by Josef’s reaction. He had every right to be hurt at the moment. He had been in the Carcer but he would come round. She just had to give him time.

She flicked a series of Fireballs in her hand, crushing them seconds after they had formed. Minutes ticked by. The silence continued. Neither of them willing to talk for the very long ten minutes that passed. The door opened and Eva walked through with William. She was straight to her son’s side as she pulled him into a hug. Once the hold was broken, Eva looked over to give Abigail a nod before she returned her attention to Josef.

Eva smiled at her son. “Are you ready to leave?”

“More than ready.” Josef smiled at his mother before he finally turned to look at Abigail and sent her a parting look. “Don’t forget to tell the truth when it comes to it. You’re just as responsible as I am. Tell people what really happened.”

“Don’t worry.” Abigail tightened the hold on her knees. “I’ll swear it on the Spirits, everyone will know the truth.”

Josef walked out the room, but Eva turned back to look at Abigail. “Thank you. I’m not sure what you had to agree with Andrew but I do know it can’t have been easy.”

William waited for Eva to follow Josef out of the room and hear their footsteps in the corridor. He kept his eyes on Abigail as she kept herself knotted in the chair. “It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“What?”

“To be rejected by the person that you love.”

“Josef’s just a friend.”

“If you say so.”

“Look.” She unknotted herself and got to her feet. “I don’t know you and really don’t feel like talking to you.”

He smiled at her. “What if we spoke about Holly?”

A Fireball sparked up in her hand. “What do you know about Holly?”

“Nothing.” William laughed. “Nothing for you to worry over, anyway.”