Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal (18 page)

“I would die before I told you how to get
there,” said Jack.

Theorden laughed again. “Oh I know how to
get there. As I said, David didn’t take much persuading.”

“A freaking index finger Jack!”

“Now that I finally know where it is and how
to break through the illusion, all I need is the book you’re
holding,” said Theorden as he raised his hand.

The book started to shake as Jack’s arms. He
gripped it with all his strength as Theorden used magic to pull it
towards him.

Suddenly the pull was gone as Theorden was
thrown backwards by an invisible force.

White mist started to appear everywhere
around them, rising from the earth below. Like the black mist it
twisted and swirled over the landscape.

Shapes began to form. Horses, deer and other
animals rising to converge on Theorden.

Jack reached out to the white mist with his
mind, and noticed a sense of calm unlike that of the black.
Theorden’s mist was a collection of souls trapped, lost and
frightened. The white mist resonated calm, purpose and good.

“Marion, Marion, Marion! I would recognise
that mist anywhere!” Theorden shouted with glee.

In one sentence Jack knew that Theorden was
mad.

“Come on out here and say hello,” he said,
unperturbed by the mist animals now surrounding him.

Alice let out a yelp of surprise and Jack
turned to see the blue emerald had been ripped from her neck and
was flying through the air away from her.

Marion caught the emerald as she walked
towards them, the statues of Gregson manor walking by her side.

“The Wardens of the Manor!” Rosie yelled out
in excitement.

They were all there. Twenty-three statues of
stone come to life to defend their home and the people that lived
in it.

“Impressive Marion! But you know they cannot
kill me.”

“No, but they can help me drive you away.
Charles!” Marion called to the Warden of the Blue Emerald. “Come
and reclaim what was stolen from you.”

The statue of Charles moved forward, obeying
the command of the families’ matriarch.

A look of alarm came over Theorden as he
realised he must choose between being trapped on Earth or driven
away from it once more.

He screamed in rage as he turned into a ball
of black mist and flew into the sky towards the portal in the
Western Gardens.

Alice, realising her master had left her
behind, started to run after him.

“Oh no you don’t!” said Rosie as she stuck
at her leg out and tripped Alice up, causing her to fall to the
ground hard. “That’s for slapping my brother”

“Twice!” said David.

Jack laughed, overjoyed that his cousins
were safe.

He turned to his grandmother, just as the
statue of Charles reached her side. It knelt slightly, so that she
could once again place the emerald around his neck.

“The portal of the Western Garden is once
again safe,” she said. “And it’s because of you three.”

“I think you and your statues had something
to do with it grandma,” replied Jack.

“Not my statues…ours. And so completes our
first lesson.”

“Grandma, can you teach us too?” asked
David.

His grandmother looked over to him
thoughtfully. “Theorden is gone, but I doubt it’s the last we’ve
seen of him. Perhaps we do need to spread the family talents in
order to keep this world safe.” She paused again before continuing,
“But for now I must go. You’ve been gone for three days and the
whole family is worried sick! Not to mention the fact that they
probably just saw these stone statues walking around the place. I
must go back and change their memories of the last few day’s
events. Give me an hour or so to sort everything out.”

Their Grandmother walked from the graveyard,
the Warden’s by her side.

“Did Grandma just become cool?” asked
David.

“I get the feeling she always was,” said
Jack. “She just didn’t want to admit it.”

“I don’t want to sit around here for an
hour,” said Rosie. “Can we go to another garden?”

“Sure,” replied Jack. “Let’s go to the
portal and make sure the doors locked. I’ll meet you there, I just
want to say hi to my mother.”

Jack’s cousins left his side and made their
way to the Western Gardens.

Epilogue

Maddox rose from his
vessel, expecting to see the graveyard of Gregson Manor.

Something was wrong.

He searched around. The area around him was
in darkness. Where was he?

Some movement to his left caused him to
turn. A man was walking away from him.

“You, come over here,” said Maddox.

“Why would I want to do that,” Anthrow
responded. “I just threw you over there to get away from you.”

Anthrow had reached the portal and was
standing outside it, looking back at him.

“Where am I?”

“Cortavia,” Anthrow replied. “Your son
thought you might enjoy spending some time on a dark, dead planet
alone.”

“My son is dead,” Maddox replied
angrily.

“No, your son is now probably back at
Gregson Manor having tea with his family. Luckily he avoided you
trying to kill him.”

Could it be true? His son was alive? Maddox
felt something he’d not felt in a long time. Hope.

But Theorden had told him he was dead!

“Farewell Maddox,” said Anthrow. “Don’t
worry, this planet does get visitors…every one hundred years or so.
Something to look forward to I guess.”

“Anthrow, take me with you.” Maddox
pleaded.

“Oh I think not, Maddox. I have dinner plans
tonight, and I doubt the murderous leader of the Horde would be a
welcome addition to the table.”

With that Anthrow entered the portal and was
gone.

Maddox turned and looked out in to the dark
city beyond. It was the perfect home for the Shadow Man and his
dark thoughts.

The End