Book 2 - Chapter 27. Goodbyes (1/2)

Outside the castle. At the point where we entered this world. Beranabus claps my back and says, ”Let's go find Cadaver.” Sharmila groans. Dervish looks at Beranabus as if he has two heads. Even Shark fidgets as though a terrible curse had been uttered. ”What?” Beranabus snaps, frowning at his Disciples. ”We have to capture him, squeeze out whatever he knows about the Kah-Gash. That's what we came here for.”

”It is over,” Sharmila says. ”Nadia was wrong about the Kah-Gash. Or we already came upon it and failed to recognise it. Either way, Cadaver's real purpose was to bring Kernel into this universe, so he could learn the truth about the theft. Now it is time for him to return to his parents and - ”

”No!” Beranabus shouts. ”His brother never mattered. This is about the Kah-Gash and always has been.”

”To you, perhaps,” Dervish says softly. ”But not to Kernel. And not, I think, to the rest of us. Sharmila's right - it's over.

Beranabus glares at us. An angry red flush creeps up his neck. He starts to say something but Shark steps forward, halting him. ”I'll serve if you want me. If you think I can help you find this demon-destroying weapon, I'm yours for life. But I doubt I'll make a difference. I don't think any of us will. I agree with Dervish - this was about Kernel and his search. That's what brought us here. It doesn't seem like much, and it's crazy that Raz and Nadia had to die because of it - but that's life.”

Beranabus growls. ”Think you're smarter than me, do you?”

”No. But I can see the truth when it's sitting before me plain as day. I don't know anything about the Kah-Gash. Maybe you'll find it later, maybe you won't. Maybe Cadaver can lead you to it, maybe he can't. But it's time to let Kernel go. He doesn't belong here. He's not part of this. Not anymore.”

It's the most I've ever heard Shark say. I want to thank him, but my throat's as tight as when I was being strangled by Cadaver's hairs.

Beranabus scowls at his three Disciples, lets his gaze linger on me, then gives a disinterested sniff. ”So be it. I'm not going to argue with all of you. I'm starting to think it was a fool's errand. I'll look for Cadaver anyway, just in case, but there's no reason for you to come with me. The fighting's over. And the deaths.”

He turns away, takes a deep breath, starts muttering the words of a spell.

Sharmila, Shark and Dervish exchange uncertain glances.

”That's it?” Dervish asks. ”We can go?”

”Aye. Get the boy to open a window for you. Return to your normal duties. I'll be in touch later. If I need you.”

Dervish laughs. Sharmila and Shark smile. Then all three look at me.

”Where do you want to go?” I ask them.

”Drop us off at your place,” Shark says. ”We'll make our own way from there.”

I nod slowly, then face the patches of light. They surround me as usual, now that I've come out of the Board, glowing in the air around me. Half eager, half afraid, I think about Paskinston.

It doesn't take long. I slot the patches of pulsing lights together. The window opens. Clean blue light. The doorway out of all this craziness. I take one last look back at the castle, the demon-laced sky, Beranabus.

”Thank you,” I mutter. ”I know you only helped me because you wanted to find the Kah-Gash. But I couldn't have discovered the truth without you.”

”Much good it did you,” Beranabus grunts. He looks at me with his grey-blue eyes. c.o.c.ks his head. ”Home isn't always where you expect it to be. It can change, as life changes. If you ever need me, you know where to find me.”

”He won't,” Dervish says shortly, then pushes me through the window of light, out of the universe of demons.

Night. We're in a field outside Paskinston. Where Mrs. Egin exploded and Cadaver crossed. The four of us standing beneath a half moon, looking at each other, breathing in the delicious smell of our own world.

”We are a sight,” Sharmila laughs, nodding at our torn clothes, ripped flesh and bare feet.

”At least we're not a stench,” Shark says. He sniffs a sleeve and his face turns green at the memory of the gory pool.

”Thank you,” I whisper, eyes lowered, suddenly shy, feeling like a child again, the way I did before I crossed universes. I was their equal over there. Here, I'm just a boy.