Knight of the Black Rose (4 page)

Domnus stepped around the men without saying anything not wanting to add to his anger or embarrassment, because he too agreed that he would never wear such clothes, not for anyone or anything; he was also reassured with the thought that no one would let him even if he had a moment of madness.

He wasn't looking at the shop next to it rather at the shop facing which looked a lot more helpful than any of the other shops in the square; it was in fact a book shop with piles of books stacked in the window and the sign over the door read ‘SOAPWORT FAMILY BOOK STORE’. This was just what he needed even though he knew he didn't have any money on him even if he did manage to find what he was looking for somehow, but he could always look through them until he did get paid and could afford to buy whatever he needed.

As he walked over to the shop he suddenly remembered that he had had Luxis' book with him and that also was pulled in with him, it would be a great help if he could in fact find it because there was probably more chance of something in that signal book than in all the books in that store and perhaps even on this world; but for now considering that he was here he'd start, for everything has a beginning.

As he reached the door it opened from the inside, so he stepped aside for a woman a couple of years older than himself, her dark hair tied back and down her back over a dark red and brown cloak which covered her dress completely; the woman smiled slightly at him as she reached back and held the door open for him to enter.

"Thank you," Domnus said kindly.

She smiled again before she walked off and he took the door off of her stepping inside, there were six narrow aisles filed with books and above the floor was opened revealing another level which was also filled with stacks and aisles of books; considering the time of day there were quite a few people here like outside but if they had other things to do they would have to get their shopping done pretty early.

Domnus went in further scanning the room to see if there was any order to how the books were organized, it may not have looked as though there were but there was; there was one aisle devoted to school books and references, one to magical creatures, plants and where to find them, curses and protective spells and charms, particle magic for everyday use, history and legends; they were just for the aisles downstairs and not the shelves on the walls or what was upstairs.

Domnus went over to the counter on his right to ask the man thinking that it would be a lot easier than him spending hours searching; the man was probably about twenty years older than him, his hair greying and his face already showing lines.

"Excuse me, do you have any books on time travel and inter-dimensional travel?" Domnus asked him, thinking that it best to just come right out and ask instead of beating around the bush about it.

The man looked at him quite taken back and then calmed himself again before he answered. "You must be from the Lictores or the Temporal Squads?"

"I'm new in the Lictores," Domnus answered, thinking that it was best to say that he was from one of them, then at least it wouldn't look so strange that he was asking for such dangerous books; he knew that they would be dangerous here especially if they're still considering dangerous in his own time and illegal.

"So they've run out of ideas about what happened the other week," the man said. "I'm surprised though that they haven't already got every book you asked for,"

"We're just making sure that we have, so I said I'll pop by on my morning off seeing I was in the area," Domnus told him.

"I was wondering why you were out of uniform," the man said before he bent down and began ruffling through the draws beneath the counter top.

It was a whole two minutes before the man straighten up again holding a very large, leather bound book in his arms which he dropped heavily on the counter, he opened the book and read from the contexts list on the first page running his finger down the list to keep track of where he was up to; he stopped and smiled slightly to himself before he lifted the pages nearly the full book towards the very back. These pages were also lists but there were more details on the pages about when the books came in how many he ordered, how many he's sold and how many he's still got in stock.

"It's as I thought...we don't really hold much on the subject of course considering how thing's have been of a late," the man said looking up finally at him again. "If we had books like that out, anyone could find them and get into no end of trouble for us all,"

"Well we understand that, that's why I'm here," Domnus told him.

"Yes...yes of course..." the man said. "But I'm afraid that there's a problem...the last book that we had on the subject was actually sold...I can't believe that I haven't seen these sooner..."

"When was it sold? And do you have any record of who you sold it too?" Domnus asked him not really liking the sound of this, though until now he hadn’t completely believed that it was someone here behind all of this, mainly because he hadn’t been confronted by someone, but he should no better and not to rule anything out until he had checked all possibilities.

He looked around making sure that no one was listening before he lent across the counter looking very grave.

"Two days before it happened, that's what it says in the records," the man told him. "But we don't keep records of who we sell our books too of course because we sell too many of them, especially this time of year with school starting,"

"Well I'm afraid that I'll have to report this, unless you can think back of what this person could have looked like or any of your staff?" Domnus asked him, hoping the threat alone would help jog his memory.

"I didn't serve him," the man said quickly panicking somewhat looking around. "I'll ask the others, I'm sure that they'll remember selling something like that; we don't normally carry them in stock see,"

Domnus looked down at the book. "When was it ordered in? Or rather was it ordered in for someone?"

"What? Oh right..." the man said nervously looking back at the book to find the order details, his face went very pale as he looked back up at Domnus. "It was ordered in for a customer...we actually took the order..."

"I need names," Domnus told him, as he thought that this had in fact been quite helpful, more so than he could have imagined.

"Well, it hasn't got a name on here to whom it was ordered for...but...but...my nephew...he ordered the items..." the man told him nervously. "But he's not here now...he's gone back to school,"

"And which school does he attend?" Domnus asked him.

He hesitated for a moment before he answered. "Burnaby Advanced,"

"Really?" Domnus said not hiding his surprise at all well.

"He wouldn't have done something like this willingly...they made him do it," the man told him as if pleading with him.

Domnus looked at him waiting for a name; for he knew that if he asked that his cover could be blown if he said the wrong thing now.

"Them...the Shadows..." the man answered in a whisper, shuddering.

"Thank you very much for your help," Domnus said suddenly, he wasn't surprised to hear that they could be behind all of this he would have been more surprised if they weren't; for he had studied history though only a little of this time which of course he was regretting now but he remembered that they were about in this time also, the only problem was what to do about it.

"Is that it?" the man demanded. "What's going too happened...?"

"You needn't worry, as you said he's a child who was used by the Shadow Order," Domnus told him. "The chargers will be brought against them,"

"You mean if and when you can catch them?" the man said indignantly. "You haven't caught one in the past two years, and now you suddenly think that you'll be able to do it?"

Domnus smiled slightly for a split second and then it was gone, he didn't need to explain himself to anyone but he was more than capable even if no one here believed other wise.

It was cold with the windows covered in the corners with frost but it was dry for a change which Domnus was quite pleased of he hadn't been to a place that had rained so much since Luxis was eleven years old almost ten years ago.

It had been such along time he felt, since he had seen her and he did miss her, especially now as he sat down outside of the cafe on the busy Archer Ally just off of Witch Chester Square ‘THE TOAD STROLL’; the umbrella's were in fact red with white spots which is what he was told is the first thing that everyone thinks of when they think of a toad stroll.

He was actually dressed quite differently now to how he had first arrived and felt a little better now that he was able to do more, he was dressed in the Lictores uniform; midnight blue jacket with cuff's and a triangular tail coat, black polar neck top and black trousers with high boots over the top of them, everything about this uniform was for easy mobility and to be recognized on sight.

He picked up the menu and opened it, just as a woman rushed out of the cafe and over to his table as if she had been watching for him from inside, which Domnus assumed that she has been doing for the past couple of weeks since he had started to come here for a late breakfast.

She had short brown boded hair and brown eyes which seemed to sparkle at his very presences; she wore a thick purple jumper with a large flower in the centre and a short pink skirt over purple jeans which also had patches of flowers on them.

Domnus also smiled when he saw her, because he would love to bring Luxis to this place seeing that she also had a unique taste in fashion; she was probably the reason why he kept coming back here because it was a little taste of home for him or at least as close as he'll be able to get.

"Good morning Summer," Domnus said as cheerfully as he could.

"It's nice to see you again, I didn't think that you were going to come in today considering that you're later than normal," Summer said smiling at him blushing slightly.

"Yes, I've been busy," Domnus said not really wanting to get into it and closed the menu suddenly without even looking at what they had to offer. "I'll just have the usual,"

"Of course," Summer said smiling brightly. "It won't be along,"

She was just about to turn around to go back inside when Domnus stopped her.

"Actually you better make that two orders, I believe that I'll be having company shortly," Domnus told her.

"Really?" Summer said surprised walking away looking around to see if she could spot anyone likely to join him for breakfast.

Domnus sat back in his chair with his back to the shoppers as they went about their business. A young man a couple of years older walked over to him; he had long brown hair tied back in a pony tail and blue piecing eyes. No one would have known it was winter considering how he was dressed, he had a cream round collar top with embroidery up the left side of his chest with a matching cloth tied around his waist and trousers. He walked straight over to Domnus' table, pulled out the chair facing him and then sat down.

"You look like one of them," the man said of way of greeting.

"I've been here a while, so I had too," Domnus told him. "You're on your own as well?"

"So it seems," the man answered. "I knew that Luxis wasn't here because she wouldn't have you sat outside in the winter. So how long has it been?"

"I arrived at the start of September, it's now near the end of November so say three months," Domnus answered. "You on the other hand, you've only been here a couple of weeks. You're wondering how I know, well this uniform comes in handy considering that they've been studying what's going on, even if they're not making any progress I at least get to find out a little; like that there has been more than a dozen before I arrived and after,"

"Do you know who's behind it?" He asked him.

"Fortis my old friend, I would have thought that you could have worked that one out on your own," Domnus said smiling slightly.

"I didn't really want it to be them, they were dangerous before but now if they have the ability to travel through time; how are we supposed to stop them?" Fortis asked not at all pleased about hearing this.

Domnus didn't answer straight away. "Honestly, just one step at a time like we did back there,"

"What about the others?" Fortis asked.

"We'll look for those who came through, because we'll have to take them back with us of course; when we figure out how to do that," Domnus told him. "Until we can get back, we'll just have to live here and try to stay out of histories way,"

"That's easier said than done with the task ahead of us," Fortis said leading back in his chair, watching the people go about their lives not realizing that there was something so dangerous going on that it could destroy everything that they knew.

Chapter One

The bright morning sun bled through the blue lined curtains of the bedroom, creating a line of light across the desk underneath the window then across the floor and finally across the double bed which still had one small occupant curled up inside of the green and blue stripped duvet.