Royal Institute of Magic: The Shadowseeker (Book 2) (7 page)

“There's more to it than that,” Draven said, “but there were a few things we did, because we were desperate, that weren't right. Of course, all of this could have been avoided if your parents had showed up.”

“Draven,” Colin said politely, turning to his peer. “I think you're deviating from the point I'm trying to make.”

Draven looked as though he was sucking a lemon. He scowled at Colin, and then turned to Ben. “I'm sorry for how things turned out,” he said, sounding like he was being strangled.

Ben grinned, enjoying the moment. “Apology accepted.”

“Good, now let's move on,” Wren said. “We are here to give Ben an update on what is going on with the dark elves and how it might involve him, in order to warn and protect him from any potential danger while on his apprenticeship.”

“An excellent idea,” Colin chimed in.

Draven looked ready to retaliate to Ben's impudent grin, but he took a deep breath and seemed to put the matter aside. “We have known that Suktar has been building his army for the last fifty years, despite his insistence that it was only to defend his borders. The Department of Diplomacy did a pretty good job maintaining any sort of relationship with Suktar. But being the evil, power-hungry dark elf king that he is, war was inevitable sooner or later. Now it looks like sooner. We have reports that he is moving his army and targeting Fiorgan, a small but tactically important country about five hundred miles west of Spain.”

Ben was enraptured by the revelation, but it didn't answer his most basic question. “What does that have to do with me?”

“I'm getting there,” Draven said. “Part of Suktar's strategy when preparing an invasion is to try to distract us. So the Shadowseeker who caused havoc in our Croydon headquarters could easily have been Suktar's attempt to do just that. I hope, for your sake, that it was.”

Ben didn't like the way Draven finished that sentence. “Why? What is a Shadowseeker? And what else would he be doing?”

“Shadowseekers are Suktar's personal assassins,” Wren said, taking over. “They can move almost undetected and can penetrate enemy lines like nothing else I know. Normally they are sent to eliminate a specific target. Now it's only speculation, and I personally feel it unlikely, but there is a chance the Shadowseeker was looking for you.”

Ben's throat suddenly felt dry. “Why me?”

“The same reason as before,” Draven said. “He wants to get to your parents. The real question is – why does he want them so badly?”

Draven, Colin and even Wren were now looking at him expectantly. Ben managed to keep a straight face and said nothing.

“Obviously we cannot let the dark elves use you as bait again,” Draven continued. “So I would like to have one of my Wardens watch over you. Additionally, I don't want – I mean I would prefer it if you did not leave Taecia until your parents have returned.”

“What?” Ben said, his voice rising. “Is that an order?”

“No, it is not,” Wren said, before Draven could reply, her voice soft and soothing. “It is simply a request we feel would help you and make your time here safer.”

“If the Shadowseeker is after you, then you could be in considerable danger, even within the safety of the Institute,” Colin said.

“They could infiltrate the Institute?”

“Possibly,” Colin said.

“But if I had one of my Wardens watching you, it's unlikely they would reveal themselves. And even if they did, my best Wardens are more than a match for them.”

If they were trying to scare him, it was working. Ben felt sick at the thought that a Shadowseeker could be lurking round the corner, waiting to take him out. But having a Warden watching him would scupper all his plans, and give Draven the perfect excuse to have someone spying on him the whole time.

“I'll be fine on my own,” Ben said.

“Fine?” Draven said, his face going red and his bushy eyebrows soaring upwards. Ben prepared himself for the inevitable tirade, but Wren raised a slender hand, and Draven's voice seemed to stick in his throat.

“You are perfectly entitled to decline,” Wren said. “It is extremely unlikely a Shadowseeker would ever penetrate the Institute. We have powerful wards at every entrance point and even within the building.”

“What about the incident with Prince Robert?” Draven said.

“That was a long time ago,” Wren said, giving Draven a stern look. “A lot of things went wrong that have been rectified since then.”

“It's still possible,” Draven said stubbornly.

“I would definitely recommend the security,” Colin said. “Draven's Wardens are very good; you will barely notice them. However, as Wren says, the choice is yours.”

“Good. I'll pass, thanks,” Ben said, giving Draven a meaningful stare.

Draven clenched his fist, and gave Ben a nasty smile. “You think this is all some joke, don't you, Ben? Well, I'm going to be watching your progress closely. The apprenticeship success rate for those new to the Unseen Kingdoms is less than one in ten, and if you think you're a special case because of your parents, then you're horribly mistaken. The passing mark for you is the same as for everyone else.”

“That's enough, Draven,” Wren said.

But Draven wasn't listening. He pointed a stubby finger at Ben, ready to launch another tirade. A sharp knocking on the door cut him short.

“Who is it?” Draven asked sharply, staring daggers at the door.

The door opened and in stepped Dagmar, calmly surveying the scene.

“What do you think you’re doing? Can't you see we're in a meeting?”

Draven's fury was lost on Dagmar.

“You have my apprentice,” she said calmly. “It is 12:53pm and I would hate for him to be late for his first muster.”

“My goodness, you're right,” Wren said, glancing at her watch. “Off you go, Ben. And good luck.”

Ben didn't need telling twice. He turned and headed for the door, enjoying Draven's look of pure frustration.

“I'm going to speak to your director about you, Dagmar. Your behaviour is unacceptable.”

“As you wish,” Dagmar said. She gave a formal nod to Wren and Colin, before exiting the room, Ben hot on her heels.

Ben hurried down to the dining hall, where Charlie and Natalie were waiting impatiently. Everyone else had left already, and Ben barely had time to give them an update before Natalie was leading them to the muster room.

“Draven really doesn't like you, does he?” Charlie commented, as they hurried down the hallway, along with a dozen other apprentices. It was clear nobody wanted to be late.

“We're definitely not best friends,” Ben said. “What I don't get is how Dagmar was able to interrupt the directors and take me away.”

“When it comes to the apprentices, she has total authority, and nobody, not even the prince, will cross Dagmar when it comes to that.”

They entered the muster room with only a couple of minutes to spare. The apprentices were already lining up, and Ben noticed they each stood on a coloured square. The floor resembled a chess board, with alternating shades of wood. At the front of the room stood Dagmar, hands behind her back, rod under her arm.

“Highest to lowest rank, from the front right corner to the back left corner,” Natalie said.

Ben saw what she meant. Those with the most colourless diamonds were towards the front. There were a couple of boys and a girl with five colourless diamonds occupying the front right squares. Ben spotted Josh, with three diamonds, near the middle. Natalie, with only two, was nearer the rear. Ben and Charlie went right to the very back. They got a few nods and smiles from apprentices who had spotted them for the first time.

“Jimmy Stroud,” said a cheerful-looking boy thrusting his hand out. He wasn't much taller than Charlie, with a serious case of acne. “You're new, right?”

“First day,” Ben said.

“Ooh, fun,” Jimmy said, giving him a goofy smile. His front two teeth reminded Ben of a rabbit.

A loud dong came from somewhere at the front of the room and the soft chatter stopped immediately.

“Muster,” Dagmar said. Ben couldn't see her at the front of the room, but her voice carried effortlessly.

The name of each apprentice was rattled off and promptly answered. Nobody was absent.

“Very good,” Dagmar said. “I have two announcements to make. First, we have two new apprentices in our ranks: Ben Greenwood and Charlie Hornberger. Please welcome them.”

The apprentices turned and gave them a chorus of greetings. Ben acknowledged them with a smile and a nod; Charlie did the same, with an air of embarrassment.

“I'm sure you all remember how difficult your first days as apprentices were,” Dagmar continued. “It is unlike anything you have done before and fifty percent of those who fail do so within the first week. So please assist Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Hornberger in any way you can.”

Ben heard Charlie shuffle beside him. Those figures were alarming.
What’s so difficult about the first week?
Ben wondered, with a mixture of anxiety and excitement.

Dagmar continued. “I have been getting reports that certain Twos have been falling behind in Diplomacy. I shall not name names, but you know who you are. This is your first and only warning. I suggest you put more time into that department before it's too late.”

Ben had almost no idea what Dagmar was talking about, but he noticed a few people with two diamonds in the rows ahead shuffle uncomfortably.

There was a sharp clapping noise, which Ben guessed was Dagmar slapping her rod into an open hand.

“Apprentices dismissed. Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Hornberger, please stay behind for your orientation briefing.”

Everyone filed out, with a haste that was probably due to wanting to put distance between themselves and Dagmar.

“Good luck!” Natalie said, squeezing through the departing apprentices to reach them. “You'll do fine. I'll see you in a couple of hours. Meet me by the Institute's entrance at 3pm.”

Ben and Charlie were soon standing alone with Dagmar, who somehow made the room seem small.

“Go and retrieve the red books from your lockers and come straight back. Do not open them,” Dagmar said.

They left the room and headed down the hallway to the locker room.

“Does she realise telling us not to open the red books only makes it more likely that I will?” Ben said.

“I wouldn't. I bet she'll know if you do. Then she'll turn you into a pig or something.”

“I think you're getting a bit carried away.”

But her order, combined with Charlie's ridiculous warning, was enough to put Ben off the idea.

Ben wasn't surprised to see that Dagmar hadn't moved at all when they returned.

“Hold them out,” Dagmar said.

Ben did so, staring at the dark red leather and the yellow flowing script. His desire to open it grew with every moment, but Dagmar was a sufficient deterrent.

“The apprenticeship is, on average, a two-year course. Those who make it through and become full Institute members amount to approximately thirty-six percent. There are five grades, represented by the diamonds on your shoulder. At the moment, you are first-grade apprentices. Each grade takes progressively longer. Those who pass grade one normally do so within fifty days. The fifth grade takes closer to nine months. During the final two grades, you will choose just two departments to focus on. If you fail to graduate within two years, you will not become a member of the Institute. Is that clear?”

They both nodded.

Dagmar took the rod from under her arm and pointed it at their red books.

“Those books will take you through the apprenticeship. They are all called
Institute Handbooks
. In there you will find a checklist containing a series of steps you must do, for each department. Once you finish the checklist, you will face a final examination in order to graduate to the next grade. The checklist is split into theory and practical. Theory involves studying books and then answering questions to prove your understanding. In practical you put theory into practice. For the theory, you can study in the common room, the library or a classroom. I do not care which, as long as you are progressing. If you have any problems, you come to me, nobody else. All clear?”

Two more nods.

“The apprenticeship runs from 9am until 3pm. That gives you one hour forty-seven minutes left for today. I suggest you get going; you have a lot to do.”

Dagmar took a step back. Charlie and Ben took the hint. They quickly left the room, handbooks under their arms.

“Where shall we go?” Charlie said, as they wandered down the hallway.

“The common room,” Ben said at once. “Isn't that obvious, when the other options are a classroom or the library?”

“I was going to suggest the library actually,” Charlie said. “I bet the common room will be too distracting, and the classroom might be too strict.” Charlie gave him a meaningful look. “Plus, if we're in the library, we can use it for other purposes.”

“Such as what?” Ben asked.

“Well, wouldn't you like to know what a Guardian is? I bet we could find some answers in the library. I would also like to see if I can find any information on Shadowseekers.”

Ben had become so enthralled with the apprenticeship programme, he had almost forgotten about Elizabeth's words during the examination. He had even forgotten about his parents and their mission to find Elizabeth's Armour. Ben felt a little stab of guilt.

“The library it is,” he said, with a firm nod.

Such was their desire to get to the library that Charlie matched Ben's pace and they took the stairs two at a time. It was a strangely satisfying feeling having the diamond floating above his shoulder. He had only had it for less than an hour but already he felt like he belonged here. He had been so engrossed in joining the Institute to find his parents that he hadn't had time to consider how much being part of it would mean.

“Here we are,” Charlie said. They had arrived at a set of double doors, decorated with a picture of a large scroll.

Ben had forgotten how musty the Scholar corridor was; it smelled of old books. Shelves lined the corridor, sometimes on both sides, making walking a bit of a squeeze.