The Shadowseeker - Victor Kloss Page 0,76

chair and a cup of tea. He shook himself. Stay focused!

They passed through the Institute's wall, and Ben put every last bit of energy focusing on Grignak, to make sure there were no last-second shenanigans. As he entered the front door he felt like a triathlon runner crossing the line, with a mixture of pure elation and utter exhaustion.

“Seven hours twenty-seven minutes,” Dagmar said.

Ben hadn't even noticed the Master of Apprentices standing there. She tapped her watch and then took Grignak from him.

“You have completed the first grade exam,” Dagmar continued. “The examiners will meet tonight and your results shall be given a week from now.”

Ben nodded, too tired to care about the results at the moment. He just wanted to lie down. But before he could head up the stairs to the common room, he realised he had forgotten about his best friend.

“Any sign of Charlie?” Ben asked.

“Not yet.”

Ben knew that Dagmar would know exactly where Charlie was and how he was doing, thanks to the examiners, but the chances of her sharing that information with him were beyond insignificant.

“You made it!”

Ben turned just in time to see Natalie running down the stairs. She flung her arms around him, and he almost collapsed.

“Oh my, I'm sorry,” Natalie said, taking a step back, her hand going to her mouth. Her anxiety only increased the longer she looked at him. “Let's get you to the healing room.”

Ben shook his head. “I want to wait for Charlie.”

“Of course,” Natalie said, as if it should have occurred to her. “Well, at least let me get you a cup of tea.”

“And one of those custard buns,” Ben said, with a tired smile.

Ben positioned himself at the end of the bottom step on the grand staircase, cup of tea and bun in hand, with a good view of the front entrance. Natalie sat with him most of the time, but Ben didn't feel like talking; he barely had enough energy to use his vocal cords.

Every ten minutes Ben checked his watch, and when 5:30pm came, that turned into every five. He noticed Dagmar, who had been waiting patiently by the entrance, was also now glancing at her watch. Was there a hint of concern in her expression? Ben hadn't thought about it much, and it only now occurred to him that she would want her apprentices to pass. If nothing else, her pride was at stake.

“He's cutting it tight, isn't he?” Natalie said, giving Ben an anxious look. It was now 5:45pm.

“He'll make it,” Ben said, not entirely sure where his optimism was coming from. “Charlie would never fail an exam.”

But at 5:50pm Ben wasn't so sure. He stood up and started pacing the reception area, his eyes constantly flicking to the entrance. Come on, Charlie. Ben had never thought about the prospect of continuing at the Institute without his friend. Natalie was great, but Charlie was Charlie. They did the commute together; they went home together; they confided in each other about everything; and there was an inherent bond and trust that he simply did not have with anyone else, except his parents.

“Where the hell are you, Charlie?” Ben muttered, an unexplainable anger surfacing.

“Patience, Mr. Greenwood,” Dagmar said.

“Patience?” Ben said, glancing at his watch. “Unless my watch has sped up, he's only got two minutes left. It's 5:58pm.”

“And here he is,” Dagmar said, with a little smile.

Charlie staggered through the entrance in such a state that it made Ben look impeccably clean. His clothes were torn, his trousers were shredded, and there were strands of hay stuck to his body and hair. His skin looked tender and bruised and Ben spotted several open wounds. In his hand he held a large bird cage, and in that cage was a small pixie, buzzing around furiously, but clearly unable to escape.

“It’s 5:59pm,” Dagmar said, taking the bird cage and inspecting her watch. “You should give yourself a little more leeway in the future, Mr. Hornberger.”

Charlie managed a flicker of a smile. “I like to live on the edge.”

Then he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

— Chapter Twenty-Six —

The Secret Search

Charlie spent the night in the healing room and by the following morning he was back on his feet, though he still looked battered and bruised, with a nasty scar that ran across his right cheek.

The three of them were sitting in the common room, having just had muster. Most apprentices had either left for their morning chores or else to study. Ben and Charlie had