The Shadowseeker - Victor Kloss Page 0,77

the luxury of being excused from both until their exam results came in, next Monday. They could more or less do as they pleased until then, which was perfect timing, as they needed every last moment to search for the caves beneath the Institute. It was Tuesday and the solar eclipse was on Friday.

“You know what the ironic thing is?” Charlie said, sipping his tea. “I was actually doing quite well. My mission was to capture this lunatic, mentally unstable pixie that was causing mischief in London. I spent a lot of time researching this pixie and her life, as well as their culture, so that I would have the best chance possible of capturing her peacefully.”

“I'm guessing it didn't go to plan?” Ben said.

“Actually, it did. I tracked the pixie and we had a good chat. It took about half an hour, but I managed to get her to willingly go into the cage. Everything was going swimmingly.”

“So what happened?” Natalie asked.

“Well, everything had gone so well that I hadn't needed to use any force, so I hadn't been tested in the Department of Spellswords. To rectify that, the examiner threw a hungry imp my way. You know how well imps and pixies get along.”

“Not great, I'm guessing,” Ben said.

“Think elves and dwarves, then multiply their animosity by a hundred,” Charlie said. “Anyway, I bumped into this imp on my way back to London Victoria station. I'm sure one of the examiners placed him there to test me. That's when all hell broke loose. The spells I purchased in Taecia Square were useless. I couldn't afford any good ones, and my attempt to bargain with the chap selling the spells was shot down. Of the ones I purchased, I only got a couple to actually work. In the end, it turned into a massive three-way brawl – me and the pixie against the imp. It wasn't pleasant.”

Ben couldn't help laughing. “I wish someone had recorded that. You could have been an internet sensation.”

“Very funny,” Charlie said. “Just to make matters worse, I spotted at least half a dozen people who may have seen the imp in plain view and I didn't have enough spells to blank their memories.”

“The Institute will clean that up,” Natalie said.

“I'm sure they will, but it doesn't exactly bode well for my Warden score, does it?”

Neither Ben nor Natalie had a suitable reply.

“Let's talk about the cavern,” Ben said, when Jake and Alan, a couple of Fours, left the common room, leaving them alone. “Where should we start? I've never seen anything below the ground floor.”

“There are old dungeons beneath the Institute,” Natalie said. “They are no longer used now, but they were housed in the basement.”

“That's a start,” Ben said, brightening. “How do we get there?”

“I've never been down there, but I think you access them from another entrance round the back of the Institute. Obviously that door is now locked and barred.”

“Obviously,” Charlie said. “Otherwise it would be too easy.”

“Well, shall we check it out?” Ben said.

They had to wait until lunch as Natalie had to complete her morning chores. Ben and Charlie spent the remaining time in the library, looking for any mention of a cavern beneath the Institute.

“Any joy?” Natalie asked, when they told her what they'd been up to.

“Lots of interesting stuff, but nothing useful,” Charlie said, and he proceeded to give Natalie a brief history lesson on the Institute dungeons, listing all the famous people they had housed and a lengthy explanation on why they were no longer used. Natalie did a good job of listening and an even better one of seeming interested, Ben thought, as she led them outside and round the back of the Institute. A small outbuilding, no more than a shed with an arched roof, was attached to the back of the grand Institute building, looking rather out of place.

“There it is,” Natalie said.

The little building had no door. Inside was a staircase that led down to the basement and, presumably, the dungeon. Blocking the entrance to the dungeon was a stone door.

In front of that door stood Dagmar.

“Back!” Ben hissed, the moment he saw the Master of Apprentices.

They quickly hid behind the walls of the outbuilding. Ben poked his head around so he could see down the stairs.

“What on earth is she doing here?” Charlie whispered.

Very little, it seemed. Dagmar stood in front of the door, her hand feeling the stone and the bolts fastened across it. She turned suddenly, without warning, and