The Shadowseeker - Victor Kloss Page 0,92
huge feet, but she put them on without difficulty.
Dagmar closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Such power. It's almost too much to bear.
“What sort of power do you feel?”
Dagmar opened her eyes, and properly scrutinised him for the first time since they had surprised each other in the cave. Ben could almost see the cogs turning inside her head, throwing out old conclusions and drawing new ones.
“How much do you know about Elizabeth's Armour?” Dagmar asked.
It wasn't an answer to Ben's question, but at least the conversation was finally going in the right direction.
“I know Queen Elizabeth entrusted a piece to each original director and that when Suktar comes back to power, the descendants entrusted with the Armour should re-unite to take him down.”
“What piece was your family entrusted with?” Dagmar asked.
“The sword.”
If Ben didn't know better, he would have thought Dagmar gave him an almost sympathetic look.
“Are you aware that Queen Elizabeth tasked you with re-uniting the Armour?”
“I am,” Ben said. He frowned. “Though my parents are doing that. I am just trying to help.”
“Your parents.” Dagmar nodded. “That makes sense now. I always had a feeling they might have been Guardians, but I was confused because of you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Only the youngest member of each family line is a true Guardian. The moment you were born, your parents relinquished that role.”
“No,” Ben said immediately. “That doesn't make sense. They have been searching for Elizabeth's Armour for the last two years. I know because they left me.”
Dagmar started stroking George absently. “I know you are young, Ben, but I'm going to be up front with you because I believe you can handle it. Your parents, I believe, were searching for Elizabeth's Armour because they didn't want to burden you with the task.”
“My parents,” Ben said, with a sudden urgency. Elessar's words came floating back to him, making his blood freeze. “Elessar said they have been captured and have escaped into the void. Do you know what he was talking about?”
The word “void” produced a rare look of surprise and dismay in Dagmar, her lips pursing. “That… that is not good news. The void is a sort of underworld, filled with terrible monsters and daemons. It can only be accessed through the very strongest spells, which transport your mind there, while your body remains. Your mind forms a physical representation of your body in the void, enabling them to touch, see and feel. If they die in the void, they will not return to their bodies in the real world.”
“Why would my parents go there?” Ben asked in horror.
“They must have been desperate. While in the void, their bodies here cannot be harmed.”
“How can they get back?”
“I'm not entirely sure,” Dagmar said. “Very little is known about the void because it is such a dangerous journey. We do have a few Scholars who have researched the topic. I will ask them as soon as we return to the Institute.”
The more Ben thought about it, the sicker he felt. “Why would they even want to come back? They would just return to their bodies in Suktar's palace.”
“That is correct.”
Ben turned away, suddenly concerned that his emotions might get the better of him. He squeezed his eyes shut and had to take several deep breaths before he could face looking at Dagmar again.
“I am sorry,” Dagmar said. Her expression couldn't be described as soft, but certainly it wasn't as stern as usual.
Ben nodded. He needed to change the subject. “Those times we saw you in the Institute, what were you doing?”
“Searching for the Shadowseeker. Once I realised he wasn't after you, I figured he must be after the boots. I tried to flush him out. We met a couple of times, but he always managed to slip away. Eventually I realised I couldn't risk the boots anymore and would have to move them. I waited for the solar eclipse, but so, it seems, did the Shadowseeker.”
It was all coming together, but Ben's attention went back to Dagmar's words moments earlier, which suddenly seemed difficult to take in.
“So it's down to me to find the remaining pieces of Elizabeth's Armour and re-unite everyone?”
“It is,” Dagmar said. “Do your parents have the sword?”
“I think so, but I don't know where it is, and I can't exactly ask them right now.” He felt a sense of hopelessness engulf him. “Even if by some miracle I found all the Guardians and the pieces of the Armour, what do I do then?”
“We search out