on his chin.
‘Which is?’
‘There’s a girl at school. She’s obsessed with Hero. She was following us this evening.’
Hero shifted uneasily, glaring at James. What business was this of anybody’s?
‘Ah, that is a problem,’ the master said. ‘I’m sorry, Hero, but you can’t train while your attention is on things like girlfriends. You can’t have a girlfriend.’
Hero looked from the master to James and back again. His brother had chosen not to have a girlfriend? Seriously? ‘Why not? What is this, a cult?’
‘Not a cult, son, but the training we do here is very dangerous. And because it’s linked to your emotions, you mustn’t have close ties with anyone until you’ve mastered it. Otherwise, you could hurt them, maybe even kill them.’
Hero studied the mat as he absorbed the implications of what he was hearing. He looked up at James. ‘I really like her.’
James raised both hands and let them drop again to his sides. ‘Sorry, bruv. You can’t—not and be one of us. You need to drop her.’
He stood rooted to the spot, the last droplets of sweat evaporating from his red face. He looked back at the master. ‘How long?’
‘That depends on you, son. But in all likelihood, about two to three years.’
He shook his head again. ‘I really like her.’
James squeezed his arm gently. ‘I know, bruv. And I’m sorry, I really am. I wish it were different. But there’s no choice on this.’
‘How am I going to do this?’ He looked at James again.
‘Don’t worry, bruv, we’ll sort it all out together.’
‘This part is very important,’ the master said. ‘You mustn’t tell anyone about this training. Only you and other invitees can come here. No one may come who’s not invited.’
Hero frowned.
James leaned closer. ‘Bruv, what he means is you can’t tell her why. In fact, you can’t talk to her again at all.’
The master nodded in agreement.
Hero’s face burned as he thought through all the different scenarios. He felt as if the ground were crumbling beneath his feet.
‘Any questions, son?’ the master asked.
Hero shook his head, still dumbstruck. Still confused. He stood motionless, a shadow of the person he’d been just minutes before. ‘Actually, yes. Just one. What is this talent you’re talking about?’
The Light Master smiled. ‘All in good time, Hero, all in good time. That’s it for today. I’ll see you tomorrow, same time.’
Hero nodded, left speechless by the entire proposition. He followed James home in silence. What was his talent? He just couldn’t understand what the Light Master might be talking about. At least James respected his need to ponder the future. He’d figure it out.
Eventually.
‘Thanks for taking me today, James.’ Hero plodded up the stairs to their bedrooms behind James.
‘It’s cool, bruv. Did you enjoy it?’
‘I really like the master. There’s something about him. I don’t know.’
‘He’s a good guy.’
They stopped at the top of the stairs.
‘I love you, James. You know that, right?’
‘Don’t be a sap, mate.’
‘I’m just saying.’
‘And I’m just saying don’t be a sap.’
They went into their own rooms.
‘I love you too,’ James whispered across the hall.
‘I heard that!’ Hero cried, sticking his head back into the hall.
James poked his head out of his room. ‘What? You’ve got bloody bat ears, mate.’
‘Don’t be a sap, mate.’
‘What was that?’ James swaggered over to Hero’s room.
‘You’re being a sap, mate.’
‘I see. Well, I disagree—and you know what this means?’
Hero closed his eyes wearily. He loved his brother, sure, but he was worn out after all this business of the Light Master and giving up Fi. ‘Nooo . . .’
‘Oh yes.’ James pointed at Hero’s chin, wibbling his finger.
‘No, no, nooo.’
‘I’m touching your chin, buddy,’ James said gleefully.
‘You’ve touched my chin once today already.’
‘But I haven’t, though, have I? I took the noble path, remember?’ He strode towards Hero. ‘No need for nobility now, I think.’
Hero leapt for the far side of the bed, but James wrestled him to the mattress.
‘Touch, touch, touch,’ James exclaimed, repeatedly poking Hero’s chin. He released Hero from under his weight. ‘Okay, bruv, I’ve gotta get on.’
Hero uncrumpled himself from the mattress. ‘I’m gonna get you one day.’
‘Yeah, sure you will, bruv. Sure you will.’
Chapter 8
Hero
Even though only a day had passed and Christmas was far from arriving, Hero felt that the depth and darkness of winter had passed and a new year was underway. It was as if the new shoots of spring were showing their pale green tips to the world, a new hope. Perception changed everything. Whereas before, every day at school had been a torturous eternity in hell, now every lesson flashed by in an instant. The joy expanded within his throat, aching to burst out in song and dance: Da da de da de da. He burned through every lesson at school, his mind hungry, starved from the months when all he could think about was the bullying.
The only fly in the ointment was Fi. He could feel her eyes on him in every class they shared, burning into the back of his head.
Don’t look. Don’t encourage her.
His heart was a soft peach being crushed by an iron fist.
But I want to. I want to look. I want to encourage her.
The wonderful feeling of her lips pressed into his mind. He hesitated, caught somewhere between the head and the heart. He turned his head towards her
