1. Family Matters
You’re wasting your life away, you
11 o’clock, but still in bed, Cassie Hall grumbled and
turned over as the sound of the mail being delivered
downstairs interrupted her thoughts. Not so deeply asleep
any more, but nevertheless rather drowsy - oblivious to
the regular day-to-day happenings going on around her.
As she slipped back into darkness, Cassie’s peculiar
train of thought surfaced once again – a swarm of different
places, names and events jostling for position within her
head, but just out of reach, as if behind a glass door. Most
peculiar of all though was the strange boy’s face
constantly surfacing and drifting towards her through the
darkness. When not concentrating, he appeared, but as
soon as she tried to catch a glimpse of him he turned tail
and fled. All Cassie got from him was a haunted look of
immense weariness and sadness, and incredible age. Not
at all like the look of a young boy.
The sound of her mother’s voice roused her, and
eventually she summoned the energy to get up. Finally
she managed to stand, only for a wave of dizziness to
sweep over her and for a moment Cassie stumbled, but
she quickly regained her balance. Nothing of the dream
remained but for a slight feeling that something had been
lost or forgotten, but this quickly passed.
And so the 14-year-old girl stood there, stretching and
groaning for a few seconds until finally looking at the clock
and I sighing out loud – she was supposed to be meeting
Max in half an hour and wasn’t even dressed yet. After a
quick shower she whipped on some clothes and went
downstairs.
“Morning, Cassie.
know, sleeping every day away. You should really get out
more.”
Her drowsy daughter merely grumbled in response to
this, and after getting out some cornflakes, slumped into a
chair and began eating.
“I’m going out now dear. I’m meeting someone.”
Cassie raised her eyebrows sceptically at this. The
only person her mum was likely to meet these days was
the postman.
“No, really! I’m meeting up with Mrs Jones for a coffee
after the shopping. It’s going to be great!”
Again Cassie was sceptical - any encounter with Mrs
Jones, in her opinion, was mind-numbing to an extreme
and should be avoided at all costs. The chance of it
actually being considered ‘great’ was about as likely as
her getting the top grades in her school year. Unlikely. Not
that Cassie wasn’t smart –she was. But it was still very
unlikely.
“Now behave yourself with young Max. I know what
you teenagers are like these days,” her mum said with a
wink. Cassie almost smiled.
“Oh yes, I almost forgot, a letter arrived for you this
morning. It’s on the table in there. Well, goodbye
then...Cassie.” If she hadn’t been tired, Cassie might have
noticed the strange tone in her voice, the slightly sad look
in her eyes. But she was tired. And so she didn’t notice.
Now ready to go out, she pulled on her coat and stepped
out. Hurrying through the busy streets of London, she
relished in finally being out in the open air, among
different people, rather than her solitary mother. And
there – crossing the street towards her was Max, smiling
broadly. She smiled back, and upon reaching him she took
his hand. After greeting each other, the pair set off
towards their destination: the Citadel.
Turning the corner they saw it, looming over them,
stretching ever upwards. A huge building, with sheer stone
walls and strongly armed battlements all round; the walls
were dotted at regular intervals with stone gargoyles,
leering over the citizens of London; on the front wall was a
giant pair of wooden doors, made of oak and studded with
iron bolts. The most amazing part of the building however,
was an enormous tower, made of glass and metal,
reaching upwards, surveying the city, ever watchful. It was
said that the head of the Church had his quarters in the
highest floor of the tower.
“Come on Cassie, we haven’t got all day! If we are
gonna...you know...the plan, then we can’t stand around
all day,” Max said as he tugged on her hand. “You are still
gonna come along, en’t you?”
“I dunno Max, now we’re actually here... It just seems
too dangerous! What if we’re caught? Have you heard
what they do to prisoners? I don’t wanna end up dead!”
“Oh come on! We won’t get caught, trust me! I’ll
protect you. Besides, they don’t kill kids! They wouldn’t do
that!”
“Oh yeah? Remember that little Jamie kid? He threw a
rock at one of them priesty people. They took him through
those big wooden doors over there into the Citadel, and he
ain’t never come back through ‘em. It’s true. Trust.”
“Yeh, that’s because they took him out the back
entrance, see?” Max said smiling. “Oh please. I promise
we won’t get caught”
Unwillingly Cassie agreed, but soon excitement
overtook her apprehension and she hurried along next to
her friend, curiosity burning inside her. What would it be
like in the Citadel? What wonders and dangers would they
meet? Could they steal something and bring it back?
Finally they reached the outer wall and walked around
into the trees at the side. So long were the walls
surrounding the ‘palace’ that a whole forest stretched
around the sides and back of the building. This forest was
so large you could easily get lost in its dense vegetation.
But the pair knew exactly where they were going, having
made the trip so many times as curious children, but now
finally having the guts to actually try and get into the
Citadel. Soon they reached the secret door which a few
years back they had discovered hidden behind a bush, and
after creeping as quietly as they could up to it, caring not
to stand on any dry leaves or twigs, they put their ears to
the door and listened. Silence. Nevertheless they listened
for another five minutes before declaring it safe to go
through.
Opening the rotting wooden door to a gap no wider
than her little finger, Cassie looked through into the
Citadel’s grounds beyond, and immediately pulled back,
for no more than ten metres away from where the two
were standing, was a guard. Cassie quickly explained to
Max what she had seen. To get in, they needed a
distraction.
Max soon found one. It took the form of a rock. He
picked it up, testing its weight in his hand. He then
observed where he would need to throw it to get the
desired reaction. He soon spotted his target – a guard
standing on a parapet a few meters up the wall. A hard
shot, but Cassie knew her friend to be a crack shot and
trusted him to get it right.
 He stepped back, pulled back his arm, and lobbed the
stone. They both followed its trajectory, and Max, true to
form, was pleased to see the stone hit the mark: the
man’s head.
The guard, suddenly feeling a blinding pain upon the
top of his head, stared with shock as blood trickled down
his forehead and into his left eye. He stumbled back and
shouted to another guard. Instantly all heads snapped that
way and attention now being on the unfortunate man,
Cassie and Max had their chance to slip through
unnoticed.
Once inside they immediately made for cover behind a
small wall, but they were still not properly inside yet.
“Uh, Cassie, are you sure you want to do this? I mean,
we’re in, why don’t we just get out now?” Max asked,
nerves getting to him, but now Cassie was the inquisitive
one out of the pair, and so she tugged on his hand
towards the hedge that confronted them.
It stood three metres above them, and was
immaculately kept. And so, in the shadow of the imposing
wall of vegetation, the two worked their way through, and
sticking their heads through, they finally had a proper
chance to look around. They were in a wide courtyard of
freshly mown grass, with exquisitely carved statues in
each corner. The whole place was surrounded by the well-
trimmed hedge that Cassie and Max had just passed
through, and beyond that they could see the huge stone
walls that encompassed the Citadel. And directly through
middle ran a white gravel path, and pacing on that path
was –
“Do you think that’s the Head of the Church?” She
asked Max, motioning towards the man.
He was a tall man, well built and quite imposing, with
light skin and a long mane of golden hair. His clothes were
of the finest silk and his boots of the most expensive
leather. But the most impressive feature of the man was
the aura of power that surrounded him. Wherever he
went, the guards seemed transfixed by him, and as soon
as he came near they seemed to stumble back as if a
force-field surrounded him. All obeyed him at the slightest
motion of his hand. For some reason though he sparked
some recognition in Cassie’s mind. She would have to wait
until he turned and she would be able to see his face. She
repeated her question;
“Well then? Do you reckon he is? Hello? Max?”
Max’s eyes had gone wide, and Cassie turning to see
why, had to stop herself from screaming, for behind them
stood a guard, and attached to a lead he was holding, was
an enormous wolf. The guard stared at them dumbly, until
finally getting his wits about him, and he let go of the
lead.
The wolf sprung forwards, seizing Max’s lower leg in its
jaws and began tearing at his flesh. This time Cassie really
did scream, and the man they had been looking at
stopped pacing and his head snapped round in shock.
With a flick of his hand he sent three guards running
towards the children’s positions, while he slowly advanced
after them, curious.
Max was now genuinely sobbing and Cassie, seeing
the agonized and terrified look on his face, realised that if
they didn’t get away soon, they were done for. Even if
they managed to escape, Max had still lost a lot of blood
and could possibly die – the floor was now going red with
the blood that was pumping strongly out of his gaping
wounds.
 Realising she had to act, Cassie leapt up and put her The golden-haired man turned to face Cassie, who stood
foot squarely in the wolf’s face as hard as she could, and there, seething, and was about to say something when –
instantly it let go of Max and howled with pain. She kicked He faltered, stepped back, and as he recognized the
it again to make sure, but then heard a shout behind her. girl in front of him, he spluttered out;
“Run Cassie! Just run! Forget me,” came the cry from “You!”
her life-long friend, who was currently in the arms of the Recognizing him too, something in Cassie’s heart
guard. Running forwards, she grabbed him by the legs, quailed and the world seemed to freeze around them.
taking care to avoid his wounds, and pulled with all her For the golden-haired man was Cassie’s father.
might. But for all her strength, his captor was a fully grown
Cassie ran through the streets of London towards her
man, who despite being a bit dim, was very fit, and held
home, all the time sobbing violently. Little did she notice
Max in a vice-like grip. But still determined, Cassie kept
the shouts of coach-drivers as she sprinted out in front of
tugging, but the guard would simply not relinquish his
them, little did she notice the curses from mothers as she
grip.
ran past, knocking over prams, and little did she notice
Hearing more reinforcement fast approaching, Cassie
the uproar she caused as she slammed full into the body
gave a great cry and stumbled backwards, tripping as she
of a priest leading the annual procession.
went, leaving her sprawled on the ground. Dazed, she
All she could think about was how her father was now
tried to sit up, but had little energy left, and had to watch
head of the supreme power of the world. Hate boiled up in
as her friend was repeatedly beaten down until he lay still
her as she realised why he had left her mother four years
on the ground, bleeding and broken.
ago. Because it would look better for his job. She
Another sound – men cutting through the hedge with
screamed, still tearing at anyone who got in her way, until
their axes, soon to reach the scene.
she finally reached her home, where she stormed up the
And then the golden-haired man stepped through, and
front path and slammed into the door, which remained
again that recognition sparked within Cassie, but she
motionless. Cassie realised she would have to be rational
couldn’t quite put her finger on why, as he was still turned
now – no more attracting attention and making a show of
away. He turned his head away from Max with a look of
herself. The last thing she needed was to be arrested by
utter disdain. He gave the order and the men dragged him
the Church and taken straight back.
away, making sure he felt every bump as he slid across
Trying to calm down, she decided to try and open the
the floor, and Cassie felt his pain too. And then, without
door normally, with her key, anything just to take her mind
knowing why, she summoned the energy to stand up, and
off the horrible new discovery. But she just couldn’t forget
with all the courage she could manage, with all the hate
the horror that appeared on his face when he realised who
she could fit into those three words, she said;
it was in front of him – it kept appearing in her mind,
“How dare you.”
making her blood boil and her fists clench.
By now the Sun had nearly set and the house was no
longer coated in a film of bright sunlight, but instead dark
in shadow, but Cassie’s mum still hadn’t returned. She had
little time to worry about that now; she was overwhelmed
by the day’s events and left exhausted by them, both
physically and mentally, and so trudged upstairs and
collapsed into bed with her clothes still on.
Lying in the darkness in silence, Cassie couldn’t sleep
for hours. She didn’t know what the Church were going to
Max, but she knew what she would do. She would rescue
him.
tone of her voice that she hadn’t noticed just then. What
was this all about?
Well, only one way to find out. She ran down the stairs
and through into the living room and snatched up the
letter.
Cassie stared, for there on the letter was a blue eye.
The blue eye was the symbol of the witches. What did this
mean? Well, time enough to wonder about that later, she
thought, as she broke the wax seal on the back, which was
also a blue eye. She unfolded the paper and read the
message. It said simply;

Cassie didn’t get to sleep for hours that night, and finally
Be ready. They are coming.
when she did she was only left with dreams of Max lying
dead in the Citadel, and her father laughing at him, but
Dropping the letter, she stepped back and tensed -
when he turned to her, he had the face of the wolf, and he
she had sensed something. There was someone in the
bounded at her, and for all she tried, she just couldn’t run
room behind her. It wasn’t that they’d made a noise – no,
fast enough. She woke from these nightmares just before
they had entered silently. It was a kind of sixth sense, like
he reached her, leaving her feeling sick with fear, but soon
when you stare at someone for long enough and they
she slipped back into restless sleep, and there was max
become aware of you. And somehow Cassie could just tell
lying dead again...
that they hadn’t come for a cup of tea and a chat.
Upon waking up the next day, Cassie instantly had a
But who was this mystery intruder? Why was he here?
vivid flash of yesterday’s events and flopped back into
And how had the witch that sent this letter known that he
bed, emotion overwhelming her. She tried to think
was coming?
straight, but this failed as well - ever since that moment in
Cassie turned...but he wasn’t there. Well he was – she
the Citadel, everything in her head and around her had
just couldn’t see him.
frozen as everything she had ever known or believed
“Alright, where are you then? I know you’re here. Just
about her father collapsed in front of her. She had always
come out and we can have a chat about why you’re here.”
thought that her father was a good man, despite leaving
A man materialised in front of her from thin air. She
her mother-
was quite surprised – little people had the skill of fading,
The sudden thought of her mother had triggered the
but it wasn’t unheard of. But people with such a skill were
memory of the fateful morning, the memory of her mother
getting rarer and rarer these days. And it was all because
telling her that a letter had arrived for her, and the sad
of the Church; ever since the Rebels had broken away
from it, they had taught some people a skill of the Church;
fading. This was the ability to bend light around you,
rendering you invisible. But ever since that day when the
Rebels broke away, the Church had been dispatching them
swiftly. It quickly became the supreme power in England,
and then the world. In most countries it had more
influence than the government itself, and was by far more
effective and brutal.
And now Cassie’s father was its leader, she thought and
again her fists clenched.
And if this man could fade, did this mean he was an
agent of the Church? Had he tracked her, and then come
to eliminate her? Because she had broken into the
Citadel? It seemed likely – the Church worked very quickly,
wasting no time in doing their job.
“You’re from the Church, aren’t you?”
The man nodded.
“Why are you here? Have you come to kill me?”
“No, I haven’t come to kill you, I am not an assassin. I
have been sent by the supreme power to take you. Will
you come with me willingly, or will I have to force you?”
Knowing there was no other option; Cassie agreed to
let him take her.
The journey to the Citadel was short, but uncomfortable –
evidently her father, despite letting her live, was not
overly concerned about her comfort - she was shoved into
a small carriage which was dark, hot, stuffy and very
small. The result was that Cassie ended up hot and sweaty
and horribly cramped, and it was a great relief when she
was finally let out.
When out the carriage, she let her eyes adjust to the
light, and found herself in the wide courtyard, and
instantly had a gruesome picture of the wolf attacking Max
appear in her mind. She didn’t have long to look around
again though – a blindfold was pushed down over her face
and a rough hand pulled her across the path by the collar.
She heard a door open, an exchange of voices, and
then they continued, walking through a large hall, Cassie
guessed, from the way her footsteps echoed all around
her.
Finally reaching the end of the hall, Cassie felt a door
open in front of her and she was shoved in. To her relief,
her blindfold was removed, and she took note of her
surroundings after vigorously rubbing her eyes. She was in
an elevator, which was travelling upwards at a terrifying
speed, with no way out. She considered trying to
overpower the guard, but as if he read her mind, he
growled;
“Don’t even think about it. I’ve got a pistol aimed at
your pretty little head right now. And don’t think I wouldn’t
shoot. Oh, yes, I’m perfectly comfortable with that. The
Lord above would most approve I believe.”
Cassie quailed with fear – she was certain that this
man could easily murder a young girl, and so resolved not
to try anything drastic.
“Alright now, I’m going to search you. Don’t try
anything.”
The man, after searching her and finding nothing,
seemed satisfied, but kept his gun pointing at her. Soon
though he lowered it – they had arrived. The elevator door
opened but he didn’t do anything; supposedly his task was
over now.
Cassie took in her surroundings – she was standing on
what seemed to be...the top floor of the glass tower! The
view was amazing; you could see the whole city from
here, through the glass wall that stretched all around the
circular room. The room itself was elaborately furnished –
to her left, a fire burned in a deep grate, and next to it on
the floor was a huge white carpet, but on closer inspection
she realised it was a polar bear, killed and its insides
removed. Around it were some of the comfiest-looking
armchairs she had ever seen. A very expensive-looking
dining table stood to her right, set for two but with no one
to eat there, and overhead hung a crystal chandelier. The
floor itself was of genuine mahogany. The room was fit for
a king.
And perhaps it was, because as she approached the
fireplace, the chair in front of it spun around, and there
sitting in it, was Cassie’s father, who smiled at her, and
said, in a deep voice,
“Hello, Cassie.”