Turner. Jonathan De Montfort

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 but stopped halfway.

      I can’t. The training. It’s bigger than her, it’s bigger than me, and it’s bigger than all of this. I know it. I don’t know how, but I know it.

      The final bell rang. He fumbled trying to put his books away in his bag and dropped them all over the floor. Less haste, more speed. He hustled to the school gates, but James wasn’t there yet.

      He paced up and down inside the open gates.

      Come on.

      He waited.

      Come on.

      Finally, he saw his brother in the distance with a dark-haired girl. James had his arm around her and was whispering in her ear. He kissed her on the cheek, his hand lingering on her arm a moment longer than necessary.

      Why does he get to do this and I don’t? God, I miss Fi, and it’s only been one day.

      Hero looked on with envious eyes.

      I guess he must’ve mastered the ability, whatever it is.

      Finally, James sent the girl on her way and sauntered across to meet Hero.

      ‘What took so long?’ Hero asked.

      ‘Bloody hell, bruv, you’re keen today. It’s only five past four,’ James said, tapping his watch.

      ‘You don’t know what you’ve started.’

      If only James realized how true that was, Hero thought as they strode through the chilly streets. He didn’t even mind getting out of breath; he was in training now, and he had things to do and places to go.

      As quickly as they got there, the Light Master was already standing in the centre of the mat, as if he’d been waiting for them to arrive. Hero scurried along the wall, a little out of breath, towards the spot where they’d left their things last time.

      ‘Okay, Hero, you’re fast,’ called the Light Master. ‘We can agree on that, right?’

      He wondered if he should put down his book bag, join the master on the mat, or something else. ‘If you say so.’

      ‘I do say so,’ the master said with a smile. ‘But you need to be faster. We need to get you to use all of your talent. You need to be as fast as you can be.’

      Hero didn’t know what to say.

      ‘You don’t believe me?’

      He finally decided to put down his things and sit to unlace his shoes. ‘It’s just that I don’t even think I’m fast. Nothing seems fast to me.’

      ‘Yes, son.’ He regarded Hero in a fatherly way, with his head tilted to one side. ‘You can be a lot faster. Come with me.’

      The master walked Hero to the back of the gym and unlocked