The Monster by Nix Garth & Williams Sean

Author:Nix, Garth & Williams, Sean [Nix, Garth & Williams, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Childrens, JUV000000, Fantasy, Young Adult, Mystery, Adventure, Paranormal, book
ISBN: 9781742697130
Amazon: B007TGOUT0
Goodreads: 22934513
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2011-05-01T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

All Aboard the Red Rocket!

CUSTER WORKED WITH THEM FOR another two hours, but wasn’t able to return their Gifts to their former state. Jaide had both Jack’s and her own tangled up in an unruly mess, while Jack had nothing. Both found it frustrating, and behind his bluff, impassive manner they sensed Custer felt the same. Of course, he wasn’t the one whose Gifts were in revolt, so they reserved their sympathy entirely for themselves.

In the course of their travails, they witnessed his transformation from human to sabre-tooth and back more than once. It was both fascinating and unnerving, the way his teeth and bones stretched, warping his muscles and twisting his skin into new patterns and shapes, and he absorbed his clothes and shoes and everything into his body, too, to become tiger hide. It was clearly something that required a great deal of skill and exertion, for Custer was invariably out of breath when he finished each transformation.

‘Will we ever learn to do that?’ Jack asked the last time Custer turned back into his human form.

‘I don’t know. Your Gifts are in a state of flux and your journey to self-discovery has hardly begun. It is sometimes possible to turn incipient Gifts in a particular direction, given hard work and the right influences.’

Jack decided to take that as a yes. He would give anything to change into something as powerful as a tiger – a panther, perhaps, or a wolf . . .

Jaide imagined flying high over the world on the broad wings of an eagle, and wished she didn’t have to wait. Why was everything to do with being a Warden hard? Even when their Gifts were working, nothing went as planned.

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice the miniature vortex that skidded through the shadow of the fir, disappeared behind the trunk, then returned with a ginger tom tangled up in its heart.

‘Take it off me!’ Ari yelled. ‘I was just about to come out – honest!’

Custer clapped his hands together, once, and the vortex collapsed, depositing Ari on the ground.

‘Uh, I didn’t mean to do that!’ said Jaide. ‘I mean, I didn’t even know—’

‘You didn’t,’ said Custer. ‘I did. You have my apologies, Aristotle. I thought you were . . . another cat.’

Ari sniffed and licked his paws.

‘Apology accepted. I was coming to give you a message. She says it’s time to go, and I am to escort you to the train station.’

Custer pulled a gold fob watch from his pocket, flicked the cover open and looked at it.

‘Indeed. The hour has come for me to conclude my tuition. My thanks, Jack and Jaide, for your hard work today.’

‘Wait!’ said Jack in a panic. ‘You can’t leave now. I haven’t got my Gifts back!’

‘I sympathise,’ said the Warden, ‘but it’s not for me to return them to you. They will come, or not, in their own time.’

‘But – but—’

Custer put a hand on each of his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes.

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