and back into the grand hall, they were greeted by a whole host of people, including, Lana and Beth noticed Declan and Saleena.
'Declan!' exclaimed Emma as she rushed towards him. 'Why didn't you tell us?' she asked as Lana joined her.
Saleena smiled and walked away as Declan began to speak, 'It wasn't up to me to tell you. Ellie is the guardian and she must tell you the truth. It's the way it's always been. How are you taking it? Are you okay?' he asked
'We're great, thanks,' said Lana, 'It's all kinda cool, actually. Quite a lot to take in, but cool. So are you, you know... one of us?' she asked cheekily.
Nodding, Declan lifted his shirt revealing the tattoo in all its glory. Lana and Emma both leaned forward at the same time to check it out, 'Resurgam' was written across his back.
'What does it mean?' asked Emma curiously.
'I shall arise,' he answered as he put his top back down and turned to face them.
'Do you know what it means though, what it really means?' Lana said, twisting her hair around her finger.
'Yes I do, but that's not something you need to know. Not yet anyway.'
'Spoil sport.'
'Do our parents know, Declan?'
He shook his head. 'No, they believe you really are here for work experience.'
'But what do they think we're doing? How can we keep this a secret?' Lana said.
'You'll be amazed how easy it is to keep this a secret, girls. When your lives depend on it, believe me, you will keep the secret. I told Patrick that you were both going to work as assistants / secretaries for me, for my private investigation business.'
'Dad thinks we're working for a private investigator?' exclaimed Emma, 'No way, he'd never allow that.'
Smiling and shaking his head he said, 'Your Dad trusts me. Let's just put it that way. He knows I would die for his children and in his eyes, that makes wherever I am, the safest place in the world for his daughters.'
'Wow, that's awesome,' said Lana, 'But why does he trust you so much?'
'Because when your father and he worked together in the police force, Declan took a bullet for him on more than one occasion. They were like brothers,' said Saleena who had crept upon them quietly.
'Wow,' whispered Emma, 'I mean really, like wow.'
Before anything more could be explained, Eleanor took centre stage again to speak.
'It's such a pleasure to have everyone together again. Thank you for offering to be this year's Mentors and for coming down to collect your Watchers. The initiation will begin shortly. I'll see you all back here again in the morning. You know what to do,' she said with a cheeky smile. 'Ciao!' she exclaimed and before the Watchers knew what had happened, Eleanor had disappeared.
'What? Where did she go?' whispered the youngsters as they looked around in astonishment.
The so-called Mentors rounded up their Watchers and started heading out of the main hall. Declan and Saleena led Lana and Emma down a tunnel they'd not been before.
'What was all that about?' asked Lana as they followed behind them.
Taking no notice of her sister, Emma was walking backwards trying to spot Diarmuid but it seemed he'd already left. She sighed heavily and turned back around, just as Declan chuckled in front of her, 'Don't worry, Emma, he'll be here tomorrow. You'll see him then,' he said.
Lana giggled too, as did Saleena. And Emma blushed from head to toe.
'He seems like a very pleasant young man,' said Saleena quietly over her shoulder and Emma grinned broadly, nodding.
'So what's going on now, Declan? What is this initiation? And where are we going?' Lana asked as they continued to walk down the darkly lit tunnel.
'Where's Joe?' Emma suddenly said, noticing that he was no longer with them.
'Don't worry about Josiah. He's been asked to stay away during the initiation. You'll see him afterwards. He's fine.'
They continued walking in silence, Emma thinking about what the initiation would entail. Lana thinking about Liam, the sexy rocker type Watcher she'd been chatting to most of the
'Declan!' exclaimed Emma as she rushed towards him. 'Why didn't you tell us?' she asked as Lana joined her.
Saleena smiled and walked away as Declan began to speak, 'It wasn't up to me to tell you. Ellie is the guardian and she must tell you the truth. It's the way it's always been. How are you taking it? Are you okay?' he asked
'We're great, thanks,' said Lana, 'It's all kinda cool, actually. Quite a lot to take in, but cool. So are you, you know... one of us?' she asked cheekily.
Nodding, Declan lifted his shirt revealing the tattoo in all its glory. Lana and Emma both leaned forward at the same time to check it out, 'Resurgam' was written across his back.
'What does it mean?' asked Emma curiously.
'I shall arise,' he answered as he put his top back down and turned to face them.
'Do you know what it means though, what it really means?' Lana said, twisting her hair around her finger.
'Yes I do, but that's not something you need to know. Not yet anyway.'
'Spoil sport.'
'Do our parents know, Declan?'
He shook his head. 'No, they believe you really are here for work experience.'
'But what do they think we're doing? How can we keep this a secret?' Lana said.
'You'll be amazed how easy it is to keep this a secret, girls. When your lives depend on it, believe me, you will keep the secret. I told Patrick that you were both going to work as assistants / secretaries for me, for my private investigation business.'
'Dad thinks we're working for a private investigator?' exclaimed Emma, 'No way, he'd never allow that.'
Smiling and shaking his head he said, 'Your Dad trusts me. Let's just put it that way. He knows I would die for his children and in his eyes, that makes wherever I am, the safest place in the world for his daughters.'
'Wow, that's awesome,' said Lana, 'But why does he trust you so much?'
'Because when your father and he worked together in the police force, Declan took a bullet for him on more than one occasion. They were like brothers,' said Saleena who had crept upon them quietly.
'Wow,' whispered Emma, 'I mean really, like wow.'
Before anything more could be explained, Eleanor took centre stage again to speak.
'It's such a pleasure to have everyone together again. Thank you for offering to be this year's Mentors and for coming down to collect your Watchers. The initiation will begin shortly. I'll see you all back here again in the morning. You know what to do,' she said with a cheeky smile. 'Ciao!' she exclaimed and before the Watchers knew what had happened, Eleanor had disappeared.
'What? Where did she go?' whispered the youngsters as they looked around in astonishment.
The so-called Mentors rounded up their Watchers and started heading out of the main hall. Declan and Saleena led Lana and Emma down a tunnel they'd not been before.
'What was all that about?' asked Lana as they followed behind them.
Taking no notice of her sister, Emma was walking backwards trying to spot Diarmuid but it seemed he'd already left. She sighed heavily and turned back around, just as Declan chuckled in front of her, 'Don't worry, Emma, he'll be here tomorrow. You'll see him then,' he said.
Lana giggled too, as did Saleena. And Emma blushed from head to toe.
'He seems like a very pleasant young man,' said Saleena quietly over her shoulder and Emma grinned broadly, nodding.
'So what's going on now, Declan? What is this initiation? And where are we going?' Lana asked as they continued to walk down the darkly lit tunnel.
'Where's Joe?' Emma suddenly said, noticing that he was no longer with them.
'Don't worry about Josiah. He's been asked to stay away during the initiation. You'll see him afterwards. He's fine.'
They continued walking in silence, Emma thinking about what the initiation would entail. Lana thinking about Liam, the sexy rocker type Watcher she'd been chatting to most of the
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