The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls by Debbie Kowalczyk Page A

response!’
    Ethan’s fury was evident in his posture. As the hatred swelled within him, Amy could see him bursting to unleash his true evil. Amy, frightened and uncomfortable, lifted her eyes back to Kate.
    ‘Keep the change,’ Kate said, throwing coins on the counter. As she walked through, Amy’s heart thumped against her chest. Filled with terror, she edged her way in behind them.
    Tom’s reaction was quick. He took one look at Ethan, and ran from the table towards the ball pit. Icy shivers raced round Amy’s neck. She looked down at her jumper to see an intense light shining through it from the crystal.
    Tom managed the little steps leading up to the ball pit with ease. He threw himself in, scrambled his way to the back, and sank himself.
    Oblivious, Kate walked Ethan towards the toy area, where two little girls sat on tiny chairs. Kate sat Ethan down and handed him a pop-up book. He took it, scowled at it for a moment then let it fall from his hand.
    ‘No!’ he said flatly. As if his voice had scared her, one of the little girls ran from her seat towards her mother, sitting at the table nearby. Kate put a drum in front of him and put the drumstick in his hand and showed him how to do it. He dropped the stick and kicked the drum away. ‘No!’
    Amy scanned the rest of the room. Mark passed the dinner plates to Winston and, as he made to walk back to the grotto, he caught Amy’s eye and lolled his head to the side, concerned. She gave a convincing enough smile to assure him she was fine and he continued back to the grotto. Winston, plates in hand, stood at the side of the ball pit. Amy’s eyes went straight back to Ethan.
    ‘He never wants to play with anything,’ Kate said to the mother of the other little girl, who scooped up her child like Ethan was contagious.
    ‘Let’s go see Father Christmas then,’ Kate said, noting his eyes had followed Mark. As Kate made her way towards the grotto, Ethan bent his knees so she couldn’t walk him any farther. ‘Come on,’ she said, tugging at his arm.
    Ethan growled at her manically, terrifying the nearby children, but Kate merely shrugged and walked back to Amy.
    ‘He’s terrible!’ Kate said. ‘Can you imagine him on Christmas day opening presents?’
    ‘Mmm,’ Amy responded.
    ‘So who has Tom while you’re in here?’ Kate asked. Amy gulped; she couldn’t tell her he was here but before she could lie, Jack walked through.
    ‘Tom’s here,’ he said, his thumb indicating his whereabouts. As Kate turned to look at him, Jack gazed down at Ethan, who was staring back at him with his signature scowl, looking horrified. ‘What the…?’
    ‘He comes to work with you?’ Kate smiled at Jack as if his reaction towards Ethan was a pleasant one. Amy couldn’t believe she didn’t react to the way Jack looked at Ethan, and still looked at him now.
    ‘Yes,’ Amy said, scowling at Jack, who couldn’t seem to change the look of repulsion he had plastered on his face.
    Kate looked down at Ethan. ‘Why don’t we go in the ball pit with Tom?’ As Kate spoke the words, the room seemed to slow in motion. Amy’s eyes shot to Winston, but he was speaking with a customer. As they began to walk over, Amy wanted to scream. Winston had to stop them going in. But how?
    It was only as Kate began to help Ethan climb the steps to the ball pit that Winston turned. As Amy caught sight of Tom’s frightened face through the Perspex cage, her heart fell into her stomach. Amy and Winston exchanged worried glances and, as Kate and Ethan began to move around inside, Tom lifted his hands out of the balls, gently resting them on top.
    ‘Hello, Tom,’ Kate said.
    Tom said nothing. His face said it all—he was ready for trouble. Amy felt the pulse of the talisman intensify, the cold almost painful against her skin. The crystal made a warping sound and tried to push its way out of her jumper.
    Suddenly, every light in the café dimmed and a huge humming sound began to fill the