Magus of Stonewylde Book One (29 page)

‘Aye, that’s it! That’s what I need! ‘Twill be strong now, strong and potent.’

She hobbled to the table where the crow pecked at morsels of bloodied meat, and placed the pieces of Alwyn in a small dish. An ugly old cat crouched, amber eyes maleficent and tail lashing, next to a great book that lay open on the table. Its pages were thick and yellowing, covered in spidery writing interspersed with drawings. A thick piece of glass, the bottom of a bottle, rested on the page. Heggy saw his glance.

‘Old age has its many vexations,’ she rasped. ‘I can barely see the writing even with the glass. A pity you cannot read, my boy. When I were a child the magus wanted us all learnt proper. Didn’t last, mind you. But no matter – I know the words in my heart, though my eyes can no longer make ’em out.’

Her gnarled hand stroked the book lovingly.

‘My Book of Shadows, passed down from the Wise Woman afore me, though she could only draw. I’ve writ my knowledge in its pages, but there’s no one to pass it on to when I go to the Otherworld. My Raven, she’d have been the one.’

She shook her head in its battered old hat and moved to the range, pouring Yul a mug of liquid.

‘Can you stay awhile?’ she asked, settling into her rocking chair and fishing out her pipe. ‘’Tis lonely for an old ‘un up here, with only the crow and the cat.’

‘No, Mother Heggy, I’m sorry but I must get back to work.’

‘Did you sleep away from home last night?’

He nodded.

‘Be careful, Yul. You are in great danger until I’ve done my work. Keep away from the tanner. Last night, at the Dark Moon, I scried with my black dish. ’Twas unclear. There’s something looming but I cannot see what. I’ll try once more tonight. I smell danger on you; it clings to you like mist around a stone. In the old days I’d have known, but not now. Not since I made the sacrifice that Red Moon all them years ago.’

She sucked on her clay pipe and a wreath of smoke snaked about her head. Then she reached forward and laid her wizened hand on his, patting it with something like affection. He met her eye and felt the strength of her feeling, incongruous though it seemed. She sighed and sat back in her chair.

‘But still, you are here and ‘tis what matters,’ she mused. ‘Look out for yourself, my dark boy. Else all will’ve been in vain.’

As Yul made his way back down the track he thought of what the crone had said. He was frightened. He knew the violence was getting worse, but surely Alwyn wouldn’t dare go so far as to kill him? A couple of years before, a man had been banished from Stonewylde for killing his wife, but that was the first time in anyone’s memory. Everyone knew the consequences of murder, and Alwyn wouldn’t risk banishment.

But then Yul recalled the look he’d seen in Magus’ dark eyes in the Stone Circle yesterday. Hatred and anger had glittered like frost, cold and crystal hard. Maybe Magus would look the other way if Alwyn lost control completely. Yul shivered in the sunshine and realised that Mother Heggy was right. He had to put a stop to it. Ancient though she was, there was strength and wisdom about her and he felt safer knowing she was on his side.

‘I’ve spoken to Sylvie about moving up here,’ said Miranda, ‘but she’s not keen at the moment.’

Magus smiled and twirled a strand of her hair around his finger.

‘Give her time. She’ll want the creature comforts of the Hall eventually. She’s probably enjoying having a house to herself
after spending her life cooped up in a hospital ward and a high-rise flat.’

‘Yes, I hadn’t thought of that. I tend to assume the worst with her at the moment. She’s so difficult and argumentative! It’s a pity though. Our cottage is lovely of course, but I really wanted to move into the Hall as soon as possible.’

She looked up at him through her lashes. He pulled her close; Miranda’s head didn’t even reach his chin.

‘I hear you joined the women in the Great Barn last week,’ he murmured into her hair.

‘Yes, I did. What an experience that was! It’s such a good idea.’

Her voice was muffled against his chest. She loved the feel of him, so solid and broad. There was nothing soft about Magus; everything was powerful and toned. She wished he’d kiss her. Since their night of passion up on the cliff-top there’d been no further intimacy between them and not even any time alone together. She thought of Magus constantly, practically every minute of the day, and wondered if he felt the same.

‘Shall we go for a walk?’ she asked casually. It was a lovely afternoon and she wasn’t teaching again today. He’d come to find her in the empty school room and she hoped that maybe he planned to spend some time with her. But he held her at arm’s length and gazed into her eyes.

‘I can’t, Miranda, much as I’d love to. I’ve just got too much to do this afternoon.’

She drooped in his arms and he squeezed her tightly.

‘Oh come on, Miranda, none of that please! I know what you’re thinking, but I promise you our love-making wasn’t just a one-off. It meant a great deal to me.’

He bent down and kissed her coaxingly, and then after a while, deeply. She felt herself melt into him; his kiss was heaven on earth. She didn’t want to stop but eventually he pulled away.

‘You’re a bewitching woman,’ he said thickly, his eyes dark with passion. ‘But I really must get back to work. You know I’m taking the seniors away to Exeter in the morning?’

She nodded and reached up to touch his face, students and exams the last thing on her mind.

‘That’s what I came to speak to you about. They’ll all be away until the exams finish in the middle of June as it’s too disruptive to come back and forth. And a spell in the Outside World does them good anyway. So I’ll settle them in and then leave them there with the teachers who’re going along too. After that I must spend some time in London on business. But I promise I’ll come back to Stonewylde at the end of this month for a couple of nights, just to see you. We could have another picnic up on the cliff-top. Would you like that?’

‘There’s nothing – absolutely nothing – in this world I’d like better,’ she whispered, still trembling from the kiss. He chuckled, stroking her hair.

‘Your hair is so beautiful, the precise colour of glossy conkers. We’ve never had red hair like this at Stonewylde. A few of the Villagers are gingery but there’s none of this deep red hair. Strange that Sylvie didn’t inherit your colouring. I’d have thought that gene to be quite strong.’

‘I know, I’ve often wondered too.’

‘Was her father as blond as her? You’ve never told me anything about him.’

‘I’m sorry, that’s a closed subject. I don’t discuss it.’

She turned aside and walked over to the window, looking out over the lawns. He followed her over and stood behind her. He nuzzled into her back, towering over her and holding her tight.

‘Don’t clam up on me, Miranda. It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me but there’s no need to be so defensive. You must let go of the past.’

He felt her sigh deeply.

‘You’re right. It was a long time ago now and I should let it go. Maybe one day I’ll be able to. Sylvie wasn’t the only one in need of healing when you rode in on your white charger to whisk us away to this magical place.’

‘And isn’t she doing well?’ he said, his lips brushing the top
of her head and his hands stroking the contours of her waist and hips. ‘Look, there she is now. Oh, and Buzz too.’

They watched as Sylvie ran across the daisied lawn, face upturned to the sun and silver hair swinging in a great halo about her, apparently unaware of the youth behind her. Then Buzz caught her up and grabbed her hand, spinning her around and around. They saw her mouth open in a shriek of laughter and then Buzz rather cruelly let her go. She flew off at a tangent and landed in a heap on the grass.

‘What a difference!’ said Magus, kissing the back of Miranda’s neck through her silky hair as his hands continued their sure caresses. ‘Hardly the same girl who came here only two months ago. She’s so healthy and happy now.’

‘And so stroppy and difficult,’ said Miranda, trying to keep her mind on the conversation. ‘But you’re right – of course I’d rather have her like this. Her eczema’s virtually gone, you know. There’s barely a trace of it left. She’s actually thrown away her inhalers, and she’s put on weight and grown taller too. Now she’s just moody and horrible.’

‘That’ll pass – it’s only puberty. Girls can be very difficult, which is why we have the Rite of Adulthood when they reach sixteen. Once you’ve officially acknowledged them as women, in a public ceremony, they have to get over their silly tantrums and start acting like adults.’

‘It’s such a good idea,’ said Miranda, then gasped as Magus cupped her breasts, pressing himself hard into her back. She shivered with longing, her breathing becoming heavier. ‘Magus … please …’

‘What, Miranda?’ he murmured. ‘Does that feel good? How I wish I had more time this afternoon.’

‘Are you really sure you’re too busy?’

He chuckled at this. ‘Don’t tempt me. No, I must get back to my office. Oh, look at your daughter now! So different to that frightened little child who could barely breathe. She’s blossoming into a young woman, isn’t she?’

Buzz had pinned Sylvie down on the grass and was tickling
her. She struggled but appeared to be laughing, though it was hard to tell from indoors.

‘Is she alright?’ asked Miranda, pulling slightly away from him to peer through the glass. ‘I mean, should she be messing about with him like that? She’s still only fourteen and he’s not exactly a boy, is he? He’s huge.’

‘He’s sixteen, and so will she be next year. Don’t worry, he knows when to stop. The boys here know the rules, and Buzz better than any of them. All girls are strictly off limits until they’ve had their Rite. After that – well, it’s up to each individual.’

‘Oh, speaking of which, when I was in the Great Barn last week with the women, they were talking about pregnancies—’

‘One of the favourite topics,’ he laughed.

‘I know! It’s incredible how many babies are born here. The families are so huge! Anyway, apparently Rowan, that lovely girl who was the May Queen, wasn’t in the Barn and everyone thought she may be pregnant. She obviously wasn’t having a period this month.’

‘Yes, I had heard.’

‘But isn’t it terrible? Poor girl – she’s so young, only just sixteen.’

He swung her round to face him and looked down into her eyes.

‘You’re doing it again, Miranda – judging us by your Outside World standards. Having a baby at sixteen isn’t terrible at Stonewylde. Rowan is absolutely ecstatic about the possibility, I’ve been told. She’ll get all the care and support she needs. And at sixteen, a girl’s body is supple and strong and she has so much energy.’

‘Yes, but—’

‘Just imagine if you’d had Sylvie here. You’d have been happy and joyful instead of suffering the shame and worry I imagine you did. Sylvie would’ve fared much better too, growing up in such a close-knit community.’

‘I hadn’t thought of it like that.’

‘There’s so much you need to relearn, Miranda. You must
adjust to Stonewylde philosophy. Whilst I’m away, why not go down to the Village Nursery and spend some time there? You need to see just how well our system works. Who knows – maybe you’d like another baby? Sylvie’s perfect, and it seems a shame to limit yourself to just one child when you’re so good at it.’

Her heart leaped at this. Was that a proposition? She suddenly felt shy and unsure of herself. Have another baby – and with this man of her dreams? Magus chuckled again and ran a hand over her flat belly.

‘See – you’re not so averse to the idea, are you? You’re ripe and beautiful and we can’t let it go to waste. We’ll talk more about it sometime. Now don’t forget our picnic, will you? I want you ready and waiting for me when I get back at the end of the month.’

Miranda gazed up into his dark eyes and felt her free will dissolve to nothing. She was completely in his thrall. She longed to make some clever, enigmatic reply, something that would amuse and impress him. But she only managed a silly grin.

‘A
re they all here yet? And is all the luggage outside?’

Magus was becoming more exasperated by the second. Martin shook his head mournfully, eyeing the teachers with a look bordering on contempt.

‘I’m sorry, sir – ‘tis impossible to get anyone to give a straight answer. I’m trying to do a head count but none of ’em will keep still!’

Everyone milled about in the huge entrance hall, suitcases and bags piled up around them. Teachers tried in vain to keep the noise down, but the excitement grew as the senior students prepared to leave Stonewylde for Exeter. Those staying behind looked on with mixed emotions. People spilled onto the gravel circle outside the stone porch where Martin was finally organising the loading of bags onto a large trailer. The operation took some time.

Magus strode around impatiently, barking orders and becoming increasingly annoyed when people failed to move quickly enough for his liking. Holly clung to Buzz and made a great fuss about his imminent departure, for he wasn’t coming back to Stonewylde immediately when the exams were over. She became quite tearful, but Sylvie, standing silently watching the whole busy scene, thought it was all for effect.