Shadows at Stonewylde (19 page)

She dragged her gaze from the dangerous rocks below and looked up to the blue skies. The buzzards had disappeared, but ahead she saw a sight that made her heart lift. A lone kestrel, golden in the rising sun, hovered overhead. Its tail feathers fanned out and its wings were perfectly balanced to keep it almost motionless in the air. Leveret’s thin face broke into a rare smile – maybe the kestrel was an omen.

The early morning walk didn’t make her too late for school although Maizie was angry that she’d disappeared again and had missed breakfast. It was during Religious Studies, when she was grappling to understand how anyone could worship such strange gods in such bizarre ways, that the intercom phone buzzed and the teacher informed her she was to go to Yul’s office immediately. Tansy and Skipper whispered at this and several people looked at her strangely. Many forgot that she was Yul’s sister, which was just how she wanted it. But incidents like this reminded everyone and then she had to put up with more ostracism. It wasn’t that the young people of her age didn’t like their magus; rather it put Leveret into a different league to them.

Leveret stood in the doorway, her heart thudding. She wasn’t scared of Yul but of the power he had over her, over what she could and couldn’t do. He’d never hurt or torment her the way Sweyn and Gefrin loved to do, but ultimately he could make or break her life with just a few words. He held all the power and she had none.

Yul stood with his back to the door, looking out of the French windows at the gardens beyond. Leveret observed how his broad shoulders drooped. He still wore his riding clothes and she’d noticed lately how he was out and about very early every morning on Skydancer. Several times she’d had to hide in the bushes to avoid him seeing her. He seemed even taller than usual, although maybe he’d lost some weight. His dark hair was quite long now and she saw how it curled exactly the same as hers did with tiny bits of twig and leaf caught up in it.

There was something quite desolate in the way he stood lost in reverie, so large and powerful and yet so very defenceless. Leveret felt a sudden rush of her old love for him, for the big brother she’d once adored. He was still the same Yul. She had an entirely unexpected urge to run over and fling her arms around him, hug him very tight, kiss his cheek and gaze into his deep grey eyes just like she used to. To tell him that whatever was the matter, she still loved him and always would.

He turned, his eyes sad and mouth vulnerable. But when he saw Leveret his expression changed abruptly and he glared at her.

‘Stop lurking in the doorway, Leveret! Come in and shut the door – you and I need to have words.’

Her rekindled affection was promptly extinguished. She shoved the heavy door closed and stomped across the room to stand before him. He looked down at her, his face hard and closed. She glowered up at him through her mat of curls, green eyes insolent.

‘Well?’ he barked. ‘Do you know why you’re here?’

‘Because you sent for me.’

He nodded slowly, the lines around his mouth sharper than ever.

‘So that’s how you want to play it – fine by me. That’s exactly the attitude that has upset Mother so much. She’s at her wits’ end with you and it’s going to stop. You have to start behaving yourself as of today.’

She continued to stare up at him, not lowering her gaze, not looking contrite or in the least bit scared. He felt his fingers flexing and was shocked to realise he wanted to slap the insolence from her face, to grab hold of her shoulders and shake her hard. How dare she defy him like this? What could he do to stop her, to make her fear him and scare her into submission?

Then it hit him like a blow between the eyes – this was exactly how Magus had felt when, as a boy, he’d shown neither respect nor fear. Yul took a deep breath to steady himself at the enormity of this revelation. He’d never, ever even contemplated hitting a child. How could he have considered it now? It hadn’t been a conscious thought – his hands had started to move of their own accord. Was he turning into a sadistic bully like his father?

Yul shook his head and looked away, gazing once more out of the window at the clear November morning. He was tired, having been up since long before dawn riding like the devil along Dragon’s Back. He’d eaten no breakfast and had been sleeping very badly on the sofa; the last thing he’d needed was his mother upset and worried, nagging at him to sort Leveret out and make her behave when she couldn’t.

He closed his eyes for a moment and could feel himself trembling – with exhaustion, hunger or both, he wasn’t sure. That was why he’d felt that momentary urge to physically punish this small and pathetically defiant girl who was no threat to him, nor to the fabric of Stonewylde. He must keep this in proportion and not let his personal problems impinge on his judgement or handling of this situation.

He looked again at Leveret and saw her properly this time. She was still small for her age and always had been. She was remarkably like him, dark-haired and scowling, with winged eyebrows, a straight nose and full mouth. Her cheek bones were sharp and her jaw a softer female version of his. Her skin was olive like his, tanned from so much time spent outdoors and this made her clear sea-green eyes, so long-lashed and slanted, all the more striking. She wasn’t pretty but was attractive in an unusual, quirky way. She was also a little dirty and clearly not interested in her appearance, for her hair was wild and messy and her clothes very basic Stonewylde work-clothes of coarse linen, dyed a muddy green.

He thought suddenly of another half-sister, Magus’ daughter by Rowan, whom he’d noticed only yesterday as she ate lunch in the Hall. Faun must be two years younger than Leveret but she was clearly very self-aware. She was already taller than this dark-haired girl before him, long-limbed and quite plump, curvy where Leveret was slight. Faun had the silver-blond Hallfolk hair, which she tossed over her shoulders at every opportunity. Her pretty, smooth face was the complete opposite to Leveret’s pointed, secretive one.

Yul felt a surge of affection for this dark sister, whom he remembered had loved him fiercely as a small girl. He recalled her climbing all over him, begging him for more stories as his reading improved, riding on his shoulders for miles when he took her up into the hills. She’d always been naughty and defiant, never respected the rules. He remembered finding her once out in the back garden amongst the raspberry canes, the fruit all gone and a guilty look on her face. She’d run circles round the two brothers closest to her in age; Yul had made puzzles and played games with them and Leveret, so much brighter, always beat them. She’d been a delightful little girl, independent and fierce but very affectionate. What had gone wrong? Why was she so awful and sullen nowadays?

‘Come and sit down, Leveret,’ he said wearily. She followed him to the old leather sofa and sat stiffly on the edge whilst he sank back into the softness of it, his long body stretched out. ‘I’m going to call for some breakfast. Will you join me? Mother says you missed it again today.’

She shook her head.

‘Leveret, I know you. You’re kind and loving and I’m sure you don’t want to upset Mother deliberately. The way you’re behaving is really getting her down. I want to work this out with you for Mother’s sake. You love her too, don’t you? Will you listen to me? We can sort this out if you’ll meet me halfway.’

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t climb down from her position of stubbornness and defiance. If she did she was scared she’d capitulate totally and burst into tears, agreeing to everything he said and giving in to what Maizie wanted. Yul was very patient at first, trying hard to get through to her. The kinder he was, the stiffer she became. She refused to communicate, hating herself for being so difficult but not knowing how to compromise.

At last he fell silent, defeated, and she relaxed a little. He was being so nice and she ached with pity for him – for the sadness in his eyes, the tired lines on his face, the way he sighed and looked as if his world were falling apart. Deep inside, a little piece of her started to melt. Maybe she could tell him everything: her dream of being Stonewylde’s Wise Woman, her need to be free to roam, her fear of Sweyn and Gefrin and their cruel treatment. Maybe he’d understand and be on her side. They’d been really close once – maybe it could be like that again. She sat back a little on the sofa and turned to face him. His eyes were closed and his mouth soft, and she longed to hug him tight like she used to.

‘Yul, I—’

The intercom phone buzzed and he wearily opened his eyes and rose to answer it. Leveret sat there thinking of how to begin. She felt as if a great weight had been lifted. She should’ve come to Yul before – they’d always loved each other and maybe he’d only shut her out because he was so busy and preoccupied, not realising how much it hurt her. He slammed the phone down hard and strode back to stand before her. The sadness had vanished and his face was now taut and angry.

‘Right, Leveret. I’ve tried but have clearly not got through to you. So—’

‘Yul, I want to talk! I think—’

‘No! I’ve wasted enough time. You’ve had your chance to talk but we’ve been going round in circles here and now I’ve missed an important call, and you’ve managed to miss the rest of your lesson, which is probably what you wanted. I hear that you’re not working hard any more. Mother told me you don’t want to continue your studies after your exams, but be assured that you will. You’re blessed with intelligence and by goddess you’ll use it. I’ll be checking up on you at school regularly from now on, Leveret, and if I see you’re not working hard I’ll start breathing down your neck. You’ll start co-operating with Mother and do all the work you have to do at home just like every other person at Stonewylde. We grow our food and we make our clothes – it’s part of our lives here and you’re no exception.’

‘No, but you are,’ she muttered, her throat constricted with unshed tears at his sudden volte-face from the kind brother to magus.

‘WHAT?’

‘You don’t grow your food or make your clothes. Neither does your wife.’

‘Don’t you
dare
answer me back like that!’

She shrugged and stared ahead, her body once more stiff and defiant.

‘You
will
toe the line, Leveret, or suffer the consequences.’

‘Which are?’

Yul could bear her insolence no longer. He yanked her up from the sofa and gripped her by the shoulders, his fingers digging into the delicate bones, stooping so his face was level with hers. Flashing grey eyes locked onto rebellious green ones. She wouldn’t drop her gaze but sent out pulses of anger at him. His face darkened dangerously and she felt him tremble, struggling to control his rage. She almost wanted to laugh out loud at the power she had over him – she’d never seen him this angry before. He saw the exultation in her eyes and for a second she thought she’d gone too far, pushed him beyond control. She almost had. But Yul’s past was the most powerful factor in all that he did. Slowly and carefully he let go of her shoulders, straightened up and took a step back. He breathed deeply, consciously unclenching his jaw.

‘We’ll discuss the consequences at the end of school today – come back here then. Return to your lessons now and apologise for your absence. That’s all.’

Dismissed, she walked stiff-legged from the room and spent the rest of the morning worrying herself silly about what he was going to do. It made her angry that this was exactly what he’d intended.

At lunch time, she trooped into the Dining Hall and queued with everyone at the big serving tables for her food. She really didn’t want lunch but knew she needed to eat; she’d felt dizzy and weak all morning. The noise was terrible in here and she contemplated just walking out and skipping school completely for the afternoon. She could go home, get some bread and cheese and spend the afternoon out in the open. But Leveret knew that would only bring down more trouble on her head, especially if Yul wanted to see her later after lessons.

Feeling utterly despondent, she shuffled along in the queue with all the other students, slowly reaching the serving tables. Marigold stood here, sporting a large colourful apron and flushed cheeks. She was supervising the students on work detail who were busy serving up lamb hot pot and mashed potato.

‘Not that much, Bee! We’ll run out afore we’re halfway through! And don’t slop it everywhere!’

The students served the food from steaming vats, which were replaced at intervals from trolleys pushed in from the kitchen. The whole operation went like clockwork for Marigold was more than accustomed to feeding such large numbers, even if her latest band of helpers had little idea about portion control. Cherry, meanwhile, kept a close eye on the students clearing away the dirty plates and keeping the tables clean.

Leveret finally received her plateful and looked for a space to sit. The long tables were laid with cutlery, water and bowls of pears. Everywhere teemed with teenagers and she eyed the teachers’ corner warily, not wanting to sit anywhere near the large, secluded alcove where the adults were served their lunch. She scuttled down the long rows to a slightly emptier spot in the corner and quickly began to eat.

There may just be time to go outside to visit to the herb garden before afternoon classes began. Leveret knew that next September, the start of her final school year, she’d move up here and join the other boarders. She really hoped to get in Cherry’s good books and influence her when the work detail rotas were drawn up every week. If she could get herself rostered to work regularly in the herb garden, life would be a bit more bearable.