Solstice at Stonewylde (20 page)

‘Don’t force her to carry on for hours on end, and do make sure she’s warm enough.’

‘You sound like a bloody nursemaid. What’s with the sudden concern for her welfare? What’s she to you anyway?’

Clip shrugged, and reached wearily for another cake.

‘She’s very vulnerable, and you’re a cruel bastard. You take such pleasure in making others suffer for your own gratification.
I don’t like to see you hurting and exploiting anyone, especially not someone as young and helpless as Sylvie.’

Magus laughed.

‘Very touching. Bad memories, eh?’

‘You could say that.’

‘That was just an adolescent thing, Clip. I’m not like that any more.’

‘Yes you are, Sol. You’re just as bad and in fact I think you might be worse. All that’s changed is now you’re so much better at hiding it.’

Y
ul called on Sylvie again the night before the Owl Moon, anxious to ensure that nothing would go wrong at this late stage. He raced silently up the back stairs as soon as she returned from dinner having watched her room from the garden, and tapped on the arched door leading into her bedroom. He knew he had a little time before Magus came to say goodnight as this was earlier than his previous visit. Sylvie opened the door immediately, her face lighting up at the sight of him. She put her arms around him but then groaned, pulling away.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m so full. I feel sick.’

‘Are you ill?’ he asked anxiously, taking her hands.

She sat down on the bed weakly.

‘I’m not ill but I’ve always had trouble eating large meals. I used to have so many allergies and sensitivities and I hate being forced to eat. Magus makes me eat so much and I just can’t keep it all down. I’m being sick after meals now and that’s why they were all cross with me in the first place, thinking I was deliberately starving myself. I just can’t win.’

‘Does he know it’s making you sick?’ asked Yul, unaware of eating disorders and food allergies.

‘No he won’t believe me, but every day he looks at my weight chart and he’s angry again because I’m not gaining enough. In fact now I’m being sick so often I’ve started losing weight, which means every day he makes me eat even more.’

He sat next to her, holding her hand sympathetically.

‘I just came to check that you’re alright for tomorrow. You remember the plan?’

‘Yes, I know what to do. It’ll be easy: he said I have to stay in my room and rest all day tomorrow anyway. He even said I mustn’t do any school work in case it makes me tired! He’s such a hypocrite – one minute nagging me about not working hard enough and then actually stopping me from doing any at all. As long as he gets his moon magic he’s happy, and my school work doesn’t really matter.’

Then she turned to him, her eyes shining.

‘Oh Yul, I’m really looking forward to spending the afternoon with you! I’ve missed you so much. It’ll be great to have some time alone together.’

‘I know – I’m looking forward to it as well, though I’m a bit nervous I must admit. Do wrap up very warm, Sylvie, as it’s getting cold in the evenings. I’d better go now before Magus comes.’

‘Yes, you only just left in time on your last visit! But Yul, there’s one thing I’m concerned about. You said it’s getting cold in the evenings but you understand, don’t you, that I must get back here before then?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I need to be home well before moonrise.’

‘What?’

‘Because I’m going up to Mooncliffe with Magus.’

He laughed and stood up, looking down at her with a smile.

‘No, Yul, it’s not funny – I mean it! I
have
to dance on the stone at Mooncliffe tomorrow. I want to give Magus my moon magic. You do understand, don’t you?’

She looked up at him earnestly, her eyes great pools of moonstone grey. His face fell in horror.

‘Oh, no … Oh, Sylvie, they’ve got you again! The
bastards
!’

‘What do you mean, got me? I don’t understand.’

‘Never mind,’ he said shakily, still staring at her in shock. He couldn’t believe it – there was no chance to get her to Mother
Heggy before the moonrise tomorrow night, not when she was watched so closely. He wanted to scream with frustration but took a deep breath and kissed her quickly.

‘Just make sure you’re ready tomorrow afternoon, alright?’

‘They’ve put a spell on her again!’ shouted Yul, pacing the tiny room. The crow squawked indignantly, flapping its wings.

‘’Twas to be expected, however much she agreed to do what he wants,’ mused Mother Heggy. ‘He’s taking no chances, an’ it just shows how desperate he is for the moon magic. Did you get to steal some of the eggs, boy?’

‘Yes, the key worked after a bit of twisting and Edward helped. There were a few fresh eggs left inside the chest. The ones lying on the grass outside were the used ones and there were so many of them! He’s been gorging on her moon magic. We took the charged ones from the chest and hid them in the woods, and replaced them with used ones. They’re so powerful, those eggs, and I hated having to touch them knowing what they’d taken out of her. Edward couldn’t believe it either.’

‘He’ll be spitting angry when he finds they’re missing,’ cackled Mother Heggy. ‘Especially when there’s no new ones this month neither. Heh heh!’

‘But he
will
get new ones this month and that’s why I’m so worried! She’s under the spell again and she wants to go to Mooncliffe!’

‘For Goddess’ sake, Yul! You’re a man now; she’s nought but a slip of a girl. Who’s the strongest?’

‘I can’t force her to stay with me.’

‘Course you can, silly boy. You must bind her tight till the moon is good and high and ‘tis safe to release her.’

He looked at her in horror.

‘I couldn’t treat Sylvie like that!’

He stood gazing dejectedly into the fire. The crone pursed her lips and tutted, shaking her head at his misplaced sensibilities. She fondled the crow, now nestling in her lap, and rocked her chair steadily.

‘Well, there is another way, Yul,’ she said after a while, ‘now I think on it. Up along Ash Wood, beyond Dragon’s Back, there’s a grove of old sycamore trees. D’you know the wood I mean, boy?’

‘Yes … behind Ash Wood, I think I know the sycamores there, though we hardly ever use those woods. Greenbough doesn’t rate them highly, and there’s more than enough for our work nearer home.’

‘Aye, well, a whole group o’ them sycamores up there have split trunks. They were coppiced long ago and then forgotten and left to grow strangely, like tree-cages. When I were a girl, the woodsmen put naughty lads in there to punish ‘em. They’d bind around the trunks with rope and make cages so the boys couldn’t get out.’

Yul nodded slowly, seeing her plan.

‘You could put the maiden in one o’ them. She’d be imprisoned, right enough, and you must be careful she don’t make any noise just in case someone’s out a-searching, but ‘tis not as bad as trussing her up. Sounds cruel I know, but ‘tis only for her own good and yours too, that Sol don’t get her magic at Owl Moon.’

Jackdaw tapped at the French windows and was beckoned inside, but immediately Magus regretted the invitation, wrinkling his nose at the stench of stale tobacco. Jackdaw was particularly unsavoury today; greasy and unshaven, his protruding blue eyes bloodshot and bleary. He smelt unwashed too, and Magus decided not to bring him inside the Hall – and certainly not into his office – again. They’d have to meet elsewhere in future. He opened the French windows a little wider on the misty morning.

‘You understand what’s involved tonight?’ he began. ‘You’ll help with the eggs and ensure that damn boy comes nowhere near the cliff-top.’

‘Aye, sir, looking forward to a bit of action at last. But why don’t I deal with the little bugger now? I could take him away, up to Quarrycleave maybe, have some fun first and then snuff him.’

Magus shook his head.

‘It sounds easy but it wouldn’t work. We tried at Mooncliffe last Moon Fullness and again in the Stone Labyrinth at Samhain. He should by rights have died on both those occasions, not to mention at Quarrycleave last summer, but clearly the Dark Angel doesn’t want him. His time isn’t up yet.’

He scowled at the look on Jackdaw’s face.

‘You’ve been away too long in the Outside World, Jack, and you’ve forgotten the reality of Stonewylde. The Dark Angel might sound like some fairy-tale fantasy to you nowadays, but I know only too well how real that spectre is. Yul’s living a charmed life until the Winter Solstice and even after it, only
I
will be able to destroy him. It’s his destiny and it’s mine – they’re linked together.’

‘Right enough, Guv,’ said Jackdaw, looking around the beautiful room with interest. ‘You got some lovely stuff in here. Didn’t notice it so much the other night at Samhain.’

‘Never mind that,’ said Magus curtly. ‘You must keep Yul at bay if he tries to rescue Sylvie at Mooncliffe, though after last month, I can’t see that he’d be that stupid again. I can’t stress how vital it is that I take her moon energy tonight, so it mustn’t fail. There are only a few charged eggs left and I want her to do the full load tonight, and more if she can take it. I’ve had some extras made up and I’ve ensured she’s much stronger this month.’

Magus stood up, anxious to get Jackdaw out of his office and clear the air.

‘Keep well away from the Village today,’ he continued, ushering the brutish man towards the French windows. ‘Martin tells me there’s a lot of ill feeling about your return. The Villagers are complaining.’

‘Load o’ bloody peasants,’ growled Jackdaw, forgetting his own origins. ‘There’s a few of ’em I’d like to put in their place starting with that old sow Marigold.’

‘Once this Moon Fullness is done, we’ll smooth things over. It’s not long till the Winter Solstice and I’ll certainly need your services then, so we’ll make sure that everyone understands
you’re back to stay. Now, I want you up there by mid-afternoon, stacking the empty eggs around the rock in preparation. I’ll bring the girl up myself just before sunset. You’ve charged up the two-way radios and got yours?’

‘Aye sir, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure the boy don’t trouble you,’ said Jackdaw, rubbing his bristly jowls. He grinned, his gold incisor glinting amongst dark teeth. ‘I know Yul’s yours to finish, but there’s a whole month till the Solstice, ain’t there? Time enough for a bit of fun with him, if you don’t mind. I’d enjoy that. He’s a tough little nut to crack and they’re always the sweetest.’

‘We’ll see,’ said Magus, eyeing the thug with distaste. ‘It depends on what you have in mind. But it could be useful to have him out of the way in the lead up to the Solstice, especially if you can weaken him for me. I’ll think about it. We’ll get through tonight first and discuss it tomorrow. Remember your brief for tonight, Jackdaw – keep your eyes open and your wits about you.’

Yul had the tree-cage ready by mid-day. He’d found the sycamore grove several miles from the Hall, hidden away in the Ash Woods, and had chosen an enormous tree to be Sylvie’s prison. Its huge trunk grew almost a metre high and then split into seven separate trunks, each one as thick as his waist and growing straight upwards. The gap between each trunk was small, not big enough for someone even as slim as Sylvie to squeeze through. Only one gap was wide enough, which he could just slip through himself.

It was surprisingly roomy inside the cage. The bole of the tree was carpeted with a thick floor of soft moss covered by this year’s fallen leaves. There was space enough for a person to sit or lie curled up inside the tree cage and to stand comfortably. Yul had ropes ready to tie across the larger gap once she was inside, and water and a lantern to hand.

Edward had lent Yul his beautiful grey mare, which had saved him a great deal of time in preparing the cage. He would’ve liked to ride all the way up here with Sylvie, but if she started to fight
or thrash about it could scare the horse and he didn’t want to risk her bolting and perhaps throwing Sylvie. He eventually compromised and decided to tether the horse halfway.

Finally, after checking everything was ready and that he had fine rope and a piece of cloth in his bag in case the spell made Sylvie resist, he mounted the mare and trotted off along the path towards the Hall. The mare was quiet and gentle, very different from the exhilaration of Nightwing, but Yul enjoyed riding her all the same. He had an affinity with horses and had always wanted one of his own. He thought often of Nightwing and had vowed that one day the dark stallion would be his.

He urged Edward’s horse into a canter and together they flew down the woodland path, making a wonderful sight. The dark-haired boy on a milk-white steed, riding through the bare-branched trees to the palace ahead to rescue the imprisoned princess was like a beautiful picture from a book of fairy tales. Yul managed to stay in woodland until he was just outside the Hall, not wanting to be spotted by any Hallfolk. He carefully hitched the mare to a branch and continued the last part of the journey on foot. It was about an hour after lunch and Sylvie should be ready and waiting. His heart pounded as he tried the handle of the outside door leading to the staircase to her bedroom. It was locked, exactly as he’d feared.

Yul peered through the keyhole and saw that not only had Magus locked the door, he’d also removed the key, obviously determined to keep Sylvie captive. Yul felt in his pocket and found the key that Tom had had made for him. The door opened easily and he crept up the stairs, as quiet and terrified as a field mouse. His fear wasn’t that Magus would catch him and hurt him, but that it would all go wrong and he’d fail Sylvie again. At the top of the stairs he tapped on the arched door and opened it silently, dreading what he might see. He pictured Magus standing there with Jackdaw, both grinning.