So You Think You're a Sleuth?, page 19
part #2 of The Time Witch Series
‘Do they, though?’ Julian frowned again. ‘I mean … your parents were witches, right? Did they drive a lot?’
She flinched. ‘Why are you asking me that? You know perfectly well what really happened.’ She held her hands up, her frustration obvious. ‘Look, why am I even bothering? I’m going to marry Dev junior so I can be sure I don’t meet the same fate. But … what was that, Julian? Why was there a time stop when we bumped into each other?’
A mask of impassiveness formed on his face. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘What?’ She lowered her voice. ‘Yes, you do. I know you do. You’ll have been trained like the rest of them. That was a time stop, Julian. Did you cause it?’
Again, he replied, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
She gritted her teeth, giving him a defiant stare. ‘Yes, you do. But if you don’t want to tell me, then I suppose I can’t make you. Goodbye, Julian.’ Turning around, she added, ‘I’m sure I’ll run into you sometime at Trent Manor.’
‘You won’t, actually. I don’t live there. I have a flat in Dublin, near my job.’
She stopped, twisting back to face him. ‘Oh, sure you do. Not. Trents don’t leave Trent Manor. Sometimes I think you weirdos enjoy being slaves to your father.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know what to tell you, Etain. I got away from that house, and I don’t intend to return. Ever.’
‘Uh-huh. So why are you here, if that’s the case? And who are the flowers for?’
I watched his face, the war going on beneath his features as he debated with himself. Finally, he decided to tell her. ‘The flowers are for my mother, if you must know,’ he said, his voice cracking. ‘I come back here once in a while to tidy up her grave.’
Her cheeks turned pink. ‘Oh. Right. Well, I hope she was nicer than the rest of you.’
‘I wouldn’t know,’ Julian murmured, but Etain was already walking away.
These were her moments, so I had to stay with her. She trudged up the cliff path, and into the forest, occasionally munching on an apple or taking a sip from the water bottle in her bag. I didn’t recognise the route she was taking – she was veering away from Pendulay, cutting through deep and dark parts of the forest, going north instead of south. She wasn’t merely meandering, though; she seemed very set on her course.
As a clearing appeared ahead, Etain stopped, hid behind a tree, and watched.
I followed her gaze. There was a graveyard in the forest clearing, filled with dozens of graves and a small, tumbledown chapel. Julian was on the ground at a grave which might have been swallowed up by the forest itself, had it not been so well tended.
He was pulling weeds, murmuring beneath his breath – chatting, I thought, with whoever lay below the ground. The flowers from the market were in a vase near a simple headstone. Hoping my invisibility held up, I moved closer so I could read any words that might be carved into the stone, but there was nothing.
A tear was rolling down Julian’s face, and I wanted to reach out and wipe it away.
‘So you were telling the truth then?’ It was Etain speaking. As soon as I took my attention off her, she had stepped out of the woods, surprising both Julian and me.
Julian jolted, wiping his tears away. ‘Etain. What are you doing here?’
She sat upon a nearby headstone. ‘I was curious. I didn’t think the Trents actually gave a crap about the women they take. But your eyes are wet, and you didn’t know I was watching, so now … now I don’t know what to think.’
He stood up, folding his arms. ‘Well, you’ve had a good gawk now, haven’t you? So maybe you should go on home.’
‘You know,’ she said, looking down at her half-eaten apple, ‘I managed to sneak a look at some of the books in the Trent library a little while back. Dev did his nut when he caught me. He went on about how a warlock’s wife should always obey the rules. Knowledge is a dangerous thing for a woman, he said. We’re not equipped to properly understand what we read. He ranted on about it for days afterwards. You know how he is.’
‘Yeah, I know how he is,’ Julian grunted.
‘Before he took the book off me I saw this bit about the bond,’ she went on. ‘But it wasn’t just about how he’s going to take my power with some dumb ceremony when we marry. There was more. There’s a thing that happens when Time Witches with real power meet. A natural time stop. It happens to varying degrees, depending on whether they’re destined to be together or not, but it happens.’
With a frown, he said, ‘Dad says that’s a load of old nonsense.’
‘Your dad is an idiot. I’ll bet he’s wrong about just about everything.’
A wide smile formed on Julian’s face. ‘You … you’re very brave, Etain. Stupid, considering who you’re about to marry. But definitely brave.’
‘So did you read the book I’m talking about? The Changelings?’
‘I think I tried when I was a kid. Dad snatched it away from me before I could get a good look.’
‘Well, what I read lets me know that you have power. Your big brother doesn’t. But you do. We wouldn’t have reacted like that when we touched otherwise.’
He shrugged. ‘Look, you’re right, I guess. But from the small bit I recall, we should also get married so we can touch again without causing all sorts of disasters. And that’s never going to happen, is it?’
She let out a little growl of frustration and jumped to her feet. ‘Why not? I mean, why him? You’ve got power. Why am I marrying him and not you?’
He laughed grimly. ‘Well, I don’t generally marry people I’ve known all of five minutes, do you? Anyway, Dev is the oldest. He’ll be coven leader when Dad dies. That’s just how it goes.’
She began to pace the ground. ‘Except it’s not, though, is it? I know your rules, inside and out. Traditionally, the son with the most power inherits the coven leadership and gets his pick of women. They only stopped doing it that way because none of you idiots have had any innate power for generations.’
Taking a step back, looking warily at her, Julian said, ‘Look, I think I’d better go. I’ve been here way too long.’
‘No!’ She lunged after him, catching hold of his arm. During this second touch of theirs, time barely halted at all. ‘Look, I’m sorry, but … Julian, you said it was weird, the way my parents died. And you were right. We both know what really happened to them. But do you know why they died?’
‘No,’ he said gruffly, pulling his arm away. ‘I do my best to keep out of Trent business.’
‘I wasn’t going to marry your brother,’ she informed him, her voice high with nerves. ‘My dad caught me trying to run away. I thought for sure he’d force me to stay, to go through with it but … he didn’t. He listened to my reasons, and told me he would sort things out with your father, get me out of the marriage. The very next day, both of my parents were dead.’
Julian was gathering up his things as she spoke; he held his hand up, preparing to click his fingers and get out of there, but his face had that same look it had in the market – the look of a man who was warring with himself. He lowered his hand, and said, ‘Your dad would never have changed his mind. I’m surprised you did, to be honest. You were all brought up with the same sort of weirdness I was. I mean, you actually believe in this curse, don’t you?’
She raised her brows. ‘My parents are dead, so I’d say that, in one sense, the curse has come true, wouldn’t you? But if you really want to know why I changed my mind about marrying Dev, I’ll tell you. It’s because I saw him kicking Magoo.’
‘Who the heck is Magoo?’
‘My nanny’s familiar. Dev and I, we have these dates. He calls it courting. As part of our arranged marriage, we spend time together so we can get to know each other. I thought it was going really well. I actually … I kind of liked him.’ Her jaw hardened. ‘I don’t know why I’m minimising it. I didn’t just kind of like him. I loved him. I just … I just did. I spent my whole life preparing to be his wife, and I wasn’t even a little bit reluctant.’
Kicking at the ground, she continued her tale. ‘But Magoo didn’t even like him, let alone love him. Even Mrs Danby hated his guts, and she normally likes just about everyone. But I could see the real Dev – or at least that’s what I thought. We were in the north sitting room one evening, and I popped to the kitchen to get him a fresh cup of tea, and when I got back I saw him kicking Magoo. Not gently, either. I shouted at him, and he didn’t apologise. He just got angrier. He … he raised his fist and told me that it wasn’t my place to argue with him. He didn’t hit me, but it was a clear warning. Stay in your place, woman, or else.’
She gave him a steady stare. ‘Julian, you’re right when you say I was brought up with the same sort of weirdness you were. And I fully embraced it, the whole time. I thought it was some sort of divine duty, to give your magic to your husband. I thought it was the right and proper thing to do. I thought that in return, my husband would respect me and honour me and be eternally grateful for my gift. But in that moment, when he almost hit me, the truth hit home. I saw how things would really be if I married him, and it scared me to death. So, I packed my things, tried to run away, and … here we are.’
‘Here we are.’ Julian’s face was pale, pensive. ‘I’m sorry about that, Etain, I really am, but I–’
‘But you’re just not sorry enough? I get it. You don’t know me. Probably don’t fancy me. Redheads are like marmite, right? And you’ve gotten away from here, so you don’t want to get pulled back in.’ She waved a hand dismissively. ‘It’s all right. Go back to your life, Julian. I’ll be fine.’
He raised a hand to finger-click, then hesitated once more. ‘Look, it’s just … it’s true. I could be coven leader if I wanted. Even my father acknowledges that. But … Dev junior, he’s … he won’t accept it. I mean, do you know how I even got away from here in the first place? My dad sends me off to do other work because he knows full well that if I stick around here, my brothers will try to use me as their own personal power battery. And he doesn’t protect me out of concern for me – he only does it so he can keep me on reserve.’
In a voice dripping with sarcasm, she said, ‘Wow, you think your brothers would siphon you? Poor you. I have no idea how that must feel.’
‘Etain, I … what are you actually saying? You want me to … what? March up to my dad, tell him I’m going to take my place as his heir and I’m going to marry you instead of letting Dev junior have you?’
‘Would that be so awful?’ Her sarcasm had evaporated; she sounded tired now, and strained, as she walked to Julian’s mother’s grave and bent down. ‘They don’t even put names on your women’s graves, Julian. I know you don’t think that’s okay. I know because you come here. You’re the only one who does. You care about a woman, a woman who is dead, who can’t give you anything, but you still care.’
‘She gave me life,’ he said, his voice as strained as hers. ‘Etain, I know how scared you must be, so I’m not going to pretend I don’t. I know how cruel my brother is. I know he won’t stop at taking just a little of your magic, but will keep right on going, until there’s nothing of you left.’
There were tears pushing at the corners of his eyes as he continued. ‘My mother got weaker and sicker, as the years went on. She died giving birth to me. Sometimes I think, if she hadn’t been so exhausted already …’ He sucked in air, shaking out his wrists. ‘But I don’t think you actually understand what you’re asking here. See, it doesn’t matter if I agree to become coven leader. It doesn’t matter if I marry you. For one thing, we’ll have to go through a bonding ceremony which all of the Trents will attend. After that, your power will belong to me, and I don’t want that. The thought of it makes me feel sick to my stomach. And for another thing, I don’t think you realise how much resistance Dev junior will put up.’
‘So what? So what if you have a connection to my power? You won’t actually take it, will you? We could even fake it, couldn’t we? I’ve read about the ceremony. All we’d have to do is substitute a fake ribbon. I could pretend it’s really working, and your coven would know no different.’
‘Even if that were possible,’ he argued, ‘you don’t know Dev, Etain, not the way you think you do. He won’t give up.’
She pulled him by the arm into a more open area, jumped up on a log, and beckoned him to follow. ‘See that turret, sticking out of the trees?’
‘Pendulay,’ he said. ‘What about it?’
She smiled, a beautiful, irresistible smile. ‘You have power, I have power. Between us, we could make that place a stronghold. A place of our own. A one-Trent-only castle.’
He appeared to be thinking it over, giving it real consideration. ‘I mean, I think we could do that, yeah. But there are other options. Far less drastic ones. Like … I could help you get away and start a new life, Etain. I’d be happy to do that. And that way, you wouldn’t have to have anything to do with any of us.’
She tilted her head, looked at him. ‘Do you really think that would work? You don’t think your father would chase me to the ends of the earth and drag me back to Trent Manor?’
‘I … maybe you’re right. But …’
She extended her hand, took his in hers. ‘I am begging you, Julian,’ she said imploringly. ‘You know as well as I do that this is the only way. You’re the only one who can take Dev’s place, who can make sure he can’t marry me, can’t drain me. Can’t hurt me.’
He glanced at their entwined hands. Worry took over his face, but he said, ‘Look I – I’ll think about it, okay. I’ll even talk to my dad about it, and see if it’s possible.’
She threw her arms around him. There had been some bravado in her demeanour, here and there, but it fell away now, and I saw nothing but relief. ‘Thank you, Julian,’ she said. ‘You won’t regret it, I swear. I’ll be grateful to you until the day I die.’
Chapter 26
The Very Last Moment
In my mind I heard clicking and whirring, and then I felt sick once more, spinning and whirling through a dizzying abyss until I arrived at the second of Etain’s chosen moments, this time in a place I recognised: the hidden enclave of Warren Lane.
It was a bright, sunny afternoon. People sat at tables outside cafés and bars, enjoying ice creams or cool drinks. I looked around for Etain, and saw her emerge from a place called the Hilltop Hotel. The sight of her was a little disconcerting – I’d just seen her as an eighteen-year-old, and now she was a woman in her twenties. She was a far thinner woman, too.
As she popped a receipt into her bag and waved goodbye to someone inside, I pressed my face to the window; Mrs Danby was sitting in the hotel restaurant, sipping the remains of a drink.
Suddenly, Etain spun on her heels and stared in my direction. ‘Unveil yourself.’
For a moment I thought she meant me, until Devlin junior materialized beside me.
‘I should have known you’d sense me following you,’ he said to Etain. ‘But you know I’m not doing it to be a creep. It’s like I keep telling you, I only want to keep you safe.’
‘Hah.’ She arched a brow. ‘You. The one who kicks familiars.’
‘Kicks familiars? Oh. You still think … you think that was me?’
She gritted her teeth. ‘Don’t start, Dev. I saw you with my own eyes.’
‘You think you saw me. Look, the only reason I even know about it is because Julian laughed so much afterwards. It was him, Etain. He was pretending to be me. He used a doppelganger spell to fool you.’
Crossing her arms, she said, ‘Oh? And why would he do a thing like that?’
As Etain spoke, I studied her carefully. There was a catch to her voice, a glint of hope in her eyes. She wanted to believe him. It was an expression I’d probably worn myself, during my prison visit with Julian.
‘You know why,’ Dev insisted. ‘Stealing the coven out from under me wasn’t enough for my brother. He wanted you, too.’
‘Well, it seems to me that he lets you do whatever you want with the coven. Anyway, I’m his by rights.’ She lifted her chin, trying to look stubborn, intractable, but that same hopeful expression remained. ‘He wouldn’t have had to go to any great effort to achieve that, would he? All he would have to do is claim his birthright.’
‘He’s entitled to your power,’ Dev hissed. ‘Not to your love. But he had to do it – he had to go and make me look like the bad guy so he could sweep in and act the hero. That’s the kind of thing he does. He’s the worst of all of us. And as for having nothing to do with any of us? Hah! We’re all under his thumb, Etain. We always have been.’
Dev’s words were far less convincing than they had been on the day I almost died. Then, I’d had a long day of being manipulated by the fake Mrs Danby. I’d been primed, ripened for Devlin’s lies. But now I could see the sly turn of his lips, the duper’s delight as he realised Etain was beginning to believe him.
He straightened his face and pressed on. ‘I told him I didn’t care about becoming head of the coven. I said he could have that job. But I begged him – I got down on my knees and begged him – to let me keep you.’
‘I don’t know that I believe you,’ she said, although from what I could see, her whole demeanour had softened. ‘And why now? Why start following me now, years after I’ve married Julian? Oh, let me guess – you waited until your father died because you were afraid of him.’
At least now I knew the timeframe. This was roughly three years ago. Julian and Etain had already been married for eight years.
‘I didn’t wait,’ he said. ‘I’ve always been watching you because I’ve always cared about you. And most of the time when I saw you, you seemed okay. But lately … is he treating you well? He’s not taking too much of your power?’
Etain looked confused, frightened. ‘I … he …’
‘He told you he was different? That he wouldn’t keep taking and taking and taking …? And yet you’re tired, right? You’re getting more and more tired every day, and finding it hard to do even the simplest of spells.’
