Destiny of the Witch, page 27
Hector nodded. ‘Blaise already crossed the timeline once. It will recognise him on return, but only if he still has his magic. He either goes back as a witch or he remains here. It’s his choice.’
‘Emrick?’ Sirius shook his head helplessly. ‘What do you think?’
‘It’s really not for me to say,’ Emrick said. ‘I’m sorry, but this has to be Blaise’s decision.’
Blaise looked stricken. ‘I don’t want my magic back,’ he repeated. ‘What if it got out of control again? What if I…’ His voice trailed off and he stared bleakly at Celeste. ‘What do I do?’
Celeste’s expression softened. She took his face in her hands and gazed into his eyes.
‘Magic isn’t good or bad, Blaise,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s the person wielding it who decides how to use it.’
‘But what if I forget all the damage I’ve done?’ he whispered. ‘What if I start to crave power and excitement again?’
‘I can’t give you any guarantees,’ she told him. ‘But you’re a strong man, and deep down you have a good heart. You’ve proved that. Be the master of your fate, Blaise. It might call to you, but if you don’t think it’s the right thing to do, you can say no. You can walk your own path. I’m sure of it. I have faith in you.’
‘Maybe you should sleep on it,’ Wulfram suggested. ‘There’s no need to decide right now. Think about it, and if you decide you can’t take the risk of getting your magic back—well, I’ll figure something else out.’
‘No,’ Blaise said, taking Celeste’s hands in his. ‘Celeste is right. I can walk my own path, and the path I choose is the path that leads me back to the seventeenth century, where I can try to make amends once and for all.’
He turned to me and his eyes gleamed with tears. ‘I’m so sorry, my love.’
I knew he meant it, and I understood why he had to go back. How could I ask him to remain here, tormented with guilt and grief? He needed to at least attempt to fix things or how could he ever be happy? And if he couldn’t be happy, neither could I. It would be no life for either of us.
‘Don’t be sorry,’ I told him, managing a smile. ‘It’s okay.’
‘I’ll miss you so much,’ he told me.
‘No you won’t,’ I said. ‘You won’t miss me at all. Because I’m going with you.’
Chapter 34
Wulfram
‘No, Romy!’
It was Ewella’s voice that rang out the loudest, but we all issued our protests as soon as she made her declaration.
Even Blaise was adamant that she couldn’t go with him.
‘You have no idea what the seventeenth century is like,’ he told her. ‘You’d never be able to cope with it. The disease, the dirt—I couldn’t put you through that. I’m sorry, Romy, but you must stay here where you’ll be safe.’
‘Plenty of people stayed alive and well in the seventeenth century,’ she said defiantly. ‘They lived to a decent age. Not everyone died young.’
‘But there are so few guarantees,’ he pleaded. ‘And remember, witches aren’t accepted. We’d have the added danger of discovery.’ He shook his head. ‘I was protected in Castle Clair. We had our safe little bubble, where we were free to be who we truly were. Not everyone was so lucky. We won’t have that bubble if we return. It will be just us, trying to make our way in a hostile and strange world. Even I’m going to struggle, having spent these last four years in this time. I’ve grown accustomed to comfort and security. But at least I’ll understand the world I’m returning to. You…’
He held me tightly and I felt a sob escape him as we stood together. ‘Please, Romy,’ he murmured. ‘You can’t do this. You have to let me go.’
‘Blaise is right,’ Celeste said gently. ‘I’m sorry. I know how much he means to you, but it’s not safe.’
‘It’s not your decision to make,’ Romy said, staring round at us all as if challenging us to disagree with her. ‘It’s mine. And I’ve made it. If Blaise is going back to the seventeenth century then so am I. It might be tough, but we’ll be together, and that’s all that matters.’
‘I won’t do it,’ Blaise said, stepping away from her. ‘I won’t let you come with me.’
‘And I won’t take you,’ I added, feeling guilty for crossing my sister, but aware that I was doing her a favour. She’d never survive in that world. I didn’t want her to try. She belonged here with us.
Romy spun round and turned appealing eyes on Emrick. ‘Tell them!’ she begged. ‘Tell them it’s not up to them.’
Emrick closed his eyes but remained silent.
Romy gave an exasperated cry and swung round to face Hector. ‘You’ll tell them, won’t you? Please, Hector.’
‘Romy, stop it,’ Ewella said. She hurried over and put her hands on Romy’s shoulders. ‘Listen to me. This isn’t a game. The time that Blaise is from is a hard and dangerous one. I don’t want you trapped in that life. Blaise is right. He should know. He has first-hand experience of that period. Listen to him. He’s going to have enough to worry about as it is, and the last thing he needs is you weighing him down. You’ll be a burden to him; can’t you see that?’
She turned tearful eyes on Blaise. ‘Thank you for telling her the truth,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry you’re going to have to go back there. I can imagine what a wrench it’s going to be for you. I think you’re incredibly brave. But you’re right. My daughter belongs here. Thank you for being noble enough to tell her that.’
Sirius and Trinity exchanged worried glances and I knew exactly what they were thinking. The fact was, Blaise might not turn out to be a noble hero after all. Celeste herself had said that fate was still pulling him. What if this was part of a plan for him to get his magic back? How could we be sure? If he turned out to be as rotten as he used to be, I certainly didn’t want my sister stuck in another century with him.
‘Emrick,’ Romy whispered tearfully, ‘please.’
Emrick finally opened his eyes and gazed at her thoughtfully. He cleared his throat and we all waited.
‘You do realise, Romy, that no other witch can be allowed to travel through time? You’re half witch. If you went back to the seventeenth century with Blaise, an alarm would sound, warning that yet another witch has time travelled. That, of course, would merely start another set of problems. It would cancel out everything Blaise was trying to achieve.’
I must admit, I hadn’t thought of that, and it was obvious that Romy hadn’t either. Her face fell, but only for a moment.
‘Well, couldn’t the island remove the witch part of me? Or maybe the High Council could do it. Or—’ she swung round and faced Hector eagerly, ‘Hector could do it. One Guardian can remove a witch’s magic, can’t they? And I’d still be half fae.’
Emrick shook his head. ‘And what do you think the reaction would be from the witch community once they heard a fae had travelled in time?’
Romy’s face crumpled. ‘But…’
‘What I’m trying to tell you,’ Emrick said gently, ‘is that, if you really are determined to go with Blaise to the seventeenth century, then the island will have to remove all your magic once again. You can only go back as a normal human being. Normal human beings wouldn’t set off any alarms, you see? And that’s the dilemma you’re facing, Romy.’
He looked round at us all. ‘This has to be Romy’s choice,’ he said. ‘And it’s not going to be an easy one. You all know how well she’s taken to her magic, and how good she is at it. She clearly loves it. Imagine having to give that up. Personally, I believe that if she decides to do so, she deserves the opportunity to go with Blaise wherever he may end up. Love that strong will endure, I have no doubt about it. But Romy must decide for herself, and that’s all there is to it.’
I can’t deny I felt a momentary relief. I’d seen how Romy was doing with her magic. It had brought her so much joy, and she was clearly so gifted at it that I had no doubt she’d be unable to give it up again. It seemed magic had really saved her, and I was grateful I wouldn’t have to abandon my sister in such a grim time.
Romy dropped into an armchair and stared dazedly at the carpet.
Blaise crouched down in front of her and put his hand on her knee.
‘It’s okay,’ he told her gently. ‘It’s fine. This is where you belong, and I would never, ever expect you to sacrifice your magic. I’ll always remember you, Romy.’
She lifted her gaze to his and I saw the frown on her face. My heart sank. I just knew what she was going to say.
‘You won’t need to remember me because I’ll be right there with you. You just don’t get it, do you? You mean far more to me than any magic. I love you, Blaise St Clair! Where you go, I go. Nothing’s going to break us apart, do you understand? I’m coming with you, and that’s my final decision.’
Blaise shook his head. ‘I—I really don’t know what to say.’
‘Say it’s okay,’ she begged him. ‘Say you want me with you.’
‘Oh, Romy,’ he said, sounding choked. ‘Of course I want you with me. I love you, too. So much.’
She grinned at him. ‘Then we’ll be absolutely fine, you just wait and see.’
She threw her arms around him and looked at us all over his shoulder. ‘Don’t even try to stop me,’ she warned. ‘Emrick said it was my decision and I’ve made it.’
‘Yes,’ Hector said heavily, ‘I suppose you have.’
Ewella gave a strangled sob and rushed out of the room, and I saw Harley and Keely were in tears, too.
Trinity met my gaze and shook her head slightly. Had Emrick just condemned our sister to a life of fear and disease with a man who—when it came right down to it—simply couldn’t be trusted?
Chapter 35
Wulfram
Bob’s funeral was arranged for the eighth of December, but it was to be a strictly private affair. Only his wife, Amlodd, Aveta, and Kendrew would be in attendance, along with our island and Castle Clair family—and that was only to swell the numbers and make it look a bit more respectable.
Emrick had decided to make a coffin for Bob in the same barn that had appeared near Peloryon House when he’d needed to make a coffin for Meri, all those months ago. A couple of days before the funeral I saw him head out to begin work and remembered the day, back in the spring, when Keely and I had found him there, absorbed in his sad task. A real labour of love if ever there was one.
I wondered how he was coping without Meri and decided to follow him to have a chat with him. We seldom seemed to get the chance to talk much these days, and when we did it was usually about the next crisis. It would be good to have a simple catch-up for a change.
‘Cup of coffee there for you,’ Emrick said, nodding over at a work bench the moment I entered the barn.
‘How did you—?’ I sighed. ‘No surprising you, is there?’
‘Not really,’ he said with a grin. ‘What brings you here, Wulfram? I hope you haven’t come to beg me to stop Romy from travelling with Blaise.’
‘No,’ I said reluctantly. ‘Although I wish you would. Aren’t you worried about her? I mean, it’s Blaise.’
‘Meaning?’ Emrick was busy measuring some pieces of wood and didn’t seem at all concerned.
‘I like Blaise, I really do,’ I said. ‘Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always got on with him, and he’s a likeable, bright, fun chap. But…’
‘Ah,’ Emrick said, nodding as he scribbled measurements on the wood in pencil. ‘But.’
‘Well, Celeste says fate has played such a big part in Blaise’s life,’ I said worriedly. ‘It seems to pull him along somehow, making him do things he doesn’t really want to do. We all thought fate, or destiny, or whatever, had finished with him, but Celeste memory-walked inside his mind, and she’s convinced it hasn’t. And the thing is, to go back in time, he has to regain his magic. What if that’s the trap?’
‘Trap?’ Emrick raised an eyebrow. ‘What do you mean, trap?’
‘I mean, what if all this going back in time stuff is just so that Hector will return his magic to him? Let him loose on the seventeenth century again and who knows what will happen. He could cause havoc.’ I shivered at the mention of that word. How appropriately named my uncle was.
‘Didn’t you just say you really liked him, and thought he was bright?’ Emrick picked up a mug of coffee and took a sip, watching me keenly.
‘I did. I do. He is.’
‘Well then, surely he’s not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice?’
‘But if fate pulls him along…’
‘Oh, you mean as if we have no choice in the matter? I see your dilemma,’ Emrick agreed.
I eyed him, rather indignantly. ‘I don’t know why you’re making fun of me,’ I said. ‘Ever since we met you’ve been telling me that we mustn’t do this, and we mustn’t do that because we can’t change fate.’
He shook his head slightly. ‘But that just proves my point, doesn’t it? Fate can be changed, and it really doesn’t take much. A careless conversation, a decision to turn left instead of right, anything really. Why do you think I’ve been so careful to tell you as little as I possibly can? I’ve had to tread such a difficult path, because I know what fate has in store—at least up until a certain point. But if I said the wrong thing, it might have led you to behave in a different way, and then fate would have changed. And for now, it’s imperative that it doesn’t.’
‘But it still could?’
‘Of course! You have no idea how scared I’ve been that I’d influence you all, ever since my informants told me what was in store.’
‘Who are your informants, Emrick?’ I asked curiously.
‘I could tell you,’ he said, winking at me, ‘but then I’d have to kill you.’
‘Did they tell you what happens when I go back in time?’ I asked.
‘Obviously, although that’s hardly a secret, given the O’Briens remember it.’
‘And what about Blaise?’ I ventured hopefully. ‘Did they mention him at all? Does he have a part to play in this story?’
He put down his mug and took the pencil from where he’d slotted it behind his ear.
‘I’m not going to influence you, but nice try.’
‘So should I take him back in time with me or not?’
‘Wulfram,’ he said patiently, ‘the decision has already been made. Romy is going with him. They’ve chosen their path.’
‘But how do I know if it’s the right one?’
‘You don’t,’ he said with a shrug. ‘What you do know is that it’s imperative that the Great Guardian can look the Seelie Court members in the eye and assure them, hand on heart, that the witch has returned to his rightful time without any keys, and that the time loop has closed. Now, you know that, because the O’Briens told you—as did legend—that your reassurance was what calmed talk of war down in that period. So what do you think is the right course of action?’
‘Put like that,’ I said glumly.
‘Excellent.’
‘But what about now?’ I asked. ‘It’s all right me going back to the seventeenth century and reassuring the fae of that time, but how do I reassure them here in the twenty-first century?’
‘You show them the sword, and you tell them the witch has been returned to his own time, without either of the keys. Simple.’
‘And that will be enough?’
‘For most witches and fae, yes. The Pendragons, of course, are a different kettle of fish, but what you must hope is that support for their cause will rapidly ebb away when you produce evidence of who you are, and they’ll crawl off back under the rock they came from.’
‘And if it doesn’t?’
He sighed. ‘Then we’ll think again. But I’m not worried about that, and neither should you be. One step at a time, eh, Wulfram?’
‘I suppose.’ I sipped coffee and watched as he expertly drew an outline on the piece of wood. ‘This must bring back some awful memories for you,’ I said sympathetically.
He hesitated. ‘You mean Meri? You could say that.’
‘You must miss her a lot,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry. We haven’t really had chance to talk about any of this, but how are you doing? Really, I mean.’
He lifted his head and I saw a sheen of tears in his eyes. ‘Thank you very much for asking,’ he said gently. ‘I appreciate that. It’s been tough. Some days are worse than others. You’re right. I do miss her a lot and I don’t suppose I’ll ever stop missing her.’
‘She was a remarkable woman,’ I agreed.
‘She was. A woman who was far braver than she realised.’ He bit his lip, remembering. ‘Life, though, is full of hellos and goodbyes. Maybe one day I’ll get to see her again. Who knows? One day.’
He leaned against the work bench, suddenly looking shattered.
‘You’re tired,’ I said.
He managed a short laugh. ‘Tired? Oh, Wulfram, you have no idea. I’m exhausted. But on we go, eh? There’ll be time to rest when this is over.’
‘Will it ever be over?’
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.
‘Emrick?’
‘I don’t know,’ he said honestly. ‘Can we ever really know? I hope and pray that, once the sword and keys are found, there’ll be peace at last. But I suspect there’ll always be someone or something trying to stir up trouble. It’s the way of the world. Not just our world, mind. If you ever watch the news you’ll see humans are pretty adept at making a huge mess of things, too. I think there’ll always be something we have to watch out for. Still,’ he gave me a wry grin, ‘it’s a job, right?’
I laughed. ‘I suppose so. I hope…’ I trailed off, not wanting to offend him.
‘Go on,’ he said. ‘What do you hope?’
‘I was going to say, I hope you meet someone else. Someone who can make you as happy as Meri made you. You’re still only quite young. I mean, what are you, mid-fifties? You could meet someone and spend the rest of your life with her. I’m sure Meri wouldn’t mind that. She wouldn’t want you to be lonely.’
