by R A Lindo
As they approached the tall building, standing twice the size of a typical structure, Philomeena Renn added, “It won’t be long before the venom of the curse enters her brain, if it hasn’t already. It’s going to take large quantities of Srynx Serum to reverse it.”
“Kerevenn will be prepared,” replied her brother before adding, “We’re here.”
The front door stretching some distance above them was opened and a strikingly tall, ageing figure, dressed in the grey of the surrounding buildings, stooped to offer welcome.
“Quickly,” came the command as the door closed and they were ushered through the house, comprising a vaulted ground floor and basement. They quickly descended the stairs to the basement, twisting and turning until they were faced with a hallway at the bottom, opening out into a warmly lit room. Elegant furnishings added to the sense of respite and sanctuary whilst a Parasil rested at the head of a single bed, containing the necessary remedy: Srynx Serum.
Unlike the Parasil Kaira had first spotted in her aunt’s possession on the fateful night she’d listened in, a tube was attached to the brass tap. The tap formed part of a drip … the very thing required to remove the venom of the Voxum Vexa curse. The imposing, ageing figure quickly went to work, instructing Casper and Philomeena Renn to lay Meyen Grayling’s stricken figure on the bed.
“A fool on a fool’s errand,” came the slow, truncated words of the Ulux offering comfort in a time of a crisis.
“With two children relying on her survival, Kerevenn,” replied Philomeena Renn.
“And the fragment is genuinely in the hands of Erent Koll?”
“Yes, which changes everything.”
“So, the hunt begins” uttered Kerevenn as the Srynx Serum bubbled in the Parasil, slowly removing the venom from Meyen Grayling’s body.
“Yes,” replied Casper Renn as a familiar burden passed over his face. “A hunt that will shatter the solidarity we’ve forged.”
The return of Kaira’s dad and aunt to The Cendryll was met with a mixture of relief and restlessness. Kaira, increasingly concerned that they had been burdened with another quest, spent the first few minutes inspecting them for wounds, including any psychological damage from the notorious Mantzils.
None was evident and after being reassured that both were, indeed, free of war wounds, Kaira took a back seat, allowing room for Guppy and Jacob’s anxious questions regarding their mother’s whereabouts.
“Your mother is receiving the necessary treatment,” offered Casper Renn as he sat at the dining table, fresh from battling through the crowds gathered in The Cendryll. “All I can say for now is that’s she is in safe hands.”
“What happens after she’s treated?” pressed Guppy whose fear of being parentless was at the forefront of her mind. Despite her mother’s inability to express interest or emotion, the sight of her stricken by a curse as the Mantzils fractured her mind was excruciating to witness.
“That’s for The Orium Circle to decide,” replied Kaira’s aunt who, like her brother, looked weakened by the battle on Quibbs Causeway. “We need to deal with the anxious masses congregating outside before things get out of hand,” Philomeena Renn added, doing her best to remove mud from the hem of her dress. “Farraday will stay with you, and Smyck will return soon. We’ve got a long night ahead of us so I suggest you get some rest.”
The flurry of activity could be heard outside as news continued to rattle within Scribberals up-and-down the country. The scribbled messages relayed two things: the Society was under threat, and the era of peace had been brought to a sudden close with a shocking betrayal. Each member was urged to take great care in their decisions, actions and interactions - for they were faced with known and unknown enemies, some of whom may reside amongst them.
Although there was no direct mention of Meyen Grayling’s name in the formal communication sent, rumour rushed through the air in whispered voices and frantically scribbled notes. Meyen Grayling had failed in an attempt to form an allegiance with Erent Koll.
Much worse than this was the fact that she had hidden a Terrecet fragment beneath The Floating Floor, attempting to use it as a bargaining chip. A fragment now in the possession of a flamed-haired, fire-eyed malev striking fear in the bravest souls.
News continued to flood in regarding the potential whereabouts of The Sinister Four and Meyen Grayling, along with descriptions of the battle on Quibbs Causeway. Incessant chatter took on hushed tones at the mention of the Quliy - even they had suffered the dark venom of Erent Koll, an alarming number falling in battle as the Williynx formed protective layers of ice to mute the Mantzils’ cry. The Cendryll hummed with anxious chatter as people flooded in via the numerous doors on the ground floor.
“Do they all know what happened on Quibbs Causeway?” asked Jacob.
“Most will have watched it via various means,” replied Aunt Phee as Churchill reappeared from the bedroom Kaira and Guppy shared. “Now, it’s time to address the obvious questions our worried colleagues have. There’s a madman on the loose and they’ve got every right to be scared.”
“Indeed,” concurred Karia’s dad as he rubbed his face, the bloodshot eyes signalling the effect of the Mantzils’ hellish chorus. “Scribberals will be rattling throughout the night with rumour and fear.”
“And No News is Good News is fluttering with information for the first time in decades,” added Farraday. “So, for now, the young stay put and the adults deal with the fallout. There will be plenty of time to discuss things in more detail, in the morning.”
“We’ll wait up for you,” offered Kaira, her own concern rising at the shellshocked state her dad and aunt were attempting to shake off.
“I’ll make some supper when we get back,” added Aunt Phee with a tired smile.
“Good luck out there,” offered Farraday as Kaira’s dad and aunt moved towards the door, readying themselves for the agitated crowd.
With a quick tap of his short, afro hair - a habit used to compose himself - Casper Renn replied, “I’ll offer them a trip to Quibbs Causeway to see the losses we have already suffered. Perhaps the vision of scattered Williynx feathers and bloodied bodies of dead Quliy will inspire them to join the battlefield.”
The bitter tone was a sign of Casper Renn’s frustration with the criticism of those hiding behind the protective barrier of The Cendryll. Suffering was a singular human experience … only understood by the few who risked their life to protect the Society. Renowned for his patience, his sharp responses were likely to shock the awaiting crowds.
Erent Koll was just the beginning of their problems, Kaira’s dad knew. For years, interest in darker magical practices had been repressed under fear of banishment. Now, with the reality of a lethal artefact scattered beyond the Society Sphere, temptation would arrive, offering a spectacular reward for the lucky hunter: the ability to render everything to ash.
As supper was prepared, Guppy and Jacob questioned Farraday on the life their mother would have to adapt to. Doing his best to moderate his usual bluntness, he explained that Periums would no longer be accessible to her, meaning no ability to enter The Cendryll or any other Society dwelling. The obvious question of having an ex-member with knowledge of their secret world was explained by the Removilis charm - a spell which would be used to remove all memory of the S.P.M.A.
Guppy and Jacob would, of course, remain in their mother’s memory but only in contexts unconnected to the Society. This was a precautionary measure, designed for a group who had proven their disloyalty.
Plans would soon be afoot to organise a way of maintaining contact with their mother, Farraday reassured them, hinting that the Merrymope twins had required the very same compassionate passage after their father had lost his way.
Struggling with the conflicted emotions they felt towards their mother, and the part they had played in it, Guppy and Jacob barely touched their supper of cheese and biscuits. Not even the offer of Jysyn Juice could distract them from the ripples of remorse, eventually leading to a need to retre
at to Kaira and Guppy’s bedroom.
With Churchill resting in Kaira’s lap, they skirted around the dominant issue at hand - the time it would take to rehabilitate her friends’ mother and when they would see her again. Kaira offered little in way of hypothesis, deciding to limit herself to positive reinforcement.
Her own experience of loss was more nebulous - formed more of fragmented memories than residues of grief. Guppy and Jacob, on the other hand, had been old enough to register the effects of their father’s abandonment, so it was possible that their mother’s absence would compound their sense of loss and abandonment.
Jacob’s brief mention of Christmas did little to lighten the mood, the impending season likely to reinforce feelings of absence.
“Now I know why Conrad was the way he was,” uttered Guppy. “All moody and quiet when we first met him. He had no-one … his mum dead and his dad in hiding, out of reach.”
“Did we do the right thing?” questioned Jacob as Guppy turned away from them on her bed, masking her tears. “To explain our suspicions, I mean. Do you think we did the right thing, Kaira?”
Kaira listened to Guppy’s stifled tears, measuring her words carefully. “You only explained what we saw. None of us actually knew what was hidden below The Floating Floor.”
“Why did she do it? Maybe it had some sort of control over her … like a power she couldn’t resist.”
“She did seem hypnotised by it.”
“Well, at least Theodore’s off the hook,” continued Jacob. “I mean, it should be obvious that his only crime was saying too much.”
“It will be nice if he feels safe enough to come out of hiding for Christmas,” added Kaira, instantly grimacing as she did so. Christmas was probably the last thing her friends wanted to think about: a symbol of family and unity. “Sorry … I wasn’t thinking.”
“We should invite them to Christmas dinner,” came Guppy’s muffled voice, her sniffling a sign she was still battling with a mixture of guilt and grief. “Conrad and Theodore. It’s not right for them to be stuck away at Christmas.”
“That’s a lovely idea, Guppy,” offered Jacob in praise.
“I’m not sure it will feel like Christmas if we stay in The Cendryll,” commented Kaira as Churchill crept off her lap. “I could ask if we can all have Christmas dinner at my house? We’ve always had it there so it must be a tradition to return above ground.”
As they continued to discuss their plans for Christmas Day, a collective decision was made to not listen in on the events beyond the bedroom walls. Their private sanctuary was the ideal place for now - each realising that, in certain moments, ignorance had its benefits. Instead, they remained focused on the festive season whilst pondering the many questions flooding their minds.
What power had the Terrecet fragment given Erent Koll? Where were the other five fragments, assuming the one taken to The Wenlands by Kaira’s dad was, indeed, the second discovery? How long would it be before Guppy and Jacob could see their mother, and how would it feel to see her in her changed state? Should they reintegrate Conrad into their rapidly moving world or simply offer friendship and comfort?
With Kaira’s dad and aunt navigating the rising tide of questions beyond the bedroom walls, Kaira, Guppy and Jacob settled on one question for the remainder of their waking hours. How soon would they return to their magical training…? Training required to defend against their greatest enemy: Erent Koll.
If recent events were any mark of things to come, more life would be lost and more blood shed, and what had begun as a fascination for Kaira was now an immersion in an entirely different way of life. A life she now held dear, and one she was prepared to fight for.
23
Home Comforts
Tensions hung in The Cendryll as a suspicious calm fell over Founders’ Quad and the Society Sphere as a whole. The expected attacks failed to materialise, leading many to ponder Erent Koll’s next move. His violent appearance on Quibbs Causeway represented another fracture in the long-held peace - the burning question centring around his current whereabouts.
A man who primarily existed outside of The Society Sphere, Koll moved within various, shifting shadow worlds, lying low before appearing to strike terror in the uninitiated and faint hearted. Theories were posed and fears contained until the frantic rush of the Christmas season offered a timely distraction.
The other person on everyone’s lips, Meyen Grayling, remained under twenty-four-hour surveillance in Sad Souls. Furious questions regarding her precise location had been negotiated by Casper and Philomeena Renn as tempers frayed in The Cendryll, along with increasing suspicions. After all, if a senior member could be seduced by dark magic, who was immune to it?
Such questions were also addressed by The Orium Circle who made appearances throughout The Society Sphere, confirming that they had authorised Kaira’s dad and aunt to move Meyen Grayling to a secret location. The reasons were twofold; they argued: Meyen Grayling had not actively engaged in Gorrah; therefore, her rehabilitation as a Melackin followed society policy.
Secondly, calls for her brutal abandonment on Quibbs Causeway ignored the fact that she had two children in the Society - children whose loyalty and bravery validated The Orium Circle’s change in the law regarding under age members.
Punishment would follow for Meyen Grayling and the four Implementers who had attempted an unauthorised attack. Unlike Meyen Grayling’s more subtle imprisonment in Sad Souls, The Sinister Four were currently suffering the indignity of The Velynx, buried deep underground. Exile beyond the Society Sphere was likely for them all - to places where the mad and malevolent roamed, forging an isolated existence with significantly reduced powers.
Disloyalty had severe consequences in the Society, Ina Lyell concluded in each of the many meetings, addressing the dramatic events on Quibbs Causeway; however, judgements would be weighted in accordance with the facts. Mere vengeance was not the way of the S.P.M.A. which remained committed to civility and peace wherever possible. The threat of Erent Koll was significant, but equal to this was the force of the Society Sphere.
Darkness had been negotiated before … wars fought and won … and loyalties tested in a long history of uprisings. If and when a battle commenced, a well-trained army would rise once more, skilled in every subtly of charms and ready to engage with the soulless creatures rising out of the depths of an underworld. Peace, it seemed, would have to be won in battle once more.
As Christmas festivities began within 12 Spyndall Street, Guppy and Jacob were promised a visit to their mother soon, the burden of guilt burning in them. After all, it was they who had first raised suspicions regarding her behaviour. It was a burden that highlighted the difficulty of balancing Society loyalties and family ties - one that they would continue to struggle with in future choices and actions.
For now, patience was necessary as Meyen Grayling continued to undergo her rehabilitation, swapping the authoritative air wielded so frequently in The Cendryll with a life mired in the stigma attached to Melackin.
As Sad Souls continued to host her, another rehabilitation had gone underway in The Cendryll - the exoneration of Theodore Kusp. With the battle on Quibbs Causeway and Meyen Grayling’s betrayal appearing in No News is Good News, it became evident that unfair suspicion had fallen onto his shoulders. His greatest sin was to lie about not recognising The Sign of the Symean but, in light of recent events, this was put down to his fear of being linked to recent, venomous attacks.
In hindsight, he’d been right to be worried. Many more would be seduced, he knew, and others would seek him out to interrogate his theory of the potential whereabouts of the remaining Terrecet fragments: not least, Erent Koll. For now, a Christmas invitation had been accepted, and the small band of allies - young and old - prepared to celebrate Christmas together at 12 Spyndall Street as time was temporarily called on Society business.
A multitude of invisible, protective charms surrounded the house, including the Sensiril charm - a charm which sens
ed danger, rendering unconscious anyone who posed a threat. The increased layers of protection reflected growing dangers - magical reinforcements ordered around each building within the Society Sphere.
As the adults congregated in the kitchen of 12 Spyndall Street, Kaira, Guppy and Jacob sat in the living room, inspecting the presents under the Christmas tree. Like the recent birthday party the girls had enjoyed, they’d been informed that the same rules applied to Christmas presents: no magic.
The presents had been acquired by the adults after returning above ground, mingling in the festive mood of Founders’ Quad - rich in decorative splendour. Leaning Lane was a cornucopia of colour as lights blinked in shop windows, offering new wonders for the Christmas season.
Kaira hadn’t seen any evidence of presents in her aunt or dad’s possession but, of course, the Keepeasy could hide an endless amount of wonders. The only remaining puzzle was the question of how the bigger presents had arrived under the tree. Farraday, Smyck and, perhaps, Theodore Kusp - all of whom were present - were the likely candidates whilst Kaira secretly hoped that Farraday had broken the no-magical artefact rule once more. Magic, Kaira thought, could be the perfect antidote to Guppy and Jacob’s solemn mood.
The little they said was focused on their mother’s wellbeing and whereabouts.
“I’m sure she’s safe,” Kaira offered when conversation returned to this very subject.
“I never thought I’d miss her,” stated Guppy as she studied the lights on the Christmas tree, the dark circles under her eyes a sign of the swelling sadness.
“It won’t be for long, Guppy,” her brother offered in reassuring tones.
“I just don’t understand why we can’t be told,” added Guppy. “I mean, don’t we deserve to know?”
Her long, brown hair fell over her face - a sign she was retreating into herself, leading Kaira to make a promise to her two friends.