Eight Kings (The King's Watch Book 6)

by Mark Hayden

  Someone had to watch over the remains, and the family took most of the duties until tea time, when Cordelia took over. Lena had persuaded both Eseld and Cordy to rest for a few hours; Saffron and I needed no persuasion and we crashed out after breakfast.

  The last act of the day took place over tea in the family sitting room. Mina had returned from the hospital while I was asleep and told me that Hedda was devastated. Mina hadn’t lingered very long, leaving Isolde on her own to be collected later. What did surprise me was that Hedda was coming over tomorrow for the funerals.

  Lena had re-arranged the sitting room furniture since our middle-of-the-night crisis (was that today? I suppose it was). We all got to sit on a comfy chair, and two coffee tables were groaning with sandwiches and cakes (none of them made by M Pearce). Ethan was joined on his sofa by Lena, with Kenver next to Eseld, Cador with Saffron and Mina with me. At my insistence, and without too much argument, a chair had been found for Isolde.

  Ethan began with an announcement. ‘Kenver has asked me to be his guardian. That might sound odd to some of you, but there’s a long tradition of it in the world of magick. It will last until he’s twenty-one. Lena will stay as Steward while we find a replacement who can handle the magick. Hopefully not long.’

  He drank some tea, got ready to eat a sandwich and turned to me. ‘You want to talk about Kerenza and Signe?’

  ‘I do. We need to decide what’s going to happen to them.’

  Cador spoke first, and I expected something legal. No. For him this was personal. ‘Why did they do it? Is it something magickal, because I just don’t understand. Kerenza took us all in. I really thought she was good for Dad. Have you any ideas, Conrad? I heard that Mina said something about Medbh. Is she connected?’

  ‘Have you heard from Medbh, Kenver?’ I asked first.

  ‘Just the once. The one I told you about earlier, where she said Oh no, I’m sorry. I can’t come back yet. Be patient. That one. She’s turned her phone off. I still say that she has nothing to do with this. Nothing.’

  ‘You’re right and you’re wrong, Kenver,’ I said. ‘Medbh had nothing to do with your father’s death and she had everything to do with it. I think if she hadn’t turned up, he’d still be alive.’

  ‘Why?’ said Eseld. Direct as ever.

  I took a deep breath. ‘I’ll start with Kerenza, if I may.’

  ‘The painted maypole bitch,’ said Eseld, just in case we were in any doubt.

  ‘Her. Yes. Try and imagine what she was looking forward to a few weeks ago.’

  ‘Marriage to a billionaire and a secure future for Grace.’ Eseld again.

  ‘Yes. Both of those, but don’t forget, she may have lived most of her life in the mundane world but she is a Mage. She grew up knowing about the world of magick. She was looking forward to being a staff queen. She was looking forward to Pellacombe, but more than that, she only accepted Mowbray’s proposal after he started renovating Ethandun.’

  ‘What?’ said Kenver.

  Ethan laughed. ‘She thought she was going to live in a palace.’

  ‘She did. And then, one by one, all that was taken from her. First the title – no staff queen for her. It’s a good job Mowbray kept her out of the negotiations. If she’d heard he was giving that away as part of the deal, it might never have been struck. And then Medbh turns up, and Medbh is given Ethandun. You said Kerenza was thinking about living in a palace, Ethan, but it was much more than that. How long has it been since she lived in Cornwall?’

  ‘Not since she was eighteen.’

  ‘Precisely. Ethandun is in Wiltshire, several hours nearer to London, and the London house was going, too. No A list parties for Kerenza. The last two straws were in the new Trust settlement and in his new will.’

  ‘New will?’

  Mina took a moment to describe the surprise witnessing of Mowbray’s signature while I tucked in to the tea.

  ‘Have you any evidence she knew about the will?’

  ‘Yes. It’s in the preamble: a substantial sum of money in trust for Grace and any children they might have together. Nothing for Kerenza herself except some personal items. And don’t forget the Trust: Kenver gets Pellacombe, Cador gets Mowbray House and she got Nanquidno.’

  ‘Nanquidno is beautiful,’ said Lena.

  ‘I’m sure it is. It’s also at Land’s End. Kerenza had no intention of spending the rest of her life at the end of the world. There’s one more thing.’ I pointed to the Steward’s badge. ‘What does it feel like to wear that, Lena?’

  ‘Strange at first. It is like having an invisible accordion on your chest. You have many buttons, and they make sounds. You get used to it.’

  ‘And Kerenza had no intention of sitting here running the estate while her new husband roamed around the country. Not even for a few months. Kerenza was ripe for the plucking, and that’s what Morning did.’

  ‘How do you know?’ said Cador. ‘Where did that come from?’

  ‘From the bond between Mage and Mentor. What little training Kerenza had came from Morning, and they kept in touch. I’ll bet Morning went to a few choice parties over the years, or whatever it was that Kerenza had to offer. I’ll never prove it, but I think that Morning introduced Kerenza to Mowbray deliberately, for her own reasons.’

  ‘Wouldn’t surprise me,’ said Eseld. ‘I know that Kerenza has leaned on Morning for magickal assistance since the engagement was announced.’

  ‘Why did Morning want Mowbray to die? It was her idea wasn’t it?’ said Ethan.

  ‘It was,’ said Mina. She’d worked out this part, so I let her explain. ‘I guessed this, but Hedda confirmed it this afternoon. Education of young Witches is the only reason the Daughters have continued as the biggest collection of Covens. Without the income, the supply of young disciples and the influence, they would seriously lose out.’

  ‘The Mowbray College!’ said Kenver. ‘Of course. If Medbh got that going, it would seriously undermine the Daughters’ education network, and Morning was head of education.’

  ‘Oh yes,’ said Mina. ‘And that is why Medbh was Morning’s first choice as victim. Kerenza had no feelings for Medbh and was happy to go along with the plot. It was only when they discovered that Medbh had gone that Morning decided to get rid of Lord Mowbray. Kerenza says that she was coerced into it. We’ll never know.’

  ‘And Signe?’ said Eseld.

  ‘Morning needed a Necromancer, and she knew that Signe was vulnerable. She pushed her buttons and convinced her that Mowbray was the main reason that Hedda went to hospital and not back to Homewood.’

  ‘But she would have died!’ said Lena. ‘That is … horrible. Terrible.’

  Mina nodded. ‘Of course it is. Signe couldn’t see past her mother being a Mage. I don’t know why.

  ‘Which brings us full circle,’ I said. ‘Do you want to try them for regicide in the Kernow court?’

  ‘No,’ said Eseld, with some finality. ‘Cador came to see me in the boathouse. He said that because the court doesn’t really exist, it could take months or even years to set up. And all the time we wait, Signe gets to live in Homewood. I want her in Blackfriars Undercroft as quickly as possible for as long as possible.’

  I looked around. ‘Is everyone happy with that?’ They nodded or said yes, and I moved on. ‘Kerenza is different. As you all know, she isn’t much of a Mage, and she will claim coercion. I doubt she’ll get off completely free, but the Undercroft won’t have the same terror for her. Even a full murder sentence in there is only seven years.’

  ‘Is that all?’

  I looked at Eseld. ‘Try it. I did a couple of hours in a Limbo Chamber and it was hell. I saw what it did to Keira Faulkner after a few weeks. If she’d gone down for seven years, Keira Faulkner would be long dead by now.’

  ‘So what’s the alternative?’

  ‘Hand over Lord Mowbray’s remains and I’ll make sure she faces mundane justice.’

  ‘No,’ said Cador. ‘I don’t want my father used as a
gambling chip. He deserves better.’ He looked around, defying his magickal family to disagree.

  ‘He does,’ said Ethan.

  ‘Very good. Rick James is on his way down to support Cordelia. I’ll get him to take Kerenza away with him on Monday. If you’ll excuse me for a second, I’ll get Erin.’

  Of all the jobs today, Erin’s was in many ways the worst. She had taken it on herself to tell Grace that her mummy had been naughty and would be going away. When she told Grace that she might live with Granny in London and go back to her old school, she cheered up.

  I found them in Lord Mowbray’s study, a riot of calligraphy materials spread over the desk and on to the floor. The exquisite rug would never be the same again. Enscriber’s ink is designed to be permanent.

  ‘Tea time,’ I said.

  ‘Will mummy be there?’ said Grace, hopefully.

  ‘’Fraid not, kid,’ said Erin. ‘She’s still on the naughty step. Everyone else is there. Time to show them how hard you’ve been working.’

  Grace picked up a pile of cards and started wandering in the direction of the family wing. I waited until she was ahead and said, ‘Are you sure about this, Erin? It’s a long term responsibility.’

  Someone had to be Grace’s magickal guardian until she hit puberty. If she had a Gift, then the guardian would arrange for appropriate steps to be taken.

  ‘Yeah. It’s not a big thing. A few visits a year.’ She grinned at me. ‘And there’s a big fee.’

  Grace was centre stage in the sitting room. ‘I’ve been helping Erin to make these with her magic ink. Would anyone like to buy a ticket to Mina’s sari party?’

  The group admired the beautifully drawn handwritten tickets (with some parts coloured in by Grace). They really were magickal. If you gave them a rub of Lux, they shimmered in different colours. One by one, the family admired the tickets and handed them back until Grace got to Eseld.

  ‘How much?’ she said.

  ‘Do you want to come or just to make a donation?’ said Mina.

  ‘Alcohol. Dressing up. Chance to mingle. What’s not to like? If I’m welcome, of course.’

  ‘It would be an honour,’ said Mina. ‘Forty pounds for entry or eighty with hire of an outfit. Bring a lot more money on the night. There will be an auction, and all proceeds go to support girls in India who haven’t had our chances.’

  Eseld took two tickets from Grace and said, ‘I may just bring a friend.’

  ‘Can I have tea now?’ said Grace.

  That was our cue to leave. The King’s Watch party rose and left the Mowbrays (plus Grace) to take a first step on the road to a new future.

  Part Eight — Sunset, Sunrise

  44 — Sunset

  They came from all over Kernow to say goodbye to their Lord, from Nanquidno to Kellysporth and beyond. There were others, too, mingling with the crowds on the dock or over at Lamorne Point. Ethan and Eseld had been working all day to set up the Glamours and Wards that would keep tourists (and the fire brigade) away from Pellacombe.

  The funeral began at sunset, just after seven thirty, when the hastily made raft and its cargo was lowered into the water in the boathouse and then dragged round to the dock. When the raft was in position, a small bonfire was started on the gravel with unlit torches placed in front of it.

  The members of the King’s Watch party were classed as VIPs, and we had a good place on the northern jetty. The raft was tied to the southern jetty, and that was reserved for the two families, Mowbray’s and Raven’s.

  When it was fully dark, Ethan led them from the cottage. He was wearing a Mowbray blue cloak with a boar embroidered on the back. Morgan, the Witch from Kellysporth had got her way, and Ethan had become the Boar – senior Mage of the Mowbray clan. Cador and Eseld (in a black trouser suit) followed, and then Kenver.

  A second party came behind them, led by Lena and consisting of Hedda, Isolde and Cordelia. The two groups made it slowly through the crowds and along the projecting dock. The dais from where Mowbray had revealed the new Deed on the night he died had been placed at the end, and Ethan mounted it. He turned to the crowds and gave the address.

  If you are part of the Mowbray estate, you will have been there and will have heard it. If you’re not one of Mowbray’s people, I won’t repeat it here.

  He finished by leading the crowd in the largest, most complex shout I’ve heard outside a sports stadium. When they’d finished, we heard it echoed from Lamorne Point across the water.

  Hedda needed Isolde’s support to stand on the podium, and some deft magick from Ethan to project her still frail voice across the crowd. What she said was much shorter, and merits repeating. Raven deserves that.

  ‘Children of the Goddess and of many gods, hear me. Yesterday, I lost a daughter in Raven. No ordinary words can fill so vast a void, so help me with your prayers.’

  Hedda faltered, and Isolde led the prayers. They finished with one single shout, ‘Goddess, receive her.’ They stepped down, and it was time.

  Every member of the family parties took a torch and either used magick or the bonfire to light it. Michael scurried forward and untied the raft, then one by one they cast their torches on to the raft. Fuel and magick set the logs ablaze, and more magick blew it down the river and out of sight around the bend. When it was gone, Ethan led the family slowly up the path to the upper terraces where the wake would be held.

  Scout had been tied to a stanchion during all this, and had waited patiently. I was slowly discovering that he could remember some of his life as a Familiar. He knew the sheep herding commands, for example, but had no idea about vehicles (and avoiding them). As the crowds followed the families up the path, I said to Mina that I’d take him for a walk before joining them.

  ‘You mean you want a smoke. Fine. I shall see you up there. It’s too cold out here now.’

  I loosened Scout’s lead and lit a cigarette. I was staring across the water, thinking, when I heard footsteps and a piercing howl from Scout. I dropped my cigarette, whipped round and reached for my gun.

  A tall, giant of a man, taller than Raven, was walking towards me. His cloak billowed around him and he carried a spear. I didn’t need to see his face to know that one eye would be missing.

  I bowed as low as I dared. ‘Allfather.’

  I hadn’t seen my former patron for some time. I’ve seen his ravens on a few occasions, but not Odin himself. This was serious, and I had nothing to offer, a point I made while still bowing.

  ‘This is not your home, Conrad. You have no obligation of hospitality here.’

  I straightened up before my back broke in two. ‘You honour me.’

  ‘I am not here for you. Not primarily. I came to honour my daughter.’

  His face was pointing at the water. ‘Raven, my lord?’

  ‘Yes.’ He turned to face me, and I nearly joined Scout in a whimper.

  There was more of Odin than I’ve ever experienced. A feeling of utter terror was nibbling at my side. He bent down and passed his fingers across Scout’s back. The little bundle relaxed and flopped onto his tummy. With a great sweep of his cloak, Odin stood up again.

  ‘Raven was the first fruit of that book, the one you call the Codex Defanatus. Someone tried to clone a Valkyrie.’

  ‘Clone?’

  ‘It’s the closest word to what they did. They took a seed and planted it in a poor young Witch. Mortals aren’t designed to carry our children. It ended horribly for the mother, and instead of a Valkyrie, they got Raven.’ It’s not wise to interrupt the gods. I waited for more. ‘To my shame, I saw nothing of this. I was told of it by the Morrigan, putting me again in her debt. When we found Raven – and what was left of her mother – the infant was nearly dead. The Morrigan said we should take her to Homewood, and I agreed. The rest you know.’

  ‘I am always grateful for your wisdom, Allfather.’

  The scariest thing about Odin is his face. It came into focus, empty eye socket and all, and then he gave me a smile that made me want t
o step backwards off the jetty.

  ‘You’re wondering why I’m telling you this, Clarke. It’s because I want to know when you find who was responsible. I have looked into the future, and you will not find them by looking, but you will know them when you meet. Will you tell me?’

  ‘My lord.’

  ‘Then I shall give you something in return. When you next encounter Medbh Mowbray, and you will, ask her to translate this for you. Her answer should tell you a lot.’

  He passed me a long, flat pebble from some beach. It was carefully inscribed with a series of lines. ‘Is this Ogham script?’

  ‘It is, though the language it represents is not one used by mortals. While you wait for Medbh to return, you can use the stone to weigh down your papers.’

  He made that last remark with something closer to a grin than his Valhalla Smile, and there seemed to be an overall change, too. For one thing, I didn’t have so much of a crick in my neck looking up. He had more for me.

  ‘Take this piece of charcoal and give it to your Enscriber. Tell her to make ink, and use that ink to write my invitation to your wedding. And only my invitation. Go well, Conrad.’

  I accepted the small lump of charcoal. It throbbed with a heartbeat. I did not think it was possible to be scared of a piece of wood.

  While I was still feeling the wood, the dock got brighter, because there wasn’t a deity standing in front of the lights any more. As I’ve said, the gods are not big on goodbyes.

  45 — Sunrise

  I said goodbye to Eseld on top of Mowbray Hill, overlooking the estuary. It was Tuesday morning, bright and early. None of us had been bright or early on Monday: the first staff king of Kernow had a tremendous wake that went on most of Sunday night. The only person who had been bright on Monday was Hannah. I wasn’t going to be earning any medals from this trip, but Team Elvenham were the only ones to have come out of the mess with our reputations enhanced. I think that Mina was secretly pleased when both Ethan and Erin formally asked her to act as recorder in the forthcoming elections.