Alex looked at her, trying to work out her mood. ‘Do you remember what happened to Chris and Danny?’
Paige nodded. ‘You mean their accidents?’
‘Yeah, it was my fault,’ said Alex, and took a long drink of his beer.
‘It’s absurd to even think that, never mind saying it,’ said Paige, looking cross at him.
‘No, I believed it then, and I’m even more certain of it now.’
Paige looked somewhat frightened. ‘And you thought I was next?’
Alex gave a weak smile. ‘I knew you were, as all those who helped me were getting hurt.’
‘But your mother helped you.’
‘Yes, and I don’t know why, but I just knew she was safe after she came looking for me. You weren’t, and I had to leave before anything happened to you.’
Claire gave out a little laugh. ‘You may or may not have been in any danger, but Alex believed you were, and that’s all what matters. He left because he thought he was protecting you.’
Paige looked at Alex, she didn’t say anything just wrapped her arms around him and cried.
* * *
New Year’s Eve came, as did many arcade machines and the new sofa’s. Blaze and Summer had chosen them. They were longer than the others and expensive looking. There were four of them placed opposite each other in pairs, with long coffee tables in between.
Blaze stood looking at them with one hand on her chin. ‘I feel a bit guilty now.’
Alex sat on one. ‘Why? They look great, and are comfy, too.’
‘They were so expensive.’
‘How did you feel when you bought them?’
Blaze gave a wry smile. ‘Amazing, there was so much choice, and there were many much cheaper, but these were so comfortable. I don’t usually go for the most expensive, it just isn’t me.’
Alex grinned at her. ‘It wasn’t you, but it is now, I’ve released a demon.’
Blaze frowned. ‘You’ve just bought a load of arcade machines, and I’m a demon?’
Alex shrugged. ‘Yeah, but I don’t feel guilty about it.’
‘I could sell the other sofas and get some money back.’
Alex shook his head. ‘You’re not getting off that easy, put them in the party room.’
‘Who’s organising the party?’
‘You are.’
* * *
Everything was different now. Before many of the women were unsure about Alex, and some was too shy to approach him, but now he was family. Some thought of him as a brother, and some like an uncle, and the others as a father. It was a family of thirty-eight now, twenty-four women, four men, nine wolves, and an invisible spirit. He knew it wouldn’t stop there.
The party would be different. Blaze thought about the last remark Alex said to her, and visited the nearby village and invited anyone there to come. She had heard the Lord of the Manor held parties for the villagers this time of the year. She didn’t know if it still happened, but thought it would be a nice idea. Some of the others in the mansion were not so sure.
Carrie was talking to Paige about what to wear when she found out. ‘Is it a good idea, Alex, to have strangers in the mansion?’
Alex was reading a newspaper, and didn’t look up. ‘Nothing to do with me.’
‘But you’re in charge?’
‘No, I’m not if you remember.’
They all looked at Blaze.
‘Did you plan this?’ Carrie asked her.
Blaze shook her head. ‘It was a last-minute thing; I drove to the village to get some fireworks for midnight.’
‘You see what happens, when you invite twenty women to your home for a wedding and they won’t leave,’ said Alex, feigning shock, as he put the paper down and stood up.
‘Stop being horrible,’ said Paige. ‘It’s a lovely idea.’
Alex put his arm around Blaze. ‘It was your decision and a good one, and who knows it might be fun.’
Blaze smiled. ‘I hope the others see it that way. You’ll have to dress up as I told those in the village, Lord Alex had invited them.’
‘What? I’m no lord.’
‘You are tonight,’ she said, and pinched his cheek.
Carrie also smiled. ‘I best wear the short dress I bought if Lord Alex is going to dress up.
Blaze raised an eyebrow as she could see Alex liked that idea.
The party was a success, as many of the villagers turned up. The younger ones watched a film in the cinema, and there were fireworks at midnight. They stayed overnight and taken home by coach after breakfast.
* * *
The women resumed their training; some of them took it serious, the rest as a bit of fun. Alex didn’t mind either way, as far as he was concerned it would be himself, James and Asima would do all if any fighting for them. After a couple of weeks however, he felt like they might not need him. He walked into the gym which was like a Kung Fu school. They were all kitted out now, and to Alex’s surprise they were far better than he expected.
‘You don’t think this is going a bit too fast?’ he asked James.
‘Faster than I expected. Another couple of weeks, and I won’t be able to teach them anymore. Why do you ask?’
‘They won’t need me soon?’
‘Your girls will always need you.’
‘I meant all of them.’
Later that night Alex decided to go for a run with the adult wolves. Most nights the cubs would go, but they only ran on the mansions land. Tonight they were going a lot further, and the cubs wouldn’t be able to keep up with their unnaturally fast speed. They had gone eighty miles in less than an hour, and stopped in a forest. Alex had no idea where they were, he just let the wolves take the lead. Walking in the dark forest was no problem for the trio, as they could see everything. Well almost everything, as they didn’t see the pixies that jumped out of the trees onto them.
Alex stood with a few of them on his shoulders. ‘Hey, my little friends, it’s good to see you.’
‘Hello, have you come to visit us, or is there something wrong?’ said Foxglove, a female pixie. There were sixty of them in all.
‘Just a visit,’ said Alex. ‘Rho brought us here, where are all the others?’
‘They went to other forests, this is our home and they must find theirs.’
‘Did you know they were here, Rho?’ Alex asked the pixie covered wolf.
I had a feeling they might be. We’ve walked amongst these trees before, and could sense something lived here a long time ago. We didn’t know what until they turned up at the mansion.
Alex could sense something was wrong. ‘And you’re worried about them?’
Yes, I’m worried, but you will want some answers.
‘Answers to what, and why?’
Have you not thought about who trapped them? And what he’s going to do about it?
Alex hadn’t even considered it. ‘I thought whoever did it was long dead.’
‘The Warlock,’ said Foxglove, who was sitting on Alex’s palm. ‘He still lives.’
‘What Warlock? And what do you know about him?’ said Alex, stunned by the revelation.
‘Over two thousand years ago, he was just an evil druid. He found an ancient magic spell, where you could enhance your powers by trapping the souls of others in the spirit world. He tried with men but it didn’t work, so he tried it on us. The warlock killed hundreds before he found the answer.’
‘And what was that?’
‘There was no extra power when we died, a dead pixie’s soul could not be trapped. We’re part of the land and it takes us back, and no power can stop it. He found out if he kept us alive and sent us through whole he could take our energy, and become more powerful.’
‘But that was a long time ago, what makes you believe he’s still alive?’
‘The warlock had already lived a long time, and we’ve helped sustain him ever since, but not anymore. He’ll know we’re free, and will come looking for us.’
Alex shook his head in disb
elief. ‘You knew all this and still left the mansion.’
‘We left as soon as we could. The warlock’s coming for us, and we were not going to let him near our friends.’
Alex moved his hand closer to his face. ‘You have to come back with us.’
Foxglove folded her tiny arms. ‘No, we cannot put you in danger.’
‘You felt the power in the mansion, we can protect you.’
‘But we don’t know if you can, as he’s a powerful warlock.’
‘I understand your fears, and I wouldn’t let my daughters or friends come to any danger, but I’ll face this warlock of yours soon.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘I freed you, and he’ll know I did sooner or later.’
The pixie looked startled. ‘We’ve put you in danger anyway?’
‘No, don’t think of it like that.’
‘And how should we look at it?’ said Foxglove, sounding upset.
‘You told me you’ve been sustaining him, but not any longer. He’ll be weaker now, so I have more chance of defeating him. If he captures you again, I don’t know what the outcome will be.’
‘So, we have to come back to the mansion?’
‘Yeah, until we can solve the problem.’
‘We’ll go and find the others, and tell them,’ said Foxglove, as the pixies vanished into the forest.
Alex stood staring after them. ‘Thank you, Rho, it hadn’t crossed my mind they were still in danger.’
The wolf looked up at him. And so are you.
‘I know and I talked of defeating the warlock, but I’m not sure how.’
You will find a way.
Alex was a lot more alert as the days passed. He discussed it with House, who agreed it was the right decision to bring the pixies back to the mansion.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Shaula
Weeks passed without any pixies returning, and Alex stayed up late walking around the land of the mansion, looking for any sign. Many of them wondered what he was up to, but didn’t ask. Six o’clock one evening at the end of January he felt unusually tired and dragged himself to bed. The dreams returned, it wasn’t the black shapes he had expected, but of the ancient ruler upset and angry about sending his daughters away.
‘I will save them.’ Alex heard himself say.
‘But, Lord Siphon, they cast their enchantments and are gone,’ said Thoun.
‘I didn’t mean save them now. I have seen what they have seen, and they thought they could stop it . . . but they were wrong and will die trying.’
‘My Lord, you cannot save them, unless you’re going to leave us.’
‘I damn this place back to the sea. I built this empire and protected everyone, and what thanks do I get? One hundred and ten voted in the council, and one hundred and nine said I had to send my girls away. I did what they asked, and found out my daughters power was flawed. My power isn’t, and I’m taking it with me.’
‘What about the island? Without your power everything will be lost.’
‘Then you best make plans to leave, I will give you two days to get your family off. Tell people if you want to, but if everyone knows there won’t be much room left on the ships.’
‘These are good people.’
‘No, they are greedy and all they want is power. I saw my girl’s dreams and saw war, but they could only see beauty. If I had looked harder I would have seen it, too. Go now, Thoun, and take your family and leave. Take as much gold as you can, I would feel happier if you lived well, as you’ve always been a good friend.’
The dreamed changed, and he saw the vase Joseph gave him, it was being held by a man who disappeared and reappeared in a different location. The dream changed once again. He was outside near some woods, he could see men in hooded cloaks, and he saw her. The scream woke him, it was so painful he shivered and he heard it again.
‘PAPA, HELP ME, I’M DYING!’
He dressed quickly, and ran out of the room. He didn’t use the stairs, but jumped over the railing to the floor below. Alex leapt over one of the sofas, and ran to the study to the shocked looks of the others in the room. He picked up the vase, as James, Asima, and the adult wolves followed him in.
‘Where we off to?’ said James, as he reached behind a bookcase, and took out a bundle wrapped in cloth.
Alex turned the vase in his hands as he looked at it. ‘What do you mean, we?’
Asima took another bundle off the top of the cabinet. ‘James means us.’
Were you thinking of leaving us behind? Rho asked.
‘Yes,’ said Alex. ‘But only because I don’t know how we can all go, and I don’t know how this vase works.’
James opened the bundle, taking out two short swords before putting them in his belt, and Asima did the same. ‘I thought you just put flowers in them.’
‘It’s a portal.’
‘How do you know?’ said James.
Alex was staring at the symbols. ‘That’s not important right now . . . I just need to know how it works.’
You have to touch it, said Rho. Concentrate on where you want to go, and we just need to be in contact with you.
‘But I don’t know where to go.’
Think of the person you seek.
Alex touched the vase and thought of his daughter. James and Asima both put a hand on his shoulders, with their other on the wolves. The air around them changed and turned cold, as they were now outside in a field . . . in the dark. They saw lights ahead and ran towards them. Hooded figures were holding torches around what looked like an altar. Alex put the vase down, and could see a small girl on the altar, and a hooded figure with a knife. He leapt forward, and knocked the knife away. He grabbed the man by his robe and threw him twenty metres, and hit a tree with a sickening thud. The other cultists charged, but James and Asima ran past him, and their speed was unnatural. They had a dozen of them down in seconds without using their blades. The wolves joined the fight, and the sight of them made the remaining cultists run. Alex picked the girl up off the altar with her eyes barely open.
‘Papa,’ she said, and fell unconscious.
‘She is mine,’ said a voice, belonging to the one Alex had thrown at the tree. ‘Her soul belongs to me.’ The figure marched towards them, tearing off its cloak as it grew. It wasn’t human, the head was reptilian, and stood ten feet tall.
‘You’ll never touch her again,’ said Alex, feeling anger and power inside build. His eyes glowed, not red this time, they were golden.
‘Give her to me now, human —’ the creature didn’t finish his sentence. Asima darted behind it, her swords flashed through the air and sliced through the back of its legs, hamstringing it, and James going in the other direction swung his swords so fast Alex could hardly see them. The creature fell to the ground clutching its neck, flames come from its body and it vanished.
‘What the hell was that?’ said James.
Alex shook his head. ‘I’ve no idea.’
Asima fetched the vase, Alex touched it, thought of the mansion, and they appeared back in the study.
‘Blaze! Alex shouted, as he walked into the hall and put the girl on one of the sofas. House, how is she?
She will be fine, just tired, said the spirit.
Adhara ran over to them. ‘Papa, you found her.’
‘Who is she?’ said Carrie, looking amazed at the little girl.
‘Shaula, my daughter,’ said Alex, and the room went quiet as Blaze wiped the girl’s head.
‘Will she be OK, Papa?’ said a worried looking Sarin.
‘She’ll be fine, she’s home now.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said a confused Carrie. ‘How long have you known?’
‘Questions later,’ said Blaze. ‘Right now let’s get this little one sorted.’
‘What’s wrong with her?’ said Claire.
‘Just exhausted, she needs rest.’
Paige stood. ‘I’ll go and sort a room out for her.’
‘She has one n
ext to us,’ said Sarin, ‘but she can sleep in our room.’
‘Maybe, but not tonight,’ said Blaze. ‘She’ll sleep in her own room, and I’ll watch over her.’
Alex carried Shaula upstairs. Blaze and the girls followed. When he came back down the others were staring at him.
Carrie stood with hands on hips. ‘What’s going on, Alex?’
‘How do you mean?’
‘I don’t understand how you can go in the study, and come back with a daughter.’
‘She called for me, she needed me, and I fetched her just like I did with the twins.’
‘Sorry, I’m not trying to be awkward, I just don’t understand.’
‘I know,’ he said, smiling at her. ‘But I don’t have any answers at the moment.’
‘Even why I fell in love with her soon as I saw her?’ she said, which got her a few strange looks.
‘No, I can’t answer that either.’
‘You risked your life,’ said Claire. ‘But do you know her?’
‘She’s my daughter, and I love her, and I’d give my life for those I love.’
‘What’s a girl gotta do for attention off her new father?’ said Livvy, and everyone looked at her. ‘I go and adopt you as my new dad, and you go and get another daughter.’
Alex put his arm around her. ‘Isn't it my job to adopt you?’
‘Yep,’ she said, looking shy. ‘But you needed a push.’
‘I’ll speak to George in the morning, he’ll sort it out.’
‘And me,’ said Sally.
‘Me too,’ said Lucy.
‘Don’t forget me,’ said Amy.
‘Ha-ha, Dad!’ James laughed.
‘Girls, Uncle James is mocking me.’
‘Do you want us to throw him in the pool again?’ said Livvy, sticking her tongue out at James.
Alex thought about it. ‘No, not tonight as he helped save Shaula.’
‘Really, what did he do?’ said Amy, and stared at James.
‘I’m sure if you ask him nicely he’ll tell you all about it.’
‘How much should I tell them?’ said James.
‘Everything, but you might not wanna be too graphic.’
Vesta Mansion: Book One - The Power Inside Page 23