Vesta Mansion: Book One - The Power Inside

by P. A. Priddey

  ‘Would you do me a favour one of these days?’ the older man asked.

  ‘Just name it.’

  Joseph pursed his lips and rubbed his face. ‘I want to learn how to ride a horse.’

  ‘You’ve never been on one?’

  ‘No, I always wanted to, but got old and thought I was past it.’

  ‘And now you feel different.’

  ‘Since I’ve been living here I feel a lot younger.’

  ‘OK, I’ll show you tomorrow, if nothing else happens before then.’

  * * *

  Gort decided he needed to wash and thought about the river, but Alex had showed him the shower and how to use it. He turned it on, tested the water, and stepped into the bath. Alex would have had just showers in there, but Ron told him some women, meaning his wife had to take baths sometimes, it’s what they liked. He had the showers fitted above the baths with a door which could be pulled across. Gort thought it was like warm rain, and decided to try the shampoo. Everything was going fine, until he covered his face and got it in his eyes, he panicked. He stumbled out of the bath dripping water everywhere, and grabbed a towel.

  * * *

  Gort is in his room in some distress, House told Alex.

  He ran upstairs into the pucas room, where Gort was sitting on the floor holding a towel over his face. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘My eyes hurt, I’ve gone blind,’ said Gort, now crying.

  Alex realised what had happened, as the wet puca was still covered in shampoo. He put his arm around him and stood the puca up. ‘You’ll be fine,’ he said, and ushered him back into the bathroom before turning the cold water tap on in the sink.

  ‘I can’t see.’

  ‘Put your hand under the running water,’ said Alex, as he removed the towel from Gort’s tight grip.

  ‘What good will this do?’ said the frightened puca.

  Alex soaked one end of the towel in the water. ‘It’s just soap in your eyes, and you need to wash it out.’

  Gort rinsed his hand, and put cold water on to his eyes, he started to see again as Alex gently rubbed his eyes with the wet part of the towel, then the dry part.

  ‘OK, back in the shower with you.’

  ‘But that’s what did it to me.’

  ‘No, it was the shampoo, and you need to rinse it off. All you need to remember is to close your eyes when you put the shampoo on your head.’

  Gort stepped in the bath and closed his eyes, as he walked under the water letting it wash the shampoo away.

  ‘What’s going on?’ said Blaze, walking into the room followed by Carrie, both looking at the wet floor.

  ‘My fault, I told our little friend how to use the shower but forgot to tell him not to get soap in his eyes, and he panicked.’

  ‘The poor thing,’ said Carrie.

  ‘Is it off me now?’ Gort whimpered.

  Alex got the puca to come out from under the shower, and passed him a towel so he could rub his eyes. He took the shower head off its holder so he could rinse the rest of his body.

  ‘Now what do I have to do?’

  ‘You need to get dry.’

  Gort stood there with his fur soaking wet. ‘This cloth won’t dry me.’

  Alex looked at the bath towel. ‘That’s true, what do you do when you’re this wet in the forest?’

  ‘I shake it off, and stand in the sun if I can.’

  ‘Shake it off, and I’ll put the heating on.’

  ‘I can’t, I’ll wet everything even more than I already have.’

  Alex shut the shower door, and let the puca shake most of the excess water off. He looked around for Carrie, but she had gone.

  Blaze stood there with an amazed look on her face. ‘This is weird even for this place.’

  ‘I know, and hated seeing him so frightened,’ said Alex, as Carrie came back in with a hair dryer.

  Gort vowed he would never shower again until Carrie dried him, and when everyone told him how lovely he smelled at dinner.

  * * *

  ‘So you kick the pixies, and now blind the pucas, who you going to hurt next?’ said Claire.

  ‘Cats,’ Alex snorted, as he knew she loved them. ‘I thought I’d get about a hundred, and let them chase the pixies thinking they could catch them. Then at the last-minute the pixies change into spirits and the cats find the wolves waiting.’

  Claire looked at him somewhat disgustedly. ‘That’s mean.’

  ‘I know, but you’re always mean. I’ll visit a different forest now.’ He changed the subject to leave the conversation hanging. Alex’s mood was the lowest it had been since before saving the twins. The dream had really got to him, the sight of his friends when he entered the mansion was too much. Carrie was another reason, as he couldn’t get her out of his mind, but it was the guilt which was eating away at him. Alex blamed himself for Gort suffering in the shower, but it was the plight of the pixies which made him feel empty. They had been prisoners for thousands of years, and when they finally escaped he locked them up in the chest. Now they’re in trouble, he thought, because they were trying to protect us.

  ‘Sounds good to me,’ said James, and stood up.

  ‘Me too,’ said Carrie, and also stood, as did Asima and the wolves.

  The vase took them to a forest on the east, it wasn’t as big as the others, and Alex could hear and see animals moving about. He knew there wasn’t going to be any of the ghouls as the animals carried on with their own business. He did however feel as if something was watching him.

  ‘There’s nothing here,’ said Carrie, somewhat bored, as they walked along.

  ‘We won’t know if we don’t check,’ said Asima.

  ‘We should go and look in other forests and woods for the pixies.’

  Alex shook his head. ‘We don’t know where they are apart from the ones in Cornwall, and it’s best we not go there yet.’

  ‘Why not, we should go after the warlock.’

  Alex was fed up with the situation. He wanted to go after the pixies, but remembered his dream, and what Lark told him. ‘No, fighting him outside of House’s protection puts too many in danger.’

  ‘You don’t know that?’ said Carrie indignantly.

  ‘All we know about him is that he’s a powerful warlock.’

  Carrie shrugged. ‘We could handle him.’

  Alex stopped walking and wiped his brow. ‘Can we really? Maybe you’re right, and we can go and destroy him without any problem, and go home happy.’

  ‘Is that such a bad idea?’ she snapped.

  ‘A bad idea? How about a stupid one.’ He regretted it soon as he said it.

  Carrie poked him in the chest with some force. ‘That’s uncalled for.’

  Alex ignored the poke as if he didn’t feel it. ‘I don’t know what you expect when we find him. He’s a warlock who’s over two thousand years old, with demons or whatever they are at his disposal, and you just want to go and fight him?’

  Carrie had gone scarlet with anger. ‘You’re just scared. We should go without you and finish him once and for all.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m scared, but not for myself, but for everyone else. We’ll go home now, and you won’t be coming with us again.’

  Carrie glared at him. ‘You’re going to stop me because I’m not frightened?’

  Alex waited for them all to come in contact and Carrie was the last. ‘Yeah, it makes you too dangerous to the rest of us.’ He regretted every word he said to her, not because he thought she was wrong, but because it was her he said them to.

  They returned and Carrie stormed off upstairs. Alex stayed in the study to calm down, the others stayed with him.

  The mood in here is not good, and Carrie appears upset, said House.

  ‘We had a few words,’ Alex grunted.

  Maybe you should have had nicer ones.

  Alex’s mood lifted slightly. ‘I do believe you’re right.’

  James leant on the desk. ‘You were right, but are you going to stop her from coming wi
th us?’

  ‘She has to change her attitude.’ Alex rubbed his face in frustration. ‘We can’t have anyone going with us who are reckless.’

  Asima put her hand gently on Alex’s shoulder. ‘Carrie will learn, just give her time.’

  ‘Time is what we don’t have, as we could have the warlock visiting us at any moment.’

  James put his swords away. ‘Does that mean you’ve made your mind up about Carrie?’

  ‘No, I’ll take up House’s advice, and have nicer words with her.’

  Alex, said Chi, please make sure they stay nice, she might have been wrong, but she’s just eager.

  * * *

  Carrie sat on her bed, arms wrapped around her legs, and chin resting on her knees. Fed up of the situation with Alex, she wanted to go and fight something. Normally she wouldn’t have cared it was a quiet forest they walked through, but not tonight. She had gone to her room angry, but now she was upset, he told her she wouldn’t be going again. I shouldn’t have said that to him, I basically called him a coward, Carrie told herself and started crying. I’ve ruined everything.

  There was a knock on her door. ‘Can I come in?’ said Paige, when there was no answer she opened the door. ‘What’s wrong, Cas?’

  ‘I’m an idiot that’s what, why do I always mess things up?’

  Paige sat on the bed next to her. ‘I’m sure it’s not that bad.’

  ‘Yes it is, he won’t let me go with them anymore,’ she said, with tears falling down her cheeks. ‘He told me as much.’

  ‘You mean Alex of course, but I’ll tell you something, he’s the most forgiving person I know.’

  ‘He was angry with me tonight, and I really don’t think he’ll be very forgiving.’

  Paige put an arm around her. ‘Why does it bother you so much about going with them?’

  ‘It was the most thrilling experience of my life when we saved the pucas, and it made me feel part of something.’

  ‘You’ve always been a part of something. We are a group together, and although I haven’t been a part of it for long it feels special to me.’

  ‘The group was small when I became a part of it, and the younger ones came along after. I don’t know if it was the love for each other or the feeling of safety when we were with Blaze, and yeah they were happy times, but the thing is we never did anything.’

  ‘We had some great nights.’

  Carrie wiped her eyes. ‘Yeah, Paigey, but where were any of us going? We move in here and get everything we need. We get bored or at least some of us did, and he gets us to learn how to fight, and find we’re really good at it.’

  ‘You believe that was his plan all along?’

  ‘No, he knew some of us got bored when it snowed, and training was his only answer to keeping us happy.’

  ‘It helped, and we’re still training.’

  ‘It’s been one of the most wonderful things that’s happened to me, but I ruined it tonight. Did you ever have to go through one of those stupid works feel good meetings or nights out? Well I hated them, they were so false. I decided to work for myself. Then he comes along and puts his arm around my shoulder telling me how good I am, and I call him a coward.’

  ‘He won’t care about that, only if you’re capable and you are, so stop worrying.’

  * * *

  Alex left the study, and climbed the stairs before knocking Carrie’s door.

  ‘It’s open,’ said Paige, and he walked in.

  ‘What do you want?’ said Carrie, and lowered her head trying to wipe away her tears.

  ‘Be nice,’ warned Paige.

  ‘Just to talk,’ said Alex.

  Paige stood. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’

  ‘I thought we talked enough,’ said Carrie.

  Alex leant back on the wall. ‘Yeah, and I heard what you said to me.’

  ‘I never meant it.’

  Alex said in a calm steady manner. ‘The problem is you did mean it, you would have us go fighting the warlock without knowing his strengths or weaknesses. And yeah, we might have found and defeated him without any problem, but there’s every possibility he’s a lot stronger than you could ever imagine. So the six of us arrive to fight him, and there he is with a hundred demons, and us six who are the strongest here apart from House get killed. Who then will protect my daughters and everyone else? The warlock may never get in with House protecting everyone, but no one will be able to get out and they’ll be trapped in here.’

  ‘I wasn’t talking about that, but thanks, I feel bad enough as it is.’

  ‘We fight as a team, and we fight with what we know. The only time we go against anything that’s unknown to us is when someone or something’s in danger.’

  Carrie looked up, with what looked like hope in her eyes. ‘The pixies are in danger.’

  ‘No, they’re not. The warlock won’t harm any as he needs them.’

  ‘You can’t be certain about that.’

  Alex rubbed his chin. ‘I have to be, Kaeya’s not back yet.’

  ‘You’re worried about her?’

  ‘I’m worried about all of them.’

  Carrie looked back down. ‘Well, am I allowed to go with you again?’

  ‘Yeah, but you have to consider everyone else when we’re out. I really don’t care what you think about me, all I care about is the safety of everyone here,’ he said, and left the room. He did care what she thought, and it broke his heart when she said it.

  * * *

  Carrie was about to say something, but it was too late. She could go with them again, which was great, but she felt no better as he never even gave her a chance to apologise. She wanted to, even if she had been short with him again. ‘Shit.’ She jumped off the bed and ran after him.

  ‘I thought the conversation was over,’ said Alex, when she grabbed his arm.

  Carrie pushed her hair from her eyes. ‘That’s because you walked out, and never let me have another word.’

  ‘OK, what else have you got to say?’

  ‘I know you want the children to be happy, and I agree with that, but what about the rest of us?’

  ‘You, for some reason appear to be the only one who isn’t happy, and I don’t know what’ll change that for you.’

  ‘The idea of you listening might be a good start.’

  Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘I thought I’d listened quite a lot tonight.’

  ‘Really, what about the part, I didn’t mean what I said, and you just say “yes you did” well, you’re wrong, and yeah I did stupidly mean the part about going after the warlock, but I never meant to say you’re a coward.’

  ‘I know you didn’t,’ Alex lied, and walked to his bedroom.

  Carrie wasn’t upset now, neither was she angry, just frustrated at the pig-headed man. She thought of what James said about the pig-faced woman, she smiled, and ran after Alex grabbing his arm again.

  ‘What have I done now?’

  ‘Nothing,’ said Carrie, and embraced him. ‘Don’t push me out, I love living here.’

  Alex held her tighter than he ever had before. ‘This is your home, you’re not going anywhere.’

  * * *

  Alex finished his breakfast when House told him Flax was awake. He took her some food on a tray, and knocked the door.

  ‘Breakfast.’

  There were voices coming from inside. House was selective on his sound proofing of the rooms, making sure noises should only be heard if there was a problem.

  Gort opened the door looking rather sheepish, as Flax sat on the bed with a sheet covering her. ‘She’s sad.’

  Alex stared at the sheet covered puca. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I’m ugly,’ said Flax. ‘I have bald patches.’

  Alex stepped inside and put the tray on the dressing table before sitting on the bed. ‘They had to shave you to stop the bleeding. You were seriously injured, and House healed your internal injuries and broken bones.’

  The sheet moved as she nodded. ‘I know, and I’m g
rateful, but no one can see me until it grows back.’

  ‘Are you going to stop in here or change into some animal?’

  ‘Neither, they will probably have bald patches too, so I have to go back to the forest.’

  ‘No, I don’t think that’s a good idea, you’ll have to stay here for a while.’

  ‘We’re prisoners then,’ said Flax, sounding sad from underneath the sheet.

  ‘No, of course you’re not,’ said Alex gently. ‘If you want to leave I can’t stop you, but those demons could be everywhere, and if they find you they’ll kill you and Gort.’

  Flax huffed. ‘I’ll stop in this room, until it grows back.’

  Alex smiled as an idea came to him. ‘Show me your arm.’

  ‘What arm?’

  ‘The one which got hurt and they had to shave.’

  ‘No, it has a bald patch on it.’

  ‘It’s just an arm, let me have a look,’ he said, and after a few seconds a furry arm came out from under the sheet. There was a bald patch with a scar which would soon disappear. He put his hand over the bald spot and a faint golden glow came from beneath it. Grow back, he thought, and held his hand there for nearly a minute. When he moved his hand the fur had grown back. ‘OK, how’s that?’

  Flax pulled her arm back under the sheet and quickly uncovered herself. She had a huge smile and big yellow eyes, with a bald patch between her ears which stood upwards on her head. It made her look odd, most people would have thought she looked odd anyway, but Alex could only see beauty in her.

  ‘How did you do that?’ she said.

  ‘I don’t know . . . it was a shot in the dark.’ Alex put his hand on her head, and the fur grew back. He did it to the other bald patches, one on her leg and the other on her side. Flax jumped up and hugged him, while Gort jumped on the bed happily.

  Alex smiled as he watched them and felt a warmth build inside. ‘Would you like to meet the others now, or have some breakfast?’