‘The horses have to come with us.’
‘They’re too afraid to leave,’ said Amy, brushing another horse.
‘Look outside,’ said Alex, and they saw no rain falling.
‘Has it stopped?’ said Lucy.
‘No, House is sheltering us for now. The horses are not frightened of the rain, but of being trapped here next to the river.’
‘Look,’ said Anna, as water started flowing into the stable.
‘The river has burst over the banks, it’s not safe here at the moment.’ said Alex, and Bronte his stallion trotted over to him. ‘You must guide them up to the mansion.’
Lucy opened the stable doors to lead the horses out. ‘You not gonna help us get back?’
Alex picked up a saddle. ‘You’ll be fine, House will shelter you. I’ll use the vase to get all the gear up to the mansion before we lose it all.’
House created a more permanent shield from the roof of the mansion to one hundred feet away, like an invisible awning.
‘We have a problem,’ said Blaze, when Alex returned.
‘What is it?’
‘I can’t find our friends with the ball . . . in fact I can’t find anything with it.’
Alex stepped over to a window. ‘Does the image look like and old television with interference?’
Blaze nodded. ‘Yes, now that you mention it.’
Alex pulled back a curtain. ‘Take a look outside.’
‘You mean it’s just rain?’
‘Yeah, and it probably means most of the UK is getting it. I’m gonna have to go and see if I can find them.’
‘How are you going to do that if you can’t see?’ said Blaze.
Alex shrugged. ‘I don’t know, but I’ll need a cover as House will have to stay here.’
‘I can help you there,’ said Kristina, grabbing his arm and dragging him outside the front of the mansion.
Alex put his hand out but no rain fell on him. ‘How are you doing this?’
‘We tried creating another force field,’ she said, with Millie standing next to her, ‘but it just ended up as an umbrella.’
‘Don’t give up trying . . . this is one great umbrella,’
‘Thanks, shall we go find our friends?’
Alex fetched the vase and they appeared at the edge of the forest. The view was too limited to see far. ‘Can you make it any bigger?’
‘I’ll try,’ said Kristina, and concentrated, the view improved and they could see ten feet ahead of them.
‘I’ll add mine to it,’ said Millie, and the shield doubled in size.
‘This is amazing,’ said Alex. ‘You’re blocking the rain, but it passes through the trees without any problem.’
‘Oh no, it doesn’t pass through,’ said Millie. ‘It goes around them, so it does no harm to plant life.’
They moved forward at a slow pace, they might be sheltered but the ground felt wet and slippery. Alex thought about their visit here a few days ago, and if he could remember anywhere they might hide. They walked for twenty minutes when they came across footprints in the mud.
‘Is it them?’ said Kristina.
Alex crouched down to inspect the prints. ‘Yeah, these smaller ones can only be made by the pucas.’
‘I hope they got somewhere safe and dry,’ said Millie.
‘Don’t worry about them,’ said Alex. ‘They do have certain powers, and are probably sitting it out somewhere dry with a cup of tea.’
‘I guess you’re right, and they would know where to hide in a forest.’
They saw Livvy first when she jumped on Alex. She looked soaked through. ‘I’m sorry . . . I just didn’t expect to see you.’
Alex smiled. ‘Don’t be, I’m just happy we found you.’
‘Not as happy as we are,’ said Luella, wringing her top out.
Daralis pulled wet hair off her face. ‘Who’s keeping the rain off us now?’
‘We are,’ said Kristina, ‘with our special umbrellas.’
Livvy grinned. ‘That’s a neat trick, Krissy.’
‘We thought so too, and you should have seen the soldiers we saved from the Troll.’
Luella gave them a sharp look. ‘What troll?’
‘The one we fought in the forest the other night.’
Luella squeezed water out of her hair. ‘Alex, are you taking them all out fighting now?’
Alex picked up Flax, after she shook off most of the rain. ‘No, we were patrolling when we came across it, and the Order’s soldiers were there.’
Millie laughed. ‘Carrie stabbed a would-be-rapist, too.’
‘We leave you for a week and all this happens,’ said Luella. ‘How did you find us?’
‘I’ll tell you all about it after you’ve dried and changed,’ said Alex, and took them back to the upper floor just outside the bedrooms.
Luella smiled. ‘That’s thoughtful of you.’
‘Yeah, I didn’t want you dripping all over the floor.’ Alex walked down the stairs in search for the pixies but Kaeya found him first.
‘Hello, where you been?’ she asked.
‘I had to fetch Mother, but I need to know if we have to go and get our other friends.’
‘Are you worried about pixies in the rain?’
‘Yeah, this rain isn’t normal.’
‘They will be fine. There are lots of places to go when you’re our size. They can also change into our other form and hide anywhere in a dark forest.’
Livvy came down first and received a lot of attention, as did Donna and Daralis. They might have only been away for a week but there was a strong bond between everyone now. Thomas’s eyes lit up when he saw them and smiled. He looked around the room excitedly when the smile on his little face turned into a frown and his head dropped. Alex saw tears in his eyes and his bottom lip quivering.
Alex knelt in front of him. ‘Hey, big guy, what’s wrong?’
‘It doesn’t matter now,’ said Thomas, as he put his head on Alex’s shoulder. He did not see Luella coming down the stairs with tears in her eyes.
‘Then why don’t you turn around,’ Alex told him.
Thomas did and his face lit up. ‘Mommy,’ he shouted, and ran to her.
Luella picked the boy up and hugged him. ‘I don’t think I could leave him longer than that.’
‘You don’t have to.’
‘The forests need cleaning.’
Alex sat down on a sofa. ‘Go clean your forest, and come back here for a couple of days before doing the next one. We do have the vase remember.’
‘We could do that,’ said Luella, ‘but it’s not just up to me.’
‘I love the idea,’ said Daralis. ‘I really missed having a bath.’
Shaula walked over to Alex and climbed on the sofa next to him. ‘Will you watch a film with us?’
‘Of course, sweetheart, we’ll watch it after dinner.’
‘It’s about witches, and I know I’ll be frightened.’
Alex laughed. ‘I can understand that, witches are very scary.’
Luella gave him a stern look. ‘So how did you know where we were?’
Alex shrugged. ‘We followed your footprints.’
‘But we were in a different forest to the one you knew we were in.’
‘Yeah, I know that, and you also know we have Blaze.’
Luella shook her head. ‘You were spying on us?’
Alex smiled. ‘No, we were keeping an eye on you, dear, as those dark witches are about somewhere.’
Carrie for some reason was touching Daralis’s hair, and inspecting it.
‘What are you doing?’ the white witch asked.
‘It’s time.’
‘Time for what?’
Carrie grinned. ‘To get you and Luella into the salon.’
Daralis put a hand to her hair. ‘What . . .? What’s wrong with it?’
‘Split ends, the rain wasn’t very kind to you, and your hair could do with styling.’
Luella inspected her own hair.
‘Rain doesn’t cause that.’
Carrie shrugged. ‘Dunno, but you never had it before you left.’
‘That’s true,’ said Daralis. ‘Does it look that bad?’
‘No, not really, you have lovely hair . . . it just needs a bit of treatment.’
Paige climbed off a sofa and joined them. ‘Afterwards we can go and get the new wardrobes Alex promised Luella, and for Daralis of course.
Luella looked a little worried. ‘Alex, do you see what they’re trying to do to us?’
‘Yes, Mother, they’ve been doing it to me since Christmas,’ he said, as he glanced around the hall at the women who mostly smiled, but a few looked sheepish.
‘Can you blame us?’ Claire laughed. ‘You and James looked like a pair of cops from an eighties TV series.’
‘Oh,’ said Luella, ‘maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all.’
Most of the women at the mansion usually wore jeans or trousers, but the white witches always wore long dresses.
Alex picked at his top. ‘Well the shopping can wait until the rain stops, or at least eases up.’
Paige nodded. ‘That’s OK . . . we have plenty of clothes for them to try.’
‘And that reminds me,’ said Carrie, almost accusingly to Alex. ‘I haven’t had you in the salon yet.’
You haven’t had me anywhere yet, Alex thought, and it took everything he had to stop himself from laughing. ‘What’s the point? It doesn’t grow anymore.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ Alex shrugged, but Luella and Daralis however looked at each other and smiled.
They all watched the film, although many of them had already seen it. The film about witches was aptly named “The Witches”. Shaula did find it scary as she kept hiding her face behind her blanket she took in with her, as were the other children. Alex wondered what the real witches were up to.
They had a party afterwards, not in celebration but to keep their spirits up, not that they needed it as they were all quite happy. Luella and Daralis had their hair styled, which was only a trim, but they still wore long dresses
~~~~
The creature festered at the bottom of a dirty pond for thousands of years. It was once a powerful water demon until defeated by a wizard. It survived without its strength and shrank into the dirty depths. It fed on any insects which touched the pond.
Someone tried summoning it. The demon remembered that feeling from a long time ago, but had no power now and could not answer. Something summoned it again days later only on this day it rained. There was something in this rain, it felt power again, and grew. It could see figures protected from the rain, three of them, two old women and a man. The man made him angry and the demon lashed out.
A dark-haired witch put her hand up. ‘No, demon, he’s ours.’
‘He will try to destroy me again,’ the demon hissed.
‘No, he won’t. He’s our plaything, and his power is now ours,’ said a grey haired witch.
The demon grew to the same size as them. ‘What do you want with me?’
‘What you’re good at . . . killing people.’
‘And if I refuse?’
‘We will take your power away and drain that disgusting pond you live in.’
The demon agreed, and knew they would try to kill him afterwards if they could, but the rain still fell and his power was growing.
~~~~
Three days after the rain started Alex went looking for the children. He found them out the back underneath House’s shield while playing with some rabbits who thought it was nicer than their flooded warrens. The wolf cubs looked as if they had never seen a rabbit before.
The children are a bad influence on them, said Rho.
‘I think you’re right,’ said Alex.
I don’t think they will ever go hunting.
‘Does that upset you?’
No, not really, to be honest I only go running most of the time because Chi says I’m overweight.
‘House,’ said Alex. ‘Is there any way I can use my power with this shelter if you come out with us today?’
There is no need. The rain is not heavy enough to get through, so I can leave it.
The rain had eased off enough to see through. Alex took Kristina, Lucy and Amy for a walk down to the stables, but they had gone. There were just a few planks of wood left as half the bank had slipped down into the river.
‘What happened to them?’ said Lucy.
‘Washed away I guess,’ said Alex.
Amy surveyed the bits of wood, with tears in her eyes. ‘That’s so sad.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Alex, ‘we’re having new ones built nearer the mansion.
‘I know, it’s just sad to see it gone, but it was our first main job.’
‘It’s still your job, only you won’t have so far to walk.’
James returned from dropping George off at his office. The solicitor expected a busy day for his sons, because of the floods and wanted to help out.
‘What are the roads like?’ said Alex.
‘Not too bad into town, but you can’t get to the village.’
Alex leant back on the sofa, with his hands behind his head. ‘Are the villagers OK?’
‘Yeah, I talked to a farmer it’s just the roads by the river that are impassable.’
Alex stood. ‘Then it’s time for a trip to the cinema.’
‘You already have one,’ said Luella.
‘Yeah, but I’ve been thinking of taking the children now and then to see new films.’
‘Are we all invited?’ said Carrie.
Alex nodded. ‘Yeah, I suppose so.’
Jodie flicked her fingers through her short hair. ‘Oh good, I want to see the new zombie film.’
‘What’s it called?’ said Alex.
‘Terminators of the Dead.’
James looked confused. ‘How can you terminate something that’s already dead?’
‘Because they’re zombies, and a group of people travel around killing them.’
James looked a little less confused. ‘Just like us really.’
‘That would be so cool,’ said Jodie. ‘Travelling around the world killing demons.’
I might need to renew my passport,’ said Alex. ‘As I’m not sure if the vase can take us that far.’
‘Oh, and I don’t even have one,’ said Jodie.
‘We can get some pictures done in town, and get some forms.’
‘I need one too,’ Carrie added.
‘OK,’ said Alex. ‘Anyone who needs a passport let me know in the post office.’
‘Can we go early as I need a few things from town?’ said Summer.
‘We can do some clothes shopping for Luella and Daralis,’ Paige added.
Alex nodded. ‘I’ll go and tell the children.’
They were still playing outside when Alex told them. They appeared excited at first, but their look changed to one of worry.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Alex.
‘Nothing, Papa,’ said Adhara, ‘we just need to go upstairs first and tidy up.’
‘What for? You look lovely.’
‘But you would tell us that wouldn’t you?’ she said, and the children ran upstairs.
Alex stood waiting. ‘The children are taking a while; maybe I should go and check on them.’
They are fine, said House, sounding a little strange.
House, what they up to?
You are going to love this.
Alex groaned and put his hand to his forehead.
‘What’s wrong, dear?’ said Luella.
‘The children are up to something, but House won’t tell me what,’
‘Children are always up to something, dear, it won’t be anything serious.’
Alex saw them coming down the stairs acting odd. He noticed something else about them. ‘Would you say it was serious or just fun, if six children went up but eight came down?’
Everyone turned towards the children, and there were
two more, another boy and girl both wearing sunglasses.
Paige’s eyes went big. ‘We have two boys now.’
‘Not another two, Alex,’ said James.
Alex walked over to the children. ‘Nothing to do with me.’
‘I want one,’ said Paige, which got a raised eyebrow off Claire.
Alex lifted the glasses off the little boy and his eyes were bright yellow. ‘Gort is that you?’
The little boy smiled and nodded his head. Alex put his hand over his mouth to stop himself laughing, but James didn’t and ended up nearly crying.
‘It didn’t seem fair to leave our friends behind,’ said Adhara.
‘Quite right too, sweetheart,’ said Alex.
Paige picked up Gort. ‘Hello, you’re mine now,’
‘He’s not really a little boy,’ said Claire.
‘He is for today.’
Alex picked Flax up and lifted her glasses. ‘You’re a pretty one,’ he said. She smiled and hugged him.
‘You can hand her over, matey,’ Skye demanded. ‘You’ve got enough children already.’
James was still grinning only this time it was at the girls, four of them had bags over their shoulders, and he could see them moving. Alex studied the bags as Kaeya popped her head out smiling.
The first stop in town was to buy a load of umbrellas before they made their way to the post office, which also had a photo booth. Only four of them had a passport and two needed to renew theirs. Of the children, four of them had their last photo with a pixie. Gort and Flax had theirs done, not for a passport but just for fun, and when the pictures came out Alex couldn’t help laughing.
‘What’s so funny?’ said James.
Alex showed him the photos. The first had a human head, the next a birds, followed by a horse, and finally their own face.
James grinned. ‘Cheeky little pucas aren’t they?’
Blaze took some forms from the counter and Alex put them along with the photos into a brief case he received for his birthday.
Most of them returned to the coach while the others carried on with their shopping. Alex took a stroll to George Mizar’s office so he could let him know where they were, and on the way he stopped off at a travel agent.
Are you thinking of going away? House asked.
Other Worlds: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Two - Fantasy Page 5