To Catch a Witch

by Sharon Booth

  Belasko circled above us, taking one last look at the scene, and I saw another raven had joined him. Bran? No, it couldn't be. Bran would be safely back in Ballydraiocht with Father. Must be one of the castle ravens, I thought. Belasko gave a loud call, then flew off toward Castle Lodge. I forgot all about it, as Castor and Mother did CPR on the "body" while Sky and I frantically tried to dry and warm up Jethro.

  'Get him back to the Lodge,' Castor called to us. 'Needs to be in the warmth. Me and your ma will be right behind you.'

  'Is he alive?' I asked, my voice shaky with cold and dread. I couldn't see the person on the ground in any detail, as Mother was busy pumping his or her chest.

  Castor looked weary. 'Barely,' he admitted. 'Go on. We'll not be long.'

  Sky and I looked at each other, and I knew she was as distressed as I was to think all this might have been for nothing, and that some poor soul might still lose their life tonight, despite all the efforts of our family. But I also knew she was worried sick about Jethro, who looked grey, so I decided I would do as Castor said.

  The living room at Castle Lodge had never looked more welcoming, and the heat from the fire wrapped itself around us, warmer than any blanket. Benedict and Sirius huddled on the sofa, swathed in duvets now, and sipping hot tomato soup. Benedict looked a lot better, but Sirius was still clearly exhausted, with barely enough energy to hold the cup. Star crouched beside him, holding it for him. She looked up as we arrived.

  'How is he?' she asked, giving Jethro a sympathetic look.

  Sky wiped her eyes. 'Not good,' she said.

  Jethro managed a smile. 'I'll be fine,' he promised her.

  'You don't look fine,' Sky said tearfully. She pushed him gently into an armchair and I produced a duvet for him and placed it around him.

  Star nodded at the hearth. 'Tomato soup,' she said, and I saw a flask sitting there, still full to the brim despite having served Benedict and Sirius.

  Jethro seemed very grateful to have something so warming to drink, but he couldn't seem to raise the cup to his lips.

  'It's okay,' Sky said, 'I'll hold it.'

  'Where are they?' Jethro fretted. 'What's taking them so long?'

  Sirius, with obvious effort, lifted his head. 'Maybe I should go back there.'

  'Oh yes,' Star said scornfully. 'That's a great idea. You'll be ever so useful.'

  I knew her harsh tones were covering a world of pain and fear. She'd been terrified of losing not only our brother, but her husband and brother-in-law, too. We'd all been terrified. In fact, we still were. What was taking them all so long?

  'I'll pop back and check on them,' I announced. 'You all stay here and keep warm. I won't be long.'

  I'd gone before they could argue.

  Mother and Castor were wrapping blankets around — and murmuring to — the person on the bank, so it seemed whoever it was must be conscious.

  'Is he all right?' I asked tentatively, not even sure the person was male.

  Mother didn't look round. 'He will be,' she said firmly. 'We need to get him back to Castle Lodge.'

  Castor sounded astonishingly scared. 'How can we? Think about it, Iliana.'

  I frowned. What was there to think about? Okay, zapping a total stranger wasn't a great idea, but really, there were bigger priorities than keeping magic secret from the poor chap. Besides, he would probably be so traumatised and exhausted he wouldn't even remember what had happened, and we could always remove his memory, anyway.

  'We have no choice,' Mother said, though there was a quiver in her voice. 'What else are we supposed to do with him?'

  'But it's gonna bring trouble,' he said. His voice was shaky, and I saw the look of fear on his face.

  'What is it?' I asked, realising there was more to his behaviour than I was aware of. 'What's wrong?'

  Mother glanced over at me. 'Oh, Celeste,' she whispered. 'What have you done?'

  'What have I done?' I looked from her to Castor, bewildered. 'What are you talking about?'

  Castor stared at me for a moment, then slowly he looked down at the person now sitting, huddled on the ground.

  I moved to Mother's side and gazed down at our survivor. Wrapped in a blanket, his head lowered, he looked hunched and defeated, poor man. 'Are you all right?' I asked gently.

  He looked up, and I gasped and staggered backwards. Soaking wet hair, pale skin with multiple scratches, and a look of sheer exhaustion didn't disguise that straight nose, that firm chin, those coal-black eyes that stared up at me, from a face as familiar to me as my own. I sank to my knees, unable to take in the enormity of what I was seeing.

  Our drowning man was Blaise St Clair.

  Chapter Four

  It was a sombre gathering.

  Sirius, who was still weak, muttered he should do something. He was head of the family, and he obviously felt he needed to take charge. But of what? I gazed around the room at everyone and realised they all looked as scared and helpless as I felt. This was big. Huge. There would be trouble, no doubt about it.

  'How?'

  I realised Mother was talking to me and I flinched at her expression. She was staring at me as if she hardly knew me.

  'How did you do it?'

  'Do what?' I whispered. My thoughts were whirling. I felt almost as cold as if I'd gone into the Hrafn myself. I couldn't bring myself to look over at Blaise. It was too much to take in. It was difficult to believe he was sitting there in our living room, huddled in a duvet by the fire, sipping tomato soup while a visibly shaking Castor dabbed antiseptic cream on his scratches. I didn't understand what Mother was asking me. Why was she looking at me like that?

  'But he can't be him!' Sky shook her head, bewildered. 'How is that even possible?'

  Star looked more afraid than I'd ever seen her, though that may have been because of her shock over Benedict. She was sitting next to her husband, her arms around him as if she would never let him go again, but her attention was all on the wringing wet "phantom" in our armchair. 'Why did you do it, Celeste?' she murmured. 'You know the consequences.'

  Benedict was clearly confused and rather exasperated. 'Will someone tell me what's going on?' he demanded. 'You know this man?'

  Jethro, still looking frail, took Sky's hand and peered closely at her face. 'You're terrified, aren't you?' he managed, his voice feeble. 'What's wrong?' He looked over at their unexpected guest and frowned. 'I know him, too. At least, he looks familiar ...'

  'Of course he looks familiar!' Sky burst out. 'You've been working on a book about him and his brother for months!'

  Jethro paled. 'You don't mean — you can't!'

  Benedict's forehead creased as he tried to work out what they were talking about, then he gasped as the truth dawned. 'Oh, my God, Star. You said time travel was possible, but I didn't imagine—'

  'Neither did I,' she confessed. 'This is insane. There'll be fireworks about this, I can tell you.'

  'Fireworks!' Castor snorted. 'That's putting it mildly. Do you realise what you've done?' he demanded, jutting his chin at me in a most alarming manner. 'When the Council hears about this, we're done for. We'll all be grounded, and that's the best-case scenario.'

  As Blaise flinched at the aggression in Castor's voice, Sirius got stiffly to his feet and walked, rather unsteadily, to him.

  'Take it easy, lad,' Castor warned, putting the antiseptic cream on the hearth. 'You're still weak.'

  Sirius ignored him and placed a reassuring hand on Blaise's shoulder. 'Don't worry,' he told him. 'You're safe here. No one will harm you.'

  'What possessed you, darling?' Mother said, and I realised she was in tears, which was enough to frighten anyone. Mother didn't cry. She was the strongest woman I knew.

  When I didn't answer her, Sirius turned from me and looked down on the hunched figure that sat staring at the fire in silence. I could see his heart went out to the poor man. Yes, it was a shock for all of us, but how much worse for Blaise. He'd been through so much and now found himself in a house that must be eer
ily familiar and yet somehow different, surrounded by total strangers.

  'You were staring at the river,' Sirius murmured. He glanced back at me, his eyes showing his confusion and worry. 'It was like you weren't even there any more. I could sense it — the power you were radiating. What were you doing?'

  'Nothing! I — I wasn't doing anything,' I protested.

  Sirius clearly didn't know what to think. 'Blaise?'

  His tone was gentle, but our ancestor's head jerked, and he eyed Sirius with alarm.

  'It's okay, you're among friends.'

  Blaise looked far from convinced. He glanced around at us all and his gaze fell upon me. He stared at me for a moment, a puzzled expression on his face, then looked back at Sirius, but he didn't say a word. I felt icy cold and a bit nauseated. How could this be happening? And yet ... I couldn't deny there was a growing excitement within me, too. Blaise was with me. He hadn't died! Finally, I'd get the chance to talk to him, to understand perhaps what this strange connection to him was.

  'Do you know where you are?' Sirius ventured.

  Blaise pulled the duvet tighter around him and shook his head.

  'You're home. You're in Castle Lodge.'

  If he expected that to have some effect on Blaise, he was to be disappointed. Blaise stared blankly at him, as if he'd never heard of Castle Lodge.

  'Your house,' Sirius continued. 'I know it looks different, but this is your home, I promise you.'

  Nothing.

  'Golly,' Sky said, 'he's not exactly talkative, is he?'

  'He's been through hell,' I murmured. 'Think about it. As far as he's concerned, it was only a little while ago that he leapt from the castle wall.'

  The enormity of the situation seemed to hit us all at once, and a general murmuring broke out among my family as they all discussed the events not only of tonight, but of the same night three hundred and fifty years ago. Like me, Sirius ignored them, our focus on Blaise. Watching our unexpected guest, we both sensed there was more to this than shock.

  'You know,' Sirius breathed, 'I don't think he remembers anything.'

  They all shut up and stared at poor Blaise, who eyed us nervously. There was none of that proud, confident St Clair who had gazed out at us from his portrait. He was scared, exhausted, confused. Broken. There would be no explanations from him tonight.

  Sirius turned to me. 'Right,' he said. 'We need to sort this out. Get your story straight. We have very little time.'

  I stared up at him, terrified. 'What do you mean?'

  'Yes,' Star said, 'what do you mean?'

  'He means,' Castor said, 'the alarms will have sounded at the five points, and we'll be getting visitors any minute now.'

  'Five points?' Star wrinkled her nose. 'What are they? What alarms?'

  'I wish someone would explain what's going on,' Jethro groaned.

  'Mother,' Sirius said, 'would you be an angel and take Blaise upstairs? Get him into some warmer clothes? Anything from my wardrobe should fit him.'

  Mother stared at him and I knew she was wondering — as was I — why she couldn't just transform Blaise's clothing, as she'd done for Jethro and Benedict earlier. Then she seemed to understand, and, to his obvious relief, she nodded. Gently, she placed her arm around Blaise's shoulder.

  'Come along, Mr St Clair,' she said politely and kindly. 'I'll show you how to work an electric shower, that should warm you up, and we'll get you into something more suitable, shall we?'

  Blaise raised no objection. He stood, with some difficulty, and she led him upstairs, though it was a slow process.

  We all waited until he was out of earshot, then rounded on Sirius, who held up his hands. 'Whoa, whoa, one at a time.'

  'What are these alarms and why don't we have much time?'

  Sirius almost managed a smile. 'I knew you'd have your say first, Star.' He sank back into the armchair and rubbed his forehead, suddenly drained. 'Tell them, Castor,' he said, apparently too weary to explain.

  Castor nodded. 'The five points are the sacred places of this land,' he told us. 'I won't give specific locations, because them details aren't for everyone's ears, but they're roughly located in North Yorkshire, the Hebrides, Somerset, Cornwall, and Wales.'

  'North Yorkshire? Do you mean Castle Clair?' Sky asked.

  'No, not Castle Clair,' Castor assured her.

  'Why ever not?' Star demanded. 'It's teeming with magic.'

  'Aye, and like Ballydraiocht, Castle Clair's important in our world,' Castor acknowledged, 'but there are bigger, older places. You must understand this town's magical history is rather recent.'

  'Recent?' Sky tutted. 'Hardly. It goes back centuries.'

  'Aye. But the powers from some places go back millenia,' Castor said darkly. 'This is stronger than witchcraft. T'ain't about the people or the buildings, see? It's about the land itself. There's magic in the earth, and them places store powers like you wouldn't believe. It's for them reasons you often get monasteries and great castles built there, 'cos ordinary folks sensed the power there and it drew them to it. Them places,' he finished, 'are as alive as you and me, and they sense disturbances. When something threatens Albion, the vibrations from them power points alert the Guardians.'

  'What guardians?' Sky's eyes were like saucers, and Jethro, as weak as he still was, was agog. I could imagine his writer's imagination going into overdrive. 'Who are they?'

  'No one knows,' Sirius said.

  'Someone must know,' Star protested. 'Who appoints them? The High Council?'

  Castor gave a snort of indignation. 'No one appoints the Guardians! Don't you get it? They answer to no one. They're way above the High Council. Guardians are born. They don't have a say in it. They just are.'

  'But who are they?' Sky persisted.

  'We don't talk of them,' Castor said firmly. 'There are things we have no right to know about. All you need to understand is this land is protected, and whenever there's a threat to it, alarms will go off, left, right and centre and the Guardians are the only people who'll sense them vibrations.'

  'And you can bet your life the High Council of Witches is being informed of what's happened as we speak,' Sirius added grimly. 'Expect a visit any time now.'

  'But none of this is our fault,' Sky said, her voice suddenly small and scared. 'Celeste didn't do it on purpose, did you, Celeste?'

  I felt like I was about to pass out.

  Sirius sat beside me and took hold of my hand. 'What happened?' he asked me. 'Don't be scared. You can tell us anything, but we need to know so we can handle the questioning.'

  'Questioning?' Star squeaked. 'You make it sound like we're all going to be arrested.'

  Sirius raised an eyebrow, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. 'No!'

  'There'll be an inquiry of some sort, no doubt about it,' he said. 'We could face serious charges here, so we need to know the truth.'

  'But I did nothing,' I said, trembling.

  He squeezed my hand reassuringly. 'But I saw you by the shrine, Celeste. Gazing out at the river. You looked — weird. There was a dazzling white light around you and I could feel it so strongly. The power, I mean. You must have been doing something?'

  'I was daydreaming, that's all,' I said tearfully.

  'No spells? No incantations? Nothing?'

  'No! Nothing!' I pleaded. 'You believe me, don't you?'

  'If you say you did nothing, of course I believe you,' he assured me. 'The question is, will—'

  He broke off at a loud hammering on the door.

  We all looked at each other in alarm.

  'It can't be them,' Benedict said. 'Surely, they'd zap their way in here?'

  'Not if it's official business,' Sirius said. 'They like to observe the formalities in such cases.'

  'Oh, heck.' Benedict groaned. 'I'm not sure I like this.'

  There was another loud bang on the door.

  'Should we zap Jethro and Benedict home?' Sky asked nervously.

  'I'm not leaving you,' Jethro said at once. 'Please ..
.'

  'You're not well,' Sky said.

  'I'm fine. I'm just a wimp,' he replied, his voice faint.

  'You look terrible, Jethro,' Sirius said, frowning. 'It's really taken it out of you. Normally I'd say, go home, but you and Benedict are witnesses, and they may need you.'

  A loud yell followed another bang. 'Open this door immediately!'

  'That's Zephyr Ambrose,' Star muttered. She nodded at Sirius. 'Best open it.'

  Sirius strode into the hallway and we heard the front door thud against the wall as he threw it open.

  'Merry Christmas!' he cried, trying to sound cheerful.

  'Merry Christmas?' Zephyr sounded furious. 'I'll give you merry Christmas. What sort of Christmas is it going to be, eh, when someone in this town has brought the apocalypse down upon us?'

  'Come in, why don't you?' we heard Sirius say politely.

  We all held our breath as the living room door burst open and the members of the High Council filed in. Zephyr was still grumbling about the apocalypse and didn't so much as nod at us.

  An ancient-looking woman with papery skin and rheumy eyes shook her head. 'Really, Zephyr, don't be so dramatic.' She gave us an apologetic smile. 'So sorry to disturb you at this time of night. We're all rather perturbed, as you can imagine.'

  'Sit down,' Sirius said politely, indicating two large, comfortable looking sofas that had suddenly appeared in the room. I wondered who'd been responsible for those. I hadn't even noticed their arrival.

  The five councillors sat. Sirius glanced over at us and we all gave him scared looks — even the usually defiant Star. I couldn't stop shaking. If my family believed I'd had something to do with Blaise's arrival, how could I convince the High Council that it wasn't down to me? Unless ... I felt a sudden surge of hope. Perhaps they already knew how it had happened and would explain it to us. I hoped so. I was as bewildered as everyone else.

  'Well,' said a bearded, middle-aged man who wore a wide gold wedding ring that was far too tight for his podgy, purpling fingers, 'this is a pretty pickle, isn't it, now?'