by Sharon Booth
'What about Celeste?' Mother's question, sharp and to the point, blinked me back into reality and I glanced up at Aveta, nerves jangling.
'There will be no punishment for Celeste,' Zephyr said, sounding reluctant. 'It's clear the whole thing was an unfortunate coincidence, and she hadn't consciously planned to bring Blaise through time. Unless Blaise tells us differently when his memory returns, we're willing to believe her story was the whole truth and, given Blaise's own testimony, we've decided we will take no further action. Although,' he added sternly, 'given that she has unusually strong powers, we would urge that you are particularly careful in future about how she uses them. We wouldn't,' he added, a glint in his eye as he turned to me, 'want to put any kind of power-stripping spell on you, would we?'
'No, we wouldn't,' I agreed.
'That's all settled,' Bob said, sounding highly relieved. 'Do you all mind vacating the function room now? I've got a party to sort out.'
'And I've got a doll's house to put together,' Amlodd said.
'My eldest wants a hand setting up his new tablet,' Kendrew added. 'I'd best get off, if that's all right with you.'
'Go,' Zephyr said, waving his hand dismissively. As they vanished back to their everyday lives, he turned to Mother. 'You take full responsibility for the safety and well-being of Blaise St Clair? You will take him into your home and care for him?'
'I don't need caring for,' Blaise said, sounding annoyed. 'I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, thanks very much.'
'I'm sure you are,' Zephyr acknowledged, 'but you must have a roof over your head and a means of support until you find your feet in this time, especially since you have no magic.'
Blaise gasped. 'What did you say?'
'Break it to him gently, why don't you,' Aveta said crossly.
Zephyr paled. 'I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking.'
'I have no magic?' Blaise shook his head. 'I don't believe you.'
'Well, why don't you try some?' Zephyr suggested. 'Something simple. Conjure up a glass of wine or ale for yourself.'
Blaise stared intently at his hand, clearly visualising the drink he wanted. I saw the concentration on his face and my heart broke for him as his hand remained empty.
'I don't understand,' he said, and I heard the devastation in his voice. 'How has this happened? Who took my powers? Was it you?' he demanded, his chin jutting angrily at Zephyr.
'Don't be silly,' Zephyr said nervously. 'Why would I do such a thing?'
'To keep me here! Why else?'
'May I remind you it takes five witches collectively to remove a single witch's powers,' Aveta said. 'Are you accusing the entire High Council of Witches?'
'Maybe I am,' he said belligerently.
'Have a care,' she said coldly. 'We have been most patient with you today. Don't try us any further.'
'But you—'
'Please, Blaise,' I said, terrified he was pushing his luck too far. 'You know the High Council is above reproach.'
'I know no such thing,' he said. 'There was no High Council in my day. Only the Guardians watched over the magical world. On whose authority do you act, anyway?'
'On the Guardians' authority,' Zephyr snapped. 'It was they who set up the High Councils of the world to police everyday magical matters. Not that this is an everyday matter,' he conceded wearily. 'Far from it.'
'I understand your shock,' Aveta said, her expression softening as she observed Blaise's obvious distress. 'My feeling is that the loss of your powers could be temporary. Maybe the trauma of time travel has rendered them dormant for now. We shouldn't worry at this stage. Let's wait and see what happens, shall we?'
'Quite a fiery chap when roused,' Zephyr said. 'Are you sure you want to take him under your wing, Iliana?'
'It's fine,' Mother said firmly. 'Blaise will come home with us, naturally.'
'Then, since Bob wants to get ready for his party, may I suggest we all head over to room twelve and see Aurora and the new arrival?' Aveta said pleasantly. 'I'm sure she's more than ready and eager to show him off to you all.'
We all agreed that was a splendid idea, except for Blaise, who, understandably, seemed dazed.
'Please don't worry,' I whispered to him. 'It's like Aveta said, this is temporary. Your powers will come back to you once you've settled.'
'You don't know that for sure,' he replied. 'What if they never come back?'
'We'll find a way,' I said rashly. 'There must be something we can do to bring them back, and I'll do everything I can to help.'
He eyed me thoughtfully. 'Since you appear to have great powers, I suppose you're my best chance.'
'But you won't need me,' I promised. 'They'll come back, Blaise. I'm sure of it.'
He nodded. 'Thank you. I guess I have to be patient. I panicked a bit there. I'm sorry if I was rude.'
'No need to apologise. I completely understand.' I smiled as we neared Room Twelve. 'I can't wait to see the baby!'
'Hmm. Not so sure I should be here,' he said.
'Why ever not? You're related to this child, too,' I pointed out.
'It just seems weird,' he admitted, as we followed the others towards the room. 'I mean, fancy your father being there at the birth! That's gross, don't you think? It's women's work, having babies. Nothing to do with the men.'
I stared at him. 'Nothing to do with men?'
He looked sheepish. 'You know what I mean. Obviously, it's something to do with the men, but once that bit's done, well, after that it's up to the woman, isn't it?'
I took a deep breath and tried hard to see it from his point of view. After all, he was a seventeenth century chap, and this was all new to him. He couldn't help how he felt. It occurred to me, for the first time, that while they'd fixed the language barrier fairly easily, it wouldn't be so simple for Blaise to fit in with the modern world. Things had changed a lot. Would he be able to adapt? If not, he'd have one heck of a difficult time.
Aveta turned to me as we arrived at the room. 'Goodness, Celeste, you're still wearing the bracelet. Here, let me take it off for you.'
She removed the bracelet with no trouble at all, and we all filed into the hotel room to see the new arrival.
Aurora was sitting up in bed, looking remarkably cheerful as she tucked into a box of chocolates. The baby was fast asleep in a little crib beside her. 'What do you think?' she said, waving a half-eaten orange cream at us. 'Isn't he gorgeous?'
I looked down at my tiny half-brother and felt a rush of love for him immediately. He had a thatch of dark brown hair, and his face was all scrunched up as if he was thinking deeply in his sleep. His fists were clenched, as if ready for a fight, and now and then, his nose wrinkled.
'Oh, my goodness,' I said, my heart swelling at the sight of him, 'he's adorable. Just adorable! Congratulations, Aurora.'
'Thanks ever so,' she said. 'I couldn't have done it without your mother and Aveta. They were marvellous.'
'And me,' Father reminded her.
Aurora tutted. 'You spent the entire time hovering by the window and plaiting the curtains. You may as well have been in Outer Mongolia for all the use you were. Anyway,' she added darkly, 'I hope you enjoyed the experience because it won't be repeated, I can tell you that much.'
'You mean I don't have to be there at the next birth?' he asked, sounding relieved.
'I mean there won't be a next birth,' she said. 'I'm far too old to endure such indignities.' She puffed out her cheeks and shook her head. 'Honestly, I had no idea it would be so messy. Never again, I can tell you.'
I glanced across at Blaise, who looked deeply uncomfortable upon hearing her confide such intimacies. He shuffled awkwardly near the door, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.
Aveta put the bracelet on the bedside cabinet, then bent over the crib. She stroked the baby's head and smiled down at him. 'Beautiful child,' she said. 'You should be very proud of him.'
'Has he—' Father broke off, and I frowned, noticing he looked deeply uncomfortable suddenl
y.
'Has he got powers?' Aveta shook her head. 'It's far too soon to tell, Raiden. You know the child must be at least six weeks old before I can discern how much magic, if any, he has.'
'It's just, with me having my powers stripped ...'
'That shouldn't affect his magical abilities,' Aveta assured him. 'If your son has no magic, that's genetic. You have the magical gene, Raiden. It's simply been neutralised. Your child has as much chance of having powers as the rest of your children did. He may even have inherited the exceptional magical abilities that have passed from Rafe St Clair to several of his descendants — Celeste included.'
Blaise looked suddenly interested and wandered over to the crib to stare at the new arrival. 'Do you think so?' he asked. 'And you'll be able to tell that at six weeks?'
'Aveta has special gifts of her own,' Zephyr said. He hesitantly reached out a finger and touched the little boy's fist. Immediately the baby curled his hand around it, and Zephyr's face lit up with delight. 'Beautiful child,' he murmured. 'I'm sure he will be a credit to the name of Ambrose. I'm so proud of you, Aurora.'
Aurora looked stunned. 'Really? Gosh. Thanks ever so, Father.'
'Have you got a name for him?' Mother asked.
Aurora looked at Father, a question in her eyes. He nodded in response, and she beamed at us all. 'We do actually. It's the only name we both agreed on, and I don't know why, but it seemed to pop into our heads at the same time. We're going to call him Aither.'
Aveta nodded. 'Perfect name,' she said. 'Aither was said to be the source of the gods' power. As the product of the great St Clair and Ambrose lines, I think it is most appropriate.'
'Goodness,' Mother said, glancing at her watch, 'I can hardly believe it, but it's still only three o'clock. I think we should get back to Castle Lodge and prepare a celebration feast, don't you?'
'Ooh, yes,' Aurora said. 'What shall I do about this room?'
'You all head home,' Aveta said. 'I'll make sure this room is as we found it.'
'And I'll go back to St Ives,' Zephyr said. 'I'm sure Titania will be watching the clock. I'll let Easton and Elvira know about the baby,' he told Aurora. Easton and Elvira were her half-siblings, and she got on with them much better than she got on with her stepmother. 'I'm sure they'll visit you before too long. Well done, darling. Take care of yourself and the little one, and I'll pop and see you before New Year's Day, I promise.'
'Right,' Mother said, back to her brisk and organised self. 'Aurora, you take Aither back to Castle Lodge, and I'll take Blaise. Celeste, would you be a dear and take your father home please?'
Aurora nodded, and Father gently lifted the crib onto the bed. Within seconds, she and Aither had gone, leaving an empty bed.
Mother took hold of Blaise's arm.
'This is embarrassing,' he muttered.
'Yes, well, you must get used to it for now,' Aveta said.
'You must understand, I was an exceptional witch in my time. Can you imagine how humiliating it is for me to have to be carried in this way by a woman?'
To her credit, Mother showed no signs of annoyance. She slipped her arm through his again. 'Now, now, dear, I'm sure this is a temporary situation. Let me take you home and we'll put things right somehow.'
He sighed heavily but protested no more, and the two of them vanished, leaving Father and me with Aveta.
'Are you sure you don't need us to help clear up?' I asked. 'I don't mind, honestly.'
'It's the least we can do,' Father agreed.
Aveta waved us away. 'Not at all. It won't take me a moment. But before you go, may I have a word with you? I wanted to speak to the two of you alone. I didn't want to alarm Iliana and I may be wrong, in which case there's no need to disturb her. Even so ...'
I felt a chill at her words. 'What is it?' I asked.
Father obviously sensed that whatever it was, it was serious. He put his arm around me and squeezed me tight. 'You're worrying me now, Aveta,' he told her, trying to sound jokey but failing dismally. 'My son — he's all right, isn't he?'
'Oh yes, yes, he's perfect. It's nothing to do with the baby,' she assured him.
She sat on the edge of the bed, and her expression revealed her obvious concern.
'The decision over Blaise's future — it was taken out of our hands. Zephyr received a message while we were deliberating. You may have noticed he left the room. A Guardian sent word that we were to ensure Blaise remained in the present day.'
'Gosh,' I said. 'A Guardian intervened? Well, I suppose it's a serious matter.'
'The Guardian also intervened on your behalf,' Aveta said. 'You should be most grateful they did so. I fought hard to get the Council members to clear you of any charges, Celeste, but I think I would have lost the vote. Some were — shall we say — reluctant? The Guardian told Zephyr that you were to be released without punishment.'
Father looked at me, clearly awestruck. 'A Guardian on your side, Celeste!'
'Well,' I said, swallowing hard, 'I'm extremely thankful. But, honestly, I was telling the truth. I never meant—'
'I believe you,' she said. 'However, you must see your great powers could be rather threatening to some. If you can bring someone through time ...' She shook her head. 'You can't blame the members of the High Council for worrying. If the Guardian had not intervened, you would have had your powers stripped today.'
'I'd never abuse my powers,' I said.
'I know that. I've every faith in you. Your mother raised you well, I'm sure.' She gave Father a dismissive look, and he shuffled awkwardly. I took hold of his hand and squeezed it.
'I had my reasons for wanting to make sure your powers weren't removed,' Aveta confessed. 'I'm worried that, before long, we may need them.'
That didn't sound too good. In fact, it sounded ominous. 'Meaning what?'
Aveta smoothed out a wrinkle on the duvet. 'You've heard of the St Clair prophecy?'
Father glanced at me.
'Castor told it to us,' I admitted. 'The prophecy of Old Mother Clipson.'
'That should only be told to male descendants of the St Clair line,' Father said, his lips tightening in disapproval. 'Castor had no business telling you. And how,' he added, turning to Aveta, 'could you possibly know of it?'
She gave him a weary smile. 'Raiden, there are few secrets from the High Council of Witches. You'd be astonished how much we know.'
'Great,' Father said. 'So idiots like Kendrew, Amlodd and Bob get to know something as sacred as our family prophecy?'
Aveta gave him a sharp look. 'You misjudge them,' she said. 'We choose the members of the High Council very carefully. Don't let their everyday, casual demeanours fool you. They have qualities you couldn't guess at, and each of them would rather die than betray the Council.'
'Are you sure?' Father sounded far from convinced, and I couldn't blame him, in all honesty.
'You should know me by now,' Aveta said. 'I wouldn't suffer fools. I would trust my fellow Council members with my life.'
Father hesitated, then nodded. 'Fair enough. I know you see things other people don't see, so if you say they're worthy, I believe you.'
She smiled. 'Thank you. Now about this prophecy. You remember it, I take it?'
'Word for word,' Father said. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes.
'Two ravens on the castle wall,
'Til evil holds them in its thrall,
Betrayal will condemn them all,
And elder raven must needs fall,
And let the bonds of time constrain,
That peace at last may come again.
From new to old the white bird flies,
From old to new the black bird dies,
For sake of love one paid the price,
For love must one now sacrifice.
Then storms will rage and thunder roar,
And ravens two will reign once more.'
Aveta nodded. 'Exactly,' she said.
'Exactly?' Father and I looked at each other and a chill started in
the base of my spine and crept slowly up my back, trailing icy fingers round my neck and making the hairs stand up on end. I shivered, aware I had goosebumps on my arms.
'You see now, don't you?' Aveta asked me.
'Some of it,' I whispered, my words almost choking me. 'It's starting, isn't it?'
She nodded.
Father frowned. 'What are you talking about?'
Aveta gave a heavy sigh. 'It was always Blaise St Clair's destiny to arrive in this time, Raiden,' she said. 'The prophecy foretold it. That's why I urged the council members not to punish Celeste, and why, even without the Guardian's instruction, I knew he must stay in this century. The St Clair legend tells us Blaise was betrayed, by his own brother, no less. Bevil and Blaise were at war over Jennet Wade, and someone had alerted the witchfinder. Now, whether Bevil physically betrayed his brother by calling the witchfinder and telling him of Blaise's magic, or whether the loud and frequent magical battles made Tobias Palmer aware of witchcraft is anyone's guess. What matters is that, for peace at last to come again, the elder raven — Blaise — had to fall, and let the bonds of time constrain. That he did. He effectively died in 1669. In reality, time held him until 2019. Now he is here, he must remain here, and his old world is lost to him. The raven is no longer part of the seventeenth century, but of the twenty-first. From old to new, the black bird dies. You see?'
'Blaise must die to the old world and live in the new,' I said. 'And he has done.'
Father looked deeply worried. 'But that means the second half of the prophecy is now in action.'
'I fear it does. With Blaise's arrival in this new world, the prophecy must now play out.'
'But it's all about sacrifice and storms raging,' I said, my voice shaky with fear. 'It doesn't sound like it will be much fun.'