by Sharon Booth
I shivered suddenly as realisation dawned.
'You're — you're a Guardian!'
Hector gave me a nervous smile.
My entire family burst into excited conversation.
'A Guardian!' Castor gaped at Hector in awe.
'I can't believe it,' Father gasped.
'Welcome to our home,' Mother said. 'I'm so sorry. I haven't even offered you tea.'
Hector smiled and held up his hand. 'Please, please don't worry about it. You couldn't possibly have known. That's the whole point of a Guardian. No one is supposed to know who we are. This has rather blown my cover.'
'But the High Council knew who you were?' I asked, giving Aveta a long, hard stare and wondering why she hadn't tipped me off. She must have known. She'd told me herself we were being spied on, and surely they'd seen Hector hanging around us?
She returned my stare, and I blinked and turned away. There was no challenging Aveta.
'I know what you're thinking,' she said, 'but even we don't know who the Guardians are. They are totally incognito and go about their business anonymously. We cannot contact them, they contact us, and never in person. We have no way to summon them. How could we possibly know this man was a Guardian?'
'But if Guardians have so much magic, why can't we feel it?' Star asked. 'We can always sense another witch.'
'It's an entirely different source of magic,' Aveta explained. 'Our magic is witchcraft and stems from a gene in our bodies. The Guardians draw their magic from the earth, and it's more ancient and more powerful than any witchcraft. We can't sense it. There's no inclination we're in the presence of such greatness.'
'Yet you recognised Hector as a Guardian when you saw him just now,' I said, puzzled. 'You all did.'
'Because he allowed it,' she said. 'That's his right and his choice.'
I looked at Hector as if seeing him for the first time. 'I can't believe it,' I said. 'All this time you were — what were you doing?'
'Making sure you were safe,' he said simply.
'You knew Blaise was here all along? You knew what he was up to?'
'Of course.' Hector sighed. 'I can see this will be a long explanation, and I'll wait a moment. We have two guests arriving.'
'Two — who?'
Even as the words left my mouth, Sirius appeared in the living room, with a rather dazed looking Trinity clinging to his arm.
'Well!' Mother said, eyeing them nervously, 'it seems this relationship got serious quickly.' She looked pointedly at me then at Jethro. 'What do you think to that, Jethro?'
Jethro looked puzzled. 'Me? Um, great. I'm thrilled for Sirius. And for Trinity, too, of course.'
Sirius took Trinity's hand and eyed Jethro anxiously. 'You don't—' he stopped and looked round at us all, evidently just realising we had company. Lots of company. 'Good grief,' he said. 'I can see I've missed something huge.'
'You're not the only one, obviously,' Star said, smiling at Trinity. 'So, you know our little secret? Welcome to the madhouse, Trinity. You couldn't have come in at a more inappropriate, utterly crazy, mind-blowing time.'
'She's right,' Jethro agreed, giving her a sympathetic look. 'I had it easy, compared to you. I found out via a white rabbit in a top hat, not a time-travelling mega-crisis.'
Trinity, unsurprisingly, looked bewildered.
'You'd better sit down, dear,' Mother advised. 'This could take some time.'
'Reckon we all need tea,' Castor said, and immediately what looked like dozens of cups of the stuff appeared on various coffee tables and occasional tables around the room. 'Help yourselves,' he said. 'Add your own milk and sugar. You kids will have to do your partners' as they like it.'
'Where's Blaise?' Sirius asked, having produced a two-seater sofa and helped a dazed Trinity into it.
We all looked at each other. 'Do you want to tell him, or shall I?' Father asked me.
'He's upstairs, sleeping off the effects of a witch bottle. Star's witch bottle,' I said, hardly able to believe what I was saying. Tears suddenly sprang from my eyes again and I sobbed. 'He attacked poor Benedict. He was a liar, Sirius! Everything was a lie. Everything we've ever known ...'
Hector took the cup from my shaking hands and put his arm around me. 'I think it's best if I explain all this to you,' he said. 'There are things Celeste doesn't know either and, besides, this has all been a terrible shock to her.'
'To all of us,' Father said.
'But you weren't in love with Blaise,' Aurora pointed out gently.
'I'm so sorry,' I said to Hector.
He wiped the tears from my cheeks and smiled. 'It's fine, don't worry. Drink your tea while I explain it all to them.'
'Quiet, everyone,' Zephyr commanded. 'Let him speak.'
'I suppose,' Hector said thoughtfully, 'this story really begins with Mary Clipson. Mother Clipson, as we know her. Born in Glastonbury in 1599, Mary had a great gift. She wasn't a witch, but she was a prophetess, and her visions grew more powerful as she got older. She met a farmer who was in Glastonbury visiting family and fell in love with him. He brought her back to his hometown of Castle Clair so they could marry, but as the wedding drew nearer, Mary realised her husband-to-be would never accept her visions, and that she would have to hide her true nature all her life.
'She called off the wedding, earning the wrath of the farmer and his family. So, a love-hate relationship with Castle Clair began. Many townspeople didn't trust her and spread rumours about her, but Mary was a healer and a midwife, and those she saved loved her and defended her.
'She caught Rafe St Clair's attention, and he brought her to the castle to care for his wife, Catherine, and deliver their first child. A son. Blaise.'
We all shifted in our seats, aware that this was where the story, for us, began.
Aither murmured in his sleep and Aurora rocked him gently, her eyes fixed on Hector.
Hector leaned over and stroked the sleeping baby's hair, then straightened to continue his story.
'They invited Mary to stay at the castle, to help keep the family, and all the people who lived within its walls, safe and healthy. When the first Civil War began, she moved with the family to Catherine's relatives in Cornwall, where supporters of the king were generally safer, and it was there she delivered Blaise's younger brother, Bevil.
'When Bevil was two, Mary was called to Glastonbury to care for her sick and dying mother. By the time she returned, just weeks later, Catherine had given birth prematurely to her third child, and both mother and baby died.'
'How awful,' Aurora said tearfully. She touched Aither's cheek with her little finger and glanced up at Father, who gave her a reassuring smile and put his arm around her.
'They didn't blame Mary, did they?' Jethro asked.
'No, not at all. The family left Cornwall not long afterwards. It was 1646 and the first war had ended. They moved back to Castle Clair, where Rafe, who had survived the war but had been badly injured, had purchased Castle Lodge, as Parliamentarian forces had partially destroyed the castle. They left Catherine and the baby behind in a grave in a Cornish churchyard but brought with them the orphaned daughter of one of Rafe's closest friends and military colleagues, Henry Wade. Her name was Jennet.
'The second Civil War broke out in February 1648, but Rafe didn't take part. He'd been wounded in the first and, after the death of his wife, he was increasingly frail. The family lived quietly — or as quietly as it was possible to be in those days. Time passed. The monarchy was restored. The king rewarded those who had remained loyal to the crown. He returned to the St Clairs their estate. Blaise, Bevil, and Jennet grew up. Their personalities developed, as did Blaise's magical abilities — and Jennet's. Rafe passed away. Blaise inherited the St Clair fortune. Jennet and Bevil fell in love—'
'Whoa!' Father held up his hand. 'Did you say Jennet and Bevil fell in love? But I thought she loved Blaise?'
Hector shook his head. 'Bevil was the love of Jennet's life. Blaise, however, was her — how shall I put it? Mentor?'
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'You mean, in magic?'
'Just that. Blaise was clever, sharp, and had a hunger for knowledge that knew no bounds.'
'I can believe that,' Sirius said. 'He had no magic at all here, but he wanted to learn everything he could. He was like a sponge, soaking it all up.'
Hector nodded. 'He had a great mind, even then. It's a shame his thirst for power surpassed his thirst for knowledge.'
'And Jennet believed in him?' I asked sadly.
'He was the great Blaise St Clair — handsome, powerful, intelligent.' Hector gave me an understanding smile. 'What woman could resist him?'
'Me for one,' Mother said firmly. 'Sexist brute.'
'Anyway,' Hector continued hastily, 'Blaise was all too aware of Mary Clipson's prophecy regarding the two ravens. I presume you're all familiar with it?'
Benedict, Trinity and Aurora looked baffled, so Hector recited it to them, while I closed my eyes, listening, and realising at last the full meaning of Mary's warning.
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.
'But,' I blurted, 'what I don't understand, is where Tobias Palmer fits into all this? And why did we never hear from him again?'
'That's all you don't understand?' Father shook his head. 'You're smarter than me, that's for sure.'
Hector smiled. 'Tobias Palmer doesn't fit in at all, because Tobias Palmer never existed.'
'What?' We all stared at him.
'But that's the main point of the legend,' Star burst out. 'If Tobias Palmer didn't chase Blaise to his doom, who did?'
'Well,' I said wearily, 'that's another thing.'
'To get back to the story,' Hector said, 'when Mary had that vision, she wasn't sure what it meant. She passed it to Rafe as a warning, but neither of them truly understood its meaning. Mary knew, however, that it concerned Blaise somehow, and was concerned enough to keep a close eye on him. Back then, it must have been clear to the family that the two ravens were Jennet and Blaise. Over time, as gossip and rumour and legend took hold, people assumed the ravens were Blaise and Bevil. But Bevil never had magic, and ravens attach themselves to great power.
'Jennet was as powerful as Blaise — possibly even more powerful. Blaise recognised this, and although Bevil didn't trust magic and was afraid, all his life, it would bring disaster on the family, his brother continued to practise his craft, encouraging Jennet to join him. Because she loved Bevil and didn't want to hurt him, she kept her pursuits secret. She and Blaise worked together in the old, abandoned sallyport. And it was there they first dabbled with time travel.'
'And that fixation with time travel was the evil that held them in its thrall,' I said. 'Not Tobias Palmer at all.'
'Time travel was forbidden, and Jennet and Blaise knew they were doing something that could bring disaster upon the world. For Jennet, that was always a worry. For Blaise, it was a thrill. They succeeded in moving backwards and forwards in time by a few days or weeks, but it had its effects. Time travel left them dazed and confused with memory loss issues. Nothing serious, but enough to frighten Jennet. The more intrigued Blaise grew, the more Jennet considered the consequences. Afraid they would bring catastrophe upon themselves and the world, she made Blaise swear he would give up his experiments.'
'And she believed him?' Mother asked incredulously. 'More fool her.'
'Jennet had grown up with Blaise,' Hector reminded her. 'She trusted him. But he betrayed her. And, really, the odd thing — the ironic thing — is that it was Mary Clipson herself who pushed him into doing it.'
'Mother Clipson? But I thought she was a good person?' Sky said, sounding upset. 'Golly, we can't trust anyone, can we?'
'Mary was a good person, but naïve at times,' Hector said. 'She had more visions, stronger visions. She saw what Jennet and Blaise had been up to and warned them of the disaster that awaited them if they continued. She'd realised the prophecy was telling them the bonds of time would constrain Blaise and he would find himself in the future. This scared Jennet, but intrigued Blaise.
'Mother Clipson went to him one night and told him of her latest vision. She'd seen Blaise would be drawn to a specific point in time, where a powerful witch was waiting for him. This witch would be his guide through time. He would find himself in a strange land of miraculous machines, cures for the sicknesses that took the lives of so many of his people, and would learn things he couldn't possibly imagine. Things he should never know, as they were not for him, nor for people of his time. She told him all that as a warning, but Blaise took it as a promise. He was confident that if he cast the spell to move forward in time, the powerful witch Mother Clipson had seen would guide him to where he was meant to be.'
'Powerful witch?' Mother said slowly. 'You mean ...'
They all turned to look at me, and I buried my head in my hands. 'It's all my fault,' I said. 'If I hadn't been so obsessed with Blaise!'
'But don't you see?' Hector asked. 'Mary Clipson told Blaise you would be here, waiting for him. That you were already his. She foretold it. Blaise concentrated on you because of that prophecy. And because of that prophecy, everything unfolded, leading him to 2019. That started an entire legend, which fascinated you and made you focus on him. If Mary hadn't told him you were waiting for him, and that you would guide him to this point in time, he probably would never have left 1669, and you wouldn't have thought of him as anything other than another St Clair from history.'
'Golly,' Sky groaned, 'time travel gives me a headache.'
'Blaise told Jennet about it,' Hector continued, 'and wanted her to come with him, but she refused and did everything she could to persuade him not to do it. She even tried to stop him physically, and a fight broke out. Jennet's raven attacked Blaise, and that's when she blasted him over the castle wall. The famous witch's leap was just Jennet trying to buy some time. She didn't realise she'd set him on course for 2019. That,' he said to me, 'is what you and I witnessed.'
'What?' Sirius looked startled. 'Are you saying you took Celeste back to 1669?'
'Yes, he did,' Star said crossly. 'Can you believe she got to see it all, and we didn't?'
'But, forgive me, great one,' said Zephyr, with obvious concern, 'but witches must not time travel. Even in the company of Guardians.'
'Celeste didn't time travel,' Hector said. 'I would never be that irresponsible. She merely stepped inside Blaise's memories and saw them for herself.'
'Oh,' Sirius said, 'is that all?'
'How on earth did you do that?' Star gasped.
'I — I've been hearing people's memories recently,' I admitted. I turned to Hector. 'Is that what happened back there? Really? Only, I've never been able to see anything before. It was just echoey voices. Nothing on that sort of scale.'
'Your powers are increasing, and with me as your guide and companion you were able to fully experience the past,' he confirmed. 'Few witches have ever mastered that, Celeste, but I knew you could. And I knew you needed to see for yourself what Blaise was truly like. You deserved that, at the very least.'
'Goodness,' Zephyr murmured. 'You are certainly gifted, child.'
'Wish I could step inside someone's memories,' Castor grumbled.
'Whose memories would you like to be in?' Sky asked, intrigued.
'Never you mind,' he growled.
'What I don't understand,' Aurora said, 'is how the legend began. It's jolly confusing that Bevil suddenly became the bad guy, when he's the most innocent person in the story.'
'Gosh, you're
right,' Star said. 'Poor, darling Bevil. He was a hero, after all. So, we're not descended from a traitor. How marvellous.'
'History is written by the winners,' I said, remembering what I'd told Blaise so many times. 'Blaise triumphed over time. His followers must have made sure he became the hero in the story.'
Hector nodded. 'Blaise had some loyal staff and friends. They switched their loyalties to Jennet because they had no idea she'd turned on Blaise at the end, so she and Bevil were safe for a time. She married Bevil, but of course, he died not long afterwards.'
'Murdered?' Father asked.
Hector shook his head. 'No, it was an accident. No one would harm Bevil because Blaise had loved him fiercely. It was probably his one redeeming feature,' he added.
'He adores Bevil,' I admitted. 'Whenever he speaks about him, he gets this look in his eyes. He misses him desperately, and he was furious when he discovered the legend painted him as the villain of the piece. At least,' I said with a sigh, 'that was genuine.'
'Then how,' Aurora repeated, 'did the legend begin?'
'Yes,' Sky asked, 'how did Bevil become the villain?'
Hector cleared his throat, and then, to my surprise, he looked at Castor. 'Would you like to take up the story from here, Castor?'
We all looked at Castor, who hung his head. 'Happen you'll explain it better,' he mumbled.
'Are you sure? I'm perfectly happy for you to explain,' Hector said kindly.
Castor shrugged. 'Fair's fair. I ain't making no excuses for 'em.'
Hector's eyes were full of compassion as he nodded. 'Very well. It devastated Jennet when Bevil died. They had genuinely loved each other, and she'd done all she could to make it up to him for losing his brother.'
'Did Bevil ever know what happened?' I asked.
Hector shook his head. 'Bevil had been ill with a fever the night Blaise left. He never knew the truth about his brother.'
'And the whole witchfinder story?' Star enquired. 'Who came up with that? And why did they believe it, anyway?'
'They believed it because Jennet told two different versions of the story, depending on whether who she told it to had magic, and knew about Blaise. Those who knew the truth about the St Clairs were told Tobias Palmer and his men surprised Blaise and Jennet at the castle, and tried to arrest them. Blaise, she said, fought them off with magic, but in the struggle was thrown over the castle wall. Palmer and his men, terrified at the sight of real magic — which they hadn't really believed in — had ridden away, never to be seen again. The townspeople who didn't know of the St Clairs' powers, were told Palmer had tried to arrest Blaise on false charges of witchcraft, and, fearing he could never prove his innocence, Blaise had leapt into the river to escape.'