‘I… I can’t… I, don’t have it. Even if I could get it, I could never bring it to you in time to save the Tree Weavers,’ Charlotte stammered. ‘Besides, you said information only.’
‘Quite right… no matter…’ the voice whispered. ‘Very well.’
It was only a slight movement, and inhumanly slow, but it made Charlotte start all the same. The Rani took a sparkling jewel from the end of one of the threads of her veil between her thumb and forefinger and plucked it free. She reached under her veil and a piercing sound rent the air while her whole body glowed so brightly it hurt Charlotte’s eyes and she had to turn away. After what seemed like forever, the sound ceased and the glow faded. The Rani was frozen once more, but her hand was held out towards Charlotte, a silver vial in her upturned palm.
‘Take this. Give it to the Undine of Fargale, and only to her. Instruct her to give this to Davlin; he alone will know what to do with it. Hai Shala?’
‘I understand.’
‘I also have a message just for you, Charlotte of Stone, a message from the Sleeping Mother herself. She sees the unsung question in your heart. To find them, you must heal the Golden Root. This alone will lead you to your destiny… and those who have been lost.’
‘They’re alive?’
Rani Johari remained still and silent. Charlotte knew this was the last she would get from her and there was no point pushing for more. She would literally be banging her head against stone.
‘Gestina. Thank you.’
Charlotte bowed respectfully to the Rani before passing out on the crystal floor.
*
Charlotte woke to a banging headache and Clarissa sitting by her bedside while Luned was impatiently striding up and down her windowsill. As soon as the Undine saw Charlotte was awake she jumped onto the bed and marched up to Charlotte’s face.
‘Well?’ she said sharply.
‘How exactly did you get me back?’
Luned looked sheepish and avoided Charlotte’s stare. ‘We had to disguise you as a neagale. You might find yourself craving pond weed and raw stickleback for a week or so… it’s all perfectly normal.’
Charlotte groaned. Maybe for a fairy, she thought.
‘Do you have it? Time is running out.’ Luned was back to her officious self.
‘I got it… though I’m not sure what “it” is exactly,’ Charlotte replied groggily. Luned was clearly in no mood for pleasantries. She showed Luned the vial and noticed for the first time, the silvery, shimmering contents that floated inside. The little Undine’s face was awestruck.
‘I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes,’ Luned whispered. She reverently took the bottle from Charlotte’s open hand and folded it into gossamer as if it were the most fragile thing in the world, before putting it in her wing bag.
‘What is that stuff?’ Charlotte asked, as she passed on the Rani’s instructions that the vial be given to Davlin.
‘A rare and precious liquid indeed,’ said the Undine, eyes welling up with emotion, ‘and a sacrifice that shouldn’t have to be asked of any living thing.’ She marched back to the windowsill and stepped outside.
‘Let’s just hope it wasn’t given in vain,’ she barked.
‘A “thank you” wouldn’t go amiss,’ Charlotte grumbled. ‘And don’t think I’ve forgotten about our little talk.’
Luned didn’t respond and simply stepped into the rain, disappearing in a streak of water.
‘Luned told me about the Norn Interface.’ Clarissa finally spoke.
‘She gave you the heads up, you mean.’
‘I understand you must have so many questions,’ Clarissa persisted. ‘I didn’t keep you in the dark to hurt you, believe it or not, it was for your protection. The less you knew the safer you’d be. Syluria is a dangerous place, especially for the likes of us.’
Just as Madame Cortes had foretold, Charlotte thought to herself. ‘Did my mum know about… all this?’
‘She did,’ Clarissa replied. ‘And she wanted nothing to do with it, didn’t want you girls to know either. She wanted a normal life for you.’
‘Yet here we are.’
Clarissa just nodded.
‘What exactly is the Golden Root?’ Charlotte eventually asked.
‘It is us, Charlotte. Our family,’ Clarissa began. ‘Every family everywhere has their own root in the Great Tree.’
Charlotte’s head was spinning and all she wanted to do was sleep, but there were a few things she desperately needed to know.
‘Who is Uncle Peter?’
‘My brother,’ Clarissa replied flatly. ‘Over a century ago he did something very bad and sealed the fate of all of us.’ She rubbed her eyes wearily. ‘He was punished severely by the Fey. Like them or not, they are the law keepers for all of the Triverse. Peter was sent to the Chambers to be bound by the roots of the Great Tree and that’s where he is to this day.’
‘That’s where they were going to take me till Luned broke me out.’
Charlotte recalled the cramped iron cage and dank walls dripping with foul goo and shuddered. What could be worse than those cells? She had one more question that she was afraid to ask.
‘Am… I… an Echo?’ she exhaled the words, hardly daring to say them aloud.
‘It’s true that an Echo can only be created from twins,’ Clarissa replied. ‘But they must also be full of darkness. Peter was full of fear… I hardly think that applies to you, my dear.’
‘What about guilt?’ Charlotte murmured as her heavy eyes closed and she fell into an unusually dreamless sleep.
Clarissa smiled a melancholy smile. Try as she had to shield Charlotte it seemed all her potions and silence had been to no avail. The Nymet had ensnared her anyway. It was just as well Charlotte enjoyed adventure; she would be seeing much more of it.
As Clarissa softly stroked Charlotte’s hair she sensed her lack of dreams.
‘Probably just as well, my dear. Luned will be very busy indeed this night,’ she said as she closed the bedroom door.
*
All too soon the alarm clock by her bed was screeching its customary wake-up call and Charlotte groggily stirred from the covers before stumbling down the stairs to the kitchen. Her head was still spinning from the revelations of the previous night but she had to witness the execution of the Nymet tree. Clarissa, as always, was up and about, the table laden with bowls of porridge and honey, water whistling in the kettle for tea.
‘Feeling better?’ she asked as she made the tea.
‘I think so,’ Charlotte said, tucking into her porridge. The warmth of it made her feel more human and eased the cold from her bones.
‘Body swapping will do that to you. I wouldn’t recommend it too often if I were you.’
‘We are going to have to compare notes,’ Charlotte said through mouthfuls of porridge.
‘There’s no time for that now.’ Clarissa jumped off her chair and marched purposefully to the back door. ‘You need to eat, wash and dress then get yourself down to that tree. I suspect the Fey are going to be very nervous and will need a little moral support.’
‘You mean they want to pinch and punch me and moan about how this is all my fault again,’ Charlotte grumbled. ‘Why can’t The Morrigan just tell them the truth?’
The smile disappeared from Clarissa’s face. ‘The Morrigan doesn’t help anyone unless it suits her,’ she said. ‘Now go.’ She waved Charlotte back up the stairs.
‘The Rani… she said… I would die too if the tree fell.’ Charlotte’s voice wavered.
‘Stuff and nonsense,’ Clarissa scoffed. ‘I won’t allow it; you still belong to this world whatever they think. Now, up those stairs.’
‘And Tar’sel?’
Clarissa pretended not to hear her.
‘I can’t do it,’ Charlotte said flatly, her feet like lead. She wouldn’t have blamed Clarissa and Jude for thinking her heartless but the truth was, she was heartbroken. She couldn’t bear the thought of having
to watch the Nymet fall because of her failure – Luned had made it clear it was touch and go.
It’s only a blooming tree, she told herself but she knew that wasn’t true. Even aside from the fact that her new friend and all of his kin were doomed, the tree had become important in her own world. Charlotte had never imagined when she had started all this, just how her own family history was entwined with the oak or that the cause would have brought so many people together.
Clarissa, as always, seemed to know just what she was thinking and gave her a tight bear hug.
‘What ever happens today, you can be proud of yourself. You tried to make a difference and that’s all anyone can ask. Now go.’
There was already quite a crowd at the park, some chanting, others holding placards, but the council and their workmen were also there and had the tree cordoned off already. Sissy was handing out leaflets but ran over as soon as she saw Charlotte arriving.
‘Can you believe how many people are here?’ She was both excited and angry. ‘How on earth can they ignore us when there is this much support?’
‘Elfin Safety!’ chorused Govinder and Olly behind her. Charlotte smiled in spite of herself.
‘I guess when they get something in their head, there’s really no changing their minds,’ Charlotte replied.
Something felt wrong. There was no sign of the Fey or The Morrigan and there was an eerie silence underneath the noise of the crowd. She had to get closer to the tree.
‘You can’t come any closer, love,’ the workman pointed to the yellow tape surrounding the tree, ‘we are going to be starting soon.’
‘Please, I just need a minute, to say goodbye.’
‘Absolutely out of the question, Miss Stone.’ The clipped tones of Marcus Ransell came from behind her. ‘Can you imagine the headlines in the local rag if a branch fell on you?’ A slimy smile perched on his lips. ‘Your health and welfare are my number one priority.’
‘It’ll be good to see it go, it’s a real eyesore,’ said a voice behind her and Julian greeted his brother.
‘It’s nice to see reason and logic prevail,’ he went on and Charlotte’s presence was forgotten.
She thought about sneaking past but a burly tree surgeon gave her a warning stare and shook his head. Charlotte had no choice but to move back to the rest of the crowd.
‘Do you have any idea what you had there?’ Luned hopped onto Charlotte’s shoulder, watching the proceedings intently and nervously rubbing her hands over and over.
Charlotte noticed her eyes were puffy from crying and the tone in her voice was still accusatory, but Charlotte had never been so pleased to see her. At least not everyone had abandoned the Nymet tree to its fate.
‘No idea,’ Charlotte whispered, hoping no one was watching. ‘More to the point, did it work?’
‘We’ll see soon enough, human.’ Luned pointed to the workman who was now pulling something out of the council truck. ‘We’ve evacuated just in case.’
The chainsaw fired up with a metallic, hacking cough and the workman lifted it out in front of him. It slid through the large side branch like a knife through butter and the branch fell to the ground – the doorway to Syluria destroyed in seconds.
‘I… I don’t… understand?’ the Undine cried. ‘By my calculations it should have had time to take effect.’
Someone in the crowd shouted angrily as the chainsaw fired up again and bit through a second branch.
‘Where is The Morrigan?’ Charlotte murmured. ‘Surely she can do something?’
‘You don’t expect me to answer that do you?’
‘She has done as much as she can.’ Malik’s nasal tones sounded in Charlotte’s other ear. ‘You do expect a lot from the Shriven, young human, remember they have much more than one little tree to look after.’
‘I can’t watch,’ Luned sobbed.
The second branch lay on the ground as the tree surgeon decided on his next move, making for the main trunk.
‘Well, that’s the Lower Branch District gone so it’s not all bad,’ Malik tried to cheer them up. ‘I guess we can live without Pookas and Drakes.’ Malik held Luned as the Undine’s shoulders shook. ‘Think of the reduction in paperwork.’
‘This is it then, I failed,’ Charlotte whispered to herself, wiping away her own tears. ‘Goodbye, Tar’sel. I am so, so sorry.’
Suddenly, a strange grating noise came from the chainsaw and bright orange sparks began to fly before smoke and… silence. The workmen looked at each other with puzzled expressions. After exchanging a few muffled words, they pulled another chainsaw from the truck. Charlotte’s heart was in her mouth as the two Fey exchanged meaningful looks.
‘Would either of you two like to tell me what is going on? I mean, it’s only like I trekked halfway across Syluria to help you out.’
The Fey looked at each other again before Malik finally spoke.
‘The Vorla are an ancient race that are not born and do not die, they are not made the same way as creatures of flesh,’ he sighed. ‘They have the capacity for immortality if they so wish.’ He paused to make sure Charlotte fully understood.
‘The Rani Johari is their mother and leader – their life and death. All Vorla business must go through her, and only with her permission can a Vorla cease to be.’
‘You mean… die? Why would anyone choose that if they can live forever?’
‘Only a human could say such a thing,’ Malik replied without humour. ‘You are such fleeting creatures but eternity is a long time and can drive one mad… even those that are built for it.’
‘OK, but enough of the Sylurian history lesson, what does the death of a Vorla have to do with the Nymet tree?’
Charlotte was vaguely aware that the chainsaws had stopped again and there were murmurs sweeping through the crowd, which had grown to quite a size now. She could see Aunt Clarissa and Jude had joined the throng and even Lloyd had put in an appearance. Charlotte hadn’t realised that so many people would care about the cause. Was it down to Olly and Govinder’s entertaining town centre storytelling sessions?
‘The Rani doesn’t just control death. More importantly, for creatures of immortality, she controls life,’ Malik continued. ‘She holds in her veil all the life of the Vorla, a finite number of jewels, one for each and all Vorla souls that can ever be.’
Charlotte recalled the many strings of sparkling gems that hung from the Rani’s diadem, falling over her chest and almost into her lap. She tried to work out how many there where and wondered what would happen when they ran out.
‘Have you worked out what they are yet?’ Malik roused her from her thoughts.
‘The hearts of the Vorla!’ Charlotte gasped as the realisation started to form in her mind, and she recoiled at the revelation, not yet able to put into thoughts why it repelled her so much.
‘Clever girl,’ Malik nodded. ‘Each one a diamond; each one the seed for a timeless life.’
Charlotte felt physically sick; no wonder Durga had been so angry over her comments at the banquet table. ‘But the Rani gave me a vial of liquid.’
Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte could see her classmates heading in her direction, chattering excitedly. A cheer rose from the crowd as the workmen downed tools in defeat.
‘Seems it’s not as much of a danger as thought, Guv,’ one of them said to the confused health and safety officer as they packed the chainsaws into the truck.
‘Have you any idea what is going on?’ Govinder asked Charlotte.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Olly exclaimed. ‘The bark is as hard as a diamond!’
‘What was in that vial, Luned?’ Charlotte stammered, half knowing the answer.
‘The blood of a diamond,’ Luned sobbed.
*
The TV and radio reporters present were all talking excitedly about this latest development. They wanted to interview Charlotte but she declined. They would never believe the truth anyway. Mr Ransell was, of course, enthusiastically having hi
s say, reporting to be very disappointed with the situation but that it didn’t change anything, the tree would still come down and the new build would go ahead.
‘When is he going to realise no one wants his stupid bowling alley,’ Olly said bitterly. ‘Seems we’ve a lot more work to do, Charlotte.’
As Charlotte was about to reply, she caught the soft notes of a melody she had first heard in her history lesson, the melody she now knew to be the song of the Nymet. At first it was so faint that she thought it was just her imagination but as the volume built, others started noticing it too.
‘What is that?’ Sissy asked.
‘The song of the Nymet,’ Sang signed before anyone else could reply. She seemed just as surprised as the others were that she knew this.
‘Do you know what this means?’ Olly was like a kid in a sweet shop. ‘This proves the truth in all the legends. We are first-hand witnesses to history. People will write stories and sing songs about this day, and we were here.’
Charlotte left him to it. Contagious though his excitement was, she needed to just listen. The main melody was more vibrant than before but there was a second underlying tune, something totally separate, a tune of deep sadness that she had to close her eyes in order to concentrate on.
‘What is that?’ she whispered as she felt Luned landing lightly on her shoulder again.
‘A dirge,’ the Undine replied simply.
A gasp from the crowd and the buzz of chatter made her open her eyes. On the branches of the Nymet, roses had begun to bloom – shining white crystal roses that gleamed in the sunlight.
The reporters were the first to recover, filming the phenomenon and recording as many reactions from the locals as possible.
‘Impossible.’
‘Stunning.’
‘I’ve never known anything like it.’
‘Nothing short of a miracle.’
‘Try cutting it down now,’ laughed Irving Batterbee to the camera.
It was Mr Ransell’s turn to refuse to comment.
Only Charlotte seemed to understand the roses’ significance and tears rolled down her face. If the song was a dirge, this was the wreath; all in honour of the lives that would never be.
Charlotte Stone and the Children of the Nymet Page 23