Mary felt a little happier now that Romulus had moved away from her daughter but, instead of returning to her side, Grace laid herself down between Rian and Remus.
“Where’s Christian? I thought you said that he was here too?” Mary asked, momentarily glancing at Zavier before returning her watchful gaze back to Grace who was sandwiched between the two wolves.
“I expect he is exploring the ocean with Mateo,” Zavier replied.
“Yes, he is. He’s barely been ashore since he arrived here in Liberty. I think he must be part fish!” Jazmine said, grinning as she passed the Darlings on her way out of the room, before promptly returning to offer round some freshly baked cookies.
Dan and Harry both took a cookie from the wooden plate. Harry was starving. His mouth watered as the smell of the warm cookie dough teased his taste buds. Dan’s senses were also awakened, but not by the delicious aroma of Jazmine's baked goods. His eyes widened and his pupils dilated, ensuring that he took in as much of her smouldering beauty as was humanly possible. He broadened his shoulders and held his head high as he gave her an approving grin and thanked her for the cookie. Mary and Evan shook their heads and raised a hand in a ‘no thank you’ gesture.
“I think it is time that we introduced ourselves properly, and then Jazmine can show you to your rooms,” Zavier said.
“As you know, I am Zavier, the Berthold of Maytime Meadow. You have also met Ice,” he said, nodding toward the snowy owl. “She is the Berthold of Winter Forest. And up there on the beam next to Chester the robin, is Francis. He is the Berthold of Bluebell Wood.”
“Very pleased to meet you all,” Francis said, spreading his tawny wings and bowing his head.
As Zavier continued with the introductions, Leah peered out from within Harry’s hoodie. She caught a glimpse of Francis and quickly wriggled herself deeper inside the folds of material. She had made it this far undetected and the last thing that she needed was for Francis, her Berthold, to see her and order her back home.
* * *
Once Zavier had finished with the introductions, Jazmine showed the Darling family up to their rooms.
“Mary, Evan, this is your room. I have filled the wardrobes and drawers with clothing that is suitable for you both, and there are toiletries in the en-suite,” Jazmine said.
“Whoa, Mum, your room’s well nice,” Grace squealed, as she ran across the wooden flooring and leapt on the four poster bed.
Jazmine walked a little further down the hall.
“Dan, Harry, this is your room.”
“Aaggh, I suppose it’ll do,” Harry said jokingly, as he and Dan entered the beautiful south turret.
“I’ll leave you to get settled, yell if you need anything.”
“Thanks Jazmine, we will.” Dan grinned, lying back on the bed, exhausted.
“This is mental, isn’t it? I mean, talking animals, people made of water, fairies made of fire, what next?” Harry asked.
“God knows,” Dan replied, pulling his mobile phone out of his trouser pocket.
Harry ran up the wooden stairs to the upper level.
“I’m having this bed!” he called down to Dan. He untied his hoodie from his waist and tossed it onto the bed, then threw open the double doors and stepped out onto the turret’s upper veranda.
“Wow, Dan, you have to come and check out this view,” he called out, grasping the balustrade with both hands as he looked out over the ocean. A cool and pleasant wind was tumbling in with the tide and the sun blazed intensely in a clear blue sky, its brightness reflecting dazzlingly across the rippling waves. Harry placed one hand above his eyes to protect them from the intense glare of the sun, and he looked down at the fishing boat. He could see someone rising out of the ocean and climbing up the boat’s rope ladder to board it. “Hey Dan, it... it’s... Chris! Come and have a look.”
Dan didn’t come, so Harry went back inside to find him. He looked down from the top of the stairs to see the gaping black hole that was Dan’s open mouth, as he slept sprawled out on his back like a starfish, his mobile still clutched tightly in his right hand.
Ahh yeah, my phone, I’d forgotten all about my phone, Harry thought, fumbling in his pocket. He pulled out the slim-line touchscreen and pressed the power button, but nothing happened. He tried again, this time holding his finger down harder and longer on the button, but still nothing. That’s strange it was fully charged when we left and I haven’t used it at all, so it shouldn’t be flat, he thought, puzzled, but the phone was black and lifeless. Oh well, no social networking for me then, he sighed. He lay on his back on the bed, staring up into the point of the wooden turret and contemplated the day’s events. He began to feel sleepy, so he rolled onto his side and pulled his hoodie up under his head for a pillow. He nuzzled into it, closed his eyes and quickly went to sleep.
“Hey, hey, let me out! I can’t breathe! Let me out!”
Harry opened his eyes.
“Let me out!” the voice screamed loudly into the ear that Harry was resting on the hoodie.
He lifted his head and carefully uncrumpled the screwed-up sweater.
“About time! I thought I was going to die in there!” an angry voice yelled.
Harry was astonished to see a small, leaf-like creature crawling out from inside his hood. It pushed itself up onto its feet and held out a hand.
“Greetings, friend, my name is Leah, nice to meet you.”
Harry blinked a few times and rubbed at his eyes, but it didn’t change what he saw, for the little leaf creature was still there, standing on his hoodie, tilting her head curiously as she stared up at him with intense green eyes.
“Err, der, Dan!” Harry stuttered.
“Shhhh!” Leah pleaded, opening out her leaf membrane and flapping her arms to hover in front of Harry’s face.
“You mustn’t let anyone know that I’m here. They’ll make me go home and I don’t want to go back to the woods. I want to stay here with you.” She smiled, leant forward and rested her elbows on the bridge of his nose as she continued to stare dreamily at him.
Harry brushed her off as if she were an irritating feather tickling at him.
“Well, what the bloomin’ heck am I supposed to do with you?” he asked.
“Ssshhh! You don’t need to do anything, you won’t even know that I’m here,” she said, snuggling herself back inside the hood of his sweater.
“Well, what about your family? They must be worried about you, surely?”
“Nah, they’re used to me disappearing. I’m always off on adventures, me. Sure, they’ll be mad when I do return, and they’ll probably order me not to leave the woodland ever again. And I won’t. Well, not until the next adventure beckons, anyway!”
*The Human World*
CHAPTER 8
ADRAMALECH
Since the night of the fancy dress party, Adramalech and the juvenile Nomed had made their way through the treetops of Witern Wood. They had covered many miles, and were now perched high in the canopy of a tall pine tree that looked out over a neighbouring farm. They could taste the scent of farm animals in the air. The juvenile Nomed flicked and curled her tongue as she savoured the aroma, and then she began to hiss and click excitedly.
“Teiuq,” spat Adramelech, glaring intimidatingly into the young female’s eyes with his fiery stare. Then the pair sat very still as the farmer and another man appeared beside a large horse lorry in the farmyard below them. An energetic springer spaniel ran around the men’s legs, whipping them with its excitable tail. The men shook hands.
“Been a real pleasure doin’ business wiv ya,” the farmer said, stuffing a large wad of notes under his flat cap. “If yer mate ever wants any more knackered old nags to feed to his lions over in sunny South Africa, you know where to come for ‘em.”
“Yes, cheers Fred, I’m sure he’ll need more soon enough. He goes through a tidy few ponies at his white-lion breeding park and, as you know, he’s willing to pay over the odds for them. Well, he can afford to, can�
�t he, what with all those trophy hunters that go there. Did you know they pay around 120,000 dollars to ‘hunt’ his captive lions, so it’s no wonder he’s got a few bob to pay you for your ponies, is it?”
“Well, I would say I feel bad an all, but his lions gotta eat, don’t they, and so do I,” Fred said, smiling as he patted the money-stuffed cap on top of his head.
“Is it okay if I use your loo before I head off, Fred? I’ve a long journey ahead of me.”
“Of course ya can. I’ll show ya were it is.”
The ponies shuffled around inside the horse lorry. One of them hung its head over the stable type door at the rear and whinnied.
“Emit ot tae,” Adramalech sniggered, then he and the juvenile Nomed sprang down from the tree, ran across the farmyard, and leaped inside the lorry.
The ponies neighed and screamed, kicking out ferociously at the Nomeds. The spaniel jumped up at the lorry, barking frantically.
“Billy! Billy! Get away from there, you’re upsetting the ponies!” the farmer yelled angrily at the boisterous dog, as he and the lorry driver returned.
The lorry driver lifted the rear ramp, completely closing up the back of the lorry. Then he slid the bolt across, unknowingly sealing the ponies inside with the Nomeds, sentencing them to an earlier than expected death.
“I’m real sorry about that. I dunno what’s gotten into Billy, he’s usually real good around the nags.”
“No worries, I’m sure the ponies will settle down once we hit the road. Well, they’d better do, I can’t be putting up with that racket and thrashing around while I’m driving.”
The lorry clattered over the cattle grid on its way out of the farm before turning into Honeypot Lane. Although it had reduced significantly, the thrashing of the ponies continued, and as the lorry bore left around the corner, a liquid substance began to pour out from the bottom left corner. The lorry continued on its journey up the winding lane, leaving behind it a twisting trail of blood.
* * *
The drive was to be a long one, and the thrashing noises from within the back of the lorry were to continue. The driver would find the journey tedious, and would care very little for his cargo, only occasionally opening the hatch to refill the hay and water containers; a journey where his gaze would sometimes be met by that of a wild and furious pony eye glaring back at him through the small hatch. A journey where the heartless driver would not once fully open the door to check on his load and would think to himself, What does it matter if they’re not fed and watered properly, they’re going to die anyway, and I’m still getting paid either way.
*Liberty Realm*
CHAPTER 9
ACCEPTANCE
The Darlings had spent the last twenty-four hours getting to know their new friends at the beach house. They had familiarised themselves with their magical surroundings and were thoroughly enjoying the peacefulness of Serenity Sunrise Beach. Zavier and Evan were drawing maps in the sand. Zavier had redrawn the map of Liberty for Evan to study. Evan had etched out a map of Witern Wood Village, and was now poking the stick into the sand, marking out where Grace’s Grandad Arthur, Nanny Lizzy and Christian’s parents lived as they had been chosen to be the next Humans collected. Dan and Harry were sunbathing on the beach, both of them determined to return home with wicked tans. Unfortunately, Harry hadn’t noticed Leah grapple her way out of his short’s pocket and crawl onto his back. She lay in his mid-lumbar groove and spread out her leaf in order to absorb the sun’s nutritious rays, remaining there just long enough to create an impressive leaf-shaped white mark.
Jazmine and Mary had hit it off instantly. They were sitting together on the veranda, sipping homemade lemonade and chatting.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Mary sighed. “I could just sit and look out over the ocean for hours. It’s mesmerising, isn’t it? I get a really calm feeling whenever I’m close to the sea. If I’m ever a bit low, I love to visit the seaside, it always makes me feel so much better. But here, the feeling is different, it’s much more intense. If you told me that I was in heaven, I think I might actually believe you,” she said, smiling at Jazmine.
“Yes, that’s Serenity for you. It has the same effect on us too. In fact, all of Liberty is beautiful. If it weren’t for the Nomeds, I would have taken you to see my home, Maytime Meadow. I know you’d love it there as well. The smell of the meadow flowers, the soft breeze that courses through the grass, and the way that the Great Prophet dips its leaves into the pond’s still waters. But for now, I’m afraid you’re stuck here, because it’s safer.”
“Oh well, I can think of much worse places to be,” Mary replied, tipping her head back and closing her eyes against the sun.
“ Jazmine spotted Grace and Christian sitting on the pier together. They were giggling hysterically as Mateo leapt in and out of the ocean, showing off his acrobatic skills in all manner of comical styles.
“You have a wonderful daughter, you know that, don’t you, Mary?”
“I know I have. I’m very lucky. There is something extra special about Grace. Something that’s hard to describe. She seems to connect so well with everyone and everything. And not on the same level as you or I would. It’s as if she has a joining of souls with them. Does that sound silly?”
“No, not at all. I’ve seen it and felt it for myself. I experienced it the very first time I met Grace and looked into her trusting eyes. And well, you saw how she was with Romulus. He is a ferocious-looking wolf who’s often misunderstood because of his aggression and protectiveness. However, Grace looked straight past that, and I think you could say she saw straight into his soul. She is very special indeed. More special than we realise, and that’s probably why Liberty has chosen her to help restore the peace.”
“I keep ignoring the fact that we are here for a purpose. At the moment, it’s so easy to forget about the Nomeds. It feels as if we are here for a holiday, not to help you fight a war.”
Mary looked down toward Grace. Her daughter had a smile that stretched from ear to ear, a smile so big that it pushed up her freckled cheeks, reducing her eyes to tiny slithers. “Look at her, she’s so beautiful, so happy, I don’t think I can allow myself to let her fight. Tell me, what kind of mother lets her eight-year-old daughter battle against evil? I should take her home.”
Jazmine placed an arm around Mary’s shoulders. “I understand how hard this must be for you, Mary, but you must understand that we have no choice. This is war, a war of good versus evil. We must all do whatever’s required of us to win; or else the world, not just ours, but yours as well, will be in mortal danger. It was foretold, you can’t prevent it. If you were to take Grace home now, you wouldn’t stop it from happening, you would just delay it. Delay it until Liberty has been overrun and the Nomeds pass through into your world. We know that a Human child is needed to defeat this evil and we believe that child is Grace.”
Mary hung her head and began to sob as she realised the magnitude of the situation. Jazmine embraced her.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Mary, it’s going to be tough. You will need to be strong. But I promise you this, we will prepare you well, and when you are ready to confront the Nomeds, we will guard each and every one of you with our lives.”
Mary was distraught at the thought of the war reaching the Human world and even more distressed at the thought of her daughter facing such horror. She crumpled into Jazmine’s embrace and began to wail loudly, emptying her chest and heart of all the fear and pain that she was now feeling. Then, after a few seconds, she lifted her head, wiped the tears from her eyes and showed just how strong a woman she was, by asking, “So when do we start our training then?”
CHAPTER 10
TIME TO GO
Zavier stood before the ancient gate, its age apparent in every twist and turn of its knotted and gnarled wood. Francis spread his wings and beat them, lifting himself off Zavier’s back where he had been sitting alongside Ice.
“Meet you back here in a few hours then. Oh a
nd Zavier, I’m glad to see you remembered your clothes this time,” he hooted, nodding toward the rucksack of clothes Zavier had draped around his neck.
“Yes, I’m glad I remembered them as well, it will be much easier to approach the Humans as a clothed man, and a lot warmer too.” He laughed. “We shouldn’t be very long. Grace’s grandparents usually visit the Darlings’ house today, so we’ll be collecting them from there. Christian’s parents also live in Cherry Blossom Close. Therefore we don’t need to travel far.”
“Well, good luck. I hope the collection goes well. See you soon,” Francis hollered, as he tipped a wing and turned right, before disappearing into the dense woodland.
* * *
The Human World
Chyna and Womble charged to the front door as soon as they heard the ding-dong of the bell. Barking loudly, they snuffled and snorted against the glass door. Zavier could just make out the silhouette of Evan’s clone through the frosted pane as it picked Chyna up and pulled Womble away from the door, allowing Mary’s clone to open it. The door opened and Mary’s clone greeted him.
“Hello, can I help you?” she asked.
Zavier opened his jacket, revealing Ice who’d been safely hidden inside. Ice tipped her head so that she could see and address Mary’s clone.
“We are here to speak with Grace’s grandparents. Let us in and go about your business,” the snowy owl ordered.
“Of course, please do come in. They’re in the kitchen. Go on through. I’ll make us all a nice cuppa,” Mary’s clone replied
As the clone went to close the front door, she spotted Christian’s mum, Sharna, staring across the close at her from the front window of her house. Sharna gave Mary a wave and then quickly replaced the net curtain and moved away from the window, embarrassed at having been caught snooping.
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