Solstice at Stonewylde

by Kit Berry

  ‘She’s very well now that she’s taking care of herself properly at last,’ said Magus smoothly, guiding Sylvie to the sofa opposite Clip and sitting down next to her. He took one of her hands in his and rubbed it encouragingly.

  ‘She’s seen sense at last, haven’t you Sylvie? I’m so pleased with her, Clip. She’s willing to make that little sacrifice every month for me and for Stonewylde. She knows what she has to do.’

  Sylvie stared at her knees, wondering how she could pull her hand away without making him cross. She hated him touching her. He gripped her more tightly and she looked up suddenly. Clip was gazing at her intently, his pale eyes huge in his thin face and dominated by their enlarged pupils.

  ‘She’s seen sense then,’ he said softly. ‘No more fighting you.’

  His voice that was like Magus’ but not as deep or resonant, and Sylvie stared at him, remembering something, something she mustn’t forget …

  ‘No!’ she cried. ‘No, Magus, you promised! You said I didn’t have to be hypnotised again if I co-operated. Please, no!’

  She struggled, trying to escape, but Magus gripped her arm harder so she couldn’t stand up.

  ‘Just keep still, Sylvie, and then it’ll all be over. This is for your own good and it’ll make the whole thing so much easier for you. Come on, be a good girl and stop struggling. You know I don’t want to hurt you.’

  ‘Please, Magus, I beg you! I’ll go to Mooncliffe, I’ll do whatever you say, I promise! I won’t fight you and I’ll charge up all your moon eggs, as many as you want. Just don’t hypnotise me, please – let me do this for you with my own free will!’

  But Magus only chuckled, his grip as tight as ever as he slid a hand behind her to grasp her other arm too and hold her down firmly on the sofa. Clip knelt in front of her, taking her head between his hands so she couldn’t look away. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to shake her head out of his grasp, whimpering for him to stop.

  ‘Stop fighting, Sylvie, and just give in,’ said Clip wearily. ‘It’s so much easier, believe me. Now look at me, look at me, look closely, Sylvie, deep into my eyes. That’s right, good girl. When I count to three, you’ll wake up and you won’t remember this, just like before. Now, remember what I told you last time about Mooncliffe?’

  When he’d finished he let go of her head and turned to Magus, his eyes resigned.

  ‘Alright? Anything else or is that it?’

  Magus smiled, releasing his hold on Sylvie’s arms. She remained sitting exactly as she’d been before, staring ahead like a life-size doll, and he chuckled again.

  ‘It’s so easy, isn’t it? No, I think that’ll do for now, thank you Clip. There may be something else but that can wait for a bit.’

  ‘I told you, Sol, this is the last time. I refuse to abuse my gift like this again and I’m not coming up to bloody Mooncliffe with you either, so don’t even ask.’

  ‘I don’t need you, brother dear. Jackdaw’s coming with me and I think he’ll be far more effective than you were, especially if our friend Yul turns up on another rescue mission.’

  ‘Sol, don’t overdo it this month, will you? I know what Jackdaw’s like, and what you’re like too. Be careful, please – Sylvie’s only a girl; remember what happened to our mother up there.’

  ‘That was an eclipse,’ said Magus tersely. ‘Ordinary moongazing won’t kill her.’

  ‘Don’t force her to carry on for hours on end, and do make sure she’s warm enough.’

  ‘You sound like a bloody nursemaid. What’s with the sudden concern for her welfare? What’s she to you anyway?’

  Clip shrugged, and reached wearily for another cake.

  ‘She’s very vulnerable, and you’re a cruel bastard. You take such pleasure in making others suffer for your own gratification. I don’t like to see you hurting and exploiting anyone, especially not someone as young and helpless as Sylvie.’

  Magus laughed.

  ‘Very touching. Bad memories, eh?’

  ‘You could say that.’

  ‘That was just an adolescent thing, Clip. I’m not like that any more.’

  ‘Yes you are, Sol. You’re just as bad and in fact I think you might be worse. All that’s changed is now you’re so much better at hiding it.’

  8

  Yul called on Sylvie again the night before the Owl Moon, anxious to ensure that nothing would go wrong at this late stage. He raced silently up the back stairs as soon as she returned from dinner having watched her room from the garden, and tapped on the arched door leading into her bedroom. He knew he had a little time before Magus came to say goodnight as this was earlier than his previous visit. Sylvie opened the door immediately, her face lighting up at the sight of him. She put her arms around him but then groaned, pulling away.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I’m so full. I feel sick.’

  ‘Are you ill?’ he asked anxiously, taking her hands.

  She sat down on the bed weakly.

  ‘I’m not ill but I’ve always had trouble eating large meals. I used to have so many allergies and sensitivities and I hate being forced to eat. Magus makes me eat so much and I just can’t keep it all down. I’m being sick after meals now and that’s why they were all cross with me in the first place, thinking I was deliberately starving myself. I just can’t win.’

  ‘Does he know it’s making you sick?’ asked Yul, unaware of eating disorders and food allergies.

  ‘No he won’t believe me, but every day he looks at my weight chart and he’s angry again because I’m not gaining enough. In fact now I’m being sick so often I’ve started losing weight, which means every day he makes me eat even more.’

  He sat next to her, holding her hand sympathetically.

  ‘I just came to check that you’re alright for tomorrow. You remember the plan?’

  ‘Yes, I know what to do. It’ll be easy: he said I have to stay in my room and rest all day tomorrow anyway. He even said I mustn’t do any school work in case it makes me tired! He’s such a hypocrite – one minute nagging me about not working hard enough and then actually stopping me from doing any at all. As long as he gets his moon magic he’s happy, and my school work doesn’t really matter.’

  Then she turned to him, her eyes shining.

  ‘Oh Yul, I’m really looking forward to spending the afternoon with you! I’ve missed you so much. It’ll be great to have some time alone together.’

  ‘I know – I’m looking forward to it as well, though I’m a bit nervous I must admit. Do wrap up very warm, Sylvie, as it’s getting cold in the evenings. I’d better go now before Magus comes.’

  ‘Yes, you only just left in time on your last visit! But Yul, there’s one thing I’m concerned about. You said it’s getting cold in the evenings but you understand, don’t you, that I must get back here before then?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I need to be home well before moonrise.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Because I’m going up to Mooncliffe with Magus.’

  He laughed and stood up, looking down at her with a smile.

  ‘No, Yul, it’s not funny – I mean it! I have to dance on the stone at Mooncliffe tomorrow. I want to give Magus my moon magic. You do understand, don’t you?’

  She looked up at him earnestly, her eyes great pools of moonstone grey. His face fell in horror.

  ‘Oh, no … Oh, Sylvie, they’ve got you again! The bastards!’

  ‘What do you mean, got me? I don’t understand.’

  ‘Never mind,’ he said shakily, still staring at her in shock. He couldn’t believe it – there was no chance to get her to Mother Heggy before the moonrise tomorrow night, not when she was watched so closely. He wanted to scream with frustration but took a deep breath and kissed her quickly.

  ‘Just make sure you’re ready tomorrow afternoon, alright?’

  ‘They’ve put a spell on her again!’ shouted Yul, pacing the tiny room. The crow squawked indignantly, flapping its wings.


  ‘’Twas to be expected, however much she agreed to do what he wants,’ mused Mother Heggy. ‘He’s taking no chances, an’ it just shows how desperate he is for the moon magic. Did you get to steal some of the eggs, boy?’

  ‘Yes, the key worked after a bit of twisting and Edward helped. There were a few fresh eggs left inside the chest. The ones lying on the grass outside were the used ones and there were so many of them! He’s been gorging on her moon magic. We took the charged ones from the chest and hid them in the woods, and replaced them with used ones. They’re so powerful, those eggs, and I hated having to touch them knowing what they’d taken out of her. Edward couldn’t believe it either.’

  ‘He’ll be spitting angry when he finds they’re missing,’ cackled Mother Heggy. ‘Especially when there’s no new ones this month neither. Heh heh!’

  ‘But he will get new ones this month and that’s why I’m so worried! She’s under the spell again and she wants to go to Mooncliffe!’

  ‘For Goddess’ sake, Yul! You’re a man now; she’s nought but a slip of a girl. Who’s the strongest?’

  ‘I can’t force her to stay with me.’

  ‘Course you can, silly boy. You must bind her tight till the moon is good and high and ‘tis safe to release her.’

  He looked at her in horror.

  ‘I couldn’t treat Sylvie like that!’

  He stood gazing dejectedly into the fire. The crone pursed her lips and tutted, shaking her head at his misplaced sensibilities. She fondled the crow, now nestling in her lap, and rocked her chair steadily.

  ‘Well, there is another way, Yul,’ she said after a while, ‘now I think on it. Up along Ash Wood, beyond Dragon’s Back, there’s a grove of old sycamore trees. D’you know the wood I mean, boy?’

  ‘Yes … behind Ash Wood, I think I know the sycamores there, though we hardly ever use those woods. Greenbough doesn’t rate them highly, and there’s more than enough for our work nearer home.’

  ‘Aye, well, a whole group o’ them sycamores up there have split trunks. They were coppiced long ago and then forgotten and left to grow strangely, like tree-cages. When I were a girl, the woodsmen put naughty lads in there to punish ‘em. They’d bind around the trunks with rope and make cages so the boys couldn’t get out.’

  Yul nodded slowly, seeing her plan.

  ‘You could put the maiden in one o’ them. She’d be imprisoned, right enough, and you must be careful she don’t make any noise just in case someone’s out a-searching, but ‘tis not as bad as trussing her up. Sounds cruel I know, but ‘tis only for her own good and yours too, that Sol don’t get her magic at Owl Moon.’

  Jackdaw tapped at the French windows and was beckoned inside, but immediately Magus regretted the invitation, wrinkling his nose at the stench of stale tobacco. Jackdaw was particularly unsavoury today; greasy and unshaven, his protruding blue eyes bloodshot and bleary. He smelt unwashed too, and Magus decided not to bring him inside the Hall – and certainly not into his office – again. They’d have to meet elsewhere in future. He opened the French windows a little wider on the misty morning.

  ‘You understand what’s involved tonight?’ he began. ‘You’ll help with the eggs and ensure that damn boy comes nowhere near the cliff-top.’

  ‘Aye, sir, looking forward to a bit of action at last. But why don’t I deal with the little bugger now? I could take him away, up to Quarrycleave maybe, have some fun first and then snuff him.’

  Magus shook his head.

  ‘It sounds easy but it wouldn’t work. We tried at Mooncliffe last Moon Fullness and again in the Stone Labyrinth at Samhain. He should by rights have died on both those occasions, not to mention at Quarrycleave last summer, but clearly the Dark Angel doesn’t want him. His time isn’t up yet.’

  He scowled at the look on Jackdaw’s face.

  ‘You’ve been away too long in the Outside World, Jack, and you’ve forgotten the reality of Stonewylde. The Dark Angel might sound like some fairy-tale fantasy to you nowadays, but I know only too well how real that spectre is. Yul’s living a charmed life until the Winter Solstice and even after it, only I will be able to destroy him. It’s his destiny and it’s mine – they’re linked together.’

  ‘Right enough, Guv,’ said Jackdaw, looking around the beautiful room with interest. ‘You got some lovely stuff in here. Didn’t notice it so much the other night at Samhain.’

  ‘Never mind that,’ said Magus curtly. ‘You must keep Yul at bay if he tries to rescue Sylvie at Mooncliffe, though after last month, I can’t see that he’d be that stupid again. I can’t stress how vital it is that I take her moon energy tonight, so it mustn’t fail. There are only a few charged eggs left and I want her to do the full load tonight, and more if she can take it. I’ve had some extras made up and I’ve ensured she’s much stronger this month.’

  Magus stood up, anxious to get Jackdaw out of his office and clear the air.

  ‘Keep well away from the Village today,’ he continued, ushering the brutish man towards the French windows. ‘Martin tells me there’s a lot of ill feeling about your return. The Villagers are complaining.’

  ‘Load o’ bloody peasants,’ growled Jackdaw, forgetting his own origins. ‘There’s a few of ’em I’d like to put in their place starting with that old sow Marigold.’

  ‘Once this Moon Fullness is done, we’ll smooth things over. It’s not long till the Winter Solstice and I’ll certainly need your services then, so we’ll make sure that everyone understands you’re back to stay. Now, I want you up there by mid-afternoon, stacking the empty eggs around the rock in preparation. I’ll bring the girl up myself just before sunset. You’ve charged up the two-way radios and got yours?’

  ‘Aye sir, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure the boy don’t trouble you,’ said Jackdaw, rubbing his bristly jowls. He grinned, his gold incisor glinting amongst dark teeth. ‘I know Yul’s yours to finish, but there’s a whole month till the Solstice, ain’t there? Time enough for a bit of fun with him, if you don’t mind. I’d enjoy that. He’s a tough little nut to crack and they’re always the sweetest.’

  ‘We’ll see,’ said Magus, eyeing the thug with distaste. ‘It depends on what you have in mind. But it could be useful to have him out of the way in the lead up to the Solstice, especially if you can weaken him for me. I’ll think about it. We’ll get through tonight first and discuss it tomorrow. Remember your brief for tonight, Jackdaw – keep your eyes open and your wits about you.’

  Yul had the tree-cage ready by mid-day. He’d found the sycamore grove several miles from the Hall, hidden away in the Ash Woods, and had chosen an enormous tree to be Sylvie’s prison. Its huge trunk grew almost a metre high and then split into seven separate trunks, each one as thick as his waist and growing straight upwards. The gap between each trunk was small, not big enough for someone even as slim as Sylvie to squeeze through. Only one gap was wide enough, which he could just slip through himself.

  It was surprisingly roomy inside the cage. The bole of the tree was carpeted with a thick floor of soft moss covered by this year’s fallen leaves. There was space enough for a person to sit or lie curled up inside the tree cage and to stand comfortably. Yul had ropes ready to tie across the larger gap once she was inside, and water and a lantern to hand.

  Edward had lent Yul his beautiful grey mare, which had saved him a great deal of time in preparing the cage. He would’ve liked to ride all the way up here with Sylvie, but if she started to fight or thrash about it could scare the horse and he didn’t want to risk her bolting and perhaps throwing Sylvie. He eventually compromised and decided to tether the horse halfway.

  Finally, after checking everything was ready and that he had fine rope and a piece of cloth in his bag in case the spell made Sylvie resist, he mounted the mare and trotted off along the path towards the Hall. The mare was quiet and gentle, very different from the exhilaration of Nightwing, but Yul enjoyed riding her all the same. He had an affinity with horses and had always wanted one
of his own. He thought often of Nightwing and had vowed that one day the dark stallion would be his.

  He urged Edward’s horse into a canter and together they flew down the woodland path, making a wonderful sight. The dark-haired boy on a milk-white steed, riding through the bare-branched trees to the palace ahead to rescue the imprisoned princess was like a beautiful picture from a book of fairy tales. Yul managed to stay in woodland until he was just outside the Hall, not wanting to be spotted by any Hallfolk. He carefully hitched the mare to a branch and continued the last part of the journey on foot. It was about an hour after lunch and Sylvie should be ready and waiting. His heart pounded as he tried the handle of the outside door leading to the staircase to her bedroom. It was locked, exactly as he’d feared.

  Yul peered through the keyhole and saw that not only had Magus locked the door, he’d also removed the key, obviously determined to keep Sylvie captive. Yul felt in his pocket and found the key that Tom had had made for him. The door opened easily and he crept up the stairs, as quiet and terrified as a field mouse. His fear wasn’t that Magus would catch him and hurt him, but that it would all go wrong and he’d fail Sylvie again. At the top of the stairs he tapped on the arched door and opened it silently, dreading what he might see. He pictured Magus standing there with Jackdaw, both grinning.

  Sylvie stood by the window, dazzling in a vivid scarlet cloak made of thick velvet, with a great hood. She turned to face him and smiled. She wore a black outfit underneath – trousers, warm jumper, gloves, suede boots – which accentuated her tall, slim body. Her silver hair spilled out between the scarlet and the black, and her face was alive with excitement.

  ‘Yul!’ she whispered. ‘I was so worried you wouldn’t come! I’m all ready. Is that alright?’

  She gestured to the bed where she’d stuffed an extra blanket and pillow. It was realistic, especially in the half light with the curtains drawn.

  ‘It’s perfect. Come on, let’s go right now.’

  They slipped out of the wing and into the woods, Sylvie’s cloak billowing around her. Yul wished she were wearing something a little less brightly coloured and tried to hurry her along as fast as possible, out of anyone’s sight.