Solstice at Stonewylde

by Kit Berry

  ‘You might see Yul tomorrow.’

  She looked away, feeling guilty. She’d barely thought about Yul lately; he’d just faded into the background now that her days and nights were filled with indolence and luxury.

  ‘You understand, don’t you Sylvie, that if you want to enjoy all this you’ll have to give him up completely?’

  She didn’t respond and kept her eyelids lowered. His thumb traced the outline of her lips.

  ‘Sylvie, you can’t expect this level of privilege and still enjoy your bit of rough on the side.’

  ‘He’s not my bit of rough!’

  ‘Oh, I think he is, and you have to end it. And there’s another thing, while we’re on the subject of Yul. I believe he has some silly notion about wanting to take over from me as magus – I’ve never heard anything more ridiculous! Can you imagine that illiterate boy running this estate? Tomorrow, when you tell him it’s finished between you, you can also tell him this: if there’s any nonsense at the Solstice, I’ll banish him from Stonewylde.’

  ‘You wouldn’t do that to him!’

  ‘Oh yes I would,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m the magus and I’ll do whatever I think best. I’ve put up with a lot of aggravation from him, but no more – he’s overstepped the mark this time.’ He tapped her wrists. ‘How dare he prevent you from being with me at the last Moon Fullness? I expect you to tell him all this tomorrow when you say goodbye to him. Any attempts at a coup and he’s out for good. You’ll do this for me, Sylvie, to please me and to prove that you’ll obey me.’

  She started to sit up but his hand on her throat restrained her.

  ‘Don’t go, Sylvie. You don’t want to go back to that cold bedroom and suffer a long lecture from your mother, do you? She hasn’t seen you for days and she’ll be raring to go. Stay here with me.’

  ‘But Magus, I can’t obey you,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I can’t give Yul up. I’m sorry but I can’t.’

  His mouth hardened and something in his eyes changed, glittering as brilliantly as diamond as he looked down at her.

  ‘Oh come now! Did you really think you could live so intimately with me in my private apartments, with every single thing your heart desires, every need anticipated, and still carry on with that Village boy as well? You can’t have believed that, Sylvie. You must’ve realised that if you belong to me, I don’t share.’

  ‘Oh Magus, why does it have to be like this? Why can’t you and Yul get on together? You’re alike in so many ways, and—’

  ‘No!’ said Magus sharply. ‘Remarks like that show just how little you know me. You’ll never see Yul again in that way, and tomorrow you’ll say goodbye and end this ridiculous liaison once and for all. That’s my final word on the matter.’

  He poured Sylvie yet another glassful and let her sit up to drink it, then laid her back down on the sofa and turned down the lights. His face was tense and angry but there was no sign of it in his soothing touch. Eventually he felt her body relax into sleep. Almost there now – he’d played her so carefully and skilfully. He thought of how easy it usually was, getting what he wanted, but Sylvie was different and what he needed from her was different too. He remembered Jackdaw’s words: the toughest nuts to crack are always the sweetest. And he remembered something else he’d heard his father once say, a long time ago, which now made perfect sense:

  A moongazy girl is hard to find, but worth more than all the riches in the world for the unique gift that she brings.

  13

  Sylvie was grumpy the next morning, not used to waking up before mid-day anymore, and still wore yesterday’s clothes having fallen asleep in them the night before. She refused breakfast and sat in the window seat with a cup of coffee, her head aching, and scowled at the floor. Magus had clearly been up and about for a while and was curt and business-like.

  ‘I’ve spoken to Holly and the other girls and you won’t have any more trouble. They’ve gone to the Barn already and you’d better get down there soon – it’s almost ten o’clock.’

  Sylvie ignored him and turned to stare out of the window. He frowned and stood over her, his hand heavy on her shoulder.

  ‘Remember what I said last night. Don’t mix with the Villagers but if Yul’s hanging around outside waiting for you, speak to him for a few minutes and tell him that it’s over between you. Then come back with the other Hallfolk girls – I’ll be waiting and I’ve a special present for you tonight. Understood, Sylvie?’

  She nodded sullenly, sipping her coffee noisily.

  ‘Stop making that disgusting noise and answer me properly!’

  She glared at him.

  ‘Yes!’

  He stared out of the window at the grey December morning.

  ‘Are you sulking because of Yul?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then what’s the matter?’

  ‘My head hurts and my stomach aches. It is the Dark Moon, you know.’

  ‘Of course. I’ll get you something for that.’

  He returned from his dressing room with a pill.

  ‘Poor darling, this’ll help you. Now come and give me a hug and show me you’re not sulking.’

  Reluctantly she stood before him, angry with him and angry with herself. She had no idea what to do about Yul and was ashamed that she’d hardly thought of him during the past week. The days and nights in Magus’ rooms had passed in a blur. Sylvie hadn’t been able to face the fact that this man, with whom she was now so comfortable, might be gone in two weeks’ time. Gone … or worse still, dead, if Mother Heggy’s dire warnings were true. The whole thing was barbaric and it just couldn’t happen. She’d have to try to stop it somehow.

  And now she had such a special relationship with Magus, how did Yul fit into her life? How could she ever share herself between the two of them? Sylvie couldn’t see how it could all possibly work. She dreaded seeing Yul today knowing that she’d betrayed him and allowed Magus to lure her into his world of indulgence. She didn’t want to leave this comfort to trek down to the cold, wintry Village and face reality. She’d much rather go back to sleep by the fire.

  ‘Come here, Sylvie.’

  Magus held out his arms and pulled her in close, holding her against his broad chest. His cashmere jumper was soft under her cheek and he smelt gorgeous. Sylvie put her arms around him a little awkwardly and hugged him back. It was like embracing a great pillar of protection. She relaxed a little, feeling her irritability begin to lessen.

  ‘That’s better,’ he murmured. ‘Don’t be grumpy, my sweet girl. It won’t be as bad as you think.’

  He stroked her hair gently and she found his touch reassuring.

  ‘But I don’t want to go down there!’ she said petulantly. ‘It’s cold and grey and I’ll have to sit and talk with Holly and her gang all day and do stupid sewing or something equally tedious. It’s boring and I don’t want to go – I want to stay here.’

  Even to her own ears she sounded like a spoiled child, but she really didn’t care. Magus, however, was patient.

  ‘You have to go, Sylvie. It’s the Dark Moon and you know it’s one of our customs. I take it you are menstruating?’

  ‘I usually start around mid-day, but I can tell it’s on its way,’ she said. ‘Please let me stay here with you instead, Magus. You said I could have whatever I wanted and that’s what I want. Please?’

  He laughed at this, still holding her close.

  ‘You can have whatever you want, of course, but you also have to obey me. You need to show everyone you’re fine. Can you imagine the gossip if you don’t go? All the talk there’d be about why you’re not menstruating? I think you know what I mean …’

  Sylvie gulped. He smiled at her embarrassment.

  ‘Would you like me to take you down in a car, so you won’t get cold?’

  She nodded, closing her eyes and clinging to him. If only she could curl up by the fire and forget everything.

  ‘Go and have a quick shower and get yourself ready. Make sure you look elegant
, and I’ll drive you to the Village in twenty minutes.’

  The room Magus had given her was a little further down the building but still within Magus’ luxurious apartments. It could be reached via the corridor but also through the interconnecting doors of his chambers, and was grand and comfortable. It was full of the gifts he’d bought her; some of her new clothes hung in the wardrobes but many were still spilling out of their boxes and tissue paper, strewn all over the bed. The dressing table was littered with costly bottles of perfume, cosmetics, toiletries and the lovely jewellery he’d given her, whilst the floor was cluttered with shoes and boots. The four-poster bed remained unused as Sylvie spent every night on the large leather sofa by the fire. She looked around now at the mess and knew she should make the effort to put all these beautiful and expensive things away. She sighed – maybe one of the servants would do it as she certainly didn’t have time today.

  Sylvie returned to the sitting room showered and smartly dressed, wearing a little make-up to hide her pallor. Magus nodded approvingly, and handed her a glass of mead.

  ‘I know it’s a little early in the day, but it’ll help you relax until that pill starts to work. Try it – this one’s brewed with blackberries.’

  Sylvie drank it, the warm sweet liquid like nectar in her mouth. Mead made her feel so calm.

  ‘You look absolutely lovely, Sylvie – designer clothes really suit you. Hazel was right, you’ve lost a little weight this week and you’re so tall now the clothes hang perfectly on you like those beautiful, willowy catwalk girls.’

  Giving her a final hug, he wrapped the scarlet cloak round her shoulders and led her down the wide staircase to the hall below. Several people looked up curiously but quickly glanced away when Magus’ dark eyes rested on them. Sylvie felt odd being amongst others again, having spent so much time closeted alone with Magus in his chambers.

  He ushered her through the grand entrance hall and porch and out onto the gravel drive. The silver Rolls Royce was waiting, its engine running quietly. Magus opened the front passenger door for her and Sylvie sank into the fine leather seat, enveloped in the softness of it, savouring the expensive smell. The last time she’d been in this car, she realised, was the day of her arrival. She remembered sitting in the back and catching Magus’ eye in the driver’s mirror as they passed through the gates and entered the world of Stonewylde. She closed her eyes, feeling a little strange and disorientated.

  ‘I love this car,’ she said as they purred away down the drive.

  He chuckled and patted her knee. She felt like a rich man’s plaything basking in luxury, wearing her costly clothes and perfume.

  ‘After the Yule celebrations I’ll take you up to London for a few days. Not the London you know, of course – I’ll show you my world. We can shop in Knightsbridge, go to concerts, the ballet and the theatre. We’ll drive up in the Rolls if you like and stay at my house in Mayfair.’

  She nodded, excited at the thought of such a treat and once again forgetting the reality of what life would be like after Yule. The drive took only minutes in the car and very soon they pulled up on the cobbles outside the Great Barn. Magus switched off the engine and turned to face her. The Village Green looked cold and muddy, the dull brown trees encircling it starkly bare except for the yew tree, which now had a dark and ominous appearance. The cottages seemed to be huddled together for comfort, smoke rising from every chimney and then snatched away by a bitter wind that swept the grey skies.

  Sylvie’s eyes filled suddenly with tears which spilled down her pale cheeks.

  ‘Please don’t make me go in there, Magus,’ she whispered. ‘I really don’t want to. I just can’t face everyone.’

  He took her chin in his hand and gazed at her. He’d groomed her well during their days and nights together and today she would finally cut the ties with his son. It had to come from her, and once she’d broken that bond she’d be even more vulnerable to him. There’d be no question of duress; she’d have made the choice herself and would be all the more desperate for affection because of it. And all the more willing to give him what he needed.

  ‘You have to do this, Sylvie,’ he said softly. ‘Show the women what you’ve become now – my beautiful princess. And if Yul is waiting later on, you must face him and get it over with. Simply tell him it’s all finished between the pair of you and then leave. Promise me you won’t linger or get drawn into arguments and swear to me, Sylvie, that you won’t let him touch you. I absolutely forbid that.’

  He held her gaze and she saw something new in his eyes; a nakedness that frightened her with its intensity. And Sylvie realised that maybe she didn’t know what she was doing after all.

  ‘Swear to me!’

  ‘I won’t let him touch me,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll say what I have to and come straight home.’

  ‘Just remember what I told you about the intoxicating and irresistible effects of the Earth Magic – I don’t want him tricking you with it again. Remember his brutality and what he did to Buzz. We know that Yul is a potential killer and I don’t want him anywhere near you.’

  She bowed her head and he smiled, exhaling sharply. He patted her leg again and stretched across to open her door. A cold blast of air entered the warm cocoon of the Rolls.

  ‘Are you feeling better now?’ he asked solicitously. ‘Headache and stomach ache gone?’

  Sylvie nodded; they’d vanished and she felt as if she were floating on a cloud. Her head was light and uncluttered and her body was hollow. She gave him a small smile and Magus leant over and brushed his lips against hers, his breath warm on her mouth.

  ‘Don’t let me down, my moongazy girl. You know this is what you really want.’

  She slid from the car. With a little wave, and feeling as if her feet didn’t belong to her, she pushed open one of the double doors to the Great Barn and went inside. The warmth and noise of many women hit her and she stopped dead, feeling confused. A sea of faces stared up at her, arriving late and looking startlingly beautiful in her scarlet cloak. She stood there, unsure of what to do, overwhelmed by a sense of unreality. But then a group of Hallfolk girls came rushing up to her, smiling brightly and all chattering at once. They took off her cloak, admiring it, and hung it on the pegs with the other coats. Then she was led over to the pile of cushions where they sat stitching the quilt they’d started last month. They still hadn’t got very far with it.

  ‘Are you feeling alright, Sylvie?’ asked Dawn, noticing Sylvie’s pale face and unfocussed eyes.

  ‘Yes thanks, I’m fine,’ said Sylvie.

  She felt awkward with them, and when she caught Holly’s eye the girl gave her a strained smile.

  ‘It’s good to see you again, Sylvie,’ she said in a high, unnatural voice. ‘We’ve been wondering where you were recently.’

  Sylvie noticed Holly’s eyes were red and swollen.

  ‘I don’t know why,’ she replied. ‘You saw me in the library last week, remember? You said you’d make my life a misery when Magus grew bored of me.’

  Several of the girls gasped and Holly stared at the floor.

  ‘I’m sure she didn’t mean it!’ said July quickly. ‘You know how silly Holly can be.’

  ‘She meant it,’ said Sylvie. ‘Holly’s never made any secret of hating me.’

  ‘That’s all in the past now,’ said Dawn. ‘Isn’t it, Holly?’

  Holly nodded, still unable to look up, and Sylvie realised she was crying. The scene was becoming increasingly dreamlike under the strange effects of the pill Magus had given her. There was a little silence and then the girls started talking about the ski trip planned for January.

  ‘Are you coming, Sylvie? Most of the Hallfolk go every year.’

  She shook her head, trying to stitch one of the patchwork pieces but finding her fingers weren’t working properly.

  ‘I don’t think so. Magus has just said we’ll be spending a few days in London after Yule, but he hasn’t mentioned skiing.’

  The girls exchang
ed careful glances at this.

  ‘I love those boots, Sylvie,’ said Rainbow. ‘They’re gorgeous.’

  ‘And your trousers and that top – you look great.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Are they all new? Did you go away for some serious shopping?’

  ‘No, Magus bought them for me on the Internet.’

  ‘We saw all the boxes being carried up to his rooms and we wondered. Has he bought you lots of stuff?’

  ‘Yes, loads. There’s so much it’s almost completely covered my new room.’

  More glances were exchanged.

  ‘You are lucky, Sylvie.’

  She looked up at the group of blond girls watching her, their eyes bright with envy.

  ‘We’re really sorry we were horrible to you before,’ said Wren.

  ‘We were just upset about Buzz being banished,’ said July.

  ‘We thought it was your fault, but now we know it wasn’t. Magus told us the truth and he’s explained a lot of things. We’re all sorry and we hope you’ll forgive us and be friends.’

  ‘Well, if you want but it really doesn’t matter – I don’t care.’

  ‘It does matter!’ said Holly. ‘I want to be your friend, Sylvie. Can I get you a drink?’

  She insisted, despite Sylvie’s protestations, and when she’d gone Sylvie shook her head.

  ‘Is something up with Holly? She looks like she’s been crying all morning.’

  ‘She has,’ said Rainbow. ‘Magus was cross with all of us but he really laid into Holly. It was so scary! He grabbed her shoulders and shouted right in her face. I thought he was going to hit her and so did she. And he said if she was ever mean to you again he’d banish her instantly, just like he did with Buzz. She’s terrified!’

  ‘Please don’t tell him we told you that,’ said Dawn, frowning at Rainbow. Sylvie merely smiled and accepted the drink that Holly brought her.

  Later on, when she went to the lavatories attached to the Great Barn, Rosie followed her in.

  ‘Blessings, Sylvie! I was hoping you’d sit with us again this Dark Moon. ‘Twas fun last month.’