‘I haven’t been gone that long but I’m finding nothing is as I remember it,’ he finally admitted.
‘Nothing ever is,’ James patted his shoulder companionably, ‘come walk with me, we have much to talk about.’
‘Such as?’
‘You were not wrong when you said nothing is as you thought it was,’ James began as they walked slowly along the rows of apple trees. ‘You were too young to know the truth before. You were so caught up in protecting yourself and your sister and quite rightly so, but now you can’t ignore it any longer.’
‘Ignore what exactly?’
‘The truth about Salem, about the people in it,’ he blew out a deep breath as he tried to organize his thoughts. ‘What I told you last night was true. Many of us with unusual gifts are descended from magical families. We aren’t in anyway what they say we should be, we don’t worship the devil and we don’t summon evil spirits. We are as god fearing as the ones who would wish us harm. Our families fled the Old World believing this would be a sanctuary for us, a place free from persecution, but it was not to be so. If the others find out about us it will cost us our lives. There is no reasoning with fear and many believe any form of magic is inherently evil. Once we realized it was not going to be the haven we had wished for we had to make the best of our new home. We knew we could not survive by ignoring who we are, denying our true natures.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Theo frowned.
‘You denied your gift for years and now you have no control over it. I suspect it is the same for Temperance but a gift like that with no control or instruction is a great risk. The less control you have the more likely it is to manifest in front of the wrong people.’
‘I see,’ he frowned.
‘I can help you,’ James offered, ‘I can teach you how to use your visions instead of letting them use you.’
Theo stopped abruptly staring hard at James as he too paused.
‘Why?’
‘Why what?’
‘Why would you help me? Why risk the exposure?’
‘Because,’ James sighed, ‘because you are your mother’s son, because I care what happens to you and Temperance, because I would give my life to protect you both.’
‘She was that important to you?’ Theo whispered.
‘Your mother was everything to me,’ he whispered painfully.
‘Do you have visions too?’ Theo asked after a moment.
James shook his head and they both began walking slowly once again.
‘No that was your mother’s gift, I don’t see things like she did. I have more of…a knowing I suppose you’d call it. I don’t see things before they happen but sometimes I just know something is about to happen.’
‘I’m not trying to be rude or ungrateful but if you don’t have visions how do you expect to help me?’
‘Emmy and I grew up together, we were inseparable, we explored and refined our abilities together. I was there when she learned to control her visions, I can tell you what she told me. The knowledge would have passed to you from her eventually if she hadn’t died. I suppose in a way it still will, just through me instead.’
Theo continued to walk in silence for a few moments before finally nodding.
‘Thank you,’ he murmured.
James let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and relaxed the tight set of his shoulders.
‘Well then,’ he grinned, ‘we may as well begin.’
‘Now?’
‘Are you planning on staying in Salem for long?’ he asked pointedly.
‘Not if I can help it,’ Theo replied.
‘Then we have to make the most of the time we have,’ James told him. ‘We’ll use the barn, no one should see us in there.’
Olivia rolled over and lifted her head. She had absolutely no idea what the time was or how long she’d slept but she was forced to admit her stomach felt better. She sat up gingerly as if daring her stomach to begin revolting against her once again but it remained still and calm, apart from a loud growl which informed her that she was hungry.
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she reached for her petticoats. It didn’t take her as long to dress this time, now that she was starting to get the hang of the fiddly layers of clothing. She stepped into her uncomfortable leather shoes and made sure the compass and chain around her neck was concealed carefully beneath her clothes. Pulling her hair back she fastened it in a low bun at the nape of her neck once again before pulling on the close fitting cap over her head. Satisfied she was presentable enough to not raise any questions she left the room, making her way through the keeping room into the main room which was also empty and silent.
Climbing the ladder to the loft she quickly checked on Sam. He looked dreadful. Despite the fever his skin had taken on a grayish hue instead of the usual flushed pink of someone with a high temperature. They would have to do something and quickly, they had no way of getting any fluids into him and with his temperature burning like an inferno he would soon dehydrate, which would only complicate matters further. She was worried, very worried. He seemed to be getting worse and she wasn’t even sure what was causing it. She carefully removed the cloth from his forehead and dipped it into the almost empty bowl of water before wringing it out and placing it back on his forehead. Satisfied he was in no immediate danger she climbed back down the ladder and left the farmhouse in search of Theo.
‘We’re going to start small,’ James told Theo as he sat on the edge of a cask of cider.
‘Small?’
‘Eventually you will be able to look forwards and see big events before they happen but for now we are going to try for just a few moments into the future.’
‘What good will that do?’ Theo frowned.
‘It will do a great deal of good,’ James told him patiently, ‘being able to see something just before it happens will give you a distinct and definite advantage. Imagine being able to see your enemy’s intentions before he even knows it himself. Will he step to the right and throw a punch? Will he step to the left and grasp a weapon? Imagine being able to see an accident before it happens? If you can see it, you can change the outcome.’
‘Okay then,’ Theo breathed out, ‘so what do I do?’
‘Focus,’ James’ voice was low and smooth, ‘close your eyes and find your center, the place where you are at peace. Block out all distractions.’
Theo felt a sudden sharp thud against his shoulder which knocked him back, making him lose his balance on the barrel.
‘What the hell?’ he growled and opened his eyes as he steadied himself.
James was standing a few feet from him, grinning and tossing an apple back and forth between his hands. Theo looked down to the ground and noticed chunks of apple at his feet and flecks of pulp stuck to his jerkin.
‘Did you just throw an apple at me?’ he asked incredulously.
‘Maybe next time you’ll duck,’ he chuckled, ‘close your eyes and try again.’
Scowling he did as he was told, taking a calming breath and trying to focus. If he could see the apple before it impacted his body he could deflect it or avoid it. Now he understood this was the test, he had to see what James was going to do before he did it. If he could see it, he could change the outcome, just like James said.
‘Ow,’ Theo’s eyes flew open as another apple smashed against his other shoulder.
‘I can hear you thinking all the way over here,’ he grinned. ‘Stop thinking and focus…again.’
Again and again he tried. He took a shot to the arm, to his shoulders, his knee, and his stomach which almost knocked the wind from him. The final straw was when it hit him in the forehead, leaving a reddened mark and showering him with chunks of apple.
‘Enough’ he roared, glaring dangerously at James as he raked his hand through his dark hair sending a scattering of pulp and pips to the ground.
‘Sorry,’ James shrugged, ‘I wasn’t actually aiming f
or your head.’
‘Then you’re a lousy shot,’ Theo growled looking down at the apple piled around his ankles, ‘and you’re wasting your apples.’
‘I have more,’ he shrugged.
Theo looked up suddenly, Olivia was close by he could feel her.
The door of the barn rattled slightly before creaking open enough for her to slip through. She stepped further into the space catching sight of Theo who looked slightly damp and disheveled and James who was standing close by, biting nonchalantly into an apple. Her gaze dropped to the floor which was liberally littered with what looked like chunks of apple.
‘Have you two finished playing?’ she asked dryly.
James chuckled as Theo made his way over to her.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked, ignoring her question. ‘Are you feeling better?’
‘I am actually’ she nodded, ‘just hungry now.’
‘Here,’ James tossed her an apple which she bit into gratefully,
‘Thanks,’ she mumbled as she chewed and swallowed, turning back to Theo. ‘I’ve just checked on Sam, I’m worried Theo he seems so much worse.’
‘We’d better go take a look then,’ Theo turned to James.
‘You head back to the house’ he told them, ‘I still have work to do. Come and find me if you need me.’
Theo nodded and took Olivia’s hand, pulling her out of the barn and heading back towards the house.
‘What exactly were you two doing?’ she asked curiously.
‘Don’t ask,’ Theo flushed lightly as he shook his head.
She tossed her apple core as they reached the house and opened the door.
‘You go and sit with Sam’ Theo told her, ‘I’ll fetch some fresh water and cloths.’
Nodding she headed into the house alone, taking a moment to retrieve the Grimoire from the bedroom before she climbed back up the ladder and settled herself beside Sam. She pulled the cloth from his forehead, noting that in the maybe twenty minutes she’d been gone the wet cloth was now bone dry. Wishing she had a thermometer she unwrapped Hester’s book and opened the pages. Maybe there was something in it she could use. She covered the book quickly and looked up as she heard steps up the ladder, relaxing when she saw Theo’s head of dark curly hair appear. He settled the bowl of water down beside him and dunked the cloth a couple of times before laying it on Sam’s forehead.
‘His temperature seems to be getting higher,’ Olivia frowned. ‘If it gets any worse he could end up having a seizure.’
‘Have you found anything in the book?’ he nodded at the familiar shape she’d hastily concealed beneath her dress.
‘No, not yet.’
She pulled the book clear and opened it once again. The now familiar black ink appeared on the page, undulating like lapping water. The letters formed and then reformed and then changed again.
‘Show me a way to help Sam,’ she whispered running her fingers across the dry parchment.
Before when she’d asked the book for guidance it had rather helpfully obliged but it seemed not this time. The words just kept shifting on the page as if it couldn’t decide what to settle on. She stared at it a little longer before sighing and closing the book.
‘I guess we’re on our own this time,’ she looked up at Theo.
‘I guess so’ he frowned. Taking another cloth and dunking it in the water, he loosened the linen shirt he’d changed Sam into the night before and squeezed the cloth directly onto his chest, allowing the cool water to fall on his sweat slicked skin.
‘We need to try and get some fluids into him,’ Olivia told him, ‘if we don’t he’s going to dehydrate before his fever has a chance to break.’
‘Cider?’ Theo asked.
‘He needs water,’ she shook her head. ‘Where did this water come from?’
‘The stream at the edge of his land I would imagine,’ Theo replied.
‘Is it clean?’
‘I don’t know,’ Theo shrugged. ‘I seem to remember the stream being quite clean but I don’t know that I’d drink from it.’
‘I think we’re going to have to risk it,’ she murmured staring at Sam. ‘Go and get some more and grab a cup.’
She watched as he nodded and climbed back down the ladder. She tucked the book back into the cloak and wrapped it up tightly, knotting the material and placing it next to her. She pulled the bowl of water Theo had just refilled closer and held her hand over the liquid. Looking around, carefully checking she was alone, she allowed her magic to flow to the palm of her hand, the heat making her skin tingle. The water beneath her hand began to bubble and jump around the bowl as she heated it way past boiling point, hoping that the intense temperature would burn away any bacteria.
When Theo returned they waited patiently for the water to cool down to drinking temperature, taking turns over the next several hours to feed him sips of water and bathe his burning body. Olivia was next to him stroking back his wet hair when they heard the sound of someone climbing the ladder. Both she and Theo looked up as James’ face appeared.
‘How is he?’ He glanced over at Sam’s prone body which now shook and shuddered uncontrollably.
‘He’s getting worse,’ Theo replied.
‘It’s time for me to head to the Parris place,’ James looked directly to Olivia. ‘I think at this point Tituba might be your only hope.’
Olivia gathered her skirts in her hand and tried to stand but Theo’s hand shot out and grasped her wrist. She knew he was worried about letting her out of his sight.
‘Look at him Theo,’ she whispered, ‘he needs this. We don’t have a choice.’
He looked back down at Sam before finally blowing out a breath.
‘Just be careful.’
‘I will,’ she nodded and squeezed his hand reassuringly before turning to follow James back down the ladder.
Chapter 5.
Olivia reached out and took James’ hand as he helped her up into the wagon. Settling her skirts around her as she sat down on the hard wooden bench, she watched as he climbed up beside her and reached for the reins. Clucking lightly at the horses he nudged them into a slow walk. The casks in the back jostled against the ropes which held them in place and the wheels creaked.
‘It’s a pleasant afternoon for a journey to the village,’ James remarked conversationally as they rolled ponderously down the dirt road.
‘Uh huh,’ Olivia replied non-committedly.
They rode in companionable silence for a short while, the farmhouse behind them disappearing as did the forest of apples trees, giving way to open farmland and a hard packed dirt road which meandered in no particular line. Rather than intentionally being cut into the ground it seemed to have been worn down over time by the continuous passing of horses’ hooves and wagon wheels.
Olivia watched curiously as James took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air with a small smile playing at his lips.
‘You seem happy.’
‘And why shouldn’t I be?’ He turned to her, the smile still on his lips, ‘it’s a beautiful day, my business is doing well, I have the company of a beautiful woman and I finally have the chance to…’
He broke off suddenly almost as if unsure of his next words.
‘A chance to?’ she prompted.
He blew out a deep breath.
‘I finally have a chance to know Theo.’ His gaze fixed on the horses in front of him thoughtfully, ‘it has been difficult.’
‘How so?’
‘I have had very little dealings with Matthias Beckett,’ his sunny expression suddenly darkened, ‘he is a difficult man.’
‘And when you say difficult?’ Olivia asked curiously.
‘Has Theo spoken to you of his father?’
Olivia stared at him for a moment, her lips thinning as she scrutinized him thoughtfully.
‘Forgive me’ he shook his head, ‘you don’t need to answer that question.’
They carried on down the
road, the wagon bumping sharply at every slight dip and rock.
‘He has told me a little,’ Olivia finally broke the silence. ‘I know there was no love lost between them and that Matthias drank quite heavily and although Theo has never said as much I get the impression he was heavy handed with all of his children.’
James’ head whipped around sharply as he studied Olivia, his eyes dark and his jaw clenched tightly.
‘I was afraid he might be,’ he sighed after a moment. ‘There was nothing I could do, after Emmy died I had no access to the children. In the eyes of the law and God they belonged to him. I could not take them away, not even to protect them.’
‘That must have been very frustrating for you,’ she murmured thoughtfully.
‘You have no idea how much it has pained me over the years to watch them from afar, to catch glimpses of them but not be allowed to know them, to speak to them, to be of any comfort to them.’
‘Then you must treasure this time you have with Theo,’ Olivia smiled impulsively, covering his hand with hers. All of a sudden she felt a deep sympathy and connection with this sweet man.
It was clear to her, even if he did not speak the words aloud that he loved Theo very much. She relaxed into the uncomfortable bench finding that, with a greater understanding of this man the more she felt comfortable in his company. She knew Theo was still suspicious of James’ motives and she didn’t blame him. The problem with Theo was that he was under a great deal of stress, seeing his sister again, reliving the pain and loss of his mother. He was incapable at this moment of judging anything impartially.
‘I intend to,’ he smiled, ‘so tell me Olivia where do you come from?’
‘A place a few hours ride from Salem town,’ she told him carefully, substituting the word ‘drive’ for the word ‘ride,’ after all there was no way she was going to explain modern day transportation to him.
‘I see,’ James nodded, ‘and how did you and Theo meet?’
‘Well,’ she frowned, trying to edit the version of how they met. It was really hard not giving away specifics and she found she had a new understanding of how hard it must have been for Sam to have withheld certain things from her. Damn it, she really hated time travel. ‘Theo was sent to help me.’
The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum Page 125