by June Wilson
“I’m not prey to such human emotions,” the Goddess replied haughtily.
The woman laughed. “How little you know yourself. A failing, I would have thought.” She turned her attention to Orla. “And who is this?” she asked, her hand drawn to the ruby round her neck. “Ah! A priestess of the Fae! You should be careful of your power, little one, lest it consume you.”
“Leave the girl alone – she’s mine,” Hel snapped.
“Oh, I very much doubt that,” Varia said, her eyes searching Orla’s face. It felt as if spiders were crawling over her skin. “Now take me to Mimir. I have news for her.”
“News? What news?” Hel scoffed. “You’ve failed. You lost control of Helaine, which is bad enough. But to be sent back to my halls by one of your kind! Mimir will not be pleased. I’m surprised you’re in such a hurry to see her.”
Varia sighed and shook her head. “You always were rather stupid Hel. Sometimes it’s best to let those who think they’re doing right, do wrong. It always makes for a far more entertaining spectacle. Don’t you think so, priestess?”
Orla made no reply. Her proximity to Varia was like being suffocated by a black cloud. She saw one vision and one vision only: Mimir in the ascendance, with no one to stop her; the Gods turning upon themselves, laying blame at Freya’s feet. She reached for the earth power and held it steady, a flicker of hope in the darkness.
ENGLAND - 1856
Chapter 25
It was fairly easy to follow Murdo’s silvery trail through the woods. There were patches of blood too, but he wasn’t sure if it was Murdo’s (if Nifl demons even had blood) or that of the lockkeeper. At least they hadn’t found a body. He tried to tell himself that was a good thing, even though he knew a Nifl demon could probably devour a human without leaving any trace at all.
The undergrowth got thicker and thicker as they progressed and just when he was wondering if they’d got themselves lost, they emerged into a large clearing. Moonlight shone on clumps of bluebells and daffodils and the uneven ground was replaced by soft moss.
“Look - over there!” Alice said, pointing to a wooden cabin at the far side. It was derelict, with a caved in roof and a door that hung off its hinges. He couldn’t see what Alice was so excited about.
“What? It’s nothing. Just an old shed.”
“It’s a glamour,” Alice said. “Concentrate.”
She was right. As Toby focused his gaze, the edges of the shed began to shimmer as if they were melting and soon a sturdy cottage stood in its place, with rough-hewn walls and barred windows.
“Someone’s got something to hide then,” he grinned. He got down on his haunches and inspected the ground more closely. “No snail trail – but there are footprints. Maybe Murdo’s changed back into human form. This could be his hide out. That Varia woman could be here too – Martha said she’d sent her back where she came from.”
“I’ll go have a look.” Jess said, running off surprisingly quickly for someone in a long dress.
“Jess – wait!” Alice started and then shrugged. “I guess she’ll be okay. She’s already a ghost.” She gave a weak smile and Toby wondered if she was remembering the day Jess had run off to the magic tent Geraint had used to lure Alice, what seemed like an age ago in Middengard.
“Let her help,” he said. “I think she feels bad for being taken in by Madame Varia.”
“And Helaine too, I expect. But I don’t think Helaine means us any harm. That awful woman’s got some sort of hold on her. All she wants to do is find her son. You can’t really blame her, can you?”
“Guess not.” Toby preferred not to think about that too closely. He’d caused his own mother months of anxiety when he’d disappeared.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about Will and why…” Alice started, but was broken off by a shout from Jess.
“Come on – she’s found something,” Toby said. “Although if it’s Murdo, I’ll do the fighting.”
“No chance,” Alice said. “You can’t have all the fun.” He knew she was teasing but he vowed to shield her from the demon all the same. And he was itching for a good fight.
“What is it? Have you found Murdo?” he said when they reached Jess.
“No. But it was the weirdest thing – I saw another boy. He was thin and ragged and at first I thought it was Will, but he had longer hair. And there was someone with him – a woman I think. I was going to go in, but then they just disappeared.”
“What – went into another room you mean?”
“No – literally disappeared. One minute they were there and the next they were gone.”
“Just like Madame Varia,” Alice said, frowning. “Do you think they were Guardians?”
“How would I know? I haven’t got those freaky powers like you and Toby. But the boy…” Jess broke off and shuddered. “There was something really strange about him. I know I’m dead, but he gave me goose bumps.”
“Well, I’m going to take a look.” Toby rattled the bars on the nearest window. They didn’t budge an inch. “Damn! You couldn’t use the Doom Stone Alice could you?”
“No need for the Stone,” Jess sniffed. “Walls aren’t exactly a problem for me. Just give me a couple of minutes and I’ll let you in. There’s bound to be a key for the door somewhere.”
Without waiting for an answer, Jess dissolved and reappeared on the other side of the window. The next minute they heard the sound of a key turning in a lock.
“Nice party trick Jess,” Toby said as they followed her inside.
“Do you think it might be him?” Alice whispered. “You know – Helaine’s son?”
“No idea. Maybe Jess was imagining it. Or maybe she sees other ghosts. One thing’s for sure, it won’t take us long to find out.” Toby looked around. The cottage was small. There was a bedroom to the right and a sitting room and kitchen to the left. There was some evidence of habitation, but after half an hour looking in every nook and cranny it was clear there was nobody there.
“I can’t understand it!” Jess wailed. “I saw two people. And the only way out is through the front door – you would have seen anyone leave.”
“I don’t understand it either.” Alice fidgeted with her pendant. Toby knew she only did that when she was feeling nervous – or when she’d sensed something their normal Intuition wasn’t picking up. He was about to ask her what was going on when something flew at him out of the darkness and knocked him to the floor.
*
It was almost dawn and Martha and Josh were getting ready to leave. At first Will had insisted he should go to the cottage, since he was the one who knew exactly where it was. But a stern rebuke from Martha, plus the promise of hot milk and a plateful of oat biscuits, had silenced him. He was half asleep by the time Martha carried him upstairs. Which was all for the best as far as Josh could see, because he’d been in enough trouble already for someone his age.
As for Molly, she looked worn out, with dark shadows in the hollows beneath her eyes. It didn’t feel right somehow, leaving her on her own.
“You’ll be okay, won’t you?” he said, hovering on the doorstep whilst Martha waited for him.
“Course I will. I’m handy with a poker, I am. Anyway, Martha says no one will come here now. Not now she’s dealt with Madame Varia.” Molly shuddered. “She took me right in, she did.”
“Yeah, well, you weren’t to know. It’s not everyday you get to meet, um, creatures from another world.”
Molly gave him a long look. “Like you, you mean?”
“Hey! I’m human! Well, mostly. Half, to be precise.” He grinned. Maybe one day he’d be able to explain the whole Hilderinc thing to her.
“Well, whatever you are, you be careful, do you hear?” Then she kissed him on the cheek and closed the door.
It was the kiss he was thinking about now, as he followed Martha through the dark streets. It made him feel embarrassed and pleased all at the same time. Whatever happened next, he hoped he’d get to see Molly again. Of course
the logistics of that weren’t promising. It was typical that the only girls he liked were either in a time warp or a parallel universe.
But there were more pressing issues than his love life. He turned his mind to Will’s story as he hurried to keep up with Martha’s fast pace.
“It’s a bit of a coincidence isn’t it?” he said.
“What is?”
“Will and this boy – he said he looked like him. Is that weird or what?”
“It’s no coincidence,” Martha replied. “It’s to do with ancient bloodlines. Right under my nose as well!”
Josh was dying to ask what she meant but they’d reached the woods by now and she cautioned him to take care. There were signs that Murdo had passed this way – large patches of slime and something else that Josh thought looked horribly like blood. More remnants of the unfortunate lockkeeper he supposed. He was trying not to think of what the Nifl demon was capable of when he heard Martha give a muffled cry. She was a few steps ahead and had come to a halt by a fallen tree. She was bent over double, her hand across her mouth.
“What is it? Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, pointing at the mess of mud and leaves at her feet. What looked at first glance like the remains of a dead animal was a human head, its hair bloody and matted. Josh felt the bile rise in his throat. “The lockkeeper?” he managed to ask, willing himself not to be sick.
“No. That’s Henry Ablewhite. My sister’s husband.”
*
When Toby was thrown to the floor Alice panicked. She fully expected to see Murdo, either man or demon, and grabbed her Stone. But it wasn’t Murdo that was holding Toby in an arm-lock on the floor. It was a woman she’d never seen before. She was sturdily built, with a large pale face and hair scraped back in a bun. She wore a plain dress, with the sleeves rolled up to reveal strong arms.
“No! Please – stop!” Alice tried to drag the woman’s hands away from Toby, but she shrugged Alice off. She could hear Toby choking, his feet scrabbling uselessly against the floorboards.
“Alice,” Jess wailed. “Do something!”
Alice reached for the Stone. It was her only option. “Stop right now!” she commanded.
The woman slackened her grip and Alice heard Toby gasp for air. “I’m not afraid of you, Stone Keeper,” she said. “I answer only to Freya.”
“But Freya wouldn’t want you to kill Toby!” She held out the Stone, pulse racing. When she’d aimed at the barogs, they’d been completely obliterated. Who was to say wielding the Stone now wouldn’t kill them all?
“Lottie Craven – unhand that boy right now!”
Shaking, Alice swung round. She could hardly believe her eyes. Martha was bustling towards them, Josh following in her wake. The woman called Lottie hesitated and then did as she was told. Toby rolled over, coughing and spluttering.
“Alice, Toby – are you alright?” Martha helped Toby to his feet and shot the other woman an angry look. The woman took a step back, her mouth folded into a thin line. Alice looked from one to the other. The family resemblance was quite striking.
“Your sister?” Alice said.
Martha nodded. “Charlotte - the one that left years ago. At least, I thought she did. She ran off with Henry Ablewhite. Our mother didn’t approve. Guardians aren’t supposed to marry.” She gave her sister a disgusted look. “They’re children, Lottie. What were you thinking?”
“I know where my duty lies. There’s no call for you to be here Martha. You should leave now – all of you.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Josh muttered, looking hopefully at Martha. He was supporting Toby, who was still coughing.
“No,” Alice said firmly. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re not the enemy here – Madam Varia is. And Martha’s dealt with her. If you just tell us the truth, we might be able to help you. There’s still a Nifl demon to deal with.”
“She’s right Lottie,” Martha said, softening. “I know we’ve had our differences, and maybe I’ll never understand why you left, but we’re all on the same side here.”
The woman looked ready to protest then her shoulders slumped and she covered her face in her hands. “I’m sorry Martha. But we were bound, Henry and me. It was our duty to hide the boy at all costs. We’ve guarded him night and day. We gave him some small freedoms – but no more than Freya allowed.”
Freedoms – his time with Will, Alice supposed. Playing like two normal boys might play.
“And then that woman came. She’s one of us Martha, but she’s broken all her vows. She brought that thing with her. It got Henry – did you see? And it made me crazy. I wanted to kill anyone who came near this place. Anyone - maybe even you!”
“Oh Lottie, it’d never come to that.” Martha put her arm round her sister. “We want to help – Freya strike me down if we don’t. Tell us what we can do.”
Lottie gave a shuddering breath and wiped her face with her apron. “This place isn’t safe any more. We need to move him. But I don’t know how. He only wakes once every phase of the moon.”
Alice exchanged a look with Martha and the Guardian nodded. “The Doom Stone,” she said. “It will guide me.”
*
Toby and Josh sat in front of the range, trying to keep warm. Martha had instructed them to wait in the kitchen. Jess was flitting from one small room to another. She was picking things up and putting them back in a slightly different place - probably some of kind of ghost joke thing. Toby was glad someone was enjoying themselves.
His throat hurt. Which wasn’t surprising he supposed, given some crazy woman had made a pretty good job of strangling him. He couldn’t decide what had shocked him most – the actual event itself or the fact that he had felt totally helpless. He didn’t know how or why his strength had failed him, but if Martha hadn’t intervened, he could have died. Would have died in all probability, because the last thing he remembered was trying to reach Alice, to tell her not to use the Stone. He didn’t want anyone else to suffer, just because he’d overestimated his own abilities.
And now Alice – Alice who he’d sworn to protect, no matter what – had disappeared with the crazy woman, and there was nothing he could do about it. Humiliated didn’t even come near the way he was feeling.
“Don’t worry mate,” Josh said, nudging his shoulder. “She’ll be okay. She always is.”
“Yeah, I know. But that’s not the point, is it? We’re supposed to look out for each other. Fat lot of use we are, sitting around whilst Alice puts her neck on the line.”
“Talking of necks, you’re going to have some spectacular bruises.” Jess glided over and peered at his collarbone. “It must have been awful. At least being poisoned wasn’t too bad.”
“Um – hello? Can we get off the dying business? It’s bad enough being stuck here as it is.” Josh shivered. He could see Jess now she had blood all over her but his initial excitement at seeing a ghost had worn off. “I’m starving,” he said. “And freezing cold. I wish we could go home.”
“Home as in Martha’s or home as in Melbourne? Thought you were loving the adventure.” Toby said. Needling Josh was as good a way as any of keeping his mind off Alice.
“Well, I am – kind of.” Josh scuffed his toe on the floorboards. “But, well, it’s all a bit grim, isn’t it?”
“Except for Molly.”
“It’s not like that,” Josh muttered.
“Oh? You seem to be getting on well to me. Very close.”
“Will you two stop it? There are more interesting subjects than fat boy’s love life.” Jess swooped between them, leaving a blast of cold air behind her.
“Hey! I’m not fat. I’m substantial. Which is more than I can say for you.”
“Charming! I’ll have you know…”
Jess was cut off by a low rumble. It sounded like thunder, but there had been no sign of a storm.
“Shut up! Something’s happening.” Toby ran to the window. It was still dark outside. The rumble came again, slightly louder this
time. He rubbed his eyes. He could have sworn he saw the earth heave in the centre of the clearing. Earthquake? Surely not.
“Come on,” he said, heading for the door.
“But Martha told us to stay here!” Josh said.
Jess nodded in agreement and folded her arms. “Don’t interfere, were the words she used. What part of that don’t you understand?”
“I don’t care. Alice could be out there somewhere and I can’t sit around and do nothing. Now are you coming or not?”
Jess sighed theatrically. “I suppose so. Because everything works out so well every time we try to help Alice.” She shooed Toby out the door then yanked Josh to his feet. “Come on, fat boy. Let’s see what you’re made of.”
*
Alice followed Lottie into the bedroom, with Martha bringing up the rear. The older woman pulled the bed away from the wall and removed a section of the floorboards to reveal a flight of stone steps.
“Down there?” she asked.
Lottie nodded and handed her the candle. Her hand was shaking.
“We must go with her.” Martha said, peering over her sister’s shoulder. “I can feel the binding spell.”
“No,” Lottie said firmly. “It may harm you. She is the Stone Keeper. She needs no protection. I will guide her.”
Despite Lottie’s words, Alice felt her courage seep away as she descended the stairs. Suddenly her head was full of ridiculous tales of monsters and dragons and goodness knew what else. She reminded herself she’d been in much scarier places than some dark cellar – Mount Odin for one – not to mention the prison where Geraint had held her and Jess.
Yet the cellar when they reached it was a complete letdown. She almost laughed out loud for letting her imagination get the better of her. “Um – there’s nothing here,” she said, turning full circle as the candle cast eerie shadows on the walls. Other than dozens of cobwebs, the room was completely empty.
Lottie made no reply. Instead she twisted a small iron ring that was hammered into the wall – a ring that Alice was sure hadn’t been there a moment ago. Within seconds she heard the sound of stone grinding against stone. A section of the floor opened up to reveal another flight of steps.