by Mark Hayden
The Seventh Star
Table of Contents
Dramatis Personae
Clerkswell
London
The North
1 — Elvenham Circus
2 — Away with the Fairies
3 — Home and Away
4 — On the Case
5 — The Dogged Detective
6 — A Vision of Loveliness
7 — No Complaints
8 — Safe Haven
9 — Fresh Starts
10 — Assisting with Enquiries
11 — New Blood
12 — Sheriff to PR1
13 — Mayfly
14 — Cherchez le Gnome
15 — Duty of Care
16 — Fall Guy
17 — The Pointing Finger
18 — Gnome Advantage
19 — Curried Worm Time
20 — All You Can Eat
21 — Queen Sacrifice
22 — On the Scent
23 — Dangerous Company
24 — Whatever it Takes
25 — Armed Race
26 — Keep your Friends Close
27 — And your Enemies Closer
28 — Leader of the Pack
29 — Air Lift
Six Furlongs
Author’s Note
Table of Contents
THE SEVENTH STAR
The Seventh Book of the King’s Watch
by Mark Hayden
A Conrad Clarke Novel
Dedication
For the Awesome Rachel Lawston.
There’s only One Auntie Rah Rah…
Copyright © Paw Press 2020
www.pawpress.co.uk
Front Cover © Lawston Design 2020
www.lawstondesign.com
Images © Shutterstock
Dramatis Personae
After much nagging from Mr Hayden, I have put some notes here about the characters who appear in this book. I hope you find them useful.
I recommend that you glance at them and then refer back to them if you need to. As ever, there are full lists and a glossary of magickal terms on the Paw Press website: www.pawpress.co.uk
I hope you enjoy the book,
Thanks,
Conrad.
Clerkswell
These are the people who live in Clerkswell, my home village, or who used to live in Clerkswell or who are closely associated with me.
Conrad Clarke
Me.
Mina Desai
My fiancée.
Mary Clarke
My mother. Still with my father at the time of writing. Retired cryptanalyst for GCHQ.
Rachael Clarke
My younger sister, now resident in Mayfair and a big cheese in wealth management.
Sofía Torres
My half-sister. A student at the Invisible College.
Scout
My Familiar Spirit. A Border Collie.
Myfanwy Lewis
Our resident Druid/Housekeeper. Currently serving a sentence for her involvement in Dragon rearing. A Herbalist and excellent bat for Clerkswell Ladies Cricket Team.
Ben Thewlis
Myfanwy’s fiancé. A cereal agronomist and captain of the men’s cricket team.
Carole Thewlis
Ben’s sister. Works in the oil industry. Very good friend of Rachael’s.
Erin Slater
An Enscriber who rents one of my stables. A good friend to Myfanwy. Member of the Arden Foresters Circle of Mages. Superb slip fielder.
Miss Parkes
Former headmistress of the village school. A Formidable Person.
Lloyd Flint
A Gnome. Clan Second to Clan Flint. My magickal blood brother.
Anna Flint
Lloyd’s wife.
Wesley Flint
Lloyd's uncle. Former chief of clan Flint.
Albrecht ‘Albie’ Adams
A young Gnome of Clan Flint.
Stephen & Juliet
Bloxham
Owners of Clerkswell Manor, the Big House. Stephen: developer and chairman of the cricket club. Juliet: housewife and captain of the ladies’ team. Hereditary enemies of the Clarkes. Up to a point.
Ross Miller
Young fast bowler.
Emily Ventress
Ditto.
London
All of these people feature in the following story, even if only in passing. I’ve grouped them by association.
The King’s Watch
Hannah Rothman
The Peculier Constable, head of the King’s Watch. Referred to as the Boss.
Victoria “Vicky”
Robson
My former work partner and good friend of all at Clerkswell. A Geordie and proud of it.
Saffron Hawkins
My current work partner. One of the “Oxfordshire Hawkins” and well connected in the world of magick. Second cousin to Heidi Marston.
Rick James
Senior Watch Captain. Also responsible for the Watch of Wessex. Ex-husband of Cordelia (see Glastonbury)
Xavier Metcalfe
Vicky’s current work partner.
Tennille Haynes
Hannah’s PA. Mother to Desirée Haynes
Iain Drummond
Deputy Constable. Has responsibility for prosecutions in the Cloister Court
Annelise
van Kampen
A Watch Officer and assistant lawyer to Iain Drummond. Originally from Holland.
The Invisible College / Salomon’s House
Cora Hardisty
Dean of the Invisible College (who wants to be Warden). A consummate politician and an ally rather than a friend.
Dr Francesca
Somerton
Keeper of the Queen’s Esoteric Library. A wise woman who has not hung up her dancing shoes.
Selena Bannister
Mistress of Illusions. Cora Hardisty’s best friend
Chris Kelly
The Earth Master of Salomon’s House – a Geomancer and expert in Ley lines. Almost a friend.
Tamsin Kelly
Chris Kelly’s wife. Apprenticed to the Fae Prince of Richmond as a Plane Shifter.
Eseld Mowbray
A tutor of Wards at Salomon’s House. Also an heiress to part of the Mowbray fortune. A strong horsewoman.
Kenver Mowbray
Youngest of the Mowbray clan, heir to the main part of the Pellacombe fortune and a gifted Geomancer. Apprenticed to Chris Kelly.
Cador Mowbray
Not a Mage at all, but I've put him with his siblings. A rich barrister who mainly takes cases in the Cloister Court.
Heidi Marston
Custodian of the Great Work and Master Artificer. A larger than life character in all senses of the word. Saffron’s cousin and a member of the Hawkins clan.
Oighrig Ahearn
The Oracle – senior Sorcerer at Salomon’s House. Cora Hardisty’s protégé.
Desirée Haynes
A postgraduate student at the College. Vicky Robson’s best friend.
The Cloister Court
The Honourable Mrs
Justice Bracewell
Senior judge in the Cloister Court. May or may not be known as Marcia to her husband.
Stephanie Morgan
Deputy Bailiff to the Cloister Court. Wields a mean axe and bakes very nice cakes.
Augusta Faulkner
Legendary barrister in the Court. Mostly famous for her work as a defence lawyer. Mother to Keira Faulkner.
Irina Ispabudhan
Currently in prison. See the story of the Nine of Wands for full details
Everyone Else
Alain Dupont
A Frenchman from a small village in Bordeaux. Founder member of the Merl
yn’s Tower Irregulars. All his Christmases came at once when he got a job as a paid intern with my sister Rachael at her wealth management firm.
(Mr Joshi)
A part-time Hindu priest and retired civil servant. For further details see Ring of Troth
The North
Taking the Deputy’s job meant getting to know a new landscape. I’ve included a column to show how I came across these people / creatures.
Saskia Mason
Middlebarrow
Warden of Middlebarrow Haven and Guardian of Nimue’s Spring.
Evie Mason
Middlebarrow
Housekeeper of Middlebarrow Haven.
Piers Wetherill
Middlebarrow
Watch Captain of the Marches.
The Kirkhams
Ribblegate Farm
Joseph; his son Joe; Joe’s wife, Kelly. Owners of a dairy farm on the Fylde. Old friends and allies of mine.
Stacey
Blackpool
A former prison colleague of Mina’s. Has disastrous taste in men.
The Queen of Alderley
The Fae
A Fae Queen who lives near Alderley Edge.
Princess Birkdale
The Fae
A Fae Princess in the Line of Queen Alderley.
Tara Doyle
The Fae
The human face of Princess Birkdale. A footballers wife, model and Instagram star. Winner of Strictly and mother of two.
Count of Canal Street
The Fae
A Fae Count in the service of Princess Birkdale.
Wayne
The Fae
A Fae Knight in the service of the Count of Canal Street.
Fae Klassq
The Fae
A human entertainer who lives with the Count.
JC
The Fae
A human entertainer. MC at the Count’s Club.
Stefan Blackrod
Clan Blackrod
Gnome Chief of Clan Blackrod.
Lachlan Mace
Clan Blackrod
A Gnome. Counsel to Clan Blackrod and friend of Seth Holgate.
Seth Holgate
M’cr Alch. Soc.
An Artificer. President of the Manchester Alchemical Society and prospective candidate for Warden of Salomon’s House.
Meredith Telford
M’cr Alch. Soc.
Deputy President and past President of the Manchester Alchemical Society.
Lois Reynolds
M’cr Alch. Soc.
A sorcerer of some power from Yorkshire and prospective candidate for Warden of Salomon’s House.
1 — Elvenham Circus
It was a beautiful day for a party.
We would have sunshine later, and more importantly, no rain. It was the last Saturday in September, and high pressure over the Atlantic had gifted us clear skies and light winds. It had also gifted us a near-frost last night and mist over the Severn Valley in the distance. All in all, it was such a perfect day that something was bound to go badly wrong. No one is ever that lucky.
‘Scout! To me.’ I called the manic mutt from the woods and headed back down to Elvenham. From here, I couldn’t see much of the house because of the marquee on the lawns. The dew on the canvas glistened in the sunlight, and from behind it, a plume of steam showed that the poor boiler was working overtime to provide hot water for the girls. Being first up has its advantages.
Scout came to heel and looked up at me. ‘Arff,’ he said. I think that meant: Why have you called me over? Have we got work to do?
‘Breakfast, chum. For both of us.’
Now that he’s just a dog, and not a Bonded Familiar Spirit, I have to take a lot more responsibility for him. I don’t mind most of the time, and Myfanwy loves him, too, so at least I’ll be able to leave him here when we’re off on a mission – or a holiday. I still wince when I remember smuggling him on to the cruise ship disguised as an assistance dog.
Second out of bed, and standing outside the back door in her dressing gown was my little sister, Sofía. ‘¡Hola! Conrad,’ she said, somewhat sleepily. The cup of coffee in one hand was drooping dangerously as she fished for a cigarette. I took two out and lit one for her.
‘How do you feel this morning?’ I asked.
Last night had been fairly momentous for the Clarke family. Our sister Rachael and my friend Alain Dupont had become Entangled in the world of magick thanks to Rachael’s meddling and Sofía’s carelessness. Life for the Clarkes would never be quite the same again.
She pushed her long dark hair behind her ears. Her eyes were a little puffy, but otherwise she had the seam free skin that comes from being nineteen and staying out of the sun. ‘I am feeling guilty,’ she said. ‘It was my fault and you got in trouble. I was showing off.’
‘Not your fault. And I’m not in trouble. When you get to know the Boss better, you’ll be able to tell the difference between railing and rollocking.’
‘Eh? What are they?’
Sofía’s English is so good, you forget sometimes that she’s not fully bi-lingual. I cast around for a word that would make sense. ‘Venting?’ Sofía nodded. ‘When the Boss uses Yiddish words, she’s just venting. If you’re in real trouble, it’s 100% English.’
She tipped her head on one side. ‘You know she is not my boss. Or Mina’s, or Myfanwy’s or Erin’s or Rachael’s…’ She waited until I’d got the message. ‘Mina says, and I think she is right, that sometimes your boss just wants to be Hannah.’
‘Yes. You’re right. She’s here as a guest now.’
Sofía met the Boss for the first time yesterday, and she’s wrong. The very hardest thing for the Peculier Constable to do is to be Hannah, because Hannah is a widow with enough trauma etched on her body to make looking in the mirror a major achievement.
I stubbed out my cigarette and headed in to get Scout’s dogfood, and from the kitchen, I could hear the sounds of breakfast being prepared. Mina had appeared and was already poring over the list of jobs for today, fighting for space with Myfanwy, who was trying to lay the table for a Kosher spread. Vicky and Erin drifted in, and Myfanwy enlisted them to help nudge Mina out of the way. Yesterday had been Myfanwy’s day; today was Mina’s. Sofía and I kept our distance.
We’d had a houseful last night, and more were coming through the day as the party got nearer. First to arrive, bright and early, was my current work-partner, Saffron Hawkins. Everyone said Hi, but no one went to give her a hug. She’s as welcome as anyone in my house, and I trust her with my life, but there’s always a little bit of Saffron in reserve.
‘Sorry I couldn’t be here last night,’ she said. ‘Family obligations.’
‘Talking of family, you missed a riot,’ said Myfanwy with a grin.
‘Not half,’ added Vicky.
Mina lifted her nose in her I-shall-rise-above-this pose and looked at Saffron. ‘Change of plan,’ she said and handed over a sheet of paper.
Saffron scanned it. ‘Who’s taking the Boss to Synagogue, then?’ she asked. ‘Not that I mind missing the traffic in Cheltenham.’
Mina kept her face neutral. ‘There were developments last night. Rachael – Conrad’s sister – is now Entangled, and the Mowbrays are staying in the village. Hannah will be conveyed to synagogue in a stately fashion by Maggie Pierce.’
‘No!’ said Saffron. ‘How did that happen?’
‘Conrad, take her outside and tell her. And don’t be long.’
‘Here,’ said Myfanwy, thrusting two mugs of tea at me. ‘Poor girl’s driven down from Oxford with no breakfast, least you can do is give her a drink.’
We backed out of the kitchen and I gave Saff her tea. She took a slurp and stared at the list of jobs. ‘Help Mike set up the bar. With help from Ben.’ She peered closer. ‘What’s the red “A” in the circle for?’
‘Artificer. You may have noticed that Mina has gone into overdrive. She is encouraging you to use magick to ensur
e that the bar is running smoothly.’
‘But…’ she looked at me like a lost child.
‘I know, Saff. I doubt your magickal gift will be of any use at all. Just humour her, OK?’
‘Right. So, what the hell happened last night, and how come Rachael is Entangled?’
‘And Alain. You’ll meet him later.’
I told her what had happened. That story rightly belongs with my quest to bring a Druid to justice and is part of the French Leave adventure. I finished by giving her an apology in advance.
‘I hate to say this, Saffron, but I’m afraid that my sister may be after you.’
She spat out her tea. ‘You said she was straight!’
‘She is. She wants to secure the Hawkins estate for the new company she’s setting up: Occult Estate Management. She’s got all the Mowbrays, including Ethan, to join her.’
‘Seriously, sir, that’s going to put me in a very awkward position.’
‘I know it would, which is why I don’t want you involved. If you could get Lady Hawkins to call me after the weekend, I’ll handle it.’
‘Thanks. Talking of the Mowbrays, I heard some very interesting gossip last night. You know it was my aunt’s big birthday?’