‘And Master Pilo,’ he said, ‘welcome. It is a treat to see you again.’
‘The treat is mine, Davren. You’ve learned our language. Impressive. I wish we could learn yours.’
‘Centaur is near enough impossible for you, Pilo, with all the strange sounds we make. Besides, I like mastering new languages and Drestonian is most elegant.’
Pilo stepped forward and held out a hand palm down, which Davren mimicked but in reverse, so their palms met.
‘Thank you for letting us find you,’ Pilo said. ‘Who taught you Drestonian?’
Davren turned to Ellin to explain. ‘Your aunt Tess and your father have been great teachers.’
‘My father?’ Ellin said, surprised.
Davren nodded. ‘But I asked him not to mention that he has seen us on frequent occasions.’ He looked at her self-consciously. ‘Forgive me but if word got out I could imagine all the cityfolk trying to find us creatures. It was easier this way.’
The centaur was tall and powerfully built. His hair was as dark and lustrous as Ellin remembered, but the fur that clung close to his flanks was now his full adult charcoal colour.
‘I’d like to settle back against a tree and talk to you for hours,’ she said, unable to help herself. ‘But I can’t. We come with an urgent request for you to help us save someone’s life.’ She pointed behind her at the litter that carried the unconscious noble.
‘Yes, I noticed you arrived with a retinue,’ Davren said to Pilo, nodding towards a group of soldiers who were standing with Flynn, at a polite distance from the trio. As Ellin began to lead him to Flynn, Davren added, ‘Have you heard yet about Tess’s baby?’
‘No,’ Ellin said, excited, knowing the centaur could speak on a magical mindlink with her Aunt Tess. ‘Have I a girl or boy cousin?’
‘A boy. He’s healthy and happy.’
Ellin nodded, smiling. ‘I guess the news will arrive by pigeon soon enough, unless Mother beats it home.’
‘And how is that contrary veercat?’ Pilo asked, following them.
‘Happy,’ Davren said. ‘Rix stays close to Tess and already feels protective towards the child.’
‘Good,’ Pilo said. ‘Elph is well too?’
‘Indeed, our sagar friend is deep in the forest, snuffling for his precious clumpers. Helys is calm, almost permanently green now,’ Davren explained, referring to the califa’s ability to shift colours based on mood.
Ellin gestured for the soldiers to step back as they approached Flynn. ‘What about the gryphon I’ve heard so much about since I was little?’
‘Gaston?’ Davren said with a wry smile. ‘He remains as elusive as ever.’ He arrived to stand by the litter and stare down at the unconscious boy.
‘This is Flynn,’ Pilo said.
‘Davren, my father was reluctant to ask for your help, but I insisted,’ Ellin said.
‘Why don’t you tell me all about it, Princess,’ Davren said, kindly.
Pilo remained silent as Ellin briefly explained what was happening in Floris with the disappearance of its children, the arrival of the Rumpelgeist and how only she and Flynn could hear or see him. She explained about Flynn’s injury and that Pilo had been forbidden by the King to help find Grendel and why. Through it Davren remained silent and thoughtful, listening but all the while moving around Flynn, looking for signs that he could survive his injuries.
‘Lex is standing right by you, Davren,’ she finished.
‘Welcome, Lex,’ Davren said as Ellin paused. ‘I do sense the magic of you.’
‘Really?’ Lex said.
Ellin gave a sad grin in the thickened air’s direction, before looking back at Flynn, worried. ‘The journey has wearied him,’ she remarked, looking at how gaunt he appeared. ‘But we can’t rest. We have to get him to Grendel.’
‘I will help, of course, but there is a condition,’ Davren said. ‘No soldiers. All we creatures know of Grendel,’ he added.
Pilo raised an eyebrow in surprise. ‘Do you know where to find him?’
‘Yes, it’s how we avoid him. But I know he will not so much as show himself with soldiers around.’
‘The King will not be pleased, but you’re right of course,’ Pilo said.
Davren put his face close to Flynn’s and smelled. He nodded, as though satisfying himself. ‘He is strong, stout of heart too,’ he said as he moved around to touch the pulse at Flynn’s neck. ‘I owe it to the Crown, and yes, I can keep Ellin and Flynn safe until they meet Grendel. Beyond that it will depend on the wizard.’
‘How do you know of him?’ Ellin asked.
Davren looked hesitant. ‘I learned of him through my family,’ he said, simply. His tone told her he did not wish to discuss the matter any further. ‘Grendel is not going to help us without payment,’ he said.
Pilo turned to Davren. ‘We hoped you might act as lure.’ His tone was apologetic but unflinching.
Davren’s gentle expression didn’t change. ‘I understand,’ was all he said.
Pilo nodded as though an agreement had been made. ‘There is no more time to lose. We have brought food. Be careful to ration it, for Ellin eats piles,’ he said, ignoring her noises of indignation. ‘Grendel used to live not far from Collymoor at Newton-Mead. Look for the gilka tree to reveal the hidden opening. Sorry.’ He frowned. ‘My mind is blurry on it. That’s all I can recall,’ he continued. ‘I do know his place is cleverly hidden.’
‘I know of Newton-Mead,’ said Davren, ‘and I will likely sense his vile magics, as I sense Lex. It won’t be difficult to find him once we’re in the right district. It will be more difficult to extricate ourselves. But right now time is our greatest enemy. Flynn looks very pale. We must leave immediately.’
‘While you seek Grendel, the King will send his best soldiers to hunt Grevilya. I will be with them,’ Pilo assured, ‘but you must stay in touch with us via your mindlink with Duchess Tess, Davren.’
‘Or I can use the Whistle,’ Ellin said, pulling out the silver instrument.
Pilo smiled. ‘How could I have forgotten it?’ he said, looking chagrined at the oversight. ‘I’ll hear it wherever you are.’
13
The Witch Grevilya had made herself at home on the windswept peninsula of Hellion’s Hole. Dirty Caxton was the last pirate captain to make use of the cove but that was at least seventeen summers ago and since then it had been deserted by all but the hardiest of wild goats and a lonely donkey that seemed to walk around the region with no purpose or owner. She had thought about ensnaring the beast – he would be useful for her magic tests or at least to pull a cart – but he’d proven to be the most cunning of animals and had eluded her and her magic for years.
‘Have you seen our donkey friend recently?’ she asked, not losing count in her mind of the brushstrokes through her gloriously golden hair.
She heard the soft hiss as Simeon sucked in his breath. It was his odd habit. ‘Not recently, no. But spring is here. He likes this side of the peninsula at this time.’
‘I swear I’m going to trap him this year … maybe use the inertia spell I’ve perfected.’
‘It’s the only one you’ve perfected, dear one … and committed to memory.’
She ignored his jibe. ‘Trapping that donkey has become a challenge now.’
Simeon chuckled and his reflection moved into view in the mirror as he regarded her from behind. ‘Your hair is very pretty today. I imagine Starling must be exhausted from brushing it, the way it’s shining. Where is she?’
Grevilya admired Grace’s face staring back at her. ‘Twittering around! I’ve banished her and said I’ll do my own hair this morning. Starling has little enough to keep her occupied but she should consider herself lucky that I let her even touch me.’
Grevilya shifted her gaze to regard her strange companion. He would be wise not to make jests about her magic for it was only because of her magic he could appear in any guise he chose and today he had chosen his favourite appearance – that of a tall, hollow-
looking man, dressed sombrely and with an expression to match. It pleased her, not least because he wasn’t trying to compete in any way with her.
‘My beautiful hair aside, what about the rest of me?’ she asked archly, straightening so he could get a good look at her new garments.
‘Eternally beautiful,’ Simeon assured, and she glimpsed the curiosity of his forked tongue when it slipped out of his mouth to lick his lips briefly. ‘Do you think Grace fully appreciated at the time the trade she made with you?’ he added.
‘Each time she looks in the mirror, I’m sure,’ Grevilya replied and laughed. In her true voice it would have been a cackle, but with beautiful Gracie’s tinkling tones her laugh was smoky-mellow. ‘It’s strange you mention her, Simeon, because I have been thinking about Grace and her cunning husband recently.’
Simeon sniffed, and brushed at a fleck of dust on the dark robe that he preferred with this guise. ‘You look at her face each morning. You can’t be blamed for being reminded of her.’
‘No, it’s more than that.’ She shivered her square, perfectly shaped shoulders. ‘It’s not that vague.’ She stood and reached for the nearby hook that held her cloak.
‘You mean you feel her presence?’ Simeon helped her on with the thick, fur-lined cape. ‘You’ll need this, it’s still cool out there this morning. The spring winds are lively.’
Grevilya smiled wide and white with her neat, small teeth. ‘I like the winds. They blow the cobwebs from my mind and we’ve been cooped up during winter for too long.’
‘Maybe the winds can blow Grace from your thoughts,’ Simeon suggested, stepping back to admire Grevilya as she clipped the cloak together at her throat.
Grevilya shook her head and the soft waves in her hair bounced gently. ‘I don’t know, Simeon.’ She moved to open a cabinet, within which was a huge book, known as her grimoire. She stroked the cover, enjoying the feel of the soft, deep purple velvet it was made from. ‘I feel a sense of foreboding.’
His tongue flashed out and disappeared again as he made a scoffing sound. ‘You are Grevilya! You have nothing to fear from anyone. And now you have the Drestonian crown in sight.’ He walked up and covered her hand with his. Beneath their hands, the grimoire made a grumbling sound. ‘In here is all your greatest work. You made the right decision to give it your magic.’
Grevilya nodded. It was true that she’d recorded all of her spells into the grimoire’s memory, for she could no longer trust her own. But in giving the book the responsibility, she was now refused access to them without its knowledge. The single weapon she kept constantly in mind was her inertia spell.
‘Your guises, Simeon, are surely my greatest spell,’ she flirted. ‘One day we shall marry and you’ll have to choose a permanent one I enjoy.’
Simeon smiled indulgently. ‘I am purely a reflection of others,’ he said, neatly sidestepping her reference to marriage. He tapped the grimoire, making it squeak with displeasure. ‘In here is true power … to separate people’s spirits from themselves. Watching you turn the children into only the ghosts of what they were was astonishing.’
Grevilya gave a soft sigh, forgetting marriage while Simeon’s honeyed words stroked her ego. ‘Yes, but I don’t care to think on the years I committed to that spell. Perhaps it is the one that is sending my mind reeling into oblivion.’
‘Don’t say that,’ he cooed.
‘We both know I’m losing my mind. But not yet, Simeon, and given time, I think I can beat it. I have a plan and a powerful spell. For now the grimoire will be my memory.’
‘Oh?’ Simeon said. ‘What sort of powerful spell did you have in mind?’
She tapped her nose with cunning. ‘I want to design a spell to steal someone’s mind – a young mind.’
He looked at her with awe. ‘A replacement?’
‘A blending of both,’ she said and chuckled. ‘I want youth back in my mind. That, and I want to give the Drestonian royals a lesson they’ll never forget. They’ve ignored me at their peril and now I’m going to show them I am not simply someone who murmurs the words of a known spell. Anyone with minor talent can do that.’ She shrugged. ‘But it’s the knowing of the magic – the crafting of the spell itself – that sets me apart from a mere practitioner. Did I ever tell you about the ship I made invisible?’
He frowned with puzzlement. ‘No. I’d like to hear about it though.’
‘A magnificent ship. Belonged to Dirty Caxton. But that wretched Olof and Grace stole her from me.’
Simeon didn’t look overly impressed. ‘You stole so much more from them though,’ he soothed, his split tongue nipping out to moisten his lips.
‘The magic I used on Grace and Olof was a borrowed spell from my first husband, Grendel – I’ll admit that to you; it wasn’t a magic of my own design. But the invisibility spell is mine. I’m very proud of it and its origins are in that ship that was stolen from me. Silver Wind could make herself invisible at will but that’s where I went wrong, you see. I allowed her that freedom to choose. With Lex and the others, they have no choice. They are invisible at my command.’
Simeon wasn’t entirely successful at disguising his disinterest in her ship. ‘I still think you should have spent more time on each of the children.’
‘Oh, don’t start that again,’ she began wearily, walking away.
‘Well, Grevilya, you are putting a lot of faith into one ghost.’
‘Lex has them all under control.’
‘He’s the eldest, yes, but they are all still children. Still prone to unpredictable actions. You should have brought them entirely under our control. You were …’ Simeon stopped and took in a visible breath.
‘I was what? Go on, say it!’ she snapped.
He shook his head.
‘I’ll say it for you. You think I was lazy, don’t you?’
‘Your words,’ he said softly.
‘Simeon,’ said Grevilya, ‘have you any idea what it takes out of me to make anything entirely invisible … especially a person? To separate their shadow – their very spirit – from the individual? It takes an enormous toll, and then to work that magic so it allows us to still see the individual is ridiculously hard, and I didn’t want to have to give that much to a pile of children I don’t care about.’ She eyed him. ‘Besides, you do understand we probably don’t need them?’
‘Of course I know. It was my idea, remember, to use the child as bait to frighten the people.’
Grevilya smiled. ‘Indeed. And you were right because I hear Floris is in quite a flap.’
‘And while the King is distracted, let’s hope your little pet, Lex, is doing all the work for us.’
Grevilya chuckled as she hunted for her gloves. ‘Your disguise as that girl Meggie Fanter was inspired, Simeon. Poor Lex, he never had a chance against you.’
‘His ambition is our weapon. He wants his royal apothecarist’s role so badly he’ll do anything to get back to his exams. The most amusing part is that he actually trusts you, poor fool.’ Simeon’s tongue flashed out and Grevilya shivered privately to see how clearly it forked at the tip. It never failed to fascinate her in a dreadful way. He was deeply frightening and yet she found his sly mind irresistible. Without him, she’d never have thought to act so decisively upon her old gripe against the royals. It would have been much easier to send Simeon in to lure Drestonia’s crown princess into her clutch but that tongue of his was the giveaway clue, and by all accounts Princess Ellin was sharp. If, as Grevilya suspected, she was also empowered, it would have been too big a risk. No, Simeon could be counted upon to be in disguise for short periods to trick others but Lex could stick close to the Princess once he’d achieved the connection she hoped he would.
Unaware of her scrutiny, Simeon continued talking. ‘What I enjoy most,’ he said, his lips moistened, ‘is that Lex hasn’t realised that in bringing down the royals he’ll destroy his own ambition.’ He smirked. ‘And he’s meant to be the brightest of the smartest,’ he lisped.
�
��He can be my royal apothecarist,’ Grevilya said. ‘Maybe we can find a role for his loyalty.’
‘He’s not loyal, Grevilya. No one’s loyal to you, except me … don’t forget that.’ He changed tack artfully. ‘And while I think luring the Crown Princess here is an inspired move to hold the realm to ransom, I’m guessing you have plans of your own for young, pretty Ellin.’
Grevilya gurgled her pleasure. ‘You know me too well, Simeon. Yes, it is her bright young mind I shall take as my final punishment to Drestonia. Grace’s face, Ellin’s mind. Perfect!’
He clasped his hands in front of him. ‘Shouldn’t be long now, Your Majesty.’
‘Oh, I do like the sound of that, Simeon.’
‘The title suits you very well.’
She tapped his chest. ‘And is this regal guise for me?’
‘Indeed. But do let me know if you want something else. I can be younger, older, shorter, taller, muscled or bearded, blue eyed or rosy cheeked. Whatever Her Majesty wishes. I can surprise you each day and never run out of ideas.’
She shifted her head to one side and regarded him. ‘I forget what the real you looks like,’ she mused, recalling something hideously reptilian.
‘Don’t even dwell on it. What I present each day is so much more interesting. You must trust me on this.’
‘I do trust you, Simeon. But there are times I look at you when …’
‘Don’t, Grevilya. I came to you and offered my services freely.’
‘I gave you my magic though.’
‘I like to think we had a fair exchange. You gave me a special magic that could only be used by me. And I gave you the idea for how to become a queen.’
She sighed again. ‘You’re right. Forgive me. Why don’t you ever use Olof’s guise anyway? I think I’d like to see that handsome “husband” of mine.’
‘I like to keep it pristine for when you require it. Perhaps when you are finally queen, you might think of me as your king.’
She tinkled a laugh. ‘Come, walk with me.’
She took his proffered hand and allowed him to guide her out of the old manor house they’d taken over and out onto the windswept cliffs of Hellion’s Hole.
The Rumpelgeist Page 10