Shaman of Stonewylde (35 page)

Holly had stayed up in the Hall after the morning’s session. She was enjoying wandering around the building looking into everything and making loud remarks about just how much it had all changed from “the good old days”. Sylvie decided she’d better stay with her, unsure what mischief Holly may get up to if left alone. She really wished that Yul was around to help and phoned down to Tom in the stables again.

‘Still no news,’ he said glumly. ‘I’m sorry, Sylvie – I just don’t know where he goes off to on Skydancer. I never liked to ask.’

‘Could you send some people out on horses to search for him?’

‘Aye, but ’tis the old thimble in the hayrick thing. He could be anywhere and Stonewylde’s a big place.’

‘You’re right – it’s a silly idea. Well, when he does come back, tell him we need him straight away, won’t you? He’s not going to be happy about Holly’s ruse and I really could do with some support.’

Just then Leveret came into the kitchen from the Kitchen Garden where she and Magpie had been working all morning, trying to ignore the noise and commotion caused by the Aitch people. She’d kept herself out of sight, hiding behind the taller plants, as she really didn’t want to engage with the Outsiders at all. Her senses felt assaulted by them; they were so noisy and bright and she couldn’t bear it. Magpie felt the same, so they’d kept their heads down and got on with their work, and hadn’t been noticed. But now she came in to get some food for them
both
, and bumped into Sylvie who was looking for Marigold. Holly had refused to eat the lunch provided and had requested a plain green salad with shredded chicken breast for her supper.

‘Oh Leveret! Isn’t this awful?’ said Sylvie. ‘I feel we’ve been invaded.’

‘We have,’ agreed Leveret. ‘I hate them being at Stonewylde.’

‘I wish Yul were here,’ said Sylvie. ‘I know he’ll say, “I told you so” but I’d still like his support. Holly’s a nightmare – she always was as a girl and she’s ten times worse now.’

‘Where is Yul anyway? Why isn’t he here?’

‘I don’t know! Nobody’s seen him for a couple of days now and I asked Tom to send out a search party, but as he rightly pointed out, Yul could be anywhere. It’s too big a place to do that.’

Leveret was silent at this. She gazed out of the window for a moment and then went very still. Sylvie watched her in consternation.

‘Leveret?’

The girl turned to her, green eyes still far away.

‘He’s up at the Dolmen.’

‘How on earth do you know that?’

Leveret shrugged and gave her a little smile.

‘I can see him.’

‘You’re amazing!’ breathed Sylvie. ‘You really are magic, aren’t you? I wasn’t sure at the Story Web – whether it was all some kind of very clever trickery. But it’s not – you really are Clip’s natural heir.’

‘Thank you! He’s up there, Sylvie, and he has no idea what’s going on down here. Shall I go and get him for you?’

‘Oh Leveret, would you? I’d be so grateful. I don’t like to leave Holly to her own devices for long. I just don’t trust her, and with Martin back to his old “Hallfolk are my masters” ways, I dread to think what she may get up to. Could you tell him what’s happened and bring him back straight away? If you can persuade him to come, of course.’

Leveret contemplated taking Magpie along, but knowing how upset Yul had been about his painting, she decided against it. She dreaded being alone with her brother but also knew he must be fetched back to deal with this situation. He’d be furious and might well decide to shoot the messenger, but there was no choice.

She hurried up the dry track leading into the hills, where the earth was pale grey and laddered with roots from the silver birches that sprung up in profusion in this heathland area. The gorse all around smelled sweetly of coconut and Leveret noticed several adders amongst the heather as she climbed the track. There’d been many sightings of adders this year, perhaps because it was so hot, and she remembered the old skins they’d found that night near the boulders at Hare Stone.

That got her thinking of the Moon Fullness; soon it would be the Blue Moon on Lammas Eve, and Leveret wanted to spend the evening in Mother Heggy’s cottage with Hare and Crow. The moon magic at the Blue Moon was especially potent and she must tap into that. She also had many plants to gather and harvest whilst the Bright Lady wore her blue robes, and would ask Magpie to help.

All these thoughts jostled in her mind as she crossed the edge of the heath and headed away from it, further up into the hills. Soon the Dolmen would be in sight and she must face Yul. He’d doubtless be livid at being disturbed, and especially by her. They hadn’t really spoken since the early days after Imbolc. She knew he’d wanted to send her away from Stonewylde altogether, to attend boarding school in the Outside World. If Clip hadn’t intervened she’d be there now; Yul hadn’t liked to be over-ridden by his father-in-law and consequently had ignored Leveret ever since.

She focused on Yul for a moment, trying to visualise him. What hit her was a maelstrom of seething, unrelenting misery. At that moment the distinctive stone portal of the ancient edifice came into view and she saw Skydancer tethered in the shade of a nearby rowan tree. Of Yul himself there was no sight, but
as
she approached the tomb she saw it was clearly occupied. It was littered with Yul’s paraphernalia: a bedding roll, a big stone water jar, the remains of a fire and a pile of books.

She called his name but there was no answer, so she went over to Skydancer. The great horse dipped and shook his head, allowing her to stroke his soft nose. Leveret didn’t share Yul’s affinity with horses but she’d known Skydancer since her childhood, when he’d been a beautiful foal. She was standing under the rowan tree with him nuzzling her chest as she stroked him when Yul appeared. His heart leapt with shock to see an intruder in his territory; this subsided to irritation when he realised it was Leveret, looking very grubby in her old work clothes.

She looked up and their eyes met, and for just a second he felt a jolt of affection for his little sister. He recognised the apprehension in her expression and knew that his scowl was fierce and unwelcoming. But the flicker of affection was soon smothered by exasperation; why had she come when it was obvious from his choice of bolt-hole that he wanted to be left undisturbed? He had no desire whatsoever to start mending his relationship with her, so if she’d come for that she’d be disappointed. She gave him a tentative smile and stepped forward.

‘Blessings, Yul,’ she said softly. Her green eyes sought his and held him in a luminous gaze. He felt something tugging at his mind and was instantly taken back to the time in Mother Heggy’s cottage when the crone had ransacked him with her soul-searching. Surely Leveret couldn’t do that? He broke eye contact immediately.

‘Blessings,’ he said tersely. ‘Why are you here? If you think that—’

‘You’re needed urgently at the Hall. Sylvie sent me.’

His face changed, losing the closed hardness and softening into concern.

‘Sylvie needs me? Right – hold on just a moment!’

He strode to the entrance of the Dolmen and gathered up all his bits and pieces, shoving them into the back of the cave then covering them with dried bracken. Leveret noticed it with
a
pang; Samhain and her first journey. Then he unhitched Skydancer and began to lead the horse down the path. Leveret had to run to catch up.

‘Aren’t you going to ride down?’

‘No, I’ll walk with you, so you can tell me what the problem is. I’m assuming it’s nothing mundane or Sylvie wouldn’t have sent for me, but nor is it life and death or you’d be more agitated. Are Sylvie and the girls alright?’

‘Yes, they’re all fine – it’s nothing to do with them but it’s pretty bad. Aitch and all the fashion people are here.’

‘Yes, that’s one of the reasons I chose to absent myself. I made it very clear to everyone that I didn’t think we should do any kind of deal with them.’

‘Yes, I felt the same,’ agreed Leveret. ‘I couldn’t believe it when Clip signed that contract.’

They’d now reached the laddered path and started to pick their way down, trying not to trip over the roots that became more exposed as the dusty earth eroded further under their feet. Leveret went first, and Yul, leading Skydancer, followed.

‘It was a stupid thing to agree to!’ he said vehemently. ‘We do need money urgently, but not by these means. I can just imagine the type of people they are – shallow and commercial and totally at odds with Stonewylde and all our principles. I’m sure they see us as anachronistic and quaint, and—’

‘Yul, we’ve been duped.’

‘Duped? What do you mean?’

‘Aitch stands for Holly.’

‘
What? Bloody hell!
’

‘She runs her own fashion label and Finn the photographer is actually Fen. Or Fennel.’

‘I don’t believe it! The bastards!’

‘They’re horrible,’ said Leveret.

‘I know they’re horrible! Bloody Hallfolk and their damn sly, sneaky, underhand, deceitful . . . Oh, it makes my blood boil to think they finally managed to worm their way in by the back door – how bloody
clever!
Goddess, this is
awful
!’

‘You can imagine what it’s been like at the Hall since the two of them arrived this morning.’

‘Holly and Fennel back in Stonewylde . . . I just can’t believe it!’

‘It was bad enough yesterday, when the models and crew descended on us. But today when the pair of them arrived—’

‘Didn’t anyone think to throw them all out? Clip? Sylvie?’

‘Clip’s away for a couple of days.’

‘Away? Where?’

‘Seeing a lawyer, I believe.’

‘Really? Not about this matter?’

‘No – he’d already done that before signing the contract. He’s seeing his lawyer about something different and, like you, he wanted to be away during the photoshoot. He said he couldn’t bear the thought of Outsiders crawling all over the place.’

‘Pity he didn’t think of that before he signed the damned contract!’ spat Yul.

Leveret glanced back over her shoulder at him. He was dirty and his hair a wild mess, and now his face was thunderous. She shivered; if anyone could get rid of these unwanted Hallfolk, it was her big brother.

‘Sylvie did try to throw them out,’ she explained, ‘but it seems the contract Clip signed is legally binding. We have to go through with the photoshoot and fulfil their order or else we’re in breach of it, and apparently Holly says she’d definitely sue.’

‘The bitch! That sounds just like her. How come you know so much, Leveret?’

‘Sylvie told me.’

‘Since when have you been Sylvie’s confidante? I thought you didn’t like her?’

Leveret glanced at him.

‘Sylvie and I have become much closer recently. We get on very well now.’

‘Well lucky old you!’ he said bitterly. ‘I wish I could say the same of my relationship with her.’

Yul dropped Skydancer quickly into the stables, pre-empting Tom’s attempts to pass on Sylvie’s message with a dismissive wave of the hand. He was about to dash upstairs to his apartments to clean up when he remembered they’d been requisitioned by the Aitch crowd. Cursing, he flew into his office to have a quick forbidden shower and change of clothes before confronting the intruders, only to be greeted by Sylvie and Holly sitting in there on opposite sofas.

‘Ah, the wandering hero returns!’ cried Holly, jumping up. ‘Good to see you at last, Yul!’

She went to kiss him, a charming smile on her face, but he glared at her and pulled back.

‘Forgive me for the dirty clothes and stink of the outdoors,’ he said abruptly, ‘but I’ve been camping out and wasn’t expecting visitors.’

‘And we’ve commandeered your bathroom, poor thing,’ she laughed. ‘Not to mention your bed. When I saw—’

‘Yul, I’m so glad Leveret found you!’ said Sylvie. ‘I’ve been entertaining our surprise guest all day and I’d hoped you’d come back to help me.’

Yul shot her a look of sympathy and then crossed to sit by her side on the sofa. He took her hand in his and squeezed it.

‘Sorry I’m so dirty,’ he apologised to her. Turning to Holly, he spoke smoothly. ‘You must be feeling very pleased with yourself to have fooled us so completely. That was one hell of a trick, Holly.’

‘Trick? There’s been no trick, I assure you.’

Yul rolled his eyes.

‘Let’s not play games, please.’

Her thin, pointy face broke into a smile, revealing perfectly shaped teeth and razor-sharp lines around her mouth.

‘But I love playing games, Yul. You should remember that. And as for fooling you . . .’ She shrugged nonchalantly and drummed her long fingernails on the arm of the sofa. ‘Well, I must say I was pretty sure we’d be rumbled before arriving here, and I knew you’d never agree to the deal if you discovered who
you
were doing business with. Not after you’d rejected Buzz’s offer of help.’

‘Such powers of deduction!’ said Yul. ‘But you took the risk anyway.’

‘My only hope was to get the contract signed before you realised who actually owned Aitch. I honestly thought you’d find out – it’s not exactly a secret. A search at Companies House, not to mention a good dig on our website, would’ve given the game away.’

‘We clearly didn’t do our homework very thoroughly, did we?’ he said mildly, and Sylvie was amazed at his restraint. Holly’s smug satisfaction was unbearable.

‘Well, no disrespect, but I don’t imagine homework’s ever been your strongest point, Yul,’ she said, her brown eyes roaming over him insolently. Sylvie longed to jump across the coffee table that divided them and slap her hard around her nasty little face.

‘True,’ said Yul ruefully. ‘I didn’t even know my alphabet till I was sixteen, poor Villager that I was. And here you and Fennel are now, having completely hoodwinked us.’

‘Yes, here we are and very lovely it is to be back,’ said Holly, stretching like a little cat. Her scrawny arms showed off great muscle definition and the elegant shift dress she wore, boldly patterned in caramel, black and white, rode up slightly to reveal her trim legs, tanned and smooth, and shod in dainty black patent high heels. Her body was perfectly toned and expensively maintained and as she stretched, showing as much thigh as was decent, her eyes watched Yul very carefully.