Solstice at Stonewylde (34 page)

‘Just remember what I told you about the intoxicating and
irresistible effects of the Earth Magic – I don’t want him tricking you with it again. Remember his brutality and what he did to Buzz. We know that Yul is a potential killer and I don’t want him anywhere near you.’

She bowed her head and he smiled, exhaling sharply. He patted her leg again and stretched across to open her door. A cold blast of air entered the warm cocoon of the Rolls.

‘Are you feeling better now?’ he asked solicitously. ‘Headache and stomach ache gone?’

Sylvie nodded; they’d vanished and she felt as if she were floating on a cloud. Her head was light and uncluttered and her body was hollow. She gave him a small smile and Magus leant over and brushed his lips against hers, his breath warm on her mouth.

‘Don’t let me down, my moongazy girl. You know this is what you really want.’

She slid from the car. With a little wave, and feeling as if her feet didn’t belong to her, she pushed open one of the double doors to the Great Barn and went inside. The warmth and noise of many women hit her and she stopped dead, feeling confused. A sea of faces stared up at her, arriving late and looking startlingly beautiful in her scarlet cloak. She stood there, unsure of what to do, overwhelmed by a sense of unreality. But then a group of Hallfolk girls came rushing up to her, smiling brightly and all chattering at once. They took off her cloak, admiring it, and hung it on the pegs with the other coats. Then she was led over to the pile of cushions where they sat stitching the quilt they’d started last month. They still hadn’t got very far with it.

‘Are you feeling alright, Sylvie?’ asked Dawn, noticing Sylvie’s pale face and unfocussed eyes.

‘Yes thanks, I’m fine,’ said Sylvie.

She felt awkward with them, and when she caught Holly’s eye the girl gave her a strained smile.

‘It’s good to see you again, Sylvie,’ she said in a high, unnatural voice. ‘We’ve been wondering where you were recently.’

Sylvie noticed Holly’s eyes were red and swollen.

‘I don’t know why,’ she replied. ‘You saw me in the library last
week, remember? You said you’d make my life a misery when Magus grew bored of me.’

Several of the girls gasped and Holly stared at the floor.

‘I’m sure she didn’t mean it!’ said July quickly. ‘You know how silly Holly can be.’

‘She meant it,’ said Sylvie. ‘Holly’s never made any secret of hating me.’

‘That’s all in the past now,’ said Dawn. ‘Isn’t it, Holly?’

Holly nodded, still unable to look up, and Sylvie realised she was crying. The scene was becoming increasingly dreamlike under the strange effects of the pill Magus had given her. There was a little silence and then the girls started talking about the ski trip planned for January.

‘Are you coming, Sylvie? Most of the Hallfolk go every year.’

She shook her head, trying to stitch one of the patchwork pieces but finding her fingers weren’t working properly.

‘I don’t think so. Magus has just said we’ll be spending a few days in London after Yule, but he hasn’t mentioned skiing.’

The girls exchanged careful glances at this.

‘I love those boots, Sylvie,’ said Rainbow. ‘They’re gorgeous.’

‘And your trousers and that top – you look great.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Are they all new? Did you go away for some serious shopping?’

‘No, Magus bought them for me on the Internet.’

‘We saw all the boxes being carried up to his rooms and we wondered. Has he bought you lots of stuff?’

‘Yes, loads. There’s so much it’s almost completely covered my new room.’

More glances were exchanged.

‘You are lucky, Sylvie.’

She looked up at the group of blond girls watching her, their eyes bright with envy.

‘We’re really sorry we were horrible to you before,’ said Wren.

‘We were just upset about Buzz being banished,’ said July.

‘We thought it was your fault, but now we know it wasn’t. Magus told us the truth and he’s explained a lot of things. We’re
all sorry and we hope you’ll forgive us and be friends.’

‘Well, if you want but it really doesn’t matter – I don’t care.’

‘It does matter!’ said Holly. ‘I want to be your friend, Sylvie. Can I get you a drink?’

She insisted, despite Sylvie’s protestations, and when she’d gone Sylvie shook her head.

‘Is something up with Holly? She looks like she’s been crying all morning.’

‘She has,’ said Rainbow. ‘Magus was cross with all of us but he really laid into Holly. It was so scary! He grabbed her shoulders and shouted right in her face. I thought he was going to hit her and so did she. And he said if she was ever mean to you again he’d banish her instantly, just like he did with Buzz. She’s terrified!’

‘Please don’t tell him we told you that,’ said Dawn, frowning at Rainbow. Sylvie merely smiled and accepted the drink that Holly brought her.

Later on, when she went to the lavatories attached to the Great Barn, Rosie followed her in.

‘Blessings, Sylvie! I was hoping you’d sit with us again this Dark Moon. ‘Twas fun last month.’

‘I know, I wanted to but I’m under orders today to sit with the Hallfolk girls. I’m sorry, Rosie – I’d much rather be with you.’

‘Oh well, can’t be helped. Not much longer, eh? I’ve a message from Yul. He’s been so worried about you and we’ve heard all sorts from the servants. ‘Tis said you sleep in Magus’ rooms every night and never come out o’ there.’

‘I sleep on his sofa.’

‘That’s what they said.’

‘How do they know?’

‘They go in every morning to clean and lay the fire and they find you fast asleep on the sofa. They’re calling you Sleeping Beauty.’

Sylvie felt annoyed at this.

‘It’s not really any of their business, is it?’ she said stiffly.

‘Well, no. Anyway, Yul will be outside at the usual place, he said, just after sunset as he’ll come straight down from the Circle. Is that alright?’

‘Yes, but Rosie …’

‘What’s wrong?’

Sylvie shook her head. How could she tell this sweet girl that she was going to finish with her brother? She remembered Rosie’s words, spoken in the summer in this very place, about not hurting Yul and she cringed with guilt at what she had to do. Her only comfort lay in knowing that this way she might avert the coming confrontation at the Solstice.

‘Nothing. It doesn’t matter.’

Many Village women started to leave just before the sun set, wanting to get home before dark to start cooking, and the Hall servants had already gone. Sylvie had given up trying to sew and was curled miserably on a large floor cushion by one of the fires. She knew Hazel was watching her from across the Barn and had been all day, but hadn’t approached her. Sylvie’s stomach ached with cramps. The effects of the pill and mead had long worn off and she felt a little sick, having barely eaten anything. Her headache had returned too and the last thing she wanted was to meet Yul under the yew tree in the cold, dark evening.

‘Are you coming back to the Hall now, Sylvie?’ asked Dawn, packing up the sewing for tomorrow. Sylvie lifted her head and shook it wretchedly.

‘We’ll wait for you till you’re ready to go, like Magus wants.’

‘Well you’ll have to wait a while. I need to see Yul outside.’

‘That’s alright. We’ll tell the cart to come back and wait too.’

Sylvie shrugged, not really caring if she inconvenienced them. Magus had said she must talk to Yul and she knew she had to get it over and done with. But how could she face him? What was she going to say? Shivering under her cloak, she left the Barn and crossed the Village Green to the yew tree. It was windy and very cold after the warmth of the Barn.

Yul leant against the massive trunk, looking taller than ever. Sylvie couldn’t see his face clearly in the near-darkness, but as she approached he stood upright and wordlessly pulled her to
him. Magus’ words about not letting him touch her were forgotten already as he held her in a tight embrace, cradling her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. She stood like a stone carving in his arms, her heart thudding with despair. She must tell him she no longer wanted him. She must deny everything she’d felt for him; the love between them that had been growing since the spring when she’d first watched him digging her back garden.

Sylvie suddenly recalled the moment when she’d found him sitting on the bridge down by the river, wrapped in a cloak of loneliness and misery. She remembered how her heart had cried out to him then, wanting to light the darkness that filled his spirit. The bond between them – that flash of telepathic understanding that had connected her soul to his – suddenly snapped back into place. With his powerful arms around her and his heart drumming in her ear, Sylvie could feel his brightness and life-force, the essence of him that called to her and joined them as one. The trappings of Magus’ privileged lifestyle started to unravel under the blaze of love that raged inside Yul. Sylvie hugged him back fiercely – how could she have ever considered it could be over between them? He felt perfect in her arms.

Yul kissed her gently, murmuring her name, covering her face with small urgent kisses. She melted into him, loving the smell of him, the feel of his skin and hair against hers. His kisses became hungrier and all the old emotions came flooding back as she kissed him deeply, losing herself in his darkness. How’d she forgotten this magic? How’d she doubted the strength of their attachment? She clung to him tightly, glorying in his leanness and energy, realising that Magus had been wrong. This feeling was nothing to do with the Earth Magic and its effect – this was the magic of Yul himself, the darkness to her brightness. Magus would never understand the strength of this instinctive, overruling attraction between them. Eventually they pulled apart and he took her face in his hands and peered at her. She was trembling violently.

‘I’ve missed you, Sylvie,’ he said softly. ‘I love you so much
and I’ve missed you every single minute. You’ve been in my mind all the time, day and night.’

He bent and started to kiss her again, saving her from having to lie to him. Sylvie hadn’t thought of him constantly, nor had she missed him. She’d denied him, betrayed him and agreed to give him up forever. Her mother had been right all along – she was shallow. Shallow and naive, easily swayed by Magus and his excessive generosity and persuasive flattery. She’d dropped Yul as if their love was nothing, in exchange for a few new outfits and compliments and a glass of mead. She hated herself. Remembering the girls waiting for her in the Barn, and Magus waiting at the Hall, she reluctantly pulled away. She had to say something now …

‘Yul, I don’t have long. He’s expecting me back.’

‘I bet he is,’ muttered Yul. ‘I heard he’s keeping you a prisoner in his rooms. He hasn’t hurt you, has he?’

‘No, no, not at all – he’s been very kind to me.’

‘Bastard! Remember what he’s done to us and don’t be taken in by him, Sylvie.’

Too late for that, she thought. She took one of his hands in hers and held it to her cheek. She’d forgotten Yul’s raw energy; the feeling that together they could set the world alight. She’d forgotten the sheer excitement and magnetism of him.

‘Yul, I’m sorry but I’ve got to tell you something. I … you … things have changed and I … I realise now that you really can’t try to overthrow Magus at the Solstice or force a confrontation with him. You must forget Mother Heggy’s prophecy and all that horrible stuff about death and people falling one by one. Your mother was right – Mother Heggy has caused so much trouble and you must put all this aside. I know Magus has treated you badly but you—’

‘What?’ he said incredulously. ‘Treated me
badly
? Sylvie, he tried to
kill
me! If you could’ve seen him in that labyrinth at Samhain – he was going to burn me alive! And before that, up at Mooncliffe, he stuffed so many cakes down my throat I nearly died of poisoning. And that’s not to mention what he did to me in the byre back in the summer and what he hoped would
happen at Quarrycleave. I hadn’t realised that I’ve been protected all this time by a binding spell, but that comes to an end on the eve of the Solstice and Magus knows it.’

‘Oh come on, it—’

‘Sylvie, you must understand – if I don’t deal with Magus this Solstice, he’ll kill me. It’s that simple. Is that what you want?’

‘No, of course not. But I don’t think he feels that way any more and I’m sure he just wants things to be peaceful and normal so he can get on with his plans for Stonewylde. As long as you don’t challenge him, he won’t do anything to you. I’ll speak to him and make him promise – I know he wants to please me.’

He pulled away from her angrily, his eyes flashing in the gloom.

‘Are you completely mad? He doesn’t want to please anyone but himself and whatever he says to you will be a lie. You’re back under Clip’s spell, aren’t you?’

‘No! I haven’t even seen Clip.’

‘Then Magus has you under his own spell and he’s been working on you – and by the sound of it he’s done a good job. Has he talked to you about the next Moon Fullness, by any chance?’

‘Well yes, but—’

‘There you are then! That’s all he’s interested in – stealing your moon magic. He knows he has to get it this month or he’s finished.’