the vast area had been transformed for Samhain and was filled with grinning Jack o’ Lanterns and realistic crows and skulls. The centre of the Barn was clear, with carved tree-trunks standing upright to mark a large circle for the drama.
‘Please, Mother, I don’t feel well,’ groaned Leveret, her stomach beginning to tighten again in spasms.
Maizie peered into her face, noting the moist pallor of her skin and the glassiness of her eyes. She put an arm around her youngest child, tiny underneath her black cloak.
‘You don’t look good, my love. Stay here with me for the drama – Celandine and Bluebell are in it, and Snowdrop and little Edrun, and I promised them I’d watch. When ‘tis over I’ll take you home for a lie-down. You haven’t eaten properly for days but we’ll have to wait until the feast, for you can’t break the fast early, not at Samhain. Just hold tight, Leveret. They are your nieces and nephew after all.’
Leveret closed her eyes and swayed on her feet. The last thing she needed now was to watch some silly little girls prancing around. She didn’t mind Rosie’s children so much but she couldn’t stand Yul’s daughters whom he doted on, exactly as he’d used to dote on her when she was a small girl. Nowadays they rarely spoke and he’d often stride past in the Hall and not even register who she was. Leveret didn’t care; she didn’t even like him anymore.
But now here he was, her big brother the magus, stepping into the centre of the Barn so tall and handsome. Dressed in splendid dark grey robes embroidered with silver cobwebs, a circlet of black feathers and ivy on his glossy curls, he raised his arms and there was silence.
‘Folk of Stonewylde,’ he said softly, so everyone must strain to hear, ‘we’re honoured to watch our children perform their celebration of Samhain. At this festival we say farewell to autumn and greet winter, we look back over the past year and peer into the mists of the new year. At this festival we remember those who’ve passed through the veil into the Other World and send them our blessings. The Samhain Dance!’
There was a roll of drums and he moved to stand beside his wife, dressed in the normal black Samhain robes. She’d change into her special ceremonial attire soon, before the evening’s festivities started. Leveret noticed how Yul’s hand automatically slipped into hers and how he raised it to his lips. The smile she gave him seemed a little tight but then their attention was taken by the arrival of the Autumn Wind, swirling in a golden eddy into the circle. Their eyes were locked onto one little girl amongst the many, her long hair a mass of white curls. She danced beautifully and with complete dedication, gracefully pointing her slim legs and leaping as if she were weightless. Leveret scowled and tried to edge away but Maizie gripped her firmly.
‘Just look at our Celandine!’ she whispered. ‘Isn’t she wonderful? The girl’s a natural dancer. Yul must be so proud of her.’
Half an hour later Leveret could barely stand. She was bored stiff by the Samhain Dance and even the sight of Bluebell dressed as an acorn had only made her smile a little. The tiny, plump girl had looked almost as ridiculous as her soppy parents when she skipped on and sang her daft song with all the other acorns. Leveret’s sickness and flushing seemed to have passed and she now felt incredibly sleepy. All she wanted to do was sit down quietly.
‘The crows are black,’ she said, looking up at the papier-mâché birds that perched and hung everywhere, some moving gently in the warm air raised by the dancing. Maizie frowned, relieved to see the pallor had gone from her pointed face but puzzled by the girl’s air of vacancy.
‘Of course the crows are black!’
‘Their feathers are night’s fingers,’ said Leveret in a sing-song voice.
‘What’s that? You’re looking very strange,’ said Maizie, peering into her daughter’s green eyes and noting her dilated pupils. ‘Go and sit down over by the door and I’ll take you home in a minute.’
Leveret stumbled out of the throng of people and headed for the fresh air. Then she noticed Sweyn and Gefrin lounging near the doors talking to Jay. They were all laughing and she felt a chill ripple over her skin. Jay was as cruel as they were, although most of his aggression was directed at poor