me the most terrible lies about them last night that nobody in their right mind could swallow.’
‘I find it extraordinary that she’s behaved like this,’ Yul said, shaking his head, ‘after all the promises she made to us both last time.’
‘I know! You see why I don’t want to deal with her any more. She’ll be fifteen at Imbolc and I know ‘tisn’t the custom to board until September when she’s in her last year at school, but I want you to arrange for her to move up here now. I don’t want her at home.’
‘I’m not surprised – who would, after the way she’s betrayed your trust? Of course she can move up to the Hall. She’ll have me to answer to and I won’t make her life easy. I’m so sorry, Mother.’
He put his arms around the plump, dark-haired woman who barely reached his chin and gave her a big hug. She squeezed him back gratefully and left the room without a backward glance at her sobbing daughter.
So now Yul was lumbered with Leveret too, who moped about like the world was coming to an end. He really didn’t need that as well, not just now. And tomorrow was the Rite of Adulthood day and he must spend it up in the Wildwood with the boys … Yul sighed, his head in his hands, and then realised with a jolt that the sun had come up and he hadn’t even noticed. He leapt to his feet on the stone, frowning with puzzlement and shock. He’d felt nothing at all, no Earth Energy, no green magic flowing through him. What on earth had happened? He felt a clutch of fear at his heart – was this the beginning of the end for him? He recalled how Magus’ power had waned and shivered at the prospect of Stonewylde rejecting him too.
‘Don’t leave me now, Goddess!’ he called out loud in anguish. ‘Please don’t you abandon me as well!’
The cart full of paints and brushes, lanterns and evergreens arrived at this moment and the men and women who came with it stared at their magus strangely. Yul barely noticed them but strode distractedly out of the Stone Circle and back down towards the Hall.
‘And bright blessings to you too, Master Yul!’ muttered one of them.
Clip wandered out of the kitchens with a bag of fruit and some hazelnuts, the provisions he intended to take with him that evening to the Dolmen for his personal Solstice feast. It was early morning but he needed to bathe and prepare himself for the Solstice tomorrow. He crossed the entrance hall, absent-mindedly brushing into a small person on the way.
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘Oh, Leveret!’
He’d barely recognised her – she looked terrible and seemed to have shrunk in on herself. Her pointy little face was even sharper than usual, the usual healthy glow replaced by a wan waxiness. Her black curls were bedraggled and unkempt and she regarded him with sunken eyes, the green dulled.
‘Blessings, Clip,’ she muttered.
‘What’s happened to you? Are you ill?’
She merely shook her head and tried to continue across the hall. He took her arm and noticed how thin it was.
‘Leveret, tell me what’s the matter? You look awful. Have you been eating?’
She shook her head again.
‘But you mustn’t fast too much, never more than a couple of days. Especially not at your age when you’re still growing.’
She shrugged and looked listlessly at the floor.
‘How long since you ate anything?’
She shrugged again and he stared at her perplexed, at a complete loss as to what to do. Then he led her to a large oak settle by the fireplace and sat down with her. She sat next to him like an automaton.
‘Does Yul know you’re not eating?’
‘He doesn’t care. He hates me,’ she whispered. ‘Everyone hates me and I’m nothing. Worse than nothing.’
‘Oh Leveret, you know that’s not true. What about Maizie? I know your mother cares about you.’
Her face crumpled at this but no tears came. She shook her head. Clip frowned, then awkwardly put an arm around her narrow shoulders, pulling her into his side and holding her gently.
‘Leveret, I’m sure they care. I know everyone’s busy at the moment but they do care.’
‘No they don’t! Mother said she’s finished with me once and for all and she sent me to live up here. She won’t let me stay in the cottage and she wants nothing more to do with me, ever. Rosie won’t speak to me at all –