by TJ Green
“Yeah, I’m sure they will be. It’s you and Dan who are more vulnerable, but don’t ask me any more. I can’t say.” It was improbable that the Favershams would attack them directly; it was much more likely that they’d be caught in the crossfire of whatever magical war was taking place.
Sally nodded, seemingly reassured. “I’ll be out back if you need me.”
As she was locking up for the night, Avery received a text from Briar inviting her to her house at 6:30 p.m. Newton’s got news, she’d sent enigmatically. And don’t eat, I’ll feed you.
Avery wound her way through the narrow streets of White Haven, enjoying the early evening sunshine. Locals and tourists alike were strolling the streets, heading to restaurants and bars, and a few shops were open late, enjoying the influx of tourists that the fine weather had brought.
Even in the middle of town, Avery could smell the sea, and the gulls wheeled overhead, their raucous cries echoing around the streets. Lately, Avery viewed the town with fresh eyes. She’d always taken its old buildings and history for granted, but now she felt she was part of its history. She could feel the past stretching its tendrils into the present. She noticed how the buildings from the different centuries all jostled together in a pleasing mix of styles, and she noticed how the town moved from one century to the next in the space of a few feet. It was exhilarating. She loved this place, and there was no way she was leaving, or letting the Favershams dictate what she would do. Despite the fact that she now knew more than she ever had, she still thought there was something else they had yet to find out, something that would reveal the true reason for Octavia’s binding and Faversham’s attack on Helena.
She turned onto Briar’s street, a snaggy lane that stretched up the hill. The pavements were narrow, and the houses had tiny front gardens. She turned up the path and rang the bell, and then heard Briar call, “It’s open.”
Briar’s front door opened straight into the low-ceilinged living room, where a massive old fireplace dominated the room. The space was filled with a comfortable sofa and armchairs, with bookcases on either side of the fireplace. A door at the rear led through to the kitchen, and Briar called again, “Come through, Avery.”
The kitchen was small but packed with cupboards and efficiently organised. Briar stood at the counter, chopping salad.
“How did you know it was me?” Avery asked, wondering if Briar had hidden cameras installed somewhere.
Briar grinned. Her hair was wound on her head in a messy ponytail, and she wore a long, loose dress with a belt around it. Her feet were bare and she had painted her nails bright green. “I sensed you—you have a different energy than the others. You’re all unique. Haven’t you noticed?”
“I haven’t, actually.” Avery confessed, feeling she was missing something.
“My grimoire talks all about grounding, the earth, and energy signatures,” she explained. “It’s so much more than just a grimoire!” She grinned and it lit up her face.
“That makes sense. I saw auras when I spirit-walked with Alex, and they’re different.”
Briar concentrated on mixing the salad together. “I’ve been practising feeling the energy through the earth. I’m getting better—I feel my customers now before they’ve even entered the shop. I’ve started to pick up on moods, too.” She stopped for a second and looked at her. “I can feel you and Alex—wow, you two!”
Avery flushed and opened the bottle of wine she’d brought with her, wondering how much to say, and then realised that their relationship really wasn’t a secret to anyone. She looked at Briar’s expectant face. “Yes, we have a thing. It’s great so far, but I’m not sure how long it will last.”
“You have trust issues. It’s quite obvious he adores you.”
Avery felt embarrassed and shocked. Is that what others saw? “He does not adore me! And if he does, he probably won’t for long.”
Briar rolled her eyes. “Stop it! El’s right, the lady’s man thing is an act. He’s just a flirt—it means nothing.”
Avery felt a flood of warmth spreading through her. It didn’t matter how often people said it, she still doubted Alex could like her so much that it would last, but it was still good to hear. She swiftly changed the subject to avoid potential embarrassment. “And what about you and Newton?”
Briar turned away to the oven and shrugged. “I don’t know. We’re just friends.”
“Now who’s being coy!”
Briar pulled a bubbling, cheesy-topped lasagne out of the oven, and its rich scent flooded the kitchen. “Anyway, El’s here.”
Within seconds the front door opened and El came in, and they had barely said hello when Alex, Newton, and Reuben followed a few minutes later. Reuben glanced at El, but she looked away. Newton was out of his suit and again in jeans and a casual shirt. He nodded his hellos to everyone, his gaze lingering on Briar.
Alex, however, gave Avery a grin and a wink, and her heart raced. He wore his usual faded jeans and an old Led Zeppelin t-shirt, and his dark hair was loose. He plonked a six-pack of beer down on the bench. “Smells good, Briar. Cheers for cooking.”
“My pleasure. I’ve set the table out back.” She nodded towards the small lean-to sunroom at the back of the house. “Have a seat, and I’ll bring everything through.”
“I’ll help,” Newton said, immediately finding a tray.
Avery grinned and carried her bottle of wine into the sunroom, smiling at the ordered chaos. The sunroom stretched the length of the house, and a long wooden table ran down the centre, surrounded by old cane chairs heaped with mismatched cushions of stripes, patterns, and flowers. The table was laid with plates and glasses of different designs, but everything worked harmoniously. Plants filled the corners, and a small desk covered in papers was against the far wall. A small, riotous garden was out the back, planted around a tiny paved area, and the double doors to the patio stood wide open, letting in the warm evening air.
Avery sat at the far end of the table at the back, looking out over the garden, and Alex followed her out, sitting on her right, while Reuben sat opposite her. El sat next to Alex, as far from Reuben as she could get in this small place, and ignored him as much as possible.
Anxious to break the awkwardness, Avery said, “I love Briar’s house. I’ve never been in it before.”
Reuben nodded absentmindedly, and El answered, “Yeah, it’s very Briar. Tiny garden, though—that’s why she has an allotment.”
“I’ll have to visit it one day,” Avery said thoughtfully. “I’m sure her new grimoire couldn’t make her a better gardener, though.”
“Any luck finding yours?” Reuben asked.
“No. It’s infuriating. I’ve examined the map a thousand times, and I still can’t work out where it is.” She sipped her wine, wishing she wasn’t the only one left to find her grimoire. What if she couldn’t ever find it?
“I’ll come round tomorrow evening, and we’ll try again,” Alex said.
Newton and Briar came out carrying the salad, lasagne, and garlic bread, and Avery inhaled the rich scents greedily. She realised she was starving, and helped herself to a liberal portion.
“Well, I have good news, sort of, to share,” Newton began. “I’ve managed to find out quite a bit about the Favershams.”
“And is it good news or bad?” Alex asked.
“Mostly bad.” He sighed. “Look, before I start, you need to understand that while I was told about my role, I didn’t really believe it. It sounded crazy, although my parents were insistent that it was real—are insistent, in fact. And of course now I know they’re right.”
The others nodded and El said, “It’s okay, go on. We get it.”
“I’ll start with my old family records. The Favershams are definitely on my enemy list, and it started back during the witch trials when my ancestor, Peter Newton, was made to burn Helena because of the Witchfinder General and the Favershams. He felt so powerless that he vowed that it would never happen again. He started keeping tabs on the family, and realised
they were rotten and corrupt. He made it his business to know what had happened, and to discover the truth of their witchcraft. Most of the families—your families—left White Haven after Helena’s death, but he spoke to Helena’s brother-in-law, just before he fled with her children and his own family. He told Peter what had happened with Octavia. He didn’t reveal all the details of why, though—he probably didn’t know. Peter felt strongly enough, and was worried enough about the implications of it all, that he passed it on.
“So, odd things happened from time to time, but eventually things settled down. Nothing particularly bad happened for decades. The witches left, the Favershams continued to build their empire, and then your families returned and kept a very low profile. And from what I understand, never knew my family knew about them.”
“You watched us from a distance,” Alex deduced.
“Pretty much. And of course, doubt set in, about everything—although, it was dutifully passed on. There haven’t been any specific incidents in recent years—other than with Reuben’s great-great-whatever uncle years ago. Addison, more than anyone in years, decided to look for the grimoires. It wasn’t enough for him to let sleeping dogs lie. He wanted the grimoires and the power they contained—” he held up a hand to stop any questions. “I don’t know why—my family records don’t describe those details—we’re watchers, remember. But there was enough activity for my great-great grandfather to be aware that something was happening. Anyway, Addison started the search, and the Favershams found out. They threatened him and his family. It seems that Addison had found one of the grimoires, and they knew about it. In order to protect his family, he did what we all now know—he faked their deaths and disappeared, under the cover of black magic and a blood sacrifice. Something designed to scare anyone off searching in future. And knowledge of the grimoire disappeared with him. Your family, Reuben,” Newton glanced at him, “continued the lie. Or should have.”
Avery groaned as everything dropped into place. “But Lottie shared what she knew with Anne, and Anne was charged with keeping the secret—and the hidden grimoire.”
Newton nodded. “Lottie was of a younger generation, but she found out what her uncle had done, and decided it was too big and too important to hide.”
“So, they waited until things had calmed down and the story had been forgotten,” Avery said, nodding. “How did your family find out, Newton?”
“My great-grandfather was also in the police, and had to investigate the disappearance. He found out what happened, and also played along—but left records of the truth for us.” He shrugged. “As I told you the other night, it seemed crazy to me. I barely believed it, and didn’t really read the records properly. I’ve known about you all of course, and your magical history and abilities, but again, I thought it was superstitious nonsense. I didn’t even believe the grimoire stuff—I barely knew what it meant. It was only when that woman died on the moors that I really started to believe—it was obvious that wasn’t normal. And then you told me about the grimoires the other night, and it all came flooding back—my other job became a reality.”
“It’s like Chinese whispers, isn’t it?” Briar said. “Things get forgotten and distorted over time, until we can barely sort the truth from fiction.”
“And it started over 400 years ago,” Reuben pointed out. “No wonder it sounded crazy.”
“But what about that vision you had, in your flat?” Alex asked Avery.
She frowned. “I must have been picking up on the Favershams and Caspian, the blood magic that had been used, and made the wrong association.”
“Well,” Newton continued after a mouthful of food, “I’ve checked the family out. Sebastian, as we know is head of the family and the CEO of Kernow Shipping. Caspian is his son and head of finance, and his daughter, Estelle, is head of overseas investments. He has a couple of nephews called,” he consulted his notebook, which made him look super official, “Hamish and Rory, and Sebastian’s brother, Rupert, is also on the board—he’s their father. I have no idea about their magical abilities, of course, but it seems prudent to think they have them.”
“So the dark-haired woman who attacked us at the church was Estelle?” Avery asked.
Newton nodded.
Alex narrowed his eyes, “Any suspicion of anything dodgy?”
“No, other than that they’re rich and like a say in everything. They have their fingers in many, many pies in Harecombe. They’re Council members, on the arts committee, benefactors to the art gallery and museum...” Newton rolled his eyes and took a mouthful of lasagne. “You name it, they do it.”
“I loathe them even more than I did already,” Briar said as she picked at her salad.
Newton paused and looked at Reuben for a second, a flash of concern breaking his police manner. “I’ve found out that Alicia is related to them, too.”
Reuben’s head shot up, and he stared at Newton. “Gil’s Alicia?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“She’s another cousin, from Sebastian’s younger sister, Honoria.”
They all fell silent, and Avery wondered what Reuben was thinking right now. He looked shocked, then surprised, and then finally put his fork down. “Sorry, I’m really confused. Does she work with them? Because I thought she had her own interior design business? And did Gil know?”
“I’ve no idea what Gil knew, Reuben, but I doubt it. You didn’t. And no, she’s not part of their business—well, not an obvious one. She’s not listed on their company records. It seems she really is an interior designer, and a busy one. She’s very popular with some very rich families all across Cornwall, and that includes hotels.”
Reuben looked white beneath his deep tan, and he pushed his plate away. “Did she have anything to do with his death?”
Newton looked apologetic and ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know, and I’m not sure I can find out. But you may be able to.”
Reuben looked at Avery accusingly. “You were asking me about Alicia, in the caves, just before he died. Did you know something?”
Avery had a sudden jolt of panic and wondered how much she should say, but she felt Alex’s leg nudge her own gently, and she realised she had to voice her doubts. “I didn’t know anything, no, of course not, I’d have said so. But, I did wonder how Faversham seemed to know so much, and it struck me that maybe Alicia knew more than Gil realised—she did live with him. With both of you.”
Reuben looked at her wide-eyed with shock. “But you didn’t say a thing!” He sounded incredulous. “I’ve been living with her ever since Gil died. The grimoire is there now!”
He scraped his chair back and stood up, ready to leave, and Avery rose too, as if to stop him. “No, wait! I didn’t know! I could have been wrong—we could still be wrong!”
“I need to see her. Now!” He edged around the table, making for the door into the kitchen.
Newton stood, authority emanating from him. “No. Sit down, Reuben. We need to think this through.”
“I don’t need to think anything through. Butt out, Newton.”
Alex also leapt to his feet and stopped Reuben at the door, his hand on Reuben’s arm. “Reuben, as much as I hate to agree with Newton, he’s right. We need to have a plan. She could be hiding a heap of magic.”
Reuben glared at him and shrugged his hand off. “While I’m standing here arguing with you, my grimoire could be gone and the woman responsible for Gil’s death is strolling around my house! Get out of my way. I don’t want to hit you, but I will.”
“Nice. Resorting to violence again,” El said, looking at Reuben with a mixture of sorrow and anger.
Reuben paused for a second, shocked, and then continued relentlessly. “Excuse me for having feelings!”
All of El’s anxiety and anger came bursting out after days of simmering resentment. “We all have feelings, Reuben. We don’t have to hurt our friends, though!”
The magical energy in the room had shot up by then, and as well
as feeling wind stirring around her, Avery noticed a flicker of flames in El’s hands. Wow. Things got ugly really quickly.
Alex was trying hard to keep his cool. “Trust in your magic, Reuben. You have a hidden room, and it’s hidden with magic, too—isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Reuben nodded, “of course.”
“Then it should be fine.”
“I’m not taking that risk. And I need to know if Alicia betrayed Gil,” Reuben said, and he pushed around Alex and into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.
“We can’t let him do this alone, whatever he says,” Alex said, turning to follow him. “Newton, come on. We need to stop him before he does something stupid.”
“He’s right though, Alex, we have to find out about Alicia.” Avery reasoned, feeling the need to defend Reuben. “Caspian’s already got away with killing him, and for Alicia to get away with betraying Gil as well is too much. I’m coming, too.”
Briar looked at El, who remained seated, her face like stone. “I’ll stay here with El.”
“You don’t have to babysit me, Briar.”
“Of course I don’t, but I’m staying anyway.” Briar looked up at the others. “Go on, and stay safe.”
13
Newton’s sleek BMW sedan raced down the lanes, but despite the fact that they were only minutes behind Reuben, he was already lost to sight. They arrived with a screech of brakes and a splatter of gravel in front of Greenlane Manor and found Reuben’s car abandoned and the front door wide open.
They ran up the steps and into the reception hall, and then hesitated. It was dusk and a couple of lights were on, but the rest of the house was in darkness.
“Where the hell are they?” Newton said, trying to contain his anger. All the way to the house they had debated over what to do, but as Newton said, you can’t legally accuse someone of black magic and be taken seriously. He darted into the adjoining rooms and shouted, “Reuben!”
Silence surrounded them. They fanned out, checking the ground floor, but every room was eerily empty and extremely tidy.
