“It was tough,” began the tall man with the white blond hair, “but we managed to get rid of the demons. The beasts had taken a firm hold of their victims. They had been incubating for a few days. Usually, we like to get them straight away.”
“Is there any damage?” enquired Cecily.
“Not that I can tell. Maybe there will be some problems with short-term memory, but nothing too serious.”
“That is good news,” said Cecily, somewhat relieved. She really did not want any more casualties from that dreadful party.
“We’ve helped them to come to terms with what happened and sent them on their way. They should be fine, but as always, we’ll monitor their progress.”
“And the demons?”
“Dissipated.”
“Great!” said Cecily, meaning it. “While you’re here, I’ve one more favour to ask.”
Cecily explained the Brambles’ predicament to the Purification Unit. She did not want them to yet accept what had happened to Lord Bramble or to become complacent; she needed them to stay alert and be afraid of Dasrus and the Dark so they would be sure to stay in the safe room. But she did want to remove some of their pain and the shock they’d had from being hurtled into this world that they did not understand. She knew what that felt like as she had been in the same position only yesterday.”
“Do you think you can help?” she asked the pale man. “Just until they can complete the whole purification process.”
“Of course,” smiled the man, revealing beautifully straight white teeth.
Cecily beckoned the Bramble family to the kitchen. The Purification Unit once more proceeded to leave out of the back door of the cottage and into the garden.
“Wait!” cried Cecily. “I’ll ask Kaden to take down the shield, just in case there are any unwelcome guests lurking outside who might fancy their chances. We will all be safer inside, even without the shield.”
Cecily then left, closing the kitchen door behind her.
When they returned, Lady Bramble said, “What charming men! When do we return to the safe room?”
Kaden muttered under his breath and reinstated the shield. “Tonight, under the cover of darkness,” he said. “We don’t want anyone to see you going into the house.”
Lady Bramble looked in high spirits and even the children were smiling.
“We’ll be going now,” said the pale man from the sitting room door.
Cecily beamed at him. “Thanks!” she said.
“No problem. Just call if you need anything else.”
“Oh we will dear, we will!” said Verena, as she ushered them into the next room ready for departure.
While the Brambles had been with Purification Unit, the Cerbereans decided between themselves that they would not discuss their plans in front of the family. The fewer people who knew how they were going to approach the situation, the better. So, for the next few hours, while waiting for the summer sun to set, idle chitchat and tales of old dominated the conversation, mainly provided by Mr Fane. Mrs Fane was busy in the kitchen preparing a home-cooked feast. Cecily was so glad of Abram and the fact that he was such a good talker as it meant she did not have to say much. She wanted to consider her position.
Cecily noticed that she was not the only one who was quiet. Elisabeth was painfully silent. She had not said much since they were at the clearing earlier and Jedd had been revealed to her for the first time. Elisabeth had to get a handle on her emotions before her bitterness and rage lead her down the same unsavoury path as Jedd. But how could Cecily talk about handling feelings after her episode in the woods earlier that day? She felt hypocritical. The truth was they were all susceptible.
As night fell, the Cerbereans got ready to deliver the Brambles back to the safety of the organ loft. Mrs Fane sent the family on their way with enough things to make their stay there a bit more comfortable and she promised that Mr Fane and she would leave a package with fresh food in the organ loft every other night for their retrieval.
“Aye, I’ll sneak up to the bedrooms too and get you some fresh clothes. There’s not much call for medieval clothing round here. Folk’ll think you’re going to a fancy-dress party. Same goes for you lot,” he said, nodding at the guardians.
They all laughed.
“Don’t worry, Abram! We’ll get changed tomorrow so we don’t show you up!” said Kaden, jokingly.
Thanks to Mr Fane’s jovial attitude, the group left feeling positive with Mrs Fane’s warnings to be careful ringing in their ears. However, such cautioning was not needed as their mission was highly successful and they delivered the Brambles to their safe room without incident. In fact, they did not see a soul. When the family were settled and Kaden had repeated what they should and should not do several times, Cecily felt happy about leaving them. They did not seem as fragile after the Purification Unit’s intervention. They said their farewells and promised to get them out as soon as possible.
The five Cerbereans headed back to the dell and to the Fanes’ cottage, where they would be staying for the next day or so. They had to regroup and decide on a course of action. This would also give them the opportunity to consult with the Wise Ones if necessary, although they did not have much time to spare. Once back at the cottage, Mr Fane completed his customary checks while Kaden reinstated the shield that would keep out things that go bump in the night, or in the very least, warn them against any impending attacks. The five friends were dotted around the Fane’s sitting room in makeshift beds on the floor.
Soon, everyone was asleep, exhausted after the events of the past few days. Cecily, however, could not sleep. Her mind was reflecting on such events and the rollercoaster ride they had embarked on. So much had happened: the doomed party, reactivation, the betrayals by Purdey and Jedd, being kidnapped and imprisoned, escaping from the realm between realms, a trip back to medieval Bramblegate in search of her memory and to top it all off, ambushes and attacks. But the thing that concerned Cecily the most was that they had been infiltrated from within by people close to them. And it was her fault. She had refused to acknowledge the warning signs and her subconscious had tried its best to block reactivation in an attempt to stay human. As a result, Dasrus had managed to get close to her as Cian and not only that, a lot of people had died because they, the protectors, were slow to react.
She looked down at the gold cuff she had been unconsciously fiddling with, turning it around on her wrist and tracing the smooth shape of the bejewelled petals. When Kaden had said it was one of her favourites that had been an understatement on his part. She recalled the moment he had given it to her.
“Gaea, a token of my eternal love and worship. The gold symbolises wealth, but not a wealth in monetary terms; the wealth is that of a spiritual value and of your importance to me. I am indeed a wealthy man as I possess your heart and that is all I will ever need. The flowers represent you, Gaea; Mother Earth, queen of all that is natural and beautiful in the world. And the jewels? Well, they are precious stones, to remind you that you will always be treasured.”
As everyone was now asleep, she allowed the tears to fall silently over her cheeks. She had to make up her mind once and for all. She could no longer allow emotions or feelings of confusion to get in the way of what she really wanted more than anything. She knew what she must do.
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