by Mark Hayden
She offered me a hand to shake. ‘Until we meet again, Dragonslayer.’
‘Go well, Princess.’
When the whisper-quiet engine started, I heard a patter across the gravel, like rain. Scout. ‘Where’ve you been hiding, boy? Feel better now she’s gone?’
‘Arff.’
‘I couldn’t agree more. Let’s see what long game the Boss is playing, and why on earth Selena is here and not Cora.’
Yes, I do talk to my dog. When he was a Bonded Familiar, he used to understand a lot of what I said. I reckon he still does.
I met Mina at the back of the marquee. She’d nipped inside to grab a bottle of brandy and some glasses. ‘I remember Vicky telling me that the Fae metabolise alcohol almost instantly when they want to. I didn’t want Tara Doyle metabolising your father’s best brandy.’
‘How are you feeling, love?’
‘Exhausted. Like one of those runners who crosses the finishing line and can’t stand up on the podium.’
‘Worth it?’
She nodded. ‘Absolutely.’
There was more to that than simple pride. It had validated something inside her, or answered a question, and I’m not sure what it was.
The group round the fire toasted Mina’s health, then Hannah said, ‘Your turn, Selena.’
‘I won’t be long,’ she said, and looked at me. ‘I have a personal message from Cora. She wants to thank you for everything you’ve done to help her election campaign, Conrad, and hopes that you and Mina will accept her hospitality in the future.’
Cora Hardisty is standing for Warden of Salomon’s House, the leading Mage in England and Wales, and had said she’d appoint me as her Security Attaché if she were elected.
Selena looked down. ‘Cora is pulling out of the election on Monday. For personal reasons. Someone has spiked her campaign.’
‘Spiked?’ said Mina. ‘How?’
‘Cora is my dearest friend in magick. She was my first doctoral student when I was the rising star at Salomon’s House, and she’s still the best I’ve ever had. Whatever has happened is still too painful for her to talk about outside her family.’
‘It’s good of you to deliver the message personally,’ I said, ‘but you didn’t need to come down here just to do that. A phone call would have been enough.’
Hannah interrupted. ‘There’s much more to it, Conrad. I asked Selena to come.’
‘Not that I didn’t jump at the chance,’ added Selena graciously. ‘I’ve had a marvellous time, thank you.’ There’s no disconnect with her: the accent and the aristocratic bearing are in perfect harmony. She became more businesslike. ‘There are two things you need to know, Conrad. First, that I will not tolerate Heidi Marston becoming Warden. It would be a disaster for Salomon’s House.’ She took a breath. ‘Hannah can tell you the second thing.’
‘The Occult Council are going to meet on Tuesday,’ said the Boss. ‘They’re going to vote on a motion mandating that there are at least two ballots for Warden, one in London and one in the North.’
‘Can the Occult Council do that?’ said Mina. ‘I thought the election was purely a matter for the Invisible College.’
‘It is,’ answered Selena. ‘However, we have to acknowledge the natural justice of the argument, and it’s in my interests. I shall be standing for election.’
‘Why?’
‘To split the London vote. The Manchester Alchemical Society are organising a northern hustings. Whoever does best at the hustings will stand for Warden, and if I split the London vote, I reckon they’ll win.’
‘ABH – Anyone But Heidi.’
‘Precisely.’
‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ I asked. I don’t know Selena at all, but if Cora trusted her, I was willing to make the offer.
She stood up. ‘That’s most kind of you, Conrad, and in other circumstances I would be honoured. I’m afraid that in this instance, Hannah has put her foot down. I’ll leave her to explain why. I’ll see you in the morning.’
And then there were four. Mina, Vicky and I turned to the Boss and stared at her. ‘What?’ she said with a grin. ‘Put another couple of logs on the fire, Conrad, and I’ll tell you.’
3 — Home and Away
‘As you can imagine,’ said Hannah, ‘holding a secret ballot of Mages isn’t easy.’
‘Mmm,’ said Vicky.
I can’t say I’d given it any thought whatsoever, but I suppose when you have an electorate who can pretend to be someone else or use magick to change the votes in the ballot box, it must be a challenge.
‘Who conducts the election?’ I said as a starter.
‘The Peculier Constable, a nominee of the Cloister Court and the Royal Enscriber do it together. Unfortunately, none of us can be in two places at once.’
I could see where this was heading, and so could Mina. Now that I was no longer officially tied to one of the candidates, I could be impartial. Mina is already an officer of the Court, and no doubt Hannah was sounding out Erin when she asked for a tour of her Scriptorium this morning.
Hannah waited for us to work this out before she dropped her bombshell. ‘Unfortunately, there’s a problem. The Returning Officer has to be at least my Deputy.’
‘I can work with Iain Drummond,’ said Mina. ‘Anyone who can put up with Annelise van Kampen can’t be a bad man.’
‘Don’t go there,’ said Hannah.
‘Aye, but she’s right,’ added Vicky in sisterly solidarity.
‘Be that as it may, Iain won’t wash. The Occult Council will want it to be a proper Deputy, based in the North. You, Conrad.’
Vicky shrank back. She knew what was coming next.
‘No, thank you, ma’am,’ I said.
I could have dressed it up and said I was flattered and that I didn’t deserve it. Hannah and I know each other better than that.
She nodded slowly, and for a fraction of a second she reminded me of my mother, or Mina, when they’re playing bridge and an opponent has played exactly the card they were expecting.
‘That’s another reason I came here tonight,’ she said. ‘To see just how attached you are to this place. I thought that if you were happy to go off and leave it to join the RAF, I’d be able to talk you round. Now I know better. I’m sure if Vicky analysed the bricks of Elvenham, she’d find Clarke DNA baked into them.’
There was silence for a second. Mina broke it. ‘Yet you still made the offer.’
The unspoken why hung in the air. Hannah picked up her brandy glass. ‘A year,’ she said. ‘One year as Deputy in residence, and then I’ll ask for a new post to be created: Assistant Constable. You can do that from here.’
Mina stirred uneasily and glanced at me. She took my hand and squeezed it. The gesture wasn’t lost on Hannah.
She rolled her brandy glass and sniffed it. ‘You’re going to be in London a hell of a lot over the winter, Mina. The hearings in the Flint Hoard will last months. At least. Most of that time, Conrad will have duties outside London whether he accepts the job or not.’
‘I know that, Hannah-ji.’
Hannah nodded. ‘Here’s my sweetener, then. Two weeks’ extra leave either side of your wedding, and I’ll make the promotion to wing commander permanent.’
Wing Commander Clarke. That was a sound I could get very used to. Mina was still holding my hand, still squeezing it. ‘There’s one more thing,’ I said. ‘Flexi-time during the cricket season. No weekend duties when there’s a match on.’ Mina gave my hand an extra squeeze.
Hannah narrowed her eyes. ‘Oy vey, Conrad, it means that much to you?’
‘To both of us,’ said Mina. She shook her hair away from her face and smiled, first at me, then at Hannah.
‘You’re asking a lot,’ said Hannah. ‘As it happens, I trust you not to run off and play cricket if there are lives at stake, Conrad, so that’s not a problem. Even so…’
Mina looked at me for a second, then back at the Boss. ‘Hannah-ji, I have made a decision. We will get
married on Bank Holiday Monday, the second of May. Not a Saturday. You would be a guest of honour.’
Hannah leaned back and laughed. ‘Is there a Hindi word for Chutzpah? Because you have it, Mina. I have to give you extra time off just so that I can go to your wedding?’
Vicky had been sitting very still. She coughed very quietly and almost whispered, ‘Don’t forget Myfanwy. She’s still got a lot of her sentence to serve. It would be cruel to make her leave Elvenham and go to Cheshire. Conrad and Mina need to be here for her.’
The softness of Vicky’s voice faded into the sound of burning logs. Deep in the woods, the resident tawny owls set up terrible screeching competition. Hannah and Vicky jumped and looked around them.
‘Does that happen often?’ said Hannah, rubbing the skin under her neck.
‘It’s just beginning,’ I said. ‘It’ll carry on through the autumn, until they’ve got their territories sorted out. They’d be doing it near here if we didn’t have a fire going.’
There was something in Hannah’s reaction to the owl that was more than just a shock. Whatever it was, she tried to mask it with a joke. ‘You can have your time off for cricket if I get a seat at the top table for the wedding.’
Mina put on her most transparently innocent face. ‘Hannah-ji, you can be mother of the bride if you wish.’
Hannah jerked back for a second, then chuckled. She leaned forward and said, ‘You don’t want a Jewish mother, do you? But I’m sure you could find room for a Matron of Honour.’
Mina opened her mouth and then closed it. My own 100% authentic Mother of the Groom has already made several comments about who could fill the role of chief bridesmaid, and it’s a topic I’m forbidden from raising until I’ve chosen a Best Man. Mina put her head on one side and reflected.
‘Done,’ said Mina.
‘Then I give you a toast. To Deputy Constable Wing Commander Clarke.’
‘To Conrad,’ said, Mina.
‘Uncle C,’ said Vicky.
We drank, and I enjoyed the moment, letting a smile drift over my face until a shiver reminded me that it was well after midnight. My bad leg was getting distinctly chilly from a cold breeze. I stood up and moved downwind of the fire to light a cigarette.
Vicky moved her chair to get closer to the fire and said, ‘I get why Saffron’s not here. You wouldn’t want her to hear what Selena has to say about her cousin Heidi. But why am I here?’
‘I was getting to that,’ said Hannah. ‘I didn’t just talk about enchanted ballot papers when I was with Erin this morning. I was getting the latest news from the Arden Foresters.’
‘You what?’
The Arden Foresters is the name of a mixed coven of Witches and Warlocks, just up the road in Warwickshire. Vicky and I were involved in the case of the Phantom Stag there, and Erin has sought refuge here in Clerkswell since she fell out with one of the factions. She still attends some of the meetings and services, though.
‘Do you remember Karina Kent?’ said Hannah.
Vicky snorted. ‘I tend to remember people who’ve aimed a hunting arrow at me. It makes an impression, that. Conrad had the mad idea that she could join the Watch. Please don’t tell me she has.’
‘She has, and I have accepted her.’
Vicky looked from Hannah to me. I shrugged.
‘Howay, ma’am, you don’t expect me to tutor her, do you? Is that why I’m here?’
‘No, Vicky, that wouldn’t be the best use of resources, and I don’t think the two of you would be a good match. For all sorts of reasons.’
‘Aye, mainly because I think she’s a psycho.’
‘Which is why I want Conrad to tutor her. But not here. She can’t have responsibility over the Foresters.’
‘Another reason for me to go to Cheshire,’ I said.
‘Precisely. Vicky, you still have work to do with Xavi, but Saffron is nearly ready to stand on her own feet. Nearly. I want you to go to Cheshire with Conrad until Karina has done some work with me at Merlyn’s Tower. This business with Princess Birkdale needs my number one team, and you two are still that.’
It was nice to be flattered; it was less nice to realise that Hannah really thought the Birkdale case would be so difficult.
‘What about France?’ I said.
‘As soon as you get word from Keira Faulkner, you’re off. Both of you, and I’m off to bed.’
‘Me too,’ said Vicky.
Mina and I moved to the swing seat and I put my arm round her.
We had a lot to talk about. We’d made a lot of decisions on the spur of the moment, something we don’t usually do. Mina snuggled in a little closer and we ignored them all. Ten minutes later, when she was fast asleep, I scooped her up and carried her back to the house. I think she was half-awake when I took her sandals off and pulled the quilt over her.
As quietly as I could, I slipped on more warm clothes and went back outside. ‘Scout!’
He wandered up and wagged his tail. ‘I know it’s late, but we’re going for a walk,’ I said. I slipped a harness over his shoulders and clipped on the lead. A few seconds later, we were on Elven Lane and heading into the village.
It was as quiet as the grave, a point I made to Scout when we walked past the churchyard. He was happy to be out and be with me, because that’s what dogs love, day or night. He didn’t need a walk, but I did.
Tara Doyle, aka Princess Birkdale, was right about one thing: Hannah was definitely playing a long game. And so was Tara’s Queen. The King’s Watch is on the trail of a book, the Codex Defanatus, a book of powerful old magick that’s been wreaking havoc. The Codex was released into the world by a Fae noble, and Vicky has managed to rule some of them out as suspects. I’ve seen her list, and I know that the Queen of Alderley Edge is still on it.
This could be a trap of the most subtle design connected to the Codex. Or the Queen of Alderley could know for a fact that one of the other Fae families – Howarth, Keswick, even Grosmont – were responsible for the assassination and wanted us to do her dirty work.
And then there was the Warden election. The Boss desperately wanted me up there as Deputy, not Iain Drummond. Why? Iain is a trusted colleague, but he’s not Hannah’s ally or partner.
I would have to do what I’ve always done: go with my instincts, and my instincts were telling me that I could trust Hannah and Vicky completely and Erin mostly. The rest, not at all.
Mina had woken up by the time we got back and was making the effort to remove her makeup and get undressed before going back to bed.
‘Do you mind me setting the date for the wedding and asking Hannah to be Maid of Honour without asking you?’
I went up to the dressing table and started massaging her shoulders. ‘There’s all sorts of glitter in your hair. Where did that come from?’
‘I have no idea. Nor do I care.’
‘What happened between you and Hannah this afternoon? That offer didn’t come out of nowhere.’
‘You said it, oh Great Lighthouse: the secrets of the changing room are sacrosanct.’
I stopped massaging. ‘Great Lighthouse? That nickname had better not stick.’
She chucked her last cleansing pad in the washing bag and stood up. ‘I’m sure it will be forgotten in the morning. Unlike the sudden appearance of Tara Doyle. I’ve just had a message from two of my former cell-mates congratulating me.’
‘How the hell did they know?’
‘They follow Tara, and I was clearly visible in the background. Can we go to sleep now? There’s a lot of clearing up to do in the morning.’
Everyone did their bit in clearing up, including a lot of folk from the village. Even Selena had rolled up the sleeves of her peasant dress. The one person who had other orders was Li Cheng: the Boss wanted all the pictures of Tara Doyle checked to make sure that she was scrubbed out of them. Tara had used magick to hide most of the Mages at the time the pictures were taken – the Fae were early masters of photographic manipulation – but Hannah wanted to make su
re.
It was warmer and slightly muggy this afternoon, sure sign that it was going to be wet later in the week, an observation that interested no one except Ben, who was currently advising Gloucestershire’s farmers on the best time to sow their winter wheat.
The last job of the day was to load the boxes of empty Prosecco bottles into the Inkwell’s van. ‘Did we really drink so many last night?’ said Erin. ‘No wonder my head hurt this morning.’
‘Is Italian,’ said Sofía. ‘Italian wine always gives the worst hangovers. You should tell Mike to stock Cava. Spanish wine is much better for your health.’
I looked around to see if there were any Italians to be offended. Nope. So long as she didn’t try telling Alain that French wines were the worst, we should be okay.
The van clinked and rattled off and we were done. Vicky and Francesca were laying out afternoon tea in the kitchen, after which the party was going to disperse back to London. It had been good to have so much life in the house again, and I’d be sorry to leave it behind.
Myfanwy looked at the margin between the house and the marquee, now denuded of its dancefloor; the event company would be coming to take down the tentage tomorrow. ‘Look at that mess! I’ve seen horses create less damage than all those high heels. Why didn’t people use the matting?’
Erin pointed to the door of the morning room. ‘People desperate for a drink will take the shortest route. Especially after the second bottle. I told you to lay it that way.’
‘Talking of horses,’ said Hannah, ‘what are you going to do about Evenstar? Keep her here or stable her at Middlebarrow?’
‘What’s Middlebarrow?’ I said.
‘The Deputy’s house,’ said Hannah. ‘I thought you knew.’
‘You didn’t tell me there was a house!’ said Mina.
‘Oh yes, there’ a house. With a servant.’ She took a sideways look at Myfanwy. ‘You’ll be right at home, Conrad.’
‘Oi! Who are you calling a servant,’ said Myfanwy. ‘Garden and Domestic Manager I am. So there.’
