Unlikely Allies

by Davina Jolley

Primrose’s shimmering form started to pulsate quickly, a sign of excitement and not fear.

  ‘Lina,’ Primrose called, ‘if I disappear for a while, don’t be alarmed. I am safe, very safe. I will be back.’

  To the astonishment of Elina, and more importantly Dilly, Primrose vanished into thin air! Dilly went mad, she ran to the chair, sniffed, whimpered and commenced a frantic and thorough search of the floor and the air - her desperate sniffs resembled a powerful hoover.

  Shadow opened one eye; after living with Violette for a while, he was used to strange happenings and watched his sister’s search with a calm air of detachment. He knew she was wasting her time, he had seen Violette disappear sometimes; especially when she thought he was out on one of his forays.

  ‘Dilly, come, come here,’ Elina called to the wolf, wanting to calm her down.

  Reluctantly, Dilly came to Elina’s side, ‘Primrose is fine, Dilly. She has gone to see Briony. She’ll be back soon. I promise.’

  Dilly began to settle, comforted by both Elina’s voice and the touch of her gentle fingers as they massaged the space between her ears. Finally, Dilly understood - if Elina was not alarmed, then why should she be? However, Elina was hoping that it would not be one promise that she might have to break.

  While Elina waited for Primrose’s return, she turned her attention once more to the diary. This time she turned to the end of the book and read the last two entries.

  Monday, March 11th

  Dear Diary,

  Best day ever. Top of the year, I rock!!!! I am the best! I even beat Stella the Speller. She’s been top of the class for 3 whole years and she wasn’t happy when she came 2nd. Couldn’t wait to tell Vile Vi. Should have known better, think I would have learnt by now, but no, I go and open my big, fat mouth! She just sat there, in front of the stupid mirror and painted her stupid, old nails one by one. Didn’t look at me once! That annoyed me big time. She didn’t even pretend to listen to me.

  Got my own back, annoyed her so much she took me to Briony’s and Briony made me a special cake for being top of the class and the year. I love Briony. Wish she was my mother. I asked if I could stay some nights at the cottage. Auntie said she would ask my mum.

  Tuesday, March 12th

  Dear Diary,

  Why? Why? Why? She’s done it again! Ruined my life! I can never, ever stay over at Briony’s, and if I keep on, she will never ever let me visit her again. Briony has let me down too!!! She has agreed with my mum and won’t tell me why!!! It’s so not fair. Nothing’s fair. Well if they want trouble, I’ll give them trouble with a great big T.

  All of a sudden, it seemed so much clearer to Elina why Primrose was so angry with her mother. Primrose had felt rejected, abandoned and unloved by her, especially as her mother was someone that she had clearly adored, and maybe, the only person who had treated her kindly.

  Elina had no need to read any more. Placing the diary back on the table, she suddenly remembered where she had seen the words ‘Ancient Tree’ before. It had been the last message on Primrose’s computer; the friend that played the game with her and wanted her to meet him - the message sent by a man called Darius and it had caused Violette to act so strangely.

  Looking at the panel once more, Elina knew for certain that Violette had not been telling the truth, and that she was responsible for whatever was imprisoned behind that door. Violette was also the one person responsible for Primrose’s behaviour. In Elina’s opinion, Primrose had never been troublesome, just misunderstood and unloved.

  Violette, though, had tried hard to keep Primrose’s talents hidden. Every time Primrose succeeded in something and photographs were taken, she feared it would attract the attention of Nastarana; the man Violette was trying desperately to shield her from. As Primrose grew so did her likeness to Briony, so much so that Violette had even taken a pair of scissors to her beautiful, golden hair and given her a spiky, boyish look. It was just a shame Violette was no hairdresser!

  19. A strange meeting

  ‘Arvensis, she’s coming. Primrose is using meditation,’ Forrestiana called out.

  Forrestiana could not believe how excited she had become, she had hoped Primrose would have the intelligence to work out how to teleport, but had not realised how quickly she would achieve it. Finally, her dreams stood a chance of success.

  Hurriedly, they made their way to the Circlet, excited at last to meet one of their grandchildren.

  Within the Circlet, they caught their first glimpse of their eldest grandchild. The love they felt for her surprised them both, and they could barely contain their happiness. However, they were acutely aware that to Primrose they were both strangers and they would have to earn her trust. Primrose was just about to make the acquaintance of ghosts, it would not be something she would be expecting either.

  As Primrose’s form materialised in front of them, they marvelled at her composure and confidence.

  Primrose felt the air around her crackle. It seemed charged with static electricity and it tingled gently against her skin. The hair on her arms tickled and stood on end. She noticed a circle start to form around her feet; it was marked with unfamiliar symbols. Scented candles on tall candlesticks flickered gently on the edge of the circle, casting many shadows. The smell of roses filled the air. Outside the circle there was nothing but darkness. Primrose stood in the middle circle of the Circlet.

  Two indistinct, white figures stayed within the shadows, not wishing to alarm Primrose with their ghostly forms. Primrose noticed one was tall and broad shouldered with muscular arms that were folded across his chest; two silver gauntlets adorned his wrists and caught the flickering candlelight. Next to him stood a slim woman, dressed in a long, white gown, who was just as tall as the man. Primrose could see no more. She felt no fear; she sensed their excitement and curiosity. Primrose faced the man, looked him directly in the eyes and spoke confidently:

  ‘Is my mother here?’

  Arvensis was amused. Primrose had not asked the question; she had demanded it. Primrose was then slightly disconcerted as it was the woman that answered her question. Forrestiana was the matriarch of the peaceful souls that lived in the Sanctum.

  ‘Unfortunately, your mother is still in the process of healing and cannot be present. The shock of this encounter could prove too much for her at present.’

  ‘How do I know you speak the truth?’ Primrose spoke defiantly, turning towards Forrestiana.

  ‘You don’t,’ Forrestiana replied, using the same tone that Primrose had used, ‘but you already know you can or you would not be here.’

  Primrose chuckled inwardly; the response was one she would have probably used herself. Arvensis smiled and winked at her. Primrose had an uncanny feeling that he was reading her thoughts. Arvensis nodded. Primrose stared at him challengingly, but his smile touched her heart. Nevertheless, she tried to block her thoughts and feelings. It was too soon to form any emotional attachments.

  ‘When the pair of you have finished weighing each other up, perhaps we can get down to business. What assistance do you require, Primrose?’ Forrestiana asked.

  Primrose once again looked straight at Forrestiana. She exuded power, confidence and magic. She was not surprised that they knew her name, she thought they might even know why she was here, but she thought it would be best to ask, just to be polite if nothing else.

  ‘We believe the Ancient Tree has a lodger, Elina is convinced that whatever it is means us no harm, but it is close to death.’

  The two shadowy figures conversed quietly for a moment; Primrose tried to use her magic and listen in to their conversation but found it had been blocked. Forrestiana turned and faced Primrose and spoke quickly and seriously.

  ‘You were right to come here. Tell Elina not to worry and that you are going to disappear for a while. We need to speak with you privately. After speaking to Elina, press the rose on your bracelet and turn it a
nti-clockwise until it clicks. We need to be so careful. It is secure here.’

  After warning Elina she was going to disappear, Primrose re-materialised in exactly the same spot.

  Both figures stayed in the shadows. Feeling a wave of anger, Primrose stamped her foot.

  ‘This is unfair, I’ve shown you some trust and you still remain partly hidden from me. Why?’

  ‘She has a point,’ Arvensis said.

  ‘She has a quick temper too,’ Forrestiana remarked, ‘it needs controlling.’

  ‘She has ears too!’ Primrose snapped.

  Arvensis laughed loudly, ‘My, how she reminds me of you, my love - spirited and absolutely gorgeous.’

  ‘You making fun of me?’ Primrose asked, glaring at him.

  ‘Not at all, it has been a long time since we have heard such outspoken honesty,’ Arvensis replied and then became serious. He looked at his wife, and she nodded. Holding out his hand towards Primrose, he stepped inside the Circlet and his ghostly form materialised.

  ‘Welcome to our home, oh granddaughter mine. We have waited a long time for this moment. I do not know about you, but I would dearly love a hug.’

  ‘Can ghosts hug?’ Primrose asked curiously, staring at him intently. She was not at all scared; this surprised her a bit, never having seen a ghost before.

  ‘Time to find out,’ Arvensis replied with a broad smile.

  Primrose, without realising it, had taken the strong, spectral hand offered to her and quickly found herself hugged for the first time in… in fact, she could not remember the last time. She decided to just enjoy the feeling of comfort, and much to her disgust, Primrose felt her body give way to years of anguish; the arms wrapped around her tightened. She was not told to shut up or to get a grip or man up - her grandfather just let her be and do exactly what she needed to do.

  After a while, as her sobs lessened, Primrose felt a feather-light touch brush the back of her head and she was turned and engulfed in the arms of Forrestiana, her grandmother. The love she felt and the comfort that flooded through her, healed her soul. Primrose felt true happiness.

  ‘I’m sorry your mother cannot be here to greet you,’ Forrestiana said soothingly, she held Primrose’s face between her hands and looked directly into her tearful eyes, ‘but she still needs to rest.’

  As she finished speaking, she gently kissed Primrose’s forehead. The kiss felt as delicate as a feather.

  ‘Now to business,’ Forrestiana said, her tone changing abruptly, ‘What can we do to help you?’

  Noting Primrose stiffen slightly, she added seriously, ‘There will be other times for questions and answers, Primrose, but there are far more urgent things to be taken care of first, and your lodger is one of them.’

  Primrose turned to her grandfather, who spoke straight away and just as seriously, ‘I’m with your grandmother on this one, Primrose. We have not got time to waste. Come, tell us why you and Elina need our help.’

  Primrose spoke honestly and clearly about her experiences with the panel, the energy she had felt and of the fear she had felt regarding the pull on her left hand. She then described Elina’s vision and reiterated that the life form was close to death. She needed to know the correct way to deal with the matter as she was unsure what she might unleash. As she spoke her grandfather left the Sanctum, after receiving some kind of unspoken message from her grandmother.

  ‘Your grandfather has gone to collect a few things for me. Now, Primrose, I cannot stress how important it is for you and Elina to remain invisible at all times. At present you are both believed to be lost or dead within the forest. Many eyes are searching for clues of your existence. There is great evil about that would dearly love to possess and control the magic that you and Elina have. If this happens, the world as you know it will end. We need to bide our time. We know that Violette has tried to poison the minds of others, but whoever controls her is much more powerful and stronger than you or Elina can ever imagine. At present, you are both too inexperienced to deal with the superior magic that threatens us.’

  As Forrestiana spoke, she held Primrose’s hands and gave them an occasional squeeze, especially when she felt Primrose was about to argue.

  ‘Once, many years ago, your grandfather and I believed we were strong enough too. We were wrong, but now with yourself and Elina we will be in a much stronger position, but I stress, the ‘will be’ is in the future and not now. I tell you this so you take no unnecessary risks, maintain your studies, as you are at present and remain hidden. We are so proud of you both for the speed and accuracy you are displaying with your magic.’ Her grandmother paused once more and took a deep breath.

  ‘I tell you this, because of the problem you now face with your lodger, if Dark Magic is involved the importance of remaining hidden and careful is vital. I too have no idea what it could be. This problem needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, especially if it is Dark Magic emanating from the hole at the top of the tree. The centre of the markings on the panel will be the thinnest and weakest point. This is where you are to use just an index finger to create a small hole and ascertain what is hidden behind it. Using any more fingers could put you and Elina in great danger,’ she warned, ‘Dark Magic is extremely volatile if stored in great amounts.’

  Her grandfather entered the circle and gave her a net made of the finest silver.

  ‘Use this to contain any leakage,’ Arvensis said, ‘the silver gives you protection against any Dark Magic that could be present. Gold has also been woven into the mesh to enhance its powers. Once you and Elina have discovered what is on the other side you must trap it within its folds and send it back here.’

  ‘One more thing, Primrose,’ her grandmother said, ‘the letter written to Elina needs to be destroyed. If that were to get into the wrong hands the consequences could be fatal. See, Primrose, even your mother has a way of not following orders and acting too rashly, just like someone else I now know!’ she added looking straight at Primrose with a smile.

  ‘But the letter helped both Lina and myself and gave us comfort,’ Primrose protested, ‘I don’t want to destroy it.’

  ‘Sometimes, Primrose we need to do things against our wishes,’ her grandmother interspersed, ‘Showing signs of grieving can give the appearance that evil has triumphed. If you were to go around with smiles on your faces when you have lost someone dear to you, it would awaken curiosity and that kind of attention would be dangerous to us. Rules are in place for a reason, especially here. Promise me you will destroy the letter.’

  ‘I’ll speak to Lina and tell her of the dangers. When it’s destroyed, I’ll let you know.’

  ‘There is no need; we will know when it is done.’

  ‘Finally, before you go back, along with the net, we need to give you this…’ her grandmother paused as Arvensis placed a scarf into Primrose’s hands. ‘Your mother made this out of the love she held for you. It offers you protection and warns you of the presence of Dark Magic. It is a truly beautiful gift.’

  ‘Elina told me that one had been made for me, but it had been lost.’

  ‘We have our ways,’ her grandmother smiled warmly at her, ‘Now, Primrose, you need to return. Use your bracelet, press it; turn it clockwise until it clicks. Do the opposite to come back to us.’

  ‘When do we…?’ Primrose paused and looked at the net.

  ‘Tonight, when you get back,’ her grandmother answered.

  ‘Time is of the essence,’ her grandfather confirmed, ‘we need to know as soon as possible what lurks there.’

  Primrose was once more engulfed within a tight hug from both grandparents. If she had to describe the feeling, she would probably have said it was like being immersed inside cotton wool or candyfloss, but not as sticky!

  As she faded, she thought she heard her grandfather’s voice call out to her, warning her not to do anything rash. As though she would, she
grinned to herself.

  20. A brush with the enemy

  Elina felt a pulse of energy and slowly Primrose re-emerged sitting in the rocking chair. She waited patiently and watched her sister come round from what appeared to be a deep sleep. She sensed the mixed feelings of sadness, happiness, apprehension and excitement that Primrose had had to deal with.

  ‘That was one roller-coaster trip of emotions,’ Primrose admitted stroking Dilly, who had been trying hard to get her attention. ‘I met our ghostly ancestors. Actual ghosts! Lina, they were wonderful, so loving. Grandmother is a sharp one. Between the two of us we should be able to wrap Grandfather around our little fingers.’

  ‘And Mother?’ Elina asked, desperate for news.

  ‘Healing,’ Primrose answered honestly, ‘unable to be present this time.’

  Elina watched Primrose as she paused for a moment, she felt she was about to hear something unpleasant. Her heart sank at the thought it could be bad news concerning their mother.

  ‘I have three things to tell you, well four really. The first one is this,’ Primrose said and pulled out the scarf that Briony had made her. It was the first time she had seen the scarf properly. The delicately embroidered primroses in so many colours interspersed with green leaves took her breath away. Her mother had made this intricate, delicate, magical scarf just for her. She brought it to her face and breathed in deeply. For a moment, she thought she was going to cry again.

  Elina crossed the room and placed her arms around Primrose’s shoulders, and whispered in her ear, ‘You’re supposed to wear it, not eat it.’

  Primrose gave a weak laugh and wrapped the scarf lovingly around her neck.

  ‘And the second thing?’ Elina queried.

  ‘We have got to destroy your letter. If its read by our enemies it could give them too much information that could be fatal for us all. I intend to destroy the one that was left to me as well. I won’t put our ancestors at risk, even if I’m not sure how you can put ghosts in danger. Lina, do you agree?’