‘Our parents?’ said Niamh incredulously.
‘Yes yes,’ said Azrael eagerly. ‘They knew their children would be the ones to safeguard the worlds.’
‘By giving us over to a pair of spirit creatures forever? You think our parents would really do that?’
‘Wellllll …’ said Azrael. ‘Perhaps they did not know the finer details. I am not sure I ever told anyone how this might end.’
‘Have you met our parents?’ said Grady. ‘Actually spoken to them?’
‘Not as such,’ said Azrael. ‘But the plan has been well considered by those that need to know.’
Niamh and Grady exchanged disbelieving looks. But a voice in their heads said everything that needed to be said; ‘You’ve been played for fools. Not nice to find that out, is it …’ The laughter, perhaps slightly more mad than sane, of Hephaestus and Persephone echoed around their heads.
‘Say we were going to take her on – hypothetically of course,’ said Grady. ‘What would we have to do?’
‘Grady!’ exclaimed Niamh. ‘You’re not seriously thinking about doing this, are you?’
‘Of course not,’ said Grady, a little too quickly. ‘Well … maybe, we might think about it.’
‘You don’t have time for thinking, young man,’ said Azrael. ‘Do you remember what tonight is?’
Niamh slapped her forehead. ‘It’s the festival of Lughnasadh. We’re meant to be there now! It’s the last festival before we go back to the Dragon’s Lair!’
‘I’m afraid you have no time to go back now,’ said Azrael solemnly.
‘What do you mean?’ said Grady. ‘It’s only just past lunchtime, which reminds me – if you have the trick of producing a sausage or two out of thin air I’d really be quite thankful.’
‘You are feeling hungry because it’s much later than midday. Time moves more slowly around me. It’s a difficult trick to master. It’s a trick you two could easily do if you so desired, but I don’t think you are ready for it yet. We have less than a couple of hours before the sun starts to set. That will be the time the Morrigan will return to the circle of stone. She is compelled to go to that spot each year at this time. She is tied to the land, and the festival of Lughnasadh, the harvest festival, is a powerful day. On this day she is immensely strong, but also vulnerable as the seasons are on the cusp. She has always used this night to …’
‘To what?’ said Niamh.
‘To harvest another body to allow her to maintain herself. She is still a spirit only and needs the body of another to walk this world. That’s what I allowed you to see. That’s what you need to be aware of. The witch is not what she seems any more. Your dragon knows that. It’s one of the useful gifts those creatures possess, the ability to see past illusions.’
‘Something new to learn every day,’ said Grady to himself. ‘Well if we can’t go back, then what do we do?’
‘Come with me,’ said Azrael urgently. ‘Between us we can take on the witch and, maybe, we can finish what I should have had the courage to do a long time ago.’
‘By now half the castle will be out looking for us,’ said Niamh. ‘Can’t we get some more help from them? Brighid would be helpful to have around right now.’
Azrael laughed. ‘That bird is handy in a fight but even she would be of little use tonight.’
‘Then what do we do?’ said Grady. ‘The three of us can’t take her on. You’re half the wizard you used to be and Niamh and I don’t have half the skill you do. I’ve seen that witch move. She’s fast!’
‘What about Aoife?’ said Niamh. ‘Couldn’t she help?’
‘I’m afraid you’ve been deceived,’ said Azrael. ‘Aoife is not who you think she is.’
‘But then who is she? She’s incredibly talented. And I’ve seen her casting spells I could only dream of cast…’ Niamh’s next comment tailed off. ‘Oh no. You must be joking. You don’t mean to say …’
‘I’m sorry. But yes. You’ve been training with the Morrigan herself. She’s been using you more than you can imagine.’
‘But we haven’t told her anything!’ said Grady.
‘You’ve told her more than you think,’ said Azrael. ‘In between those training sessions do you recall what you talked about with her?’
‘Nothing important,’ said Niamh. ‘Just stuff about the castle.’
‘Like what?’ said Azrael.
‘Basic stuff, who was there, what they had been up to, how stupid the guards were …. Oh no. I’ve been giving her all sorts of information about what’s been going on.’
‘Don’t be upset at yourself,’ said the old man. ‘That witch is talented. You wouldn’t have understood how skilled she is at interrogation. She really is clever. Tell me, did you mention anything about …’
‘About the Twins?’ said Grady.
‘You are sharp,’ said Azrael. ‘Yes. About the Twins.’
‘No. At least not that I can remember.’
‘Good,’ said Azrael, looking satisfied. ‘Then we still have that in our favour. If she knew what we know about the Twins you would probably not be alive now.’
‘But she was so helpful,’ said Niamh, her voice cracking. ‘I wouldn’t have had a hope of competing in those races if it hadn’t been for her. Mum wouldn’t give me any of the help that the Morrigan did.’
‘And don’t you find it strange that exactly the help you need turns up out of the blue like that? Don’t you find it strange your mother wasn’t interested in giving you any help? And don’t you find it strange that the creature, person, you needed to introduce you to the help you required should reappear after centuries of absence?’
‘Modron?’ said Grady disbelievingly. ‘Are you saying that’s the same one that opened the circle for the Morrigan a thousand years ago? But that’s … that’s not …’
‘Not possible?’ said Azrael, smiling. ‘It’s also not possible that you are talking to a man that’s a thousand years old, but here I am.’
‘What do we do?’ said Niamh, feeling deflated. It was one thing to know you weren’t the best witch in the world but another to know how easily you could be led.
‘Meet me at the stone circle before sundown. I still know a trick or two. But there are two people who I know can defeat the witch. And I think you do too.’
‘The Twins,’ said Grady.
‘The Twins,’ said Azrael, nodding. ‘But there is a catch.’
‘There’s always a catch,’ said Grady, rolling his eyes. ‘What is it this time? We have to exchange heads with Fitzhollow and Hooligan and act like we’re crazy?’
‘Wouldn’t be an act in your case,’ said Niamh under her breath.
‘I heard that,’ growled Grady.
‘I think its simpler than that,’ said Niamh. ‘You want us to let the Twins combine their powers, and that means letting them take over our minds. You want us to give ourselves over to them.’
‘Great magic requires great sacrifice,’ said Azrael coldly. ‘You saw for yourself what I was willing to do.’
‘Yes we did,’ said Grady. ‘And we also know you didn’t trust the Twins either.’
‘I didn’t trust myself,’ said the wizard weakly. ‘If I had understood …’
‘If you had understood the damage she would cause you would have used the Twins to kill her? If you had understood you would have to live in the shadows for a thousand years you would have had the courage to do what should have been done?’ Niamh stood defiantly with her arms folded across her chest. ‘And now you want us to make the sacrifice you should have made. You want us to right your wrongs,’ she said.
‘Ask your mother,’ said the wizard. ‘Ask her what sacrifice is all about. And ask her to come to the lake with you tonight. She will know why.’
‘Mum won’t come!’ said Niamh derisively. ‘She won’t believe any of this!’
‘Your mother, and your father, know more than you could ever imagine,’ said Azrael, standing. He seemed to grow in power and strength as he did so.
‘Come to the lake and you will have all your doubts about yourself, about the Twins, about your parents answered.’
‘Why do you adults have to be so secretive!’ shouted Grady. ‘Why not just tell us everything now? Stop treating us like children!’
‘We are children,’ said Niamh quietly.
‘Nothing good ever came easily,’ said the wizard, brushing past Grady.
‘Wait,’ said Niamh, grabbing at the wizard’s cardigan. But her hand passed right through the fabric, and the wizard, as if he were not there.
Azrael smiled as Cuchulain sprang to his side. ‘Come to the lake and all will be put right. And don’t worry about your dragon. She will be well.’
‘Hey!’ yelled Grady. ‘Hold on!’
But Azrael, despite his seeming frailty, had broken into a trot towards the spinning globe floating at the end of the room. Cuchulain followed at his heels. Niamh and Grady shared a glance before running after them. As they watched, Azrael’s clothes changed before their eyes. The cardigan and pants were replaced by the robes they had seen him wear by the lake in their journey to the past. The wizard gathered speed and leapt into the air towards a hole in the floor the children had not noticed before. As he did so he reached towards the globe which sped towards his hand. Azrael caught it, and in one movement threw it down into the opening and leaped after it. The children saw him bound gently off a beam halfway down the hole and jump towards the globe which now sat at the bottom of the hole. He and Cuchulain landed on it and seemed to vanish into the shadows. The blue glow winked out ‘He loves dramatic exits, doesn’t he?’ said Niamh.
‘Quick,’ said Grady. ‘Bubble spell please!’
‘What? Oh no!’ yelled Niamh as Grady threw himself towards the hole. She whipped her wand from her sweatshirt and, without thinking, threw a spell towards Grady as he vanished into the hole. The spell caught him before he hit the ground and the bubble sank rapidly down to the floor before winking out.
‘Perfect Niamh. Thanks!’ he yelled as he ran out through the only doorway he could see. The stained and crusted windows overlooking the alleyway he entered looked like gloomy eyes staring down at the empty cobbles. To his right an archway loomed over a padlocked and chained wrought iron fence. It was unlikely the wizard had gone that way. A voice called out to him.
‘Hey! Grady! Where have you been?’
Grady turned and saw Hugh and Quinn marching up the alley towards him. It was the only way out.
‘Did you guys see an old man run out here?’
‘Nope,’ said Hugh. ‘Just you. No one else. You guys have been gone for hours! Your mum’s going berserk.’
‘Forget Mum!’ said Grady, exasperated. ‘He had a huge dog with him, a Sidhe Hound! You must have seen him!’
Quinn laughed. ‘A Sidhe Hound? I think we’d have noticed a Sidhe Hound running out of an alley.’
Niamh bounded into the alley. ‘Any sign?’
Grady threw up his hands. ‘Nothing. He’s gone.’
Niamh’s shoulders slumped. ‘Let’s get home. We’ve not much time left. And we need to have a talk. To Mum …’
Chapter 23
Lughnasadh
‘You know you’ve been had?’ said Quinn as they flew back to the castle.
Niamh frowned. ‘Who by this time?’ she said.
‘What do you mean – “this time”?’ said Quinn.
‘We always seem to get taken in by someone. Balthasar, you, Mum and Dad. And now Azrael. It always feels like we’re being treated like idiots.’
Quinn started to speak but was cut off by Niamh.
‘And yes, I know what you’re going to say. The only reason we found Azrael was he wanted us to find him. I’m not stupid. I’ve been thinking about it too.’
‘I’m not sure about that,’ said Quinn. ‘That he wanted you to find him, I mean. Not about you being stupid. Which you aren’t, I need to say.’
‘Nice recovery,’ said Grady, smiling.
Quinn smirked. ‘From what you said, Azrael sounds like he really does need you. Maybe he always knew that he would.’
‘I hate the fact we didn’t have any say in this. I hate the fact we might be … someone’s plan. I think whoever it was that decided we should have special … whatever it is that we have, made a mistake,’ said Niamh angrily.
‘Yeah. It must be a real pain knowing you have the powers of the Twins within you,’ said Quinn ironically.
‘Don’t be smart,’ said Niamh angrily. ‘You know what I mean.’
The castle reared up ahead of them. Despite the bright sun it still managed to look gloomy and forbidding. Niamh felt it matched her mood.
Grady hooked back around his sister’s broomstick and flew close beside her. ‘Are we going to go to the lake? Do we do what he wants?’
Niamh said nothing, but stared ahead. ‘I don’t think we have a choice,’ she said with a sigh. ‘Azrael knows he needs us. We know he needs us. And how would you feel if we had the chance to help him end this now and we didn’t?’
‘Fair point,’ said Grady, nodding.
‘But first I want to see Mum,’ said Niamh. Her voice sounded colder than Grady had ever heard it before.
The group swung over the battlements, past guards who waved as they dropped to the courtyard. Niamh was in no mood for pleasantries. She stowed her broomstick and stalked off through the doors towards the family rooms.
‘Niamh!’ yelled Grady. ‘Hold up.’
Niamh huffed to a halt. ‘What?’ she spat at Grady.
‘What are you going to say to Mum?’
‘I’m going to … she … I’ll …’
‘Hmmmm. That’s probably not going to work,’ said Grady, smiling.
The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on Niamh. ‘This feels awkward. Being given lessons on thinking before I speak, by you!’
‘Take a breath. Chill a little. Come to the stables with me. Hector is usually worth having a chat with when you feel a little angry. It always works for me.’
Niamh crossed her arms and stalked back and forth across the flagstones, scowling. ‘Okay. But not for long. We need to get ready to get to the lake.’
‘So what yer sayin,’ said Hector, sitting back and taking a swig from a flask, ‘is that ye think a dead wizard who hasnae been seen for centuries, has been living in a wee grubby room in the middle of toon wi a monstrous hoond and nae one has seen him till ye lot managed to track him doon in a matter of minutes?’
‘Well …’ said Niamh uncertainly.
‘And he tells ye a dead witch that, again, hasnae been seen fer many years, has been training ye by the lake t’make yer mammie look bad just so she can trick ye?’
Niamh and Grady looked silently at each other. This wasn’t going as well as they had hoped.
‘Does sound a little crazy when you put it like that,’ said Grady.
‘A little?’ said McHavering. ‘I think ye need to give yer parents a wee bit more credit than ye think they deserve. And ye should be more worried about yer beastie,’ he said disapprovingly to Grady.
‘How is she?’ said Grady.
‘I’m fine, now,’ came the response from Iris.
Grady immediately jumped up and ran to a stall at the end of the stables. A few wisps of steam were rising from the foul muddy concoction McHavering had spread onto the wounds. But Iris lifted her head at Grady’s approach and snorted a welcome. ‘It’s good to see you,’ she said.
‘Has Hector been looking after you?’ said Grady aloud.
McHavering smiled. ‘It was a wee mission getting her back here. I dinnae know what I did but she suddenly began tae improve aboot an hour past. She should be fine but she needs rest.’
Niamh and Grady exchanged a glance. Azrael had been as good as his word.
‘I can’t for long. I know what tonight is,’ Iris said, laying her head back down.
‘You’re not going to try anything stupid are you?’ said Grady.
‘Stupid being a relative term when compare
d with what you might be planning?’ said Iris.
Grady blushed. ‘Well, we might need some help.’
‘I will be at your service. I owe a favour to the wizard that healed my wounds. My cousins will also be there.’
‘That lot!’ said Grady. ‘They were going to toast me and Niamh.’
‘A little misunderstanding,’ said Iris. ‘It won’t happen again.’
‘Ah. There you are,’ said a voice from the doorway. Roland lurched into the stables with a bucket of shiny coal that he emptied into a trough by the dragon’s head.
‘Why don’t you get one of the gnolls to do that?’ said Niamh.
‘This is my special stash,’ said Roland. ‘It’s particularly hot and particularly hard to get hold of. I don’t want the buggers knowing how to get into the cellar where I keep it.’
‘A bit dangerous to get into is it?’ said Grady.
‘One mistake in trying to open the door would be a terminal event,’ said Roland, wiping the coal dust from his hands. ‘Your girl is a hardy beast. Those wounds she had are healing as fast as anything I’ve ever seen.’
‘Well if ye knoo anything aboot poultices ye’d have had her up on her talons by now,’ said McHavering, winking at Niamh.
‘Why you ungrateful …’ Roland started to say.
‘Thank you for helping her,’ said Grady, tactfully interrupting.
‘Ach. Now what sort o’a dragon keeper would I be if I couldnae help the beastie?’
‘And thanks for talking,’ said Niamh.
‘Feeling a wee bit less testy then, are we?’ said McHavering kindly.
‘A bit,’ said Niamh, smiling.
‘A word of advice aboot yer parents,’ McHavering said, looking sombre. ‘They’re better people than any I know of in this land save ye grandparents. Now I’m no saying they’re perfect but ye need to trust them. Remember. Things are nae always as black and white as ye think. Especially in this land. There’s an awful lot of shades of colour that ye never knew existed before. We know after what happened tae yer beastie here that the witch is back. We believe ye, dinnae think we don’t. But take a moment. Think aboot it. Ye two are stronger than ye think. Bank on it.’
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