Azrael’s Twins
and
The Circle of Stone
Book Two of the Nearworld Tales
by
V.J. Mortimer
Copyright © Vincent Mortimer 2015
Christchurch, New Zealand
Published as an ebook by Vincent Mortimer 2015
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed, publicly performed, or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Kindle Edition ASIN B015LUJQ7G
Print Edition available through www.createspace.com
Print ISBN-13 978-1517336646
Print ISBN-10 1517336643
The right of V.J. Mortimer to be identified as the author has been asserted by him
All characters, events, and places in this book
are products of the authors imagination,
and any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental
Condition of Sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Cover Designed by Judy Bullard
www.customebookcovers.com
Editing by Dan Park
Proofreading and Copy Editing by Belinda O’Keefe
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To Jimmy.
A Few Notes on Pronunciation
This book uses a number of Gaelic words. To the non-Gaelic speaker they might seem a little challenging to pronounce so the following is a short list which may help. Gaelic speakers from different areas will often pronounce the same word differently and the pronunciations shown here are only English approximations.
Niamh = Nee-uv
Cuchulain = Koo-cull-in or Koo-hull-in
Sidhe = Shee
Tir-Na-Nog = Tyeer-nuh-noeg
Manannan Mac Lir = Monn-unawn-mok-lir
Lughnasadh = Lu-na-sah
Aoife = A-fa
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 A Flight in the Forest
Chapter 2 Instructions and Introductions
Chapter 3 Fingal and the Book
Chapter 4 Leaving the Lair
Chapter 5 A Glory of Dragons
Chapter 6 Morrigan’s Lake
Chapter 7 A Face in the Crowd
Chapter 8 Face Off
Chapter 9 Mountain Treasure
Chapter 10 Schemes
Chapter 11 Morrigan’s Daughter
Chapter 12 Lessons
Chapter 13 Tips and Tricks
Chapter 14 Merciful Choices
Chapter 15 Nature
Chapter 16 Revelations
Chapter 17 Mirror Maze
Chapter 18 Present and Past
Chapter 19 Off the Map
Chapter 20 The Hunter
Chapter 21 Elf Song
Chapter 22 Dead or Alive
Chapter 23 Lughnasadh
Chapter 24 The Circle of Stone
Chapter 25 Blood and Ashes
Chapter 26 Legends
Chapter 27 Tree and Stone
Chapter 28 Destiny’s Duties
Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.
James Joyce
Prologue
The wind snapped the flags on the turret top back and forth with a violence that belied the serenity of the summer day. Below, a pair of broomsticks rose gently away from the castle rooftop before accelerating towards the forests that blanketed the hillsides. As the boy and girl that rode the broomsticks dwindled from sight, two watchers detached themselves from the shadows.
‘Do you think they know yet?’ said the man leaning on the battlements, his cape swirling around him in a gust of wind.
‘Yes. They know. But they don’t yet understand,’ said the woman. She wore no cape but at this height the air was still cool and she zipped up her jacket to stave off the chill. ‘Their friends have absolutely no idea. No idea at all …’
‘They wouldn’t. They are not as sharp as these two.’
‘Don’t underestimate them, though,’ said the woman. ‘They will know soon enough. Fate has a way of making itself known at the most inappropriate times.’
The man chuckled. ‘Experience has already shown us that.’ As the children drifted further away, a shape rose from the forest and flamed brightly before disappearing. ‘They are not alone,’ said the man.
‘They never are, though they might not know it,’ said the woman. ‘They can never be alone again. Not now.’
‘That sounded like … regret?’ said the man.
‘We don’t have time for regret,’ said the woman. A hardness sounded in her tone and a steely set grew in her jaw. ‘The time for regret is long gone.’
‘What about heart? Is there still space for that? Even if regret is gone?’
The woman turned to the man. The steel melted rapidly and a tear rolled down her cheek. ‘Why would you need to ask? There is always heart space, always and forever. But we don’t have a choice. Not now.’
‘You mean not since their … adventure in the Vault of Azrael’s Twins?’
‘You know I hate that name now,’ snapped the woman as she roughly wiped away the tear. ‘The Twins were lost. They are gone. And so we should forget the name. Name it for what is left. Call it, “The Vault of the Treasures.”’
The man nodded. ‘You know what will come of this? There will be more loss. On both sides.’
‘I know.’
‘And you are still happy to walk the path?’
‘Happy? No. Resolved? Yes.’
The watchers stayed silent for a few moments. Sounds from the castle grounds rose through the air towards them and mixed with the scents emanating from the dragon stables.
The man turned back to the woman. ‘You know we have struggled to find her? The one they need to meet?’
The woman nodded. ‘Yes. I’ve heard. She won’t be easy to find. But she will find them. She won’t be able to resist. I know she is close. I can still feel her out there.’ The woman’s gaze turned south to the mountains that stretched towards the horizon. Unseasonal dark clouds clung like grey cotton balls to the peaks that even at this time of year showed glimpses of snow below the gloom.
‘She is possibly more dangerous now than ever,’ said the man. ‘She will have an … emotional appeal that could prove … compelling. To the children, I mean.’
‘If she chooses to show herself,’ said the woman. ‘Her real self at least. The children are naturally wary. Especially now. Especially after … after what they have been through … been put through.’
‘Must go through, you mean,’ said the man.
The woman sighed. ‘Yes,’ she said reluctantly. ‘Must.’
The clouds to the south flashed brightly as lightning struck. For some moments there was silence. Then a low but deeply unsettling rumble sounded as the breeze again snapped the pennant on the turret top. ‘We should go,’ said the man,
turning and stepping through the door from the tower. ‘There are things to do, to organise.’
The woman waited a moment longer. She glanced after the children. They were hidden from sight now but she could still feel them.
She sighed again, and chided herself for it. She was sighing too much lately. And with the coming of the storm, sighing wasn’t going to help anyone.
Chapter 1
A Flight in the Forest
Grady ducked as a blasting spell splintered the bough of the tree ahead of him. Debris rained into his face as he attempted to weave his way through the forest. He glanced behind and could see the spell caster was closing in.
Escape lay, he knew, where the forest became denser. If he could only avoid the spells for a few moments more it would be impossible for the chaser to get a clear shot.
He bent lower over the tip of his broomstick and urged it onwards. Twigs whipped at his face as he rocketed past low hanging branches one moment and then swept across the forest floor the next. Ahead he saw the opening in the trail he had been heading for. A smile crept across his face as he felt victory approaching.
Behind him the chaser snarled to herself. She was not about to let him get away today. Her record had been perfect up to now. No quarry had ever escaped her pursuit but no one had ever held out this long on the trail without feeling the sting of her spells. The rider ahead had grown bolder over recent times – and more skilful – but there was a matter of professional pride at stake. Failure, for her, was not an option. She too could see the trail disappear ahead and knew if he made it to the opening without being brought down then capture would be impossible. With a supreme effort she threw her broomstick around a large oak and unleashed one last desperate spell at the disappearing broomstick and rider ahead.
The spell sizzled through the damp forest air and clipped the rider. The impact sent up a stream of smoke from his pants and threw him into an uncontrollable spin. He held on grimly as he corkscrewed through the air, but there was no hope of recovery. Broomstick and rider crashed to the forest floor, sending up a shower of leaves and splatters of mud. The safety of the path into the thick and older forest was only metres away.
But success for the spell caster was short-lived. The final burst of the spell had caused her to overbalance, and she too spun under her broom, barely hanging on as it barrelled into a thicket dumping her unceremoniously to the ground. Leaping to her feet while still covered in leaves and with twigs in her hair, she looked back and punched the air in glee.
‘Yes!!’ she cried as she pranced around in a triumphant dance. ‘Gotcha!’
Grady stood up and brushed the dirt off his broomstick. ‘Only just.’
‘Just is just enough,’ said Niamh haughtily, hands on her hips.
Grady glanced over Niamh’s shoulder as he stood up. A year ago he and his sister had been brought from their home at Avalon’s End and thrust into a world of magic and sorcery they had only imagined. The year had wrought many changes in his frame. He was now almost as tall as his older sister and his magical powers were, like Niamh’s, growing at an exponential rate. But some things never change – such as knowing that his sister’s smile was about to be wiped off her face.
‘What are you grinning at?’ said Niamh.
Grady didn’t have a chance to answer as two large black dogs raced towards them and crashed into the back of Niamh’s legs, sweeping her off her feet and setting her heavily onto the forest floor. The dogs bounded back and covered her with slobber and drool.
‘That,’ said Grady, chuckling quietly.
‘Get off me Cu!’ yelled Niamh as she tried to move the bigger of the two dogs. But Labradors are not easily shifted and it took her several moments to get up again.
‘You know, I nearly did get away that time,’ said Grady, scratching the ears of the other dog. ‘I think you’re slipping. Ms Pussywillow wouldn’t be impressed if she knew you were having trouble catching your brother now.’
‘I’m not slipping, but you are getting better,’ Niamh said grudgingly.
‘You think so?’ said Grady, genuinely surprised at the unsolicited compliment – a rare thing from his sister.
‘Yeah. I was pushing as hard as I could today.’
‘Well maybe I had a good day,’ said Grady as he rubbed Cu behind his ears.
‘No you didn’t. I know I’m by far the best spell caster in the school now. There isn’t another girl on a broomstick that can match me. And they know it. It’s so unfair though,’ said Niamh grumpily, brushing leaves off her legs with a touch more force than necessary.
‘Whaddyamean?’ asked Grady as he checked his broomstick. He marvelled again at how, despite crash after crash, the deep red oak was still completely unmarked. The brooms of his classmates at Rookwood Hall looked battered after a year, but the leprechaun-made mounts he and Niamh possessed were remarkably pristine. Even his parents were amazed that ANYTHING Grady owned did not look as if it had been used as a wheel stop for a tank after fifteen minutes.
‘Well – why can you race dragons, which in my opinion is ridiculously dangerous, while I can’t join the spell casting or broomstick biathlon teams? It’s not fair.’ Niamh huffed as she scratched Fin under the chin. The dog sat with tongue lolling and panted heavily, completely unaware of Niamh’s growing frustration.
‘They must have a reason,’ said Grady in the most understanding manner he could muster. He knew – better than most – that his sister was an unusually gifted witch.
‘Well I don’t care what their reasons are. It still isn’t fair.’
Grady didn’t get a chance to reply, as the sound of a chiming bell broke the conversation. Niamh reached inside her sweatshirt and pulled out her shining white iWand. With a quick flick of her wrist the wand extended and the face of her friend Bree flickered into view above the tip.
‘Hey Niamh! Where are you guys? We’ve been trying to find you for ages.’
‘We’re out by the old forest edge. Where are you?’
‘The old forest?’ yelled Bree. ‘What are you doing there? That’s miles away.’
‘Grady thought he could outrun me by heading into Taliesin’s Labyrinth, but not today! Caught him before the entrance,’ said Niamh smugly.
‘Taliesin’s Labyrinth? Is he mad?’ said Bree, shaking her head. ‘He could vanish in there. People go in and never come out again!’
‘Damn!’ said Niamh, smirking. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have tried to catch him then.’
‘Hey!’ said Grady, pulling out his wand and waving it menacingly at Niamh. ‘Then you’d have no brother!’
‘And the problem with that would be …?’ said Niamh, smiling primly.
‘He’s done well to make it that far. You must be slipping,’ said Bree.
‘Not really,’ replied Niamh. ‘Every now and then he needs to think he’s getting better, so I let him go a bit further than normal today.’
‘Yeah. Right,’ said Bree – clearly not convinced. ‘Anyway, why don’t you head home and we’ll meet you halfway. Your mum said that if we could find you, we were to tell you it’s time to come and do some packing for the trip to Morrigan’s Lake.’
‘Packing! Why can’t we get some of the faeries to pack for us?’ said Grady, scowling.
‘You know why,’ said Niamh. ‘For a start Mum says you need to learn to get off your high dragon and do some of this for yourself or you’ll become too lazy – sorry – lazier. And secondly, every time you ask the faeries to do anything like that at home the grogoch likes to try to help. That’s a recipe for a battle between him and the faeries and your room ends up looking even worse than it usually does.’
‘Whatever. Just hurry up!’ said Bree, sounding exasperated. ‘Get a move on and get home. We’ll see you on the way.’
‘Okay. See you soon,’ said Niamh before flicking the wand closed again and stowing it back in her sweatshirt.
‘We’d better go. Ummm … good effort today by the way,’ said Niamh, trying not to look
at her brother as she said it. ‘I actually wasn’t sure if I’d get you.’
‘Why not say that in front of your friends next time, Niamh.’
‘Well, you know. Can’t let them think I’m getting soft now can I? Would totally ruin my reputation.’
Grady frowned at his sister before sticking his hand out. ‘Yeah. Better not do that. Shake though. I don’t think anyone else could have caught me.’
Niamh stared at his hand, trying to figure out if he was about to pull one of those sparking buzzer handshakes he loved that would make her hair stand on end. She picked up her broomstick and gave his hand a half-hearted shake before smiling and shaking it a bit more firmly.
‘Ready to go boys?’ said Grady. The dogs jumped up, alert, and rushed to the broomsticks. As the children mounted them, the dogs leapt up behind Niamh and Grady and sat, improbably well-balanced behind them. Niamh took her real wand out – not the iWand but the beautiful blackthorn stick made for her by the Leprechaun Fitzhollow. She waved it over her shoulder and felt the restraining spell lock itself around the happily panting Labrador as Grady did the same to Fin on the back of his mount.
‘Here we go!’ said Niamh to the dogs as she pushed off from the ground and pointed the broomstick to a gap in the canopy of trees. Together the children rose above the treetops and sped towards the Dragon’s Lair – their castle home.
As they gained speed the dogs became more excited. Cu stuck his head over Niamh’s shoulder, tongue hanging out, and ears flapping in the wind – proving that it doesn’t matter to a dog if it’s a magical world or a highway anywhere else, if there is a chance to slobber in the breeze they will always be happy to take it.
The world sped by faster and faster below them. The children were now as comfortable in the air as they were on the ground. Grady had built a reputation as a fearless dragon rider – though it must be said that his mount had as much to do with that as it did with Grady’s own abilities. His special relationship with the dragon, Iris – a dangerous mountain viper breed, was known only to a few, and Murdock, the elf head of security, had made it clear to Grady it was to stay that way.
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