Imperato nodded with immediate understanding, ‘You met the queen.’
Mistral hesitated, ‘You could say that. I jumped into her mouth actually.’
Alyssa tensed by her side but said nothing. Mistral glanced at her warily. She wasn’t ready to be mothered by her ... Serenity was bad enough.
‘Dragons are an ancient race my daughter, they have known more lifetimes than any other race that lay claim to sanctuary on this Isle, even our own. There is only one race to equal dragons in its age and nobility and that is yours.’
Mistral looked at him blankly. She was a centaur, and he’d just said that dragons were older than them. Then she realised that he meant Seers ... that she was a Seer, not a centaur.
‘The queen will have seen in you a kindred spirit, an embodiment of the ancient laws of arcadia itself. Aside from that, you are with child. Female dragons have powerful maternal instincts. She would have given her own life to protect yours and the life that lives within you. A female Seer with child … it is a combination the queen would have been powerless to resist. Tell me, did she sing to you?’
Mistral laughed despite herself, remembering the low crooning growl, ‘Yes, if you could call it singing.’
‘Dragon song is rare and deeply magical. Your child will have been blessed with that song.’
Mistral laid a protective hand across her belly and was shocked at her reaction. She suddenly felt exhausted, emotionally and physically, and wanted nothing more than to curl up with Prospero and slip into the grateful oblivion of sleep.
Seeing her suddenly weary expression, Alyssa smiled and took her hand, leading her wordlessly back to the hut where they had first met. ‘Stay for as long as you need to … my daughter –’
Mistral watched the graceful centaur walk away, her mother.
The days passed by seamlessly. The centaur tribe led a simple life; the males would hunt or spend hours conversing on subjects Mistral could barely grasp. The females spent their days tending their homes, preparing meals and caring for their young. Alyssa did not force her company on Mistral, but she could hear the yearning for them to become close in her thoughts. Mistral withdrew from her, not out of anger or dislike, but because she had no desire to have a mother figure in her life after eighteen years. Imperato would spend time with her each day. He would speak and she would listen, but often they simply walked together in silent companionship. Mistral spoke little but thought much; about the revelation of her blood-line, about the child within her and about Fabian, endlessly about Fabian. The anger she felt towards him had faded to a dull resentment. She missed him, but she wasn’t ready to return to him yet. Every moment she spent cocooned in the suspended reality of the centaur tribe’s way of life was another spent hiding from the frightening prospect of going back and facing the truth.
She could hear the twins, invading her thoughts with their gift, demanding her return, but she ignored them. She refused to listen for her Mage but she was powerless to block him out when she slept. Her dreams were full of his despair while he relentlessly searched the forests, drawing ever closer to her hiding place.
Mistral awoke from her sleep with a gasp, her eyes staring wide, full of the knowledge that Fabian had finally found her. Without a second’s hesitation she leapt from her bed fully dressed and grabbed Cirrus’ tack, running out of the hut and across the open expanse of the tribe’s settlement towards the makeshift enclose where her horse was being kept. The grey light of dawn revealed his familiar dark outline, grazing quietly on his own. Hastily throwing the saddle across his back, Mistral fastened the straps with shaking hands. He accepted his bridle without argument, and suddenly Mistral was mounted again. She whistled for Prospero and dug her heels in, galloping away into the forests, fleeing from her Mage and her destiny with as much speed as Cirrus would give her.
The heavy snow falls had been defeated by February’s relentless downpour. Mistral rode through the sheeting rain, oblivious to the direction Cirrus chose. Fabian had been so close! Somewhere deep inside a niggling sense of guilt told her that she was running away from him again, but she ignored it and urged Cirrus to gallop faster. Running away from him was easier than facing the truth.
When Cirrus staggered to a halt, his head drooping from exhaustion Mistral slid from his back unthinkingly and turned around to find herself back in the Ri’s stableyard. With a burst of horror she realised that Cirrus had taken her to the last place she wanted to be. Before she could haul herself back into the saddle she felt calloused hands roughly grabbing her and spun round to meet the baleful glare of the Equus.
‘Back then are you?’ He growled and pulled the reins from her hands.
She watched him leading Cirrus away, leaving her shivering in the pouring rain, not knowing where to go.
‘Don’t think you’re taking another out either!’ Clovis shouted over his shoulder. ‘You’re grounded!’
Mistral snorted angrily. Grounded? Who did Clovis think he was? Her father? She immediately decided that was exactly what she’d do; take another horse and ride out again ... maybe return to the tribe … she had a feeling that her abrupt early morning departure had probably offended Imperato and Alyssa anyway. Prospero nudged the small of her back and whined. She looked down at her loyal dog. His thick coat was dirty and matted, he was dripping wet and shivering. He whined again, making Mistral feel suddenly guilty for making her dog suffer because of her selfish behaviour.
‘Looks like there’s only one place left to go boy,’ she said, adding miserably. ‘If I’m still welcome that is.’
Forcing her stiff legs to move more quickly than they wanted to, Mistral stumbled across the cobbled village square. She broke into a run through the winding back streets of the village, suddenly desperate to see the faces of her brothers ... to hear their familiar voices, no matter how angry they would sound. By the time she reached the narrow alleyway leading to the twins’ house she was exhausted. A stitch tore at her side, forcing her to slow her reckless pace. Slipping in her haste on the wet cobbles, Mistral fell to her knees and swore loudly, the sound echoing off the houses on either side. A door immediately banged open and light flooded the wet street, illuminating her as she clambered wearily to her feet.
‘Mistral!’
Phantasm’s voice was filled with angry relief. Mistral felt hands grabbing her and pulling her upright.
‘Where have you been?’ He demanded frantically, his green eyes taking in her torn and dirty clothes. Not waiting for her reply he dragged her inside and slammed the door, narrowly avoiding Prospero’s long tail as he slunk past and headed straight for the fire. ‘Lock that!’ He instructed his brother sharply. ‘Just in case she decides to run away again!’
Mistral stood dripping on the clean doormat and gazed miserably at the twins, ‘Sorry –’
Phantasm stared at her, ‘Sorry?’
Mistral flinched under the scorching fury of his green eyes.
‘You’re sorry?’ Phantasm repeated more quietly, taking two steps towards her with fists clenched angrily by his sides. ‘Do you have any idea how worried we’ve all been? No, of course you don’t! Because you only ever think of yourself, don’t you Mistral?’
A frigid silence fell. Mistral dropped her gaze to stare at her muddy boots.
‘Look at you!’ Phantasm snapped. ‘You’re filthy! Where have you been for the last week?’
‘Forest,’ she mumbled.
‘On your own?’ He almost shouted.
‘No. With the centaurs.’
Phantom shared a look with his twin, ‘We thought that’s where you had gone. Mage De Winter has been trying to locate the tribe for the last two days.’
‘I know.’
Another silence fell.
‘You knew? And you decided to run away from him again?’ Phantom seared her with a furious look. ‘Oh, now that was really mature Mistral!’
She didn’t reply and continued to stare dejectedly at the mat again while another long silence fell.
‘I think that I am not even going to try and continue this conversation until I’ve calmed down.’ Phantasm finally said. ‘Brother? Would you please go and tell the others there’s no need to go out searching again tonight.’
Phantom nodded. Giving Mistral a scathing look, he slipped quietly out into the rainy night.
‘You!’ Phantasm snapped, piercing Mistral with a scornful look. ‘Get upstairs and into the bath right now! I’m not even talking to you until you’re at least clean!’
Mistral took a faltering step off the mat onto the clean floor.
‘I don’t think so!’ Phantasm cried. ‘Boots off!’
Mistral obediently removed her boots and set them neatly by the door before walking meekly over to the staircase and climbing slowly up.
‘Get on with it!’ Phantasm ordered, watching her from the bottom of the staircase until he heard the bathroom door close. Inhaling sharply and shaking his head, Phantasm turned around to see a very wet and muddy Prospero stretched out in front of the fire on a once cream rug. ‘Oh, for crying out loud!’
By the time Phantasm had cleaned up after Mistral’s dog, she had finished her bath, ‘Er, Phantasm?’ Her hesitant voice drifted down the stairs.
‘Yes?’ He responded tersely.
‘I – I need some clean clothes –’
‘Get some then! You know where they are!’
There was a short silence.
‘I need some … others –’
‘Why?’
‘I can’t do the trousers up on mine anymore,’ she replied in a strained voice.
‘Oh,’ said Phantasm more softly. ‘Wait a minute.’
He ran lightly up the stairs and rummaged in one of the rooms before dropping a neatly folded pile of clean clothes outside the bathroom door, ‘There you go,’ he said to the closed door and walked briskly back down the stairs, throwing himself onto the sofa and tapping his foot impatiently while he waited for her to reappear. ‘And just what do you think you’ve been doing?’ He demanded as soon as her foot left the bottom step.
‘Having a bath,’ she replied sullenly and walked over to stand next to the fire.
‘Don’t be facetious Mistral! You know what I mean! A week! A whole week! Your Mage has nearly destroyed himself! And I don’t think anyone else has slept more than a couple of hours!’
Mistral looked at him guiltily. There were shadows like bruises marring the ivory skin beneath his eyes. ‘Sorry.’
‘Sorry, is, quite frankly, just not going to cut it this time Mistral! I think you’ve got some explaining to do! Did you not hear my brother and I asking you to come back?’
She nodded once.
‘What? And you just chose to ignore us?’
Mistral grimaced slightly and nodded again.
Phantasm exhaled sharply, ‘Do you have any idea of the sheer level of panic you’ve caused? Even Master Sphinx has been looking for you!’
A scowl flickered across her face, ‘Only because he wanted his Seer back.’
Phantasm stared at her in cold silence, his eyes boring into her until she reluctantly met his hard look, ‘Are you still carrying your baby?’ He demanded harshly.
She blanched then nodded.
Phantasm closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Opening his eyes slowly he looked at her and almost smiled. She looked so pitiful in her overlarge clothes that he forgave her immediately. ‘Oh Mistral, come here,’ he sighed and pulled her down next to him. To his surprise she immediately hugged her knees to her chest and curled up against him. ‘Why do you have to make every stage of your life such a battle?’ He murmured, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.
Mistral shook her head wordlessly against his chest and began to cry.
‘Everything is going to be fine Mistral, there’s no need for tears.’ Phantasm murmured, brushing the damp tendrils of hair away from her face.
She looked up at him, her expression hesitant, ‘I – I found out what blood I am –’
Phantasm grew suddenly still. His arm tightened around her fractionally. ‘Tell me,’ he breathed.
‘Centaur.’
There was a full minute’s silence while Phantasm stared unseeingly into the fire, ‘But … how?’ He finally asked in a confused whisper.
Mistral forced the words out in a cracked whisper, ‘It’s because I was born to be a Seer … not a centaur. Imperato … he said that Sight forces the vessel –’
‘To take the form required in order to fulfil its destiny,’ finished Phantasm. ‘Yes, I’ve read books theorising that Seers are more of a race of their own rather than just a randomly gifted member of one of the Arcane tribes.’ He gazed thoughtfully into the fire while Mistral dried her eyes on the sleeve of Phantom’s shirt. ‘Ah, of course.’ Phantasm let out a long drawn out sigh. ‘Saul was a Yarthkin.’
Mistral nodded and began to cry again, ‘H-he was blood-bound to protect me!’ She sobbed. ‘I feel so g-guilty! He died for me, but he never knew why!’
‘Oh Mistral.’ Phantasm sighed and wrapped both arms around her more closely. ‘I can understand that this has all been a profound shock to you; the baby, your blood-line ... and Saul. But you really can’t feel guilty about him. It was his destiny to protect you, and he fulfilled it! That’s all any of us can ever really wish for.’ He paused, his voice taking on a more reproving tone. ‘But you really should’ve come back sooner. I can’t begin to tell you how close to the edge this has taken Mage De Winter.’
Mistral sat up and wiped her eyes to stare out of the rain-streaked window where night was falling, ‘I miss him.’
‘Of course you do!’ Phantasm exclaimed.
‘But I hate him.’
‘What precisely do you hate him for Mistral?’ Phantasm asked with a perplexed frown.
‘For trapping me into a life I never wanted!’ She sobbed, rubbing angrily at the tears that began to fall again.
‘No, that’s not it. You always wanted a life with your Mage … I think you’re afraid.’
‘No I’m not!’ She snapped, glaring at him angrily through her tears.
‘Oh yes, you are.’ Phantasm smiled. ‘But, of what exactly? Pain doesn’t frighten you ...surely the challenge of being a mother doesn’t daunt you?’
She stared at him silently before dropping her gaze and picking distractedly at her wet sleeve, ‘Never being free.’
‘No-one is ever free Mistral.’ Phantasm said softly.
‘You are!’
‘No. I am eternally tied to my brother, and he to me. Just as you are tied to your Mage and the both of you tied to the life you have created between you.’
‘I had nothing to do with this!’ She cried, waving an angry hand in the direction of her stomach.
Phantasm laughed, ‘Oh come on Mistral! You don’t think the miracle of life is a solo act do you?’
‘Don’t laugh at me!’ She snapped. ‘And no, of course I don’t! But I didn’t know I could even have children!’
‘And neither did he, so just how is he solely to blame?’
Mistral glared at him but said nothing.
‘And if you had known you could have children, would it have made any difference?’ Phantasm asked reasonably.
Mistral frowned and fidgeted with her wet sleeve again before she finally sighed, ‘No, of course not.’
‘Then, please, tell me why you are fighting so hard against the most wonderful, natural thing that can happen to a couple who love each other as much as you two!’
‘Because … oh! Because!’ Mistral flared then faltered, her shoulders dropping in defeat. ‘Oh, I don’t know … it was just a shock! I’ve never known what blood I had, but I always assumed I was a half-breed of some sort and could never have children. And then to find out I was … was, oh you know!’ She screwed her face up, unable to pronounce the word.
‘Pregnant?’ Phantasm offered with an amused smile.
‘Yes … that.’
‘So, you’re not too shocked about being centaur
born then?’
‘Not really.’ Mistral shrugged. ‘I was born to be a Seer. It didn’t matter whether my parents were centaurs or spriggans. I’d have been me no matter what.’
‘I really can’t believe that you’re struggling to come to terms with being pregnant but seem to have accepted the truth about your blood without too much trouble! You’re so contrary Mistral!’ Phantasm gave a short laugh and then sighed, hugging her closely again. ‘But I can’t begin to tell you how worried we’ve been about you! We’ve searched everywhere for you, and then you just turn up, looking like a drowned cat!’
‘I really am sorry.’ Mistral looked forlornly at him. ‘I never meant to cause so much trouble, but when Serenity told me what was wrong with me, I just panicked ... I got lost in the forests, then I fell … and the centaurs found me and took me back to the tribe and Imperato told me the truth, and, well, it just took me a bit of time to adjust I suppose.’
‘Yes, I can see now that you probably did have a bit to think about.’ Phantasm agreed. ‘My brother and I knew you’d come back when you were ready.’
‘I’m so lucky to have you two.’ Mistral sighed and then looked up at him anxiously. ‘I know I never say how much you mean to me, but you do know, don’t you?’
‘Of course we do Mistral.’ Phantasm gave her a bemused look. ‘But I do think that pregnancy has made you a bit over-emotional. It certainly explains some of your recent behaviour, the kittens for a start.’
‘Oh, don’t remind me of those damned kittens! Or honey –’ Mistral closed her eyes and shuddered.
Phantasm laughed softly and leaned his head back against the padded back of the sofa, his arm curled loosely around Mistral. For a while there was only the sound of raindrops striking the windows and the comforting crackle of the fire burning in the grate.
‘Brother?’ Mistral asked, suddenly sitting up and looking at him.
‘Yes?’
‘Would you, and Phantom of course … would you be … godfathers?’
The Seer Page 32
