Spellbound Chronicles – Blood Line

by Suzanne Maguire

  “Do you like my yellow beauties?” he asked. “I needed to surround myself with bright, cheerful things to remind me that there is still goodness and hope in the world. What better than to wake up and start each day with a huge smile from the flowers in my garden. I call them my Happy Blooms. Good idea, yes?”

  “Did you conjure these up?” asked Larna in amazement.

  “Why, yes of course, but I prefer to call it magic.” He made it sound as though it were the most natural thing in the world, to give nature a helping hand and wish things into existence. “I just waved and there they were. I’d love to show you how I do it, but we don’t have the leisure. Quickly, come inside.”

  Approaching the front of the house, Balgaire pointed and the tiny round door opened immediately. Larna thought he was going to have a problem bending and squeezing through it, but the door reshaped itself to his exact height and width as he walked through it. The same thing happened with Aron and herself. The others followed, obviously used to this phenomenon.

  “Wow!” Aron’s eyes widened. “I wish our doors at home would do that. My friends would be green with envy.”

  Once everyone was inside, Balgaire cocked his head on one side and cupped his ear with his right hand, listening intently for something. Then he relaxed.

  “We are safe here for the moment,” he said.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Welcome to my humble abode,” said Balgaire. It was obvious that he was very proud of his home. Sniffing the air Larna detected a faint whiff of lavender which reminded her of her mother. Suddenly she felt homesick. She felt an overwhelming urge to see her.

  “Ah… you’re missing your mother, Larna.”

  “How did he know?” Larna said to Aron. “Can he read minds as well?”

  Balgaire tapped the side of his nose and grinned. “Have you forgotten who I am already? I’m a wizard, with many skills. Reading thoughts and sensing moods are just two of my talents.” He waved them to various chairs, flipping his hands down for them to sit. “Although sometimes I have great difficulty, depending on the person. Happily, you and your brother are very easy to read, whatever you’r feeling.”

  Raising her face and closing her eyes Larna breathed in the lavender perfume. “You… ?”

  “That’s right, I sensed you needed a gentle reminder of home,” he answered softly. Before Aron could stop himself, he blurted out “I know Larna has asked you this before but, are you absolutely sure you don’t have the power to rid this world of Mordrog… and the mutation epidemic, or whatever it is?”

  “I’m flattered you think I’m all powerful, Aron. That is far from the truth, unfortunately. My powers are somewhat limited where Mordrog is concerned. I can’t always,” with a flourish of his hands, “magic away disasters that are man-made. I have tried, mind you, and it’s very frustrating, believe me.” He flopped unceremoniously into a huge, comfortable, winged chair.

  There was another silence, broken by Annie slapping the palms of her hands on her knees and standing up. “After the strain of Mordrog’s unwelcome appearance,” she said brightly, “I think it’s time for a little more refreshment, don’t you?” Everyone nodded. Anything to break the tension everyone was feeling. Larna could sense Annie was trying to be cheerful for their benefit but she could see that Chet and Tiblou were very worried. Only Balgaire seemed to be cool and calm. An assortment of mugs appeared on an ornamental coffee table in front of the boys. Larna picked up a sparkling blue mug nearest to her and handed it to Aron for the first sip.

  “Mmm, hot chocolate.” He wafted his mouth with his other hand to cool it, then passed the mug to his sister. Larna blew on the hot liquid, sniffed and took a deep breath before gingerly taking her first mouthful.

  “Great! Vanilla milkshake… er… it’s not hot. It’s ice cold!” She still couldn’t get used to this weirdness. “These mugs are fantastic. I’d love to take one home.” She drank half of the milkshake and handed the mug back to Aron, who was beginning to get impatient for some more hot chocolate.

  Suddenly, Balgaire jumped up from his chair. “We must change rooms IMMEDIATELY!” he shouted. Larna and Aron wanted to ask why but others stood and quickly formed a circle round them. “All will become clear,” the wizard promised, clapped his hands twice and mumbling something Larna couldn’t understand. Next moment they were transported into another room which went from pitch black to soft light as soon as they entered.

  It was several seconds before Larna and Aron recovered from the shock of being physically teleported from one place to another. Their first time. Aron let out a huge breath. The transition wasn’t at all unpleasant, but it was a shock and Larna felt weird landing in a different place. The first thing she realised was that they were in a circular room without windows or doors. The walls were light blue, reminiscent of a summer sky. Most of the furniture looked very old and comprised of two huge armchairs, like Tiblou’s, and a cherry-red chaise longue. A round table was in the middle. The polished surface was painted with exotic birds.

  What fascinated Larna the most was a fish tank circling the room. She’d never seen tropical fish like them. One in particular took her interest. It was deep purple with yellow tiger stripes from head to tail, all three tails in fact. Others swam up with identical striping but in different colours, green, gold and pink. Balgaire noticed her interest and asked if she’d like to put her hand in the tank, assuring her that the fish wouldn’t bite.

  “You’ll have a pleasant surprise.”

  Larna was more than a bit apprehensive, after all the strange things she’d seen already, but stepped forward regardless. No matter how closely she looked for an opening, there wasn’t one. Baffled, she couldn’t detect any glass either, nor anything else holding back the water. She turned to Tiblou who was grinning at her reaction. Larna was one of those people whose facial expressions spoke volumes.

  “Go on, put your hand in.” Tiblou nodded towards the glassless tank.

  Twice Larna extended her arm, drawing it swiftly back. Tibs took her by the elbow and propelled her arm forward until it went through the side, without puncturing it, and into the water. Her fingers felt as though they were moving against soft silk, not trawling through liquid. This was awesome! The striped fish swam to her and playfully nibbled her fingers which caused her to let out a muted laugh. The fish tickled as they bobbed back and forth, gently butting with their noses. Slowly pulling out, Larna’s hand felt dry and she marvelled at Balgaire’s extraordinary imagination that could create such an amazing aquarium.

  Balgaire had been smiling at Larna’s reactions, but his merriment suddenly vanished and he became serious.

  “We are wasting time, my friends,” he said. “Let us not forget the purpose of our visit here.”

  Aron felt himself begin to shake. Even though he’d readily agreed he was terrified at the thought of giving blood. He looked across at his sister and noticed she was also squirming in her seat. Balagaire read their thoughts immediately.

  “There’s nothing whatsoever to be afraid of,” he said, soothingly.

  “Whatever the procedure is in your time, here it takes only a second,” added Annie. “Literally a blink of an eye.”

  Larna had an irrational, vision of tubes and plugs and electricity shooting from one to another, being strapped down and experimented on like Frankenstein’s monster. Balgaire laughed at her fear.

  “Nothing so barbaric, Larna. That was fiction ; this is reality… and it’s painless. You won’t even realise its being done, I promise.”

  These reassurances and the knowledge that what they were doing could transform the lives of hundreds of people made Larna and Aron agree to proceed. Balgaire told them to sit back in their chairs and relax. Larna was to stretch out her right arm and Aron to stretch out his left onto the edge of the chairs’ arms. They did, shutting their eyes, but not before Larna saw the wizard open a heavy old book and remove two crystal vials from the silk lined hollowed-out middle. Sensing a sudden change in the atmo
sphere, her eyes snapped open and she saw Violet appear. Balgaire looked startled. She flew to his ear and whispered. He looked very worried and returned the two crystal containers back inside the book, clearly changing his mind.

  “Mordrog is coming. Violet senses a presence and it’s getting stronger by the minute. We’ll have to leave this for now. I must psych myself up – your vernacular – in an effort to keep control of the situation.” He placed himself in front of them. Tiblou was a pace behind and both looked up at the ceiling. Balgaire closed his eyes and stood frozen, like a statue, completely still and silent. Tilting her head backwards Larna noticed that the ceiling had miraculously darkened to resemble a clear night sky with hundreds of stars which appeared to be twinkling. It was awesome against the sky blue walls. Annie and Chet remained in the background, very quiet, as unobtrusive as possible.

  Then everything around them began to shake and there was a tremendous bang. A big cloud of black smoke stung their eyes, making them water and causing a fit of coughing. Out of the confusion and ensuing vapour, Mordrog appeared. The room turned ice cold and, in that second, Larna and Aron knew that evil had entered the room.

  “How did you break through the seal?” Balgaire asked, shaking with rage.

  “I didn’t,” the warlock sneered. “I’m not with you physically.” He turned to Aron, holding out his hand and gazing into his eyes. “Touch me, boy!” he commanded.

  “No, DON’T!” yelled Balgaire, horrified to see a mesmerised Aron begin to raise his arm and lean forward towards the apparition. “If you do, he’ll be able to enter your body.” Balgaire moved between them, breaking the spell. Aron’s arm dropped like a brick and he immediately sat on his hands. Larna could see the alarm on her brother’s face. Hers looked equally terrified.

  * * *

  Tiblou gently touched Larna and Aron on the shoulders and beckoned them to follow him, an unnecessary finger to his lips. Balgaire was giving them the chance to escape by drawing Mordrog’s attention away from them. They didn’t need telling twice.

  Slowly and silently the three of them backed towards the glassless fish tank. Tibs grabbed their hands and yanked them backwards into the silky substance. This time the fish kept their distance. Instinct took over and not wanting to drown, Aron and Larna automatically held their breath until Tiblou mimed for them to keep breathing. They let the air out of their lungs and tentatively drew in a shallow breath. Then another, until their lungs were full. Relief flooded through them with the realisation they could breathe. The trio ploughed on through the fish. A staircase suddenly materialised and Tibs pushed them towards it. As they began to climb, Larna heard snatches of heated arguments behind them. Mordrog’s voice sounded threatening and Larna turned for a final look. The warlock’s arms were outstretched, fingertips starting to glow and his cold eyes screwed into slits, as he stared menacingly at Balgaire.

  The wizard stood erect and unwavering. He raised his wand. “Know this, Mordrog, you will never have power over those two youngsters. Leave this place, leave us in peace. You forfeited all privileges the day you turned towards the Dark Side and committed the worst betrayal of all by enslaving our people for gain. My home is sacrosanct, so leave it now and re-join your physical being.” Balgaire waved his wand, but Mordog’s image moved faster and counteracted the spell. At this, Tibs motioned to Larna and Aron to run. The warlock’s triumphant laughter followed them up the stairs. As quickly as the door below closed, another miraculously opened above.

  Larna didn’t have time to worry about what they’d left behind because Tiblou grabbed their hands again and dragged them up the remaining steps. The backs of their legs began to ache as they raced up what seemed like hundreds of steps. The stairs led them straight back to the original room with the tiny door. Bent double, hands on knees, they tried to get their breath back, but Tibs pushed them on across the room towards the portal. Once again the doorway shaped itself to their height and size as they ran hell-for leather through it into the open air.

  When they were a safe distance from Balgaire’s home, Tiblou slowed down and stopped. He was also out of breath.

  “We’ll… have to… return you… to your own time… until it’s safe to come back… Then Balgaire will be able to complete the reversal programme.”

  So they moved on with an even greater sense of urgency. Clouds had formed, making the sky appear darker. Larna felt chilled to the bone. She shivered and hoped it wasn’t a bad omen. There seemed to be shadows within shadows amongst the trees and she felt eyes boring into the back of her head. She wasn’t about to stop and look, except for a quick glance over her shoulder whilst on the run. But, being the clumsy one in the family, she fell over some tree roots that resembled tentacles in the partial darkness. Tiblou picked her up and they continued running.

  Distracted by something moving about in her pocket, Larna almost fell again. Digging deep, she pulled out the glittering red key which stopped her in her tracks. How on earth had it got there without her knowledge? There was no time to worry about it now. It was vibrating like crazy and Larna had no idea if it was trying to communicate or how to stop it. The others came to a halt as well and looked at the key.

  “It’s telling you that we’re very close to where you jumped through,” explained Tibs. Sure enough, Larna recognised their surroundings and some of the unusual trees. Within a few seconds, heat from the glowing key spread throughout her body and the chill of a few minutes earlier soon left. Her hand felt so hot that she had an overwhelming urge to blow on it or shake it until it was cool, but the key agitated so much it almost jumped from her hand. She grasped it even tighter.

  Standing once again in the middle of the clearing, they turned and faced Tiblou, ready for their departure. Although they’d only known him for a few hours, it seemed much longer. Tibs was special and they were both sad to be saying goodbye. Then Clementine appeared from behind the trunk of the nearest tree and came over to them.

  “Well, hello. I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. But judging from the state of you, I deduce there is a problem.”

  “In a word, Mordrog.”

  “Aah! Why am I not surprised? I sensed a presence a little while ago. I take it Larna and Aron are going back to their own time?”

  “As quickly as possible. Balgaire is keeping Mordrog occupied to give these two time to escape, but for how long… ” His voice cracked; he couldn’t finish. Sensing the urgency, Clementine became business-like. “Right, come on then. You can explain what’s happened when they’ve safely gone.” To Larna and Aron, “Can you remember what to do?”

  Aron nodded vigorously. Tiblou glanced about, motioning them to get a move on, and from the look on his face Larna could tell that something else was up. She held onto the key as if their lives depended on it, which it did. The sky darkened to purple as they called out their goodbyes. Larna wondered how long it would be before they were summoned back.

  “See you again as soon as it’s safe,” Tiblou said, then shooed them on their way with his hands. “Go, go, go!”

  Larna nodded and sought Aron’s hand. In a rush, he began, “ELLA VITA, ELLA VITA, ELLA VITA… ” The ground rumbled and began to shake as the monolith rose in front of them. Raising her left arm, Larna inserted the key, turned it and the door began to open. With a nod to Aron and a final wave to Tibs, she shut her eyes as they took their first step. But, at that moment, an incredibly strong wind whipped the leaves upwards into Larna’s face, choking her. Unable to breathe properly, she attempted to spit them out of her mouth, but it didn’t work and so unwittingly she used her right hand to clear them out. A feeling of being sucked backwards halted her for just a fraction of a second, then she was catapulted the rest of the way through.

  As suddenly as the tornado started, it stopped leaving a deadly quiet in its wake. Larna opened her eyes. Home! She gave a sigh of relief, only to be greeted by a familiar voice nervously asking, “Where’s Aron?” Looking round, Larna caught Clem’s final stage of change from bird to
odd-bod man.

  “What do you mean? Aron’s right here… ” she said, expecting her brother to be by her side. But he wasn’t there and Larna remembered with horror she had let go of his hand a few seconds before they leapt back through time.

  “Oh no, oh no, oh no… ” she gasped as the blood drained from her face and she began to shake. “What have I done?” Half of her hoped Aron was just mucking around as usual and would jump out from behind a tree. The other half knew that he wouldn’t.

  At that precise moment, Larna spotted Neve hurrying towards them and her heart began to thump wildly. What was she going to tell her? How could she explain why Aron wasn’t with her? She could have cried. Then another thought sprang into her head. How did Yaya know where to find them?

  In spite of being out of breath, Neve managed to ask, “Where have you been? You promised you wouldn’t venture past the big tree.” She stopped and acknowledged Clem. Tears sprang into Larna’s eyes and she began to stutter. “Yaya… I… ”

  “This is not like you, Larna. I’m very disappointed. You’ve let me down.” And then she softened. “Are you alright, dear? You look very pale. Where’s Aron?”

  After all they’d been through and leaving her kid brother behind, she couldn’t hold the tears back any longer and flung her arms round her grandmother.

  “I’ve lost him, Yaya. I don’t know where he is and I’m really, really scared.”

  “What are you talking about?”