crow.
‘We summon you to the Circle tonight to take these five souls!’ croaked the hag hoarsely. ‘Take them tonight, Dark Angel!’
Vetchling, Violet and her son Martin bowed to Magus and made their way down the steps to the ground. They joined the others at the arch of elder leading out into the Long Walk, and only Magus and Jackdaw now remained with the five bodies. Yul glanced around as far as his eyes could move, for his head wouldn’t turn at all. He knew that Magus and Jackdaw would soon leave too, and then the Dark Angel would come. And then he’d die.
Just as the procession was about to leave, there was a commotion under the Long Walk trees. Magus looked up sharply and in the flickering torchlight made out the figure of a woman. She was pulling at the bearers and drummers, pushing at the crone and her sister who blocked the entrance. The woman was held fast by the crow man but still tried to get into the labyrinth. She shouted and cried, and even in his drugged state, Yul recognised his mother’s voice. He struggled to move, to show her where he was, but despite his very best efforts he couldn’t move a muscle. He heard her calling him, her voice frantic.
‘Bloody woman!’ hissed Magus. ‘What the hell’s she doing here?’
‘Shall I go and deal with her?’ asked Jackdaw quietly.
Magus hesitated.
‘No, Martin seems to have hold of her and I don’t think she’dactually dare come in here anyway. It’s a sacred space and she knows that.’
Yul’s slow heartbeat had quickened slightly. Maybe he had a chance after all? Could she rescue him? But he thought of Jackdaw’s brutality and knew the man would have no qualms about hurting a woman if Magus gave him the opportunity. The images swirled around in his brain but the effects of the elderberry wine seemed to be diminishing slightly, for he was thinking a little more clearly now.
‘Magus, have you got my boy in there?’ Maizie called desperately. She was surrounded by the bearers who barred her way, and Martin still restrained her. The two old women capered about, plucking at her shawl and poking her. Magus straightened to his full height on the pyre, facing her across the great radius of the Circle, the paths of the labyrinth flickering with the tiny red lights. The centre was dark and Maizie couldn’t see clearly what was there. Who exactly lay on the sleds.
‘It’s not the custom to come here and question the magus at Samhain, at this crucial moment in the ritual!’ he called sternly. ‘You’re disrupting our ceremony and you’ll answer for it tomorrow.’
‘Have you got my son in there?’ she called again, ignoring the threat as if he hadn’t spoken.
‘I have your husband Alwyn here,’ said Magus, ‘and you’re disturbing his journey to the Otherworld. Do you have any idea how serious this is? Have you forgotten how—’
‘I don’t care! Have you got my son in there? That’s all I want to know and I won’t go until you’ve told me the truth!’
Her voice was shrill with fear and anger. Magus swore softly.
‘Just lie to her,’ said Jackdaw quietly.
‘She knows I’ve got him,’ replied Magus. ‘Somebody’s told her.’
‘Let me go and deal with her,’ repeated Jackdaw. ‘It’ll only take a minute to shut her up and then she won’t bother you again.’
‘No,’ said Magus. ‘That wouldn’t go down too well in the Village. It’s alright, I can put her off.’
Yul lay as if made of stone, praying that his mother wouldn’t be put off.
‘Maizie, listen to me,’ called Magus, in his most reasonable and conciliatory voice. ‘I have got Yul here. He’s eaten something bad, a poisonous mushroom or something, and he’s very ill. He can’t move and he’s dying, I’m afraid.’
There was a loud shriek of anguish and Yul heard her sobbing.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she cried. ‘Why didn’t you come and get me? Has the doctor seen him? How could you bring him to the Stone Labyrinth without
‘We summon you to the Circle tonight to take these five souls!’ croaked the hag hoarsely. ‘Take them tonight, Dark Angel!’
Vetchling, Violet and her son Martin bowed to Magus and made their way down the steps to the ground. They joined the others at the arch of elder leading out into the Long Walk, and only Magus and Jackdaw now remained with the five bodies. Yul glanced around as far as his eyes could move, for his head wouldn’t turn at all. He knew that Magus and Jackdaw would soon leave too, and then the Dark Angel would come. And then he’d die.
Just as the procession was about to leave, there was a commotion under the Long Walk trees. Magus looked up sharply and in the flickering torchlight made out the figure of a woman. She was pulling at the bearers and drummers, pushing at the crone and her sister who blocked the entrance. The woman was held fast by the crow man but still tried to get into the labyrinth. She shouted and cried, and even in his drugged state, Yul recognised his mother’s voice. He struggled to move, to show her where he was, but despite his very best efforts he couldn’t move a muscle. He heard her calling him, her voice frantic.
‘Bloody woman!’ hissed Magus. ‘What the hell’s she doing here?’
‘Shall I go and deal with her?’ asked Jackdaw quietly.
Magus hesitated.
‘No, Martin seems to have hold of her and I don’t think she’dactually dare come in here anyway. It’s a sacred space and she knows that.’
Yul’s slow heartbeat had quickened slightly. Maybe he had a chance after all? Could she rescue him? But he thought of Jackdaw’s brutality and knew the man would have no qualms about hurting a woman if Magus gave him the opportunity. The images swirled around in his brain but the effects of the elderberry wine seemed to be diminishing slightly, for he was thinking a little more clearly now.
‘Magus, have you got my boy in there?’ Maizie called desperately. She was surrounded by the bearers who barred her way, and Martin still restrained her. The two old women capered about, plucking at her shawl and poking her. Magus straightened to his full height on the pyre, facing her across the great radius of the Circle, the paths of the labyrinth flickering with the tiny red lights. The centre was dark and Maizie couldn’t see clearly what was there. Who exactly lay on the sleds.
‘It’s not the custom to come here and question the magus at Samhain, at this crucial moment in the ritual!’ he called sternly. ‘You’re disrupting our ceremony and you’ll answer for it tomorrow.’
‘Have you got my son in there?’ she called again, ignoring the threat as if he hadn’t spoken.
‘I have your husband Alwyn here,’ said Magus, ‘and you’re disturbing his journey to the Otherworld. Do you have any idea how serious this is? Have you forgotten how—’
‘I don’t care! Have you got my son in there? That’s all I want to know and I won’t go until you’ve told me the truth!’
Her voice was shrill with fear and anger. Magus swore softly.
‘Just lie to her,’ said Jackdaw quietly.
‘She knows I’ve got him,’ replied Magus. ‘Somebody’s told her.’
‘Let me go and deal with her,’ repeated Jackdaw. ‘It’ll only take a minute to shut her up and then she won’t bother you again.’
‘No,’ said Magus. ‘That wouldn’t go down too well in the Village. It’s alright, I can put her off.’
Yul lay as if made of stone, praying that his mother wouldn’t be put off.
‘Maizie, listen to me,’ called Magus, in his most reasonable and conciliatory voice. ‘I have got Yul here. He’s eaten something bad, a poisonous mushroom or something, and he’s very ill. He can’t move and he’s dying, I’m afraid.’
There was a loud shriek of anguish and Yul heard her sobbing.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she cried. ‘Why didn’t you come and get me? Has the doctor seen him? How could you bring him to the Stone Labyrinth without
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