Well, bloody hell, now what was she supposed to do? Wind whistled by the entrance down the narrow tunnel. Bella shivered and set about kindling a fire in the hearth ring. The turf was dry and ignited easily with the waterproof matches she found on the bookshelf. She hefted the stoneware jug and found it full of clear water, so she poured some into the battered kettle and set it on the raised trivet over the flames. The light from the overhead vent faded as the sun descended into the west.
Bella dumped boiling water over the tea she plunked into an old pottery teapot before searching for a source of light. There were thick candles and an oil lantern on top of the book shelf. She opted for the lantern and touched a match to the wide wick. The flame flared wildly until she placed the glass chimney back in place. The sky through the skylight was black, pricked with brilliant stars. Bella added some chunks of coal under the smouldering peat and smoored the fire before she wrapped the quilt around her and sat cross-legged on the cot. Her gaze followed the dance of the lantern light on the rough stone wall.
Where is Vear and is he safe? It’s just not fair and I miss him so much already. How can that stupid Council expect me to live without him? They have to see we belong together. We can make it work if they just give us a chance. I know we can. She tipped her head back and leaned it against the wall. The stars twinkled coldly above her; the Council didn’t care two shakes about what was fair. The realization settled in the pit of her stomach and bile rose in her throat. She scrubbed viciously at the tears on her cheeks. Crying wasn’t going to solve anything. Neither was sitting her on her arse like some ninny.
Bella threw off the quilt and got to her feet. She hesitated and then picked up the quilt. The wind was chill and wet with rain, her mac was at home hanging by the back door so she’d need something to keep off the rain. The question now was how to find Vear. Sticking her chin out defiantly, Bella approached the doorway to the tunnel. The narrow passage echoed with the shriek of the wind and she paused, the storm demons were howling tonight for sure. Still, Vear Du was out there somewhere and she needed to find him. Squaring her shoulders she stepped into the opening and smacked into an invisible shield. Picking herself up and rubbing the spot on her arse that landed on a sharp rock, she tried again, a little less quickly this time.
“Hell and damnation,” she muttered. It was no use; there was a bloody magic curtain of some sort holding her prisoner in the round chamber. “Bastards, fecking scut bastards,” she screamed in frustration. Bella stomped around the edge of the stone room, stopping periodically to curse and kick the walls. Presently, she grew tired of that endeavour and stood below the roof vent. “Let me out of here. Do you hear me? Let me out.” Perhaps is she called loud enough someone out on the moor might hear her. “Help! I’m stuck in the fogue. Help!” If anything the wind wailed louder. Even if there was some poor soul out in the weather at this time of night, they wouldn’t hear her over the wind. Bella resorted to pacing and cursing again.
“God be-devilled, useless—”
“Mistress Bella, it’s shocked, I am. Such language for a lady to use,” Gwin Scawen materialized by the door.
Bella whirled toward him, hands clutched to her chest. “For the love of God, Gwin. You near gave me heart failure, little man!”
He giggled and scampered to her side. “I meant no harm, no I didn’t. I brought you some supper.” He held out a covered basket. “Pretty simple fare, I’m afraid. Just ham and tomato sandwiches and a jug of lemonade.”
“Never mind that. How is Vear? Where is he? Is he alright?”
“Slow down, Mistress Bella, slow down. One question at a time.” He held up a long fingered hand.
“The big black one is sequestered in his cave while the Council searches for you. I don’t know how long they will persist, but have no fear, they will not find you. The giant has older magics than any of the Council. They won’t be able to penetrate the glamour on this place.”
“But, what do they want with me?” Bella plunked herself down on the cot.
The piskie shuffled his feet. “They wish to be sure you don’t speak of what you know.”
“How can they stop me, not that I have any intention of saying anything.”
He waved his hands and snapped his fingers. “You would just disappear … poof … like that.”
Her stomach clenched at the memory of an earlier conversation. “They’d murder me?”
Gwin shook his head. “Maybe, maybe not. They might just banish you behind the veil and leave you to wander between the worlds for eternity. It is not a fate I would wish on my worst enemy, let alone a lovely girl such as yourself.”
“But, they can’t do that! Can they?”
“The Council can do whatever they wish within their own bailiwick. The selkie is attempting to contact the Council of his birth in hopes they will see their way clear to intervene on his behalf, and yours.”
“How long will that take, do you think?” Bella twisted her hands in folds of the quilt.
Gwin shrugged and then brightened. “The good news is I think it will be safe to bring Mistress Sarie to visit in a couple of days. Cormoran has agreed to help shield our movements.”
“A few days?” Bella wailed in dismay. “That’s ever so long, I’m bored already and I’ve only been holed up here for half a day.”
“Consider the alternative….” Gwin raised a shaggy eyebrow in her direction.
“I suppose….”
“Come now, let’s see about fixing your supper, then.” The piskie proceeded to empty the contents of the basket onto a small table that materialized out of thin air.
“Handy trick, that,” she observed.
“So it ‘tis, so it ‘tis, now that you mention it.” He grinned from under the peak of his cap.
The appearance of food made Bella realize how hungry she was. Assembling a thick sandwich she returned to the cot and dug in. “That was wonderful, Gwin. Thank you.” She wiped crumbs from her lap.
“’Twas my pleasure.” He gathered up the remains and stowed them in the basket, setting the stoneware jug of lemonade on top of the book shelf. “I wish I could stay and keep you company for a while, but I promised the big one I’d let him know how you are faring as soon as ever I’d seen you.”
“Oh, please stay for a bit longer. It’s ever so boring here all by my lonesome,” she begged. “Stay for just a quick game of Nine Men’s Morris. Here I can scratch a grid into the floor….”
“Ah, Mistress Bella, I wish I could. But I’ve given my word to the big one and I must keep it. Perhaps some those books will entertain you.” He nodded toward the crammed shelves beside her before he winked out of sight.
“I don’t want to read,” she muttered. “Bother and damn.”
* * *
The following seven days passed in a blur for Bella. Gwin appeared with regularity bearing her meals. The infuriating piskie refused to share any news of Vear Du with her, and no amount of cajoling or bribery could persuade him to weaken in his resolve. Patience had never been one of her strong suits and Bella wrestled with the forced inactivity. She passed the time by playing solitary games of Nine Men’s Morris and reading the works of Ithell Colquhoun, the occultist and surrealist painter who lived near Lamorna. She particularly enjoyed The Singing Stones, but some of the others were frankly boring and over her head. Magic! Phaw. Wasn’t it magic that got me into this mess in the first place?
The only other form of entertainment was the occasional appearance of visitors to the fogue and the attached chamber. She found it highly amusing to see them enter cautiously and glance around as if they sensed her presence but couldn’t find any evidence of another occupant. Not even the fire burning in the ring of stones was visible to them apparently, as they walked right through it without hesitating. Maybe learning a little magic might be useful, she mused. Thoughts of revenge on Daniel Treliving gave her grim pleasure. When she was bored to distraction Bella would throw stones at the walls when the explorers were in the round chamber. For some reason the sound of the rock striking the wall was audible to them. The expression on their faces had her doubled over with laughter. Suddenly, she could appreciate the hijinks of the not so friendly genius loci who tormented locals and visitors alike across the Cornish peninsula.
She lay on the cot staring at the high corbelled root, the blue sky and sunlight showing through the roof vent taunting her. Springing to her feet, Bella examined the rough walls and glanced upward. There was a niche built into the wall partway up. In one of their brief conversations the piskie indicated it was used in ritual and she should not use it for such mundane uses as storage. “Ritual be damned,” she muttered.
The walls curved inward as they rose and culminated in the circular vent. She kicked off her shoes and stockings the better to grip the mossy stone with her toes. Setting a foot into the niche Bella began to climb. The apex of the beehive shaped chamber was only eight feet high, but it seemed much higher as she scrambled upward.
A thick web complete with spider clan came loose and draped across her face when she glanced up to check her progress. Bella shrieked and her foot slipped. She fell to the hard packed floor thumping down on her arse. “Bloody hell, bloody fecking hell,” she cursed scrubbing the sticky filaments of the web off her cheeks and checking for eight-legged creepy crawlers.
“Such language, Bella.” Sarie’s face contorted in her effort not to laugh. Gwin Scawen had no such compunction and was holding his sides as he gave in to his mirth.
“Sarie!” She scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around her friend. “It’s ever so good to see you. I’ve been bored out of my mind.”
“Leave off, Bella. You’re choking me.” Sarie extricated herself from the other girl’s grasp and laughed. “Whatever were you trying to do, besides kill or injure yourself?”
“Oh, yes. Do tell, Mistress Bella. Do tell.” Gwin wiped tears from his eyes, still grinning from ear to ear.
“I’m teasy as an adder, being locked up in this place. I was scaling the wall so I could nip out the vent.” She tossed her head.
Gwin Scawen handed her a rock he picked up from the near the wall. “Try and pitch this through and see how successful you would have been.”
Bella snatched the stone and hurled it upward. Instead of sailing through the opening it bounced off with a dull ringing sound and thudded to the earth narrowly missing her foot. “He magicked the bleeding vent?” she cried in disbelief.
“Cormoran is not one to underestimate a person.” The piskie nodded sagely. “And the selkie warned him about your … er … shall we say … resourcefulness.”
“Did he now?” She gritted her teeth. Bella vowed to take that up with him the first chance she got. “When can I visit Vear? I need to see him.”
Sarie and Gwin shook their heads in unison. “You can’t, Bella. It’s not safe,” Sarie warned. “For the love of God, don’t make things worse by going off half-cocked.”
“Make things worse, how?” She frowned.
“Think about it, Bella. How many rules did the two of you break? He might have got off on using magic to bring you to his cave because you were in grave danger, but then you made it a million times worse by seducing the poor man.” Sarie glared at her.
“It was the Jan Tregeagle’s fault, that was,” she protested even while the heat burned her cheeks at the memory of her wantonness. Maybe Da was right. She was just like her mother, lifting her skirts and spreading her legs for anyone who came along.
“Grow up, for once in your life take some responsibility for your actions.” Sarie stamped her foot. “It’s always someone else’s fault, never your own, as long as I’ve know you.”
Tears sprang to Bella’s eyes at the harsh words. If Sarie was angry with her then surely the world as she knew it was coming to an end. She turned her back and poked at the fire, awakening the flames. Shoving the kettle into the embers she waited until she had control of her emotions before turning around.
“I’m sorry, Sarie. You’re right. I do have to take some responsibility for this. But I do love him so and it seemed the only way to get him to admit he wanted me too … at the time anyway.”
“Again, it’s all about you and what you want. What about Vear Du and what he wants? He knew the consequences for himself, and for you. It was for your sake he held back, the Council is after your head, Bella. Do you understand that? Did you not think of your da? There’s undines and all the sea creatures watching his every move when he’s out at sea, fire elementals in his hearth, sylphs pushing his boat hither and yon across the waves, gnomes peering out of the hearth stones at him. The poor man thinks he’s going Bodmin.”
“But why are they spying on him? Other than trying to sell me off like a prize broodmare, he’s got nothing to do with any of this,” she protested.
“Barney Angarrick is your closest blood kin and so they watch him in hopes one of you will try and contact the other, or better yet, that he will lead them to you,” Gwin offered.
“Like that will ever happen.” Bella snorted.
“Be thankful they are occupied with him. It means they are not out scouring the countryside for you,” Gwin said.
“I suppose that’s true. So, it should be safe for you to take me to Vear, or for him to come here.” Her mood brightened at the thought.
“No, it certainly is not safe. Vear can’t leave his cave without a member of the Council escorting him and you can’t go there because he is under constant watch,” the piskie explained.
“Bother and damn. Why can’t they just leave it be? There’s no harm done and I’m not going to say anything to anyone.” Bella stooped to grab the kettle and wet the tea. “Damn!” She dropped the kettle and shook her burnt hand, in her haste she’d forgotten to wrap a rag around the handle.
Gwin Scawen waved a hand and traced a sigil in the air over her burnt palm. The pain eased immediately. He picked up the teapot which was somehow full of hot water now and poured Bella and Sarie a mug.
“Why didn’t you just do that in the first place,” Bella groused.
He shrugged. “It gives you something to do.”
Sarie sat beside her on the cot and put her arm about her shoulders. “I know it’s hard, Bella. But it really is the safest place for you right now. Why, I’ve even seen the gnomes popping up out of the grass in the pony field and Belisama, White Lady of the Spring, has inquired as to your wellbeing. She is quite concerned about you and the selkie for some reason. She has asked me to bring her tidings of you when I return.”
“Is that wise?” Bella asked. “And why would Belisama be interested in me, or Vear?”
Sarie shrugged. “I have no idea, but I trust her, and Gwin also assures me she means you no harm. So I will seek her out in the glade by the spring when I return and let her know you are fine, for the time being.”
“How long can you stay? I can’t bear to be left alone too much longer. Is your mum doing alright? Raven is still at your place, isn’t she? Da hasn’t sold her….” She paused at the look on Sarie’s face. “He sold her?” Her voice rose in disbelief. “I’ll murder him in his sleep, so I will. He can’t sell her she’s mine. I paid for her, even if my name isn’t on her papers….”
“He hasn’t sold her. Don’t you know what day it is? That’s one of the reasons Gwin brought me today. It’s your birthday, Bella. Have you forgotten?”
“Never mind my damn birthday, where is she? I’ll make him sorry he was ever born when I get out of here if a hair on her is harmed.” She surged to her feet, pacing the chamber and cussing.
“Bella, for heaven’s sake, calm down. She’s at Mum’s. Raven is safe and sound at home. I brought her home, there she is and there she’ll stay until you can take her back.”
“Well, why didn’t you just say do, in the first place?” Bella demanded.
“You jumped to conclusions as usual and didn’t wait to hear the whole story,” Sarie pointed out.
“I suppose.” She stopped pacing and threw herself on the cot beside her friend. “Tell your mum I’ll pay her back for feed and such once I get out of here.”
“Let’s worry about that when the time comes,” Sarie said. “In the meantime, Happy birthday!” She pulled a small package from her trouser pocket and handed it to Bella.
“Sarie, thank you. I didn’t realize my birthday was today. It’s so hard to keep track of time in this place. I started to scratch a mark on the wall for every time the sun went down, but then I kept forgetting….”
“Only you, Bella. Only you.” Sarie laughed and hugged her. “Go on, open it.”
“I can’t believe I forgot my own birthday! How daft is that, for heaven’s sake? Oh, I can’t wait to see what you’ve brought me.” She tore the paper wrapping away and held her breath. “It’s beautiful, Sarie. Wherever did you find it?” Her fingers stroked the grey-green serpentine figure. She lingered over the curve of the large bull seal’s head.
“I got it at Laura’s shop in Mousehole. It’s carved by a local artist using granite from out by Land’s End. I thought it would be most appropriate, given the circumstances.” Sarie smiled at her friend’s happiness.
“May I see?” Gwin Scawen leaned over her shoulder.
“Of course.” Bella passed the figurine to him.
The piskie held it in his palm and then held it up to the light. Quartz sparkled and the serpentine veining shone and seemed to move over the surface. “A fine piece, so it is. There’s magic in yon stone. You chose well, Mistress Sarie. But then I am not surprised, not at all.” He handed the bull seal back to Bella.
“It’s brill, Sarie. Thanks ever so much. I’ll treasure it always.” Bella hugged her friend.
“Now, about that birthday feast….” Sarie began pulling things out of a basket. A table materialized in the centre of the room which she spread with a gaily-coloured cloth. Cold chicken and other delicacies appeared. “The grand finale,” Sarie announced and produced the necessaries required for a scrumptious cream tea.
“Oh, my!” Bella clapped her hands with glee. “This is the best birthday ever. Thank you both so, so much. If Vear was here it would be absolutely perfect.” Her smile faltered a bit.
“Come now, Mistress Bella. No sadness, things will come out for the best in the end. They always do,” Gwin Scawen urged her. “Enjoy the celebration of your natal day with us, your very bestest friends.”