Page 2 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

“And I am one of them?” William was puzzled.

“The Jaspers are.”

“They are gone, they’re no more,” William shot back.

“You are very wrong. Change is coming, William Trelawny, be ready,” Ajax cautioned and bit into his sandwich. He’d awakened the guardian and Leafpoint. Power was flowing through the bricks of the lighthouse, which would grow over the next few days.

Through the darkness that was falling, a sudden beam of light, not seen for two hundred years, broke through the storm. Ajax sensed the alarm in the town below but paid no attention. Leafpoint fulfilled her duty as she warned sailors to stay away. Avoid the coastline or become a victim of the rocks lying below the waterline.

The lantern flickered as William stared at him.

“The Jaspers?”

“Yes. You know what you’ve kept imprisoned. It cannot escape into this world. The balance is tipping, and it’s not in our favour. Keep to your duty,” Ajax warned.

Her light bright and strong, Leafpoint was sending her own warning. Now she waited. Awake, finally.

Chapter One.

Lyra

Agitated, I stared at the posh solicitor’s office and shook my head. God knows why I was here. Since my mother died five years ago, I’d no other family and had been alone in the world. So, when I received a call summoning me to a will hearing today, I was naturally puzzled. But I’d taken a day’s holiday and headed for London. I hated this city: busy, rude, full of loud noises and smog. I preferred Dagenham, where I had grown up with Mum.

With a sigh, I straightened my blouse and jeans. They were old but clean and neat. I could only imagine the individuals who worked in this elegant building. They’d undoubtedly look down upon me as most people did.

Gritting my teeth, I headed in. The receptionist, as expected, glanced upward, a sneer on her features.

“I’m Lyra Jasper. I was asked to attend a meeting today,” I said before she spoke. To my amazement, her expression changed instantly.

“Miss Jasper, of course, please take a seat. Someone will be down for you immediately. Would you like a coffee or tea?”

In astonishment, I stared at her about-face. “No. I’m fine, thank you.” I sat down, wondering what on earth I was missing.

Something was not adding up. Why had I been invited to this expensive solicitor’s office? My mother didn’t have money; that had been made all too clear when she was laid to rest.

Bitterness swept over me at the failure to have given Mum a decent burial.

A modest bunch of flowers, what they called a pauper’s coffin, and no wake. That was all Susan Jasper had received. It pained me deeply that Mum hadn’t been remembered in the way she deserved. Mum had been a good person and deserved so much more. But even the bare minimum had wiped me out.

“Miss Jasper? I’m Mr Fanshaw. Please call me Joseph. Follow me,” stranger said as he drew close. On edge, I followed him down the hallway and into a lift. He smiled kindly. “How was the journey?”

“Nasty. I don’t like the underground, so it was frightening and off-putting. Are you positive you have the right person?” I asked in a rush. Nobody could claim I belonged here, not by a long shot.

“Most certainly.” The elevator doors parted, and he led the way out. Warily, I followed on his heels, the luxurious surroundings making me even more awkward. Joseph pushed open a door, entering a small conference room. There sat three women, sitting separately, and another woman in a suit stood.

“Would you like a drink?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No, thank you, Edith. Let’s get on with the introductions. I’m Joseph Fanshaw, and this is my secretary, Edith. You’re here today to hear the last will and testament of Sonia Jasper.”

I sat up straight. “Sonia Jasper?”

“Your grandmother, ladies.”

“Ours?” inquired the stylish woman positioned furthest away.

“Ophelia Jasper, meet Poppy Jasper, Lyra Jasper and Thea Jasper. Your fathers were brothers and Sonia’s sons. You are cousins,” Joseph dropped the bombshell. From the looks on their faces, none of them had a clue either.

“But we’ve never met,” Ophelia pointed out.