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‘I’m sure I can do something with your own hair,’ Emrick offered, a twinkle in his eyes.
‘Why do I think you’re enjoying this?’ I said suspiciously.
He laughed, but the deed was done almost instantly. I wound dark brown locks around my fingers and gazed at them all in dismay.
‘I look a prat, don’t I?’
‘You look gorgeous,’ Keely assured me. ‘I might make you keep it that way when you get home.’
‘You can try,’ I said.
Hector cleared his throat. ‘I guess it’s time to restore Blaise’s magic then. Blaise, are you ready?’
I saw the look of dread on Blaise’s face. He didn’t want his magic back. Either that or he was playing a really good part.
Hector placed his hands on the sides of Blaise’s face and pressed his forehead against his. There was total silence as we watched, awed. Both men had their eyes closed. There was a sudden flash of white light and I saw Celeste’s hand fly to her mouth. Sky and Star immediately put their arms around her and huddled against her, as if protecting her from a terrible memory.
Then it was over. Hector stepped away and Blaise put a hand to his temple and rubbed it, a dazed expression on his face.
‘How do you feel?’ Romy asked anxiously, and we all waited, wondering if we were going to be dodging fireballs or something at any moment.
‘Strange,’ Blaise said at last, and I was slightly relieved to hear he sounded just the same. ‘But,’ he added slowly, ‘already it’s feeling familiar. I’d forgotten…’ He looked around at us all and smiled. ‘Don’t look so worried. I’m not about to attack you. But yes, it’s kind of like putting on an old, familiar suit of clothes. Not this one,’ he added, waving a hand over the magically constructed outfit he was wearing. ‘A real one. One that you’ve worn many times before. One that fits like a glove and makes you feel comfortable and confident when you wear it.’
‘And—and you’re not feeling overwhelmed?’ Celeste asked hesitantly.
‘No,’ he assured her. ‘Please don’t worry, Celeste. I’m not about to harm you, or anyone else. I just want to go back to my own time and fix this mess I’ve caused, that’s all.’
‘We need to put a translation spell on you,’ Emrick said. ‘Blaise is already under one, so Hector tells me.’
‘What do you mean?’ I asked.
‘When he first arrived in our time,’ Celeste explained, ‘we had difficulty understanding everything he was saying, and vice versa. The High Council placed a translation spell on him so that, although he’s speaking as he always has, we can understand him. To us, it sounds as if he’s speaking just the same way we do. Mind you,’ she added thoughtfully, ‘he probably is by now. He’s been here four years, so it’s probably natural to him. You’re going to need the same sort of thing. Otherwise you’ll struggle to make yourself understood, and you won’t have a clue what people are saying to you.’
Emrick quickly did what was necessary. ‘There. You shouldn’t have a problem now,’ he assured us.
Ewella handed Romy an envelope.
‘These,’ she explained, ‘are the deeds to Peloryon Island. Keep the envelope out of sight because I don’t think they had those back in 1673. Give the deeds to Phoenix Tremayne. The island must be passed to his family, so it will eventually go to Meri. You understand?’
‘I do,’ Romy said. ‘Don’t worry, Mum. I’ll make sure he gets it.’
They hugged tightly.
‘Oh, my darling girl,’ Ewella sobbed. ‘I love you so much. Be happy.’
She gripped Blaise’s arms. ‘Never let her down,’ she pleaded. ‘Look after my daughter.’
Blaise nodded. ‘I swear to you, Mrs St Clair. I’ll do everything I can to make her happy and keep her safe.’
Ewella nodded, then turned to me. ‘Travel safely, darling boy. Come back to us, won’t you?’
‘I will,’ I promised. ‘Take care of Keely for me while I’m away.’
She gave me a tearful smile. ‘I doubt I’ll be much of a substitute for you, but I’ll do my best.’
Emrick put his arms around Romy and Blaise.
‘This is quite the adventure you’re embarking on,’ he told them. ‘Be brave, and always remember who you are, and what you hope to achieve. Live well, my dear friends.’
