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‘I’m not so sure about this,’ he said, frowning as Romy let out a yelp as the icy water hit her. ‘You’re gonna catch your death if you ask me. How long afore this friend of yours arrives to pick you up?’
‘Oh, just a few hours,’ I said airily, hoping he couldn’t hear my teeth chattering. ‘We’ll light a fire and get dry, don’t worry. This is what we do, you see. We’re used to it.’
He shrugged and bid us farewell, though we distinctly heard him muttering to himself about “mad ornarolgists” as he rowed away.
‘Thank goodness for that,’ Romy said, gratefully taking Blaise’s hand as he helped her to the shore. ‘I’m so cold I think I’m going to die.’
She looked at me and her face paled even more than it already had.
‘Come on,’ I said briskly, not wanting her to go down that path again. ‘Let’s see if there’s anywhere to stay here. If not, you might have to manifest that cabin, Blaise.’
We scrambled wearily up the side of the cliff to where we knew one day the generator shed would stand. I was all too aware that, beneath our feet, the crystal cave glowed and pulsed. It made me feel less homesick, somehow, knowing that we were still linked to the present day by something so magical and yet so real.
There was no path yet, so it was hard to climb to the top, particularly given our unsuitable footwear and poor Romy’s voluminous dress. We took far longer than we normally would, and then we were faced with the long walk along the top towards where Peloryon House usually stood. I trudged through the grass, my eyes fixed on my feet, and mentally crossed my fingers that we’d find some sort of shelter, because what if Blaise’s magic wasn’t up to producing a cabin yet? Then what would we do?
‘Wulfram!’ Romy and Blaise stopped dead and turned to me, their eyes shining with delight.
I looked past them, and my heart soared. There was shelter all right. Not just any old shelter. The original Peloryon House.
We found ourselves feeling lighter and able to move more rapidly now that we had somewhere to aim for. At last we stood outside the door of a beautiful Tudor manor.
‘It’s just like Castle Lodge!’ Romy shook her head. ‘Look at it! It’s exactly the same.’
She was right. I couldn’t believe it, but it was as if the island had replicated the house that was so familiar to us and placed it on the island for us as a comfort.
‘Do you think it’s deliberate?’ Blaise asked, his eyes shining. ‘My old home! I’m overwhelmed. I never thought I’d see this place again.’
Cautiously we pushed open the front door, our hearts racing in anticipation.
As we walked slowly around the house Romy burst into tears again, and I must confess Blaise and I were in tears, too. At least this time they were tears of joy.
The island had replicated modern day Castle Lodge in its entirety. Fires burned in every grate, fairy lights twinkled around the beams, electric lamps glowed in every corner. It was incredible.
We found warm bedrooms with comfortable beds, complete with duvets. We all agreed we’d be getting an early night tonight, given the terrible time we’d spent on wooden floors last night. We agreed to shower and change into something more comfortable and meet back downstairs in half an hour.
‘You see?’ I said, my voice breaking with emotion as I saw the look of bliss on Romy’s face when she came into the living room a little while later, dressed in, of all things, tartan pyjamas, and slippers. ‘You’re going to be fine. This island and this house, they’ll take care of you. You’ll be safe, Romy.’
She nodded. ‘You’re right. Our sanctuary from the seventeenth century. Oh, I’m so relieved.’
‘Me, too,’ Blaise admitted. ‘I know I’m from this time originally, but to be honest, I’ve got used to living in comfort. I was dreading with dealing with it all again, and I didn’t want you to have to endure such hardships. It seems the island is protecting you. Rewarding you.’
‘Rewarding you both,’ I said quietly. ‘You’ve both got a lot of work to do, and you know what’s ahead of you.’
‘I still can’t believe it.’ Romy sat down next to Blaise on a comfortable leather sofa, almost identical to the one in the house at Castle Clair. ‘Blaise, why didn’t you tell me?’
‘Tell you what?’ he asked, putting his arm around her.
‘About your mother’s maiden name,’ she said. ‘It would have made things much clearer far sooner.’
‘Have you any idea how common that name is in Cornwall?’ he asked. ‘How was I supposed to know it meant anything?’
‘I had a vague idea,’ I admitted. ‘That is, something was nagging away at me. When you called out to Celeste it rang a bell, and when I finally remembered where I’d heard it before…Astra inclinant, sed non obligant. The stars incline us, but they do not bind us.’
‘Engraved on the pocket watch Meri left Celeste in her will,’ Romy said.
‘The pocket watch Phoenix Tremayne wore on his wedding day to Wren,’ I added. ‘When I saw your mother’s maiden name was Tremayne it all fell into place.’
‘Even the white streak in your hair,’ Romy said, smiling as she stroked Blaise’s hair lovingly. ‘It will be all white one day. I know. I’ve seen your portrait as an old man. Phoenix Tremayne. Witch extraordinaire. The most loved and respected leader of the High Council of Witches ever known.’
