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‘Why do you think? To explain your actions! To tell them what I knew about this witch nephew of mine who’d apparently travelled in time. I told them, it wasn’t possible. My nephew would never do such a thing. My poor Blaise was killed, leaping to his death from a witchfinder. Now I find you alive and well and bearing another name. And to cap it all, the Seelie Court told me they were expecting a visit from one Phoenix Tremayne who promised to explain everything about what happened to you. I never in a million years thought that would be you.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Phoenix said sadly. ‘I never meant for anything like this to happen. The last thing I wanted was for you to be dragged into it.’
‘Well I have been,’ his uncle said crossly. ‘And your brother is dead, and your sister-in-law is bringing up her son alone, and Castle Clair is in mourning for two sons it loved and lost. How do you think everyone would feel if they knew you were here, eh? How do you think Jennet would feel?’
I saw a shadow cross Phoenix’s face and realised he knew all too well how Jennet would feel.
‘Please Mr St Clair,’ Wren said, ‘make yourself comfortable and have some soup. You too, Robert. We can explain everything, we really can.’
‘And who are you?’ Titus asked, settling himself on a cosy rocking chair, after giving it a suspicious look.
‘This is Wren Pendragon, Uncle,’ Phoenix said.
‘Pendragon!’ Titus gave her a look of alarm. ‘You’re one of the fair folk?’
‘She’s also half witch,’ Phoenix said patiently. ‘You needn’t fear her. She’s on our side. And I’m very glad you’ve had the chance to meet her. You see, Wren and I are to be married in a few days.’
It was news to me, but evidently no surprise to Wren, as she merely smiled. Of course, I knew Phoenix and Wren married at some point, but I hadn’t realised they’d already discussed it, nor that they’d set a date.
‘You’re marrying a Pendragon?’ Titus whispered. It was clearly all too much for him to take in. He buried his face in his hands and groaned. ‘I dread to think what your poor father would say.’
I passed bowls of soup to him and Robert and patted them both comfortingly on the shoulder.
‘Eat this,’ I said. ‘We have a lot of catching up to do.’
To give him his due, he sat quite patiently as Phoenix explained everything that had happened to him and why we were here in the Highlands. He quietly ate his soup and listened, not interrupting, pushing the empty bowl away when he’d finished but still not commenting.
When Phoenix finally finished he leaned back in his rocking chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
‘I’m so disappointed in you,’ he said at last.
Phoenix lowered his eyes. ‘I know,’ he murmured. ‘I’m disappointed in myself.’
‘To time travel, Blaise! You knew the dangers, yet you persisted, and you even tried to drag poor Jennet into your schemes. Thank the gods she had more sense in the end.’
‘I’m so sorry, Uncle,’ Phoenix said miserably.
Titus shook his head and surveyed him sorrowfully. ‘What you’ve brought us to! I don’t know. Then again,’ he said cautiously, ‘if what you say about your future is true then I suppose you’re about to redeem yourself.’
‘It sounds as if fate played a big part in all this,’ Robert said. He’d been listening raptly to Phoenix’s story and had finally decided to comment. ‘It was all meant to be. You can see destiny unfolding, can’t you? Incredible. And when you look at it that way, it’s not really his fault at all, is it?’
Titus turned to look at him and Robert reddened.
‘Since when did I pay you to have an opinion?’ he demanded.
‘Sorry, sir,’ Robert mumbled.
‘You’re right, though,’ Titus said grudgingly. ‘I can’t believe I got dragged into it all. The Seelie Court got your message and immediately sent for me. I had no idea what they were talking about. Like I told them, as far as I knew Blaise died in the River Hrafn. I’d heard nothing of time travel. I suppose they were checking how much our family knew before they heard your side of the story. They’ll think I was lying now.’
‘They won’t,’ Phoenix assured him. ‘I’ll make sure they know the truth.’
‘How did you know we were here?’ I asked curiously. ‘What made you bang on our door?’
‘We’d decided to walk to the nearest inn and have a few drinks to warm us up before heading home,’ he explained. ‘We’d landed not far from here when we first arrived this morning, and we knew this stone hut wasn’t here then. The fair folk had told us they were expecting a visit from some great witch called Phoenix Tremayne who had information about Blaise, and I thought, since this place was obviously conjured up with magic, maybe this Phoenix chap was here. I wanted to confront him. Find out what he was going to say and if he genuinely knew something, or if he intended to make it up. Never dreamed in a million years that I’d find you here.’
He turned to me. ‘So where do you fit into this scenario?’
I shuffled awkwardly. ‘I—I’m the Great Guardian.’
