would approach the door. One person would stay outside while Merlin slipped in with her tray. Although she’d tried talking to him several times, he just shook his head like an idiot and backed out again. If she hurt him it would be his own fault.
The warning creak of the stairs wasn’t long coming. She tensed as the double set of footsteps approached along the passage and stopped outside her door. Very quietly, she eased herself out of bed and put her back to the wall. The bolts scraped and the door opened its usual crack to let Merlin slip inside. Before he was completely through, Natalie sprang into action. She seized her supper from his surprised hands, elbowed him out of the way and jammed the tray into the closing gap.
A curse came from the passage and the bird-headed stick crashed into the tray, loosening Natalie’s grip. At the same time, the door was pulled shut. The tray went rattling into the corridor and the door slammed on Natalie’s fingers. She snatched her hand back with a scream – half pain, half frustration.
“I hate you!” she yelled, sucking her sore knuckles. “When I get out of here, you’ll be sorry! I saw your face in the car park! I’ll identify you to the police and then they’ll lock you up. For ever and ever!”
“No, Spider!” Merlin cried, breaking his rule of silence and catching her arm. “Don’t make him angry, or he’ll hurt Itsy!” He had spaghetti bolognese all down the front of his jumper. She shrugged him off in disgust.
A nasty chuckle came from behind the closed door. “Maybe a small demonstration wouldn’t go amiss. But soon her little familiar will be meeting my goshawk – after that she won’t be identifying me to anyone unless I say so. In fact, I think we’ll bond her tomorrow. She’ll be less trouble then.”
Merlin paled. “No, Father, please. Claudia says she’s not ready yet. She’ll be good – won’t you, Spider?”
The door slammed back on its hinges. Natalie stood her ground, though her heart hammered so loudly she thought it would burst. Hawk strode in, his black hair flowing, eyes fierce yellow in the harsh shadows cast by the bare bulb. He carried his stick like a sword. His gaze swept the room, taking in the cowering Merlin, the broken plate, the spaghetti on the floor, finally coming to rest on Natalie in her crumpled bolognese-stained shift, her hair tangled across her face.
As she glared back, his lips twisted. “She looks ready enough to me. I’m aware of what you and Claudia are up to, boy, but you won’t find anyone else with her sort of power in three days. What do you think I’ve been doing all these years? Watching spell banks for fun? Besides, my little Spider’s special.” He chuckled. His stick prodded Natalie’s chin, pinning her against the wall. She clenched her fists, determined not to cry.
“Have to clean you up a bit before the ceremony,” Hawk went on. “Can’t have my spellclave looking as if they’ve just crawled through the Thrallstone when I invade Earthaven, can I? A Spell Lord has certain standards to keep up.”
“You’re crazy,” Natalie whispered. “All of you.”
This made him laugh. “You’re much sweeter asleep, I must admit, but after tonight you won’t need sleeping pills when I want you sweet. Come out of there, boy. Leave her to think about it. Won’t do her any harm not to have any supper tonight, she’s not going anywhere.” The stick left her chin and hooked Merlin’s elbow, tugging him out of the room. The door slammed. The bolts scraped home.
Natalie sank on to the bed, trembling. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” she hissed into the pillow. All she’d achieved was the loss of her supper. Plus that chilling revelation.
“You put sleeping pills in my food,” she whispered, rubbing her throat where the stick had bruised it. Of all the things they had done to her so far, that seemed the worst. And yet... “If you were real wizards, you wouldn’t need drugs and locks to
The warning creak of the stairs wasn’t long coming. She tensed as the double set of footsteps approached along the passage and stopped outside her door. Very quietly, she eased herself out of bed and put her back to the wall. The bolts scraped and the door opened its usual crack to let Merlin slip inside. Before he was completely through, Natalie sprang into action. She seized her supper from his surprised hands, elbowed him out of the way and jammed the tray into the closing gap.
A curse came from the passage and the bird-headed stick crashed into the tray, loosening Natalie’s grip. At the same time, the door was pulled shut. The tray went rattling into the corridor and the door slammed on Natalie’s fingers. She snatched her hand back with a scream – half pain, half frustration.
“I hate you!” she yelled, sucking her sore knuckles. “When I get out of here, you’ll be sorry! I saw your face in the car park! I’ll identify you to the police and then they’ll lock you up. For ever and ever!”
“No, Spider!” Merlin cried, breaking his rule of silence and catching her arm. “Don’t make him angry, or he’ll hurt Itsy!” He had spaghetti bolognese all down the front of his jumper. She shrugged him off in disgust.
A nasty chuckle came from behind the closed door. “Maybe a small demonstration wouldn’t go amiss. But soon her little familiar will be meeting my goshawk – after that she won’t be identifying me to anyone unless I say so. In fact, I think we’ll bond her tomorrow. She’ll be less trouble then.”
Merlin paled. “No, Father, please. Claudia says she’s not ready yet. She’ll be good – won’t you, Spider?”
The door slammed back on its hinges. Natalie stood her ground, though her heart hammered so loudly she thought it would burst. Hawk strode in, his black hair flowing, eyes fierce yellow in the harsh shadows cast by the bare bulb. He carried his stick like a sword. His gaze swept the room, taking in the cowering Merlin, the broken plate, the spaghetti on the floor, finally coming to rest on Natalie in her crumpled bolognese-stained shift, her hair tangled across her face.
As she glared back, his lips twisted. “She looks ready enough to me. I’m aware of what you and Claudia are up to, boy, but you won’t find anyone else with her sort of power in three days. What do you think I’ve been doing all these years? Watching spell banks for fun? Besides, my little Spider’s special.” He chuckled. His stick prodded Natalie’s chin, pinning her against the wall. She clenched her fists, determined not to cry.
“Have to clean you up a bit before the ceremony,” Hawk went on. “Can’t have my spellclave looking as if they’ve just crawled through the Thrallstone when I invade Earthaven, can I? A Spell Lord has certain standards to keep up.”
“You’re crazy,” Natalie whispered. “All of you.”
This made him laugh. “You’re much sweeter asleep, I must admit, but after tonight you won’t need sleeping pills when I want you sweet. Come out of there, boy. Leave her to think about it. Won’t do her any harm not to have any supper tonight, she’s not going anywhere.” The stick left her chin and hooked Merlin’s elbow, tugging him out of the room. The door slammed. The bolts scraped home.
Natalie sank on to the bed, trembling. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” she hissed into the pillow. All she’d achieved was the loss of her supper. Plus that chilling revelation.
“You put sleeping pills in my food,” she whispered, rubbing her throat where the stick had bruised it. Of all the things they had done to her so far, that seemed the worst. And yet... “If you were real wizards, you wouldn’t need drugs and locks to
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