Chapter Text
2025- St Churnleys
Eliza and Roland landed at the bottom of the Tower of Understanding as gently as a feather falling from a bird’s wing. The boy was slightly out of breath, maybe from the situation at hand or from his body processing the many thoughts that he was not usually allowed to think for himself. Eliza patted his shoulder. “If you follow the path back, the boys should be waiting and my son.” She seemed to say it wistfully. Roland noticed her face softening, “Edgar is one of my bewst friends. Its meant so much to him seeing you, remembering you. But what will happen now?” He asked. A voice came from the darkness. “My words exactly.” Hexmaster Singh stepped out. “ Roland Thudberry, you’re to go with Mr Hebden back to your dormitory and to stay there.” She stood and waited for the boy to be escorted away. Singh and Hinks stood blocking the doorway. “What now?” She snarled. “Am I to be put to death like you tried to do with my brother. Or will you simply brainwash my son again.” Mr Hinks looked shocked. “Ranjit, you didn’t tell me that you had.” Singh interrupted. “I did it with the Allan’s full awareness. Eliza, every day I regret Theo’s death. I regret our brief dalliance. But coming to the school as some kind of vendetta is not going to change what I have done.” He moved toward her but she revealed the small silver talons attached to the forefingers of her left hand. “You gifted me these on my Wedding day. I suppose you knew what would happen to me.” As the Hexmaster reached out, Eliza threw one of the talons against his hand. He cried out as she cut into his knuckles. “Consent is key in relationships. You should know that, Hexmaster.” Hinks waved a hand as his eyes watched her closely. Eliza ran forward as the incantation spiralled past, knocking a flight of stairs from the tower. But then she heard his voice. “Mummy. Here.” She saw Edgar waving with a sword in one hand. His hair messy but his eyes sparkled. His friend suddenly morphed into a wolf and ran over to her. He nodded as she grabbed onto his back. Edgar waved at an unseen figure as an arrow went flying through the air and landed in front of the two teachers. But then, Monty tripped as Eliza held onto Edgar as she flew. They landed on the roof of the school. “Edgar. I’m so proud of you. I have loved you ever since there was the idea of you. Since I knew that I was going to have a lovely boy who is caring and considerate and so clever.” He smiled back at her and shyly replied “I always wanted my Mummy. To hold me and tell me everything was alright.” She let her fall against her face. “I have always and will always try my best to tell you the truth. That things will be alright and that they will get better. With or without me there.” She held him close and tightly. A noise came from the Plagueround. A low thundering then a sudden echoing roar. Eliza glanced down and saw the Hexmaster trying to control what he could of forming portal gates.
“Edgar, your Mother is going to have to do something brave.” She handed him a blue scarf and held it to him. With her other hand, she tapped against her heart and gestured to him. Edgar tapped his heart and held it to her. "Close your eyes, Don't look back." As he called to her, she stepped backwards off the roof letting go.
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The honeymoon was as I had expected it to be. Elliot and I had grown used to each other’s desires and dislikes. Though we had agreed once we returned that we would retain our own bedrooms with separate beds. We had gone to the Isle of Skye as it was secluded and welcomed guests who were like us, cursed and with transmorphic properties. Elliot had suggested a day where I could be my other self while he finished compiling some work for his father. I knew he meant to distract me with the idea of independence but he did not know, I had seen what he was to work on. Another compiling of children who would be studied, and sorted by the Allan’s grade system into categories. Those who were a standard grade would go to St Churnleys and receive guidance and help. Those lower were to endure the consequences of the Scholastic Book Fair and the minions involved.
I was aware of the work but I was unable to change any of it without Elliot or even Persimmon noticing. I took my leave but not before I took Elliot into my arms and kissed him. He smiled and said that things would be better. I wish I could have believed him, but the cloud of doubt still spun around my mind. I stepped out of our modest room and walked off the balcony, taking flight as my crow form.
Skye was a contrast to the countryside that I had lived in for months. It was vast and filled with such wonder. I had heard of the magic in the soil of Skye, that there were parts of the land divided between those cursed, those born with magical properties and the humans. Hidden in a woodland, there was a small yurt with a fire pit outside. When I landed, I stepped into the circle around the fire pit and collect from a small bubbling pot, a rune stone. It burned into my kin but I did not flinch. Then she came out of the yurt hunched over. “Ah, I thought you would come at last. But not for my gear.” Margery straightened up and smiled, her devious eyes looking me over. “You’re Maureen and Sandra’s protégée aren’t you? On your honeymoon? Why are you here and not with your husband?” I laughed “So many questions Margery. Especially since I’ve come for some answers.” She took my hand and looked at the stone. It was a continuous spiral. “You have started one journey but now you will have to find away out through sinister means. I can help with that, you will also need help from her.” She pointed at the scarf around my neck. “But how? She’s dead.” I said. Margery laughed to herself as she waved her hand over my burn. The spiral disappeared. “Well, her mortal form is. But the spirit is strong. Think of it as a wedding gift. The Fairy Pools will show you what you need to do.” She took my hand and placed a small bag then closed it.
“Now, time for my next batch of the good stuff.” I did not stay to find out what that meant.
The Fairy pools were quiet. A cascade of waterfalls and different stone pools that were effervescent. I waited by the edge of one. It seemed like a place that was the entrance to the other world. A portal. I glanced up to the other side and saw me. An exact double. She waved. I waved back. She removed the scarf and unclasped my thimble necklace, stepped forward and placed it into the water. I had to do the same. But as I placed the necklace in the water, the thimble burst into shards. The water took the shards and formed a small chute. Suddenly a bird burst from the waters flying above. “Theo?” I whispered. My double was gone. In her place stood Maureen. She smiled. “You look well Eliza. Marriage suits you.” I stepped forward.
She held up her hand. “You can not pass over the waters. Only the dead can. I am between worlds.” I said to her desperately“Maureen, I need to know what I can do to stop the Allan’s. I know that there may be something, but my life has already changed in so many ways.” Maureen stepped closer to the edge of the water. “You see what Margery gave you? At the right time, you will need to open it. The bird will return too. Theo is no longer your brother but is a familiar and will need to be given a new name.” I called out into the sky. “POE. YOU ARE CALLED POE” Maureen and I laughed together. Both with tears in our eyes. “Ive missed you Maureen, I wish you had been at the wedding. You were the mother I wanted.”
She smiled sadly. “But I was. In spirit and in the scarf you wear of me. Eliza, I need you to be strong, because soon you will have someone else to fight for.”
I reached out to her but she silently smiled and walked backwards into an unseen doorway and once again I was alone.
When I returned to the room, Elliot was stretched out on the sofa reading an Oscar Wilde collection of poetry. I stroked his head as he smiled. “How was your day of freedom?” “Eye opening. I was given a gift. But not to be looked til we return back to home.” Eliiot laughed and kissed me. “Then that shall be what we do.” I smiled as I went to wash up while he ordered dinner for us. We returned back to the Allan’s house a couple of days later. Elias greeted us with Magnum on his arm. She kissed my cheek after we stepped out the car and whispered “Things have been surprisingly difficult since you two have been away. But don’t worry, I’ve cooled him for now.” Her thick accent catching the forming pit in my stomach. Elias held out his arms to me and embraced me. “Ah, now we have much work to do when you are rested.” I nodded keeping the facade up.
The rest lasted a day. Before I knew it, I was back transcribing and sorting the paperwork required for the next part of the business deal. I had not been given any more details but I had surpassed their expectations of me. Each day I would breakfast with them then be led into the library and left to transcribe new entries and to also typewrite confirmations from the grading system that had been agreed. Elias and Magnum seemed to work closely with the papers I would give them but I also made sure that the books were placed within my reach. One day I had snuck a small bag into the library and began to disguise old volumes of mine as duplicates for the transcribed volumes of the children. By the end of that week I had all the books bar the one I was working on hidden in my room. Elliot was none the wiser as he had left on a business trip.
It was 6 months after our wedding, on one of the rare occasions that we slept in the same room, something startled me awake. I shook Elliot as I glanced toward the window of his room. Persimmon stood looking at the small bag that Margery had given me. It was shaking. I walked over in my nightdress and looked out. A full moon shone on a cloudless night. Elliot watched as I opened the bag, a small oval object shook. “It… it looks like an egg.” He stuttered. I nodded as I held it, I placed it on a pillow as we sat watching it shake. With each movement, it seemed to expand in growth. At that moment, another bird flew in. A crow. I understood now, as one part of the black object broke away. I heard a cry as I began to pull away at the outer shell and pulled from the interior, a baby boy. I held him to me as he began to cry. I felt myself sobbing. “This is our son.” Elliot laughed as he held both of us. “What shall we call him?” I smiled through my tears. “Edgar. Our son is called Edgar.”
Elias was thrilled that he had a grandson. But Maureen’s words were in my head. I had someone else to fight for. To love and to care for. But adding my son to the catalogue was not something I wanted to do. I would keep him safe, he would not be at the mercy of the Allan's. Even if I had to resort to sinister means to ensure his safety.