The Warrior's Princess

  ‘And she didn’t know where he had gone?’

  ‘No.’

  They looked at each other. ‘You think he came here?’ Aurelia said softly.

  Rhodri nodded. ‘Everything has been about Jess, hasn’t it. He would have guessed she had come here.’ He had liked Jess and Steph’s mother immediately they had met. She was calm and sensible in spite of her anguish.

  ‘We should call the police,’ Steph said resolutely. ‘I can’t think why they aren’t here yet!’

  ‘I’ll ring the local boys. I know one of the inspectors.’ Rhodri stood up and went over to the phone. ‘We can’t just wait and see if Dan turns up. He might already be here. I searched everywhere for Jess. There was no trace of her. Where could she have gone? I left her there on the track. I’m such an ass. I should have made her come back with me. She said she was coming –’

  ‘No one blames you, Rhodri.’ Aurelia laid her hand on his arm. She gave him a wan smile.

  ‘I blame me!’ He was punching the numbers into the phone. Then he rang his mother. Jess had not made her way over to the farm or, when he rang the post office, to the village either.

  The police arrived in less than an hour. Rhodri’s mate, DI James Lloyd and the sergeant who had accompanied him sat with them at the kitchen table making notes as Steph and Rhodri told them the whole story. They had, it appeared, already been alerted to the fact that Dan might well be heading towards Ty Bran by the Homicide Assessment Team in London. That Jess had disappeared was a worrying development. They all tramped up the path to the rocks, fanning out once more into the woods, calling till they were hoarse. Eventually they gathered at the highest point of the woods and stood within yards of the place the little child had crawled to die but no one drew their attention to it. That was Jess’s secret. The two policemen looked round everywhere, even stooping and glancing into the heart of the rock pile, but they didn’t notice the pathetic scattering of little bones. There were no signs of Jess, or anyone else, no tracks other than their own and the ones that had been left earlier. No clues; nothing to say that Dan had been anywhere near. There was no strange car parked in any of the lanes nearby.

  ‘Dogs?’ Rhodri suggested.

  The inspector shrugged. ‘Jess has been all over the place up here so the scent would be confused. We’ll speak to London and Shrewsbury. They are sending more men and they may feel we should call out a helicopter; maybe it’s too soon. I can promise you, as soon as there is any news we will be in touch, and if Jess appears or there is any sign at all of Mr Nicolson please let us know at once. I’m sure we don’t have to tell you not to approach him.’

  ‘So, it’s up to us,’ Aurelia said tersely as the two policemen climbed back into their Range Rover and disappeared back down the lane.

  Steph glanced at Rhodri. ‘Carmella?’ she said.

  ‘Who is Carmella?’ Aurelia was sifting through Steph’s wine rack with a look of faint disgust. ‘I need a drink!’ Her hands were shaking with exhaustion.

  ‘She’s a friend of Kim’s. A clairvoyant and tarot reader.’ Steph ventured uncomfortably.

  Aurelia straightened from the wine rack and stared at her.

  ‘She knew Jess was in trouble before,’ Steph said defensively. ‘That’s how all this started!’

  ‘Then ring her.’ Aurelia turned back to the rack and selected a bottle. ‘Where is your corkscrew?’

  ‘It’s screw top, Mummy!’ Steph went to the phone after rummaging through her diary for the number. ‘Sorry it’s not French but I rather like Australian. Carmella? Ciao! It’s me, Stephanie!’

  Megan arrived while they waited for Carmella to ring back after she had consulted her cards. A plump, energetic woman with wind-reddened cheeks and curly sand-coloured hair, she surveyed them in turn in utter horror as they told her what was happening.

  ‘This sounds like a gangster movie!’ she said at last. ‘Rhodri? Why didn’t you tell me all this?’

  He sighed. ‘To stop you having a fit, Mum! Why do you think?’

  They had to wait a long time for the call from Italy. Carmella was apologetic. ‘I can’t get anything about her, Steph. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what has happened. I have never had this experience before. The cards read like wooden bricks. They are playing dumb. The messages spin in circles. They say she is in danger, then they say she is safe. They say she has found the one she was looking for then they say she has lost the one she sought. They say she is on the threshold of her life’s desire, then they say she has lost everything.’ Her voice rose in frustration. ‘I am sorry. I don’t know what to tell you. Except that I don’t know where she is. I went to my sfera di cristallo and asked it to show me what she could see. I saw trees and leaves and branches dancing in the wind. I saw birds circling overhead. I saw the sky. It could have been anywhere.’

  ‘But she is alive?’ Steph’s mouth was dry.

  There was a fractional hesitation the other end of the line. ‘I think so. I pray so. I don’t know, Steph. The vision was hazy. Not clear.’

  Somewhere in the background Steph heard a deep voice talking in Italian. ‘Carmella, I’m sorry. You have visitors and I’ve interrupted.’ Steph tried to disguise her own misery.

  ‘No. No. That was my friend and he has brought me a cup of coffee to wake my head up.’ Steph thought she could hear the wry smile. ‘He understands that I must do these things.’ There was a pause, then, ‘Steph, I have an idea. I will ring you back in half an hour, OK?’ The phone went dead.

  Steph turned back into the room. She shook her head. ‘No news,’ she said. There was a sob in her voice.

  ‘Why didn’t you ask her about Dan?’ Rhodri asked sharply.

  ‘I was going to, but she thought of something else to try. She is going to ring back in half an hour.’ Steph flung herself down in her chair.

  Megan got up and went to put an arm round her shoulders. ‘She’ll be all right. You’ll see. I have a feeling in my bones!’

  Aurelia looked up sharply. ‘Wait a moment, if we are into consulting occult specialists, I know who we can ask. Do you remember Meryn Jones, Megan? Does he still live round here? He’d know what to do.’

  Megan frowned. ‘You’re right. He was an amazing man. Didn’t you take a bit of a shine to him, Aurelia?’ She gave a small teasing smile. ‘I haven’t heard from him for years. He went to the States, didn’t he? Then I think I heard he went to live in Scotland?’

  ‘Mummy?’ Steph stared at her.

  ‘It’s a long story,’ Aurelia said with a rueful shrug. ‘I’ll tell you some time. Not now.’

  It was when she too had lived in these hills. Jess and Steph had left home. She was alone. Her daughters were both independent, committed to their own careers, and recognising this she had decided to move on. She never told them about him and she and Meryn had drifted apart before any firm commitments had been made. But she had often wondered where he was and what might have happened if they had stayed in touch.

  Rhodri sat up. ‘Meryn Jones was the consultant on the pro gramme on the radio about Cartimandua. I knew I remembered his name from somewhere. Jess heard the programme too. That was what started all this obsession with Eigon and Caratacus.’

  ‘But who is he?’ Steph asked sharply.

  ‘He does stuff like Carmella,’ Rhodri said. ‘He can see into the future and the past and talk to the spirits. I don’t think he does tarot and crystal balls; he’s more of an academic, but he’s also some sort of pagan priest and shaman, I think, as well as being an expert on the Celts. A Druid!’ He shrugged. ‘I don’t know where he is though, but you might be right. I think that programme came from Scotland.’

  ‘Can you find out?’ Steph asked. ‘You must know people at the BBC. Couldn’t you get someone to tell you?’ She turned back to her mother. ‘Mummy, why have you never mentioned him before?’

  ‘I know who’ll know where he is,’ Megan interrupted. It was her turn to go to the phone. She dialled a Hereford number and within seconds was beckon
ing someone to pass her a piece of paper and pencil. She scribbled down the number and then began to dial again.

  ‘I don’t know what he could do, though,’ she said over her shoulder as she waited for the phone to pick up. When it did it was a message service. Her face fell, but she spoke anyway. ‘Meryn? It’s Megan Price. From Cwm-nant. Remember me? Listen, could you ring me? I need a favour. I need help. Urgently. I’m at my neighbour’s, at Ty Bran in the next valley. Their number is –’ She recited it slowly and carefully and then hung up with a shrug. ‘Just pray he is around.’ She hadn’t mentioned Aurelia, Steph noticed and with a look at her mother’s face, she let the matter drop. Whoever this chap was, if her mother hadn’t seen him for so long whatever there had been between them, must have died the death.

  When the phone next rang it was Carmella again. ‘OK. I have consulted the cards about Dan and Will.’ There was a pause. ‘Will is in trouble.’

  ‘Will is dead, Carmella!’ Steph replied sharply. ‘Dan killed him.’

  ‘Dio mio!’ There was a moment’s silence. ‘I am so sorry. Well, that explains Dan’s reading. Do you want to hear it?’ Her voice quavered, then she went on. ‘I think you must. This is not good.’

  Steph swallowed hard. ‘Go on.’

  ‘Titus is heading your way. Perhaps he has already arrived in England. He is on the trail of Eigon and of Jess. Someone else is watching them. A soothsayer, a woman from Ancient Rome. I have been seeing her; she comes when I tune in. She told Titus where Eigon was, but then she was sorry she had done it. She knows that he is someone evil. I don’t know how this works, whether he has possessed Dan or is following him or is using him, but he is heading back to the place where it all started.’

  ‘Ty Bran.’

  ‘Yes. And he is very close. I sense him as out of control.’ Carmella took a deep breath. ‘Tell me what happened to Will.’

  ‘Dan seems to have broken into Will’s flat in London and beaten him to death.’ Steph’s eyes filled with tears.

  ‘How do they know it was Dan?’

  ‘Will wrote Dan’s name in blood. Before he died.’

  ‘The police told you that?’

  ‘No. Or at least they told the headmaster of the college where Dan and Jess and Will teach. Taught.’

  ‘Dio Mio!’ she breathed again. ‘This is awful.’

  ‘Do you think he had been possessed by Titus?’

  Carmella gave a short bitter laugh. ‘I don’t suppose that is an excuse that will stand up before a judge! I saw him, Steph, in the cristallo. I saw him dressed in Roman uniform, like a legionary and he had a sword, dripping with blood. You know, the short swords the soldiers carried.’

  ‘Titus?’

  ‘Dan.’

  ‘But Jess? You didn’t see Jess?’

  ‘He was with a woman, Steph. I saw her. She had her arms bound behind her and her eyes were blindfolded.’

  Steph was breathing heavily, trying to hold back her panic. ‘It can’t have been Jess. You said before, Jess could see leaves and trees.’

  ‘I don’t know what she can see, Steph. But I have a bad feeling about this. Very bad. I will go on trying. But you have to find Dan.’

  ‘The entire police force is searching for Dan, Carmella.’

  She turned back to the others. ‘Did you get the gist of that? She only told us what we already know. Jess is in danger and Dan seems to have been possessed by the vicious Roman. In her vision he is brandishing a bloody sword.’

  There was silence round the table. ‘What can we do?’ Aurelia whispered at last. ‘We must do something!’

  ‘I’m going out to look again!’ Rhodri pushed back his chair. ‘I can’t just sit here waiting for something to happen!’

  ‘Wait! Has anyone rung her mobile?’ Megan said suddenly. They looked at each other. Steph went back to the phone. Seconds later they heard the reedy ring tone from upstairs.

  ‘Damn!’ was all she said.

  They were standing on the beach staring out at the waves crashing onto the shore, sucking at the sand, breathing in and out at their feet like a living creature. Eigon shuddered. ‘Is it a long way to the other side?’

  Commios looked at their guide enquiringly. The man shrugged. ‘Long enough.’

  ‘Where do we get a boat?’

  ‘You walk along to Gesoriacum and you pay someone.’ The guide grinned. ‘My job is done. You are here. You are safe.’

  Commios raised an eyebrow. ‘You were supposed to take us to the port, friend.’

  Their guide shook his head. ‘The coast was what we agreed. It’s only a short way over the dunes there. You can’t miss it.’ He gave a leering grin which showed the gap where his two centre teeth were missing.

  Commios shrugged. ‘I don’t suppose you fancy coming across the Oceanus with us?’

  ‘No.’ The man was adamant. He turned to Drusilla and bowed. ‘May the gods go with you, lady. And you, oh queen.’ He bowed to Eigon with reserve tinged by awe. ‘And with you, friend.’ He clasped Commios by the wrist. Then he was gone.

  They stood staring after him. ‘That was sudden.’ Drusilla’s face was touched with colour. She had enjoyed his company, the Gaul who had led them for the last few days through the forests and farmlands and river valleys towards the coast. His departure had been so quick it had taken them all by surprise.

  Suddenly Commios stiffened. ‘Quickly. Here. Hide!’ He dragged them with him back towards the trees as two horsemen appeared in the distance, galloping up the beach from the south-east.

  They drew back into the shadows, peering from behind the trees. The two figures approached and galloped past without drawing rein. They were wearing the uniform of Rome, leaning forward on the necks of their horses, their faces set against the cold wind as they rode.

  Eigon held her breath as they disappeared into the murk. ‘Titus,’ she breathed.

  ‘I can’t believe he is still following us.’ Commios swore under his breath. ‘How did he know where we were?’

  ‘Our guide?’ Drusilla said bitterly. ‘Could that be why he was in such a hurry to leave us? Perhaps he was paid. Last night at the caupona where we stopped, I had a bad feeling about some of the men there. We should not have gone in.’

  Eigon and Commios stared at her then reluctantly they both nodded. ‘It makes sense,’ said Commios bitterly. ‘He owed us nothing. And who will ever know. He brought us to the coast as we asked and he earned his pay.’ He sighed. ‘On the bright side, Titus didn’t see us so we are still one step ahead of him. We know he’s here, whereas he hasn’t seen us. And as our so kind escort has gone, he won’t find out that we have arrived until we choose to tell him.’

  ‘If we choose to tell him,’ Drusilla said.

  ‘Which we won’t,’ Eigon added. She shuddered. ‘Will we ever be rid of the man?’ She stared out across the waves in despair. A line of cold silver light had appeared on the horizon where the sun was sinking beneath the sea, throwing its beam up for an instant onto the low line of cloud. She sank down on her knees. ‘Sweet Lord, send us safe across the sea. Protect us and bless us and keep us from our enemies.’ For a long time she knelt where she was, lost in the rhythm of the ocean, then slowly she climbed to her feet. ‘God is going to send us a boat. All we have to do is wait.’ She smiled at them, her exhausted face lighting with humour. ‘Don’t look like that. I just have a feeling my prayer is to be answered. We have no need to go to the port. Titus is not going to find us there.’

  They made a fire and sat round it, making a supper of the bread and apples they had begged from a house they had passed a few miles back, then they huddled down in their cloaks at the edge of the beach as darkness fell. It was cold and the wind was growing in strength. Drusilla and Commios exchanged glances. Both were thinking that they could find warmer safer accommodation in the town without Titus ever knowing where they were staying. Eigon sat up, swathed in her cloak, her eyes on the sea.

  It was full dark when they heard the creak of oars and the
sound of men’s voices carrying in across the waves. ‘There’s a fire on the beach.’ The boat turned in towards them.

  Commios swore quietly. He had been about to kick sand over the embers and extinguish them when Eigon had put her hand on his arm and shaken her head. ‘This is the boat God has sent us,’ she whispered.

  ‘Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,’ he replied. ‘Don’t go rushing out till we see who they are!’

  At least she had the grace to see the sense in that. They waited quietly as the boat grounded on the sand and two men climbed out. ‘Wind’s veering,’ one of them said. ‘We’ll get a good night’s fishing at this rate. So, what have we here?’ They walked up towards the trees and came to a stop beside the fire.

  ‘Hello?’ The taller of the two shadowy figures stared towards them, searching the darkness of the trees. ‘Anyone there?’

  Commios stepped forward alone. ‘Greetings, friends.’ He raised his hands away from his sides to show he was unarmed. ‘You are welcome to our fireside.’

  ‘Our?’ the second man queried. He stared round. There was no sign of the two women who were waiting, holding their breath out of sight.

  Commios nodded. ‘We have been expecting a boat. Are you the sailors who have been sent to take us across to Britannia?’

  The two men exploded into laughter. ‘I think not!’ one of them said. ‘We are just inshore fishermen, earning our living and minding our own business. If you want to cross, you should go up to Gesoriacum. You’ll find plenty there who will take you over with their cargo.’ He stepped back and his eyes widened as Eigon appeared from the shadows, followed by Drusilla.

  Eigon went straight up to the taller of the two men who seemed to be in charge. ‘Please, is your boat big enough to do the crossing?’

  ‘No!’ That was the man’s companion.

  ‘Yes!’ The boat owner was bragging.

  ‘We would make it worth your while. How much would you make from a night’s fishing?’

  The man hesitated. He was obviously doing some quick sums in his head; too much and he would lose them. Commios quietly put his hand into the purse at his belt and clinked some coins gently with his fingers. The sound galvanised the two men. ‘Payment in advance.’