They moved away from the doorway and onto the white gravel path where James had parked his car. The Sentinel squatted on the edge of the lighthouse, staring at them as they departed. Elvie raised her hand but received no reply, so she turned and pulled open the door to jump onto the passenger seat. James pulled the brake on the car and drove out towards the Grand Causeway. From the top of the lighthouse, the distance had made it difficult to see the finer details, but as the car rumbled onto the smooth stone, Elvie let out a gasp.

‘Delightful, isn’t it?’

She made to speak but settled for a nod instead.

A beautifully crafted road spread across the horizon in front of her. It was white, or cream, or a gentle yellow – she couldn’t tell as the sunlight shifted the colour depending on the direction it struck the stone. It was perfectly sleek as it curved towards a dark mass of land on the horizon. What amazed Elvie most, were the giant arches supporting the bridge, with massive bases that plunged into the depths of the ocean. The Grand Causeway was gigantic, at least thirty metres up in the air and half that across.

‘It still gets me – you know.’ James said conversationally, adjusting the glasses on his face with one hand, the other casually steering the car. ‘I recall my first time, much like you are now, I guess. I know it made my mind whirl. The calculations do it, don’t you think?’

Elvie blinked in surprise.

‘How far down do those pylons go? You know what pylons are right? They’re the bit going into the water to support the bridge. They’d need to be hundreds of feet – who knows whether it’s thousands. I wish I could find out, but when I mention it to Ash House, they laugh or stare at me like I’ve lost my marbles. But… the urge to know never fades.’

‘Who built it?’

‘Why magicians of course. We’re not sure when, or how. It’s what you soon realise about Winters Isle. Layers upon layers. What’s underneath reveals itself to us on a daily basis – watch your step, we always say.’ He chuckled to himself.

‘What House are you?’ Elvie queried politely.

‘Hazel.’ He sighed. ‘The intellect’s House they call it. No real physical skills at all – well, shields I guess. But offensively – not a chance. Like most, my House does suit my disposition. I’m a historian – the historian – or so everyone calls me.’

‘Which part of history do you like?’ History had always intrigued Elvie. Her teachers had taught her about convicts on the First Fleet, two huge wars which swallowed the whole world, even how a man had been put on the moon. She never thought she’d be walking through history.

But these weren’t the times James enjoyed. ‘Why the History of Magic, of course. The most interesting topic of all!’ He started to talk in an excited voice. ‘Especially from before… you know. Real history! We have records of some of the greatest magicians to ever walk this earth, and it just needs some researching, sorting and translating – and then we can make sense of it all. We can almost live it! Imagine reading the journals of Ildura Frey? What a delight!’

He continued on and Elvie half-listened. What James said was interesting, but she didn’t know enough to understand completely. He spoke of things, people and events she’d never heard of – it all sounded grand and magical, but then, everything she was exposed to did. Was she experiencing magical shock?

‘I can sense when my audience’s mind wanders,’ James said delicately.

‘I’m sorry,’ How rude she’d been. ‘It’s been a long few days, travelling, and then staying with the Sentinel.’

James laughed warmly. ‘Enough said. I think anyone who stays a night with that man might be a little distracted.’

‘Oh, I don’t mean it like that! He was quite nice.’

James' eyebrows climbed off his face. ‘I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him described with those specific words… Ever.’ He pushed his glasses back up his nose like it was a nervous habit.

‘No, no. He is like my cat. Looks rough and vicious, and he might savage your hand, but underneath he likes to snuggle up to you.’ This description sent James into a fit of coughing, which took him several minutes, some deep breaths, and constant wiping at his eyes to clear.

‘You’re a funny girl,’ he said when he’d sufficiently recovered. ‘But you’ll fit in well.’ His smile took any sting out of his words.

They settled into silence as the car made its way towards the island. Eventually, the white stone transitioned seamlessly to a smooth, but standard paved road as land formed up beneath their feet. ‘Not long now. I’ll be taking you to the administration area where you’ll be assigned to your house. Can’t tell you which one, of course, it’ll be part of the surprise.’

‘Elder House.’ Despite Eldridge’s belief she was a practitioner of Oak House, one tree stood out in her memory and she was certain that tied her to Elder.

‘Elder? My my, how unusual. Not sure you’ll be staying there at the moment, but I’m sure better minds than mine will sort everything out.’

The road wound its way through a forest, occasionally opening into glades with glistening green grass. Rain had fallen recently on the Island, and the smell in the air was of fresh soil and plants. Once the forest had disappeared, some large houses appeared to the sides of the road, looking like their own little estate, much like Eldridge’s.

Finally, James pulled the car into an avenue leading down to a giant, well, Elvie wasn’t sure what to call it. The house was grand – and huge – although it did look like a collection of different buildings which had been pieced together over many years.

‘Here we go… Welcome to Lys Lanwyll, in Welsh – or the Court of Tides, as we’d say in our modern times. I know, I know, it’s a touch ostentatious, but you’ll notice most magicians have a pretension or two. Still, the Court is named for the trials of magicians which occurred here after the cataclysm. Dark days those, but it’s much nicer now!’

Elvie stared blankly, but he waved her lack of knowledge away with a laugh. ‘You’ll learn soon enough. Now, I’ll drop you off out front and you can make your way in. There’ll be plenty thereabouts to find you, but you should know there might be some disorganisation. There are… unusual events. No, no, don’t worry! Everything is fine, you might need to be patient when you enter is all. Now, remember, if you ever want to talk about the joys of history, you can find me near the library, or over in Hazel House. I’m sure you’ll be enrolled in one of my dazzling classes at some point. Don’t be a stranger now.’

Elvie stepped out and the car, with the strange historian, rumbled off into the distance.

The Court was like Buckingham Palace. That was the name on the postcard sent by her Aunt, who’d toured across all of the United Kingdom. Her Aunt and Uncle had been posing in front, making peace signs while smiling happily. The building looked almost identical, although she couldn’t guess at their relative size. The Court was easily two football fields long, spreading equally from the entrance she stood before. It was three stories, with matching windows running along its expanse. Only the middle and the ends were different, standing off the rest of the building as if they’d marched a step forward whilst the rest stood still. Where steps led into the building, pillars rose like stiff-backed sentries to form an ominous entry. She’d seen wonders of architecture back home, but none that match the grand and regal nature of the Court of Tides.

Elvie drew a deep breath, slowly made her way up the steps and through the pillars, to push open a door leading to a different world.