Claire sat on a stone bench hidden by mulberry and cypress trees trying to stay out of sight. Gareth had gone to what he called ‘the debating room’ to see how his father’s meeting to convince the rest of Maellwyn Manor that today wasn’t a total calamity was getting on, but Claire hadn’t been brave enough to follow. There’d been this time with Liz where they’d come up with mean nicknames for everyone in their class. Claire had laughed about it when she’d told her dad, but his look of disappointment had hurt worse than the anger of some of her classmates when Liz had told them about it later. She could just about handle the suspicion and rage of the Maellwyns, but the thought of facing Maen’s and Kiera’s disappointment was too much, and she was afraid Lotte would want nothing more to do with her. Besides, Merriam Beach had taken her mind off the Beast, but now she was sitting doing nothing, it occupied her thoughts with an irritating persistence. Her palms sweated and her gut twisted but she was pretty sure the right thing to do was to tell the others about her dreams and what Gwenivere had seen, and soon.

She put her chin in her hands and leant forward, admiring the plain white shells lining the garden bed. They almost glowed in the twilight. She wished she had her paints and her easel so she could capture the scene, but most of all she wished she were by Suranne’s side in the shed, able to talk over her problems and get a hug. The real world felt further and further away, just like her old self, and she wasn’t sure she liked Kelnarium much anymore. No wonder her father had wanted to go home to Shale.

Soft footfall distracted her. Claire looked up to see Meghan, a dark blue silken hood drawing back from her face, wisps of dark, silver-threaded hair escaping. She meandered through the extensive gardens towards Claire, moonlight outlining the parts of her figure the insect lantern she carried didn’t.

For a second, Claire considered making a run for it in the opposite direction, but she was too tired. She waited expectantly, hoping her kinswoman would head elsewhere when she saw the Dorran pariah had taken up this space already.

Alas. No such luck. Meghan ducked through the foliage and waved at Claire. She knelt by a bunch of yellow flowers and sniffed their scent, before joining her. Claire shuffled to one side to make room.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” Meghan said, putting her lantern on the ground. “Of everyone, perhaps I can understand your situation best.”

Claire didn’t know what to say. Of course, Meghan had been married to the man who created the Rift. That must be a terrible burden to live with, and yet somehow, Meghan bore it.

Meghan folded her hands in her lap, staring determinedly ahead. “He was a good man. People don’t like to remember that, and his family least of all. Aed and Dorran felt responsible so it was easier to remember Kelt as someone hot-blooded and dangerous.” She sighed, adjusting the folds of her dress. “Yes, he was those things, but he was generous with his coin and a hard worker too. Most importantly, he was a loving husband.”

“But he abandoned you and disobeyed his House for a battle that got him killed.”

“It was one mistake. An enormous one, but it doesn’t have to define my memories of him.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why did you seek me out? You did, didn’t you?”

“I saw you hurrying to the gardens and watched the direction you headed. As to why I’m telling you, perhaps because I can guess at some of what you’re thinking. You think you are like Kelt. You fear you will make more trouble for us, rather than solve our problems. Perhaps you will, but it’s better to try to do what you think is right than to do nothing at all.”

“It feels so impossible,” said Claire. “I’m just a kid and if the Beast can block everything I try and twist my powers against me—” If it’s foreseen I’m going to betray everyone …

“No one ever said this would be easy,” Meghan said, “but Maen and everyone else seem to have been foolish enough to suppose it would be. I have told him so.”

“He won’t listen,” Claire said, her shoulders drooping. “He was furious with me.”

“You are too quick to fear the worst. Even as we speak, Maen is discussing with the others a way to try the same spell again.”

“They can’t make me,” Claire gasped, fear threatening to choke her words. “I’ll end up hurting someone else.”

Meghan rose to her feet. “Come,” she said as she picked up the lantern. Without looking back, she ducked through the trees and headed back towards the Manor. Claire followed dutifully. Meghan led the way through wide archways and past colonnades that gleamed softly in the moonlight, and into a passageway that led to the centre of the Manor. They brushed past servitors in increasing numbers and stepped through a huge archway.

Claire found herself in an enormous room full of benches arranged like the seats in the local theatre back home, curling right around the wall and stepping up with each new row. Gareth’s ‘debating room,’ she thought. At the front of the room, Maen, Lord Maellwyn, Gareth and Gwenivere addressed the crowd.

Meghan pointed at the front row of empty seats, then gave an encouraging nod. As Claire followed Meghan to take their seats, she couldn’t help but notice all eyes turn to her in the amphitheatre. It looked like everyone in the Manor had come to listen to Lord Maellwyn. As she glanced about the room, it seemed like every single spot was full. She noticed Kiera and Rael seated five rows behind her. Kiera shot her a pale smile and Claire felt a little less sick. At least Kiera looked like she’d forgiven her for the morning’s disastrous mishap. She turned her attention back to the podium, where Gareth was addressing everyone.

“We should use our secret place,” he was saying firmly. “It may be that the Beast cannot reach us there, and if nothing else, we Maellwyns will be stronger and able to put out any fires quickly.” Dissent rippled behind Claire like a tidal wave, but he pushed on. “I know things went badly today, but as Father has said, we can’t lay all the blame at Lady Claire’s feet. She’s still learning, and now that you know the full extent of the prophecies, you understand she has to learn to have any hope of saving us, but as to the rest, we were too complacent.” He shot grim glances around the room. “All of us were. We should have expected that the Beast would adapt and attack in new ways, especially where Lady Claire is involved.”

“But nothing went wrong at Dorran Manor,” someone shouted.

Claire started guiltily. That wasn’t true. Things had gone wrong. There were her dreams and Rinn’s death, but somehow she thought blurting out everything in front of a hostile crowd mightn’t be the best for Dorran and Maellwyn relations. She’d corner Gwenivere later and figure out a strategy to break it to key people, those who needed to know. She relaxed back in her chair a little. It felt good to make a decision.

“No, they did not,” Maen agreed, stepping forward to stand beside Gareth, “but we were working simple spells for the most part and the one challenging spell we tested, Gwenivere watched over from beginning to end.” He bowed at Gwenivere. “You were wiser than the rest of us, friend.”

Gwenivere inclined her head. “In addition, we haven’t considered the possibility that the Beast attacked in the way it did because Lady Claire was on the right track. It’s possible that the spell she tried is the one needed to close the Rift.”

“That’s all well and good, but we’ve heard neither hide nor hair of Lady Claire since the accident,” a voice came from somewhere towards the back of the crowd.

Meghan’s elbow poked into Claire’s stomach as silence fell. Though Claire was terrified, she knew what was expected of her. If Kelnarium was going to die anyway, she had no choice but to keep using magic, even if people got hurt, even if there was a chance the Beast hadn’t been lying about her. She’d have to be extra thoughtful and extra careful. And then maybe, just maybe, she could rescue Marcus and get home.

Her throat clogged at the thought of her brother, but she got to her feet and made herself stride to stand beside Maen. “I’m sorry for what happened earlier today, but I agree with Gareth. I don’t think I have a choice but to try again.”