The Might of Evil Dreams (A Novel of the Elemental Chronicles)

Seventeen - The New Guard

Thomas

Tom—

Decided to take another crack at Charles, without the rest of Elemental Advancement mucking it up. Seems we have more of a case now that you've seen what's happening. I was intending to ride out to Crowleigh Hall round noon today, was wondering if you would want to accompany me. Any details of the captures would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Ray.

I tossed the letter down next to my breakfast plate and leaned back in my chair, running my hands over my face. I had no desire to spend even five minutes in the company of Charles Ashbury, even for Ray's benefit. I hadn't heard from him in a while, but that was more concerning than reassuring.

"What is that, Tom?" Emmeline's voice came from the dining room door. She was looking in, Eddie on her hip. He was four months old now, and becoming much more curious. Just the other day, while we worked outside, he had reached for a large fat bumblebee on one of the late-blooming flowers. Fortunately, Mrs Shute was close by and snatched him away before he could grab it.

"Ray. He is asking me to help him persuade Charles Ashbury again. For what reason, I'll never understand."

Emmeline's brow furrowed. "Is he certain it will work this time?"

"According to him, a recounting of the captures should be sufficient."

She seemed about to reply, but Eddie interrupted her, waving his little fists in the air and wriggling. He babbled, and Emmeline smiled. She caught one of his hands, waving it in my direction.

"That's Papa, Eddie," she said, as he stared up at her with round dark-blue eyes. They hadn't changed since his birth, but when we'd had Dr Braithwaite take a look at him, he'd said it was normal. Most Elemental babies, except Fire, didn't commit until six months. "Do you want to go see Papa?"

Eddie babbled and waved his fists again. Emmeline brought him over to me and set him on my knee. He blinked at me, and then stuck out his tongue and blew a spit bubble. I caught Emmeline's hand as she withdrew, kissing her knuckles and then her ring. She smiled softly, the same one she had given me as we'd sat in the dimming firelight, keeping watch over Bella. It was still unbelievable, after over a year, that she was my wife. I half-expected to wake up one day and find it was all an elaborate hallucination. But she had brought me happiness, the kind I never thought possible. And that was what felt the most real.

||

I'd only been out to Crowleigh Hall once before. It was before the war, when Ray and I were still in school. Charles Ashbury was in our year, always following us around and hoping we'd notice him. Ray finally cracked in our last year and began to tolerate it, while I constantly expressed my displeasure with the entire situation. It was only after we all finished school that I realised why — he idolised me, and was trying to gain my favour.

"He was jealous of you, if that helps justify it," said Ray, when I mentioned it en route. "You had everything he did not."

"And it seems he is still under that impression. The way he was hovering around my wife and my son at his christening..."

"A man can only want fame and fortune for so long, Tom. Then he wants what you have — a family to care for." He sighed, tipped his top hat forward to shade his eyes. "And besides, his father will want him to grow up soon. Begin to scout out a wife. Produce an heir."

"And to think his jab of taking Emmeline for my wife came true." Irritating as it was, Charles was often right about many things. He must have believed our first attempt at persuading him of the Elemental problem was doomed to fail, and so it did.