Page 29 of Destiny of the Witch

Romy

After breakfast I asked if John and I could have some time alone.

‘Of course,’ Emrick said. ‘Why don’t you go for a stroll around the garden? It’s a bright, sunny day out there, and I’m sure you could both do with some fresh air.’

Johnnie didn’t say anything, but I agreed it was a good idea, and I led my poor bewildered boyfriend out into the garden, hoping we wouldn’t encounter Sirius.

The garden at Peloryon House seemed to be bursting with life. There were roses of all colours, flowering shrubs, and so many things to eat that we would never have gone hungry if we’d been stranded here in July instead of April.

Mum had already picked and dried some of the herbs, and she was planning a massive harvest of other crops later today. I’d never known her so excited about a garden. When she lived at our house in Northumberland she rarely stepped outside the door, and our garden had been little more than a lawn with a paved seating area. Then again, she’d been scared of her own shadow in those days. I suppose she’d felt safer indoors.

Dry-mouthed with nerves, I led John to a bench at the far end of the garden, away from the house, and we sat down. He looked so depressed it broke my heart, but I knew I was going to have to tell him the truth about my family, and why it was he’d been brought here.

‘Was it all a lie?’

His question took me by surprise.

‘Was what a lie?’

‘You, me, us.’ He spoke in a flat tone, as if he had no fight left in him.

‘Why on earth would you think that?’

‘Why?’ He turned to me and gave a bitter laugh. ‘I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what your family is, but it’s not normal, is it? And worse than any of that, I can’t seem to get through to you all that you’ve got the wrong man. Whoever this Blaise is that you keep going on about, I’m not him! But you obviously don’t believe me, and all this time you’ve been keeping an eye on me, guarding me, planning to take me prisoner and do who knows what to me.’

‘Johnnie…’ I reached for his hand, but he snatched it away from me.

‘Johnnie? Is that who I am, Romy? Make up your mind because, quite honestly, I don’t know who’s more confused here—you or me.’

He looked so anguished that my eyes filled with tears.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I whispered. ‘This is horrible.’

‘Then why did you do it?’ he asked. ‘Why did you lie to me all this time, build this fake relationship, let me believe we had a future?’

‘I thought we did!’ The tears spilled down my cheeks as I begged him to believe me. ‘I never lied to you. I loved you. I still do. I had no idea you were Blaise St Clair. I found out the moment you did, please believe that.’

‘But you’re not who you say you are,’ he said sadly. ‘Are you?’

I hesitated. ‘I am,’ I said at last. ‘But my family—they’re different.’

‘So I gathered. But are you telling me you’re not like them?’

‘I’m not! I’m really not!’ At least I could be truthful about that. ‘The thing is…’ I paused, taking a deep breath. Could I really tell him all this? Was he ready to hear it? But then again, hadn’t we got past the point of no return now? He deserved the truth after everything he’d been through recently.

‘The thing is,’ I said, not daring to look at him, ‘my family are witches, but I have no magic. The witch gene skipped me, for some reason. I’m the only one. Harley and Keely are witches. Dad was a powerful St Clair witch; Mum came from a long and distinguished line of witches…’ I hesitated but ploughed on. ‘She’s descended from Olwen, sister of Gwynnever who was the wife of Arthur, and she’s the Queen of Lyonesse.’

John laughed. ‘Of course she is! Why are you telling me all this rubbish? Arthur! Gwynnever! Is this a joke?’

‘I wish it were,’ I said fervently. ‘I’d give anything to be living a normal life with no complications, back home in our cottage in Bartonbrook.’ I turned to find him watching me closely. ‘We were happy there, weren’t we? Believe me, all that was real. True. Our life together meant everything to me. I love you so much, whoever you are and whatever you did in the past. I wouldn’t lie to you, Johnnie.’

‘But by your own admission you’ve been lying to me the entire time we’ve been together,’ he pointed out.

‘I wanted to tell you,’ I said sadly. ‘I really did. But how do you tell the man you love that your family are witches? Where do you even start? Would you have believed me? And if you did believe me I was so afraid that you’d leave me once you knew the truth. I’ve been in agony over this ever since we met.’

He was silent for a few moments, staring at the garden gate and the land beyond. I wondered if he was planning to escape. He’d have a shock if he tried.

‘What’s Lyonesse?’ he asked suddenly. ‘It rings a bell, but I can’t think where from.’

---