Magus of Stonewylde Book One Read Online Free Page B

sir.’
    ‘You were showing off.’
    ‘Yes, sir. I’m sorry.’
    ‘Maybe I need to speak to your father.’
    The boy’s head shot up and Magus saw the fear in his deepgrey eyes, quickly masked. He gave a small smile.
    ‘Would your father approve of you showing off? If I were to mention it to him?’
    ‘No sir. It won’t happen again, sir.’
    ‘It certainly won’t. The Stone Circle is the sacred heart of Stonewylde, not a place where dirty young boys swagger around trying to impress girls. Watch your step carefully, Yul. I’m keeping a close eye on you.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    Magus twitched himself upright and strode off across the Circle. Yul scowled and left quickly. He hurried down the Long Walk where Villagers were placing lanterns among the avenue of stones to light the way for the ceremony. He must keep out of Magus’ way for the foreseeable future, and cursed himself for that betraying flash of fear. He’d seen Magus’ flicker of a smile and understood exactly what it meant.
    The silver Rolls Royce slowed as they approached the boundary walls. Very old and as high as three men, the walls were topped with broken glass and razor wire. The great wrought-iron gates opened slowly at a touch of Magus’ remote control. The Gatehouse, although old like the walls, was manned by two burly men with radios, and there were security cameras trained on the entrance. Seeing Miranda’s startled face in the seat next to him, Magus smiled and explained that the security was to keep out nosy tourists.
    ‘The only way a community such as ours has survived is by shutting out the Outside World. Nobody enters Stonewylde unless they belong here.’
    Miranda nodded, smiling slightly at the guards as the great car purred slowly through the entrance. She wasn’t quite sure of the protocol with gatekeepers, but noticed how hard they stared inside the car.
    ‘Your arrival is exceptional,’ explained Magus. ‘We never invite Outsiders into our midst. We have to keep ourselves separate. Of course the Hallfolk liaise with the Outside World and I havea company to run in London, but the Villagers never leave Stonewylde.’
    ‘But surely people want to get away sometimes? Don’t they want to go shopping or visit family?’
    Magus smiled again at this.
    ‘The whole concept of shopping is alien to Stonewylde folk. We’re virtually self-sufficient, and the Villagers’ families are all within the community. Why should we want to leave?’
    ‘It’ll take us a while to adjust to this,’ said Miranda, her earlier confidence crumbling at the reality of just how cut off Stonewylde actually was. ‘We can go out if we want to, can’t we?’
    ‘Of course you can! You’re not prisoners here! And neither, for that matter, are any members of the community. But after a while the Outside World loses all relevance. Stonewylde is a world in itself. Eventually you may feel the same way.’
    His eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror and he saw Sylvie nestle deeper into the soft leather of the back seat, a small smile on her face as she surveyed the high walls and tight security. This was the place of her dreams and now she felt safe. Here she’d find sanctuary.
    It had been grey and raining as they left London, but the sky was now blue and scattered with feathery clouds that raced across the brightness. Tiny lambs skipped amongst the sheep, dotted throughout the hills. She saw acres and acres of woodlands stretching away, still brown in winter guise. The hedgerows were starry-white with blackthorn blossom and the banks smothered in early primroses and celandine. Over a field a pair of great golden-brown buzzards circled and drifted on the air currents, the pin feathers of their wings splayed open like fingers.
    Magus pressed a button and Sylvie’s window slid open. A burst of pure country air poured in and engulfed her. Her face broke into a smile of delight as she exhaled the last of her city breath and drank deeply of Stonewylde. She caught