Chapter 15: Morning Sickness

Life had changed now. Madeleine and Penn rarely spoke to each other, and Madeleine spent all of her time in Poe's room, or her own. Penn was not welcome in either. Winter was closing in, and, although it rarely snowed in Gynt, the mornings were frosty, the nights were cold.

Dee's position had changed, too. She no longer felt excluded from the Madeleine and Penn club, as it had been dissolved, or, more like, exploded. How she wished that circumstances had been different!

Mrs Beale could no longer teach her magic charms, but she showed Dee how she could talk to her daughter growing within her.

She began to suggest that maybe Dee might consider becoming a healer after her baby was born, as if life could continue normally, as if they were not among the only people left in a village consumed by a demon.

Dee tried everything she could think of to bring Madeleine and Penn closer together. They both confided in her, at least. Penn's behaviour was unforgivable, of course, but he was young, and Dee knew he was still in love with Madeleine. He still spent long hours with Pamela, but, really, he had no choice, and the strange feeding was the only comfort available to the three of them.

Since they had removed the choker charms, only one protection lay between them and the demon, and the feeding was more intense. They could remember their dreams now, and began to learn the intimate inner life of all the people in the village who had been taken.

In a strange sort of way, it was if village life had not ended. It continued in this strange sort of dream world, with all those in Lilith's care swimming in a pleasant current of thoughts and emotions, no need for conversations, or drudgery, or malice.

Madeleine spent much of her time now spying on Tsanja with her mirror.

Tsanja had stopped coming to visit. It was obvious that Madeleine and Penn now held her in low regard, as had her mother for years now. It was very painful for her, and she had a lonely existence.

She continued with the church rituals, and tried to keep in place the deceptions which she hoped still kept Gynt from the prying eyes of the Church scryers. In her fallen state, she knew that her efforts would do little good.

Tsanja could not use her own scrying skills any more, either. Under the demon's influence, that skill had been as good as useless anyway.

The only images she had seen since the troubles had started were of herself, Madeleine and Dee, separately, holding their beautiful baby daughters, smiling, and laughing. She had told Madeleine and Dee of her visions, in happier times. Neither Tsanja nor Madeleine could see any of this becoming a reality now, as they were all trapped, waiting to be consumed.

At least it would not be painful.

Tsanja was a large woman, but her tummy was now beginning to show the evidence of her pregnancy.

Although Madeleine saw this as evidence of Penn's infidelity, she had enough empathy to realise that Tsanja probably felt much like herself. Under siege, their lives under threat, having a baby growing inside oneself was a promise against the future, the possibility of a new life, when so many had been taken away. If only Penn were not so fickle! Still, she could not contemplate forgiving him.

Tsanja still suffered badly from morning sickness, and Madeleine took a petty delight in watching her heaving and spitting into a bowl every morning, as she had been doing for more than three months.

The stoicism with which she approached her lonely life, however, did leave Madeleine feeling a little guilty.

Tsanja was not completely isolated. Poe made a number of visits, and always ensured that they spoke quietly, and in low light, so that Madeleine could see little and hear nothing of what was said. The mirror had been a family heirloom, and Poe obviously knew what Madeleine was doing. Poe even made to appear quite affectionate to Tsanja, and smiled at her, but Madeleine saw through this as a transparent ploy. It would not make her hate Tsanja any less.

Tsanja's seduction of Penn had been even more unforgivable than Penn's acquiescence.

The earlier discussions between Poe and Tsanja often ended in a heated argument, and Madeleine wished that she could hear what was spoken. Over a period of days, their disagreements came to some sort of a resolution, and Tsanja and Poe wept, and held each other.

Madeleine wished she knew what business was between them, and of how it was now resolved.

That evening, Madeleine watched as Tsanja made for the cave. It was a new moon, so no light illuminated the interior. All Madeleine could see in the mirror was shifting shadows, and darkness, and, soon, she heard moans, their nature hard to divine.

Tsanja obviously had some business with the demon.

Madeleine slept, fitfully, and was awake to watch the mirror as Tsanja made her way out of the cave just before daybreak, to make her way back to the church. It took Madeleine some time to realise what had changed, but, as she gazed in the mirror at Tsanja walking, she saw the sun rising over the horizon.

The horizon! How long had it been since she had seen that familiar vista of fields, stretching away from the village?

Madeleine allowed herself to feel some relief. Their period of imprisonment might be at an end. She could leave Gynt now. The world seemed to open up to her again, her plans to go to Solveig no longer seemed impossible. Her mother and Poe could look after her little one, and she could be a free woman again!

Whatever had been the demon's purpose for imprisoning the village, and taking so many people, perhaps it was now accomplished, and Lilith would no longer trouble them.

Madeleine burst out of her room, desperate to tell her mother, to tell the others.

Pamela, Poe and Mrs Beale were already bolted in the front room, as they had been every morning. Madeleine pummelled the door, and it was opened, almost reluctantly, by her mother.

Madeleine was unprepared for their mood. Pamela and Poe looked as if they had not slept, and were weary, and drawn. Mrs Beale had evidently been crying, but made an effort to dry her eyes, and tried to smile for Madeleine.

Mrs Beale arose from her chair, and enfolded Madeleine in her arms.

"Oh, Madeleine, I do not know what you must think of us. Gynt is free from the demon now, that is true, but all is not over yet. Go back to your mirror, Madeleine, and stay with Tsanja, please, keep an eye on my daughter. She has given herself an impossible task. Stay with her, Madeleine, and please, find some room in your heart to forgive her, it is not her fault alone. I believe she will soon atone for all of her sins, a thousand times over, if she does not pay with her life. Stay with her, Madeleine, stay with her as long as you can."

Madeleine was brought back to earth rather suddenly. The healers had known about her mirror the whole time. They had known immediately as the demon had withdrawn from its possession of Gynt. Had she no secrets? Was her own family entangled with the Demon? Why was Tsanja so important all of a sudden?

Her plans for the future seemed more distant than ever, and the mood of that room had completely dissipated her brief sense of elation.

Madeleine returned to her own room, and confronted her mirror again.

"Tsanja Beale."

Tsanja slept only for a short time.

This cold, bright, winter's morning did not begin quite like the others.