Chapter Six

The Traitor

This time when Catherine woke up, it was because Jane had come in quietly, but not quietly enough. Catherine sat up with a groan, holding her head tightly. Her head was sore and pounding, her ears were ringing, and everything was altogether making her grumpy.

"I see you're the same as always at least," Jane said with a slight grin. "It's around noon if you're wondering. Lunch for you." She set a tray on the bed. On it was a light sandwich with green lettuce sticking out and a glass of some foul, flat-looking liquid which Catherine was a bit nervous about getting too close to.

"I am quite the same, if it means I'm in a foul disposition," Catherine said, poking the sandwich. "They found you, then?"

Jane grinned and blushed slightly. "Yes, they did. They found you, too," she added, opting to change the subject.

Catherine leaned back, suddenly not feeling well at all. She closed her eyes for a while and then opened one. "Where did they find me?" she asked.

Jane shrugged. "Actually, Bran's the one who found you, from what I understand. He's a bit tight-lipped about the whole thing."

Involuntarily shivering, Catherine crossed her arms and tried to dig herself deeper into the mattress. Jane stroked her arm and then left.

Bran looked up from his book, frowning as always. He was a bit impatient to get back home, and Isabella was cleaning the kitchen for the third time. Will was very usefully throwing a tennis ball against the wall in the hallway. "Well?" he asked Jane. Simon and Barney were watching some old movie; Simon was nodding off again.

She shrugged. "She's awake. Grouchy, and I think her head hurts."

"So she's no different than she usually is?" Isabella asked hopefully from the kitchen.

"You think she'll mind if I talk to her?" Bran ignored Isabella's comment. When Jane didn't say anything, he got up and marked his place in his book, set it on the table, and walked carefully past her. Jane sighed and sat next to Will, catching the ball and tsk-ing at him before throwing it against the wall herself.

Bran knocked quietly on the door. Hearing an angry murmur from inside, he opened the door. "Feeling better?"

Catherine growled at him before becoming contrite. "Bran, I think I need to tell you something-"

He nodded as sat down in the chair next to the bed. "I know."

"So there's no chance we can get Michael back? I mean, is there?"

He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Any reason why we shouldn't?"

"Well, he and Daniel-" She shivered again and frowned. "They were quite... amiable with one another when I saw them. I think Michael- Could he have- I mean, if he didn't know anything, could he still have betrayed us?"

Bran was silent, thinking. "I hadn't known that." He sighed. "We'll think about it, ask my father and Merriman; they'll know. In the meantime, if you feel well enough to go home, then I think we'll be going." He stood.

Catherine groaned as she got out of bed. She hesitated, about to say something again, but decided against it. "Well?" she asked Bran. "Going to write a travel book about abandoned creepy buildings now?"

He grinned a bit. "No thanks. I don't have the time for boring, pointless tasks. You might be interested, though. Or Will; he's currently throwing a tennis ball at the wall for no apparent reason."

"It would be nice to, just once, have some sort of reason to write a boring travelling book about the Bahamas, or Jamaica. Some place like that."

Bran nodded as he led her out. "Sadly, no such luck. Wales, though."

"Oh, yeah. A book about big fish. That'll be a bestseller. Hola, todos," she greeted everyone.

Simon woke up and looked around sleepily. "Is the movie over yet?"

Barney looked at him blankly and shook his head. "Can we go see Gumerry now?" he asked.

Bran nodded. "As soon as you guys stop lazing about."

Simon and Barney both immediately jumped up, Jane and Will quickly following suit. Isabella came out of the kitchen. "I left a note for Mr. Rowlands. Are we going home now?"

Bran nodded again and went through the movements. A short while later, they were back in the familiar Great Hall. Catherine grinned and winked at Jane, who was still in her wedding dress. "I must say, you seem like you stepped out of one of those bridal magazines. After you get cleaned up, of course. A bouquet, a veil; you could do quite nicely, actually."

Jane tried to ignore her blush. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Catherine shook her head. "Sorry. My job. I'm in marketing and graphic design; it's a pain."

"Marketing? Not a telemarketer, I hope," Simon said in horror.

She laughed, paused to answer, and started laughing again. "No, not a telemarketer. Marketing. We advertise for a bunch of products. I design a lot of the stuff we use to get the ideas to customers in new, creative, eye-catching ways," she said, sounding as if she were mocking a boss.

Simon shivered. "Good. I was scared for a second." He chuckled.

"But I know some telemarketers who would be glad to talk to you."

Simon stopped chuckling.

"I see everything's turned out all right," someone said from behind them. Simon, Barney, and Jane all rushed Merriman, nearly knocking him off his feet in a big hug. He laughed and hugged them tightly in return.

"Merriman," Will said softly. When Merriman looked, Will took the Sign of Stone out of his pocket.

Merriman looked at it silently and nodded at last. He turned his attention back to the Drews and grinned at Jane. "I'm glad you're okay," he told her. "Do you want to change out of that dress, though?"

Jane grinned, relieved. "As much as I like this dress, being in it for days on end isn't exactly comfortable." She ran off to change.

"Why don't you follow her?" Merriman said to the ones who were not part of the Light. While Simon and Barney nodded and left; Isabella left with a curtsy in the opposite direction, but Catherine stayed behind.

Bran nudged her in their direction.

Catherine glared at him and moved back into her place. Seeing he still wanted her to go, she stepped on his foot. "Ask him!" she whispered loudly.

Bran tightened his jaw, moving his toes around in his boot. "Catherine thinks Michael may have betrayed us," he told Merriman, "and wants to know if there's any possibility we could get him back."

Merriman looked at her intently. "We'll see what we can do. I'm sorry, but I think you'll have to wear a dress while your here."

Catherine groaned and beamed at him. "Thanks," she said before she rushed off.

Merriman turned away from her and to Bran. "You know how little chance there is that she will ever be together with Michael," he said. "Especially if she is to stay with the Light."

Bran nodded morosely.

* * *

"So you really think Mom's going to come?" Michael asked.

Daniel nodded. "You see, the Light needs certain... artifacts, I guess you'd call them, to beat the Dark. Six Signs, for example. Your friend Will will be trying to find those. They used to need a Grail, but the Prophecies covered that. Now they have to chop the Silver from the Tree, and the Tree... has moved from it's previous location." Daniel grinned. "You see, only I know where the Tree is. I also have one of the signs." He took a chain out from under his shirt and showed Michael the sign dangling from it. Michael, enchanted, reached out a small hand and stroked it.

"Iron," he said softly.

His dad nodded. "As long as I have these, the Light is doomed to fail."

© 2002. Sorry this took so long, everyone. I'm really, really, really sorry. But, uh, I hope this is all right. I had to go back and re-read everything, and I'm trying to get everything up to par with my former level (since the books are too far up to aim to). ;) Later, I hope!

Love,
Dleet