"Easy, easy," Mrs. Penhallow cooed as she lifted the ice off of Will's face. "There. It's black and blue, but at least it won't swell. Imagine, a branch swinging down and knocking you right in the eye." She tsked and dumped the bag of ice out in the sink.
Will looked at himself in the mirror and groaned. He had a nice shiner, all right, and it was due to a branch named Simon Drew. Will closed his eyes and tried to remember what happened. He was standing there with Jane when Simon rushed up to them, screaming and waving his fists in the air. Will tried to calm him down, and Simon responded with a blow to the face. Jane cried out and tried to pick Will up off the ground, but Simon grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the beach. Will had told the story of the branch to avoid any further inquiries.
"Will, I'm just going to step outside and see if Professor Lyon needs any help cleaning up, will you be alright?" Mrs. Penhallow hovered over him like a mother hen, touching his eye lightly and tsking under her breath. "What a temper he's got, that Simon Drew," she whispered, and winked.
Will blinked. "Yes," was the only thing he could think of. Mrs. Penhallow must have seen Simon dragging Jane back. "He certainly does."
Mrs. Penhallow grinned and exited the Grey House. Will sighed and stood, peeking out the window to find Jane. They certainly had a lot to talk about.
"Sit down, Will."
Will didn't even have to look; he knew it would be Merriman standing there. He automatically sat down still facing the window and searching for the brown ponytail. And he found her, sitting miserably in a chair while Simon stood behind her, talking and pacing back and forth angrily, every now and then throwing his hands up in the air in a what-were-you-thinking fashion. All the while, Barney hopped around the chair, obviously demanding to know what had happened.
"For someone so wise, you have begun something foolish," Merriman continued, drawing the shade and hiding Jane from Will's sight. "What happened to your judgment, Old One?" Merriman sat down in the chair a few feet from Will and cleared his throat, signaling Will to turn around and reply.
Will bit his lower lip and turned the chair around to face Merriman. "I just…I like her so much, Merriman. She's been jolly nice to me even when her brothers weren't. She's clever too, she helped find the grail. And she's got a caring nature; she even made that wish for the Greenwitch. And I just…I'd like to get to know her better, is all. Talk to her outside of the battles. Away from Light and Dark and greenwitches and grails and her brothers." Merriman had this way of making Will feel submissive, and it showed in his speech.
Merriman listened to all of this and leaned forward. "And what then? Say you get to know her and decide you LOVE her. What then?"
A sudden courage overcame Will. "Why, then I'd take her somewhere nice. And I'd ask her to marry me, I suppose. That's what you do when you're in love."
"And you'd make a nice life for her? A nice little cottage by the sea, with no Light and Dark. Just you and Jane—Mr. and Mrs. Will Stanton." Merriman was being extremely sweet in his description. "And you'd have children, of course."
"Of course." Will began to distrust what Merriman was saying. "And I'd send them to Oxford."
"And you'd get old together."
Will suddenly realized where Merriman was going with his tirade. The energy drained out of him and his face turned pale. "Y-yes."
"Only you wouldn't grow old, Will," snapped Merriman. "Jane would though. She'd become old and crippled while you remained ageless and vibrant. You'd have to take care of her while she aged. And then one day, god forbid, you'd have to watch her die. And then you would live for all eternity ALONE without her. The grief would be too much and you would have to live with it!" Merriman stood up and got very close to Will.
"Stop," Will said weakly.
"I do not say these things to hurt you," insisted Merriman, taking on a gentler tone. "But you're task in life is an Old One. You remain ageless to fight the battle between the Light and the Dark, which, I am sorry to say, does not stop for young love."
Will stood up. "Well, perhaps it should!" he exclaimed. "It's not fair, Merriman! I care about her!" He lifted the shade and saw that Jane had gotten up out of her chair and was crying, with Simon's arms around her shoulders and Barney's around her waist, both brothers hugging and comforting her.
"Other people care for her too," said Merriman softly. "Simon did not act thusly today because of sheer hatred. Both of those boys out there would give their left arms for Jane. I, also, love her dearly, though I may not show it." Merriman gently reached out and pulled down the shade. "Do you understand?"
Will swallowed and felt his eyes getting wet. "This gift…it's more like a—"
"A curse," chuckled Merriman. "I know, I know. It's hard to watch our loved ones grow old and die, and be forced to live with the grief. I myself have seen many a wonderful person put into the ground."
"But she's part of the Six," Will protested. "Doesn't that mean anything?"
"She's still a mortal," Merriman said, the edge back on his voice, replacing the reassuring tone. "So I expect you to tell her today that you shall not be seeing her again. If you have to use cruelty then I suggest you do it. Jane is a strong girl, she will move on and the battle will continue. You will see each other again someday, however, so it's not a permanent goodbye. Say farewell, and do not answer her letters or go to see her."
Will whimpered as a tear spilled over his cheek. "Merriman, please."
"Say farewell," Merriman repeated firmly. "I'll send her in shortly. The train leaves in an hour, so be ready."
As Merriman walked out of the room, Will collapsed into a chair and buried his face into his hands, and for about the millionth time in the past year—he wished he had never been given such a dark gift.
* * * * * * *
Jane peered into the room a few moments later. "Oh, darling!" she cried out when she saw his eye. She ran to him and touched it gently with her fingers. "It doesn't hurt much, does it?"
"No," said Will, lightly pushing her hand away from his face. "It just looks dreadful. Mrs. Penhallow said it should go away in a few days."
"Thank goodness," said Jane brightly. "Listen, I've just talked to Simon and he seems a bit sorry for hitting you like he did, and maybe he'll apologize. I'm sure he'll learn to like you, Will, I know my mother and father will—"
"I won't be meeting your mother and father." Will stood up abruptly and stalked over to the window, his hands shaking fiercely and his mind screaming at him to stop. I must be cruel; it is the only way she'll understand…
Jane blinked and stood up. "Of course you will, in London. There's no need to be afraid, they're absolutely wonderf—"
"Stop it, Jane!" Will snapped, gripping the windowsill. I just need to make her hate me…that will make this so much easier…I can't hold out much longer…
"Will?" Jane said meekly. "Is something wrong? Are you not feeling well? Did Simon hit you very hard?" She crept up behind him and laid her hands gently on his shoulders. "Tell me."
Will shook her off violently. "Yes, something's wrong! I won't be visiting you in London or writing you letters! We have one job to do and that is to fight the Dark. We will communicate only when the Light needs all Six of us, other than that we lead separate lives!"
Jane looked taken aback, her face pale and lips quivering. "On the beach you said—"
"Forget what I said!" roared Will, his heart pounding and the urge to cry rising in him. He was not a cruel person by any means, and this charade was making him feel terrible. "It was a load of rubbish, and so was that kiss!"
Jane gasped, and tears sprung to her eyes. "I—I don't understand!"
"How could you understand?" Will hollered, knocking some books off the table for added effect. "You're nothing but a stupid, silly mortal girl! You think because you were standing there when your brothers found the grail that you're a part of that. And because you made friends with a bundle of weeds and rowan makes you such a big-hearted person. You don't understand ANYTHING!"
As soon as these words were out, Will was filled with so much remorse he thought he would burst. Jane stood there, wounded, as tears drifted down her face into tiny splatters on the floor.
"I don't understand anything?" she said softly. "Well, I understand that although you're an Old One with infinite wisdom—underneath it all you're nothing but a mean-hearted and cruel boy."
"Jane," he croaked out, reaching for her hand.
She pulled away angrily. "Perhaps I didn't find the grail directly. And perhaps I did make friends with the Greenwitch. And perhaps I was fooled into thinking an Old One actually cared about me. Well I am ignorant, aren't I? Why, I wish Simon had bashed your wicked head on a rock, Will Stanton!"
"Please…" Will approached her, speechless and searching for words.
"I may be a mortal, and not have as much knowledge as you," she went on coldly. "But I do know this. I never want to see you again, Will Stanton." She choked on the last few words and turned and ran as fast as she could out of the Grey House and into the waiting car to take them to the train.
Will felt like someone had hit him in the stomach with a golf club. "I'm sorry." The words he had been struggling to get out for the past few minutes filled and echoed in the empty room.
You did the right thing, Old One.
Will ignored Merriman.
* * * * * * *
On the train, Will sat in a chamber by himself. He was supposed to share with Simon and Barney, but Jane had gotten to them before Will could, and the Drews preferred to keep their sister company, cramped into one little chamber. Trees turned to green blurs as Will stared out the window. He was sure he'd been staring for hours when he looked at his watch.
"Fifteen minutes!" he groaned.
He looked over to see if the Jane's chamber door was opened. It wasn't, and it stayed shut for the whole ride to London. Will sighed and dozed off slightly, awakened hours later by the conductor making his rounds.
"WE'VE BEEN DOCKED IN LONDON FOR TEN MINUTES!" he cried, ringing his bell into Will's chamber.
Will sat up, startled. "Oh!" He looked over at Jane's chamber.
It was empty.
Jane Drew and her brothers were gone.