Connie sighed, nuzzling her scarf as she and Evelyn sat on the morning commuter train to London. The rain had decided to make an unwelcome appearance and lashed at the windows, obscuring the view of the countryside. But it wasn't the weather that made Connie anxious. The Society library was closed for the holidays, and although Dr. Brock had given them a warrant for emergency access, she wasn't sure how well the library curator would take it. With so many rumours about the militant behaviour of the pegasi and Connie's connection to them, a lot of the mistrust about Universals had returned, and it was becoming harder to recognise who she could really trust.
Connie felt a jab on her shoulder, and she blinked.
"Don't fret so much, Connie," Evelyn said, removing her hand. "We've got official permission, there shouldn't be any problem. And if the curator kicks up a fuss, I have a back-up plan, anyway."
"Oh?" Connie wasn't sure she wanted to know the details.
"Let me worry about that," Evelyn answered. "Just focus on getting the information we need." Connie glanced to her pocket, where she had written down the full name of her ancestor. "Hopefully Helena can shed some light on this mystery."
"I hope so, too."
The remainder of the journey was spent in silence. Connie fidgeted with her jacket zip, thinking of Skylark. She'd visited him earlier, but it hadn't made her feel much better. Now he wouldn't venture out of the barn at all, he was so scared. His confidence had been badly wounded, and he was slowly wasting away before Connie's eyes. If she didn't reunite him with Col soon, there wouldn't be anything of the pegasus left to save.
Finally the train pulled in to the platform. Connie and Evelyn left their seats, then stepped off, crouching under a single umbrella. Connie cringed, the rainwater splashing onto her jacket and soaking her hair. Evelyn kept a steady pace, and it didn't take long for them to escape the station and head towards the library. The main entrance was open, and Connie sighed in relief. The curator must have been expecting them.
They went inside, Evelyn shaking the water droplets from their umbrella. However, Connie found the front desk empty. A cold sensation trickled down the back of her neck, and she frowned. If someone had opened the doors, why would they leave the place unattended?
"Strange," Evelyn murmured, pursing her lips. "I was there when Dr. Brock called, he said that someone would…"
Someone cleared their throat loudly, and Connie jumped. Eyes wide, she spun around, and swore under her breath. A tall man was standing by the doorway; one she recognised all too well. Evelyn spotted the newcomer as well, and her eyes narrowed.
"May I ask what you are doing here?" Ivor Coddrington asked.
Evelyn bristled.
"Long time no see, Ivor," she said curtly. "Though I was hoping it would be for longer."
"A pleasure to see you again, too, Evelyn," Ivor growled. His appearance was somewhat less than pristine; he'd grown some stubble, and his suit sported frays on the sleeves. He cast a discerning glance at Connie. "Why have you brought the universal here?"
Connie clenched her teeth. She hadn't seen the former Assessor since the disaster with the weather-giants, and she definitely hadn't been expecting to see him here, of all places. It seemed even after his disgrace, he still clung to some of the Society's threads.
"I've brought Connie here on official business," Evelyn said. She brandished the paper with Dr. Brock's signature. "I think the real question is, why are you here without permission?"
Ivor's face flushed.
"You may well find that it is I who looks after the library during the holiday season," he said, his voice low. "I was aware that Dr. Brock asked for specific permission to access the library, but he did not inform me that he would not be the one attending today."
"Well then, now you know," Evelyn sneered. "Right, if you'll excuse us, we've got urgent matters to attend to." She jerked her head towards the staircase. "Come on, Connie."
Connie wasted no time and stepped brusquely past Ivor, not bothering to meet eyes with him. Ivor, though, had other ideas.
"I hear the pegasi have been causing trouble lately," he abruptly said. Connie paused, hesitating on the threshold of the stairs. "Apparently a companion close to you has been inciting them to war against the other creatures."
Connie gritted her teeth. She knew he was trying to goad her. She just had to ignore it. She placed her foot on the first step.
"Always knew that Clamworthy boy was trouble, like his father," Ivor went on, shaking his head. "He always thought he was something special…"
Connie whirled around, her teeth bared.
"Don't talk about Col like that!" Her mismatched eyes glowered. "You don't even know him!"
"I know he's the first companion to cause a civil war within our society," Ivor replied coolly. "Although I must admit you came quite close yourself."
Connie felt her arm tense, the beginnings of a lance forming in her fingertips, but Evelyn grabbed her.
"Forget him, we've got work to do," she whispered. Snarling, Connie let the energy vanish and swallowed back her anger. She was above this; she didn't need to listen to a word that came out of his mouth. Not anymore.
Evelyn waited on the first floor landing while Connie ran ahead to the staircase to the reading room. She all but tossed the key to the snake, who didn't bat an eyelid as she tore up the steps and entered the room. Pausing to catch her breath, she scanned the shelves, wondering where she should start. She fumbled with the paper in her pocket, and began searching.
The most obvious book to check first was the family tree of universals, but that only went back as far as Suzanna Caldicott. Connie chewed her lip. Helena had been born a couple of generations before Suzanna, or so she guessed. She needed something older.
Replacing the leather-bound pages, she scanned further down. Some records of the locations of rarer mythical creatures, a manual on detecting creature auras, a recipe book for one particular universal's favourite cakes…Connie's search was going no-where, fast.
Rubbing her eyes, she stood up. Her gaze fell on the book that had contained the original story, and she read the author's name. Colman Lionheart. A pang of recognition ran through her. She was sure she'd seen his name in other places in the reading room. Maybe he'd written other books, too, and maybe one of them would mention Helena.
Connie turned back to the other shelf and ran her finger along the spines. Yes, there it was; another book by the same man, although it was on a completely different subject. Connie knew his main companion had been the kelpies, and so he'd done a lot research about the ancient river systems of Wales. Not the most entertaining subject, but still…
Connie pulled it out and cracked open the stiff cover. At first glance the pages looked normal enough, but the rear binding felt a little strange. It was thicker than the front, and she could feel the glue at the edges, as if something had been stuck behind it.
For a moment guilt bubbled in Connie's throat. She hesitated, staring at the book's binding. As a keen reader, the idea of damaging books was unthinkable, especially ones as old and precious as these. Nonetheless, Col's future was at stake, and this was her only clue to saving him. Some sacrifices had to be made.
Closing her eyes briefly, Connie slipped her nail between the last page and rear binding and began to separate them. She worked slowly, desperate not to tear the paper too badly. Gradually, a folded sheet emerged, and when the tear was large enough, she pulled it free from its hiding place. She couldn't stop a smile spreading; she'd been right!
She spread the page open, noting that the numbering matched the missing pages in the other book. Colman must have known no-one would ever look in here for them. Perhaps his choice of subject matter had been on purpose.
Hands sweaty, Connie replaced the book and took the freed pages to the desk. The ink had faded considerably, but through squinting and holding the paper to the light, she could just about read it.
That is the story as I want the Society to remember, for I know there is much discord around the status of Universals, and I would not wish the full truth to be disclosed. However, I also understand it is unfair to withhold this information for future generations, and so for their sake I continue. I may come to regret this choice, but for now my mind is made up, and I must chronicle what truly happened, else it may come to haunt our family once more.
Helena took the battle against the black pegasus and his Prince to the realms of the mind, where she could see the true influence of the unnatural creature. For unnatural it was, somehow managing to amplify the negative feelings of its human companion. This in turn fed a false desire for the companion to want to be with the pegasus; there was no true compulsion, as other creatures have been known to demonstrate.
Connie murmured to herself. She'd seen just as much when she'd entered Col's mind. So swamped with his feelings of helplessness and despair, he felt driven to prove himself, and that Stormbolt was his means to do that. But Stormbolt was pushing him over the edge.
It was this realisation that led Helena to her gravest mistake. She attempted to bring out the Prince's positive feelings, but each time the black pegasus swarmed her, dashing her efforts. Unwilling for further bloodshed, Helena exposed herself to the Prince's negative feelings, taking them into herself and overcoming the Prince's bond to the creature. Hence she took the pegasus as companion to herself, freeing the Prince.
Connie's eyes widened, and she gripped the page tighter. Was this the answer?
But this proved an utter disaster. Helena went mad, casting out her powers against her allies and friends, and all the while unaware of what she was truly doing. When the hopeless grip on her mind ceased, she was left to face the devastation caused by her own hand. A pain she inevitably could not bear. Deciding to atone for her mistake, she forged a sword of iron, created using elements from each of the four mythical energies—water, stone, feather, and song—and sealed both herself and the pegasus away. Her lover then erased her name, wanting the calamity to be forgotten. Her memory faded into time, but her legacy lived on through her great grand-niece, Suzanna Caldicott, and now through myself of the Lionheart line. I pray that such a tragedy should never repeat itself, and that the Society remains on its path to peace between all creatures and companions.
Connie let her arm fall, taking the page with it. She rubbed her temple, and let out a sigh. That was an awful lot to take in, and some was quite bitter to swallow. So it was the sword which had kept Stormbolt sealed all these centuries, until Col moved it. Yet while she'd found out how Stormbolt was defeated, it had come at a very high price. Helena had lost her mind and harmed those closest to her; just like Connie nearly did when Kullervo possessed her. She wasn't willing to go through that again, even for Col's sake.
She needed a more workable solution.
"Universal, surely I wasn't that bad?"
Connie blinked, then frowned.
"Eavesdropping again, Kullervo?"
"Your thoughts echo so loudly, it is impossible not to," Kullervo answered. "So, you're going to leave the boy at the mercy of his new companion?"
"Of course not!"
"Then why do you not simply destroy him? The dragons are more than willing to assist you."
"You know that's not how I work!" Connie snapped. "I'm not making the same mistake I did with the Leviathan." She sighed. "There's a way to fix all of this, I know it. If I could beat you, I can beat anything."
"Such arrogance, universal," Kullervo scoffed. "Had I know a bout of madness was all it would take to overcome your mind, I could've claimed you long ago…"
"You'd better not be getting any ideas!"
"Hmph, I'm merely reflecting about missed opportunities," Kullervo answered. "You know I can do nothing to you now."
"And you know I still don't trust you."
Kullervo chuckled. "Indeed, Universal. Pray that you will always hold true to such wisdom. You will need it to beat Stormbolt."
Connie felt his presence vanish, and she sighed. She sat down and re-read the page again, trying to remember as much as possible. The snake wouldn't let her take the page out, and in her haste she'd left her notepad at home.
"Come on," she muttered to herself. "There's a way to save him, I know it…"
She rested her cheek in her hand, going through the paper once more. Helena had broken Stormbolt's bond to his companion, but it had turned her mad, as she'd then been under the pegasus' negative influence. It was similar to what happened to Connie with Kullervo. Except that time, the mythical creatures had shielded Connie, so he couldn't take control. Maybe…maybe if they did the same thing again, then Stormbolt couldn't control her emotions, either. While they protected her, she could set Col free, and not risk losing her sanity.
Connie slammed her fist in her palm; that was it!
She stuffed the pages back into their original book, before she hurried down the stairs. Reclaiming the key from the snake, she burst onto the landing.
"Whoa!" Evelyn held her shoulder. "What's got you all excited?"
"I know how to bring Col back," Connie said.
Evelyn's face lit up.
"Really? How?"
"It's a little complicated," Connie answered. "I'll need all of the Chartmouth chapter to help."
"Shouldn't be too hard," Evelyn said. "Come on, let's go home and call Dr. Brock."