The Prophecy

by Lynne Ewing

  "Do you know another way to get into Nefandus?" Catty asked, feeling the pressure of time. Chris hadn't seemed well, and she didn't know how much longer he could survive.

  "Just because you're able to see in Nefandus now doesn't mean it's safe for you to go back there," Kyle warned.

  "You go in and out all the time," Catty said, wishing she had Vanessa's power to become invisible and fly home on the wind.

  "I'm cautious," he answered, then continued, "You don't understand. Too many will sense your presence if you go there, and you won't have your father or me to protect you."

  She cocked her head in a flirty way, trying to convince him. "Just take me home. Besides, if I have the Scroll with me I'll be okay."

  "You won't be," he said, his eyes filled with apprehension.

  A dark foreboding rushed through her, and even though the night was warm, she began to shiver.

  "Chris has always known what his fate would be if Followers captured him," Kyle said softly. "We all know."

  "You don't understand." Catty turned and started back toward the street. "I don't have a choice. I'm a Daughter. I have to try."

  "You might save him," Kyle said, trailing behind her, "but at a terrible price."

  "I can't just forget him," she argued. "If I leave him in Nefandus, then I'm no better than my father."

  "You're not your father." Kyle grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You were given the Scroll, and it can only be given to someone with a pure heart and the strength to fight the Atrox." She looked down at the sidewalk so he couldn't see the tears brimming in her eyes. She didn't feel like the legitimate heir. Primal forces were working inside her, prowling around in her heart and mind, waiting for an opportunity to attack and claim her. Others had used the Scroll, so what made everyone so sure she was the rightful heir? She glanced at the moon, watching it through tear-blurred vision, and issued a silent prayer for guidance.

  "I have to do it," she whispered finally.

  ''You can't, Catty," Kyle said. "It's a trick, to capture you and the Scroll."

  "You don't know that for sure," she argued, wiping her eyes. She didn't need him to raise any more doubts; she had enough of her own. "And what if Chris needs me? Maybe my destiny is to save him." A tense silence hung between them. "Are you jealous of Chris?" she asked brazenly. "Is that the real reason you're so upset and trying to talk me out of going back to Nefandus?"

  "I'm not jealous of Chris," he answered, his face stone still. "And if you knew the truth, you'd know it's impossible for me to feel jealous of him."

  Catty studied Kyle. "I need time to be alone and think." The words came from her mouth before she was even aware that she was going to say them. "I'll catch a bus and call you when I get home."

  He nodded, not bothering to hide his hurt.

  "But promise you won't go back to Nefandus. At least not until after you talk to me again."

  "I promise," she answered, protecting her thoughts the way she sometimes had to do when she was around Serena.

  Kyle seemed reluctant to leave her. "You're sure?"

  She smiled, trying to keep her mind blank, and shrugged prettily. "I have three days before I can even go back to Nefandus," she answered. "I'll call you tomorrow."

  He waved, and she watched him walk away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  A B L A ST O F S M A L Lexplosions startled Catty. She whirled, her heart racing, and knocked into a dowdy old woman. A fiery dragon was embroidered on the front of her blouse.

  "It's all right."The woman grinned, revealing gold-capped teeth. "The boys are setting off firecrackers to scare away bad luck. The noise frightens evil spirits."

  A boy lit a fuse and threw a string of fire crackers. Sparks shot forth, and a series of bangs crackled in the air.

  Catty stuck her fingers into her ears. Tendrils of thin smoke writhed into her nose, bitter and stinging. Above her a large banner flapped lazily, announcing the grand opening of the Summer Moon Tea Room.

  "Come in." The woman in the dragon blouse ushered Catty inside the narrow restaurant between a grocery store and a curio shop. "I'll fix you my specialty."

  "I really have to leave." Catty started to protest, but the woman seized her wrist with bony fingers and pulled her past the crowded tables to a corner booth.

  "This is where you're supposed to be." The woman smiled mysteriously and disappeared behind the counter.

  Catty looked around, breathing in the savory aromas coming from a wok, then hurried down a hallway to the back, looking for the bathroom. A pay phone hung on the wall between two doors. She fished two coins from her pockets, dropped them into the slot, and punched in a number.

  "Hello?" Vanessa answered.

  Catty's chin began to quiver, her body ready to break into sobs. She hadn't anticipated having such a strong reaction to hearing her best friend's voice.

  "Catty?" Vanessa said in a worried tone.

  "Vanessa," Catty sniffled.

  "What's wrong?" Vanessa asked, her voice rising to panic.

  "Everything." Catty shielded her face with her hand so the patrons approaching the restrooms wouldn't see her red eyes. Then she quickly told Vanessa what had happened, starting with Kyle and ending with Nefandus and her father.

  "Where are you now?" Vanessa asked when she had finished.

  "In Chinatown." Catty wiped her nose on her sweater sleeve. "The Summer Moon Tea Room. It's a new place."

  "Stay put," Vanessa instructed. "I'll get the Scroll and pick up the others. We'll be there in no time."

  "Don't get the Scroll!" Catty shouted, but Vanessa had already hung up.

  Catty dropped the receiver into its cradle, then rushed into the restroom, locking the door behind her. She washed up with cold water, harsh soap, and rough paper towels, then sauntered back into the tea room, looking like a runaway. She slipped into the booth, and the waitress returned with a tray.

  "This will soothe you," the waitress said.

  She tipped the kettle, and steam rose from the spout, curling around Catty with the delicate fragrance of jasmine tea.

  "Thank you," Catty said, her voice breaking; the woman's kindness made her want to cry again.

  "Animis non astutia," the woman whispered.

  Catty's head shot up. "Did you just speak Latin?"

  "Did I?" The woman set an array of food and sauces on the table.

  Catty nodded, certain of what she had heard. "You said, 'By courage, not by cunning.'"

  The waitress shrugged. "It sounds like good advice for anyone who wants to triumph over impossible odds."

  Then she handed Catty a single fortune cookie on a silver plate with the changing shapes of the moon engraved on its border.

  "Don't forget to read your fortune," she said and took her tray to a nearby table to clear the dirty dishes there.

  Catty dipped a meat-filled dumpling into tangy vinegar sauce and took a bite. Sharp, spicy flavors burst into her mouth. Only then did she realize how hungry she had become. She ate, staring at the dragons and cranes emblazoned on the walls, and listened to the murmured conversations around her.

  At last, she snapped open her cookie and started to read the fortune, but a rasping cough made her look up.

  Vanessa had just entered, her face flushed, hair disheveled, a huge, pink purse slung over her shoulder. She wore silky cargo pants, a beaded top, and intense, dark, eye shadow painted to the outside corner of her eyes.

  Catty slipped the fortune into her jean pocket unread and waved. She wondered if Vanessa had been working on a new look for her next performance when she had called.

  Vanessa saw her, sneezed into a tissue, and began squeezing between the tables, heading towards Catty.

  Serena followed, wearing a swirling black skirt, lace nylons, and combat boots. Her moon and star earrings dangled to her shoulders.

  Tianna stumbled close behind, still dressed in flannel PJs. A yellow woolen scarf was tossed haphazardly around her neck. Her untied shoe laces trailed from her
purple, high-top sneakers.

  Conversation paused, and the diners looked up, watching the girls walk past them.

  Vanessa handed Catty the purse and coughed again. "Here," she said, hoarsely.

  "How'd you get the Scroll?" Catty didn't need to look inside to know it was there. She could feel it pulsing through the fabric, greeting her.

  "She went invisible and got it from your bedroom." Serena leaned over the table, snatched a dumpling from Catty's plate, and popped it into her mouth.

  "Can you imagine what kind of guts that took after what happened in the museum?" Tianna asked, scooting in next to Serena.

  Vanessa shrugged and slid into the booth as if it were nothing.

  "You were able to make it invisible this time?" Catty asked, moving over to make room.

  Vanessa gave her a funny look. "The Scroll was eager to go with me." she said uneasily. "It purred like a cat when I picked it up."

  Tianna held up her hand in warning, and they stopped talking while a kid in a black, hooded sweatshirt and baggy jeans walked past them and slouched into an adjoining booth.

  "You took a big risk." Catty poured Vanessa a cup of tea and handed it to her. "The curse—"

  "What else could I do?" Vanessa pulled an aspirin tin from her pocket, tossed two pills into her mouth, then swallowed some tea. "You said Chris looked like he was dying, so I got the Scroll in case you'd figured out another way to get back to your father."

  "Do you think we can trust your father to surrender Chris if we do give him the Scroll?" Tianna asked.

  "No," Catty said, sadly.

  "Then maybe we should just go in and get Chris out before your father even knows we're there," Tianna suggested.

  "We'd still have to wait until the portal opens." Catty felt her anxiety rising. "I don't know if Chris can survive that long."

  "You said it was the same place where you'd been imprisoned," Serena said, wiping her fingers on a napkin.

  Catty nodded. "Only, now, I can see past the fog."

  "So what about Tianna?" Serena asked. "She used her telekinetic powers to get us inside when we rescued you. Maybe she can do it again."

  Catty looked at Tianna, remembering how she had lifted the veil between the two worlds once before. "Do you think you can?"

  "What if someone sees us disappear?" Vanessa asked, apprehensively looking around.

  "It's too dark," Serena reassured her. "No one's going to see." She nudged Tianna. "Go ahead."

  "I'll try, but my powers are still pretty messed up from my fall." Tianna rubbed her shoulder as if it were tender.

  "What's wrong?" Catty asked.

  "The last time we went there the Atrox was waiting for us." Tianna's eyes widened with uneasiness.

  "But it was using Catty as a lure." Serena clicked her tongue ring impatiently against her teeth. "How will it know we're coming this time?"

  "It's a chance we have to take," Vanessa said bravely. "Besides, I want to see what Nefandus really looks like."

  "Then don't let go of me once we're inside," Catty warned. "You'll need to hold on to me to be able to see more than mists."

  "Ready?" Tianna squinted in concentration, her energy building.

  The table began to quiver. Then the floor trembled. The front window buckled. A crack shattered the wall, and wooden beams popped.

  "Earthquake!" someone screamed, and others joined in.

  An earsplitting roar filled the tea room, and pandemonium broke loose. Diners dove under tables, spilling tea and water. Dishes crashed to the floor.

  "Stop!" Catty shouted, bracing herself against the back of the booth. "You're wrecking the place."

  Tianna looked up, her eyes bloodshot, and the movement stopped.

  Vanessa clapped her hand over her mouth and tried to stop giggling. "I'm sorry," she said at last. "I know it's not funny, but usually I'm the one who messes up this badly."

  Tianna scowled. "I can do it. Let me try again."

  "Lucky for us this ts earthquake country," Serena put in and set a bottle of soy sauce upright.

  Diners began peeking out from under their tables. Spilled soup dripped to the floor, and a small fire had started near the wok.

  "Jeez, I made a mess of everything," Tianna muttered. "Maybe I should fix it before we leave."

  "Not now," Catty warned. "You might make it worse."

  Tianna shot her an angry look.

  "After Nefandus, we'll come back and make repairs." Serena took Tianna's hand. "Let's combine powers."

  "Try again," Vanessa agreed and grasped Tianna's wrist.

  Catty slung the purse over her shoulder and grabbed Tianna's arm. Immediately power flowed from her fingers, seeping into Tianna.

  Then the room swayed, the air undulating. This time the diners didn't notice anything unusual. The change was affecting only Catty and her friends. The wall in their booth wavered, the painted dragons and cranes seeming to take flight .

  At last the restaurant broke in two with a deafening boom, and they were swept into Nefandus, the violent force separating them.

  Catty thrashed about, trying to find her friends and grab on to them.

  She plunged downward, her stomach lurching, and didn't feel the strange numbness she had experienced before. No comforting membrane stopped her fall this time. The passing was unlike the others, and terrifying.

  Maybe it was a trap, after all. Was that what Kyle had been trying to tell her? Perhaps her father had known all along that she would return with her friends and try to rescue Chris.

  Now he would have all four Daughters of the Moon and the Scroll.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CA T T Y L A N D E D O N H E Rfeet with a sharp jolt. Her back hit a rocky outcropping, and piercing pain shot up her spine. She stood, catching her breath, and slowly realized she was balanced precariously on a narrow ledge. She swung her hands back, trying to clutch the mountain face, feeling dizzy from the high elevation.

  The Scroll pulsed excitedly against her, its hum joining the fast rhythm of her heart.

  "I only see fog and clouds, like before," Vanessa said with accusation.

  "Because you're not holding on to me." Catty looked around but didn't see Vanessa. "Where are you?"

  "Here," three voices answered.

  Catty glanced up, and caught her breath.

  Vanessa and Tianna floated in the air, dazed expressions on their faces, as if they were lost in the mists, but Serena did a somersault, oblivious to the danger, and dived toward the jagged rocks below, her arms spread wide.

  "This is exactly what I remember from last time!" Serena shouted.

  "Stop!" Catty screamed, unable to watch. Then, in a calmer tone, she added. "Follow the sound of my voice."

  When she opened her eyes again, Vanessa, Tianna, and Serena were drifting sluggishly toward her like inexperienced swimmers thrashing and straining against a riptide.

  In a few minutes, Vanessa hovered inches above her.

  Catty caught her hand and tugged hard.

  Vanessa fell against the cliff, scraping her cheek. Pebbles and dirt rained over her. She staggered, then whipped around and cried out, her fingernails digging into Catty's palm.

  "I liked it better when I couldn't see," Vanessa said, sounding fearful.

  "We entered from a different location," Catty explained. "You can see the city in the distance."

  Then Catty jumped, seized Serena's arm, and yanked on it strenuously.

  Serena shrieked and crashed on top of them. They sprawled helplessly on the narrow ledge, Catty's legs hanging over the edge, the Scroll quivering, sensing new danger.

  Carefully, they stood, helping one another up.

  "The air felt as thick as water before," Serena said, waving her free hand in front of her. "Now it feels normal. What gives?"

  "It seems like there's some strange connection between vision and gravity here," Catty explained.

  "How?" Vanessa asked, leaning back against the cliff.

  "Magic,"
Tianna answered. "I'm pretty sure the air is like a spiderweb that stops people who don't belong."

  Catty looked over her shoulder, dumbfounded. Tianna stood, wedged up beside her, her fingers resting on Catty's shoulder.

  "How did you find us?" Catty asked.

  "I didn't," Tianna went on. "I knocked into something solid, and then suddenly I landed here beside you."

  Catty felt certain Tianna hadn't been touching her when she first spoke, but before she could question her, Vanessa did.

  "What do you mean, like a spiderweb?" Vanessa asked.

  "It's a way to catch trespassers," Tianna went on. "Someone who doesn't belong here only sees the mists and flounders about like a fly struggling on a spiderweb. Just as the vibrations tell the spider that dinner has landed, an intruder disturbs the air and alerts the Atrox or its Regulators that an outsider has stumbled into Nefandus."

  "How do you know that?" Catty asked.

  Tianna shrugged. "I don't," she answered simply. "I'm assuming, from what happened before."

  "Bizarro mundo," a familiar voice said in Spanglish.

  "Jimena?" Catty cranked her head around and looked up.

  Jimena sat perched above them, wedged between massive boulders, the hood of her black sweatshirt resting around her neck.

  Serena grabbed Jimena's ankle, and a startled look crossed Jimena's face. "What the—?" She glanced down. "Where are we?"

  "In Nefandus," Catty said. "How did you get in here?"

  "I don't know." Jimena shook her head, her eyes wide with wonder.

  "But you must have done something," Serena said, clutching Jimena tightly as she climbed down and joined them on the ledge.

  "I've been following you guys since that night at the museum," Jimena explained. "Trying to keep you out of more trouble." She frowned, as if she were working through her recent memories, searching for the right one. Then she continued, "I was in the tea room, yelling for you to get under the table. Then the temblores stopped and you started talking like you had made the earthquake. The next thing I know, I'm in this dreamworld."

  "We have to tell her the truth," Serena said.