Suddenly, the thing I had been trying to dig out of my mind had surfaced. The answer.
The roof hatch rattled. “Sorry we’re late, bloody ghost asked us what we doing going behind the drape… Ernie used a cracking excuse…” Robin stopped when he saw my face. “What is it?”
Ernie closed and the hatch as the rain outside stopped abruptly.
“I know how to find where he is.” — the shoes, they took you to where you wanted to go, so all I had to do was think about where Malakai was — I had to think about Malakai’s room, the one Burrows showed me in his crystal ball. Would it take me to a place I’d never been? Would it be blocked by Malakai’s magic? I didn’t know. But I had to try.
“And you are sure about this?” said Ernie. “I mean I need some books to plan… spells against him.”
I scoffed. “He’s not that powerful anymore, he’s small and stubby,” I said but Ernie didn't seem reasonably convinced. “Ready?” I said.
“Ready as we’ll ever be!” said Robin wincing. I grabbed both their hands and took a deep breath — I fixed the image of the room I’d seen in the crystal ball, firmly in my mind. Then, I jumped, double tapping the shoes. Golden light leaked out as I felt the power in them whir. I closed my eyes and fixed my attention on the vision of Malakai’s room from the crystal ball.
All at once the shoes moved. We began sprinting — Robin and Ernie picked up by the golden light causing their legs to sprint with the same ferocity as mine. The roof hatch burst open, as we flew down the ladder five steps at a time. Through the drape and into the corridor below… Almost immediately we came to a screeching halt.
I let go of them and bent forwards breathing hard as light brackets above us popped on.
“Well that was… something,” said Ernie, leaning on the wall. I looked around, we were in a corridor that had a large window from floor to ceiling on our left. Statues stood tall, casting long shadows from the starry night sky. The floor was wet in here, rain seeping in through cracks in the walls — puddles lined the corridor like glassy mirrors.
“I know where we are,” said Robin. “This is the high-up corridor we found before — we’re the Djinn took you. The one that leads to the Heptagon room.”
“Yeah I know,” I said softly looking around, I guessed the shoes had taken us as far as they could.
Ernie tip-toed forwards, edging round the puddles. “He probably has some pretty strong magic barring us from entry—”
“Hang on,” said Robin stopping before a statue. “There’s a door here.”
Ernie stared at Robin incredulously. “What do you mean? There’s no door there, it’s just wall.” Robin smiled and reached out a long thin arm. Pressing his hand softly to the wall. Like a mirage, it faded up and with a pop, became whole.
Robin dropped his hand and took a deep breath. “Found it.”
“How on earth did you—” started Ernie before jumping through the puddles to the door. “I’ll go first, just in case.” He held his arms out in front of him. Creeeeek! Went the door. Tip-toeing, we slowly crossed the threshold.
“Prafulgeo-Lamas,” Ernie whispered, as a circle of soft blue flame attached to the ceiling illuminating the room. “He’s not here…” said Ernie, uncertain.
Robin, behind me whimpered slightly — I moved tentatively behind Ernie, scanning every corner and crevice of this dirty, disgusting room. The blue light above illuminated a floor thick with black dirt, dead rats, and upturned classroom furniture. “What’s he doing in here?” said Robin. “Shedding his poxy skin or something?” Robin picked up a pile of crusty black dirt.
I searched the room — this was perfect, all I had to do was show the Lily this room and it would be proof that Malakai was in the school. I was saved! There was a small scuttling noise, it made my heart leap into my throat. I turned quickly, arms out.
“It’s just a sprat,” said Ernie without turning. “So we’re in an old disused classroom,” he said peering up at a huge blackboard that had a large selection of runes in chalk on it. “Runes? Hold on, they’re not runes! Avis, your gonna want to look at this…”
I turned and looked — plastered across the blackboard in every available space was: Kill Avis Blackthorn! Kill Avis Blackthorn! Kill Avis Blackthorn! I stepped back, feeling a little giddy.
“Jeez,” said Robin. “He really wants you dead.” I turned away and looked for more evidence, swallowing the fear that was plastered to my insides. Then Ernie scoffed, looking up at something. “He’s quite the artist, looks like he’s graffiti’ed the wall for some reason.”
“How do you know it was him that did it?” said Robin rather impatiently, edging towards the door. “This looks like a rune classroom, or was, it could have been anyone in here.”
“Because it’s recent,” said Ernie. “You can tell by the soft glow of the magic used to create it.”
I dropped a flaky old book and turned to see what they were jabbering about — and I almost suffered a heart attack. “Ah,” was all I could manage. On the wall, painted in thick black paint — was the exact same rune that was on my pendant.
“What is it?” said Robin, his beady eyes flickering around the room.
I pointed up at it. “It’s the same rune that’s on my pendant. Exactly the same one.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” said Ernie. “It doesn’t look like any rune I’ve ever seen. Anyway look we need to get out of here and let the Lily know…”
I gazed it a second longer, then nodded. “Yeah fine.”
We exited the dirty, damp room and clinked the door shut. “Hold my hands,” I said. “We’re going to the Lily’s office.”
“I’ll just go get my dad,” said Ernie as we touched down in the corridor outside the Lily’s. “He will want to know.” Ernie scampered off, running up towards the staff room. “We’ll both meet you inside, you two go ahead.”
I took a deep breath and looked at Robin, who smiled. “I think you’ve done it mate.”
A grin crept across my mouth and I raised a hand, knocking on the pure white doors. “Come…” said the Lily. Pushing open the doors, Robin and I stepped inside.
“Ahh, Misters Blackthorn and Wilson,” said the Lily raising his arms to us. The room was a buzz with goings on — Magisteers Dodaline, Simone, Mallard, Partington and Straker were sat around the Lily’s desk, piles of paper, drinks and snacks piled around them. They looked exhausted. The bookcase to the right was spitting out it’s books and replacing them in some apparent new order — the papers, which sat in a huge pile in the middle of the floor were sorting themselves into even more piles, every so often one would jump into the fire.
“Sir, it’s just…” I stuttered as the Magisteers watched me. “I’ve found evidence for Malakai being in the school.” The Lily’s face didn’t change.
“Oh?” he said slowly.
“It’s true Sir,” said Robin nervously. “High up, in one of the disused classrooms.”
The Lily turned slowly to the Magisteers, Partington peered down his spectacles at us, before standing. “I must come too,” he said.
“Ernie is already looking for you,” I said. “He helped us find it.” I added as his eyebrow raised.
“I’ll come too,” said Straker putting his papers down.
“Well,” said Dodaline. “If you lot are going, I don’t want to miss out.”
“Think I’ll stay,” Magisteer Simone looked miffed somehow and slammed her drink on the desk as Mallard sank into his chair and muttered that he ought to keep Magisteer Simone company.
“There you are!” said Ernie who stopped running when he saw us opening the doors. “Dad, you weren’t in the staff room, has Avis told you?”
“He has, we are all coming to inspect it,” Partington smiled.
And so off we marched. Robin and I walking ahead nervously, leading the Lily, Dodaline, Partington and Straker to the room, which would guarantee that I get my place back at Hailing Hall.
“How far at the top of the schoo
l is this room?” said Dodaline, panting. “And we can we not just get a magical lift?”
I caught the Lily smirking. “Because that would make the pupils lazy Magisteer Dodaline,” he said chuckling softly as Dodaline huffed and puffed.
“Here,” said Robin leading everyone out through the small exit out of the staircase and into the corridor.
“This place again?” said the Lily curious.
“Yeah,” I said, and started speaking a little too fast, like I did when I was nervous. “It’s just up here, not much further. Robin saw the door, it was hidden in the wall, concealed, not sure what charm it was or anything, but he unlocked it didn’t you? You are clever—”
“It’s ok Avis, calm yourself,” said Straker putting a cold hand on my shoulder.
“It’s over here,” I said slower. I walked to the place in the wall where the door was.
“Just here?” said the Lily walking closer and pressing his hand to the wall and muttering under his breath. The door popped into the wall. There was a collective sigh of relief. I glanced at Robin smiling, but he wasn’t smiling, in fact he looked concerned. The Lily put a hand to the door and walked inside. He lit the room with light, which blazed bright white.
When I entered, I knew instantly that something was wrong. This was not the same room — this room was tidy, and orderly — not filled with filth and muck like the room before.
“I am afraid I don’t see any evidence?” said the Lily, his grey eyes scanning around the dusty, but tidy room.
“This… doesn’t make any sense…” I muttered. “This is definitely the right room, but it’s not the same.” It had to be here somewhere, a room cannot just disappear can it? “We were here no less than ten minutes ago!”
“It’s true Sir,” said Robin. “Right here, was a mess of a room…”
“But,” said Dodaline. “How do you know it was Malakai’s?”
Robin pointed at the blackboard. “It was plastered with Kill Avis Blackthorn!”
“But, why would Malakai want to kill young Avis?” said Dodaline as if was the most horrible idea in the world. Robin stopped talking — we were in serious danger of breaking the pact.
“The fact of the matter is, this is just another disused classroom,” said the Lily. “I don’t doubt for a second what you found before, but… its not here now. I am sorry.”
“But, but…” I didn’t know what to say, I was flabbergasted. The place where Malakai was… gone. It took me weeks to find it and now… it was gone.
Partington blinked back a tear before yanking the Lily’s sleeve. “Isn’t there any magic to see if there was a room here before.”
“I just have,” said the Lily. “Nothing.”
“I’m buggered,” I said. “Just buggered.”
The Lily, Magisteers and Ernie, escorted Robin and I back towards his office. “I really am very sorry Avis,” said Straker on the long walk back.
“You should feel sorry for us, we have a full night of marking to do!” Partington blustered, before receiving glances of disapproval from Straker and Ernie. “I meant… that… oh goodness me,” he said getting a hanky out and blowing his nose.
The Lily opened the door to his office and let in the Magisteers in. “Straight to bed you two, it’s already past bedtime.”
“Sir,” we mumbled, turning and walking towards our dorm. I felt numb. Completely and utterly numb.
Robin was shaking his head. “I don’t know what to say, I really don’t understand what just happened.”
“Its fine,” I said. “You don’t have to say anything.” I felt hot injustice burning my insides — my stomach was twisted in such a tight knot of pain and fury that I had to clutch it for fear of falling over. When we turned the corner to our dorm, I heard a voice ring through the darkness.
“Why the long face Blackthorn?” A light bracket popped on above his head — Jasper. He was stood nonchalantly leaning against a wall, eating an apple. “You look like you’ve just had bad news?”
“What are you doing here?” Robin hissed, his fists clenched. “Why don’t you just disappear!”
“Ok,” said Jasper simply, before disappearing in a flash.
I’ve never felt so angry in all my life. I shook with rage — my vision blurring. In that moment, all sound vanished. All light went dark. I saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing as I descended into darkness…
“Follow the runes…” said Burrows. “Follow the runes… follow the runes… follow the runes,” Burrows Jamaican voice said over and over again.
Pictures and shapes flashed before my eyes — my Granddad giving me the pendant, with the rune on it — the incense holder from Happendance Carnival danced next to it, with the same rune stamped on the side — then the fight with Jasper, he was on top of me pushing me to the ground and I saw his pendant channeller, exactly the same as mine, with exactly the same mark.
Then, the disappearing room belonging to Malakai, the same rune plastered to the wall — Then Jasper’s laughing face echoing around the floating images.
“Follow the runes… follow the runes… follow the runes.”
Jasper’s pendant came loose and he began waving it round at me.“Follow the runes… follow the runes… follow the runes.” Then — Jasper’s face transformed — ghostly horns protruded from his head, face turning pale, eyes glowing blue and the aura around him turning blacker than his hooded robe… “Hahaha!” he cackled. “Hahaha-hahaha!”
Then he stopped and bit into an apple… as Tina popped into the air next to him, strings rising in the air from her limbs — Jasper strummed them gently as Tina began to dance. Her face expressionless…
My eyes flew open and I blinked, rubbing my eyes. “Avis? Avis? Oh thank goodness your awake!” said Robin. I was lying on the floor outside our dorm room.
“What happened?” I said.
“You feinted,” said Robin putting a hand behind my back. “Here, sit up slowly.”
“Its fine,” I said brushing his hand away. “He did this… I just know it…”
Robin stood back up looking perplexed. “Who?”
“Jasper!” — it had to be. He was the one who looked like Malakai, he was the one who had the same pendant as me and the marking on the wall in Malakai’s room. And he was the only other person I’d seen up there in that deserted corridor near the Heptagon Room. It had to be Jasper.
“Come on, let’s get inside and to bed!” Robin looked knackered, deep black bags scaled his eyes like a panda.
“But Robin,” I stopped, a tear falling down my face. “I don’t… I don’t want to be exspelled… I don’t want to go h-h-home…” and I cried. I didn’t know what to think or feel anymore. I stopped crying quickly, a thick numbness replacing the pain as I wiped my face.
Robin pushed open the door and we went inside the dark room. Small blue flashes kept going off. Hunter was standing near Robin’s bed fiddling with something.
“What you doing?” said Robin marching over to him. “Give that to me!”
“Calm down!” said Hunter. “I was trying to turn it off, can’t sleep with that flipping flashing all night!”
Jake sat up. “Shhh, keep your voice down.”
“What is it?” I said, sidling over to Robin as Hunter got back into bed.
Robin tried to hide it. “Oh nothing, just a… thing…” — he was a rubbish liar, in fact this just made me more curious. As I got closer I saw that he was fiddling around with a little silver thimble-looking instrument.
“What is it?” I said, but then it dawned on me, all at once. It was one of the little devices that Robin had placed around the Heptagon room to tell if someone had gone in.
Robin stopped trying to hide it, turned the top and the flashing stopped. “It did this when you were taken, by the Djinn into that room… where are you going?” said Robin — I knew who was up there, I could have bet my life on it (and I was about to).
“I’m gonna find him!” I said charging away — Jasper was Mala
kai, I mean it just all made sense. Burrows said “follow the runes” — Jasper had one of those runes — I had to follow Burrows advice, I had to follow the runes… and that meant following Jasper.
“Avis! You can’t… the Lily said… AVIS!” Robin cried, but it was too late — I double tapped the shoes, the golden light licking the air before I shot towards the Heptagon room and towards Jasper.
It felt good flying back along the school — up the corridors and winding up the spiral staircase at the speed of light. Why was Robin trying to stop me? I had six days left at Hailing Hall until I was exspelled, I had to take any opportunity that came my way.
I wish the Djinn, Burrows could have stayed, and helped me get rid of Malakai and win my place back at the school. But, the Lily spelled that powerful pulsing blue light causing him and Chambers to flee.
The shoes drove me to a skidding halt out in the corridor where I had been no less than twenty minutes before. I had a trickle of nerves run down into my stomach. Was I doing the right thing? It was deadly silent up here now. But, something had shown me those visions — something was trying to remind me of the clues that led to Jasper, or should I call him Malakai? The curious rise in grades, (even the Magisteers were surprised), the time I looked through Robin’s effy-ray spectacles, when he looked exactly like Malakai. And, we were back up here… the place where I’d found the room with evidence of Malakai in it, and here Jasper was, in a room not thirty feet away.
The vision of Tina dancing on strings replayed across my memory. Fury bubbled up inside and I marched fast towards the wall and without a second thought, pressed my hand to the stone key.
The wall melted, hazy lines fading into a short tunnel. I saw him eyes closed, sitting on his knees. My heart was pounding. But the sight of him made my blood burn like fire. He opened his eyes and looked up. I nearly gasped with fright — his eyes were completely black.
Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) Page 33
