by Karen Hughes
‘I thought it was suspicious,’ said Doli. ‘Do you remember, Mai, how I said I didn’t like it?’
Aunty Mai ignored her. ‘Sofia has fooled us all,’ she said. ‘I didn’t realise it until she flew away. ‘With his potions and his factory,’ she said. Well, I thought to myself, what on earth is she talking about? What factory? There were no factories in Ballyndor when we left, all those years ago.’
‘And did you notice her face change as she left?’ said Lulu, nodding sagely so her three chins wobbled up and down. ‘I’m sure it was one of Chief Wicasa’s youth spells. And you know what they can do to your brain.’
Aunty Mai looked distressed. ‘I found drawings in her hut. Plans for the factory, with a note to tell Tenzel to dump the waste in the water-lily lake.’
‘She was always using magic for the wrong reasons, even when she was a girl,’ said Doli with a sigh. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s been in league with that nasty Tenzel all along.’
Aunty Mai looked distressed. ‘You must take us to Grandma Helki at once,’ she said to Dargan.
Dargan stood still, a frown on his face. Aunty Mai began to tap her foot, when Brek, whom the ladies had not yet noticed, held out his hand to her in greeting. ‘I was just heading back to see Grandma Helki myself,’ he said. ‘You probably don’t remember me; I’m Brek. I packed your books for you when you took Indie away to the island.’
Aunty Mai smiled as she took his arm. ‘Of course I remember you, Brek. You always had such lovely manners.’
Dargan walked behind the others, keeping his distance as they followed the river upstream. Kai walked next to him. They could hear the occasional giggle from the ladies up ahead.
‘They think they're on a picnic,’ Dargan muttered. ‘It’s at least an hour to the Jindi Bridge – maybe two at the speed they’re hobbling. We’re wasting time.’
‘But they’re wise women, no matter how silly they sound,’ Kai said. ‘They’re the ones Grandma Helki sent away with Indie to keep her safe. They wouldn't be here if it wasn't important.’
‘It’s more important to find your sister.’
Dargan stopped. ‘You go with Brek,’ he said. ‘There’s no sense in us all going back. Tell him to gather the men and prepare them to defend the forest. I’ve seen no sign of Tenzel’s army yet, but it’s only a matter of time.’
‘What about you? Where are you going?’
‘To Ballyndor.’
‘Ballyndor! But how will I find you?’
‘I hope you won’t have to,’ Dargan said. ‘I hope I can bring the princess back to the forest, safe and sound.’
He looked at the boy for a moment, his eyes dark. ‘Ki-somma,’ he whispered.
Chapter 12
Aunt Sofia
indie clung to the end of the willow stick. The forest below gave way to hills, patterned in brown and yellow. The hills rolled into a patchwork of fields. Houses rose from the earth, squat and round, with thatched roofs and ragged fences.
The fields grew smaller, the houses closer together. A wall of stone slashed the land, winding like a great snake around the city. Indie could see guards marching along the top, dressed in black and silver.
Over gold-roofed houses and cobbled lanes they flew, through the avenues of trees that lined the empty streets. The houses were derelict, the gardens neglected and brown. Even the temple stood silent, its windows smeared with dust, its door hanging by a single, rusted hinge.
Indie remembered the market square from Uncle Paco’s books. She strained her eyes to see the coloured rugs and clothing, the silver teapots and the clay bowls. She looked for the flowers, the spices, the wooden toys; but the stalls were bare.
Where were the gypsy traders and the fortune-tellers? Where were the musicians with their pipes and their mandolins?
She looked for the fountain at the centre, with its diamond sprays and trickling streams; but it was dusty and cracked, the water slimy at its base.
‘Where are the people?’ Indie asked, not sure whether she really wanted to know. Maybe they were dead. Maybe they were locked in the dungeon.
‘Oh, don’t worry about them. They’re in the castle garden.’ Aunt Sofia began to laugh. Indie wished she’d stop.
They flew through a canopy of branches to the street below and wound their way in and out of stone archways and covered wooden bridges until they reached the lake. Queen Tala’s lake, with its crystal waters and white water lilies. Indie looked away, tears in her eyes. The water was cloudy and grey, and the water lilies were dead.
‘No one ever built me a lake,’ Aunt Sofia muttered, slowing the willow stick and peering over the edge. ‘I had Tenzel dump the waste from the new factory in there. It’s one of the few things he’s done right.’
‘New factory? What new factory?’ Indie hadn't read about factories in any of Paco’s books.
‘We've turned the stables into a factory to make potions and spells. A sorcerer has to have a ready supply of spells, you know.’
‘But don't you just say a spell?’ The only spells Indie had seen were Chief Wicasa's and you didn't need a factory for those.
‘Stupid child,’ said Aunt Sofia, swerving with a cruel twist of her arm. ‘There are very few sorcerers who can say a spell and then sit back and watch it happen. You need some candles, a potion or two, the moon in the right spot. Tenzel’s factory has all that – and more. Now shut up, I'm trying to drive.’
‘But what about Chief Wicasa?’
‘What do you know about Wicasa?’ Aunt Sofia slowed the willow stick right down and skimmed the top of the water. Indie had to bend her knees to stop her boots getting wet.
‘I don't know anything. I just heard he was a great sorcerer.’
‘There has never been a sorcerer like Wicasa. But now, with his book …’ Aunt Sofia’s arm tightened on the box.
Indie kept her mouth shut. Whatever King Eamon had put in that box, she was willing to bet it was not Chief Wicasa’s book. Not unless there were two copies.
By the time they reached the far side of the lake, Aunt Sofia had picked up speed again. She rounded the northern turret at a reckless pace, almost crashing into an oversized statue at the base of the castle steps.
‘The fool,’ she hissed, bringing the willow stick to a dramatic halt, unseating her passenger.
Indie landed uncomfortably hard on the bottom step. ‘Ow,’ she said, rubbing her behind. ‘What did you do that for?’
‘Enough!’ Aunt Sofia glared at her. ‘You will not speak again unless I tell you to. Now follow me.’ She looked back at the statue. ‘The fool,’ she muttered. ‘He has built a statue almost as large as his ego. I cannot leave him for a second.’
Indie looked up at the marble form above her. It was a heroic figure: a sorcerer in flowing robes with a tall pointed hat. In his outstretched hand he held a staff, and on top of the staff was a ball covered in stars.
‘I said, ‘Follow me!’’ Aunt Sofia’s mood was growing blacker. She led Indie up the staircase to the doors of the castle, still muttering to herself.
Two guards blocked their way.
‘State your business,’ barked one, holding the hilt of his sword.
‘How dare you?’ cried Aunt Sofia, suddenly appearing taller. ‘Do you not recognise your queen?’
The guards dropped their hands and shuffled backward, bowing and grovelling. ‘It was the hat, m’lady,’ stammered one, staring at the wilted petunias. ‘And the willow stick,’ said the other. ‘We was expecting your carriage.’
‘I am in disguise, you numbskulls.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘You will take care to recognise your queen when you see her or you will regret it.’
With a flourish of her skirts she swept through the doorway. Indie followed, the guards looking at her curiously – wondering why the Lady would bring a child to the castle when everyone knew both she and the sorcerer detested children.
They didn’t have to wonder for long. Before Indie could take another step Aunt Sofia spun
on her heel and stood facing her, both hands on her hips.
‘And where do you think you’re going?’ she demanded.
She really is quite crazy, Indie thought, staring at her aunt.
‘With you … ?’ she began, then hesitated at the look on Sofia’s face.
‘Guards!’ Aunt Sofia screeched.
Three men came running: their swords at the ready.
‘Yes, m’lady?’ they cried, looking around for the enemy, puzzled that all the fuss was over one small, rather dirty, girl.
‘Take her to the tower,’ Aunt Sofia commanded.
She turned to Indie. ‘I'll just take a look at my new book,’ she said, ‘and then I’ll decide what to do with you.’
She marched away, the precious box still under her arm.
‘Come on, miss,’ one of the guards took hold of Indie's right arm while another took her left. The third came up behind.
‘What are you doing?’ Indie cried, struggling to break free. ‘Wait! Aunt Sofia!’
But Aunt Sofia was gone.
The guards dragged Indie through winding corridors, up and down flights of stairs, deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of the castle. She was just beginning to think they were lost when they reached a spiral of rickety steps.
At the top was a massive door, bolted and padlocked.
‘Welcome to your new home,’ one of the guards jeered, as he wrestled with a rusty key. He slid the bolts back one by one; then he shoved Indie through the doorway and onto the floor.
The door slammed shut.
‘Wait!’ she cried, banging on the wood with both fists. ‘Why am I being locked in here? What have I done?’
‘Nothing to do with us,’ came a muffled voice from the other side. ‘The Lady's orders.’
She heard the bolts slide home, the padlock click, heavy boots clumping down the stairs.
Well that’s it then, she thought, sinking to the ground. Now I’ll never find Kai.
The floor was hard. The room smelled terrible. There were probably rats.
‘I hate you, Aunt Sofia!’ she said aloud, rubbing her nose. ‘Can you hear me, you stupid witch?’
But there was no answer, only the echo of footsteps going down, down, down.
Chapter 13
The Hiding Place
‘i’m sure it wasn’t this overgrown when we were here last,’ said Doli, her face red and shiny. ‘Do you remember it being like this, Mai?’
‘Completely unkempt,’ Aunty Mai said, looking around. ‘There was a lovely clear path here before.’
‘We must keep the path secret now,’ Brek said. ‘Grandma Helki still protects the forest, but she won’t be with us for much longer.’
‘What do you mean?’ Kai had caught up and was helping Aunty Mai over the fallen logs.
Brek stopped. ‘Grandma Helki is dying,’ he said, looking at the boy. ‘That’s why it is so important for you to go back. It is only her protection that has stopped the sorcerer attacking us all these years.’
He sighed. ‘We are healers, not warriors. With Grandma Helki gone, the Kalika are finished. We’ll be destroyed, like the Dasa tribes in the south. Do you remember last year when Tenzel led his army into the mountains? The fighting was over in a few hours.’
A cold hand had taken hold of Kai’s heart and was squeezing the life out of it. Grandma Helki dying? It wasn’t true. She’d looked after him for as long as he could remember. She’d taught him everything – the wisdom of Mother Earth, the power of herbs, even magic. She couldn’t die.
Brek had started walking again, with the other ladies following him. But Aunty Mai stayed behind.
‘I don’t want her to go,’ Kai whispered.
Aunty Mai took his hand. They walked in silence.
‘Are the stories true?’ Kai asked at last. ‘Grandma Helki's stories about the Enchanted Island. Do you really go there when you die?’
‘Everyone has their own story,’ said Aunty Mai. ‘The Kalika tell of a green island covered with apple trees, where the dead rest until they’re ready to come back. In Ballyndor they say we’ll live forever in a city in the sky, with gates of pearl and streets of gold.’
‘But –’
‘And the Dasa people, poor things, believe in a giant cauldron stirred by Old Mother Moon, where the souls of the dead are all mixed together to make new souls.’
‘But which is it?’ Kai had heard the stories. He wanted a real answer.
‘I don’t think it matters,’ said Aunty Mai, squeezing his hand. ‘Grandma Helki loves you, Kai, more than anything. She’ll be watching over you wherever she is.’
She stopped and looked around, as though to check no one was listening.
‘I have something for you,’ she whispered. ‘Mind you look after it.’
She pressed something hard into Kai's hands. A whistle escaped his lips. It couldn’t be …
It was.
‘But how – ’ he turned it over, staring at the battered leather cover.
‘Shh,’ Aunty Mai said, winking. ‘Your Aunt Millie sends her love. Now, don't let anyone know you have it. Quickly, tuck it inside your shirt and let's find the others. I don't fancy spending the night out here.’
*
In the deepest part of the forest, they stopped.
Brek held up his hand. ‘Beyond the ancient fig tree, through the secret tunnel of green, protected by magic from the dawn of time …’
He pulled back a curtain of vines and waved his hand with a flourish.
‘Well, thank sweet Mother Earth,’ said Doli, puffing. ‘I thought we'd never get here.’
The vines opened into a clearing, surrounded by grey-trunked trees. At the base of the trees, nodding in the dim light, were hundreds and hundreds of purple coneflowers, forming a perfect circle. At the centre was a fireplace and around it, like giant mushrooms in the grass, stood a village of grey huts.
Faces peered from narrow doorways.
A cry went up. ‘It’s the aunties! The aunties have returned!’
People began to run from the huts, waving their arms. ‘It’s Kai! He’s come home! He’s safe!’
There were hugs and kisses, tears and laughter.
‘Oh dear,’ said Aunty Mai, wiping her eyes. ‘It’s been such a long time.’
*
Kai walked with Brek to Grandma Helki's hut. He found her lying on sheets of silk, her white hair spread across the pillow. Her eyes were closed and her breathing fast and shallow.
‘I'd better come back later,’ Kai whispered, turning to leave.
‘You'll do no such thing.’ The old woman's eyes shot open, still the brilliant blue he remembered. She tried to sit up. Kai threw himself on the bed and put both arms around her.
‘You're squashing me, you big lug,’ she croaked.
‘Grandma,’ Kai said, leaning back. ‘They said you were dying.’
‘Dying? Pah!’ Her eyes were twinkling now. ‘You should know better than that, after all I've taught you.’
‘But you’re going away?’ Kai looked uncertain, his hands playing across the sheets.
She took both his hands in hers. ‘It’s your turn now, dear boy. I can’t protect our people any longer. When the coneflowers fade the protection will fade, and there will be nothing to stop Tenzel.’
She took a deep breath. ‘I’ve always believed in you, Kai.’
‘But Grandma, I –’
‘Shhh. It’s time … for you to start … believing in yourself.’
Her eyes closed.
‘But what must I do?’ Kai asked. ‘Please Grandma, what must I do?’
Brek put his hand on the boy's shoulder and led him from the bedside.
‘Let her rest,’ he whispered.
Kai felt tears smart in his eyes. He looked at the frail old woman who had loved him so completely for so many years.
‘Do you see why you had to come back?’ Brek said softly. ‘The coneflowers are fading. The tree houses are gone. We have nowhere left to hide.’
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He walked out of the hut and toward the fireplace, where a group of people were bustling around with trays of vegetables and bowls of fluffy grain.
‘Come on, you need to eat.’
‘You go ahead,’ said Kai. ‘I’m not hungry.’ He walked away to sit by himself in front of the hut. He felt the book against his chest and pulled it from his shirt, handling it gently, fearing it would fall apart in his hands. He opened the cover and stared at the inscription on the first page.
Only one may share my secrets,
Only one may know my truths,
Only one will have the courage to follow me.
If you are that one, I bless you.
The way is not easy, but it is yours to discover.
Wicasa, High Chief of the Kalika
Kai looked at the faded scrawl. He felt a tingle in his fingers. His heart beat a little faster. He turned to the next page.
Incantation for Opening your Heart
Did he dare to read on? Did he want to open his heart? What would happen? Would it hurt?
His eyes wandered to the next line and, before he knew it, he was whispering the words.
I fill my heart with emerald green,
Banish the red glow of fear,
Banish the black haze of dread,
Banish the shadows of doubt.
He closed his eyes and imagined his chest filled with emerald green. The colour gave him strength. His fears fell away. Magic crackled in the air around him. He could feel it; he was part of it.
He turned the page and saw the words on the next page come alive – the gold letters swirling and dancing across the page. It was a spell for understanding the earth. Should he …?
He whispered the words.
The trees stirred. Their breath was soft against his cheek; their thoughts touched his soul. He could sense the movement of the wind. He could feel the earth rippling at his feet, making him leap up in reflex.
On the edge of the clearing was a moss-covered rock, as ancient as the land itself. He ran to it and put his hands on it. Magic pulsed through his body. It tingled in his arms and legs, sparking at the tips of his toes.
He could make out voices …
