The Shaman's Secret (Kalika Magic Book 2) Read online

  Nima stood very still. With a furious cry, Mugadi raised the shining blade.

  But before he could reach her, before he could swing the blade and knock her to the ground, the rocks crumbled and the dust rose and the earth split in two.

  A deep crevasse opened across the plain. Men screamed. Horses scrabbled and leapt free, their reins trailing, their riders thrown into the darkness. Scores of men from each side turned to flee, while the generals roared at them to stand their ground.

  Mugadi’s horse teetered at the edge of the crevasse, but he held it firm. The earth groaned. The crack opened wider. At the centre was a tawny creature, like a lion without a mane, white-striped with fangs that jutted from its jaw. It leapt from bank to bank, as if it were running on air.

  ‘Sweet Mother Earth,’ whispered the queen. ‘A wildcat. We’ll all be eaten alive.’

  Indie clung to the saddle as her mother pulled the reins. The horse reared. The queen was flung to the ground and lay still where she landed, her dark hair covering her face. Indie struggled to hold the horse, but it was no use. She was falling – her hands clutching at the reins, her ankle caught in the stirrup.

  Jabar pulled her free. In shock, she glimpsed his dark tunic, his angry young face. He threw her clear and pulled his horse around, as the earth fell away behind them.

  Mugadi sat on his horse. The shadow wolf appeared at his side, its teeth bared, its hackles up. The Dasa stood with their spears held high. The soldiers of Moto crawled through the dust behind them. On the other side of the crevasse, the king threw himself from his horse and gathered the queen in his arms.

  Mugadi watched the wildcat. The wolf watched Mugadi. Indie lay at the edge of the crevasse, watching them both. She looked for Nima, but the girl was gone. There was only the shadowy form of a leopard, leaping through the air, running back to the Moon Tree.

  Slowly Mugadi raised his scimitar. The wildcat blinked its yellow eyes. It bent its great head. Its fur rippled. Stretching its mighty limbs, it sank into the earth.

  In its place stood a man. He wore a cloak of deep dark green and a thick brown belt hung with a totem pouch and dagger. A string of bones hung around his neck. In his hand was a long polished stick. He pointed the stick at Mugadi. The Dasa leader cried out and dropped his curved sword. It turned to ashes as it hit the ground.

  The shadow wolf raised its head and howled. It padded from Mugadi’s side and sat before the man, settling like a dog at his feet.

  Mugadi’s face turned pale. ‘No,’ he whispered.

  The man leaned to pat the wolf. The creature rubbed against his hand. When he straightened he was smiling. ‘I journeyed to Undaba with you to find your wolf. Did you really think she would turn against me?’

  Beads of sweat ran down Mugadi’s face. ‘But you are old, Yanti. Your powers are gone.’

  Indie stared. This man couldn’t be Shaman Yanti. He couldn’t. The man standing before them was strong and ageless, his back straight, his eyes a vivid blue. But there was something familiar in the slant of his nose, in the tilt of his chin. He put his hand out and the wolf bowed its head, then it jumped into the crevasse and vanished.

  ‘I have no quarrel with you,’ said Mugadi. ‘Join me. We will march into Ballyndor and take back the throne for Sofia.’

  ‘I have sacrificed enough for Sofia,’ said the shaman. ‘My power, my youth, my sight. She made me forget the first law of magic. “Do no harm.”’

  ‘Do no harm.’ Mugadi’s lip curled. ‘It is a law for lesser men.’

  ‘It is a law for everyone,’ said the shaman. ‘And I have paid the price for breaking it.’

  ‘You loved Sofia,’ said Mugadi. ‘The Emerald Princess destroyed her. Her own flesh and blood.’

  A look of pain crossed the shaman’s face as he shook his head. ‘Sofia destroyed herself. She forgot what was important.’

  ‘If you mean Nima, you’re wrong. Your precious child is a traitor,’ hissed Mugadi.

  ‘You are the traitor, Mugadi.’ The shaman touched the dagger on his belt. ‘I want no part of this.’

  ‘You fool,’ cried Mugadi. ‘You are already part of this. You gave Sofia the berries to poison the young prince. You taught her the magic.’ He grasped the reins and kicked his horse into a gallop, riding directly at the shaman.

  Indie saw the mountain tremble; the rocks come tumbling down. ‘Stop!’ she cried. But the horse thundered on – dust flying from its hooves, blood covering its flanks.

  The shaman didn’t flinch. He held up both hands and closed his eyes.

  Mugadi dug his boots into the horse’s flank. He slapped the horse’s neck with the reins.

  At the last possible moment, when the horse reared and its hooves came down and the shaman would have been crushed into the dirt, the edge of the crevasse gave way.

  Mugadi was thrown from the horse’s back. His hands clawed at the saddle. His fingers grasped at the rocks and the grass. He fell into the darkness, as the mountain shook and the sky turned black and the earth closed over him, muffling his cries.

  All was silent.

  All was still.

  The shaman had vanished. The great crack in the earth was gone. The plain stretched out, unbroken, as if nothing had happened.

  Indie scrambled to her feet. She was on the wrong side of the battle. The hard, shocked faces of the Dasa Warriors surrounded her. She had no idea what they would do. She ran to Mugadi’s horse and climbed onto its back.

  ‘I am the Emerald Child of Ballyndor,’ she shouted. ‘Gort is a mighty land. We will not bow to a foreign emperor. We will not be slaves to Moto.’

  She looked at Jabar. The Dasa were looking at him too. Even the soldiers of Moto seemed to be waiting for his command. There was no move from the emperor’s box. He was hiding behind his curtains.

  ‘The old books say that the land of Gort can only be saved by its children,’ Indie cried. ‘That’s us, Jabar. You and me and Kai and Nima, and all the others we haven’t met yet. We have to find the apiki flower –’

  ‘You are talking rubbish,’ said Jabar. His hands trembled on the reins. ‘The apiki flower isn't real.’

  Indie saw the Dasa Warriors moving forward, lifting their spears.

  ‘You have to listen to me,’ she said. ‘The apiki flower is a child. We have to find her. It’s the only way to save Gort.’

  ‘It’s too late. Your family has destroyed Gort.’

  ‘You are wrong. I am the Emerald. Kai is the sorcerer. We are the children in the old prophecies, we are the ones who will save this land.’

  Jabar’s face was contorted with grief. Indie held her breath. Would he choose vengeance? Would he summon his army and thunder on to Ballyndor?

  She rode slowly up beside him. He was gazing out across the plain. It was a terrible sight. Fallen horses, wounded men. The ugly waste of battle.

  He slumped in the saddle, twisting the reins through his fingers. ‘I didn’t want this to happen,’ he said. ‘But what can I do? What can I do?’

  A great screech broke the air. Indie saw her eagle circle through the sky. Silver flashed against gold, and a smaller bird came into view.

  It was a hawk.

  Jabar frowned. Slowly, slowly he held out his arm. The hawk circled in low and came to rest near his wrist, its yellow eyes fixed on his face. He swallowed, and raised his fingers to stroke the soft grey feathers.

  ‘The animals come when you need them,’ he said softly. ‘I never believed Nima when she said that. I searched for my totem animal. I went into the mountains without food and water and stayed there for days, waiting for my animal to come. My father said I was a failure.’

  When he looked at Indie, his face had changed. His eyes were filled with wonder. ‘I can hear her,’ he said. ‘She says I must trust you.’

  Indie nodded. She couldn’t speak.

  Jabar turned to his warriors, the hawk still resting on his arm. ‘The mountains are part of Gort,’ he cried. ‘The princess has promised to save this land. We
must help her.’

  The Dasa stared at the hawk. Then slowly, one by one, they laid down their spears. They knelt before Indie with their heads bowed.

  There was a shout behind them and the soldiers parted for the emperor, who had clambered down from his elephant and was running toward them in his golden slippers.

  ‘What nonsense is this?’ he protested. ‘I have brought my whole army across the mountains. I have braved the glacier and the caves of ice and the savages of Gort because your father made me a promise. Now you must keep it, boy. The Dasa are loyal to Moto. You are my servants. You will march into Ballyndor with me.’

  ‘No,’ said Jabar. ‘My father was wrong.’ He sat tall on his horse, his snake tattoo winding up his arm. ‘We fight for Ballyndor.’

  The Dasa leapt to their feet, waving their spears and whooping. The emperor scuttled back to his men.

  Jabar turned to Indie with a shy grin. But she had turned away. She was galloping Mugadi’s horse across the plain to the king, who sat on the ground with the queen.

  Indie threw down the reins and tumbled from the horse. Her mother looked up. She held out her arms. Indie fell into them with a sob.

  ‘I thought you were dead,’ she said.

  Her mother struggled to sit up. ‘I’m stronger than I look.’

  Indie looked at the clear Kalika eyes, the proud chin. The queen was different somehow. ‘You were so brave,’ she whispered.

  ‘Not as brave as you,’ said her mother.

  When Indie rode back to Jabar, she found him busily directing his army to set up camp for the night. ‘You’re not going back to Linden,’ he told the emperor, overriding his protests. ‘You’ve done enough damage there already. You can stay here. In the morning we’ll take you back up the mountain and over into Moto.’

  The last of the soldiers straggled in to pitch their tents and set up their cooking pots. Indie stood by Jabar, watching as he answered questions from the men and pointed them in the right direction. They respected him; she could see that. She hoped that it would last.

  In the midst of the preparations, a shout went up. Someone was running down from the mountain. It was Nima. She was weeping, covered in blood, and looked as if she might collapse at any moment. One of the soldiers picked her up and carried her through the crowd.

  ‘You have to come,’ she gasped. ‘It’s Kai.’

  chapter 24

  The Final Journey

  Kai gave the queen a weak smile. ‘I’m sorry, Mum,' he whispered. ‘I had to use my magic.’

  ‘I know,’ said the queen, her eyes filled with tears. ‘I understand that now.’

  Nima pulled Indie aside. ‘Sisika is gone,’ she said. ‘I have to go to Undaba and find her. She will protect him, she will make him well again.’

  Indie nodded. She didn’t understand, but she knew Nima was right. ‘I’m coming with you,’ she said.

  Nima laid out the totems from the medicine pouch. The queen looked on, without a word. As Nima took Indie’s hand and leaned over the wheel, the queen touched her arm. ‘Good luck,’ she whispered.

  Closing her eyes, Nima gave a long low whistle. Indie did the same. Instantly her mind was filled with the flapping of golden wings. She was crawling through the black earth, tiny roots like cobwebs brushing against her skin.

  A light broke the darkness and she was plunged into a bright, clear sky. She sat in a nest of feathers and twigs, high above a sun-drenched canyon. Above her the eagle screamed.

  Through the sky came Usha, the great white leopard. She jumped from cloud to cloud, running lightly through the air. As she drew closer Indie could see Nima sitting on the leopard’s back, clinging to her fur.

  ‘We have to keep searching for Sisika,’ cried Nima. ‘You go that way, I’ll go this way.’

  She disappeared into the sky.

  Indie spread her arms wide and felt herself taking another form. She was looking out through eagle eyes, swooping low over the canyon, searching, searching.

  And then she saw it. Far, far below. A tiny red speck in the branches of a solitary tree.

  She shrieked with her eagle voice and saw Usha running beside her. Together they plummeted through the air to the earth.

  ‘Sisika,’ cried Nima, climbing down from the leopard’s back. ‘Will you come back with us?’

  The red owl blinked and turned her head away.

  ‘Kai is a sorcerer,’ said Nima. ‘A Kalika sorcerer. You knew it would be dangerous when you chose him.’

  The red owl turned back, her eyes glowing.

  ‘I know it is hard,’ said Nima. ‘But he needs you.’

  The owl opened her yellow beak. Indie expected the sharp who, who, but she heard a gentle voice instead.

  ‘There will be more battles, more fighting and Kai will be right in the thick of it,’ said the owl. ‘I do not think I can protect him.’

  ‘Of course you can,’ said Nima. ‘I know you can.’

  The owl was silent.

  ‘Please,’ whispered Indie. ‘Kai is badly hurt.’

  The owl spread her wings. ‘I will come,’ she said. ‘I will come because he needs me, and because you have asked me.’

  She looked at Indie. ‘I honour you, Emerald of Ballyndor.’

  ‘I honour you, Sisika,’ said Indie.

  The owl blinked and turned to Nima. ‘And I bless you, Apiki Flower.’

  Nima bowed her head.

  ‘What did she say?’ whispered Indie, her eyes wide. ‘What did she call you?’

  ‘Apiki Flower,’ said the owl. ‘The Flower of the Mountain.’

  The darkness closed in around Indie and she rushed through the tunnel, up towards the light. Nima sat beside her, her palms pressed to her eyes. She leaned over and squeezed Indie’s hand.

  They both looked at Kai. He was sitting up, grinning at them.

  ‘I knew it was you,’ he said to Nima. ‘I knew you were the flower.’

  ‘You did not,’ said Indie.

  Nima was quiet. ‘I don’t know what it means,’ she said.

  The queen took her hand. ‘It is said that the apiki flower will heal this land. You must help Kai practise his magic. You are his link with the mountain. Together you will make Gort green again.’

  King Eamon put his arm around Indie’s shoulder. ‘And you must begin sword fighting lessons immediately,’ he said. He nodded to Dargan. ‘The Emerald Child of Ballyndor should be able to wield a sword, even if she never needs to. Do you know anyone who could teach her?'

  Dargan grinned. ‘I have Thursdays free,' he said.

  Indie looked at her mother. The queen’s face was pale, but she met Indie’s eyes and smiled. ‘I think I'll have some lessons, too,’ she said.

  Nima looked back at the mountain. She saw a shadow moving through the rocks, a great lion with jutting teeth. The others did not see it. Indie leaned back against her father, her head on his shoulder. The queen caressed Kai’s forehead, never taking her eyes from his face.

  There was an ache in Nima’s heart, an empty space she knew they couldn’t fill. ‘I will come back to you,’ she whispered. ‘But there’s something I must do first.’

  *

  Deep inside the earth, the shaman sat by a fire at the edge of a blackwater pool. He rocked back and forth, whispering secret words. In his hand was a medicine pouch filled with totems – a raven’s wing, a dolphin carved from driftwood, a scorpion’s tail, the jawbone of a wolf. He spread them in a circle beside the water. Then he took a small velvet bag from his cloak and opened it, checking the contents. Two seeds. Only two. All that was left of the star fruit.

  ‘Put it in your mouth,’ he said to Nima, who sat quietly beside him.

  The seed was sharp and bitter. It made her tongue numb.

  ‘Now make a wish,’ said the shaman. ‘Don’t tell me what it is. You must keep it in your heart.’

  Nima shivered. She pulled her ragged purple cloak around her shoulders and closed her eyes. The shaman had told her to choose the thing that w
ould make her happiest, the thing that she wanted most in the whole wide world.

  'All I want is my mother,' she thought.

  A shudder ran through the rocks. The dark walls trembled.

  ‘It is done,’ said the shaman. For a moment his face was grave. Then he stood and tucked the bag inside his cloak.

  Taking Nima’s hand, he stepped into the water.

  BY THE SAME AUTHOR:

  Before ‘THE SHAMAN’S SECRET’, Indie lives on a hidden island far from the land of Gort. Aunt Sofia has been biding her time, plotting to destroy the Kalika people and transform Gort into a place of steel towers and science. Only Indie and her brother, Kai, can stop her. Kai must call on the four elements – earth, fire, water and air – and Indie must find the courage to claim her father’s sword.

  Visit the website at http://www.kalikamagic.com