Emerald Child (Kalika Magic Book 1) Read online

  Just a little further, she thought. Then I’ll find out about the boy and the smoke, and then I can shut the chest and go back to bed and nobody will ever know.

  Clunk. The patch of light at the top of the staircase vanished. Indie tried to run back, but the wood buckled beneath her feet. When she looked up, she saw the staircase had become a slope – slippery and smooth, impossible to climb.

  ‘Aunty Mai!’ she cried, in sudden panic. ‘Aunty Mai!’

  Her voice echoed in the darkness, but Aunty Mai did not come.

  She took a deep breath. It was so much darker with the lid shut, and the dark made her feel small. It made her think of the nightmares she used to have, curled beneath the blankets, calling for her mother. ‘No use crying,’ Aunt Sofia would say. ‘Crying won’t bring her back.’

  She clenched her fists and lifted her chin. She couldn’t possibly climb this slope. There was nowhere to go but down.

  ‘Hurry,’ said a voice. ‘You have to walk faster.’

  ‘Who’s there?’ said Indie. She looked down the staircase, but it was too dark to see.

  ‘Down here,’ said the voice. ‘I’m just below you.’

  Indie took a step. A curtain of mist floated in front of her, sparkling with light. She touched it, carefully, with the tip of her finger. It was like silk. She put out both hands and ran them through the curtain, moving it with her fingers, draping it over her skin.

  ‘You have to close your eyes,’ said the voice. ‘You can’t be afraid.’

  Indie looked back. The staircase had become even steeper now, as if it were rising up behind her, ready to push her off. She looked down at the curtain. She couldn’t stay here, trapped in the dark. The voice sounded friendly enough, and young. It’s the boy, she thought. It must be the boy.

  ‘Come on,’ said the boy’s voice. ‘I can help you.’

  Indie took another deep breath. She closed her eyes and stepped into the mist. The silk wrapped around her body. She felt the boy’s hands grabbing her wrists and pulling, pulling her through.

  ‘Wait! I don’t like this.’ The silk was twisting around her and she began to fight against it, overtaken by a rising sense of unease.

  The boy pulled harder. ‘Ki-somma,’ he whispered. ‘Kokomi ki-somma.’

  ‘It’s too tight,’ cried Indie, struggling to break free. ‘I can’t breath.’

  ‘Aohkii. Kokomi ki-somma.’

  ‘Help me!’ She flailed her arms. The boy held on tightly, pulling harder and harder.

  ‘I can’t … oh … no, I …’

  There was a squelching, sucking sound and Indie tumbled through the mist, landing on the next step. Her foot slipped and she teetered on the edge, only saved from falling into the darkness by the boy beside her, holding her.

  He was younger than her, tall and thin, with dark skin and even darker hair. His eyes were blue, like the sky in summer, and he wore a purple cloak-like garment that fell to his ankles.

  Indie stared at him. ‘Who are you?’ she whispered.

  ‘I’m Kai,’ the boy said, ‘Come on, we have to hurry.’

  Indie couldn’t move, struck by his strange clothes. ‘But you’re wearing a dress,’ she said. ‘Why are you wearing a purple dress?’

  ‘It’s not a dress,’ Kai gathered the cloak around him and stood up straight. ‘It’s a magic robe.’

  Indie grinned; she couldn’t help teasing him. ‘It’s very pretty,’ she said.

  Kai frowned. ‘It is not pretty. It’s –’ he bit his lip. ‘Well, look at you; you can’t talk,’ he said. ‘What are those things supposed to be?’

  Indie looked down at her pyjamas. She shrugged. ‘My Aunt Sofia made them for me. She knew I’d hate them. Let’s just go, okay.’

  The staircase was wider now. Kai led the way. Not a sound, not a word; just the smooth swish of his cloak and the pad of his bare feet. The darkness was broken by hundreds of tiny lights, floating in the air, peppering the walls with gold.

  ‘Lava beetles’, said Kai. ‘Don’t let them land on you. They sting.’

  ‘Lava beetles,’ whispered Indie. She brushed one from her arm, feeling a sharp tingle against her skin. ‘What is this place?’

  ‘It’s the road to Ballyndor,’ said Kai.

  ‘Ballyndor? The city in Aunty Mai’s book?’

  ‘The biggest city in Gort.’

  ‘But I’ve never heard of Gort.’

  ‘Yes you have,’ said Kai.

  Indie was silent. He’s teasing me, she thought. He’s making it up.

  Kai jumped the next three steps and turned to her with a grin. ‘You have to trust me, Indie,’ he said. ‘I’m taking you home.’

  Indie frowned. ‘Home?’ she said. ‘What do you mean home?’

  *

  Down and down they climbed; on and on.

  ‘I’m over this,’ Indie said at last. ‘I have to stop.’

  ‘But we’re nearly there,’ said Kai.

  Indie sat on the step. She had a stitch in her side and her cheeks were flushed.

  ‘This is the easy part,’ said Kai, sitting beside her.

  ‘Easy?’ said Indie. ‘These stairs go on forever.’

  ‘I know,’ said Kai. ‘But you'll make it. You have to.’

  Indie wasn’t convinced in the slightest. Adventures were supposed to be fun, not hard work. And who went adventuring in green silk pyjamas?

  ‘Why do I have to make it?’ she said. ‘What if I don’t want to?’

  ‘We need you, Indie,’ Kai said softly. ‘ But I’m not supposed to tell you too much. Grandma Helki says it’s dangerous. She says Uncle Paco will tell you everything you need to know.’

  Grandma Helki? Uncle Paco? Indie sighed. But she couldn’t go back now. There were too many questions to ask.

  Kai stood, and began to glide down the stairs. ‘There are better things ahead,’ he said. ‘You just have to trust me.’

  ‘Easy for you to say,’ Indie muttered, stomping after him.

  Down, down, down.

  And then, suddenly, Kai stopped. He put his finger to his lips. ‘Shhh.’

  The stairs had widened into a platform. In one corner was a seat with a faded yellow cushion; next to it stood a column of gold. A large crystal ball floated above the column, sparkling and glittering with light.

  The boy walked forward and raised his hand to touch the ball, gently.

  ‘What’s that?’ said Indie, her eyes widening in astonishment. ‘Why are you touching it?’

  ‘Shhh,’ said Kai. ‘Listen. Can you hear?’

  Indie stood beside him, her arms crossed. Green eyes – cat’s eyes – shining in the lamplight.

  ‘What are we listening for?’ she asked.

  ‘Who,’ said Kai.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Yes, we’re listening for a ‘who’, not a ‘what’.’

  ‘Oh, you’re so annoying! Who, then.’

  ‘Grandma Helki. She promised she’d meet me here.’

  ‘Grandma Helki!’

  ‘She’s my great grandmother.’

  ‘Your great grandmother! So tell me what an old lady would be doing miles underground – ’

  Sizzle! Snip! The ball crackled with light, sparks of yellow splintering the blue.

  ‘What is that thing?’ Indie asked, pointing. ‘Can I touch it?’ She took a step forward, but was brought up short by the sharp tone in Kai’s voice.

  ‘No!’

  ‘What’s it for? Is it magic?’

  Kai looked at her in approval. ‘Questions are good. Grandma Helki says they show an interest in the world around you.’

  ‘Answers are good too.’

  Kai bit his lip. ‘Not always,’ he said.

  Indie stood in silence. She put her hand on her stomach – it seemed like hours since she’d eaten her dinner. I hope this grandma is the kind who bakes, she thought. I wonder how long she’ll be.

  Kai sat on the seat. ‘There’ll be plenty of food there,’ he said.

  ‘So now
you can read my mind.’

  ‘No,’ Kai laughed. ‘I can hear your stomach grumbling.’

  Indie wanted to punch him.

  ‘You’re really starting to annoy me,’ she said. ‘If you don’t tell me what’s going on, right now ... ’

  ‘We-ell. I’m not supposed to.’

  Indie sat next to him on the faded cushion. She leaned across and stuck her elbow in his ribs.

  ‘Ow!’ cried Kai. ‘What did you do that for?’

  ‘Just tell me.’

  ‘You don’t have to poke me.’

  ‘Why would we be meeting your great grandmother here? In the dark?’

  ‘She promised she’d be here,’ Kai said. ‘She always keeps her promises.’

  ‘But why – ’

  ‘To help me, okay? To help me with the magic.’

  ‘So she's a witch, then?’

  Kai's voice was scornful: ‘No. That’s a dumb thing to say. She’s one of the Kalika, the forest people. She works with plants mostly, makes medicines and lotions from them. She says she’s best friends with Mother Earth and,’ he put on the crackling voice of an old woman, ‘if that makes me a witch, then so be it.’

  ‘But why would she be climbing down the stairs? Is she coming to get us like Aunty Mai said?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ said Kai.

  ‘Then why would she –’

  ‘I can’t tell you, Indie.’

  ‘But –’

  ‘Shhh,’ said Kai, holding up his hand. ‘I’m listening.’

  *

  Eventually, the boy stood up. ‘She mustn’t be coming after all,’ he said flatly. ‘She promised she’d come. She promised I wouldn’t have to face him by myself.’ He started walking down the stairs. Indie followed, wrapping her arms against the cold and against the strange things Kai was telling her.

  Deeper, deeper.

  The air grew dank and musty; the specks of golden light began to fade.

  It was too quiet. Indie couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. She began to walk faster.

  After a while, the stairs ended abruptly, and Indie stumbled without warning into an enormous cave with black walls and a floor as smooth as marble. A mist rose from the floor and wreathed around her head, brushing her hair with icy fingers; then it crept up the staircase, leaving a trail of wispy white.

  Indie watched, fascinated as, one by one, the steps dissolved behind her. The walls of the cavern formed a circle, strong and dark.

  ‘Now what?’ she whispered.

  Chapter 3

  Uncle Paco

  Kai stood at the centre of the cavern, his palms pressed together as though in prayer. His eyes were closed and a small smile played across his lips.

  He began to chant.

  Locked be the pathway,

  Locked be the door,

  Locked be the castle gate,

  Upon the distant shore.

  He stopped, lifted his arms high above his head and spread his fingers wide. His voice echoed through the cavern. ‘Open now to the children of Ballyndor!’

  Stretching out his arms he began to spin, slowly at first and then faster – his robe whirling around him, strange letters Indie hadn’t noticed before in the darkness now glowing gold on the hem.

  ‘Ki-somma. Kokomi ki-somma.’

  The walls began to tremble. A cloud of dust rose from the floor, making Indie cough. She pulled the collar of her pyjamas up around her nose, crouched down and buried her head in her arms.

  When the chanting stopped and the dust cleared, Indie looked up. Kai stood before an enormous door set into the wall of the cave, dominated by a gold knocker in the shape of an eagle. He stepped forward and pressed his palms against the wood.

  ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘Smells good, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Smells like wood,’ said Indie, coming forward to run her fingers across the surface. ‘How did –’

  ‘It comes from the old cedar tree near my uncle's house. Grandma Helki said it was struck by lightening the year I was born. She said it was an omen.’

  ‘No, I mean, how did you – ’

  ‘An omen’s a sign. It means something bad is going to happen.’

  ‘I know what an omen is. I want to know where the door – ’

  Kai looked away. ‘My uncle lives here now, under the ground. I haven't seen him for years. Grandma Helki thinks we’ll learn a lot from him. She says …’ He took a deep breath. ‘She says he’s not as bad as he seems.’

  He reached up and grasped the gold knocker. The eagle glowered at him as he hammered. Once, twice, three times.

  There was a faint hiss. Indie took a step back. I must have dust in my ears, she thought.

  Silence. Then the pad-pad-pad of footsteps and the rattle of keys on a chain.

  ‘I'm coming, I'm coming,’ said an irritated voice. More shuffling of keys, more footsteps.

  Finally the door swung open to reveal an old man. His eyes were the same deep blue as Kai’s but they were narrow and hooded, as if he’d seen too much of the world.

  He looked gravely at Indie, shivering in her silk pyjamas. She stared back at him through her matted hair: her face was smeared with dirt, her eyes wary.

  ‘So,’ the old man said, ‘she has finally sent you to me.’ He cracked his knuckles one by one. ‘At last you will be safe. Yes, yes. You will be safe here.’

  He turned and walked away.

  Kai followed. ‘Come on, Indie,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘It’ll be okay. I promise.’

  She hesitated. Then she stepped through the doorway, some instinct making her look over her shoulder. The door was gone and the smooth wall of the cavern stood in its place.

  They now stood in an even larger cave, with branching tunnels at the far end. The air was sweet and filled with the smell of incense. ‘Sandalwood,’ Kai whispered. ‘For protection.’

  Rugs of red and gold covered the floor, woven with trees and castles, horses and swordsmen. The walls were lined with shelves and each shelf was filled with hundreds and hundreds of books. Indie had never seen so many books.

  ‘Look around you,’ the old man said, beckoning them to sit on the cushions at his feet. ‘See the curling pages, dusty with age. Amazing stories, wonderful drawings – the history of our world and every other world since time began. Priceless. Yes, yes. Marvellous … yes.’

  ‘Uncle Paco,’ Kai sounded uncertain. There was no sign of his smile. ‘We’re really tired. Can we start in the morning?’

  ‘But there's so much to be done. Yes, yes. So much to be done.’ The old man shook his head, looking at Indie’s bedraggled appearance. ‘Still, a warm bath … and perhaps some better clothes ... ’

  He walked over to a writing desk scattered with parchment paper, quills and bottles of ink. On one corner stood a silver bell, which rang high and clear as the old man picked it up.

  A grey-haired woman with a feather duster scurried into the room. She was small and round, and over her dress she wore a pink apron with ruffles at the edge.

  ‘Ah, the children have arrived.’ She smiled so broadly her eyes crinkled into her cheeks. ‘My dear Kai, I’m so glad you’re here. And this must be Indie.’ She looked at her carefully. ‘Not a princess yet, my dear, but there’s plenty of time.’

  ‘That’s enough, Millie,’ the old man said. ‘Take the children to the bathing room and find them some fresh nightclothes. Hurry. We have work to do.’

  Millie led them through the tunnels until they reached a cave filled with pools of steaming water. ‘You can wash here,’ she told Indie, pointing to a stream that bubbled from the wall. ‘Then spend as long as you like in the hot springs.’ She patted Indie’s hand. ‘Have a good long soak, lovey. You look like you need it.’

  *

  Half an hour later, they were bathed and dressed in flowing white nightshirts, and Millie was bringing in a tray of bread and cheese. Sitting on silk cushions, they munched ravenously, listening while the old man talked.

  ‘Do you see thes
e books?’ he began, pointing to the shelves that lined the closest wall. ‘All the history of Gort, and within it the great city of Ballyndor.’

  He picked out a blue book with silver binding and began to read. ‘In 354, the year of the lunar eclipse, our gracious king and queen rule the kingdom of Gort.’

  ‘Ah, Gort,’ he gazed past the children. ‘Glorious Gort.’

  ‘One day,’ he said, his voice trembling. ‘One day, you will see Gort and you will know why I speak this way. It is a place that never leaves you, no matter how widely you travel. A beautiful place.’

  ‘Uncle Paco …’

  ‘What is it, lad?’

  ‘I … I think it’s time Indie was told.’

  ‘Indie will remember when she needs to,’ the old man’s voice was sharp with warning. ‘She must find out for herself.’

  ‘I'm sorry,’ Kai looked down. ‘It’s just … well … I think she should know now.’

  Indie sat quietly, picking at her dinner, trying not to let her confusion show too obviously.

  What is this place? she thought. There are so many books. But I can’t have come all this way to sit in a cave and read.

  Sit in a cave …

  She frowned. Something wasn’t right. She knew every cave on the island. She had crawled through shallow tunnels of blue green glass, hidden in caverns that rose from the sand like an ocean wave. Even the cliffs were a deep sea green. But this cave was made of dry black rock, which crumbled against her hand.

  The back of Indie’s neck tingled in shock.

  It was too different.

  It wasn’t like her island at all ...

  ‘At least tell her about Ballyndor,’ Kai was saying, when Indie finally came to her senses.

  The old man looked up. ‘She will remember in time.’

  He turned to Indie. ‘You don’t need me to tell you,’ he said. ‘Ballyndor is already a part of you: part of your bones, part of the very blood that courses through your veins.’

  His eyes grew distant and he whispered in a singsong voice,

  Ballyndor, in the land of kings,

  Where the river meets the sea,

  Where the Kalika Forest stands alone,

  And all men will be free.