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

  ‘Oh … nobody. You need to come with me. We have to go back.’

  ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ The boy backed away from him. ‘I like it here.’

  He turned and ran off through the trees.

  Kai watched him go. He stroked Sisika, who had fluttered down to land on his shoulder. ‘This might be harder than I thought,’ he said.

  The boy ran like a hare, darting in and out of the trees. The trees weren’t densely packed, they were dotted here and there across the grass: a parkland of swaying limbs and twisting branches, perfect for climbing. There were vines, too, for swinging from tree to tree; and beyond the trees he could see huge boulders and the dark opening of a cave.

  Stopping at a small stream, the boy cupped his hands and drank. Kai did the same, gasping at the icy water. The stream wandered through the trees, pooling into swimming holes, tumbling into rapids, rolling into whirlpools topped with foam.

  At the edge of a large swimming hole, the boy grabbed a vine and swung out over the water, yelling as he hit the surface.

  ‘Last one in is the king’s fool,’ he called to Kai.

  Kai watched him from the bank, wondering if his guess had been right. Was this scruffy boy really his father? This boy with his hair plastered to his forehead, treading water, waving his arms. Would he become the man who always had something else to do, somewhere else to be? The man who was too busy to play?

  Kai laughed; and then he ran as fast as he could to the vine, took a flying leap and sailed high above the water.

  Splash. He landed right beside the boy. The boy shrieked and dived; he grabbed Kai’s legs and pulled him under. Kai flailed his arms; he twisted and pushed the boy away.

  The boy came up laughing. ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘Something I forgot to do.’ He leaned over and pinched Kai’s arm, and then punched his shoulder.

  ‘Ouch,’ cried Kai.

  ‘Pinch and a punch. No returns.’ The boy dived under the water and swam away.

  ‘I’ll get you,’ yelled Kai. He swam after him.

  The boy clambered onto the bank. ‘No returns, I said. No returns!’ He saw Kai coming after him and ran off through the trees.

  Later they lay side by side on the grass, looking up at the sky.

  ‘So I’m a king.’ The boy raised himself on one arm. ‘And I have a wife and two children.’ He screwed up his nose. ‘Nah. I don’t believe you. You’re making it all up.’

  ‘No, I’m not,’ said Kai. ‘It’s true. Mugadi is leading an army to Ballyndor, and if you’re not there –’

  ‘Everyone will die?’ The boy looked hopeful. ‘With swords and fighting and blood and stuff?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Kai. ‘They’ll all die. My moth … I mean your wife, Tala. She’ll die too. Or they’ll lock her in some horrible dungeon with rats and things and, I don’t know, make her marry Mugadi, I guess.’

  The boy frowned. For a moment his eyes darkened, as if he remembered Tala; as if he knew he was the king. But this passed. He rolled onto his back and gazed up at the sky.

  ‘It’s always summer here,’ he said. ‘There’s no school, no one tells you what to do. You can sleep on the grass or in a tree, swim all day …’

  ‘You have a castle at home,’ said Kai. ‘You’re a king. You can do anything you want.’

  The boy was quiet. ‘I don’t think a king can do anything. Not really. I think you’d always be worried about everything. You’d be busy all the time making sure everyone was doing their jobs – listening to problems, sorting them out. I don’t think you’d have time for anything else.’

  Kai said nothing, taken aback. The boy was right, of course.

  ‘And then you’d get so caught up in it all that you’d forget how to have fun.’ The boy sighed. He looked closely at Kai. ‘You’d forget how to play with your children.’

  He put his hands behind his head and lay back on the grass, gazing up at the clouds.

  ‘Maybe we should bring my wife here,’ he said. ‘And my children. We could run and play and climb trees and think of nothing but having fun. Happily ever after.’

  The grass was cool and soft under Kai’s head. The sun shone on his face, sending him into a doze. He thought about his mother playing beneath the trees, his father swinging into the water. Happily ever after.

  Grandma Helki’s voice shook him from his dream. Remember who you are.

  He sat up. ‘If we don’t go back to Ballyndor, people will die.’

  ‘We’ll bring them here too.’

  ‘What, all the people at the castle?’

  ‘Sure,’ said the boy, grinning. ‘Why not?’

  ‘And Aunty Mai? And Dargan and Brek? And the rest of the forest people?’

  The boy frowned. The list was getting too long. It was obvious that so many people wouldn’t fit on the island.

  Kai shook his head. ‘We have to go back. We can’t hide away from the world forever,’ he said, firmly.

  ‘I can,’ cried the boy, and he leapt to his feet and sprinted off towards the cave.

  When Kai found him again it was almost dark. He was sitting beneath a small tree. Great bunches of yellow star-shaped fruit nestled in the shiny green leaves. The boy had picked a fruit; he was scooping it out with his fingers and stuffing it into his mouth. As he ate his face relaxed and he looked even younger.

  ‘I don’t think you should eat that,’ said Kai, watching him closely.

  ‘Why?’ asked the boy, his mouth full. He seemed to be growing shorter.

  He took another scoop. This time the transformation was obvious. He shrank to the size of a four year old, and looked up at Kai with wide, childish eyes.

  ‘Stop!’ cried Kai.

  ‘But it’s yummy,’ said the boy. He licked his fingers, one by one.

  Kai pushed the fruit out of his hands. It splattered all over the grass. The boy stared at it. Then his eyes filled with tears and he threw himself on the ground, kicking his legs and howling.

  ‘I think I found you just in time,’ said Kai. He picked his father up, wrestling to keep him in his arms. The boy struggled and screamed. Globs of snot came out of his nose. He leaned forward and wiped his face on Kai’s shirt.

  ‘Yuk,’ said Kai. ‘You little monster.’

  ‘I’m telling Mummy on you,’ said the boy, sniffing.

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ said Kai. ‘Let’s go home and find her.’

  Now, where was the tree the shaman had told him about, the one with the long ropey vines? The shaman had given him clear instructions: make a medicine wheel at the base of the tree, throw the star fruit in the water, and say the magic words.

  He remembered the tree beside the stream, where they had swung into the water.

  The boy held on tight. ‘We’re going the wrong way,’ he said. ‘We should be going to the cave.’

  ‘No,’ said Kai. ‘This is the way home.’

  ‘But it’s nearly dark,’ said the boy. His voice dropped to a whisper, his fingers dug into Kai’s neck. ‘If we’re not in the cave, the monsters will get us.’

  ‘Monsters?’

  ‘From our dreams. They all live here.’

  ‘But I thought you loved it here. There aren’t any monsters.’

  ‘Yes there are. I love it here in the sunshine, but not at night. At night the monsters come and you have to hide in the caves. That’s why there’s no one else on the island – the monsters ate them.’

  Kai looked around. The sun was setting. The shadows were growing larger.

  ‘There’s no such thing as monsters.’ he said. But he ran faster, holding tightly to the boy.

  Through the trees Kai ran, stumbling and falling and running again. The boy was heavy: he clung to Kai's neck, choking him.

  ‘I can’t carry you any more,’ Kai said at last.

  It was dark now, and he wasn’t sure how to find the shaman’s tree.

  ‘I can’t walk in the dark,’ cried the boy. His face crumpled, his lower lip trembled.

  Kai set him gently
on the grass. ‘Yes you can,’ he said. ‘You’re the king, remember? You can do anything.’

  The boy’s face lit up. ‘I can, can’t I?’ he said. ‘I can do anything. I’m the king.’

  The shadows grew thick about them. Kai could see the glint of horns; he could hear the swish of a tail, the clatter of hooves.

  ‘What have you been dreaming about?’ he whispered.

  ‘Horrible things.’ The boy shuddered. ‘Really, really big things. With black fur and fire eyes.’

  ‘Okay,’ said Kai. His mind was working fast. He sat the boy beneath the tree and pulled the shaman’s pouch from his belt. ‘Sit there. And don’t move.’

  Quickly he spread the objects in a circle – the bear’s claw, the tiger tooth, the feather and the turtle.

  ‘Kai,’ the boy was tugging on his arm. ‘Kai!’

  Kai looked up. A wall of shadow had sprung up around the tree, cutting them off from the water. The moon lit up the whole island; but not where they sat. Under the tree it grew darker and darker.

  Kai closed his eyes. He raised his arms and cried, ‘Ksik-si-num!’ But the light did not come.

  The shadows grew larger. He could smell their sour breath, feel their hot anger, hear the click of their horns against each other.

  The boy jumped to his feet and curled his hands into fists. ‘I can fight them,’ he said. ‘I’m the King of Ballyndor. I can do anything.’ He darted forward, thrusting his arm into the shadows.

  There was a low rumble, a deep-throated growl. The boy pulled his arm back, screaming. ‘It’s cold. It’s too cold.’ The tips of his fingers were blue and a dark stain, like a bruise, was creeping down his palms.

  ‘It hurts,’ he said, whimpering.

  ‘Stay near me,’ said Kai. ‘Don’t let it touch you.’

  He tried to concentrate. He said another spell, and then another. The shadows grew deeper. The cold crept into his bones.

  ‘It’s not working,’ he muttered. He lifted the boy into his arms and looked for an opening, a small crack to run through; but there was none.

  ‘Up the tree!’ he said and pushed the boy ahead of him, shoving him up the trunk into the green branches. A faint glow came from the tree. The leaves around them rustled.

  ‘It’s protecting us,’ whispered the boy.

  The shadows touched the branch and dissolved. Hissing and spitting, the furious black mass wrapped itself around the tree, unable to touch the boys.

  ‘I have to get the shaman’s pouch,’ said Kai. ‘You stay here.’

  ‘No,’ said the boy. ‘You can’t go in there.’ He held up his hand. The bruise had turned black; his fingers hung like dead things. ‘I can’t feel it,’ he whispered. ‘It doesn’t hurt any more.’

  Kai stared at the boy’s hand. ‘We’re trapped,’ he said.

  ‘Only until the sun comes up,’ said the boy.

  ‘We can’t wait that long.’ Kai leaned back against the trunk. It was hopeless. Mugadi was marching on Ballyndor. They couldn’t wait another night.

  With a screech and a dive, a bright red owl burst through the shadows.

  ‘Sisika!’ cried Kai.

  He watched as the owl flapped her wings, shooting in and out of the darkness. As she flapped, the shadows dissolved. But her efforts weren’t enough to drive them away completely.

  Kai put his arm out and the owl settled on his shoulder. ‘It’s okay,’ he said, stroking her soft red feathers. ‘I tried, too. The shadows are too strong.’

  In the owl’s beak was a leather strap, and twisted behind her back was the medicine pouch. He untangled it, reached in and pulled out the bear’s claw.

  ‘Thank you,’ he cried, pressing his face against her feathers. The bird took a step backwards, startled, and almost fell from his shoulder.

  The little boy laughed. He pointed to the bird. ‘She’s pretty,’ he said.

  chapter 14

  The White Leopard

  Indie sat beside the pool of dark water at the back of the shaman’s cave. ‘He’s been gone a long time,’ she said.

  ‘Too long,’ muttered the shaman, from his position by the fire. ‘Something is wrong.’

  Nima wrapped the old blanket around his shoulders. ‘Maybe he ate the star fruit.’

  ‘No.’ The shaman shrugged off the idea. ‘He would not be so stupid.’

  ‘I should have gone with him,’ said Indie and then froze in shock.

  There was a clumping of boots and a rattle of weapons at the entrance to the cave. She could see three men, framed by the boulders – one tall, with a hawk nose and strong shoulders, the others lean and wiry, carrying short broad-headed spears.

  ‘Mugadi,’ she whispered, her heart beating fast.

  She shrank back against the wall. It was too late to run. The soldiers were inside the cave, blocking the entrance, glaring down at the shaman with hard, angry eyes.

  Mugadi looked at the old man, sitting quietly by the fire. ‘How are you, Yanti?’ he said. ‘I hear you are entertaining some friends of mine.’

  The shaman grunted. He poked the fire with his stick.

  ‘Come now. My son says you are hiding the princess, but I know you would not do such a thing. You are on our side, are you not?’

  The flames danced, casting an eerie light against the cave wall. The shaman said nothing.

  ‘Enough games,’ growled Mugadi. ‘I promised the Emperor of Moto that I would give him the Emerald Child if he helped me invade Ballyndor. And my son, useless as he is in almost every other respect, has at least brought us the girl. Where is she? The Emperor is waiting at the village.’

  ‘No,’ said the shaman, brandishing his stick. ‘I’ve sat back and watched you do too much damage. I won’t let you take her.’

  Mugadi laughed. He caught the shaman’s wrist and twisted it. The shaman cried out and dropped the stick.

  Indie pushed Nima into the corner of the cave. She threw the old purple cloak over her. ‘Stay hidden,’ she hissed. ‘Then find Kai, and tell him what has happened.’

  Nima’s eyes were bright with tears.

  ‘They won’t hurt me,’ said Indie, trying to smile. ‘They need me.’

  Nima nodded, her face white. She pulled the cloak over her head.

  Indie walked slowly to the front of the cave. Mugadi peered at her, his eyes adjusting to the dim light.

  ‘I’m here,’ she said. ‘Leave him alone.’

  ‘Ah,’ said Mugadi. ‘It is an honour, Princess. I have someone very special I want you to meet.’

  He took her arm in an iron grip. Leaning forward, he kicked the fire, driving smoke and ash into the shaman’s face. ‘I have watched you a long time, old man,’ he said. ‘I have seen your powers fade.’ He gave the fire another kick. ‘That little girl of yours, what was her name?’

  ‘Nima,’ whispered the shaman.

  ‘Yes. You have hidden it well, but I know the truth. Your power has gone. The spells on the mountain are old spells. The only magic you’ve done since Sofia died was with little Nima beside you. You can’t journey unless she holds your hand. I bet you can’t even find your power animal. ’

  ‘No,’ croaked the shaman, in instinctive denial, but Indie could see from his face that it was true.

  And suddenly it all made sense. She remembered how he made Nima sit beside him as he stoked the fire; how he handed her the medicine bag so she could set out the totems; how she held his hand and chanted every spell.

  Mugadi took the shaman’s rattle and snapped it in two. ‘I will send some men to guard you, old man,’ he said. ‘When Nima and the boy return, we will be waiting for them.’

  He stomped out of the cave. Snow was falling. The path to the village was slippery with mud.

  The old man sat by his ruined fire: his lips pressed together, his knuckles white. He said nothing. He didn’t look up as they hustled Indie out of the cave.

  *

  The King of Ballyndor looked down from his branch and said, ‘There’s a really big cat dow
n there. I think it’s a lion.’

  ‘I’m sure it is,’ said Kai wearily. He lay across the branch with his eyes closed, clutching the medicine pouch.

  ‘No, it is. It really is!’

  Kai opened one eye. He sat up, and looked down the tree.

  ‘See,’ cried the little boy. He jumped up and down, shaking the branch.

  ‘Sit still,’ said Kai. ‘You’ll make us fall.’

  There was something down there, the boy was right. But it wasn’t a lion. It was an enormous leopard, with thick white fur and very sharp teeth.

  ‘Sweet Mother Earth,’ whispered Kai. ‘I wonder if it can climb trees.’

  The leopard gave a flick of its tail; it sprang to the lowest branch, and began to scale the trunk, gripping the tree with its claws. As it climbed, the shadow – with its growls and moans and glinting horns – evaporated into nothing.

  Kai didn’t know which was worse: to be bruised and blackened by the shadow or eaten by the leopard.

  He pulled the boy close. The boy wrapped his arms around his neck.

  ‘Hold on tight,’ Kai whispered. ‘As soon as it reaches us, the shadow will dissolve and we can fly away.’

  The leopard climbed higher. The shadow slowly melted away.

  Kai chanted the flying spell.

  Hasama kokomi

  Ki ki yama, ki ki yo

  Hasama kokomi

  Mottaka, mottaka.

  He leapt clear of the branch. ‘Flap your arms,’ he cried, but the boy clung to him, pulling him down.

  They plummeted toward the ground.

  With a mighty spring, the leopard flew from the branch and seized Kai by the scruff of his shirt.

  ‘No!’ Kai struggled and fought, but the leopard held on tight.

  ‘Kai!’ The boy was hitting his chest. ‘Look!’

  On the back of the leopard, her wings calmly folded, sat Sisika.

  Whoo, she sang, softly. Whoo, whoo.

  Kai stopped struggling. He stared at the owl. She twisted her head from side to side, blinking at him.

  At the base of the tree stood a girl. She watched as the leopard settled the two boys on the ground; then she ran to the great cat and put her arms around its neck. The leopard rubbed its head against her shoulder.