The Kuthun Page 7

  I blink. ‘What? Uncle Jo?’ My voice is soft and distant. It doesn’t sound like me.

  Uncle Jo has both hands on my arms, his grip is tight, and the pressure of his fingers is pinching into my skin. He lowers his head in relief. ‘Thank God. Ellie, are you alright?’ I feel his grip loosen slightly.

  ‘What happened?’ I ask a little disoriented.

  ‘What happened?!’ He lets go of me and takes a step backwards. It is only now that I notice the sweat trickling down his forehead. ‘Didn’t you hear Magi barking her head off, or me crashing down the door?’

  I slowly glance toward the hole where the door used to be. ‘I…I don’t know what happened.’ I take in the scene around me, a little frightened that I lost my ability to function normally.

  I quickly turn my eyes towards the window and he follows my gaze. ‘What is it?’ he asks.

  The man isn’t there anymore. I didn’t imagine him, I know he was real. ‘The man.’

  ‘What man? Where?’ Uncle Jo is searching the garden for any sign of him. ‘Where, Ellie?’ he demands.

  ‘He was right there, by the fence.’ I point to where I last saw him.

  I reach out for the chair and sit down while he stays staring out the window. I look for Magi but she’s gone. Everything is happening so fast and I feel like I’m losing control. My head falls into my hands and I concentrate on breathing.

  ‘Elena, Josiah, what is going on?’ Ama asks, appearing out of nowhere.

  Uncle Jo turns in fright. ‘Geez, Amaris! Don’t sneak up like that!’

  Ama crosses her arms and frowns. ‘Sorry, Josiah, but being that I am dead I don’t have the luxury of knocking!’

  Uncle Jo rolls his eyes. ‘You just frightened me that’s all.’ He looks down at me briefly before stepping forward to give her a peck on the cheek. ‘How are you, Amaris?’

  Ama waits until he has kissed her before she softens. ‘I am fine, thank you.’

  She looks towards me. ‘I am sorry I took so long to return, Shem. The last visit really drained me.’

  ‘It’s okay, Ama. I understand.’ I must look awful as she moves towards me holding out her arms.

  I stand up and enfold myself in her warmth.

  She pulls away slightly and cups my face in her hands.

  ‘What’s happened?’ she asks me softly.

  I glance over at Uncle Jo, who is standing near the bed with his hands in his pockets. His eyes flick across my face and he turns away before I can figure out what he is thinking.

  I share with Ama the details about the Venator lurking around home and at school. I tell her of my travel back in time to Isabella Cole, of my dream, and the event that just transpired in the room a short while ago, starting with the book. Uncle Jo hadn’t heard this part yet and his surprise is evident.

  Everyone takes a moment to gather their thoughts. The room is silent and unnerving.

  Ama’s energy surges. ‘Alright. We have to start somewhere so let’s leave the Venator out for the moment as he obviously isn’t going anywhere.’ She directs me towards the chairs and we sit down. She clasps her hands together. ‘We need to understand who this other contender is. If what you are telling us about the book is true, and I’m sure it is, then I think this person may be connected somehow.’ She stares past me in thought, trying to piece it all together.

  ‘Ellie, can you show us the page in the book that you saw?’ Uncle Jo asks.

  I nod and retrieve the book from the bed. I bring it back and open to the page. I frown. ‘Where is it?’ I flip through the pages trying to find it. ‘It was right here!’ I look at them confused. ‘It was just here.’

  Uncle Jo takes the book off me and it shuts abruptly with a loud thump. The locks click back into place, denying him access. Scowling at the book’s behaviour he asks, ‘Do you remember what it said exactly?’

  ‘Yes. I memorised it. It said, “You possess your blood, Isis, you possess your power, Isis, you possess your magic, Isis. The amulet is a protection for this Great One, which will drive off anyone who would perform a harmful act against him.” The kuthun symbol also appeared at the bottom of the page.’

  Again, there is silence.

  Ama shakes her head. ‘There is so much here that we haven’t dealt with before. I have to gain access to the Hall of Records to see if there is anything in the old scripture,’ she says determinedly.

  I perk up with interest. ‘The Hall of Records? What is that?’

  Since I can remember I have always asked Ama to tell me what The Other Side is like. Even when I was little I used to ask her about what happens when we die, where we go, and what we do there. Ama has always remained quite elusive about it, although she has told me of certain aspects that sound absolutely wonderful. But as she likes to say, ‘You will find out in good time. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.’ Sometimes elusive can be so irritating.

  ‘The Hall of Records is a fascinating and important building on The Other Side that contains eons of information on every person and historical event that has ever occurred. There are endless aisles, filled with endless shelves, which hold perfectly preserved scrolls on anything you could possibly imagine. It is absolutely breathtaking, to say the least,’ she says fondly.

  Uncle Jo and I are both taken aback. The thought of such a place existing is unbelievable, and yet the truth of it resonates with me on a deep level. My belly warms at the thought.

  ‘And you can go there and read any of this? So I could read about people’s past lives and the existence of…let’s say…Atlantis?’ I ask her, interested to know more.

  She tilts her head slightly. ‘Yes and no. There are many scrolls available to us, Atlantis is one of them.’ She smiles. ‘But there are some that we need permission to obtain.’

  Uncle Jo interrupts with a wave of his hand. ‘Ah, so let me get this straight. You have the potential to gain access to information that could actually explain our family’s existence, and possibly prevent the deaths of anymore Cole women, and you haven’t even explored this yet?!’ His frustration is evident.

  Ama holds her hand up to him. ‘Josiah, calm down, please,’ she implores. ‘You don’t think I haven’t tried before? Of course I have. But like I said, there are certain protocols that must be adhered to there. Up until this point I haven’t been able to find a way to gain full access to our history. But maybe now that different entities are presenting themselves, and with Elena’s powers intensifying along with the kuthun, I may be able to persuade them to let me look at the archives thoroughly.’

  ‘Persuade who?’ I ask gently.

  ‘The Elders, pet. Now, don’t ask me who they are. I cannot tell you. But trust me when I say that I can now stand before them with much more information than I ever could before. Surely they would have to understand our predicament here,’ she says, looking past me.

  Uncle Jo is still seething. ‘I need some air,’ he growls, as he storms out through the hole where my door used to stand.

  Ama shakes her head and sighs as she watches him go. ‘Poor Josiah, he’s so angry. I can’t blame him you know. He has suffered so much. There aren’t many siblings that ever lived who could tell the tale of our world.’

  I nod sadly, feeling responsible for the fact that not only has he already lost his mother and sister to our family curse, but now he is having to face the same demons with me all over again.

  Ama turns back to me. ‘Shem, listen to me. There is something happening here that is bigger than any of us have ever seen before. You have great power, and may even be the most powerful witch that this family has ever seen.’ She pauses, letting that notion sink in. ‘I need some time to find out what I can and I believe the Hall of Records can help us. That means that I cannot be here with you while all this is transpiring, do you understand?’ Her eyes display her guilt at leaving me to defend myself without her.

  ‘I understand, Ama. It’s alright. This whole thing is playing out anyway and whatever you can do will help.’ I smile at her,
trying to hide my exhaustion.

  ‘Are you scared, Elena?’ she asks bluntly, clasping her hands in front of her.

  The question startles me. In all the chaos I hadn’t really taken the time to think about how I feel. A part of me knew this day would come and yet, I just feel numb.

  ‘Of course I’m scared, Ama.’

  She nods her head.

  ‘What is it?’ I ask, knowing she is thinking something.

  She clears her throat—one of the many human reactions I can’t understand her performing now that she’s dead. ‘You just seem…calm is all.’

  I cross my arms in defence. ‘So you think I should be losing it?’

  She shakes her head gently. ‘Of course not, it’s just that—’

  I interrupt her. ‘Ama, look. I know this is happening okay. I get it. My whole life has been built around this moment. I just…I just can’t control it. I can’t make it all go away. And everyone I love seems to be involved somehow.’ My voice cracks. ‘I don’t want this! I want it to end and I don’t know what to do. Tell me what to do.’ Tears fall down my face.

  She moves towards me and wraps me in her arms. ‘It’s alright, Elena. You don’t have to have all the answers.’ She strokes my hair and I bury myself into her neck.

  I sob, letting all my pent up feelings go. When I can’t cry anymore I pull away.

  She cups my face. ‘You listen to me, Elena Cole. You can do this. You can defeat this curse and live a good life, but you have to be brave. Do you hear me? You have to find the courage.’

  I nod lightly.

  She releases me and takes a step back. ‘Good.’ Her eyes wander over my face. ‘Well, I better get started. I have Elders to see.’ She smiles and plants a kiss on my forehead. ‘I love you, Elena,’ she whispers, as she fades into nothing.

  ‘I love you too, Ama,’ I say, hoping that she can find the information we need so desperately.

  I am troubled by how quickly everything is moving. Was this what it was like for Mum in her last days? I am tormented by the disturbing images that my mind conjures up. Tears blur my vision again and I bite my tongue to keep them from falling.

  I catch movement out the window and see that Magi is sniffing the area where the male entity was standing only a short while ago. She is padding back and forth trying to pick up his scent, and by the look of it she isn’t having much luck.

  I stay sitting and staring out the window, lost in my own private thoughts. I don’t even notice when I fall off to sleep.

  Chapter 8

  I wake to the sound of my phone ringing. I get up groggily, wondering how long I’ve been out, and rummage through my bag for it.

  ‘Hello,’ I answer, still half asleep.

  ‘Hey, E. Did I wake you?’ Phoebe asks.

  ‘No, that’s okay, I had to get up anyway.’ I yawn. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Mum, Tom and I are heading to Walden’s tonight for dinner and wanted to know if you wanted to join us?’

  I could use a good distraction. Not to mention the fact that I don’t think I’ve eaten much in the last couple of days. ‘That sounds good. Let me just check with Uncle Jo first and I’ll ring you back.’

  ‘Cool, peace out!’ she says, hanging up the phone.

  I plod downstairs and walk into the kitchen. Aunt Lily is busy baking cupcakes for her annual women’s day charity event tomorrow. Last year she only just missed out on being crowned cupcake heaven champion behind Marjory Rudermaker. This year, she is on a mission to win.

  She looks up as I walk in, a smudge of flour on her cheek. ‘Hello there, stranger.’ She would have heard all the commotion earlier but with her usual grace and tact she doesn’t say anything. ‘Would you like something to eat?’ she asks.

  As I walk towards her I have a flash back of cooking in the kitchen with Mum. We used to make pancakes together every Saturday morning. My heart aches for her.

  I give her a hug and she hugs me back. ‘Are you okay, Ellie?’ she asks gently.

  I nod. There is nothing I can say. If anyone could understand it would be my uncle and aunt. They know what it feels like to lose your parents. I gently pull away and ask, ‘Is Uncle Jo about?’

  Her blue eyes flicker across my face with worry. ‘He’s in the shed. Can you tell him to come in soon for dinner please?’

  ‘Sure.’ I feel her gaze on me as I head out the back door.

  I reach the shed, which is more like a huge barn. The worn wooded exterior and large double folding doors give the farm a rustic charm. The inside is full of cars, tractors and tools of all shapes and sizes, and sitting centre stage is Uncle Jo’s pride and joy—an old nineteen sixty-five Harley Davidson Panhead motorbike. He loves that bike. Apparently his father, my grandfather, had one just like it.

  Must be nice to have at least some good memories of your father. I never met mine.

  Inside I can hear music playing. It sounds like some old rock band from the seventies. ‘Knock, Knock!’ I yell over the din.

  Uncle Jo is bent over his bench, hammering away at something. His foot is tapping to the beat. I decide not to sneak up on him as he may wield the hammer into my skull, so I yell again, ‘Uncle Jo!’

  He stops and turns. ‘Hey there. Everything good?’ He lowers the volume of his music.

  ‘Yeah. I suppose I should be asking you the same thing,’ I say, remembering how he stormed out earlier.

  He leans against the bench, stretching out his long legs. ‘Ah, sorry about that. I just felt really frustrated at the whole thing.’

  I nod. ‘I know, it’s okay. I feel the same sometimes.’

  He wipes his hands together. ‘So, what can I do for you?’

  ‘Um, Phoebs just rang and was wondering whether I could go to dinner with her and her mum tonight?’ I ask, hoping he’ll let me out for a bit.

  He takes his time considering all options. ‘I don’t see why not.’ I feel a “but” coming on. ‘But how about we all go together and then I won’t have to stalk you?’ He raises his eyebrows in question.

  And there it is! My shoulders sag. ‘Ugh, do you have to? I know I need to be careful but this is just dinner at Walden’s,’ I complain, starting to feel like some sort of prisoner that needs to be monitored at all times.

  He gets serious for a second. ‘Ellie, we’ve been through this. The Venator could strike at any moment, and now this…other person, or thing, or whatever he is, is hanging about. I can’t let you go alone.’ He shakes his head. ‘I’m sorry.’

  I know he’s right. I just can’t risk it. There is too much is at stake. I feel it in my bones.

  I nod reluctantly. ‘Okay.’ A thought pops into my head. ‘Um, about that other person thingy. I’ve been thinking about him and, this may sound crazy, but I really don’t believe he is here to hurt me. In fact…I think he might be trying to help me,’ I say.

  ‘Why do you think that?’ he asks curiously.

  ‘Well, I know how his power felt at the roadside, and while it unnerved me I didn’t actually feel threatened, just observed. Then in my dream I saw him standing off to one side and again I didn’t feel scared. But when I saw the Venator’s eyes peering at me in the dream I did feel fear. So I know the difference between the two.’ I start to pace the room, which is something I always do when I am processing information. ‘But when he was by the fence earlier, my powers seemed to converge with the kuthun somehow. I don’t fully understand it, but it’s as if he was able to channel his energy into mine.’ I bite my lip, waiting for him to respond. He is unmoving.

  Everything is starting to make more sense as I am talking through my thoughts out loud, so I keep going. ‘How many people do you know that A, could penetrate our defences that we have around the property, and B, converge with my powers like that?’ A surprising thought occurs to me and I take a moment to process the possibility. ‘Unless they were connected to our bloodline in some way!’ I exclaim, startled that I may have hit something important on the head. ‘Think about it, Uncle Jo. This pers
on has powerful magic that is evident in his presence and in that staff he carries, which by the way is engraved with symbols in what looks to be Egyptian hieroglyphics and—’

  He interrupts my pacing suddenly. ‘What did you say?’ He frowns.

  ‘Uh, I said hieroglyphics?’ I shrug. I may have left out some minor details.

  He is staring past me, deep in thought. ‘Ellie, you could be right. I’m not saying you are for sure, but when I said earlier that I researched our bloodline back through history, I was able to connect pieces of our genealogy back to Ancient Egypt.’ He shakes his head. ‘I wasn’t able to be certain, as there was no hard evidence, no matter how hard I tried to find some, but you could call it a hunch.’

  ‘So, our bloodline could go back that far you think?’ I ask. ‘Whoa. That would be mind-blowing.’

  We both pause, letting this new development sink in.

  ‘So this person, let’s call him “The Watcher” for now, is obviously not of physical form. I mean he definitely doesn’t dress like anyone I’ve seen and he appears to be able to be in many places at once with the click of his fingers. He must be channelling from beyond, but how?’ I ask this last question more to myself.

  Uncle Jo comes to stand before me. ‘I don’t know how. We need more information. Let’s hope Amaris can help on that front.’

  I agree and decide to leave this conversation unfinished for now. ‘I’ll go and ring Phoebe back and see if we can make it a group affair. You better tell Aunt Lily though as she sent me out to tell you that dinner is ready soon.’ I walk out the shed and back towards the house, looking out across the farm as I go. Magi hasn’t come back yet. I hope she’s alright.

  I walk back inside and ring Phoebe, telling her we’ll pick them up in thirty minutes. As I put the phone down I hear Uncle Jo enter behind me.

  ‘All confirmed?’ he asks, as he strides inside, being careful not to tread dirt on the floor.

  ‘Yep. I told them we would pick them up in thirty minutes.’

  ‘Good. Better get ready then.’

  Twenty minutes later we are dressed and ready to leave. Magi has returned and is sulking by the fireplace. I guess she didn’t have any success in tracking down The Watcher.