Behind the Sorcerer's Cloak (23 page)

“Where is she?” asked Owen.

“Of course, my fault, my fault,” tutted Manannan. “You are still in the real realm.” He puffed his cheeks and blew.

Holly and Owen felt a slight jolt and a shift in light and time.

“Now you are with us.” Myrddin and Equus appeared beside Holly. They nodded a welcome.

Owen ran to the White Horse and gazed at the small, still bird splayed on his back. “Ava, what's wrong with you?”

“She was touched by the Dark Shadow,” Equus replied. “You may lift her down and set her in the center of the floor.”

Scared, Owen tenderly lifted the semiconscious hawk. She lay limply in his arms, but her eyes flickered. “Thank you,” she said faintly.

As directed, Owen laid Ava in the center of the flat roof.

Myrddin turned to Manannan. “We need a shaft of light beamed through the Gates of Sunrise.”

“The original purpose of this tower was to act as a beacon to channel light from the Place Beyond Morning,” said Manannan. “Its magic is now awake, but the beacon will tear a hole in my cloak of mist. This will allow the Dark Being's eye to rest on Mann,” he warned.

“The Dark Being will be here soon, whether or not we use the beacon,” said Myrddin.

Manannan nodded. He began to pace the circumference of the tower roof and gestured for Myrddin, Equus, Holly and Owen to follow him. “Let your footsteps fall in the center of each stone slab,” he instructed and began to chant:

“Light hold us, Light enfold us,
Light in our minds, Light for our times,
Enlighten this hour. Rekindle this tower,
Let Light glow, and grow, in each beating heart.”

“Light hold us, Light enfold us…,” repeated his followers.

“Light in our minds, Light for our times…” On they paced, chanting in unison as Manannan moved toward Ava.

From pockets in his garments, Manannan pulled twigs which he laid end to end around Ava.

“May the Tramman Tree protect you.” He laid leafy sprigs on her breast. “The Bollan Bane bless you.” He lifted his willow wand to point to the mist above them. “May the miracle of light surround and heal you.”

The mist parted in a perfect circle. A pillar of sunlight beamed down, gilding Ava, and the entire top of the Round Tower.

The light was golden and warm filled with the fragrance of spring flowers. Holly and Owen, Equus and Myrddin closed their eyes, lifted their faces skyward and breathed deeply.

Manannan lifted his arms, as well as his face, and softly chanted incantations.

The stone flags grew warm. The crenellated parapet encircling them absorbed the sun. The ancient beacon charged with light.

Slowly, slowly, Ava changed shape.

The body of the tiny hawk lengthened and thickened. Feathers changed shape and color, wings furled and unfurled, the beak and eyes softened and became Ava's face. Her raven hair feathered again around her head, and the twist of silver containing the moonstone glowed once again upon her brow. She rose gracefully to her feet.

The radiant Hawkwoman bowed to Manannan, formally kissed both his cheeks, then turned to the Wise Ones, Holly and Owen.

“Thank you, friends. Without you I would have been lost to the darkness.” Ava's smile was brilliant. “But I am healed.”

“Then we must take counsel,” said Equus.

“Yes. We are besieged,” said Myrddin. “The Lady's necklace is broken, and the Dark Being has captured Adam.”

Equus and Ava winced.

“We will need our combined power to rescue him,” said Ava slowly.

“I offer my power,” said Manannan.

“Thank you.” Myrddin bowed.

“Adam does not need rescuing!” A laughing voice echoed around the top of the tower. “I return him.”

A body slid down the shaft of light and sprawled at their feet.

“Blimey,” gulped Owen.

“Adam's dead,” shrieked Holly. She ran and threw herself over his body.

“Hey, don't have a fit. I'm alive.” Adam pushed Holly aside and struggled to sit up.

The laughter rang out again. “Sorry to be so abrupt, Adam. I took advantage of the unexpected situation.”

Manannan and Myrddin intensified the beacon of light.

“Hide behind light while you can, Wise Ones,” said the voice, still full of amusement. “Though I cannot look through it to see you, or enter your beacon, I have found you. Adam knows the truth. You cannot stop truth spreading. You cannot prevent darkness. It is always present.

“Light and Dark,
Dark and Light.

“Your suppression is at an end. The Dark rises. I am ready to take my full place again. Even you, the Wise Ones, will not be able to stop tonight's dark shadow. No one can.”

Adam stared up, puzzled. What game was Doona playing now?

“Listen to Adam, Magic children. Adam is my emissary. Listen to him.”

Holly clutched Adam's hands but turned her face up toward the voice. “Your emissary? Like Zorianna? Of course he's not,” she stormed.

“All I ask is that you listen to him, child,” said the Dark Being. “Remember, there are two sides to a tale.” Her voice was light and reasonable.

Holly stared at Adam.

“It's true,” Adam said. He let Holly help him to his feet. “There is another side to the story.” He gestured toward the Wise Ones. “These guys threw her out when she was a kid. They nearly killed her.”

The Wise Ones dropped their eyes and sighed.

CHAPTER NINE

________________________________
A M
AZE OF
M
INDSPEAK

Adam looked anxiously at his cousins. How could he make them understand that he was forced into being a double agent?

He racked his brain. He needed to say or do something that would give them a clue. Something subtle that wouldn't alert the Shade that the Dark Being had attached to him.

He'd not anticipated that.

He should have guessed that no matter how well he conned her, the Dark Being wouldn't trust him. How else was she using him!

Still, he'd bamboozled her all right. The Dark Being believed he was on her side. But he couldn't get rid of the Shade. It heard everything he said.

How could he alert his cousins?

Poor Holly and Owen. They looked shell-shocked.

Pity Chantel wasn't here. She knew him well and would pick up on odd behavior. He briefly wondered where she was, then went back to trying to get a coded message over to his cousins.

Adam stuck his hands in his pocket to stop them trembling. His fingers touched Ava's feather. His heart lightened, and he had the glimmerings of an idea.

He walked to the parapet, trying to look as though he hadn't a care in the world. He began to whistle a fragment of an old music hall song his dad sang—“Me and My Shadow.”

Please get it, Holly. Get it, Owen, he thought.

“Is what Adam said true?” Holly's voice trembled. She looked accusingly at the Wise Ones. “Have you told us the whole truth about the Dark Being?”

“She's not the Dark Being. Her name's Doona. It means dark maiden,” Adam tossed over his shoulder, then picked up whistling the same phrase over and over again.

Ava spoke. “What Adam says is true, but not interpreted truly. Doona was banished, but only as a last resort after her actions consistently put others in grave danger, life-threatening danger.”

“She rescued me from danger,” Adam said. “You didn't. She saved me.” He stared intently at Holly. “This whole thing is a crock.” He paused. “Doona is kind and beautiful. She helped me like Wendy helped Peter Pan.” He stressed the last five words.

Holly looked puzzled.

Adam started whistling again.

Owen rolled his eyes. Adam was not making sense, and the whistling was irritating. It was a stupid tune. One his family sang when he was a little kid, always following his dad around the farm.

Adam whistled the same phrase over and over.

Owen clenched his fists. The words of the song were now stuck in his head. “Me and my shaaadow, walking down the avenuuue.” They were repeating again and again. He couldn't stop them. His tired brain was acting like a stuck record.

“This situation is baffling,” whispered Manannan to Myrddin. “Is the boy's head addled after his ordeal?”

Adam whistled more loudly.

Owen lost his temper. “Quit whistling and make sense Adam. We're about to be invaded by the Dark Being, no matter what you call her. You might not have been in danger, but Holly and I were. We've just been attacked by psycho gulls and a demon dog, and that was right here, not off in la la land.”

Adam's back stiffened. He looked sideways at Owen, but kept on whistling.

“What's wrong, Adam?” said Holly. “We've been worried sick, desperate to find you. I'm glad the Dark Being…er Doona, saved you, but you must know she's bad news.”

Adam whistled on and on.

“He's nuts.” Owen made a gesture of despair. “The Dark Being's done his head in.”

Adam swung round. “NUTS!…I'm not nuts…Just listen to me, you idiot.” He grabbed Owen's shoulders and shook him hard. “Doona helped me. She helped me like Wendy helped Peter Pan.”

Owen punched him on the nose.

Adam slumped to the ground.

The Dark Being's laughter rolled around the top of the tower. “So, war is already declared!”

Manannan cut off the shaft of light. Thunder clapped and torrential rain poured down.

“No!” cried Ava. “Light not Dark. Give us Light, for tonight will be very dark indeed.”

Manannan's wand cracked for a second time.

The rain stopped and the cloak of mist vanished. The tower, Pheric's Isle and the entire Kingdom of Mann were bathed in glorious sunlight.

Ava sighed with relief.

Myrddin banged his staff on the flags and opened a portal.

Adam, Holly and Owen landed with a THUD back in the real world. They sprawled on the floor of the living room at Castleview Inn, entangled with Myrddin's and Manannan's cloaks, arms and staffs.

Sunlight streamed in through the window.

Equus and Ava appeared in the corner.

Mr. Smythe stood by the stove with a tea kettle in his hand and a dropped jaw.

“Sorry about this, Smythe.” Myrddin sorted himself out and helped Manannan to stand. “We need headquarters, and the children need some rest.”

Mr. Smythe gulped and put the kettle on to boil.

Myrddin made introductions as though it was a normal gathering. “This is Manannan. Equus and Ava are in the corner. You have heard the children speak of them.”

Still speechless, Mr. Smythe nodded politely to his strange guests.

The cousins scrambled to their feet, Adam pinching his bloody nose.

“Adam!” Mr. Smythe found his voice. He enfolded Adam in a bear hug that made bones crack and held him at arm's length. “Your nose! Who hit you!”

“Owen.”

Mr. Smythe's face darkened.

Owen flushed. “I apologize, but the whistling was driving me mad,” he said. “Need some ice?”