CHAPTER SEVEN

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FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

Myrddin and Holly stopped talking and stared at Chantel.

Chantel was no longer the worried waif from the morning. She beamed from ear to ear as she held the staff.

Myrddin gave a roar of delight. He leapt out the chair, enfolded Chantel in a gigantic hug and stretched out his arm.

With a spit and a crack, the staff leapt toward him. The crystal at the tip sparked with the fiery light of a magnificent diamond as the shaft slammed into his palm.

Myrddin seemed to grow. His red hair and beard crackled with static electricity. His dark cloak swirled with the million hidden colors of magic. The Myrddin was whole again.

“Myrddin’s st—staff was in our bedroom? I don’t believe it!” stuttered Holly.

Chantel emerged laughing from the tangle of cloak, staff and beard. “You should see your face.” She went into a fit of giggles, but shook her head. “Course it wasn’t in the bedroom. I did what you said, Holly. I did mindspeak and Earth Magic while you were all arguing. I spoke to Manannan, and he took me to the secret passages where the staff was hiding. The white cat showed me the way. The staff let me hold it, and I made friends with a big black dog. Manannan brought me back.”

“Just like that?” said Holly.

“Pretty much,” said Chantel.

Myrddin laughed till his eyes streamed with tears. “Oh dear, dear, dear. The innocence of the young makes a fool out of the wisdom of the ancients. I knew Manannan was keeping the staff safe. If I wasn’t so distracted I would have realized all we had to do was ask. Well done, Chantel. Well done.”

He stroked his staff and murmured something under his breath. The staff transformed into a large but normal-looking walking stick.

“Why are you disguising it?” said Chantel. “Aren’t you going to use it, Myrddin? Please fix everything. Rescue Adam and magic everything else right.”

Myrddin sobered up. “I will try, Little One. You have helped make us stronger. But we must keep my staff hidden for now. The Dark Being must not know you have retrieved it. As long as she thinks she can find our tools for herself she will not be in a rush to invade and destroy everything. If she realizes the tools are found, she will have nothing to lose and will confront us. We need time. Time to restring the necklace and waken the Lady. Time to rescue Adam and to fix whatever is wrong with Ava…” He stopped, seeing Chantel’s happiness fade away. “Have faith, Little One. Keep the light in your heart. You have tipped the odds in our favor…”

With a clatter and a shout, Owen erupted into the holiday flat, closely followed by a harassed-looking Mr. Smythe.

Owen had cobwebs in his hair and smudges of dust on his face and clothes. He was waving an old wooden board in the air.

“Holly, Holly, you’re gonna love this…” Owen brandished the board again. “I found the entrance to a secret passage in the cellar, and look what was inside…” Owen flashed the board at Mr. Smythe. “They’re runes, aren’t they?”

Mr. Smythe peered over his glasses. “They certainly are.”

“I knew it,” said Owen with great satisfaction. He thrust the board into Holly’s hands. “You know what this is, don’t you? It’s that board you saw in your dream, the one with Breesha’s name on it. It was in the secret passage…” He ran out of breath.

Owen rushed over to the sink in the galley kitchen, turned on the water and stuck first his mouth, then his face and head under the tap.

Holly laid the board on the table.

Owen re-joined them, shaking drips from his hair and wiping his mouth in his sleeve. “Fantastic, isn’t it?”

“Owen! Go drip somewhere else.” Holly held him at arm’s length. “What makes you think this is the board from my dream? I know it looks old, but any one could scratch runes on an old piece of wood. It could be a joke. Or something for the Viking festival we’ve seen posters about, or…”

Owen bent down and shook his hair, wiped the drips from his face with his hands, and wiped his hands on the seat of his pants. “No, no, you don’t get it. I asked Earth Magic to help me find the secret passage, and part of the cellar wall collapsed…”

Myrddin, Holly and Chantel gave a shout of laughter.

Mr. Smythe looked appalled.

“…and the board was by the entrance. I knew it was a magic board. Mr. Cubbon did too, but he won’t tell. The runes were glowing in the dark. Mr. Cubbon distracted everyone so I could hide the board under my T-shirt before anyone else saw it. He helped me sneak it up here…”

Mr. Smythe moaned. “The landlord. What will the landlord say?”

“Don’t worry about him,” said Owen, laughing. “He’s as pleased as punch. He says the passage will put him on the tourist map. He’s already phoned the museum. There’s a whole bunch of people down there now with torches and hard hats, exploring where it goes.” His voice grew frustrated. “They won’t let me go with them, in case it’s not safe.”

Holly wasn’t listening. Gently she drew one finger over each rune, tracing them.

Chantel nudged Owen and pointed.

As Holly’s finger passed, the runes shimmered for a moment, as though touched by sunlight.

“It is the magic board,” whispered Holly.

Everyone pored over it.

“Runes are just scratches,” said Chantel, disappointed.

“That’s right. That’s how they were invented,” said Mr. Smythe. His voice was animated. Here was something he understood. “Runes developed from lines scratched on wood, to keep count of simple things: baskets of fish, or a number of days. Eventually they became more elaborate. People added cross lines so individual runes developed special meanings. An alphabet was developed, but because so few people could read it, it began to be used as a magical code.”

Mr. Smythe took out his pencil and notebook and began scribbling.

“What does this say?” asked Chantel.

Mr. Smythe tore a page. “Here’s the Futhark, work it out.”

“Futhark?” chorused the cousins. They giggled.

Mr. Smythe laughed. “F, U, Th, Ar, K. The name comes from the sounds made by first five runes just like alphabet comes from the first two letters in our Greek alphabet:

Alpha, Beta.”

Holly chuckled. “Yup, we all knew that!”

They pored over the scrap of paper.

“It start’s with a K.”

“This letter’s U.”

“Two L’s are next.”

“Is this A or Y?”

“N.”

“KULLYN.”

“Is it a name?” said Holly doubtfully.

“It’s either Welsh or Manx,” said Mr. Smythe. “I think it would be written Cullyn with a C in today’s alphabet, and pronounced Hoolin.” He paused and scratched his head. “I’ve come across it before, but I don’t remember what it means. I’d have to look it up.”

Myrddin clapped his hand on Mr. Smythe’s shoulder. “Well, well, well. Holly was right, my friend. You have a role here.”

“I…I do?”

“The museum is across the road. Instead of coming to Barrule with us, use your research skills to see if you can find reference to a rune board, or if the word Cullyn crops up in the history of Peel or Pheric’s Isle.”

Mr. Smythe looked like a condemned man with a reprieve. “I don’t have to go through the dratted portal? I can stay here and research in the museum?”

Myrddin eyes twinkled. “You most certainly can.” He gathered the children together with a movement of his arms. “I will take the children, but we will meet back here for tea at five o’clock and have an early night…” He stopped and looked over to Mr. Smythe.

“SMYTHE, are you listening?” he roared.

Startled, Mr. Smythe dragged his attention away from the rune board. “Er…what was that…er…five for tea? Well, yes, of course.” He turned back to the board.

Shaking his head, Myrddin marched down the corridor and opened the door into the street. Fog billowed in. He disappeared within its folds.

“Wait for us!” called Owen. “Bye, Mr. Smythe.”

The three children rushed out, banging the door behind them.

Mr. Smythe was left at the table, gazing at the board. “Magic runes. How marvelous,” he whispered. “What a day, what a day.”

Adam surfaced gradually from his long heavy sleep, into a place of grayness. He had no idea if it was day or night, or even where he was.

His eyelids fluttered then half opened. He lay, thick with sleep, trying to think properly. “I was dreaming,” he muttered. “Dreaming about flying like Ava.”

Something tickled his chin.

He moved his hand from under his cheek. A feather, a soft piece of down, lay in his palm. “Ava?” he muttered. Memory stirred. He remembered flying, flying through mist, but as a boy on the end of a cloak, not as a bird. He stared at the feather again. It puzzled him. Where did it come from? It reminded him of a down-lined duck nest he’d once found. A wave of homesickness swept over him. He didn’t know where he was, but it wasn’t Earth. He’d give anything to be safely back there. He sniffed.

The feather flew up and tickled his nose. Adam gave a tiny grin and pulled it away. Could it be Ava’s? He held it up in the grayness and it shimmered. He was still too sleepy to figure it out, but the words, “Keep the light in your heart,” ran through his mind. Feeling comforted, he tucked the feather into his pocket and drifted off into another doze.

Mr. Cubbon emerged from the Castleview Inn, brushing cellar dust from his sweater. Puffing with exhaustion, he plumped down on the bench outside to catch his breath. Exciting things were happening. Magical things. Experiences he had not known since childhood were happening again. He was thrilled to be able to help the youngsters, and gleefully waiting to share some information with Owen. The museum people had discovered the passage ran to a smugglers cave on Pheric’s Isle, but the raven had told him the real secret. All this was tiring though. He needed a little rest.

Mr. Cubbon leaned back, his chin drooped over his chest and his eyes closed.

Two Shades closed in on him.

“Magic, magic, I ssensse magic,” hissed one Shade as it hovered behind the dozing fisherman.

“Not sso much, not sso much,” sighed the other.

“Enough, enough. Sshall I meld? Sshall I? He knowss the nassty young humanss. Take uss to them he could, he could.”

“They wouldn’t ssensse uss, wouldn’t ssensse uss?”

“They’d ssensse him, only him.”

“Yess, yess. Sspy, sspy we will. Yess. Pleassed, the Dark One will be. Sso pleassed.”

The first Shade pooled again at Mr. Cubbon’s feet and melded into his body. The second Shade hovered nearby as his shadow.

A door banged shut. Mr. Cubbon woke with a jerk. He watched sleepily as Myrddin and the children made their way through the fog. They hadn’t noticed him.

He rubbed his forehead. He’d been waiting for the children, but he couldn’t remember why. He wasn’t feeling well.

He eased himself up with difficulty. His body was shivering and shaking. He’d never felt so cold. He was chilled to the bone as though coming down with a flu. “Better get myself home,” he muttered.

But it was hard to move. Hard to make himself walk up the hill to his cottage.

His feet wouldn’t turn.

He felt compelled to follow the children.

The bang of a door made him jump again. He watched as Mr. Smythe left the inn, crossed the road to the museum and disappeared inside. He felt no compulsion to follow him.

Mr. Cubbon rubbed his head again. Strange things were happening.

Everyone he knew was getting angry; that was why he’d left the cellar. People were raising voices and yelling for no real reason. Arguing about who was in charge and who should take credit for the discoveries.

Something was going on. Yes, that was why he had to follow the children! He couldn’t remember what it was, but, they were up to something. A wave of anger swept over him. Those kids were up to something. He must find out what it was.

Mr. Cubbon walked through the fog like a robot, words pounding through his head, driving him on.

Follow the children.

Follow the children.

His mind rationalized his actions. Children were pesky critters. He needed to keep an eye on them, watch them. Those children were up to no good!

“Myrddin, please wait. You’re walking too fast. We can’t keep up with you,” shouted Owen as Myrddin disappeared in the fog ahead.

“My apologies. Of course you can’t. I was deep in thought.” Myrddin paused and waved irritably at the billowing mist. “Manannan is overreacting with this cloak of mist, though I suspect he thinks something nasty might be following Equus.”

“That’s what I want to tell you,” said Owen as he and the two girls caught up. He put his hand on Myrddin’s arm and stood on tiptoe to whisper into Myrddin’s ear. “Don’t leave us behind. I think the ‘something nasty’ is following us.”

They both swung around, peering into the fog on every side. Neither saw anything other than the vague shape of Mr. Cubbon in the distance.

Owen raised a hand, but Mr. Cubbon didn’t respond.

Myrddin dropped his voice. “Explain.”

“I feel eyes watching me, but there’s never anyone there. It started when Mr. Cubbon and I were in the basement. It wasn’t just me. Mr. Cubbon felt it too. He said something’s been watching him ever since we arrived.” Owen shivered. “It’s really creepy. The feeling left when I went upstairs to the holiday flat.” Owen glanced behind him. “It started again just now. As soon as I stepped outside the inn.”

“Does anyone else sense this?”

Both girls shivered and nodded. “I thought I was imagining it because the mist was getting to me,” murmured Holly.

“Me too,” whispered Chantel.

“Then I will give you directions in mindspeak.”

The children stood still and listened.

We will hasten to Fenella Beach, on the far side of the causeway. There we can talk without fear of being overheard. It is a place with its own magic and will offer us protection. It is the cove below the castle, Holly, so it is on your way as well as ours. Follow me.

Unnoticed, Mr. Cubbon also followed.

If I remember rightly, the steps to the beach should be around here somewhere…Muttering to himself in mindspeak, Myrddin cast about at the end of the causeway.

More fog blew in from the sea, and the children had difficulty seeing him again.

This way. Myrddin paused. He scattered something on the ground, muttered over it and began to vanish into the mist again.

Owen ran and grabbed the corner of Myrddin’s cloak. He thrust out his other hand to grab Chantel. Hang on too. Who knows where we’re off to?

Holly hung on to Chantel.

The children broke into a trot as they descended a boat ramp sloping toward the water.

Slow down, Myrddin. We’ll fall! pleaded Chantel.

Apologies. Myrddin paused again. I am driven by a feeling of urgency. I forget your stride is shorter than mine. He helped them off the boat ramp, onto the sand.

Crossing Fenella Beach was terrifying.

The fog billowed in from the sea, hiding all but an arm’s length in front of them. They had no sense of direction, or of their surroundings. They lurched and stumbled, sinking into wet sand or tripping over rocks or drifts of seaweed. Hidden waves hissed angrily on one side, and an invisible raven croaked a warning from above.

“Myrddin,” whispered Holly. “This is horrible. How much farther? Can’t we stop above the high tide line? Oops. Is it safe to talk?”

“We are safe. What is following will not enter the cove. I scattered stardust at the entrance, and the cove itself is still protected by Fenella’s magic, though sadly, she may have faded away long ago.”

A cliff loomed ahead, a scatter of rocks at its base. Myrddin chose one and seated himself.

“What the heck was watching me?” burst out Owen as he squatted beside Myrddin. “It felt horrid.” He scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

“I fear some of the Dark Being’s minions have found a way to slip into Man,” Myrddin said. “She calls them Shades.” He sighed. “They are the shadows of lives she destroyed on other planets. They couldn’t find the courage to fade into the Mists of Time, choosing to serve her instead. Individually they have little power, but they can watch and spy. Like wraiths they emit negative feelings. Occasionally they can meld with someone, though usually not for long. When massed together, they become lethal.

“You all stepped into my stardust as you passed through the entrance to this beach. That will offer some protection, and here’s a little more.” Myrddin threw a handful of stardust over each child.

“A Shade will not be able to approach you to meld or to follow in your footsteps. However, I cannot prevent them spying from a distance, and their presence will affect your thoughts.”

“Can you zap them, Myrddin?” Holly asked.

“You mean kill them?” Myrddin raised his eyebrows.

Holly looked shocked and shook her head.

“The Shades deserve your pity. They were living beings whose planet was ‘zapped’ as you say. I could help them face the Mists if they chose, but I would have to reveal my staff. The Dark Being must not know I have it yet.”

“That’s your real staff? It doesn’t look like it,” said Owen.

Myrddin waved his hand, and the staff gave Owen a glimpse of its full glory.

“Wow! Where did it come from? How did you get it back?” Owen could hardly contain himself.

Chantel grinned proudly.

Myrddin smiled. “The Myrddin is whole again, thanks to Chantel.”

“Chantel?” Owen’s eyes held real respect. “How on earth did you do that?”

Chantel grinned. “You used magic in the cellar. I used it in the bedroom. Manannan helped me.”

Owen held out his palm. They exchanged high fives.

“Now children, tell me what Earth Magic is calling to you,” said Myrddin.

“To rescue Adam, and there’s white horses…”

“I must find Breesha’s grave, but Adam…”

“We’ve gotta get Adam, but something’s wrong with Ava…”

Everyone talked at once.

Myrddin banged his staff on a rock. “One at a time. One at a time.”

Chantel tugged at his sleeve. “Rescue Adam. Please hurry and rescue Adam.”

Holly linked her arm through Chantel’s. “We might be able to help now that we can all mind read and mindspeak together. How far does our mindspeak go?” Holly hesitated. “Could we reach Adam?”

Myrddin looked thoughtful. “Interesting. Humans mindspeak a different way, on a different frequency, from Wise Ones.

“Equus, Ava and I had to learn to mindspeak with you. The Dark Being hears my usual mindspeak, but she might not catch yours. She won’t expect you to have that skill.”

“But what if she does? I don’t want to talk to her.” Holly sounded distressed.

Myrddin patted her shoulder. “Events have gone too far to worry about that. The Dark Being will be here soon. We will all face her. Follow your heart, Holly. It has served you well.”

“Then I think we should try to contact Adam with mindspeak. And I think we should try it now.”

The others nodded.

“I can help protect you,” said Myrddin. “Which of you is going to speak?”

“Holly,” said Chantel. “She’s better at it than me.” Her voice dropped. “And Adam will listen to her. He never believes me.” Her lip trembled.

Holly gave her a sqeeze.

“Stand here, Holly.” Myrddin used the base of his staff to draw a circle around her in the pebbly sand. He strengthened the circle with another scatter of stardust. “The thickening of the Mists of Time makes mindspeak harder. Do your best, Holly. Shout! We will all listen in.”

Holly flashed a grin and closed her eyes.

Adam roused again. He still lay in grayness but his mind was a little clearer. He relaxed, letting the events of the previous night return to him.

He’d been hurt. His arms and shoulders had been sore because he’d hung on so long to Zorianna’s cloak. His body stiffened as he remembered the journey through the mist and the tumble from the staff.

Adam shifted his shoulders and flexed his back muscles. He didn’t hurt now. Why? Another memory surfaced: the vague image of the beautiful woman bending over him. That was it. He’d been rescued by the Lady.

Weak with relief, Adam relaxed under the comfort of the wrap she’d dropped over him. He couldn’t believe how lucky he’d been. He’d actually entered that terrifying dark before the Lady had pulled him away. It was a pity he couldn’t remember much about her. He’d been so terrified, exhausted and in such agony that everything was a blur. But she’d made the pain go away. Then he’d slept.

So where was he? In her house? In the stars?

His surroundings were still and gray. An amazing stillness, an eerie grayness. The stillness had been a welcome change when he arrived: a haven after the nightmare ride through the mist. But now it felt uneasy. This stillness around him wasn’t a peaceful stillness. It was the stillness of emptiness. The Lady wasn’t there. No one was.

He began to panic. Where the heck was he?

Adam…mindspeak…safe?

Fractured sentences floated into his mind.

He was dreaming? No…He was hearing Holly mindspeak!

He replied, giddy with relief.

Holly? Holly…I can hear you. I’m safe…But I don’t know where I am. Everything’s gray. The Lady rescued me. She is beautiful and kind, like you said.

He waited a long time for Holly’s reply. Again the message was indistinct, like a bad telephone line.

Lady?…Myrddin rescue…Don’t…

I can’t hear you, Holly. I’m only getting a few words. Tell Myrddin I’m okay. I’m with the Lady. But I don’t know where we are.

Not…Not…Holly’s voice cut off.

No more words came through but feelings did. Strong feelings. Holly was scared, distressed and angry. Scared and distressed he understood, but why was she angry?

Adam mulled over the last message. Not…Not…Not what? But everything was such an effort. Trying to mindspeak had wiped him out again.

He wished things would make sense.

Maybe Holly was mad because he was with the Lady, not her. That must be it! Well, tough luck! Win some, lose some.

Adam gave a tiny yawn and drifted into yet another doze.

Holly’s eyes were filled with horror. “Did you hear?”

“Yes,” whispered Owen and Chantel. The same shock was mirrored in their faces.

“How could he mistake the Dark Being for the Lady?” ranted Holly. “How could he?”

“He said she was kind and beautiful.” Chantel shuddered.

“She is most beautiful,” rumbled Myrddin as he swept away the magic circle with his foot.

The children’s eyes widened.

“The Dark can be as beautiful as the Light.”

The children were silent.

“Holly, you did well warning Adam,” said Myrddin.

“But he didn’t understand. He thinks she’s the Lady. What if he helps her?” Holly was shaking.

Myrddin touched Holly’s shoulder. “It is a shock, but trust both in Adam and Old Magic. This has happened for a reason.”

Holly nodded and breathed deeply, allowing Myrddin’s magical strength to flow through her.

“Time presses. I must join Manannan, Ava and Equus now. Rest assured I will share this new development with them, and we will find a way to rescue Adam. You have done your utmost to warn him. You must put it behind you, Holly, for now you have other tasks.”

Holly took several more steadying breaths and met Myrddin’s eyes. “I’m fine. It was just a shock.”

Myrddin squeezed her shoulder gently and removed his hand. “Follow your heart and find Breesha’s grave, Holly. Listen to the Earth Magic. Have faith that Adam will also listen to what’s in his heart.”

He pointed with his staff to some well-concealed steps cut into the rock cliff behind them. “Go. These steps lead to the castle gate. Taking them will outwit the Shade.”

“Are you going to meet Ava and Equus?” Owen asked.

Myrddin nodded. “Of course. Do you wish to accompany me?”

Owen hesitated. “Yes and no. I want to help Ava and I want to rescue Adam, but I don’t have those powers, and we’re running out of time.”

“Go on, boy.”

“I’ve been thinking about the castle.”

“Yes?”

Holly swung around from examining the steep steps up the cliff. She looked eagerly at Owen.

“We’re heading for a big bust-up with the Dark Being, aren’t we?” Owen asked Myrddin.

Myrddin nodded.

“Then the castle is the best place for it. You said it was the most magical place on Gaia.”

“I did.”

“So I should explore it. Find places to hide and to fight. None of us knows the castle. Scoping it out would give us a better chance.”

“Ahh. The young warrior wishes to hone his skills. The confrontation with the Dark may not be a fight of arms, Owen.”

“I know, I know. But when we were with the dragon in the first adventure and with Zorianna in the Tor, it wasn’t just magic that worked, it was us being human and doing things they didn’t expect. If I explore the castle, I might be able to come up with some unexpected things that would help.”

Myrddin laughed. “You are correct, young warrior. Your tactics are sound. Go to the castle with Holly, and may you find many unexpected things.”

“Brilliant, Owen,” said Holly. “I’d love some company. These steps look pretty creepy in the fog.”

“What about me?” Chantel’s voice was wistful.

Myrddin smiled. “You are not forgotten, Chantel. Come, it is time for you to call the Cabbyl Ushtey.”

Chantel’s voice was a squeak. “Call who?”

“The Cabbyl Ushtey, the white horses you saw in the waves. They will appear at your request, for you are the Magic Child called by Equus. Use mindspeak, though there is no one around to see or overhear.”

“You are wrong, Myrddin. I hear.”

Myrddin swung around, his face full of joy. “Fenella, you remain! So few on Gaia remember Old Magic. I didn’t dare hope.”

A woman in white hovered beside them. She was as transparent as a ghost. “I am always here, until there is no one left who remembers me. One human sees me still. His visits keep me from fading away into the mist.”

“Is that Mr. Cubbon? He was a Magic Child once,” said Chantel softly.

“That is his name. He is lonely. He comes to talk with me and the ravens. Now you see me, Myrddin, and I gain more strength.”

“Us too. We can see and speak to you,” Owen pointed out.

The woman laughed. “I grow stronger by the second.”

Though still flimsy, she did seem more substantial.

“Call not for the Cabbyl Ushtey. It is hard for them to transform and step on land. Their strength, like mine, is weak. So few see them.”

Chantel jabbed Owen. “Told ya,” she whispered.

He grinned and gave her a mock bow.

“They will be needed later, for I sense a great Darkness approaching,” continued Fenella. “The child should visit them in their own realm.” She drifted toward the water’s edge. “Friends may request my magic.”

“Thank you, Fenella.” Myrddin bowed. “Make your request, Child.”

Chantel stepped before Fenella. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, looking very young and very sincere.

“Er…Please can you help me visit the Cabb…Cabbyl Ushtey?”

She looked across at Myrddin to see if she had got the name right. He nodded and encouraged her with a wave of his hand.

“We will need their help, so I should talk to them.”

Fenella cupped her hand and called softly over the water.

“Manannan Beg Mac y Lair,

Mie goll magh as ny share goll stiagh,

Manannan Beg Mac y Leir,

Give safe journey out and a better journey home.”

A small round boat floated out of the mist and bobbed to their feet.

“Wow, a coracle!” said Owen. “One of the earliest boats ever made.” He ran over and grabbed, pulling it into the shallows. It was as light as a feather.

The boat was made of skins stretched tightly across a circular framework of split willow. A wooden paddle lay on the bottom.

“Fear not the Cabbyl Ushtey,” said Fenella. “They will honor you and gain strength from your visit. Tell them Fenella says neither the Mists of Time nor Manannan’s cloak will hold the Dark One at bay, and that the Wise Ones have come to stand with Manannan.” She motioned Chantel to the boat.

“Fear not the coracle. It knows its way. Fear not the sea. It is the Cabbyl Ushteys’ realm and part of the Sleeper’s magic.”

“Can I show Chantel how the coracle works?” Without waiting for an answer, Owen hopped inside the tiny craft with one leg and pushed off from the beach with the other. He sat crosslegged on the bottom and wielded the paddle. “Wheee!” The boat spun around like a top.

“Owen,” thundered Myrddin, “show a little more respect.”

Owen grinned, but brought the coracle under control. He bobbed in and out of the mist, just beyond the breaking waves.

“Sorry,” he called. “But I’ve always wanted a coracle. I tried to make one when I was a little kid. It sank.”

“OWEN,” roared Myrddin.

Owen dug in the paddle and shot back to the beach on the crest of the next wave. He hopped out and held the boat steady for Chantel. “Did you get the idea? It’s real easy?”

Chantel laughed and slapped his hand away from the side of the craft. “This is my magic. You find your own.”

Myrddin prodded her with his staff. “Step in, step in.”

Chantel scrambled inside. Ignoring the paddle, she knelt, clutching the rim of the tiny craft with her hands.

“Farewell. Let light and truth keep fear at bay as you enter the realm of the Cabbyl Ushtey.” Fenella made a graceful pushing motion with her hands.

The coracle swooshed out to sea with Chantel’s upright body parting the mist, leaving it billowing and swirling behind her.

Holly sighed. “She looks awfully small. Will she be all right, Myrddin?”

“She’ll be splendid,” said Myrddin softly as he watched the coracle disappear. “Chantel has a special magic, the magic of innocence.” He turned away from the waves. “As for you, Holly. Go to the castle and take that pesky brother with you.” He poked Owen in the small of his back. “Be gone, boy. It is time to devise irritations for the Dark Being, not for me.”

Suppressing grins, Holly and Owen scrambled up the flight of rocky stairs and disappeared in the fog.

“My thanks, Fenella. May you never fade,” said Myrddin with a bow. He stamped his staff on the ground and swirled his cloak.

“Manannan Beg Mac y Leir, I pray you a portal,” he shouted and vanished in a flash of light.

Chantel leaned forward eagerly as her craft cut through the gray waves, bobbing and tilting this way and that. The water hissed and slapped beneath her, but she trusted the magic, laughing as the wind whipped her hair. She tasted salt spray on her lips. She didn’t try to paddle. She held the sides and watched for white horses.

At first she saw only glimpses. From the corner of her eye she’d spot a flowing mane, the flick of a white tail. Each time she turned, they vanished.

Just once, a beautiful white head with silver eyes rose beside her and stared deep into her eyes, before dissolving back into the foam crest of a passing wave.

Chantel sang to Cabbyl Ushtey in mindspeak, the way she sang to the ponies she rode. Oh you beauties, don’t be scared, I’ll never hurt you. I’m a friend of Equus. Please can I meet with you? We need your help.

She checked each passing wave for another glimpse of the magical beasts.

With a shower of white spray, the coracle was surrounded. Six Cabbyl Ushtey closed in, three on each side.

The white horses pressed closer and closer, crowding the tiny boat with their shoulders. As the frame began to bend, they dove.

Down went the coracle and Chantel, slicing through the water like a turtle. Chantel’s red curls streamed behind her. Bubbles streamed past her, and magically, she could breathe! Smiling, she stretched out her arms and clutched handfuls of the nearest flowing manes.

The Cabbyl Ushtey tossed their heads and guided her coracle deep into the watery depths of their realm.

Mr. Cubbon came to a sudden stop at the top of the boat ramp that dropped down to Fenella Beach. He couldn’t move forward. An invisible barrier blocked his way.

A hot wave of anger consumed him. This was his beach. How could something stop him going down? It must be those kids. He knew they were up to something. How dare they magic him out! Somehow he must discover what they were up to.

He tried to force his body forward again, but a wave of nausea and dizziness shook him. He swayed and shivered. Dratted flu. Better sit. He tottered over the causeway to a bench by the castle and sank down, lowering his head to his hands in an attempt to stop it spinning.

Repulsed by the scattering of stardust at the entrance to Fenella’s Beach, the Shade that had melded with Mr. Cubbon oozed from his body, and the Shade that shadowed him detached.

Both took to the sky, circling high overhead.

Though they could sense the human children below, they could see nothing through the fog.

Earth Magic and Old Magic tingled, not only from the cove, but also from the castle rising on top of the cliffs.

One Shade called out, a soundless cry that only other Shades heard. “Come, come, come. Here iss magic, much, much magic. Come ssee, ssee, ssee.”

The Shades circling Gaia flowed back to join them. Like black shadows, they gathered around Pheric’s Isle, but Manannan’s magical web repulsed them. They hovered like vultures above it.

Watching. Waiting.

The first two Shades also watched the old man slumped below. His body might be needed again.

Adam slid into wakefulness again. This time it felt different. His mind was clear and focused, his memory complete. The feeling of exhaustion was gone. Though he lay surrounded with grayness he felt filled with light.

Adam stretched and yawned, then considered his situation.He had no way of knowing where he was. That was bad.

He was safe and comfortable and had Ava’s feather. That was good.

The Lady had rescued him. That was wonderful.

But she had disappeared. Hmm, a little worrying.

He cleared his throat and called out, “Lady? Lady? Is anyone here?”

She appeared instantly, clapping her hands and laughing in delight. “You are awake at last, courageous child. Can you stand?” She drew Adam to his feet. “Come. Refresh yourself at my table. I am the Lady Doona, but please don’t stand on ceremony. You may call me Doona.” She tossed her head, running one hand through the shining black curls. “Obviously it means ‘dark maiden.’ ” She chuckled.

Adam answered her with a grin. “I get called ‘Red’ sometimes.”

“Ahh, you and I have much to discuss. Come come.”

They entered a dimly lit room where Doona showed Adam to a bench piled high with silk cushions. At least twenty dishes of delicious-looking finger foods and sweetmeats were set on the low table before it.

“I feel like a character in The Arabian Knights,” Adam said awkwardly.

Doona’s chuckle bubbled around him. She pressed a fragrant goblet of some strange juice into his hand.

Adam drained it, hunger and thirst overcoming him for a moment.

“Sit and eat,” said Doona, patting the cushions. “Tell me all about yourself and how I came to find you falling through the mist.”

Adam opened his mouth to speak, but something about the opulence of the room put him off. It made him feel uncomfortable as though he was in the middle of a stage set. He played for time by eating a chocolate from the nearest dish. His mind buzzed. “I don’t know where to start,” he mumbled.

“First, who are you?”

“I’m Adam Maxwell, from Canada.” The floodgates opened. Adam told about himself and Chantel and their troubled parents. “They sent us away, to England, to stay with our cousins,” Adam said with a catch in his throat. “And that was when the magic started,” he finished.

A beringed hand patted his knee. “Aah, yes. Tell me about the magic and meeting the Wise Ones,” Doona said gently. “Aeons have passed since I last saw them.”

Adam nodded. He ate another chocolate and drank from a fresh goblet. “The Wise Ones have missed you. They always call you the Lady. We have been waiting for ages, hoping you would come to help us. See, there are just the four of us. Four Magic Children to help you four Wise Ones find your Tools. Holly’s dying to meet you.” He grinned. “She’ll be mad I met you first, because it’s her turn to help.

“Chantel helped Equus regain his talisman. Owen uncovered Ava’s circlet. Then Ava and Equus went off to fix the Land Beyond Morning while I helped Myrddin.” He stopped, distressed. “And I did it! I found Myrddin’s staff. But Zorianna, the Dark Being’s emissary, snatched it away. I…I grabbed her cloak…and it was awful.” Adam managed to control his voice, but his body trembled. “I was swept into the Mists and…and…I fell…and was nearly sucked into the Dark Being’s realm.” He looked up and met the beautiful eyes that stared down at him. “Thank goodness you rescued me,” he finished simply.

Doona stood up and paced. “Things have become more complicated than I imagined,” she said.

Adam nodded. “Everyone’s hoping you’ll wake up and come to help.” A look of puzzlement crossed his face. “They thought you were sleeping.”

“Ahh,” Doona came and sat beside Adam. She took both his hands in hers and looked deep into his eyes.

“I have to tell you something that’s been kept from you. Something that will change everything. You must listen very carefully.”

“Okay,” said Adam. He shifted on the cushions.

“There are five Wise Ones, not four. I am not the sleeping Lady…”

Adam pulled his hands away and jumped to his feet.

“Adam, panic not. I am the Lady Doona, the fifth Wise One. The Lady’s sister.”

Adam’s face cleared. “You are?”

Doona nodded and patted the cushions once more. “Come back, child. Let me tell you about my family.

“Equus and Ava were too embarrassed, too loyal, to tell you the whole story. For despite our magical powers, my family, like yours, had a terrible fight that split us apart.”

Doona’s eyes pooled with tears. “I was the young one sent away. I was abandoned. I nearly died.”

She dashed at the tears with one hand and held out the other to Adam.

He squeezed it tightly. “Why? What was the fight about?”

“My necklace.”

Adam gasped. “It’s yours?”

Doona nodded sadly. “It was taken from me by force, and I was cast out. But the necklace will help no one unless I wear it. That is why the Lady ignores your calls.”

“Bu–but what about the other Wise Ones? They must know.”

“They know, but were embarrassed to tell you the whole story—Wise Ones fighting like humans. What would you think? Maybe you would refuse to help them.

“Equus, Ava and Myrddin are trying to retrieve the necklace peacefully. Once all three of them have their Tools, the Lady will have to surrender. Then they will return the necklace quietly to me, and the Dark Being will be no more.”

Confused, Adam sagged back into the cushions. A massive headache began to pound. The combination of rich food, heady drink and so much startling information was overloading him.

Doona placed a gentle hand on his forehead.

The pain eased, but her touch made his eyelids droop.

“I am sorry,” Doona murmured. “This burden is heavy. Rest again, child. We will talk later. Will you help me?”

Adam nodded as his heavy eyelids shut. He curled gratefully among the silken pillows as Doona drifted away.

He knew he needed time. Time to think this through, to examine everything he’d heard.

Something wasn’t right.

He thrust his hand in his pocket to touch Ava’s feather. If only there was light!

Adam’s doze was brief but refreshing, but he didn’t sit up immediately. He lay still. His mind buzzed, sifted around, struggled to piece together unconnected bits of information.

He liked Doona, but he sensed she hadn’t told him everything.

The Wise Ones obviously hadn’t either.

And something had stopped him telling Doona everything. He hadn’t told her about hearing Holly’s mindspeak. Why? Was it because Holly’s words contained a missing piece of information he needed?

Adam thought back to Holly’s mindspeak, and the feeling of anger, shock and another emotion that had come with it.

What was the other emotion that had pervaded Holly’s words?

FEAR!

The word slipped into his mind as clearly as if it had been shouted aloud.

Holly was terrified. Why?

Adam went through his memory of the mindspeak conversation word by word. The wave of fear from Holly wasn’t there at the beginning. It came when he mentioned the Lady.

There had been a pause. Holly had said Not… Not… accompanied by the wave of fear.

Adam’s stomach lurched as his mind completed Holly’s fractured mindspeak—Not the Lady. Not the Lady.

But why was that frightening? Doona had admitted she wasn’t the Lady. She was the Lady’s sister.

The answer whispered in the back of his mind. He tried to ignore the idea. It would not be ignored.

Fear washed over Adam, and he knew his answer was right. His whole being knew it.

Lady Doona was the Dark Being!

That explained her story, his unease, Holly’s fear, everything.

Adam curled into a ball.

He was Adam the idiot, Adam the useless. He’d assumed Doona was good because she was kind and beautiful. But she was the Dark Being. Deep in his subconscious, he’d always known but had not dared admit it. But the clarity of his thoughts would no longer let him believe a lie.

The hair on the back of his neck prickled.

Doona was there. He could sense her. The Dark Being had entered the room again and was staring down at him.

Adam’s mind raced. There was only one course of action he could take.

In order to survive, he must act a part. Act as he had never acted before. What he had to do next required an Oscar performance for Best Actor. He must convince the Dark Being that he was on her side.

Adam shuddered, but turned it into a stretch.

He peeped under his lashes.

The Dark Being was turning away, the remains of a smile hovering on her lips.

Adam caught his breath. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. How could she be evil?

He watched as she stretched out one hand and pulled a hole in the grayness surrounding them. She leaned forward and stared down at something far below.

Adam could only see the side of her face, but there was no mistaking the change of expression that crossed it. Her features were contorted into a snarl of hatred.

Adam yawned loudly and sat up.

The Dark Being turned, all smiles again.

“How delightful! You are rested again, Adam, the courageous?” She clapped her hands and a shadow appeared. It drifted toward Adam and placed a fresh tray containing another goblet and some cake-like food beside him, then drifted back into the grayness.

Adam controlled another shudder. “Hi, Doona,” he said, and returned a brilliant smile.