“What about the wizling?” Kate asked a moment later.
“Djal?” Alara tutted and waved her hand dismissively. “It will be years before he is a real wizard. He is not good at his craft. We do not have to worry about him.”
Kate remembered the power oozing around Djal’s circlet and the damage to the tunnel entrance. Anyone who could do those things was dangerous. “I disagree,” said Kate.
Alara and Siptah stared at her.
Kate swallowed. “He made a dragon! He blasted half a cave away! From what I’ve seen, he’s got a lot of power. Granted he can’t use it affectively, but he is powerful enough to spoil anything we might plan. We can’t discount what he can do.”
Siptah pressed his fingertips together as he thought. “She is right. We must be prepared for whatever he might throw at us.”
“And this is something that’s been niggling at me for a while. Won’t they be able to smell us coming?” asked Kate.
Siptah looked amused, but Alara was not impressed. “We are not cats.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you,” said Kate. “It’s just that you have cat’s noses, so I thought—”
“We are not cats,” Alara said again. “Our smell is only a little more acute than yours.”
“How long do we have?” Kate asked, wanting to change the subject. With no sun or moon to guide her, she had no idea what the time was.
“Four hours, at most,” replied Siptah.
“Min will be getting desperate then,” said Kate. “How does he know you will come for Emma? Isn’t it possible that you might abandon her for the crown?”
Alara shook her head, her eyes grew large. “I would never do that!”
“I’m not saying you would,” replied Kate, “but if the Antechamber door is no longer used, then I assume there is another way into Manu.”
Alara and Siptah stared at her.
“And if that’s true,” Kate continued, “then isn’t it possible that you would go straight home and get help from Siptah’s father?” Kate hesitated for a second. “With help you could easily overcome Min and his father.”
Silence fell over the companions. Kate’s hands went clammy, a nerve in her neck twitched. She stared at two pairs of green cat’s eyes, the black slits wide. All colour drained from their faces. Finally, Alara pulled her gaze away and turned to look at Siptah.
“She is right,” she said in a small voice. “I did not think of that. I have failed. I do not deserve the throne. I would make a terrible queen.”
Siptah’s gaze penetrated Kate’s for a second longer, then he turned to Alara. He reached out and covered her hand with his. “Purr-princess, it is not you who failed. It is I. I am the guard.” His voice sounded raspy. “I should have thought of that myself. This is unforgivable.”
Kate sat still for a moment or two. This wasn’t turning out the way she had thought. A future queen and her bodyguard had made a vital mistake. She looked at them and her heart sank. They were only twelve years old, just like her. Words that Joe often said rang in her mind, Life is experience, but you can’t have experience until you have life. She finally understood what it meant.
“Alara, Siptah,” said Kate. She waited until they looked at her. “We’ve all made mistakes today. Mine was allowing Emma to let the kittens in ...” Kate noticed the small grin flash across Siptah’s face “... on her own. I should have gone with her and then none of this would have happened.”
“If it makes you feel better, I didn’t think of the other door thing until just now.” She allowed her lips to curl up in a small smile. “We won’t make the same mistakes in the future, but right now we have time to fix this, so don’t get bogged down by doubt.”
She reached over and placed her hand on top of Siptah’s and Alara’s.
“We’ll do this together,” she said and squeezed their hands.
***
Kate weighed the dagger in her palm. It was nothing to look at. There was no fancy handle or elaborate engraving. It was plain, light and small. In fact, it was really, really small, and that worried Kate the most, but Siptah had no other weapon to offer her.
One day ago, Kate would never have believed she’d be in this situation. Now she knew she would do anything to rescue Emma and keep herself and her sister safe.
“Wait.” Siptah turned back and rushed over to the torches.
“Siptah, we cannot take those,” said Alara. “We will be seen.”
Siptah crunched the end of the torch into the dirt at his feet, smothering the flame. He turned the torch over and stared at the burnt end for a moment, then pushed it into a crevice of the stone wall. Putting all his weight against it, the burnt end snapped off.
Kate looked over her shoulder towards the cavern, half expecting the noise to alert Min, but nothing happened and her heart beat returned to normal.
Siptah pushed the end onto the ground again, kicking dirt over the tip. “That should be fine now,” he said, turning towards Kate. “I have broken off the hot purr-part. The end is warm, but it will not burn you.”
Kate held the dead torch in her hands. Being solid wood it pleased her, yet it wasn’t too long to be cumbersome. She smiled her thanks to Siptah. “This is much better.”
He nodded. “Be careful.”
Kate’s stomach lurched. “I will.”
“Come,” said Alara. “We must go now.”
They walked along the tunnel in silence. They had a plan, now they just had to make it work. Kate looked at Siptah striding confidently at the front of the line. Axe strapped to his back, sling secure at his waist, spear in his hand, it was the first time she had seen him looking confident and determined.
They stepped out onto the stone platform, and paused for a moment. It had been agreed that they would not speak once they entered the cavern. Siptah touched Kate’s arm. He pointed to her right and she saw a gap between the boulders, screening the platform and the stone floor. Kate moved to the gap and looked through it, knowing what to expect because they had been over the plan several times.
She sat on the edge of the gap, dangling her legs over the side, and looked at Alara and Siptah.
Siptah lowered his rope over the opposite side of the platform. He readied himself, then nodded to Alara and looked at Kate. Their eyes held each other’s gaze for a moment before he dropped out of sight.
Kate looked up at Alara. Both girls’ mouths twisted in a half grin, and Kate pushed herself into the gap.
She dropped lightly onto the stone beneath the opening. Kate knew what to do, but doubt made her hesitate for a second. It was all up to her now. Siptah would do what he could to keep Min and the others away from Emma, but only Kate could free her sister.
It had been agreed that Alara was the key to their success and she must not be captured. If this happened, all their lives would be at risk.
Kate found the slope that would take her down to the cavern floor. It was narrower than she imagined. Her dressing gown got caught on the ragged edges of rock, but she pulled it free, and continued on her way.
Voices filtered through to her, but she tried to ignore them. She couldn’t allow herself to be distracted, not now, but Min’s voice grated on her nerves and his words filtered through.
“Father, it is getting late. They should be here already. Perhaps they went straight to court.”
“The entrance is guarded. They will not make it through the doors,” replied Min’s father. “My men will drag their bodies here, if necessary.”
Upon hearing the older man’s voice, chills ran up Kate’s spine.
“Is there another way into the court?” asked Min.
“None. You know that.”
Kate was level with the voices when she found the small hole she needed to crawl through to enter the cavern. Her heart hammered in her chest. She swallowed the nerves bubbling in the pit of her stomach and thought of nothing but the rescue.
On her hands and knees, the dead torch beneath the palm of her hand,
Kate bent forward and peered through the hole. Nothing. She inched forward and took another peek. Still nothing. Siptah had made her promise that if anyone stood nearby, she would abort the plan and return to wait with Alara.
She took a deep breath and leaned into the hole. Her gaze quickly took in everything. She exhaled. Just more rocks and dirt, it was safe to proceed.
She eased herself through the hole, dragging the dead torch with her. Inside the cavern at last, Kate threw herself flat on the ground. A guard stood some distance away with his back to her.
Kate’s temples pounded with anxiety. She lifted her head and peered at the guard. He hadn’t moved. Scrambling to her feet, she picked up the torch and stepped over the low rocks surrounding her and quickly ran for cover. Once safely behind the larger boulders, Kate remembered to breathe. She looked up at the platform.
From inside the cavern, it appeared to be the location of a massive cave-in many years before—nothing but a pile of rocks. No one would guess what was behind the mound. Kate could see the top of Alara’s face. Their eyes met for a second and then Alara was gone to signal Siptah.
Kate pressed her back against the boulder as she crept to the opposite end. She cautiously peeped around the edge and quickly scanned the cavern.
There was no platform in the cavern. The fire roared within a circular stone well, which had been built in the middle of the cavern. The area around the well was free from rocks and pebbles. Kate got the impression the Antechamber was used often. However, stone debris cluttered the edge of the cavern. It was everywhere, making Kate’s journey across the cavern dangerous.
She could hear the crackling fire, but could see only the edge of the well. The voices told Kate that Min and his father were on the far side, near the entrance. On the near side of the well smaller rocks had been placed in a semi-circle, for sitting on, near a high mound of boulders with a heavy, wooden table in front of it. It resembled a meeting place. In the middle of this semi-circle sat Emma. Her sister’s arms were pulled back and tied to a stake. She sat crossed legged in the dirt. Kate blinked. Emma stared directly at her.
Kate raised a finger to her lips. She wanted to ask if anyone was watching, but knew she couldn’t. Tightening her grip on the torch, she pushed her body away from the boulder. She edged her way across the uneven ground, avoiding the loose pebbles. Now was not the time to make a noise. She turned to look in the direction of the well.
A black cape appeared. Kate froze. It was Djal. He seemed to be in deep concentration as he stood unmoving in front of the tunnel entrance. She swallowed the terror that threatened to overwhelm her before continuing to pick her way across the clearing.
Min stomped into sight. Kate caught her breath. His loud tones echoed off the cavern walls distorting what he said to his father, Hebany. Kate ran to the next boulder and hid. Pressed against the cold rock, she wiped the sweat from her forehead then strained to see around the edge of the boulder.
The Fire Well was in full view now. Min and Hebany paced on the other side of it, ignoring Djal. Their words meant nothing to Kate. Her heart suddenly leapt into her mouth when she spotted the first guard she had seen when she had crawled through the hole. She couldn’t see his face, but the boots were clear, and so were the axe in his hand and the dagger in his belt.
Kate turned away. She ran behind the boulders that surrounded Emma and past the blocked door to the court. She would approach her sister from behind.
Djal, Min and Hebany were in full view. She crouched down and crawled into the area where Emma sat, making sure she stayed in the shadows of the boulders.
She paused and looked at Djal. He had not moved, but Min and Hebany had disappeared from sight. Suddenly, the guard stepped into view. Kate’s body clenched as she tried not to move.
The guard watched Min as Kate’s mind frantically searched for a way to reach Emma without the guard seeing them. A movement to the guard’s right caught Kate’s eye. Siptah!
The guard glanced at Emma. His eyes widened when he spotted Kate. His hand dropped to the dagger at his waist as Siptah cracked him over the head with the blunt end of his axe. As the guard fell, Siptah caught him and dragged him out of sight.
Kate wasted no time. She crawled to Emma and whispered, “Say nothing. When I get you free, crawl this way and follow me as quickly as you can. You must be very quiet.”
Emma’s body shook, but she nodded.
Kate grabbed the bindings holding Emma’s wrists. There were several large knots. She pulled the dagger from her dressing gown pocket and slid the blade between her sister’s skin and the knots. Using a sawing motion, she pulled upwards. After several attempts, the bindings broke. Emma immediately fell forward and started crawling.
“The girl!”
The voice echoed around the cavern. Kate gasped and looked over her shoulder.
Djal glared at her through the flames, the white bone pointing at her. “The girl escapes!”
Chapter Twelve
Kate scrambled to her feet, her dressing gown twisting around her legs. She yanked the fleecy material out of the way and ran.
Emma screamed.
Kate stopped and turned to find her sister standing motionless a few steps behind her.
“Come on!” Kate reached back, gripped Emma’s shoulder and pulled the younger girl towards her. “Run!”
They ran around the boulder and Emma veered towards the door to the court.
“Forget that door! Go to the right,” said Kate. She could hear shouting, but she couldn’t tell which way Min and his crew were approaching.
Emma and Kate squeezed through the narrow gap between the boulders and the cavern wall. Strands of her dark hair clung to Kate’s face. Her skin crawled, her heart raced. She prayed they would reach the other end before Min found them.
“I see them!”
Her heart jumped into her mouth at the sound of Min’s voice. There wasn’t time to look over her shoulder. It was enough to know that he was behind them.
They pushed on. The narrow gap widened. Loose stones appeared and Kate knew they would soon be running across the clearing where everyone could see them.
Emma fell, landing with a crunch.
“Hold this.” Kate thrust the torch into Emma’s hands and then scooped her up into her arms and continued running as fast as she could.
Light flashed. The wall beside her exploded. Kate staggered sideways and fell. Emma cried out. The torch bounced on the ground and rolled away. Dust clouded Kate’s vision and she tasted grit in her throat. She gulped for air.
“Get her!” It was Min’s voice.
Scrambling to her feet, Kate scooped Emma off the ground again and ran. Stones moved under her leather wrapped feet. Emma whimpered in her arms.
“My arm hurts,” Emma murmured into her chest.
Kate ignored her. Escape was her first priority and she could see their destination. Once they reached the next set of boulders, the hole in the wall wasn’t far. She wanted to rub the grit from her eyes, but couldn’t. Everything swayed gently, even the boulders she raced towards.
Gold eyes glared at her. Min.
The dark shape she thought was a boulder turned out to be Min. He had doubled back and now he stood foreboding in front of them. A guard stood beside him. A hand grabbed her upper arm, forcing her to stop, fingers dug deep into her flesh. Emma’s weight had taken its toll. Kate’s arms arched. In the next instant, she was pulled sideways and pushed to a crouching position. Emma lay cradled in her lap.
Min towered over them, an axe in one hand and a spear in the other.
“Where is Alara?” Min glared down at her, the black slits in his eyes narrowing.
Kate glared at Min.
“The purr-princess. Where is she?”
Kate looked towards the well. Djal had returned to his concentration stance. Hebany stood motionless, watching his son, a deep frown on his face.
The blunt end of Min’s spear prodded Kate’s shoulder. “How did you get in here?”
Min looked around the cavern. His flat, furry nose twitched. “There has to be another entrance.”
Emma twisted in Kate’s lap. A thick, sticky substance clung to Kate’s fingers. Blood! She looked down to find her sister clutching her elbow. Blood smeared the fabric of Emma’s loose pyjama sleeve and Kate’s dressing gown, but Kate knew it wasn’t life threatening. She reached for the sleeve and ripped it off, then looked up at Min.
“I was already in here when you arrived.” She quickly wrapped the sleeve around the graze on Emma’s arm. She grabbed her sister’s free hand, forcing the tiny fingers to spread over the loose ends, tucking the arm close to Emma’s small body.
“I do not believe you. Where is she? Tell me now, or I will kill the little girl.”
Min made a sudden movement towards them, a low growl twisting his lips and revealing uneven teeth. Kate jerked backwards.
“Kate?” Emma cried.
A movement caught Kate’s eye. A dark shadow rose from the boulders, near the cavern wall, out of sight from the well.
Kate struggled to stand up. “It’s true.”
The Miuan holding Kate tightened his grip and pushed her back down. “Hey, stay there.”
Kate looked up. Intense green eyes stared at her for a second and then Siptah raised his axe and swung.
Kate pushed Emma to her feet.
“Behind you!” Kate’s captor yelled.
Min ducked to one side, turned and counter attacked Siptah.
Twisting around, Kate rammed her entire body weight against the guard holding her. He toppled forward, falling over Kate’s shoulder and landed heavily on the ground.
Kate heard Hebany scream orders to the other two guards. “No one is to enter or leave this cavern. Djal, what do you see?”
If Djal answered, Kate didn’t hear his words.
Kate’s attacker jumped to his feet and rushed towards her. Kate drew her dagger and thrust. The blade skated across the guard’s leather armour, unable to pierce the hide. The Miuan slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. His hands found Kate’s throat and she struggled for air. His fetid breath washed over her as she clawed at his hands, desperate to free herself. Her vision blurred and began to fade.
A burst of pain bloomed in her ribs. The guard lay slumped across her, unmoving. Kate struggled free from the unconscious body and stood on wobbly legs, frantically searching out Emma. She was safe.