The Kuthun (26 page)

‘This is it!’ I call out.

‘What symbol is it?’ Uncle Jo asks desperately.

‘It is like a torch or a staff of some sort. A straight pole with a half diamond on top, and in it is what looks like a flame.’

He slowly moves closer to me, his eyes never leaving the guards. ‘Does it resemble a sceptre?’ he asks.

‘Yeah a little. I don’t really know for sure. Why? What does the sceptre mean?’ I ask curiously.

‘That would be the symbol for sekhem or most powerful, I think.’

I shake my head and smile. ‘Of course it is.’

He looks at me for a split second before returning his attention back to the guards.

‘Ama calls me Shem. As in…sekhem!’ I say, surprised that Ama’s nickname for me all these years would be relevant to what we face right now. The story goes that after I was born Ama saw something special in me and nicknamed me Shem, from the Egyptian word sekhem—meaning most powerful.

‘Alright, so this is the doorway we need to take then. What are you waiting for? Yell it out and let’s pray to the Gods that it’s the right one.’

The guards take another step, bridging the gap between us, so that they are only feet away from slicing us open.

‘Ellie, now!’ he shouts.

Hoping it’s the correct symbol I yell, ‘Sekhem!’

The guards freeze for a moment and then swiftly step back into their original positions.

We let out a sigh of relief.

As we pass through the left door, keeping a wary eye on the guards, we walk into the wide passageway where our path is again guided by candles that detect our presence.

‘That was too close to call,’ he says nervously.

‘I agree. Let’s hope that they were the two challenges we needed to pass.’

‘I have a feeling that was only one of them.’

‘I hope you’re wrong.’

Frowning he says, ‘Me too.’

We walk forward, veering right then left then right again, before coming out of the passageway and finding ourselves at the mouth of an expansive cavern.

One after the other the candles alight along the huge rock walls, making the cavern appear as if it extends into the farthest reaches of the earth. I intake a sharp breath at the beauty and natural wonder that spans out before me, recognising that this moment is nothing short of remarkable.

Large stalagmites sprout out of the ground covering the rock floor in a symphony of texture. From a distance some of them appear to look like Christmas trees, while others cast eerie shadows that make them appear more human. Natural rock formations have been crafted into pillars, extending high up into the air, creating an illusion of labyrinthine proportion. Pathways carved into the walls lead to what appear to be tunnels and caves embedded within the rock face—telling the story of an ancient civilisation having once existed here.

The sound of trickling water directs my eyesight to a distant spot in the cavernous depths, reminding me that Philae Temple is surrounded by Lake Nasser on all sides.

‘Where are we?’ I whisper in awe.

‘If I didn’t know any better, I would say we are in the belly of the island,’ he says.

Magi nuzzles my hand and takes the first steps forward. Uncle Jo and I exchange a glance and follow her down the rock face.

We cautiously begin our trek into the unknown. I pass a stalagmite, my fingers lightly brushing its rough, cold exterior. ‘How is it possible that this is even here?’ My voice echoes off the walls, making me feel like we are not alone.

‘I have no idea. But this is a moment in life I will never forget.’ His eyes roam around the cavern trying to capture each and every detail.

We walk ahead, passing gigantic pillars that look like they were made for the Gods. We can’t dwell here, we’re losing time. ‘How long do you think we’ve been down here?’ I ask.

‘My watch stopped working the minute we got here so I’m not sure, but I would say we’ve been here for a few hours now.’

‘What about Aunt Lily, will she freak out?’ I think of her all alone back at the farm.

‘She knows what we need to do.’

‘You’re lucky to have her you know,’ I say.

‘I know,’ he replies calmly.

‘Really, Uncle Jo, I mean who would put up with all this?’ I sweep my hand around in the air.

He smiles. ‘I know. She’s the best.’

Our footsteps echo against the floor as we make our way further into the caverns belly. I’m unsure of how long we walk for but it seems ages, the sound of water increasing as we get closer to its source. Magi is winding her way back and forth, with nose down and tail up, making sure not to miss anything significant. My belly growls, alerting me to the fact that I’m starving.

‘You wouldn’t happen to have any food by chance?’ I look at him hopefully.

He smiles. ‘As a matter of fact, I do.’

He stops and shrugs off his knapsack, kneeling to the floor to open it. He tosses me a wrapped sandwich. I open it greedily and take a bite, savouring the taste. He pulls another sandwich out for himself and hands me a water. We make ourselves as comfortable as possible on the rocky floor and take a moment to eat and rest. I share my sandwich and water with Magi.

‘This is definitely a moment to remember,’ I mumble through a mouthful of food.

‘Sure is,’ he says.

I look around at where we are, many layers beneath the earth’s surface, in Egypt of all places, and I suddenly feel overwhelmed.

Getting up enough courage I say, ‘Can I ask you about Mum?’

Talking about Mum has always been hard for him. The pain of it torments him and I see it every time I bring her up, but there are things I need to know.

He puts his sandwich down. ‘Of course.’

I shift slightly, not sure I want to know, but have to.

‘What happened around Mum’s death? I mean really happened, not what you all told me,’ I say.

He sighs and takes a moment to gather his thoughts.

‘Your mother was a strong woman and she knew
that
her time was running short. She contacted me a few weeks before it happened, telling me that the Venator was close, that she could sense it.’ He takes a sip of water. ‘She didn’t know how long she had, but it was then that she asked me about taking you in after she was gone.’ His voice wavers slightly and he clears his throat. ‘Anyway, of course I said yes and told her I would be on a plane that afternoon, but she said no. I begged and pleaded with her to let me come, or at the very least for you both to come and stay with us, but she refused.’

‘But why would she do that?’ I ask confused. ‘Wouldn’t that have at least given us more time, or her more time?’

‘Your mother believed in the destiny of all souls, Ellie. She knew we all had our time and she had accepted hers.’

Why would she do that? I frown. ‘Are you saying that she just gave up?’

He shakes his head. ‘No, of course not. Your mother would never give up. What I’m saying is that she accepted her fate. She knew there was no way of escaping it, no matter how hard she tried. And believe me, she tried.’ He shifts uncomfortably. ‘She could feel it drawing nearer and said that Magena sensed it too. She knew she didn’t have long, so she sent you and Magi to us on the premise that you were to have a holiday. But we all knew what it really was, except you.’

I feel my eyes well up and a sob gets caught in my throat. A single tear slides down my face. ‘How long after I came to you did she die?’

He looks down at his hands and I notice that they’re shaking. ‘Four days,’ he says quietly.

I bite my lip and nod. I knew some of this but not all of it. I must have forgotten the details, or maybe I didn’t want to know. How did I not remember this?

As if reading my mind he says, ‘I organised your travel through military resources, to ensure no-one knew where you went. She told me I had to keep it completely quiet. So I did.’

I can’t remember this clearly. ‘When did this happen?’

He glances at me before looking down again. ‘You wouldn’t remember much about it, Ellie. Your mum cast a blocking spell that put your mind to sleep. She didn’t want you to worry.’

My anger rises. ‘Didn’t want me to worry! How did she think that would work? Why didn’t she just run? Maybe they wouldn’t have found us. She could still be alive!’ My voice echoes off the cavern walls.

He shakes his head. ‘You know that wouldn’t have been enough.’

My jaw clenches in frustration. Magi sidles closer, reminding me to keep calm.

I take a deep breath. ‘Did she see her death?’ I ask, knowing that the Cole women usually have a vision of their death before it happens.

He nods. ‘Yes, she did.’ I wait for him to tell me more. He sighs wearily. ‘She saw a wall of fire engulfing the house and she and Magena were trapped inside. She saw an image of a knife. It had a wooden brown handle and silver tipped blade. Words were inscribed along its edge which she said looked like Latin. She couldn’t make out what it said clearly. She said that he entered the house, bypassing the warding, and that she died at his hand.’ He pauses. ‘That was all she saw.’ His eyes are glistening.

I can feel my anger building at the injustice of it all. I dig my finger nails into my palms. ‘How did he bypass the warding?’

‘I don’t know, Ellie. I think it may have been the fire that did it. It could have dispelled the effects of the warding. I can’t know for sure.’ He lowers his head.

I try not to let my emotions take over. I rub the locket, where my mother’s face sits close to my heart. ‘No, the fire didn’t do it. No-one can dispel a warding unless they have the magical ability to reverse the spell.’ He lifts his head to look at me. ‘She let him in,’ I say sadly.

‘Ellie, your mother wouldn’t have died knowingly. She never would have done that,’ he says incredulously.

I shake my head. ‘You’re wrong. She did it for me.’

Confusion and disbelief flicker across his face. ‘What are you talking about?’ His voice is tinged with frustration.

‘She knew about me all along. That’s why she didn’t fight. That’s why she protected me so courageously. She knew all along that it was me that had to survive, not her.’

There is such truth in what I am saying that I know I am right. I can’t believe I never saw it before. All these years a part of me blamed her for leaving me so early, for going too soon. But she knew. She knew I had to survive. But why?

We are silent for a moment. The air around us is still. Insects are buzzing around the candle above us and the shadows the flame cast are making it appear as if they’re in a flickering tango with one another.

Images and memories of when I was little race through my mind at an alarming speed. Snippets of conversations that we had, looks that she gave me, spells that she made me practise. All of them come flooding back to me. I know now that she was getting me ready, training me, supporting me, building me up for this moment.

I won
’
t let you down
,
Mum
.

I turn to find Uncle Jo staring at me thoughtfully. ‘What is it?’ I ask.

He shakes his head and gives me a half-smile. ‘You look just like her. Especially when your determination kicks in. Every time I look at you it reminds me of Ev...’ He stops before he says her name. ‘Of…your mother,’ he says sadly.

‘Why can’t you say her name?’ I ask quietly, staring down at my hands.

He doesn’t respond straight away. ‘I…I just find it too hard.’ I see tears fall down his face.

The pain he feels hurts me. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.’

He wipes his eyes quickly. ‘No. You have every right to ask. It’s my issue, not yours.’ He grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. ‘I loved her.’

I look at him and remind myself that I’m not the only one who’s lost someone I love.

He pulls his hand back gently. ‘Alright, so if what you say is true, then your mother knew more than she ever shared with
any
of us. It doesn’t surprise me that she sacrificed herself for you. She loved you so much that she would have done anything for you, Ellie.’

I bite my bottom lip. He smiles gently at me and pats my knee with a single smack. ‘Let’s keep moving. I’m starting to feel like a troll down here.’ He gets up swiftly and starts to pack the bag, obviously wanting to cut this conversation short before it causes more pain for both of us.

All of a sudden I see a faint shimmer of movement up ahead, behind one of the huge rocky pillars. It appears to be hovering above the ground.

‘Uncle Jo,’ I whisper.

Magi’s ears are up, listening intently, as she watches the silvery, ghostly presence. She begins to growl low in her throat. I quickly look at Uncle Jo, who silently retrieves his knife from the bag. I recognise it as being the same one from home.
Lucky we teleported and didn’t have to go through customs
. He has his hand up, keeping me silent. We stay frozen, waiting for something to happen. It begins to move. He puts his bag onto his back and brings one finger up to his mouth, telling me to move forward quietly.

We stay behind the pillars and stalagmites, trying not to alert the attention of the ghostly figure. But down here everything echoes, so we’re careful to keep our footsteps light.

We follow its path, making sure not to lose sight of it, watching it flit in and out of obstacles. I notice that we are gently sloping downwards, further underground. The sound of water that I heard earlier is louder now and it’s almost as though there is a stream running through somewhere.

Finally the apparition stops, hovering in front of a small cavern wall. Uncle Jo puts his hand on my arm and crouches down behind a large stalagmite. I follow his lead and we wait. The ghostly figure turns and looks right at us, before blinking out of sight.

I gasp.

Mum
?!

No. It couldn’t be. I quickly glance at Uncle Jo in shock, hoping he saw it as well.

‘Evie,’ he whispers. His face contorts with pain and disbelief. He closes his eyes.

‘Uncle Jo?

‘Don’t say it, Ellie, please. I just can’t deal with that right now,’ he pleads.

Magi has sidled closer to me and whimpers.

‘But…’

He slumps his shoulders. ‘Ellie, please.’