The Kuthun (28 page)

The room I have entered is small, reminding me of an igloo. It’s curved ceiling and walls give the small space a slightly claustrophobic feeling. On the far side there is a small opening in the stone wall, which seems to be the only exit out of here.

I turn around and wave my hand, gesturing for Uncle Jo and Magi to come through. Uncle Jo reaches towards the veil and his hand hits the exterior with a muffled thump.

His head jolts up sharply and his eyes find mine. He tries again, only harder this time, but his hand hits the surface once again. He bangs his fist against it, trying to penetrate it somehow. Nothing.

Magi barks and I sense their fear. I decide to go back through, only to find that my hand is blocked from re-entering as well. What is going on?

I place my hands against the now hard jelly wall and yell, ‘It’s okay! I think I need to do this part on my own!’

Uncle Jo shakes his head and yells back, ‘No, Ellie! It’s too dangerous. I can’t protect you from out here!’ His voice comes through muffled.

Magi is scratching at the wall, frantically trying to get in. I smile at her. Telepathically I say, ‘It’s okay, Mags. I believe this is how it’s meant to be. Don’t worry, I’ll be back.’ She stops scratching but her eyes don’t leave me.

Uncle Jo bangs his fists against the wall again with no success. He yells out in frustration.

‘Uncle Jo, listen! We don’t have a choice now. I know we are close, so I
will
find the light. Trust me!’

He stops banging and I see the uncertainty in his eyes. He puts his hand up to the wall and I do the same.

‘No matter what happens, I want you to remember who you are, Ellie. Remember your own truth.’ I hear the fierce conviction in his voice.

I nod, remembering that Ama said the same thing to me
.
What do they know that I don’t?

‘We will wait for you here. But you better come back. Promise me?’ His face is pained, making his meaning perfectly clear.

‘I will. I promise.’ I smile quietly, trying to reassure them. The sorrowful looks on their faces tells me it’s not working.

I turn to the dark hole in the wall and glance back at them one more time. Their blurred faces stare back at me and I look away before I lose my nerve. I take a deep breath and walk into the tunnel.

It’s dark but the room behind me is still giving off a dim light, allowing me to see a few feet ahead. As I step cautiously into the darkening gloom the only sound I hear is my own quickened breath.

What if I fall into an abyss? What if I step on a booby trap? These thoughts run through my head with every step. I quickly put them out of my mind.

I’ve never been scared of the dark, but in this instance fear is breathing down the nape of my neck like a hungry wolf, waiting for the perfect time to pounce.

Within minutes I am utterly engulfed by darkness. I cannot see anything in front or behind me. I use my hands to navigate my way along the wall, hoping that the path becomes clear soon. My senses feel disoriented and my heart pounds heavily within my chest. The only thing I can do is to keep moving.

A little further along I feel the faint stirring of a breeze around my feet. There must be an opening ahead. My hands move faster along the wall, in the hope of reaching my destination sooner rather than later. One hand over the other, one foot in front of the other, this is how I keep shuffling along until finally, up ahead, I see a faint glimmer of light. The dream of shuffling through the dark, and standing before a stone doorway containing symbols, hits me with shuddering force.

I make my way closer, aware of the changes that are occurring in the air around me. The kuthun begins to throb heavily.

In what feels like a hypnotic state I suddenly find myself standing before the large stone door. The silver metallic fluid that was in my dream now becomes a reality, flowing its way through the symbols in a snake-like motion.

My power charges and the symbol of the kuthun, glowing in the top corner of the door, only enhances the magic coursing through me.

And then I feel her, the woman in my dream. I sense her energy entering mine and I allow her to fuse with me, trusting her to do what needs to be done. My hand reaches towards the door and I see that, like in my dream, the skin on my hand is darker and the fingers longer and more slender than my own. Gold rings and bracelets adorn her hand and as it turns slightly to touch the door I see the tattoo on the inside of her wrist. It is the symbol of infinity—the symbol of the omniscience of the universe—the symbol of the one true power.

The air within the tunnel starts to build and specks of sand are being blown against my legs.
She places my hand onto the door.

Her voice is sweet and soft as she casts a spell. ‘Omna luna charkra ma. Solemeni senu tema ra.’

The light behind the door brightens and the grinding and movement of stone upon stone echoes throughout the tunnel. Slowly the door begins to open. I try and move my head to gain a glimpse of what lies beyond, but her spirit still resides within me, keeping me still.

As the door opens wider I am almost blinded by the brilliance of the light streaming from within. I step into the circular room and as my eyes adjust I feel the woman start to leave me. A part of me doesn’t want her to go, but another part of me knows that she must.

As I feel her spirit pull away from mine I hear her whispered words, ‘Dua Netjer en etj.’ I understand what she is saying—thank the Gods for you. With those words I know that the woman is none other than the High Priestess Nebthet—spiritual healer, confidante and guide to Isis all those centuries ago.

My body slumps in response to her release and I feel drained by the power it took to hold her form within mine. I slowly straighten up and feel her essence ebb away into another realm.

My eyes can now see clearly and I am amazed at the vision before me. The light from the large, iridescent glass dome in the ceiling is beaming down upon a sarcophagus—sitting still and silent in the centre of the room—giving it a supernatural glow.

I take in the sarcophagus, aged with time but still impeccably preserved. The limestone exterior is in the shape of a woman—its body covered in gold, lapis lazuli, and a multitude of other gems and stones. Carvings have been embedded into the limestone rock creating a textural depiction of times long past.

‘Isis,’ I exhale.

The kuthun at my chest responds. My hands find their way to my mouth.
I found her
. I send the image before me to Magi, hoping she’ll receive it.

My feet find their strength. I move in slow motion towards the resting place of the Goddess of the Sun. When I am standing at the body of her sarcophagus, and I feel the immense life-force emanating from its depths, I freeze.

What do I do now?

I begin to search the outside of the tomb, gently running my hands across the sides and top, feeling for something, anything, that may help me. But the immense number of symbols and hieroglyphics that swarm my vision confuse what my next step should be.

Suddenly, I feel a change in the air around me. A prickle of recognition makes the hair on my arms stand on end and I whirl around quickly to see Neteru standing at the now closed doorway.

I back up to the tomb, resting my hands against it.

I stare at him warily. The staff he holds is glowing and I sense its ancient power. He lowers his head towards me and without thinking I return the gesture. He lifts up the staff and pounds it against the floor slowly three times, the sound echoes throughout the room. When he is finished he points the staff towards the sarcophagus.

I turn to face the sarcophagus and take a step backwards. In the centre of the lid a black carving has appeared. It is very small and as I bend over to get a better look at it I see that it is in the shape of the kuthun. I turn back to him and he nods. What does he want me to do?

Instinctively I remove the kuthun from my necklace, and with shaky fingers I place it into the carving. It fits perfectly. A loud humming penetrates the room. An immense purple light shoots out from the kuthun and pierces the dome above, passing through the other side. The floor starts to tremble and I look back at Neteru, only to find that he has disappeared. I brace myself for what may happen next, holding onto the sarcophagus for support. The lid begins to move…

‘Holy crap!’ My eyes widen in shock as I let go of it and take a few steps back.

Gradually the lid moves aside. With the floor trembling, and the air around me charged, I cannot move. I bury my face into my shoulder, not knowing if I really want to see her, not sure I am able to
handle
seeing her.

I squeeze my eyes shut and the trembling around me subsides. Everything is still once more.

I open one eye and see dust particles flying around the room, floating through the air after hundreds of years of lying dormant. I don’t move my face from my shoulder. I’m not sure I can.

Images of everyone I love and care about swirl around me. I think of Mum, of being able to see her again. I picture her beautiful face—her kind, loving eyes and her reassuring smile. I take a deep breath and turn my head to look.

Inside the sarcophagus, resting peacefully beneath the well preserved cloth wrappings that are giving off coloured flecks of gold, lies Isis.

Different coloured vials have been placed next to her, containing unknown pieces of her physical body. A gold ankh, the size of my fist, is sitting on her forehead, representing the eternal life of all beings. And on her stomach there lies a tyet, the symbol of resurrection.

My lips start to tremble, and without meaning to, I start to cry. Everything that has brought me to this point comes flooding out of me.

I let it all out—the pain, the fear, the sadness, the guilt. It all comes tumbling out like an avalanche of pent up emotions. Through my blurred vision I see my tears falling onto Isis and I quickly wipe them away.

‘Sorry,’ I sob.

I sniffle and try to compose myself. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, releasing all the trapped feelings that have been huddling within the recesses of my soul.

As I open my eyes I am assaulted by an incredible force, an ancient powerful energy. My body is flung backwards and I hit the ground hard.

I get back onto my feet quickly. The atmosphere is electric. I plant my feet on the ground, ready for an attack, ready for whatever is coming. My power charges.

And then she appears.

At first I can’t believe it. My breath catches in my throat. Magic courses through my veins with renewed intensity.

‘Isis,’ I say with reverence.

She smiles lightly, inclining her head towards me. My eyes gravitate to her glittering aura and I absorb her ethereal magnificence.

She is wearing a floor-length white robe that is knotted off at the waist with a gold cord. Around her neck she wears a heavy, thick chain that extends from her neck down to cover the tips of her shoulders—emitting the colours of gold, purple and red. Her hair is as black as night and sits flush against her shoulders.

Her face is interesting, some would even say beautiful. Distinctive high cheekbones display her femininity, while her black eyebrows highlight the alertness and wisdom of her almond-shaped eyes. Her chin is strong, and the sloping tip of her nose shows an ambitious side to her personality. But it’s her deep green eyes that have the greatest impact. Like mine, they are inquisitive and kind, and yet, there is a hardness to them that mine do not possess. Looking at them I can see why she was Queen of her people.

We stare at each other for a few moments, neither one of us moving. Me for fear she will disappear, and for her…maybe because this is the moment she has been waiting for.

I clear my throat. ‘I am honoured to meet you, Isis,’ I say nervously.

She smiles and my head is filled with an intoxicating sound. ‘It is I who is honoured to meet you, Elena Cole.’

She never moves her lips but her voice penetrates all my senses, as if every cell membrane within me is being awakened by her sound. Everything has been leading up to this moment, but now that it’s here I am at a loss as to what to say.

‘Um, I was hoping that we could talk. I have questions for my family and need your help in answering them?’

Isis tilts her head and her brow furrows slightly.

That’s all you could think of to say!
I scream at my numb-brained self. I could just imagine Ama rolling her eyes at me, telling me to buck up and ask the real questions.

I shake my head. ‘Uh, what I meant to say was, I am here to find the light. I am here to break the Cole curse. Can you help me?’ My hands fiddle with one another restlessly.

Isis smiles gently. ‘Of course I can help. That is why you are here is it not?’ Her hands are clasped gently in front of her and her green eyes hold mine with question.

I nod, a little unsure about the way she is looking at me—like she knows something I don’t.

She slowly walks towards me, her robe flowing around her feet. The light around her glows brighter with every step she takes. The power she exudes is not like anything I have felt before.

She stops in front of me, keeping her eyes focused on my face, and places her elegant hands onto her stomach. ‘Solarnada duo nebesa mankara,’ she says softly.

The air around me ebbs and flows to the heavenly sound of her voice. I close my eyes and feel the spell swirl around me, comforting me with its whispered breath.

I open my eyes to see a small white light appear in her stomach. It pulses and glows brighter, enlarging with each passing second. I can’t look away, yet fear clutches at my chest.

Slowly she draws out the light, her hands clasped around something solid.

What is that?

The light begins to wane and calmly settles within her belly once more. In her open palm she holds a small vial.

She walks towards me until we are only inches apart. ‘To break the curse you must first drink this.’ She holds out the vial towards me. ‘But before you do, I ask one thing?’ She waits for my response.

‘Of course, anything,’ I say.

‘You have discovered many things. To get here you had to be worthy, to be of great blood. You are the chosen one, Elena.’