Shimmer (7 page)

He was already taking long strides up the hill. ‘No.'

‘I am too heavy for you to carry.'

His skin was already reddened from heat and now it darkened further with the exertion of carrying her. ‘I'll manage,' he said. ‘I'm human.'

Exhausted and sick with pain she gave up. She doubted she would be able to make the rest of the way to the house relying on just her own physical body. How did humans live like this, every day with no magic?

Breathing hard, he made no attempt to speak to her but his pace never slowed. He made his way, dripping with sweat, face set in determined lines, steadily and surely towards the house.

He let go of her leg to push open the front door and then kicked it closed behind them. ‘What now?' he rasped.

‘Wish us into my globe.'

The moment he wished she closed her eyes and very carefully, using the most minuscule amount of magic possible, they shimmered.

Amurru shuffled out of one of the darkened corners of her globe. ‘What has happened, Empress?' He glanced at David then back to her. ‘You are hurt?'

She was slumped on David's back, her head over one shoulder. ‘Set me down.'

He looked bewildered but swung her carefully off his back and onto a bed of gold cushions. ‘Is it safe now?'

Amurru's ears twitched but his yellow eyes stayed fixed on her. ‘Why do you not use your magic to heal yourself, Empress?'

‘Idiot here wished for a cool wind.' She threw a scornful look at David, but then felt bad when she saw the lines of exhaustion that etched his face.

Amurru's head drooped. ‘This is grave.'

‘We are safe now, aren't we?' David slumped down on the floor of her globe. ‘We didn't use any magic.'

She ignored him. Stupid, idiotic, clueless human! Her power rumbled around inside her.

Amurru's head jerked up. ‘Control, Empress.'

She took a steadying breath. ‘Yes, you are right.' She closed her eyes for a moment and then, using the smallest amount of power that she could, she made a viewing portal appear.

‘That's Panda Rock.' David stepped nearer to the viewing portal. ‘What are all those people doing there?'

‘Not people,' she said. ‘Genies.'

‘So many.' Amurru's voice filled with sadness. ‘He has harnessed even more in the last two days.'

‘Rihando looks miserable.'

‘He is very loyal to your family.' Amurru shuffled himself over until he was almost touching her. ‘This would be killing him.'

‘Are you talking about that bigger one in the red coat, or the one that looks like a mad pirate?'

‘The red coat,' said Kora. ‘The mad pirate is Vennum.'

Vennum turned in their direction. He had dark oily hair and wild, crazed eyes. His disfigured arms were gesturing madly revealing purple scars and fresh welts that crisscrossed their way up and down his flesh.

‘Do you think Vennum knows it was you at Panda Rock?' asked David.

The sound coming through to them was a jumble of angry voices. Amurru's ears twitched. ‘They are not sure. They are arguing amongst themselves.'

David paced her globe. ‘Are we safe in here?'

‘I do not know.' She let out a sigh. ‘But we did not leave a magic trail for them to follow.'

‘You did well to not wish for anything during your escape,' said Amurru. ‘Otherwise Vennum would have killed you by now.'

David swallowed. ‘And this is all my fault?' He looked unsure. ‘Because I wished for a cool wind?'

‘Vennum was monitoring Earth for the use of excessive power.'

‘And a cool wind would take a lot of power?'

‘Any control of the elements would show as a power spike.'

‘It is fortunate it was only a breeze, Empress.' Amurru's focus was still on the conversation outside. ‘They cannot now be sure that it was you.'

‘What does he mean? How would they know it was you? Couldn't it have been any genie?' asked David.

‘Most genies can summon a breeze, that is why they are uncertain.' She looked him in the eyes. ‘How much the elements are controlled shows how powerful the genie is.'

‘So if I had wished for a hurricane, Vennum would know it was you?'

‘Yes.'

‘Because yours would be so fierce?'

Her eyes glittered. ‘Because I am the most powerful genie on Genesia.'

‘If you are the most powerful genie then can't you use your magic to stop them if they find us?'

‘I will try. But I am one genie against many.' She gestured towards the viewing portal.

‘Why don't you just kill him?'

‘I wish. But it simply is not possible for a genie to kill a human.' She scowled at Vennum through the portal. ‘And Vennum is human enough that it includes him!'

David breathed in through his nose and dropped his arms to his side. ‘I'm sorry, Kora.'

His apology surprised her. Genies were seldom sorry for anything and certainly never said so.

‘If Vennum finds me, wish yourself to a hiding spot and then wish me unharnessed.' She sighed. ‘I should be able to hold them off long enough for you to run.'

‘But then Vennum could harness you. Can't you just magic us all away now?'

‘They would notice and follow any use of magic.'

‘What about that?' David pointed at the viewing portal. ‘Doesn't that leave a trail?'

‘I am using a tiny amount of magic. If there were only one genie out there, they would probably be able to detect it. But because there are so many of them, and they are quite a distance away, it is not strong enough for them to be able to notice that it is not coming from one of them.'

David began to pace her globe. ‘So every time you use magic it leaves a trail?'

‘Yes, but the trail disappears after a while.'

‘And Vennum can see the trail?'

‘Not see it. Sense it. And not Vennum, but his genies.'

‘So if the trail we would have left going to Panda Rock has disappeared,' David kept pacing, ‘and we didn't use any magic to get back, and they didn't see us, then we should be safe, right?'

‘Maybe.' Kora huffed. ‘I wish they would stop yelling at each other. I cannot tell what they are saying.

Amurru's ear turned and his face wrinkled with concentration. ‘Rihando has told Vennum that whatever genie was here has gone but Vennum has found your footprints and wants to follow them.'

She looked at the human. He had carried her over a kilometre up a hill, and then apologised to her. She may not be fond of humans but she would no longer like to see him dead. ‘If they come, David, unharness me.'

He folded his arms. ‘No.'

‘I am powerful and Vennum will kill you.'

‘I know you don't think much of me.' She saw the anger flood his face. ‘But I am not about to leave you, powerful or not, to face that slimeball alone.'

She stared back at his angry eyes. What was he thinking? That he was going to be able to protect her from Vennum? Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a plan. She would not be able to hold that many genies off for long.

She felt Amurru stiffen beside her. ‘Vennum is decided, Empress. He intends to follow the tracks.'

She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘If the time comes, Amurru. Will you tell my family that I love them?' She glanced up at David. ‘And tell my parents,' she stumbled over the aching in her throat, ‘tell them I am sorry.'

Amurru's short stumpy fingers rested on her hand. ‘You have my word, Empress.'

David squared his shoulders. ‘They're headed this way!'

David burst out laughing.

She looked at him in disbelief. What was wrong with him? ‘I am glad your imminent death amuses you.'

‘I don't suppose genies spend much time hunting.' David pointed at the viewing portal. The genies were spreading out now, splashing around in the creek and pointing at the ground. ‘They're not our tracks.'

‘He is right, Empress. They cannot agree on a direction.' Amurru's ears swivelled, slowly making sense of the jumbled, shouting voices coming through the portal. ‘They fight amongst themselves again.'

She blew out a long slow breath. Her shoulder was excruciating and her knees were bloody and sore. When her eyes landed on David she could see the dark red stain that covered his shirt where her shoulder had been pressed against him.

She watched Vennum in the viewing portal. His arms were flapping madly and pure rage emanated from him. A sword appeared in his hand and in a movement too fast to follow he whirled around, slicing the blade across the face of the nearest genie, leaving a long, ragged, bloody slash. The genie let out a bloodcurdling scream, flinging his hands up to cover the gaping wound on his face. Then, with a final roar of rage, Vennum and the genies all disappeared, and the forest fell silent.

‘What happened?' Kora looked to Amurru. ‘And what was Vennum yelling about?'

‘He was furious that they could not follow the tracks. And he has ordered them to keep a close eye on this area.'

David got to his feet. ‘How will they do that?'

‘They will continue to watch for even the smallest of power spikes,' said Amurru. ‘You must both be careful.'

She shifted painfully against the pillows. ‘He really means you need to be more careful.'

David ignored the jab. ‘Where do you keep your bandages?'

‘Why, are you hurt?'

‘No, but you are.'

‘Not for long.' She settled herself and closed her eyes. First she directed her magic to her shoulder, and when that was blissfully painfree she directed it down to her knees and then finally around her aching, sore muscles.

She opened her eyes to find his fascinated gaze on her. ‘That was amazing.'

‘No. What is amazing,' she said, raising one dark eyebrow, ‘is how you can bear to live without magic.'

‘So you never stay hurt or get sick?'

‘Mostly we heal ourselves.'

‘What do you mean “mostly”?'

‘We have to be conscious to channel our power to where it is needed.'

‘So what happens if you're unconscious?'

‘Then we have a problem.'

‘So you just have to hope you become conscious in time to heal yourself?'

‘Pretty much.'

‘Can't another genie heal you?'

‘No, it does not work that way. You have to be able to guide your own magic to where you need it. But if things are desperate enough another genie can take you to the Slaytians for help.'

‘Who are the Slaytians?'

‘You ask a lot of questions. Are you not tired?'

He shrugged and waited expectantly.

She sighed. ‘They are forest-dwelling creatures that live in the Genesian wilderness. They are similar looking in some ways to genies and humans, but they are smaller and have green skin. Most importantly, though, they have rather unusual powers.'

‘They can heal, too?'

‘Yes. They have powerful concoctions made from ingredients harvested from the forest. But they heal genies in a different way. This talent is more subtle. They can invade your mind in a way that leaves you uncertain which thoughts are your own and which thoughts they have put there. Useful if you are unconscious because they can make your mind direct your magic.' She raised her eyebrows. ‘Not so useful the rest of the time.'

Her throat was still dry and her mouth felt sticky. She flicked her wrist and produced cold fruit drinks for them both.

David raised his glass and took a huge gulp. He was grimy and sweaty. ‘So this means I can make wishes again now?'

She rolled her eyes and nodded. That would be right. Typical human boy, straight back to thinking about himself.

‘So why don't the Slaytians use their mind trick on Vennum?'

‘My father has asked them, but the Slaytians are not our friends.'

‘That's a surprise.'

Her head jerked up at his sarcastic tone. ‘You know nothing of us.'

‘But I'm learning. So why aren't the Slaytians and genies friends?'

She shrugged. ‘It is complicated.'

‘Then why do they bother to heal you?'

‘They do not do so for free.'

‘Surely a genie would pay any price to get rid of Vennum?'

‘The Slaytians are power-hungry. My father refused to exchange one evil power for another.'

David began to pace her globe again, this time in interest. ‘I wondered what it would be like in here.' His eyes roved around, taking in the colourful floating lamps, the sparkling silken fabrics and the panoramic viewing screens showing the outside world and the inside of his bedroom. He sucked in his breath and jabbed his finger at the screens. ‘I knew you could see me from in here!'

Kora grinned. ‘Of course. What did you expect?'

David reached up to touch one of the tiny floating lamps. ‘I didn't expect the inside of your globe to look like this!'

‘Really?' asked Kora. ‘Well then, did you expect this?' She waved her hand and the inside of her globe transformed into the deck of an old-fashioned ship, complete with wooden decking, and captain's bridge with oversized steering wheel.

David laughed, and stepped over to take the wheel. ‘Land ahoy,' he yelled.

Kora flicked her fingers. A wave appeared over the bow of the ship and dumped sea water on David's head.

He spluttered, and plucked a long strand of brown seaweed from his face. But before he could complain, she waved her hand again and the ship's deck and sea water disappeared, leaving a dripping David standing in the middle of a colourful lolly shop.

‘Or maybe you expected it to look like this?' All around were jars, bowls and bottles of chocolates and lollies of every shape and size.

David gaped at the display, before stepping over and grabbing a handful of Smarties.

‘That's incredible,' he mumbled around a mouthful of the lollies. ‘So it just looks however you want it to?'