The Book of Shadows E-Book

E. R. Murray

• Herausgeber: Mercier Press
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: The Nine Lives Trilogy
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 447

Beschreibung

The follow up to the critically acclaimed children's title The Book of Learning.  • A magical story with an Irish setting for readers aged 9–12 years;   appeals to both boys and girls.  • The follow-up to the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Citywide    Read 2016: The Book of Learning.  • An exciting fantasy adventure from the publishers of the Arthur Quinn series.  In this exciting follow-up to the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Citywide Read 2016, The Book of Learning, heroine Ebony Smart is settling into her role as guardian for the Order of Nine Lives. All seems quiet until she receives a peculiar silver box from an anonymous sender and is tasked with returning it to a mystery owner. Ebony discovers that Zach and Judge Ambrose have allied with a powerful ancient demon, and are more determined than ever to steal her soul and control the fate of the world. To defend the Order and defeat the demon, Ebony and her pet rat, Winston, must unravel the mystery of the silver box, free the trapped souls in the Reflectory and mount a daring rescue. Can she find the strength and courage needed to defeat the enemy, prove herself the rightful guardian and save all of their lives?

Leseprobe

MERCIER PRESS

Cork

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© E. R. Murray, 2016

ISBN: 978 1 78117 452 4

Epub ISBN: 978 1 78117 453 1

Mobi ISBN: 978 1 78117 454 8

This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. This bookplate shows the badge of the Royal Irish Rifles above the family arms of Captain Bowen-Colthurst – an amalgamation of the Bowen and Colthurst coats of arms. The Latin motto translates as ‘Just and Resolute’ and comes from Horace, Carmina (III, 3.1): ‘The just man who is resolute will not be turned from his purpose, either by the misdirected rage of his fellow citizens, or by the threats of an imperious tyrant.’ Colthurst loosely translated this as ‘The Triumph of Right’.

For Mick O’Callaghan and the village of Schull

Contents

Prologue

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About the Author

About the Publisher

Prologue

It was a cool summer night, yet sweat dripped down Zach Stone’s back as he waited in the agreed meeting spot. The moon was full and bright, casting a vast yellow halo that reflected on the gentle waves. All was silent.

Perched on the ragged cliff edge of Gallows Island, staring out to sea, Zach felt his heart thump and blood rushed in his ears like a drum beat. As a twig snapped behind him, Zach shivered. A chill ran up his spine and down his arms, turning his fingers icy.

Slowly standing and turning round, Zach met the steely glare of Judge Ambrose. The judge’s face looked jaundiced in the moon’s light, giving him an eerie glow. Taking a cautious step towards the judge, away from the cliff edge, Zach gave a nervous smile.

‘It is almost time,’ said Judge Ambrose.

Zach nodded, unsure whether to speak.

‘The Reflectory is still guarded, but the Shadow Walkers are ready to march. They’re waiting for my command.’

Again, Zach nodded.

‘You know what you have to do?’

‘Yes, sir,’ replied Zach, his voice much squeakier than intended.

‘Good. When we unleash the secret weapon, there’ll be no stopping us.’

Judge Ambrose turned to leave, but after a few steps, he spun round and fixed Zach with a hard stare. Instantly, a searing pain shot through Zach’s body. It felt like a lightning bolt was trapped under his skin.

‘You’ll make sure there are no mistakes this time, boy?’

The fiery pain surged into Zach’s limbs, filtering into every vein and sinew, finally settling around his throat. Zach clawed at his neck, but there was nothing there to grab. He nodded furiously.

When Judge Ambrose was satisfied that his message had been conveyed, he averted his gaze. Zach dropped to the ground, coughing and spluttering.

‘I’m glad we understand each other,’ called the judge as he walked away.

Zach’s eyes narrowed as he watched the figure disappear down the hill. Rubbing his sore throat, he spat onto the ground. But there was no way he was giving up; Zach had waited almost two months for this opportunity – the chance to destroy Ebony Smart and bring his mum back to life. Revenge was within his grasp.

Ebony Smart woke to the sound of her own screaming. At first, she could not move her body or stop the noise that surged from her mouth and she wondered whether she was still trapped in her nightmare …

A howling wind.

A dawn sky.

Shadows with angry faces and red eyes hurtling in her direction.

Shadows that can hurt her.

And Ebony, strapped to a slab of cold, hard marble, fighting to break away. Tugging and yanking, desperate to be free, as Zach Stone’s laughter grows louder and louder.

After a moment, which felt much longer, the scream died away and with it Ebony regained the ability to move her limbs. As soon as she could, she hauled herself up, the muscles in her arms trembling, and rested on the edge of her huge bed. The imprint of a ghastly face with red eyes hovered everywhere she looked, a ghoulish reminder of her recurring nightmare. Reaching into the cage on her bedside cabinet, Ebony lifted out her pet rat, Winston, for a cuddle. As Winston snuggled against her, Ebony felt his heart pumping, making his body quiver.

‘I’m OK, Winston,’ said Ebony, wishing she could believe her own words.

The dream lingered, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. Her body still shaky, Ebony squeezed her eyelids shut as tightly as she could. She clutched at the amulet around her neck – the heirloom that marked her as guardian – and waited until the face melted away. As her breathing calmed, Winston stopped quivering and scurried up her arm to sit in his favourite spot on her shoulder, nestled in her thick black curls.

‘It was just a dream,’ said Ebony, forcing her shoulders to relax.

Clambering out of bed and into one of the protective outfits her aunt had made for her, its special material moulding itself around her body and instantly warming her bones, she gathered up her best friend. Opening the curtains, Ebony let the bright early morning light flood into the room. A pigeon cooed on her window ledge, its iridescent pink collar glinting in the sun. At the sight of the new day, the memory of the dream began to fade.

‘Come on, Winston,’ said Ebony, glancing at her bed with a shiver. ‘There’s no point hanging around here. Let’s go see what Aunt Ruby is up to – and if she’s finally decided to let me visit home.’

Even though it was only just past dawn, it was breakfast time in 23 Mercury Lane and the kitchen was alive with smoke, sparks and whirring mini-helicopters delivering food to the table. It was the standard fare of eggs, smokey bacon and burnt toast. Uncle Cornelius was seated at the table, greedily licking his lips, his explosive ginger eyebrows trembling with greed. Quietly, Ebony slipped into her favourite spot at the other end of the table – where he couldn’t reach to steal her food – and Winston settled into the little place set out for him beside her. It took a moment for Aunt Ruby to realise they were there.

‘Good morning. Did you sleep well, dear?’ she asked, as Ebony shuffled in her seat. Her aunt was chugging on a finely carved chestnut pipe as she cooked.

‘I had the dream again.’

‘Was there any change? A lead we can follow?’

‘No,’ said Ebony, slouching in her chair. ‘It was the same as always. I don’t think we’ll find any leads there.’

Aunt Ruby stopped what she was doing and joined them at the table, the pipe hanging from one corner of her mouth. A piece of toast whizzed past her head and landed in the middle of the tablecloth. It was steaming hot and black all over. Aunt Ruby picked it up and absently started scratching at the burnt layers with a knife, lost in her own thoughts. After a moment, she eyed Ebony carefully.

‘Myself and Uncle Cornelius were talking,’ she said, scraping the toast in time to her words. ‘About your request to go home to visit the Reflectory and those guarding it.’

Brightening, Ebony sat up straight. She had been asking for weeks to go back so she could try to release the souls trapped in stasis and seal the doorway. Last night, they’d eventually agreed to consider her request.

‘Great! Are we finally returning to Oddley Cove?’

‘I’m afraid not, my dear,’ replied her aunt. ‘We decided that, even though it’s been quiet, we still need to be in Dublin on watch. Which means you need to be here too.’

Stiffening, Ebony picked up her fork and clenched it in her fist. ‘But I’m the guardian – if the Reflectory still needs guarding, if the souls are at risk, I should be there. I can stay with Old Joe if you’re worried about me being in the cottage alone.’

Uncle Cornelius shifted in his seat and Winston stopped eating.

‘The Reflectory is in safe hands with Icarus and Old Joe in charge – but it’s a twenty-four-hour job and they don’t have time to watch over you too. For now, you should be more concerned about The Book of Learning being unresponsive. And when was the last time you heard your grandpa speak? Until the guidance you need returns, you must remain in our protection.’

Ebony gulped. When she had been in danger before, her grandpa’s soul had helped her, giving her advice and helping her defeat Judge Ambrose and her cousin Zach. But ever since then, his guiding whisper had been silent. She hoped it was because she was out of danger, but as the days went by, she found that she missed his secret assistance more and more. Part of her almost wished the danger would return so she could hear his gentle whispering once again. But while the absence of Grandpa Tobias bothered her, what her aunt had just said worried her more. Had Aunt Ruby lost faith in her abilities as guardian already?

‘You don’t think I’m good enough, do you?’ asked Ebony, eyebrows knit.

Leaning back in her chair, Aunt Ruby laid her pipe down and shot Uncle Cornelius an odd look. ‘You might be the guardian – and a capable one – but I’m still your guardian, and your safety comes first,’ she replied. ‘So far, defeating the curse has only made things more dangerous. Now that we’ve revealed Judge Ambrose’s evil intentions to the Order of Nine Lives and they’ve declared him an enemy, he will be rallying what supporters he has left for all-out war against us.’

‘So where is he then?’ snapped Ebony.

It was almost two months since Ebony had prevented Judge Ambrose and Zach Stone from snatching her soul and implanting it into another body, and in that time, there hadn’t been a single whiff of trouble. Although Aunt Ruby had doubled their spies, implanting cameras into a multitude of summer creatures, including bees and butterflies, they hadn’t seen so much as a glimpse of their enemies on the surveillance screens in the basement. The security team guarding the Reflectory had nothing to report either; it seemed like Judge Ambrose and Zach Stone had dropped off the face of the earth.

‘Ambrose may have gone into hiding, but I have no doubt that he has something big planned,’ replied Aunt Ruby. ‘He is still seeking the power of reincarnation and will stop at nothing to kill you and get your soul – and he needs you in the Reflectory to do that, remember? Only he’ll want to make sure he has all his pieces ready before he makes his move. I’m afraid for you, Ebony.’

Ebony couldn’t argue with that. Before Zach had fled the scene last spring, he had warned her that they’d be coming after her – and Ebony believed this with every fibre of her being. She could sense her enemies watching and waiting. Particularly at night when the nightmare came, Zach’s laughter ringing in her ears. Sometimes, drenched in sweat, her heart felt so black after the fear abated that all she could think about was hunting them down and exacting revenge for her grandpa’s murder.

‘We have to be more cautious than ever,’ continued Aunt Ruby. ‘Our numbers are few. There’s not much left of the Order – sixteen families only – and until we’re certain everyone is loyal to us, rather than Ambrose, it’s too dangerous to let you go alone. Which means that you must stay here with us.’

‘But surely that’s even more reason to let me return, so I can start figuring out how to release the souls–’

Aunt Ruby put up her hand to signal that she would hear no more about it. ‘You’re not going back to Oddley Cove until we can come with you, and that’s that. Things are too volatile. You need our protection.’

Ebony felt like reaching out, snatching the toast from her aunt and throwing it across the room; she didn’t even know anyone else from the Order besides her family. Resisting the urge, she picked up a piece of bacon and chewed angrily on it.

‘However,’ continued Aunt Ruby, ‘we have got some news that might cheer you up.’

I very much doubt it, thought Ebony.

‘It’s about Zach’s lair.’

Almost choking on her bacon, Ebony sat upright. ‘Go on,’ she said.

‘We’re satisfied that it’s been completely abandoned. There hasn’t been an iota of movement, and we’ve sent in our best bug spies to check the place out. We’ve also made a few amendments and I got someone to add a new security system.’

‘So, what does this mean?’ asked Ebony, excitement bubbling up inside her.

‘It means that we’ve decided you should claim it. You can use it as–’

Before her aunt could finish, Ebony was out of her seat, hugging her. Letting go, she ran upstairs at top speed to gather her rucksack, stuffing it with her most precious belongings: the Ebonius Tobinius bronze rose and her grandpa’s mahogany medal – which combined to unlock the doorway to the Reflectory – as well as The Book of Learning. Checking her amulet was safely secured around her neck, Ebony pulled on a light summer jacket and tucked her pocketknife into her trousers. Minutes later, she was back in the kitchen.

‘Let’s go, Winston,’ she cried, fighting to catch her breath.

Springing up onto her outstretched palm and scurrying up her arm, Winston positioned himself on Ebony’s shoulder and clung on as she raced out of the room towards the front door.

‘Wait!’ cried Aunt Ruby, as Ebony began making her way through the many locks. ‘You don’t even know how to get in!’

Ebony paused, waiting for instructions.

‘Before I tell you,’ said Aunt Ruby, eyeballing her niece, ‘you must promise me that you’ll keep a close lookout. If you see anything out of the ordinary or suspicious, you must come straight home.’

‘I promise.’

‘And be back within two hours at the most.’

‘OK,’ said Ebony, tapping the toe of her shoe against the floor.

‘We’ll have surveillance follow you – you can never be too careful.’

‘Fine! Just tell me how to get in.’

After considering her niece for a moment, Aunt Ruby leaned in and whispered the instructions in Ebony’s ear. As she listened, Ebony grinned and nodded. Moments later, she was out through the front door, Winston hidden in her curls as they headed straight for the park.

The morning sky was already bright and blue as Ebony Smart scaled the railings of St Stephen’s Green and dropped noiselessly onto the dew-soaked grass on the other side. It wasn’t even 6.30 a.m. yet, but the shadows were already beginning to stretch. With Winston gripping her shoulder firmly and her rucksack slung over one shoulder, Ebony strode confidently in the direction of the pond, checking behind her whenever she felt a chill run up her spine, or imagined she could feel eyes following her. Despite feeling wary, excitement fizzed through her. She was ready to get one up on her enemies by claiming Zach’s lair as her own.

‘Let’s call it the Hideout,’ said Ebony to Winston.

The rat lifted his left paw in the air – his signal for yes – but he trembled on her shoulder as they stopped at the green marble seat near the main entrance of the park. The back of the seat reared up to a point with a bronze bauble on top, while the front curved down into a small basin decorated with an intricate carving of a rose. It marked the secret entrance to Zach’s old home.

‘It’s OK, Winston,’ said Ebony, recalling Aunt Ruby’s new security instructions. ‘This belongs to us now.’

Reaching out, she grasped hold of the carved rose, but instead of twisting it like Zach had done before, she leaned in close so her eye was in line with the centre of the rose and waited until it opened to reveal a small round lens. Recognising her iris, the familiar hum started up as the mechanism inside the seat sprang to life. The marble began to sink and mossy steps appeared leading down into the ground, small lights automatically blinking on along the edges, showing the way. Breathing in the familiar scents of damp soil and June flowers – elderflower, honeysuckle, wild garlic and plain old dog-roses – Ebony walked down into the earth and paused. Although her aunt’s surveillance had been thorough – she wouldn’t have allowed Ebony to claim the place unless she was one hundred per cent certain it was safe – being there resurrected some painful memories and put Ebony on edge. Last time she’d been there, she’d still believed that Zach was her friend. Unable to hear any noises from inside, she flicked the switch to seal up the entrance, leaving the park behind.

One deep breath later, blood pounding in her ears and Winston’s claws prickling her collarbone as he clung on, Ebony stepped into the main room. She clapped her hands, and the room exploded with light as candelabras flared up with fake flames. Uncertain what to expect, her heart thumped in her chest as her eyes fell on the familiar surroundings. It was almost the same as before; the only difference was that a desk, a computer and an office chair had been added.

Taking quiet, tentative steps, Ebony searched the area to make sure they were alone. She checked under the four-poster bed and inside the cupboards – even though they were too small for anyone to hide inside – and searched the small bathroom. The place was empty. There were signs of Zach everywhere, but it was clear he hadn’t been there for some time; the used towel discarded on the floor was stiff and smelled of mould, bubbles had dried on the bar of soap in a moonscape design and the pizza crusts on a plate in the kitchen had turned fuzzy and green.

‘It’s all clear,’ said Ebony, relieved to hear her voice break the silence.

But Winston wasn’t convinced. He quivered and shook, using Ebony’s thick black curls to hide behind. Gently, Ebony lifted him off her shoulder and held him out in front of her, balancing him across the palms of her hands so he could survey the room.

‘Look,’ she said. ‘I’ve searched everywhere. We’re alone.’

Winston blinked slowly as he checked the place over, wrapping his tail around his body. He licked its stubby tip, the end flat instead of pointy – a battle scar from Zach – then hid it under his tummy. As his eyes fell on a door on the other side of the room, his fur stood on end and he made a strange, low squeal.

‘Trust me,’ said Ebony, fighting to keep her voice from shaking. ‘That door’s always been locked. Zach said he had it sealed up when his family left. There’s no one behind it.’

Popping Winston back on her shoulder and with her breath held, she headed for the small door. Her throat tight and thick with fear, she reached out and gave the handle a tug. It was firmly locked. Pressing her ear to the door for a moment, trying to ignore the sound of blood rushing in her eardrums, she let out a small sigh.

‘See? Just like I said.’

Winston’s whiskers twitched. He leaned in and listened at the door also, then scurried down Ebony’s arm and rested his front paws on the handle, pressing down with all his body weight. When the door didn’t open, his fur flattened and his body relaxed. He did a small somersault then turned to Ebony and lifted both paws in victory. Ebony laughed loudly, her voice filling the room. Finally reassured, Winston leaped off Ebony’s palms and headed straight to the sofa to search for spilled crumbs.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Ebony decided to get to work. If she could figure out a way to get The Book of Learning to start working again, or at least find some useful information about the whereabouts of Zach or Judge Ambrose, she might be able to convince her aunt to take her to Oddley Cove. She wiggled the mouse on the computer desk, and the screen lit up; as Ebony had suspected, it was linked to the surveillance cameras in 23 Mercury Lane. There was nothing of interest happening, just Uncle Cornelius washing the breakfast dishes with his tongue as Aunt Ruby scribbled notes about one of her latest inventions.

Opening The Book of Learning using the special fingerprint combination – index finger, middle finger, little finger, thumb – Ebony turned to the first blank page. She waited for it to spring into action and show her a clue, just like it had for the last time two months ago when she’d needed help to defeat Zach and Ambrose. When nothing happened, she ran her fingers over the inside cover, tracing the eye symbol and the list of dates of all her past incarnations, as well as the last one representing her own lifespan, not yet complete. When there was no response, Ebony emptied her rucksack of her essential possessions and tried touching each item in turn to The Book of Learning’s pages in the hope of triggering something. But nothing worked. Not even the crescent-shaped amulet around her neck could kick the pages into action. The book stayed inert and silent.

Reaching out to Winston for comfort, Ebony discovered he was now snoozing, belly up, his fat tummy rising and falling with his heavy breath.

‘Hey!’ she said, prodding him gently in the hope that it would wake him. ‘I need your help.’

But Winston slept on. Watching her only friend snoozing, Ebony grew irritable. She had expected to feel euphoric once she had claimed the Hideout; after all, it was a small triumph over Zach Stone. Instead, she felt like she was trespassing on his territory.

Turning back to the computer keyboard, Ebony set about making a screensaver. She made the message huge, in fat lime-green block capitals:

Leaving the message to bounce around on the screen, she folded her arms.

‘There,’ she said. ‘It’s ours now.’

And yet, it didn’t make her feel any better. Zach was her enemy: he’d killed her grandpa and tried to kill her. With the help of her remaining family and the Order of Nine Lives, she was determined to make sure that he would pay for what he’d done – only then could her spirit be at rest.

Joining Winston on the sofa, Ebony stretched out on her back, trying to calm her fury as she gazed through the glass ceiling of the Hideout, watching the sunlight dapple the pond above it. The pondweed was still, almost luminous in the morning glow, and small schools of tiny glistening fish clung to it to feed. Meanwhile, ducks paddled across the surface of the water with their bright orange feet, dipping their heads for food. Ebony wondered what it must be like for the ducks, looking down at her. Did they even notice her?

As though hearing her thoughts, the ducks suddenly exploded with shrieks and squawks, beating their wings on the water. The water rippled and sloshed, blurring Ebony’s view. The Hideout darkened as the shadows of their wings dappled every corner and crevice, lapping like flames. As their shrieks magnified, the room continued to darken. Up above, a huge shadow loomed.

There was a sudden flash of indigo and a blaze of white followed by a barely audible splash; above the water line, Ebony saw two sets of huge, slate-grey claws lifting back into the air. They were open, like they’d just released something. The ducks dispersed, still squawking, a flurry of beating wings. There was a loud clunk and, waking with a start, Winston sat up on his hind legs. Ebony watched as a single drake floated on the pond; from the angle of his neck, Ebony guessed he had been killed during the commotion. Above him, the shadow circled the sky. Whatever the claws belonged to, it wasn’t leaving yet.

Once again, the room darkened and, although she knew she was safe, Ebony ducked. Cringing as the claws wrapped themselves around the dead drake and carried it off, she couldn’t look away.

An eerie silence followed.

‘I’ve never seen a bird that big,’ said Ebony.

Winston was now staring upwards, his attention fixed on something above his head. Ebony followed his gaze to where the water had again settled, clear and sparkling.

Resting on the glass ceiling was a small silver box. On its base, there were words engraved in a curlicue script. Climbing up on a chair and taking her time to decipher the words, Ebony read the message out loud:

Leaping up the gently lit, moss-covered stairs two at a time, Ebony ran out into the daylight, with Winston close behind. Quickly showing her eye to the rose, Ebony waited until the secret doorway closed behind them, then ran to the pond’s edge.

‘If my estimation is right,’ said Ebony, peering into the water, ‘it should be just about … there!’

Winston peered in. Turning round, he shrugged. That part of the pond was too deep to see to the bottom.

‘I guess there’s only one thing for it,’ said Ebony.

Stripping off her jacket, shoes and socks, and leaving them along with her rucksack in Winston’s care – the park would open soon and she might not be able to get back into the Hideout – Ebony jumped into the pond. Despite the sunshine the water was cold, sending shockwaves through her body that made her gasp. The water went up to Ebony’s waist and mud squelched between her toes as she waded away from the edge. Soon, the bottom fell away and she was treading water, the cold water freezing her chest and lungs. Looking down, she saw the water was clearer than at the edges. She guessed that this was the deepest part, above the Hideout.

‘H-here goes,’ she stammered, taking a deep gulp of air and upending herself like a guillemot. The water was unusually murky from where she’d disturbed the mud in the shallower areas, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but after a minute, Ebony caught sight of something glinting at the bottom. She’d found the right spot; she could just make out the sofa in the Hideout through the glass below.

Heading straight for the small silver box, she swam as hard as she could, but the water seemed to go on and on. The pond was much deeper than Ebony had thought – the glass ceiling had distorted its depth. Determined, she continued down, but still the bottom of the pond didn’t seem to be rising to meet her. Then, giving one last almighty kick with her legs, she found the box was finally in reach.

Stretching out her arm, small bubbles escaping her lips and nostrils as she fought to hold in what remained of her breath, Ebony managed to grab the box. Spinning her body round, she tried to use the glass ceiling of the Hideout for leverage to push herself up, but instead of hitting against the smooth surface, her foot caught in something that clamped around it. Ebony tried to pull herself away, but whatever it was she’d got caught in held her fast.

Looking down, Ebony saw fronds of billowing pondweed wrapped around her leg. Stuffing the box in her pocket, she tried to unravel the weeds, her lungs dry and burning, screaming for air.

Frantic now, she kicked and wrestled to get free. Remembering her pocketknife, Ebony pulled it out and cut away at the binding around her feet. After a couple of seconds, she was able to break free. Swimming up to the surface of the water as fast as she could, Ebony gasped for air as she broke the surface, sucking in huge mouthfuls of oxygen.

‘I got it!’ she cried, once her breath had returned.

Winston was waiting on the bank, his fur ruffled and his eyes bulging. Ebony made her way over to him and pulled herself out of the water. Crouching so Winston could see, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver box, holding it in the flat of her palm. Winston’s fur flattened as he examined it.

On closer inspection, Ebony saw that the box was covered in delicate engravings, just like The Book of Learning, with a matching key design in one corner. Ebony turned the box around and flipped it over, the inscription face up. The message glinted in the sun.

‘It’s definitely the same script as on The Book of Learning,’ said Ebony. ‘I’d recognise it anywhere.’ Unzipping her rucksack, she showed both to Winston. ‘See? It’s made of the same type of silver too – they must have been created at the same time.’

Winston blinked slowly.

‘But why does it say not to open it? And how am I meant to know who owns it? Maybe I should just–’

Winston began jumping up and down on the spot on his back legs, waving his front legs about. Ebony understood his meaning right away.

‘Do you think it’s a trick?’ she asked.

Holding up his left front paw, Winston also nodded his head emphatically.

‘So, does that mean it’s trying to trick me to open it? Or to not open it?’

Letting his paw drop, Winston gazed up at Ebony and shrugged.

‘There’s only one way to find out …’

As she tried The Book of Learning’s special fingerprint combination to open the box lid, Winston covered his face with his paws. A deafening wail sounded and the box turned so hot that Ebony dropped it. Winston let out a gut-wrenching howl and dived into a pocket on Ebony’s rucksack.

Spotting a strange glow inside her bag, Ebony peered in. It was coming from the centre of her bronze Ebonius Tobinius rose. As she pulled it out, the rose shuddered in her hand and a bright blue flame, buzzing and hissing, shot out of its centre. The ghostly flare launched into the sky and arced its way towards the horizon where it fizzled out, the light quickly dying.

‘What the–?’ cried Ebony.

But the awful wailing drowned out her words. Trying to smother the noise, Ebony grabbed her jacket and threw it over the box. The noise stopped instantly and the rose stopped glowing, returning to its usual bronze, its petals shining in the early morning sun. Ebony stared at the rose thoughtfully. It was clearly connected in some way to the box, as it had never done anything like that before. But she wasn’t sure why it had reacted that way or what it meant.

Carefully retrieving the box from under her coat – it still felt warm to the touch – she slipped it into her pocket then returned the rose to her rucksack. Checking the ground to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind, Ebony spotted a small mound of frost where the box had been sitting.

‘Come see this, Winston. The box was hot but it left frost behind!’

Peering out, Winston shook his head. He allowed Ebony to lift him out of the rucksack, but he kept his distance from the frosty mark that now resembled the silhouette of a bird.

‘Don’t worry,’ continued Ebony, putting on her shoes and socks. ‘I think we’ve been given something important and if it’s somehow linked to the rose and The Book of Learning, I’m sure it won’t do us any harm. Let’s go and show Aunt Ruby and Uncle Cornelius.’

Winston immediately hopped up onto Ebony’s shoulder.

As she headed home – the park gates were now open – Ebony kept her head down and her hands in her pockets, dodging the early morning throng of people walking to work. The rucksack on her back felt heavy, like she was being crushed under its weight, and, shrouded in wet clothes, her body shivered. As her nose started to run, Ebony rummaged in her jacket pockets for a tissue, forgetting to look where she was going and not noticing the man in a suit and tie walking towards her, engrossed in his phone. The pair collided. The impact spun Ebony around and she found herself facing the park again.

A little way back, a hooded figure caught her eye. It was the only still figure in the moving crowd. Everyone else was racing along, eager to get to work or drop their kids at school, but this figure didn’t seem interested in going anywhere. In fact, it didn’t seem interested in anything other than her. The face was hidden by the shadow of the hood, but whoever it was, they were staring straight back at her. After a moment the figure waved and, without thinking, Ebony waved back. Then, the hood dropped.

It was Zach.

His chestnut hair glinted in the sun, but even from this distance, Ebony could see his face had changed; it looked gaunt and strained. Ebony gasped and felt her heart start to thump. She didn’t know whether to run towards or away from him, but before she knew what was happening, a man passed between them. When he moved away, Zach was gone.

As Ebony stood frozen in the street, staring at the spot where Zach had been, Winston tugged on her hair.

‘Did you see him, Winston? Did you see Zach?’ said Ebony, frantically looking down the street to see if she could spot him anywhere.

Following her gaze, Winston frowned and shook his head. He made a motion like breaststroke with his front legs, followed by a fake shiver.

‘You’re right. Maybe holding my breath underwater for so long is making me hallucinate,’ said Ebony after a moment. ‘I’m just being paranoid.’

Turning in to Mercury Lane, her outfit beginning to dry thanks to Aunt Ruby’s specially invented cloth, Ebony was surprised to see her aunt standing on the doorstep of No. 23. Aunt Ruby’s flame-red hair glistened as she shielded her eyes, her attention fixed on the sky – she no longer bothered with camouflaging herself now that she didn’t have to pretend to serve Judge Ambrose. Instinctively, Ebony ducked behind a wheelie bin to watch. Although she had grown to trust her aunt, she also knew that Aunt Ruby still kept secrets.

After a moment, a shrill cry filled the sky, and a huge headless bird appeared, its wings outstretched. Ebony guessed its wingspan must have been five feet at least; the wings were mainly white in colour, with a rose-yellow tinge and edged with black feathers that splayed at the tips like lots of grasping fingers.

As the creature glided lower, Ebony realised that its head was actually tucked in, swaying from side to side on its long, bent neck as it eyed the ground. Circling for a moment, the creature swooped over Ebony; on closer inspection it looked like a vulture. It had a bald head and neck, purple and scarlet in colour, with a neon-orange wattle on its beak and piercing pale-yellow eyes. When the vulture dipped right above her, Ebony gasped; she recognised those slate-grey claws. It was the creature that had dropped the box in the pond and carried off the dead drake. She’d never seen a vulture so colourful – but what was a bird like that doing in Dublin?

A strange, high-pitched cry sounded from across the street. Looking in the direction of the noise, Ebony spied Aunt Ruby, one hand cupped over her mouth, making the call. In her other hand, she held a dead rabbit. The rabbit had something pinned to its flesh that looked like a note. The vulture dived, dropped an envelope at her aunt’s feet and, with its beak, snatched up the rabbit that Aunt Ruby threw towards it, before swooping back up into the sky. Its wings stayed outstretched the whole time. When the bird had shrunk to a dot in the distance, Aunt Ruby picked up the letter. She read its contents, frowned, then screwed it into a ball and jammed it into her pocket before calling, ‘You can come out now, Ebony.’

As Ebony stepped out from behind the wheelie bin, her hand hovered over the pocket where the silver box was hidden. If the vulture was going to visit her aunt, why hadn’t it brought her aunt the box? Why had it chosen Ebony? Ebony quickly decided that, until she knew exactly what was going on, she would keep the gift a secret.

‘What was that thing?’ asked Ebony, taking a seat on one of the beanbags in the living room.

She was completely dry now, the silver box still hidden in the pocket of her trousers. Aunt Ruby had accepted her niece’s story that Winston had slipped off the bank and into the pond, forcing Ebony to go in after him. Winston had played along, somewhat reluctantly, and was now sulking in Ebony’s sleeve.

‘A King Vulture,’ replied her aunt, matter-of-factly, as though she was talking about a common sparrow. ‘Usually found in the Central American jungle. A magnificent creature.’

‘But this one lives in Ireland?’ asked Ebony.

Even though it wasn’t long past breakfast, Uncle Cornelius had brought in a tray of tea and cakes for everyone and was tucking in heartily. Winston tried to resist to show how upset he was about lying, until Ebony used a small piece of his favourite raspberry swiss roll to coax him out.

‘I haven’t seen it for a while but, yes, it lives in Ireland.’

‘What is it doing here?’ asked Ebony, accepting a hot mug of tea from Uncle Cornelius. Cupping her hands around it, she let its warmth flood through her body.

‘Flying and eating, mostly.’

‘I meant, here, Mercury Lane.’

‘It was looking for food. Icarus usually leaves it some scraps when it visits the area, but seeing as he’s in Oddley Cove, the job fell to me. You don’t want to upset a King Vulture – especially when it’s hungry.’

Shuddering, Ebony thought of the huge, ribbed claws that she had seen. The claws that dropped a silver box that she wasn’t allowed to open.

Sensing her niece’s unease, Aunt Ruby continued. ‘I think you’ll find the King Vulture very interesting … On occasion the Order uses it as a courier because it can cover huge distances effortlessly, travelling for hours without even having to flap its wings. The Ancient Mayans used to believe that its kind carried messages from other worlds. That it could communicate between the afterlife and this world.’

‘Wait – didn’t it bring you a message?’ asked Ebony.

‘Yes, but nothing of importance,’ replied her aunt, staring into her teacup.

Suspicious, Ebony looked to Uncle Cornelius, but he avoided her gaze also, pretending to choose his next cake. Why would someone send a message via a dangerous vulture if it wasn’t important? And the way her aunt had reacted, handing over a rabbit with a note attached and screwing up the letter she received: she was hiding something.

‘So, who were you sending a message to?’

‘You have to pay the vulture when it delivers,’ said Aunt Ruby. ‘That was a thank-you note.’

Ebony didn’t believe her aunt’s explanation for a second, but she had more questions that needed answering. ‘You said the Mayans believed that it could carry messages between the afterlife and this life. Does that mean that members of the Order can use the vulture to send messages to the souls in the Reflectory? And can they send messages back?’

‘Our legends do state that this type of bird can carry messages from souls in the Reflectory to those of us on earth and back again. Somehow the King Vulture can penetrate their trance-like state, also enabling the souls to transmit a message in return, but–’

‘Really?’ Her heart threatening to burst open, Ebony leaned towards her aunt, careful not to spill her tea. Maybe the box had been sent to her by her grandpa – if that was the case, perhaps she could send a reply, seeing as her aunt was keeping her away from the Reflectory. ‘That’s so cool.’

‘It’s only a legend, Ebony, not something I’ve witnessed – though I guess it can’t be ruled out. Besides, we don’t really need a messenger now that we have our guardian again.’

A sense of relief washed over Ebony. Maybe her aunt hadn’t lost faith in her after all. Instinctively, Ebony’s hand reached into her pocket. Clasping her fingers around the now cool metal of the silver box, she traced the inscription on the base with her fingertips.

‘Have you ever seen parcels delivered by the bird?’ asked Ebony.

‘Just letters.’ Narrowing her eyes, Aunt Ruby chewed her lip. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘No reason,’ said Ebony innocently. If her aunt was going to keep secrets, why shouldn’t she?

That night, Ebony decided to investigate the silver box a little more. The room was dark, with only a gentle, flickering light; now and again, Ebony liked to read using a single candle. The heavy brass candlestick holder was from home and using it reminded her of the times in Oddley Cove with her grandpa when storms would cut the electricity.

‘What do you think, Winston?’ said Ebony, as she turned the box around in her hand. ‘Where could it have come from? It looks so similar to The Book of Learning – it must be from the ancients.’

His body shoved under the duvet, just his head peeping out, Winston shivered and refused to come out.

‘I wish I could open it,’ said Ebony, her fingernails hovering over the seam. ‘I know it made that awful noise before but we didn’t come to any harm. I tried the fingerprint combination already and that didn’t work – maybe I should try blood like when I first found The Book of Learning?’

Leaping out from under the covers, Winston launched himself at the box and knocked it out of Ebony’s hands, making it bounce across the floor. A sizzle and splutter of light burst from it with every bounce. When the box finally came to rest in the middle of the room, the sparks grew in number, zipping in all directions like fireflies. The box itself was fizzing in the centre like a firework fountain.

‘Something’s happening at last!’ cried Ebony, ducking to avoid a stray spark that smashed against the wall just above her head. ‘This is great!’

But Winston wasn’t convinced. He leaped onto Ebony’s lap and cowered there. Holding him close – she knew animals were always scared of fireworks – Ebony watched as the sparks began to join up, lighting the centre of the room. In the middle of the light, something moved. It was a figure with straight black hair wearing a white robe. Ebony recognised the outfit immediately – her past self from ancient times had worn something similar – but who was this girl she was seeing?

‘Hello?’ whispered Ebony, wanting to make contact but half afraid it would frighten the image away. Remembering how she’d once connected with a past self by touching the amulet around her neck, Ebony grasped the delicate crescent-shaped locket and stared hard in the direction of the girl. But the girl appeared to be oblivious to Ebony’s presence. She was standing on a wind-blown rock, holding a cage in front of her containing what looked like a black falcon. The bird was muscular yet elegant, a blue-grey tinge to its wings and white bars across its breast and legs. It kept opening and closing its hooked beak as though communicating. The girl whispered something to the bird, then checked behind her. Lifting the birdcage up high, she opened the door and set the bird free. The birdcage swung like a pendulum as the weight of the bird lifted, but instead of flying off, the falcon landed on the girl’s shoulder, its beak close to her ear.

Smiling, Ebony pointed. ‘Look, they’re friends, just like you and me.’

Snuggling in, Winston made a small purring sound like a cat. Laughing, Ebony tickled his head while she continued watching.

A tear fell from the bird’s eye and the girl caught it, before lifting it to her lips. The bird took off, flapping its wings to gain height, quickly darting up into the sky. The speed and shape of the bird made it instantly recognisable to Ebony: it was a kind of peregrine.

Inside, Ebony’s stomach knotted as she was reminded of her animals at home. She missed the dogs, especially Mitzi, the one-eyed shih tzu, as well as her goats, Cassandra and George. The scrapbook she’d brought with her containing all their photos was well thumbed, but it didn’t compensate for the smell or feel of warm fur. When she used to take the feed with her grandpa, the animals would run to greet them, tails wagging and eyes bright. Sometimes her grandpa would drop food onto her wellies or her shoulder so the animals would nibble at her. The memory stung.

‘I wonder what it means,’ she said, her eyes welling up as she watched to see what would happen next. But the vision blurred and ended, and Winston didn’t respond. He was asleep, breathing deep and slow, tiny snores escaping from his mouth.

As the last few sparks fizzled out and the vision disappeared completely, the glow of a single candle no longer felt comforting. Creeping across the room so as not to wake Winston, Ebony collected the box and tucked it under her pillow. Blowing out the candle and snuggling down, she let herself drift off to sleep, silent tears dripping down her cheeks.

‘We have more good news for you,’ said her aunt in greeting the next morning. ‘Something that will help you in your role as guardian.’

Slumped in her chair, Ebony tilted her head to one side. ‘News?’ Taking a big gulp of lukewarm tea, she waited as her aunt fiddled with a button on her shirtsleeve.

‘We thought we might introduce you to more of our kind,’ Aunt Ruby answered after a while. ‘People your own age.’

Spluttering into her cup, Ebony sat upright. ‘Like who?’ she asked, when her coughing subsided.

She hadn’t thought about there being more people her own age in the Order of Nine Lives, and her aunt had never suggested such a thing before. Of course, there was Zach – but he’d turned out to be a bloodthirsty murderer intent on stealing her soul.

‘Recent arrivals from Japan,’ said Aunt Ruby. ‘A maritime defence expert – a brilliant yet somewhat difficult man – and his lovely wife. They have two children. One boy and one girl. Nice children they are, very smart; I understand that Seamus is quite the genius. We thought they’d make nice friends for you. The children are coming to stay with us while their parents get set up. You can show them around, help them settle into their new city – it’s never easy being the new kids in town.’

‘So when do I get to meet them?’ interrupted Ebony, the issue of the box still niggling away at the back of her mind. She would have to deal with that later.

Uncle Cornelius pulled out his tarnished pocket watch and showed it to her aunt, a big grin on his face.

‘Oh, right about now,’ she said.

As if rehearsed, there was a loud knock on the front door. The sound resonated right through the house, and Ebony felt the floor shudder, the teacups on the table tinkling like bells. She wondered how big the person knocking on the door could be. From the deep, resounding boom, she guessed that they were giant.

As another knock sounded, Winston appeared from a hole in the wall he’d been excavating and scurried up Ebony’s leg, then onto her shoulder, where he hid in her curls. Aunt Ruby hurried out to answer the door. Meanwhile, Uncle Cornelius took the opportunity to scoop every remaining piece of breakfast he could – including those belonging to Aunt Ruby and Winston – onto his plate as a treat for later. It was piled high with bacon and toast – even the crusts Ebony had saved for Winston – like a derelict tower waiting to topple. Ebony chuckled, leaned over and gave it a push. As the food tower slowly tumbled towards the ground, Uncle Cornelius dropped to the floor, opened his jaws wide and caught the whole lot in his mouth in one go. He had so much food in there, he couldn’t close his mouth to chew at first. As he tried, his jaws and teeth made loud sucking sounds and his sideburns wobbled, the crumbs wedged in their bristles showering his trousers.

‘Eugh! That’s disgusting,’ said Ebony, shielding her eyes, yet unable to control her giggles.

Uncle Cornelius continued chomping, undeterred. By the time Aunt Ruby’s footsteps could be heard returning from the hallway, he was already back on his chair, picking his teeth clean with one sharp claw, his other hand resting comfortably on his podgy tummy. It reminded Ebony of the first day she had met him – only now she knew that he was friendly and he no longer tried to eat Winston.

Cornelius looked up and caught Ebony staring. He winked, stuck out his fat, raspy tongue, then settled his face into a smug grin. Ebony giggled, but her laughter soon subsided as the door burst open, slamming against the wall with such force that Winston leapt an inch off Ebony’s shoulder. Uncle Cornelius and Ebony glanced at each other quizzically, then turned their eyes to the doorway.

As the door bounced back from the wall, Ebony instinctively tried to tame her wild curls with one hand. In marched Aunt Ruby, gabbling excitedly, followed by a giant of a man with ice-white hair, a matching walrus moustache and tanned skin. He resembled a mountain with snow frosting its peak and his eyes were the greyest Ebony had ever seen – like bitterly cold waves on a winter’s day. He looked about as Japanese as tomato ketchup.

But when a boy, who looked about Ebony’s age, and a younger girl followed close behind, the connection began to make sense; both had dark, glossy hair and they didn’t look a bit like their father. The brother and sister had prominent cheekbones, wide faces, skin the colour of clotted cream and deep, softly lidded eyes. The boy’s hair was twisted into long, thin spikes that protruded from his scalp like a sea urchin. The girl was smaller, her hair cut high and sharply across her forehead, bunched up at the side in pigtails. Her silken blue dress with fluted white sleeves resembled a summer sky. Although they had never met before, Ebony recognised the girl immediately from her vision the night before. The thought made her insides tingle.

Last to join the group was their mother, the most exotic-looking individual Ebony had ever seen. Tiny, slight and elegant, a giant white chrysanthemum made of silk in her raven-black hair and wearing a fluffy white coat, she hardly made a noise as she entered the room behind them. It was like she was floating.

‘This is Mr O’Hara,’ said Aunt Ruby, fighting to keep irritation out of her voice. But as she introduced the others, she softened. ‘And then we have Mrs O’Hara, Seamus and Chiyoko.’ An impatient grunt from the giant man hurried Aunt Ruby on. She turned to her guests. ‘You’ve all already met Uncle Cornelius, but it was a very long time ago. In fact, was it even this lifetime?’

Ebony eyed the brother and sister to see if they would react, but they didn’t bat an eyelid. They were obviously comfortable with knowing that they were reincarnated.

‘Everyone, my niece, Ebony Smart.’ Aunt Ruby held her arms out wide towards Ebony, her voice rising up at the end of the sentence in a flourish.

Mrs O’Hara’s face lit up as she stepped forward and took hold of Ebony’s hand. The lady’s fingers felt like cool, delicate porcelain in Ebony’s grip. Mr O’Hara stayed put, offering a barely discernible nod of his head.