Witch Doctors Inc: SEASON ONE (Completed!)

Part 3.10

I trip over several invisible toadstools on my way back to Ta-mamau. Bethany's words ring in my ears. "Watch the queen".

What did she mean by that? She was worried when she said it. I could tell. It lasted for only a moment, but her green eyes had been lucid, fearful.

It was probably nothing. Bethany was confused, likely ill. The old woman was probably her carer. Still, there was something familiar about her. It was like meeting someone from a painting, or a dream. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Bronna's checking Addy's temperature when I return to the tree tent. Her younger sister Ivy is next to her, trying to show Addy something oh her communications monitor.

"You really need to put a sign up about those toadstools," I say.

Addy looks past Bronna, sees me, and beams. "Lily! I'm feeling so much better now. That antidote worked wonders."

Onyx is curled up in a patch of sun with his eyes half-closed. Did you find the girl with red hair?

"As a matter of fact, I did."

Bronna throws me an incredulous look. "Are you still talking to the cat? I told you to stop playing that silly game. The sharima must not be subject to any unsavoury rumours."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just that someone's trying to kill Addy, and I kind of thought that was a bit more important."

"Addy, here it is," Ivy cuts in, pushing her monitor into Addy's face. "This is the part where Maya's bunny gets its birthday present. You won't guess what it is."

Addy moves around Bronna's hand to peek at the monitor screen. Her eyes go round. "It's a collar with an opal in it. It's beautiful."

"A charmed opal," Ivy explains excitedly. "When the bunny is happy it goes green. And when it's sad it goes blue. And when it's angry -"

"Ivy, put that nonsense away," Bronna snaps. She grabs the monitor in one hand, grabs her sister in the other, and pushes both out through the tent flap. "The sharima needs her rest." She turns back to us, muttering. "Rabbits with jewellery. Ridiculous."

"Can I talk to Addy alone?" I ask her.

"No, you may not," she replies curtly. "The sharima is under 24-hour guard. She will only be left in your care if I am temporarily unavailable."

I groan inwardly. It's not that I think Bronna is the killer. It's just that I don't entirely trust Bronna's judgement. It's always the sharima this, the hamima that. She's blind to pretty much anything else.

She finally steps out to go brew some more soup. As she leaves she gives me a poisonous look, as if she'll throw me in the dungeons if another snake turns up.

"Finally, she's left," I say, plopping down into my hammock.

Onyx stirs. The queen wants Adamantine moved into her tent this afternoon.

I shuffle, frowning. "Watch the queen," Bethany had said.

What troubles you, Lily? You look like you've seen a ghost.

"Maybe I have," I mutter. "I found Bethany. It can't be her trying to kill Addy. She's too...wait." I blink, trying to remember something Bethany had said. "There's something else. Addy...who's Rikamu?"

Addy's mouth opens in surprise. Then she laughs. "Rikamu. It means 'heart thief'. It's an old Mamauri legend. There's supposed to be an old woman in the forbidden place who takes people's hearts. The hearts take the form of the people they once belonged to and wander through the forest like ghosts until Rikamu brings them back."

A sense of dread creeps into my bones. "What does she do with these hearts?"

Addy shrugs. "I don't know. It's not like anyone's ever seen Rikamu or these wandering hearts. Then again, it's supposed to be that only the doomed can see them."

I slowly place my head in my hands. Onyx watches me, his expression impalpable. "I saw one of these hearts, Addy. It belonged to a person named Bethany."

There is silence for a while. "So the legend is true," Addy says finally. She doesn't address the part about only the doomed being able to see them.

"I suppose a heart can't try to kill someone." My laugh is sandpaper-dry.

Did you see Rikamu? Onyx is still watching me. There's a strange burning to his black eyes, cold and distant like starfire.

"I heard her voice," I reply. "I didn't actually see her. She was calling Bethany back, and Bethany just disappeared. I suppose that all makes sense now."

What did she say to you?

"Bethany?"

A curt nod from Onyx.

I scrunch up my face, trying to remember. "She asked about the village, and said something about her hair once being purple. She mistook me for someone else, I think." I deliberately leave out the part about Queen Irine.

Onyx seems to be struggling with something. His tail is pressed against his lower back, his muscles tense. He looks like he's waiting to pounce on some unseen enemy. Was she...He pauses, turning away from me. Sad?

I blink. "Sad? Maybe. I don't know. She seemed afraid, to be honest."

Onyx doesn't reply. He rises from his spot and trots out the door. I catch a flash of pain in his eyes.

"Where did Onyx go?" Addy asks, staring at the tent flap in confusion.

"I don't know," I reply quietly.

I guess there's a lot that I don't know.