In daylight, the blue light radiating from the well didn’t look half as bright, and didn’t reach anywhere near as high in the sky, as it did at night. The stone well wasn’t as big and frightening either. The light snapped off, leaving the unremarkable imitation well in its place.
Kate and Emma stared in silence at the little well. Their hands clasped, each girl lost in her own thoughts. The events of the past twenty-six hours seemed unbelievable, surreal.
Squeezing Emma’s hand gently, Kate broke the silence. “It’s over, Emma. We’re home.”
“And we’ll never see Alara and Siptah again.” Emma’s voice choked with the loss that both girls felt.
Kate looked at her sister, and found tears rolling down her sister’s face. The truth was like lead in Kate’s stomach and the lump rose to her throat again. Saying goodbye to Alara and Siptah had been one of the hardest, and saddest, moments of her life. She wanted to say that they might, one day, see each other again but she knew she’d be fibbing. Kate bid her friends a final, silent farewell.
Emma touched something beneath her pyjama top.
“What’s that you’ve got there?” asked Kate.
Emma pulled out a small wooden trinket on a length of cord that had been placed around her neck. “King Wosret gave it to me. He said I shouldn’t show everyone because they might ask questions, but I can keep it forever to remind me of Miu.”
Kate stared at the trinket. “That was nice of him.”
“I remembered to say thank you,” replied Emma.
Kate smiled and they stood quietly for a moment longer.
“Are you hungry?” Kate tried to sound happy and positive. “Let’s go inside.”
The girls turned and walked towards the house. As they drew closer, excitement started to bubble in Kate’s stomach. This was the start of a new day, but it was also the start of a new life. By the time they reached the steps leading up to the back door, Kate’s smile was genuine. She was happy.
The door burst open.
“Kate! Emma!” Their mum ran down the steps. “Where have you been? I’ve been so worried.”
Joe followed close behind.
Bursting into tears, and without waiting for a reply, their mum grabbed hold of a daughter in each arm and pulled both of them tightly against her body. She sobbed.
Kate felt a hand stroke her hair. She looked up at Joe’s unshaven face. Blood-shot eyes smiled down at her.
“Where have you been?” repeated Joe. The tender smile turned into a look of concern as his gaze slid over their ripped and dirty garments. “Are you all right? Nobody hurt you, did they?”
Kate shook her head.
After a few minutes, Joe coaxed his wife to release the girls. “Jacqui, calm down and let them tell us where they’ve been.”
“There was a big cat fight at dawn yesterday—” said Kate.
“We went into tunnels and were chased by cats that were really people,” interrupted Emma. “I was scared. I got kidnapped and everything.”
“Emma, this isn’t the time for one of your stories,” said her mother.
“Mum, she’s not telling a story,” said Kate. “What she’s saying is true, but we should tell you everything that happened, from the beginning.”
Their mum and Joe looked at their leather wrapped feet and exchanged looks.
“You must be starving,” said their mum. “How do you like the sound of pancakes for breakfast?”
“Yay! I love pancakes so much,” replied Emma, hugging her mum. “Can we have maple syrup and cream? And lots of strawberries? Do we have strawberries?”
“You can have whatever you want.”
“I’ll phone the police and let them know you’ve been found. And while you’re eating your breakfast you can tell us everything,” added Joe.
Emma reached up and took her mother’s hand.
Kate turned to Joe. He ran his hand through his messy, blond hair and looked down at her. His mouth quivered, but he didn’t say anything.
Kate reached for his hand. “Come on, Dad, we’ve got the most incredible story to tell you.”
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About the Author
Born within the sound of the Bow bells in London, Karen Lee Field was seven when her parents decided to move to the “Lucky Country” and settle in Sydney, Australia.
Karen enjoys escaping to fantasy worlds—places where her sometimes ordinary life is transformed into an exciting adventure.
The storyline for Cat’s Eyes originated from a dream, which has been included in the book as the scene where Emma overhears the kittens talking in the backyard, while she is hunting for butterflies. The dream awakened a world which Karen felt compelled to write about.
She lives in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, with her family and growing number of pets.
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Connect with Me Online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/karenleefield
Facebook: http://facebook.com/karenleefield
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/karenleefield
My blog: http://www.karenleefield.com
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The King’s Riddle, book 2 of The Land of Miu series, will be available in January 2012.
Book description:
Princess Alara and her guard, Siptah, have done something unthinkable. By accident, they activated the volcano deep below the tunnels in which they live. If they can’t stop the volcano from erupting the whole of Miu will be lost.
Check our website for updates: http://www.kayellepress.com
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Thank you for reading. :D
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The Land of Miu (Land of Miu, #1, 2nd ed.)
FantasyTwelve year old Kate Dawson is unhappy at home. Her widowed mother has remarried and Kate has a stepfather and a six year old half-sister, Emma, who is nothing but a pest. She knows the resentment she feels towards Emma and her stepfather is making...
