by David Hair
He tore his eyes away. Aroha’s stern, forbidding visage floated in front of him. He groaned softly and rolled onto his back, carefully out of Evie’s reach, and shut his eyes.
If I go to Aroha, I could become immortal. I could become all-powerful, and make sure that arseholes like Kiki and Byron and Bryce can’t terrorize this place. I could do so much …
But the whole daydream felt hollow compared with the joy of seeing Evie smile.
Aroha wants … commands … me to go to her with love in my heart. But I don’t feel that at all …
This isn’t going to end well.
They both must have slept, because the next thing Mat knew, he was brushing something from his face, opening his eyes to find a windblown leaf. He sat up. Evie was sleeping beside him, her face slack and vacant, as if her soul was far away. The sunlight was gone, lost in racing clouds. The sea below was grim and dark, with white-caps everywhere on the surface. All the ships were tied up except one, a two-master struggling in from the northwest on a hard tack to catch the easterly winds. He knew nothing about ships, but his intuition told him that it was the Wallaby.
‘Evie.’ He shook her awake gently. She started, then smiled at him shyly. They shared a brief, intimate look that he wished he could stretch into forever, but the shadows of the clouds felt like Aroha’s eyes. He clambered to his feet. ‘Jones’s ship is coming into port. We’ve got to go meet them.’
She nodded, smoothing her eyepatch, then thrust her hands up, inviting him to pull her to her feet. When he did she fell against him, and tucked her face into the nape of his neck. He buried his face in her hair for a second, then eased himself away. The longing to just hold her was getting harder and harder to fight. ‘Let’s go,’ he said huskily.
They went back to the real world, where Cassandra was also asleep, some kind of electronic ambient music playing from an iPod wired to her car stereo. Her face looked naked without her glasses and her eyes were red-rimmed. She started awake, brushed at her face awkwardly, and was flustered for a few seconds until she pulled herself together.
‘They’re coming into port,’ Evie told her.
Cass drove them down to the harbour. The port mostly dealt in fishing boats and freight, and there were not that many people around on a weekend, so they easily found a place away from other people. They crouched behind the car and Mat took them across to Aotearoa.
To Mat’s eyes, the port in Aotearoa in daytime seemed a lot less impressive than at night. He saw Nick selling roasted nuts from a tiny stall. They bought some, to help the boy out. Evie raised an eyebrow as they left. ‘That was your hoodie he was wearing, wasn’t it?’
Mat nodded. ‘I met him last night; he looked cold.’ She smiled at him admiringly, which felt nice.
Cassandra coughed. ‘Uh, let’s go find Jonesy.’
They met the Wallaby at pier two, watching the dockers and sailors as they guided the ship in and roped it up. Jones, Damien and Shui were near the bow, and joined them as soon as the ship was docked. They all goggled at Everalda. Damien recognized her, of course, and nudged Mat with a triumphant look. ‘Mate, your girlfriend’s in on this? Cool!’
Mat made the introductions. Jones greeted Evie with a measured wariness: the Welshman had spent much of his life in New Zealand in a deadly struggle against Puarata and Donna Kyle. He did not look pleased at all that their daughter had joined them. But he seemed impressed that she’d found them unaided, and by what she had to tell them.
‘The ship containing Riki has gone down the West Coast,’ she told the group.
Jones raised his bushy eyebrows and cursed. ‘Damn them. Are they sailing to Dunedin?’
‘I couldn’t tell,’ Evie replied, ‘but if they are, that’s the long way round.’
‘It is. It makes no sense.’ Jones clenched his fist, his expression worried. ‘The Wallaby is committed to go on to Christchurch. I don’t have the authority to commandeer it and take it down the West Coast.’
‘What about them?’ Mat asked, jabbing a thumb at Sergeant Bain and his men, who were hovering nearby with uncertain looks on their faces.
‘I’ll find out,’ Jones replied tersely. He walked back up the pier to converse with Sergeant Bain. He returned after a few animated moments, his face downcast. ‘They’re outside their jurisdiction. If Hayes was in port they could have acted, but not now. They have to return north.’
‘What are we going to do?’ Cassandra asked, her voice breaking a little. Mat felt a stab of sympathy.
‘Give me a moment,’ Jones grumped. He glanced at Damien. ‘You and your girl still in?’
‘Of course.’ Damien glanced at Shui, who nodded emphatically. She looked boyish in her men’s clothes and tied-back hair, and quite fierce. There was something endearing about her determination. ‘But we can only spend about two or three hours a day in the real world,’ Damien added. ‘We’re going to need some other way of travelling, or we’ll slow you down.’
Jones scratched his nose thoughtfully. ‘Everalda, I take it you need to be in Aotearoa to track Hayes’s ship?’ Evie nodded. ‘And Cassandra needs to be in New Zealand to use her gadgetry?’ Cass also nodded. ‘Then we must play to our strengths. For transport we only have Cassandra’s car.’
‘And the flying cloaks,’ Mat reminded him.
Jones nodded. ‘Of course.’ He looked about decisively. ‘Come! Let’s get organized.’
It was almost two o’clock by the time Jones sent Mat, Cassandra and Evie back to Nelson in the real world. The Welshman planned to stay with Damien and Shui in Aotearoa for now. ‘Get to Hanmer Springs by dusk and await us there,’ he told Cassandra. ‘It’s as good a stopover as any, and leaves us with the option of going south or west. I still believe that Hayes’s ultimate destination will be Dunedin and that’s on the east coast, not the west.’
‘How will you find us?’ Mat asked.
‘I’ll stay here with Damien and Shui. At dusk I’ll rent a car in the modern world. Our world’s sunlight is the most debilitating thing for folk from Aotearoa, so we’ll travel at night. Book rooms for us in Hanmer; I imagine we’ll catch you up around midnight.’
The drive from Nelson south was 300 kilometres of mostly slow and winding roads, travelling south and somewhat west through rugged wilderness terrain, on roads where passing lanes were few but the traffic light. There was snow on the peaks about them, and occasionally down to road level at the high points. The only substantial town they found en route was Murchison, at around four o’clock; it was raining by then, slowing the journey. Cassandra and Evie had the front seats, leaving Mat alone in the back. He mostly dozed — talking to Evie was awkward in front of Cassandra, and all the things he wanted to say to her felt like mistakes. Her whole presence here felt like a trap, a weird kind of pitfall he couldn’t avoid even though he could see it clearly. A temptation he could barely resist.
The girls seemed to be chatting away amiably, which was good. He wanted his friends to like each other. He just hoped that knowing him wasn’t going to get them all killed.
Whilst sipping a coffee in Murchison, Cassandra booked rooms for them in Hanmer over the internet. Evie also had a coffee, but Mat couldn’t do caffeine in the late afternoon and still hope to sleep at night, so he just had water. He was staring out into the rain on the sleepy main street when his cellphone rang. He checked the screen and braced himself. ‘Ah, hi, how’s it going?’
Tama Douglas’s voice boomed from the speaker. ‘I’ve just read your note, son. Have you found him?’ No angry yelling, just concern for Riki. Mat felt a surge of love for his father.
‘Not yet, Dad.’
‘Where are you?’
‘Murchison.’
‘Where?’
‘It’s in the South Island.’
‘I know; that was a rhetorical question. Murchison? Good grief! What are you doing there? Who’s with you?’
‘Jones is in the other car. Cass is here. And Evie.’ Tama Douglas had met Jones and Cass before. Evie wa
s just a name to him. How much he guessed about her, Mat couldn’t tell. He didn’t mention Damien and Shui — they were both officially dead after all. Father and son talked for a few minutes, Mat bringing Tama up to speed. He most certainly didn’t want his father involved and endangered, but his father knew of Aotearoa, had been there himself. And he had a right to know.
‘What do Riki’s parents know of the truth?’ Tama asked.
‘Jones fed them some story. They just think he’s off doing something dumb.’
‘That story won’t hold if you can’t get him back unharmed,’ Tama warned.
‘We know, Dad. But what else could we tell them?’
‘Lies can come back and bite you, son.’
‘You’re a lawyer, Dad,’ Mat said jokingly. His father didn’t laugh. ‘Sorry. I mean, we can’t tell them the truth, can we?’
Tama was silent for a while. ‘I suppose not. Just make sure you find him. Take care of yourself, Mat. Keep me posted. If there is anything I can do, call me. In fact, call me whenever you can so I know you’re safe.’
‘I promise.’ Mat bit his lip. ‘Could you not, um … not call Mum for a bit?’ he asked cautiously. Cassandra snorted and mouthed ‘coward’ at him.
He could picture his dad frowning. Eventually he said, ‘I’ll give you an extra day or two before I tell Colleen. She worries. We both do.’
‘Thanks, Dad.’
‘For what?’
‘For trusting me. For not going berserk. That sort of stuff.’
‘Yeah, well, that can wait until you’re home. Make sure you make it. Take care of your friends.’ He sighed heavily. Mat could picture the expression that would be on his face. Suppressed anger, resignation that there was nothing he could do. ‘It’s like you’re in the army and posted to Afghanistan.’
‘It’s not that bad, Dad.’ Just Kiki, probably Byron, and Bully Hayes to deal with. And probably John Bryce. Oh, and the Goddess of Death wants to marry me. No worries.
‘See you soon.’
‘I love you, Mat. You take care.’
‘Love you too.’ He thumbed off the phone, then glanced up to see both Cass and Evie looking at him with moist eyes. He looked away self-consciously.
The rest of the drive was mostly downhill, into rolling farmlands. Hanmer Springs was famous as a spa site, with geothermal hot pools which drew in the tourists. It was winter though, and the motels all showed ‘Vacancy’ signs as they drove into town. The one Cassandra had booked seemed less than half full, the owner grateful for the business. Cass paid again: ‘Really, Dad has no idea where his money goes.’
Mat would room with Jones when he arrived. The two girls would share, while Damien and Shui would find lodging on the Aotearoa side. Cass went out for burgers and a bottle of soda from a dairy. Mat joined the girls for supper in their room, trying to ignore the underwear and clothing strewn about. They nibbled at the takeaways and chatted quietly about not much. Cass clearly didn’t want to speculate on what might be happening to Riki, and Evie had no news until she could do another tarot reading. They finished the food with the silences stretching out longer and longer. Finally Cassandra stood and pulled on a jacket. ‘I’m going for a soak in the spa,’ she announced. ‘You guys coming?’ She sounded indifferent either way.
‘I don’t have togs,’ Evie protested.
‘You can rent them,’ Cassandra countered. ‘That’s what I’m going to do.’
Evie looked at Mat. ‘I’ll do a reading first. I’ll try doing one from this side, using Mat as a conduit. We won’t be long.’
Cassandra half smiled. ‘I’ll leave you two alone then,’ she said quietly, and left, turning up her collar with an air of sadness.
When they were alone, Evie spread the cards. When she bared her blind eye, it gave Mat a little shiver, but that was all. It was part of who she was. It didn’t repel him. And he could feel the power that crackled from it, sense the forces that moved the cards. It wasn’t a magic he understood, but he more than respected it. She could do things he couldn’t, and vice versa. We go well together. Then he banished that stray thought. It felt dangerous, here alone with her.
‘Will this work here? I’m sorry, but I’m way too tired to take you back to Aotearoa again tonight.’
Evie shrugged. ‘It will be weaker, but I might get something.’ She flickered her fingers, and the cards danced as she muttered low words. Then she flinched and sagged a little. ‘I didn’t get much. I think they’re still off to the west, heading south. Something about storms, and coming ashore, but I’m not sure.’
He shivered. ‘It’s winter. The Alps are covered in snow. They’ll be stuck if they come ashore.’ He thought about that. ‘Maybe the weather will trap them. We might need to drive down the West Coast after all.’
Evie ran her fingers through her hair. ‘Riki seemed okay. And that evil tohunga is still there. I think that rugby player is with him.’
‘Byron Kikitoa?’ Mat felt his expression darken. It was Byron who had killed Damien. ‘I guess where you find Kiki, Byron isn’t far away.’ He sighed. ‘Thanks for doing that. We’d be lost without your help.’
‘It’s good to use up some of the energy inside me,’ Evie replied, smiling at him tiredly. ‘So, you wanna go and have a hot soak?’
In hot water
They locked up their rooms before walking the few hundred metres down the road to the Hanmer Springs spa. The spa was open until nine, so they had about an hour. There were togs and towels for hire, as Cassandra had said. A dozen pools of varying temperatures were set among landscaped gardens. A few families were monopolizing the water slides, and there were a few tourists, but not so many that it felt crowded. Quite the opposite, in fact: it was easy to find a corner of one of the main pools and slip into the bubbling waters. The air was fogged by the rain-mist and the steam rising from the surface of the water. There was no sign of Cassandra, but plenty of places she could be, so Mat didn’t feel unduly worried. He was more concerned about not gawping at Evie in her swimsuit. Okay, she wasn’t a model, but she was curvy and cute and more than well made. It made her seem dangerous to be around. He slipped gratefully into the water, giving her plenty of space.
‘Cassandra is in one of the private pools,’ Evie told him. How she knew he wasn’t sure, but then, she was a seer. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. Despite her lost eye, she was lovely. There was, he supposed, a little Puarata in her: in her honey skin and the darker roots of her hair. Her wide mouth with full lips. There was plenty of Donna Kyle too, in her fine cheekbones and chin, and her resilience. But if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t guess.
Puarata was Aroha’s child, and Evie is his. That’s real power. But she’s made it her own.
‘What are you thinking about?’ she asked him quietly.
He hesitated. He was playing with fire just being here with her, and endangering her in doing so. It felt unfair to treat her like this, to keep her dangling without explaining why. But how could he explain it all: Look, I do care, but there’s this other girl who wants to marry me and she’s a vessel for the Goddess of Death.
Then he realized what he’d just admitted, inside his head: I do care … He looked away.
‘Mat?’ She slid closer and touched his shoulder. The contact thrilled through him.
He didn’t need to be a fortune-teller to know where this was going. He jerked away. ‘Don’t—’
She stiffened. For a second he thought, even hoped, that she would behave like some thwarted girl in a telly show and run off crying, but she wasn’t like that. ‘Mat, what is it? You want me and I want you. At first The Lovers card was inverted because you were angry about Damien, and afraid of my parentage. But it’s not that any more, is it?’
He faced her fully. He tried to speak but found his throat gummed up, so he shook his head instead.
‘Then what?’
‘I … I can’t tell you.’ He blinked, in sudden fright, as something caught his eye. A woman walked past, and for an in
stant she was Aroha, in her cloak with a bone mere in her hand. He looked again, and instead it was just a middle-aged tourist, calling out to someone. Mat’s heart kept pounding. He could feel Aroha’s presence, watchful and dangerous.
Evie hissed in apparent frustration. ‘You still don’t trust me.’
He refocused on her, feeling her hurt. ‘I’m sorry. I just can’t …’ He stood up.
She did too, and pressed herself against him. For an instant he was too shocked to move. He put his hands on her shoulders to push her away, found himself gripping her instead, and her upturned face met his downward glance. Her lips enveloped his. Her taste, hot and savoury sweet, invaded his mouth. His lips responded before his brain did as she moulded herself to him, her hands stroking his back. He was gasping for air when she eventually pulled her mouth from his, his face burning hot and his lungs airless. ‘I need you to trust me,’ she whispered. ‘Please.’
Something cracked inside him. Something of restraint and control. He kissed her back, fervently, drowned in her as they sank into the water again, and just floated together. It was like every dream he’d ever had. He quite literally forgot what it was he was afraid of.
They remained together, inhaling each other’s breaths, as the minutes drifted by. Then a bell sounded and a well-concealed public-address system advised patrons that the pools were closing. They reluctantly prised apart, and all at once the worries came back. The shadows seemed watchful, the people too few to shield them. ‘We should get back,’ Mat whispered.
They held hands until they reached the dressing rooms, parted reluctantly with fingers trailing towards each other. Mat felt giddy, disoriented, as all his resolve to distance himself from Evie floundered. It was crazy, under the circumstances, but it felt honest too. He held on to the taste of her as he changed, his heart singing pop songs his feet were itching to dance to. This is why I’m going to let Aroha down …