We reach the top of the hill and approach a deserted wall of stone, half-built and abandoned. Jackson speeds through a tiny opening that looks like a miniature doorway and I follow. On the other side of the wall the bush is denser. Branches swipe at my face as we race through it. In our haste, I nearly squash a lizard basking in the sun.
Jackson stops suddenly and I crash into him a second time - I do admit a little on purpose. His back is hunched like a wild animal. The hair rises on the back of my neck. Jackson whips his head to the side and closes his eyes. I watch his brows pinch.
"What?" I ask.
"We"re being followed," he whispers.
My heart stops. Every muscle in my body constricts. We spin around into a fighting stance. My fingers brush the comforting steel of my orchid ninja star.
Through the ivory tree trunks I see a black shadow flicker. Jackson steps in front of me and raises a protective arm. I brush it away. I"m the White Warrior. I"ll be the protector. Then that weed of fear sprouts where confidence should grow. What if my powers are not enough?
My mind scrambles back to the bush as I see another flash of shadow. Jackson tenses and it"s as if he transforms into a cactus: his body p.r.i.c.kles, everything is hyper aware. Lowering my chin, I think of all the times Mum would surprise us with a mock fight on the way to school. We would have to defend ourselves and Elecktra was always so good at it. Another dark flash.
"Are there panthers in the bush?" I ask quietly.
"Who"s there?" Jackson calls.
Silence wisps through the trees again. The sun throws daggers of light that splinter off tree bark and into our eyes. For a moment I"m blinded, then there"s a whoosh and a silver bird flies towards us. Jackson and I duck. The bird smashes into the tree trunk behind where our heads were. We spin around. It"s not a bird, but a ninja star. I rip it out of the tree. There is an "E" in the centre of the blades.
"Emishi," Jackson says, looking around. "Yep, this is definitely Emishi. The most powerful ninja clan in the world."
I crouch beside him and whisper, "Why are they attacking us?"
"They"re not," he says. "They"re sending us a message."
We see the black shadow flash again, but at a safe distance, then disappear behind a tree.
"Let"s go," Jackson says. We stand cautiously. Nothing happens. Jackson turns around and speeds off. I wait, peering into the trees. The black shadow flickers again, this time closer. I turn and follow Jackson.
"Hey, what message?" I call after him.
"Protection. The Emishi ninja is here for your protection. Aren"t you the White Warrior?" he calls over his shoulder.
Suddenly it hits me. I"m the ninja security blanket. I"ve been so consumed by the effect of Elecktra"s powers I"ve forgotten about my own. I"ve not only the responsibility to protect my family but all ninja clans. The weight of the realisation chokes me. I cough.
I try to keep close to Jackson, stepping quickly in the shadows of his footsteps. My breath pants hot in my hood, my toes connect with every rock under my feet. The bush fades to swampy purple as the afternoon descends. Every now and then I hear the Emishi ninja behind us, keeping guard, and it makes me smile.
I"ve heard Samurai Falls is built on a rare piece of jade rock and that when the sun sets, the water glows green. I hope we make it in time for sunset. I start to daydream, remembering a sunset a few years ago when I stayed back at school with Cinnamon to celebrate International Left-handers" Day. We ran a left-handed egg-and-spoon race, then competed in a left-handed tug-of-war. Cinnamon and I are both right-handed, but we wanted to offer our support, and with free Slurpees being handed out and a chance to win a Doll"s Dream House in the raffle, we couldn"t resist attending. We didn"t even care that all the dolls only had left arms. The sun was setting by the time we finished, and Cim and I sat on the playground swings and watched the sky flush pink, then streak with opal. The sliding colours are the best kind of magic I know. I"m so glad we have a kaleidoscope sky and not the green moon of the Cemetery of Warriors. Those warriors are missing out big-time.
A blood-curdling scream from behind us splits apart my thoughts. Instinctively Jackson and I turn and rush towards the sound. We run so fast Jackson trips over and I overtake him. He is by my side in a flash and we slip between the skeletal trees. I see something red glitter in the distance. The flash of colour stops my heart. Lecky? As we run closer, I see the red hair more clearly. Has Lecky had a perm?
Jackson and I skid to a stop when we see Cinnamon peering at the ground, her cheeks cupped in her hands. In front of her is the Emishi ninja, lying on his back, an abandoned sword nearby. I run to the ninja"s side and lift his head onto my knees. His eyes are closed. I pull down his hood to reveal his mouth and blood trickles along his nose. I bend my face to his.
"Still breathing, he"s only been knocked out," I say, looking up at Jackson. "He"ll come to."
Jackson pulls off his ninja hood and crouches beside me. He studies the sword"s red leather handle. "Samurai," he says.
"Great, our protector is hurt. What hope do we have?" I panic. "The samurai will be waiting for us."
Jackson shakes his head. For the first time he seems uncertain.
"What are you doing here?" I ask Cinnamon, turning to face her. She stands in her navy school blazer, her choir badge gleaming, and stares at me with clear blue eyes. I realise I"m waiting for her to cry, but she doesn"t. She has that same determined look that she had the day she threw out all her lollies in French cla.s.s.
"Elecktra is like a sister to me too. We"ve sort of grown up together. So if she"s in trouble, I want to help. And ... I also wanted to be brave," she admits. "Like you."
"You could have got yourself killed!" Jackson says. "There"s a real difference between brave and crazy."
Cinnamon flinches. "I"m sorry, Jackson," she whispers.
"Hey, don"t apologise to him," I say. Jackson stares at me, surprised; I ignore him. "You are already brave - eating healthily, adopting stray animals, taking up and loving sport, dealing with Gate Two," I remind her. Cinnamon smiles.
Jackson begins to pace. "So did you see the samurai?"
"He was too quick and I was behind the bushes," she says.
"It"s too late to turn back and take you home. I can"t protect both of you," Jackson says. It"s the first time I"ve ever heard him be gruff.
"You don"t have to," I say and stand up to put a hand on his shoulder. He simmers down at my touch and smiles at me weakly.
"Where are you going?" Cinnamon asks.
Jackson seizes the samurai sword and slides it into the back of his black belt. "Samurai Falls," he says.
"But that"s where Hero will be." Cinnamon freaks out at the mention of her tormentor"s name. I can tell she is rethinking her quest for bravery. Maybe fighting samurai is a bit of a leap - perhaps she should begin with telling the teacher she is being bullied. But then she pulls back her shoulders, raises her chin and clenches her fists tight. I remember what Mum said when we made Ninja Meringues: "You"re terrified of the person your new powers force you to become." I hope that I"m becoming that person now, and using my courage too, like Cinnamon.
Jackson and I gently drag the Emishi ninja into the bushes, where he will be safe until we can find Lecky and get some help.
"So what should we do?" I ask, nodding towards Cinnamon.
"Hide her," Jackson says. "She"ll be safe." Safe enough, I hope.
I take out one of my silver orchid ninja stars and hand it to Cinnamon. She accepts it delicately like a precious jewel.
"If you see anyone in red, throw the star. Red is the enemy," I tell her.
Cinnamon crouches down in the bushes and clutches the star beneath her chin.
"We"ll be back when this is all over," Jackson says.
She nods. "Be careful."
I can"t believe I"m about to walk into trouble. Again! But Lecky is my sister. Sister blood runs deeper than bad blood, doesn"t it?
THIRTEEN.
When we arrive at a thick wall of trees, the sun slowly slips out of the sky, a pink coin gliding through gold fingers. We thread ourselves through the trunks like a black wind. A waterfall explodes in my ears, thunderous and a bit ghost-like, with echoes that whisper all around. The water smells like earth and mists into the air with the aroma of rain falling onto hot stones. I follow Jackson through the thick shrubbery. I"m excited we"ve made it just in time for sunset.
We stop in front of a fence of branches. Jackson"s eyes smile at me, then he reaches forwards and peels back some of the branches slowly. Instantly our faces light in an emerald glow that blooms from the gap in the trees. Before us powers the largest waterfall I"ve ever seen. Neon green water rushes over cliffs of jade rock and pools in peac.o.c.k eddies and swirls below. The colour of the water is amazing; I"ve never seen so many shades of blue and green. Water blasts over the cliffs in a powerful stream, but there is also a second column of water rising beside it. This waterfall has a current running in the opposite direction, up to the sky, as if it is being called by the clouds that are low and hungry, feeding from it. I"ve never seen a waterfall run backwards before. But anything is possible outside of Lanternwood.
"Brilliant, isn"t it?" Jackson says. We turn to face each other. There is a soft heat flowing from him. His eyes are the same colour as the water; they call me in. I can"t resist any longer. I lean closer. I feel the air between us squash and suddenly our chins are almost touching. I look up into his eyes, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with green rapids. He gently pulls down my ninja hood to reveal my lips. I reach up and pull down his ninja hood to expose his mouth. Then I close my eyes, lean in and we kiss. He holds my lips for a moment, drawing the breath out of me. I feel like the water diving over those cliffs, the crashing currents, the hungry clouds. Jackson lingers, then pulls his lips away and rests his forehead against mine.
"Just in case something happens," he says.
I smile. If I die today, I"ll die happy.
Samurai Falls has guards either side of the waterfall and sentries hidden among the cliffs. They are all armed with swords. There is a gong next to the samurai on the right of the waterfall. I hope it won"t be beaten as we"ll be in big trouble then.
"Right, so we"ll enter through the left, sneak up through the bush, take care of that guy," Jackson points to one of the guards, "and then we"re in the cave behind the Falls. Once we"re there, the rocks will camouflage us." Jackson"s certainty once again comforts me.
We check our weapons. I reach up and adjust Jackson"s hood, hiding his blond hair. He hugs me. "We"ll find Lecky," he says. "Don"t worry."
We set off through the bush, weaving through the trees. I"m grateful for the afternoon shadows and we bound from one shadow to another as we climb the steady hill towards the waterfall. Our hot breath steams in our hoods. The last rays of sun spark off leaves and firework into lasers that distort my vision. The higher we climb, the stronger the nerves entwine within me.
We reach the waterfall ledge. I wish the night would hurry up; we"re too exposed. Below is the deep pool of turquoise water. The sound of the waterfall is deafening. Even if the gong sounded, it would be hard to hear. Jackson and I stick close to the wall. I have no idea how I"m going to get the Serpent Sword from Lecky. Jackson told me if anyone but a samurai touches the Serpent Sword, it will burn them. I"ll melt off my skin prying it from my sister"s fingers if I have to.
The ledge is narrow and we creep along on our tiptoes. Jackson takes out his ninja claws and fits them to his fingers. I slip on my ninja claws too, the spikes between my knuckles gripping the wall as we balance on the dangerous ledge. I count the steps to keep me focused. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. The sound of the waterfall crescendos. If we fall, we will fall to our deaths.
Jackson reaches the guard first, who looks no older than fifteen. The guard launches at him with his sword and Jackson blocks it, grabs the guard"s arm and twists it behind his back. He reaches his other hand around to cover the guard"s mouth. It happens so fast. Jackson wrestles to keep the guard still and not fall off the ledge. I take the rope from my belt and throw it to Jackson. He ties the guard"s hands together, then pulls off the red sash the guard is wearing across his chest and covers his mouth with it. Jackson then sits the guard down on the ledge.
We quickly scramble up the wall of the cliff as another tall guard walks out of the mouth of the cave. He looks older, about eighteen. He is dressed like the first guard in a black martial arts uniform with a red sash and strapped to his back are red-handled katana swords. We remain suspended on our wall, waiting for the moment to drop on the guard. Suddenly a scream sounds from below and the samurai races past. We jump down and chase after him along the ledge, back the way we came. My heart is bursting, I run faster than I have ever run before. I know that voice.
I summon the wind to carry my footsteps faster, to make me fly. Jackson is way behind me. I reach Cinnamon in a little clearing just as the samurai"s sword is thrusting towards her throat. I knock the sword out of his hand with a flying spinning kick. The samurai attacks with a spear-hand strike and I block it. He launches at me and I use my foot to sting him across the cheek like a scorpion. He flies backwards, smashing against a tree. Cinnamon cries out my name and yells for Jackson.
The samurai recovers quickly and seizes my throat, lifting me up. I swing my legs desperately. I feel his fingers constricting my neck muscles, the air whistling out of my lungs, my windpipe flattening. I hook my leg over his elbow and kick him in the chin. He releases me. Anger boils my blood and I feel my tiger birthmark burn on the sole of my foot. I lift my knee to my chin and the samurai"s eyes widen - in their reflection I see flames spitting out of my heel. I shoot my flaming foot towards his chin. He stumbles back, away from the heat singeing his eyebrows. I swipe a look at Cinnamon and her eyes are blazing. I can tell she liked my fire kick.
The samurai throws himself up into a leaping crescent kick. I summon the air to flatten beneath him, then summon water to ice the ground. He falls onto the sheet of ice and slides towards me. I stop him with my foot. He starts to get up and I create wind blades, like ninja stars, to slice through him. He falls back against his elbows, cracking the ice. I watch him struggle to stand up, slipping and sliding on the ice. When he finally manages to be upright, he lifts his hands into a shaky guard. I steal another look at Cinnamon. Her red hair fizzes with excitement. This is more exciting than school.
A pain in my face knocks me back. I taste blood. Did the samurai just punch me in the face? I bend over and clutch my nose. His leg rises in the air, then descends like an axe. Panic seizes my chest. I watch the kick crash down on me in slow motion. Just before his leg makes contact with my shoulder, it goes limp. The samurai stumbles a few steps and his eyes flutter. When I look at his shoulder, it is soaked in blood. He limps towards me, clutching his arm, then crashes to the ground, wheezing. Behind him stands Cinnamon, holding the samurai"s sword. I didn"t see her steal the weapon when he dropped it. Her toffee-apple cheeks are streaked with tears, but her eyes are valiant, no longer powder blue but burning ultramarine.
Jackson arrives panting and gasps when he sees the samurai shrivelled up on the bed of cracked ice, begging Cinnamon not to hurt him any more.
"Sorry again," she says to us. "There was a snake in the bushes." She holds the sword out to me.
"Keep it, Ginger Ninja," I say. Cinnamon smiles.
Jackson presses his mouth into a hard line and inspects the samurai. I can tell he"s upset with himself for not arriving sooner to help, but I think Cinnamon and I made a great team.
"It"s only a flesh wound - he"ll live," Jackson says before turning to me. "It"s getting dark. We"re trespa.s.sing on samurai territory and it"s too dangerous for Cinnamon to be hiding out here on her own. She"ll have to come with us now." As if I need convincing. Cinnamon"s cheeks brighten.
"What about him?" I point to the shivering samurai on the ice. He looks too scared to say anything.
"Let"s leave him. He"ll find his way back and by then we"ll be gone. He"s lucky Cinnamon is an amateur." Jackson smiles at Cinnamon, who is still gripping the samurai sword tightly.
I remove my hood and try to fit it over Cinnamon"s hair to disguise it a bit. I wrestle with her red afro as it won"t cooperate. Something in the strength of her eyes tells me she"s sick of hiding so I take back the hood.
"We G2G?" Jackson asks.
"Good to go," I say. As we set off, I hope the waterfall drowned out Cinnamon"s scream and the samurai are not waiting for us. But more than that, I hope Jackson kisses me again.
Jackson leads the way, followed by Cinnamon and then me. Cinnamon"s training has definitely paid off because she keeps up with our pace. We slip behind the waterfall unnoticed. The cave is formed of solid jade rock and smells thousands of mouldy years old. The dark mossy stone camouflages Jackson and me, but Cinnamon"s porcelain skin and fire-engine hair stands out. The sound of the waterfall thunders around us and we feel its vibration. I think back to my step training and learning how to walk ninja: stealthy and slithery in the shadows so no one sees. I use gliding, ballet-like leaps to jump over the puddles, helping Cinnamon, who isn"t that graceful.
We continue deeper into the cave. I keep watch behind us as Jackson creeps forwards. The danger of the samurai is now palpable; even Jackson seems unnerved. We weren"t invited and to top it off, we"ve brought an outsider - Cinnamon is not of martial blood.
At the end of the cave are two tall iron doors that reach from floor to ceiling with jade handles. The entrance to the samurai dojo. As planned, we raise our hands in the air to show we mean no harm. The guards at the doors are surprised to see us and immediately pounce, removing our weapons and tying our hands behind our backs. They are rough and Cinnamon squeaks. I look at her and her eyes steel. I like Cinnamon the Brave.
"We"re here for Elecktra," I say. The guards, both teenage boys with military haircuts, laugh. They shove us through the doors into a room lit by lanterns. The ceiling is blanketed with pink crystals, which drip water onto a matted area for martial arts practice. Twelve kids are scattered around the dojo. Some are practising, others sit on chairs talking, a few play with weapons. They stop when we enter and their shadows envelop us as they circle around.
"We"re looking for Elecktra," I say. The samurai guard rips off my hood, whipping my hair free.
"Who"s she?" A boy in red martial arts pants and a black singlet points to Cinnamon.
"A friend," I say. Cinnamon is the only kid in the room without a martial arts uniform; she looks so innocent in her school uniform, socks pulled up to her knees.
"Your friend isn"t of martial blood," the boy says and draws a sword. His arms are powerful, the sword a twig in his bone-crushing hands.
"Please, we"ve just come to find her sister," Jackson says, nodding towards me.
Footsteps echo down a tunnel at the back of the cave. We watch the doorway anxiously. I glance at my friends. Jackson is wearing his focused fighting face. Cinnamon still doesn"t look scared.
Hero enters the dojo dressed in the traditional red samurai kimono and black belt, katana swords strapped to his back. Elecktra levitates behind him, dragging the tips of her big toes across the ground. She wears a red kimono too, plus matching red satin slippers. Her hair is scarlet and red veins still writhe into her vermilion eyebrows. She"s even more red than before. In her hand, the Serpent Sword glows, foaming bad blood from tip to hilt. Jackson and Cinnamon gasp. They haven"t seen Elecktra"s new look.
"She looks seriously scary," Cinnamon murmurs.
"Lecky!" I try to run to her, but a guard stops me.
"Well, look who"s here: Roxy, Jacko and Cinnamon buns," Elecktra says, halting in front of us and floating to the ground. For the first time Cinnamon doesn"t flinch at the hurtful words.
"Nice of you to drop in. Would you like a cup of tea?" Elecktra says in a voice that is sickly sweet.
"Lecky, hand over the sword," I say. "Trust me, it"s poisoning you."
"I"ve never felt better." She twirls into the air, levitating in a puff of red. Against the shimmering crystal ceiling, she looks like the last ruby cloud in a lingering sunset. "Like my new do?" She flicks her hair.
"No," Jackson says with a steely glare.
"You"ve got guts coming here," Hero says, breaking through the circle of samurai and approaching us. "You can"t change the fact she"s one of us now."
"This has been your plan all along, hasn"t it? To use her to kill the White Warrior," Jackson growls.
Hero shrugs. "People change."