Curse Of Wexkia by Dale Furse Page A

tree at night.’ He turnedback towards the house. ‘I’d better be off, Nell. See you in the morning?’
    ‘No!’ Nell said. ‘Don’t go. Um … Carl and Annet will be going soon so why don’t you ring your mum from my house and say goodbye?’
    He looked at his dripping clothes.
    ‘I’ll get you a towel.’ She hoped he had the sense to realise she needed him. At least he was still the same old Sam. Just at that moment she wished she was the same old Nell. Although she had a growing sense she would deal with the changes, it would be much easier with a friend.
    ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Actually, there’s nowhere I’d rather be to tell you the truth. You think it’d be okay with Dar-seldra?’
    ‘Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?’ Exhaling loudly, she climbed the side stairs. ‘You know all about us, so you’re practically family.’
    ‘Yeah, well, I’m going home to change first and say goodbye to Mum and Dad in person. They’d be upset if I didn’t.’
    By the time Sam returned, Nell had just finished setting the table for the evening meal. ‘Did you tell your parents anything?’ she asked Sam.
    ‘Of course not,’ Sam said, as if insulted. ‘Actually, I couldn’t, they’d already gone. They left me a note.’ He shook his head. ‘And I was worried about upsetting them.’
    Nell said, ‘They think you’re old enough to look after yourself now. And they trust you.’
    They sat down to the dinner Dar-seldra prepared. Nell wore a dark-green, knitted singlet top with black three quarter cargo pants. Sam had changed into fresh black T-shirt and jeans. With her long hair pulled into a single high ponytail, Dar-seldra appeared even younger. Her hairhung over the front of her right shoulder and her skin looked darker against her white sleeveless dress. The girls’ dresses were of similar style to the others they wore. Cay-meka’s garment was burnt orange and a large clip pinned her fringe back off her forehead.
    During the meal, Nell asked Dar-seldra, ‘Why did Dad tell you about my dreams?’
    Cay-meka stopped chewing. ‘What dreams?’ she asked with her mouth full of fish cake.
    ‘Don’t fuss about that at the moment,’ Dar-seldra said. ‘We’ll talk later.’
    Nell couldn’t see any reason to wait. She said to Cay-meka, ‘I have dreams about swimming in the ocean, like we did today—’
    ‘Yes, yes,’ Dar-seldra interrupted. ‘I’ll hear all about them later. We should clean up first.’ She stood up and began picking up plates and cutlery.
    ‘But we haven’t finished,’ Cay-meka said, piling more salad onto her plate. ‘If you are a phib, you’re supposed to have dreams of swimming,’ she said to Nell. ‘They help you know what to do the first time you go underwater.’
    Nell didn’t understand Dar-seldra’s hurry to clean up, so she continued. ‘Well, sometimes I dream I have wings and can fly.’
    Cay-meka’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped and looked at Dar-seldra. ‘You knew,’ she said through her fingers. ‘And you let Dar-tern make us stay with her.’
    ‘We don’t know anything, Daughter,’ Dar-seldra said, and leant forward to whisper something to Cay-meka.
    Nell glanced at Sam.
    He shrugged and looked as mystified as Nell felt.
    ‘So what?’ Sam said. ‘I used to dream I could fly. Mum says everyone does.’
    Cay-meka looked at Nell as if she was some sort of monster. ‘No true phib dreams of flying.’
    Dar-seldra’s eyes were angry. ‘I said we are not to discuss it tonight.’
    ‘If it’s got something to do with me,’ Nell said. ‘I think I have a right to know.’
    ‘It’s not up to me. Dar-tern will explain tomorrow,’ Dar-seldra said. ‘Nell, show Cay-meka where she is to sleep? Sam, please accompany me to the veranda.’
    ‘Okey-dokey,’ Sam said, gathering up a bunch of green grapes.
    Nell glanced sideways at Cay-meka after Sam followed Dar-seldra out of the room. She still glared at Nell but said nothing.
    ‘Follow me,’ Nell