Curse Of Wexkia by Dale Furse Page B

said. Dar-seldra had obviously told Cay-meka to keep quiet and Nell wondered if her cousin could. After scaling the stairs, Nell opened the first door on the right. The heavy green curtains were open and a warm glow of artificial light shone through the window from the many spotlights surrounding the house and spilled over the cream tapestry quilt.
    The carved, wooden head of the high double bed was against the wall to the right. Nell stepped silently across the sage-green carpet and opened the door opposite the bed. ‘This is a two-way bathroom. My room is connected to it, so make sure you lock the door when you’re using it.’
    Cay-meka flounced to the window and looked out for a moment before turning on Nell. ‘I would prefer not to share a bathroom with you. I don’t like wintars.’
    ‘I’ve noticed,’ Nell said curtly. ‘But I’m only half wintar.’
    ‘Wintar blood flows through your veins,’ she sneered. ‘And you have dreamt of flying.’
    ‘What do you mean by that? And what exactly have you got against wintars?’
    ‘They killed my father.’
    Cay-meka suddenly burst into tears.
    ‘You really are schizo,’ Nell said.
    ‘I loved my father,’ she cried. ‘They took him away from me.’
    ‘I’m sure you did, but I read about the accident in the book on Linque. The collision between the spaceships was caused by a malfunction on the ship your father was flying. If anything, your father killed the wintars.’
    ‘How dare you!’ Cay-meka’s malice returned and she went after Nell, screeching. ‘You! You are cursed. You are a freak!’
    Nell ducked past her and the girl nearly fell through the open doorway. Stopping abruptly at the window, Nell swallowed hard and pointed at the closed window. ‘You mean, like that?’ She stared at what she realised must be a wintar.
    He looked human except for the craggy, rust-coloured wings hanging out of him like they were tired. The wintars in the book of Gramlax were all muscled, friendly-looking men and women but this one was straight out of Nell’s nightmares. Greasy, black curls fell over small, round eyes, too close together, his nose melted into his cheeks and his chin disappeared into his thick neck. His shirt, a size too small, allowed a hairy stomach to escape. Thick, hairy forearms leaned against the window, his little eyes widened and he screeched a name Nell didn’t get. Flapping his huge wings, he rose out of sight.
    In that same moment, Cay-meka gasped, ‘A wintar.’
    Nell spun to face the girl just as she rushed out of the room, screaming.
    ‘Wintar! Wintar!’
    Nell ran after her but by the time she’d descended the stairs, Cay-meka was already on the veranda calling to her mother. Nell pulled up at the open French doors.
    Cay-meka was shaking Sam wildly. He sat on the floor holding his flopping head in his hands and moaning. ‘Where is my mother?’ Cay-meka screamed.
    ‘Leave him alone!’ Nell pushed Cay-meka away, crouched down beside Sam and spoke as calmly as she could. ‘Sam? What happened?’
    Her hand moved towards his forehead. Cay-meka stooped over him, her face nearly touching Sam’s. His gasp was more like a yelp as he pushed the girls away with so much force, they both landed on their backsides with their legs in the air.
    ‘I wasn’t going to do anything, you big baby,’ Nell said, finding her feet. She helped Sam stand up and waited while he found his balance. ‘Where is Dar-seldra?’ she asked.
    ‘We were standing out here talking, Dar-seldra and me …’ Sam began.
    Nell nodded her head, hoping to encourage Sam to hurry. She also tried to appear calm but her thoughts were beginning to jumble and the pulse in her neck beat wildly.
    Sam continued. ‘She, Dar-seldra, was leaning on the railing when some sort of giant bird came down and grabbed her with its claws. It just took off with her.’ He was shaking his head. ‘I wouldn’t believe it, except I saw it with my own eyes.’
    ‘Did it look like what we