Jack Shian and the Destiny Stone Read online

  PRAISE FOR JACK SHIAN

  AND THE DESTINY STONE

  ‘The pace quickens, the stakes rise and the danger intensifies as the Shian faithful risk all for the true way and life. In this engrossing, enthralling, encompassing novel Andrew Symon brings his Shian Quest Trilogy to a close.’

  The Scotsman

  PRAISE FOR JACK SHIAN

  AND THE KING’S CHALICE

  ‘An exciting, engrossing and entertaining first novel… . Blending history, theology, fantasy and good old-fashioned adventure, this is a cracking start to what promises to be an intriguing series.’

  The Scotsman

  ‘This is a very good book so definitely read it.’

  The Guardian reader review

  ‘Jack Shian and the King’s Chalice is a romping adventure full of secrets and intrigue that should appeal to girls and boys alike – the characters may be Shian but the emotions and “growing pains” of emerging into teenhood are identifiably human.’

  Parenting Without Tears.com

  PRAISE FOR JACK SHIAN

  AND THE MAPA MUNDI

  ‘A twisting, turning, turbulent adventure.’

  The Scotsman

  ‘This book is exciting and dramatic and I can’t wait to read the next one.’

  The Daily Record

  To Maggie

  And thanks to Ian Black for all his help over the years

  Contents

  Praise

  Title

  Dedication

  List of Characters from the Sian Quest Trilogy

  Prologue

  1 Frustration

  2 Sheena of the Shadows

  3 Autumn Equinox

  4 Sabotage

  5 Stowaways

  6 Fishermen’s Blues

  7 Waking Caskill

  8 The Road to Ardmore

  9 The Urisk

  10 The Hebseelie Court

  11 Island Time

  12 The Gusog Feather

  13 The Cailleach

  14 Recovery

  15 The Blue Men of the Minch

  16 Kelly’s Wake

  17 Papa Legba

  18 The Bridge of Impossibilities

  19 Fractals’ Seer

  20 Island Hospitality

  21 The Cu-shee

  22 Cutting Off Witches’ Feet

  23 The Swamp

  24 The Rainbow Bridge

  25 The Fourth Brother

  26 Midwinter Solstice

  27 The Green Man

  28 Stalled

  29 Mustang Flight

  30 Temptation

  31 Thanatos Execution

  32 Preparations

  33 The Edinburgh Coach

  34 Storming the Castle

  35 Deliverance

  36 The Defeat of the Ancient Order of Plutocrats

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  List of Characters from the

  Shian Quest Trilogy

  Armina

  An enchantress

  Arvin

  A tutor of music

  Aunt Katie

  Jack’s aunt

  Boreus

  A Kildashie

  Cal

  A HebShian

  Caskill

  A giant

  Clavers

  A HebShian lieutenant

  Cleo

  A girl on Tula

  Coll

  A HebShian

  Comgall

  A monk

  Cosmo

  The leader of the Cos-Howe crew

  Daid

  A tutor of human lessons

  Dara

  A McCool

  Dermot

  A McCool

  Doonya

  Jack’s uncle

  Doxer

  An apprentice to Gilmore the tailor

  Enda

  A McCool

  Endora

  From Tula

  Fenrig

  Briannan’s son

  Festus

  Freya and Purdy’s father

  Finbogie

  A tutor

  Finnegan

  A McCool

  Freya and Purdy

  Jack’s neighbours

  Gilmore

  The tailor; husband to Barassie

  Gilravage and Stram

  HebShian youths; friends of Ossian

  Grandpa Sandy

  A senior Congress member

  Grey Wolf

  A Shian ‘from across the ocean’

  Harald

  The Norse leader ‘from the fjords’

  Hart and Dorcas

  Jack’s uncle and aunt in Keldy

  He Who Waits

  A Shian ‘from across the ocean’

  Hema

  From Tula

  Henri

  Claville Shian leader

  Iain Dubh

  The HebShian leader

  Ishona

  Wife of Iain Dubh

  Jack Shian

  Our hero

  John

  A seer

  Karl

  A NorShian

  Kedge

  A Shian youth from near Edinburgh

  Kelly

  A McCool

  Konan

  A Brashat lieutenant

  Luka

  A seer (see Jack Shian and the Mapa Mundi)

  Magnus

  From Novehowe; leader of the NorShian

  Malevola

  An enchantress; from Tula

  Malicia

  From Tula

  Marco

  A seer (see Jack Shian and the Mapa Mundi)

  Matthew

  A seer (see Jack Shian and the King’s Chalice and Jack Shian and the Mapa Mundi)

  Mawkit

  An inhabitant of the Shian square

  Morrigan

  Fenrig’s sister; a Brashat

  Murkle

  Tutor of Shian tales

  Oobit

  A Cos-Howe lad

  Ossian

  Jack’s cousin; son of Hart and Dorcas

  Papa Legba

  An enchanter

  Petros, Rana and Lizzie

  Jack’s cousins

  Phineas

  Jack’s father

  Sanguina

  From Tula

  Saorbeg

  A HebShian lieutenant

  Stegos

  A Kildashie

  Tamlina

  An enchantress

  Telos

  A McCool

  The cailleach

  An old healer

  The Grey

  An enchantress

  The Twa Tams

  HebShian youths

  Shian (pronounced Shee-an ):

  n, the otherworld; creatures living in or coming from the otherworld. Also called daemons, fey, gentry, daoine matha [good men], portunes, etc. (C. 14; origins debated)

  www.shianquest.com

  The Shian Quest Trilogy is on Facebook!

  Prologue

  Jack flung the stone into the rock pool as hard as he could. The splash soaked his shirt, but he didn’t care. This waiting around was so boring.

  Midsummer – now that had been exciting. Hunting the swordfish of fortune; finding the Mapa Mundi; raising the giant’s bridge; defeating Malevola and the Grey; rescuing his father.

  My father …

  But he’s still so weak, thought Jack; all these years I’ve longed to find him, and it was two months before he could even talk. I still hardly know him.

  But I’ve got Tamlina’s ring.

  Jack took the ring from his Sintura belt, and stared hard at the Triple-S spirals. What did they mean?

  ‘Good things come in threes’, Tamlina had said. Well, th
ere’s three spirals. Is that really the Destiny Stone, the Chalice, and the Mapa Mundi?

  The sun glinted off the ring, and with a jolt Jack saw the spirals begin to turn. He felt a sudden whooshing sensation – like the low road, only faster. Instinctively he closed his eyes, but instead of the blur of shade and light of a low road journey, in his mind’s eye Jack could see the street outside Cos-Howe in Edinburgh.

  Two men, each tied to a chair, and facing each other. There’s snow all around them, and a burning brazier next to one. The picture’s blurred; I can’t make out their faces … There’s three tall men approaching … That’s Boreus! And he’s slapped one of the prisoners hard … Now he’s holding the man’s head so it faces sideways. Someone else is coming … he’s put a sword in the fire. He’s holding the hot blade up to the prisoner’s eyes …

  Bleeurgh! That’s gross!

  Jack opened his eyes, and took a deep breath. He felt sick.

  That was disgusting!

  Jack shook his head, trying to clear the image seared into his mind, but it was no use. Like a film loop in his head he kept seeing the sword slicing into eyes.

  He puked.

  1

  Frustration

  “What’s the matter, Jack?” asked Rana.

  Jack started, and wiped his mouth. Had she seen him puke? He wished his cousins wouldn’t creep up on him like that. Glancing apprehensively at the ring, he noticed that one of the spiral arms had faded. He tried to concentrate.

  “I thought I saw something. There was snow.”

  “Snow? What planet are you on? It’s not even autumn yet.”

  “Shut up, Rana.” Lizzie sounded concerned. “Jack doesn’t look well.”

  “I’m all right. I was thinking about the Kildashie.”

  “That uncivilised bunch,” snorted Lizzie. “It beats me how they can order the Thanatos around.”

  “It’s the Tassitus charm,” said Rana confidently. “If they can control sound, they can do what they want.”

  “And they’re near the Stone too,” added Jack. “That must make them stronger.”

  The Stone of Destiny. Jack hadn’t seen it that many times, but he’d known it was giving power to the Shian square. Only now the Kildashie and Thanatos were there; and they were torturing people.

  I’d better not say anything about this to Dad. He’s still not strong enough to handle this – whatever this is.

  “More Darrigs and dwarves have arrived,” announced Rana. “There’s some nearly every day now.”

  “This little one said he came from Lomond,” said Lizzie. “It was freezing there.”

  “It’s freezing wherever the Kildashie are,” said Jack, thinking of the snow in his vision. “I wish we could do something to get them out. This island’s getting crowded.”

  “You’re just in a bad mood because you’ve had to start lessons again,” mocked Rana. “Mum didn’t waste any time getting you and Fenrig back to work when Gilmore arrived, did she?”

  “It’s not fair. Petros doesn’t have any lessons. I’ve got to spend every morning stitching.”

  “At least that gets you away from his wife,” pouted Rana. “Barassie’s so fussy. All that stuff about what we can wear in the tents, what we can wear outside …”

  “And all her rules about behaviour,” interrupted Lizzie. “They’re a pain. She never stops criticising.”

  “Gilmore’s all right, I suppose,” said Jack. “Good luck to anyone who escapes from the Kildashie. I just wish we were planning how to stop them getting the Destiny Stone and the Chalice.”

  “At least we’ve got the Sphere, the Mapa Mundi,” said Lizzie. “They can’t make the magycks complete until all three are together.”

  Jack smiled at the thought. He’d been the one to defeat the Nucklat and retrieve the Sphere. To begin with, Marco and Luka had even said he should keep it. But it had been an open secret that he had it; and each day Jack feared someone coming to steal it. All these Shian arriving on the island: maybe there were spies among them? In the end, Jack had entrusted the Sphere to Marco, but so far he’d kept Tamlina’s ring. Tucked away in his Sintura belt it was invisible; but people must know he had it … He’d got a strange buzz from it sometimes; but nothing like that vision –

  … That was an execution …

  “Anyway,” continued Rana, “the Sphere showed us leaving here in the autumn.”

  “I’ve never said I wanted summer to finish before,” said Jack. “But Marco’s season-wheel is turning so slowly. I just wish we could get on with it.”

  In his heart Jack knew that the Sphere had shown an autumn departure; but each week brought more news of Kildashie atrocities. Surely it was time to fight back?

  “Can you tell me where Sandy of the Stone is?” A tall stranger had approached without any of them noticing.

  Jack hurriedly thrust Tamlina’s ring back into his Sintura belt. Had the man seen it?

  “He’ll be up at the house. Past those trees.” Jack pointed; the man nodded, and moved off.

  “He’s new, isn’t he?” said Lizzie. “There’s loads of people I don’t recognise these days. D’you think we can trust them all?”

  “You don’t think he could be a Thanatos spy, do you?” asked Jack.

  “I don’t fancy meeting those Thanatos again,” shuddered Lizzie. “You’ve never seen the unforgiven dead. Believe me, you don’t want to.”

  “And there’s Boaban Shee too,” said Rana. “Mum told me they’re like vampires. And there’s Red Caps in the border lands. Most of the country’s Unseelie now.”

  “It’s hard to believe it’s like winter almost everywhere,” said Jack looking up at the clear sky. “It’s nice here. Bit cooler, though.”

  Jack resolved to give Tamlina’s ring to Marco for safekeeping – for now. Like the Mapa Mundi, it was too much responsibility. And that vision had been scary.

  “I bet Cos-Howe’s doing OK, though.” Jack tried to sound hopeful. “Cosmo can hold out as long as he wants.”

  “If the Thanatos …” Rana was silenced by a shove from her sister.

  “Let’s get back to the house,” said Lizzie. “It’s getting chilly.”

  The youngsters wandered along to Marco and Luka’s house, surrounded as it now was by tents.

  “Good news, kids,” called out Aunt Dorcas. “Marco and Luka are coming back tonight.”

  “You mean the low road’s open again?” Jack’s eyes lit up.

  “No, it’s still out of action. Anyway, they hardly ever use it. Enda’s bringing them over from the mainland.”

  “They’re calling more McCools over too,” added Katie.

  Aunt Katie’s changed in some ways, thought Jack. More McCools must mean they’re planning something, and once upon a time that would’ve got her frightened. But with Uncle Doonya a prisoner, she’s not scared now, she’s … determined.

  “Does that mean we’re leaving soon?”

  “You’ll have to see what Marco says, Jack dear. A grig told us they’ll be here this evening.”

  Grigs are flying again, even outside the low road. That definitely means things are on the move.

  However, Jack’s new-found optimism was to be short-lived. When Marco and Luka arrived that evening, all they would say was that the time was not yet right for a counter-attack. It wouldn’t be long –

  (Where’ve I heard that before?)

  – but things had to be in place, otherwise the whole mission might fail.

  Despite yet another ‘not yet’, Jack was glad to see Marco and Luka again. Since midsummer they had hardly been on the island. And things on the mainland obviously hadn’t improved. The Kildashie and the Thanatos had most Shian – few as they were – under the thumb. Stories of imprisonment, torture – even murder – were commonplace now. A few areas had managed to resist, but isolated and scattered, and with bitterly cold weather, this was not much use for a counter-attack.

  Marco and Luka brought many tales of horror from the mainland. And wh
ile the Seelie Shian bore the brunt of the ferocity, the Unseelie made no bones about their hatred for the humans. Every opportunity to cause mishap or mayhem among them was grasped readily; stories of disasters on the roads, or in darkened streets at night, showed that the Unseelie had few qualms and even less remorse. Stabbings, crashes and vicious ‘accidents’ had doubled since the Kildashie had united the Unseelie.

  As they sat outside to eat, Jack saw Marco and Enda talking earnestly. Jack hadn’t had a chance to speak with the McCool leader since he’d arrived back; but he was pleased that more McCools were on their way.

  They’d be more than handy in a fight. We need them. And it looks like we’re going to get the go-ahead tonight.

  But if I’m honest, I still don’t rate our chances – not if the Unseelie are as powerful as people say. Dad’s loads better than when we rescued him, but he’s still weak. Uncle Hart’s not ready yet; Grandpa looks so old, though the Phosphan curse is out of his system at last. Finbogie will be useful, at any rate. Ossian too – if we can get him away from Morrigan.

  “Friends,” called Marco, standing up at the end of the meal. “You will know that more help is on its way from Ireland; and the growing numbers here on Ilanbeg represent an impressive force.”

  Jack screwed up his face. Impressive force? Most of the ones who’d got away were women and children. We need to pull in extra help from somewhere.

  “We must stop the Kildashie and the Thanatos, before they get ideas about expanding further,” stated Enda. “We have troubles enough in Ireland with our own Unseelie. If they combine with the Kildashie, then nowhere will be safe.”