other through the hole and round and round. The thread cut into her fingers, but it wasn’t burning in the same way. She gritted her teeth and thought about the pain Tor must be in with the rope round his neck all the time
Don’t stop , she thought. Keep going!
Winding the last of the thread on, she tied the ends loosely and then began to unwind the three hairs – first one and then the next and then finally she started on the third.
The tingling feeling of magic increased and the edges of the world around her seemed to grow dark and blurry.
From the corners of her eyes she saw the white flowers of the bindweed seem to rise up and blaze with a bright light. She pulled the last hair away from the stone, and then suddenly the whole circle of bindweed burst into flame.
Erin cried out in alarm. Fire surrounded her. It’s a vision , the word drummed in her head. It’s not real.
But it felt real. She could feel the heat. Sweat broke out over her body. The flames seemed to be creeping closer. The woods, Tor, Chloe, everything had gone. There was just her and the flames and the hagstone in her hand.
Finding the loose ends of the thread, she tried to untie her own loose knot. But it was hard to concentrate; her eyes kept flicking back to the flames. They were definitely closer! Her breath grew short in her chest; panic started to rise through her.
Use your magic, Erin! Tor’s voice seemed to ring in her ears.
Erin looked up at the sky – a cool, dark sea above. The stars were shining brightly, pinpricks of light and hope. Her panic ebbed, the ends came free and she started to unwind the thread from the stone. ‘Unbind, untwist, free the bound one like this,’ she whispered.
She could do this. She was a weather weaver. Tor had told her she was special. She put her trust in the cloud stallion.
‘Unbind, untwist, free the bound one like this.’ She pulled at the thread again. She was almost there. It was starting to burn her fingers again though, hotter and hotter.
‘Unbind, untwist…’ Her voice rose as she forced herself to block out the pain and think only of Tor. ‘Free the bound one like this!’
On the last word she pulled out the end of the thread. There was a flaring of white light; she had a feeling of falling and suddenly Erin was out of the vision, sitting again in the clearing in the woods, the hagstone with the thread beside it in her hands. She blinked. She could see Chloe, her eyes wide with concern. She could see Tor, all his attention focused on her.
She’d done it. She had returned from the vision!
But just then the circle of bindweed round her – the real-life circle of bindweed – burst into flames. She screamed and heard Chloe scream too.
‘Throw the thread into the flames, Erin!’ Tor’s voice rang out. ‘Then use your stardust magic to quench the fire!’
Erin did as he said. As the thread burnt, the fire flared up, reaching towards her. She didn’t have time for doubts…
‘Rain be with me!’ she yelled.
A second later, rain was pouring down, dousing the fire. With a sizzle, the flames died. The raindrops soaked her, streaming over her hair and face, soothing her heat-scorched skin.
‘Rain be gone!’ she gasped through the water.
The raincloud vanished. Erin’s heart hammered in her chest. She looked at the circle of smoking, charred grass with just a few remaining bindweed leaves. Her eyes met Chloe’s. At the same moment, a triumphant whinny rang through the clearing and Erin swung round to see Tor rearing up in the air.
‘The rope!’ Erin gasped, staring at his neck. ‘It’s gone!’
‘You broke the spell!’ Tor exclaimed. ‘I am free!’
Erin jumped to her feet.
The next minute Chloe was hugging her. ‘And you’re OK, Erin! Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe. It was horrible when you went into that trance. You cried out and then just went really still. I didn’t know what was happening and then the fire…’
Tor plunged towards them and, as he did
Don’t stop , she thought. Keep going!
Winding the last of the thread on, she tied the ends loosely and then began to unwind the three hairs – first one and then the next and then finally she started on the third.
The tingling feeling of magic increased and the edges of the world around her seemed to grow dark and blurry.
From the corners of her eyes she saw the white flowers of the bindweed seem to rise up and blaze with a bright light. She pulled the last hair away from the stone, and then suddenly the whole circle of bindweed burst into flame.
Erin cried out in alarm. Fire surrounded her. It’s a vision , the word drummed in her head. It’s not real.
But it felt real. She could feel the heat. Sweat broke out over her body. The flames seemed to be creeping closer. The woods, Tor, Chloe, everything had gone. There was just her and the flames and the hagstone in her hand.
Finding the loose ends of the thread, she tried to untie her own loose knot. But it was hard to concentrate; her eyes kept flicking back to the flames. They were definitely closer! Her breath grew short in her chest; panic started to rise through her.
Use your magic, Erin! Tor’s voice seemed to ring in her ears.
Erin looked up at the sky – a cool, dark sea above. The stars were shining brightly, pinpricks of light and hope. Her panic ebbed, the ends came free and she started to unwind the thread from the stone. ‘Unbind, untwist, free the bound one like this,’ she whispered.
She could do this. She was a weather weaver. Tor had told her she was special. She put her trust in the cloud stallion.
‘Unbind, untwist, free the bound one like this.’ She pulled at the thread again. She was almost there. It was starting to burn her fingers again though, hotter and hotter.
‘Unbind, untwist…’ Her voice rose as she forced herself to block out the pain and think only of Tor. ‘Free the bound one like this!’
On the last word she pulled out the end of the thread. There was a flaring of white light; she had a feeling of falling and suddenly Erin was out of the vision, sitting again in the clearing in the woods, the hagstone with the thread beside it in her hands. She blinked. She could see Chloe, her eyes wide with concern. She could see Tor, all his attention focused on her.
She’d done it. She had returned from the vision!
But just then the circle of bindweed round her – the real-life circle of bindweed – burst into flames. She screamed and heard Chloe scream too.
‘Throw the thread into the flames, Erin!’ Tor’s voice rang out. ‘Then use your stardust magic to quench the fire!’
Erin did as he said. As the thread burnt, the fire flared up, reaching towards her. She didn’t have time for doubts…
‘Rain be with me!’ she yelled.
A second later, rain was pouring down, dousing the fire. With a sizzle, the flames died. The raindrops soaked her, streaming over her hair and face, soothing her heat-scorched skin.
‘Rain be gone!’ she gasped through the water.
The raincloud vanished. Erin’s heart hammered in her chest. She looked at the circle of smoking, charred grass with just a few remaining bindweed leaves. Her eyes met Chloe’s. At the same moment, a triumphant whinny rang through the clearing and Erin swung round to see Tor rearing up in the air.
‘The rope!’ Erin gasped, staring at his neck. ‘It’s gone!’
‘You broke the spell!’ Tor exclaimed. ‘I am free!’
Erin jumped to her feet.
The next minute Chloe was hugging her. ‘And you’re OK, Erin! Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe. It was horrible when you went into that trance. You cried out and then just went really still. I didn’t know what was happening and then the fire…’
Tor plunged towards them and, as he did
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