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Authors: Linda Chapman
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will be following her. You will not be on your own.’
‘She won’t be on her own anyway. I’ll be here,’ said Chloe fiercely, moving to stand alongside Erin.
Erin picked up a sharp shard of stone from one of the rock pools and, pressing hard, scratched a circle on one of the largest, flattest rocks. Then she took the hagstone with her great-grandmother’s hair out of her pocket and began.
The second she stared at the hole in the stone with her great-grandmother’s hair tied through it, the darkness expanded. She gasped as magic surged through her. Not the tingling that she usually felt, but rushing, racing, sweeping through her like a swift-flowing river, as the power of her great-grandmother joined with her own power. Erin had never felt anything like it. Every inch of her skin seemed to crackle with magic. She felt strong and powerful, able to do anything.
‘Sky horses, come!’ she commanded.
This time they didn’t appear slowly. They were suddenly there in the circle, manes and tails blowing, ears flickering. Many looked sick. Marianne had been in the cloud world for too long. Foals were lying down, mares nuzzling them with dull eyes. But as Tor appeared they raised their heads, nudged the foals, made them get up. The herd gathered round him, whickering in relief. He whinnied to them all. They followed him obediently, clearing the circle and clearing the clouds from the moon overhead.
At the edge of the circle Erin saw a dark cloud forming. Marianne! There was no time to waste!
‘Tor! Come back! Sky horses, be gone!’
The sky horses vanished.
Erin scrambled to her feet as Tor swirled to his normal size.
‘Mistral! We must go through the gateway before Marianne brings the clouds back!’ He gave the girls a searching look. ‘Be ready for when we return! Who knows what will happen then…’ And he leapt away, dissolving into a mist that flowed past the rockfall into the cave. Mistral followed him. There was a faint whinny and they were gone. The silence was broken only by the sound of the sea creeping back in towards the cliffs and the cry of a seagull overhead.
Erin looked at Chloe.
‘Now what?’ Chloe said.
‘We wait, I guess,’ replied Erin. She went over to the cave and looked at the gap between the rockfall and the wall. It was just big enough for her to squeeze through. She knew the cave behind it led to a tunnel, which led to another underground cave where the gateway was. Tor and Mistral would have gone through it by now. She wondered what was happening.
‘You looked different when you did the magic just then,’ said Chloe, joining her.
‘I felt different,’ admitted Erin. ‘Everything happened so much more quickly than normal. It was weird. There was all this power flowing through me. I felt like I was almost going to explode with it.’
Chloe crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed. ‘It’s not fair. You have all the fun!’
Erin knew Chloe was joking, trying to help ease her tension as they waited anxiously. ‘Yeah, yeah,’ she said. ‘I know you wish you were me. You’re just jealous! You so wish you could fight Marianne later!’
There was a cold laugh behind them. ‘Not later, Erin. Now! ’
They both swung round.
Marianne was standing on the rocks, just a few metres away from them, her silvery-blue dress swirling around her, a spiteful smile on her face.
CHAPTER
Eleven
Marianne raised her hands and pointed at Erin. ‘Bind her!’ she hissed.
Chloe leapt out of the way, but Erin didn’t move fast enough.
Marianne’s magic hit her, knocking her off her feet and slamming her into the cliff face. She was pinned there, as if an invisible giant hand was holding her against the rocks. It was a powerful binding spell. Erin knew the only way to break free was to distract the attention of the dark spirit.
‘Hello, Erin,’ Marianne said, triumph glittering in her eyes.
Chloe started to raise her hand.
‘Don’t even think about it!’ snarled Marianne,
‘She won’t be on her own anyway. I’ll be here,’ said Chloe fiercely, moving to stand alongside Erin.
Erin picked up a sharp shard of stone from one of the rock pools and, pressing hard, scratched a circle on one of the largest, flattest rocks. Then she took the hagstone with her great-grandmother’s hair out of her pocket and began.
The second she stared at the hole in the stone with her great-grandmother’s hair tied through it, the darkness expanded. She gasped as magic surged through her. Not the tingling that she usually felt, but rushing, racing, sweeping through her like a swift-flowing river, as the power of her great-grandmother joined with her own power. Erin had never felt anything like it. Every inch of her skin seemed to crackle with magic. She felt strong and powerful, able to do anything.
‘Sky horses, come!’ she commanded.
This time they didn’t appear slowly. They were suddenly there in the circle, manes and tails blowing, ears flickering. Many looked sick. Marianne had been in the cloud world for too long. Foals were lying down, mares nuzzling them with dull eyes. But as Tor appeared they raised their heads, nudged the foals, made them get up. The herd gathered round him, whickering in relief. He whinnied to them all. They followed him obediently, clearing the circle and clearing the clouds from the moon overhead.
At the edge of the circle Erin saw a dark cloud forming. Marianne! There was no time to waste!
‘Tor! Come back! Sky horses, be gone!’
The sky horses vanished.
Erin scrambled to her feet as Tor swirled to his normal size.
‘Mistral! We must go through the gateway before Marianne brings the clouds back!’ He gave the girls a searching look. ‘Be ready for when we return! Who knows what will happen then…’ And he leapt away, dissolving into a mist that flowed past the rockfall into the cave. Mistral followed him. There was a faint whinny and they were gone. The silence was broken only by the sound of the sea creeping back in towards the cliffs and the cry of a seagull overhead.
Erin looked at Chloe.
‘Now what?’ Chloe said.
‘We wait, I guess,’ replied Erin. She went over to the cave and looked at the gap between the rockfall and the wall. It was just big enough for her to squeeze through. She knew the cave behind it led to a tunnel, which led to another underground cave where the gateway was. Tor and Mistral would have gone through it by now. She wondered what was happening.
‘You looked different when you did the magic just then,’ said Chloe, joining her.
‘I felt different,’ admitted Erin. ‘Everything happened so much more quickly than normal. It was weird. There was all this power flowing through me. I felt like I was almost going to explode with it.’
Chloe crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed. ‘It’s not fair. You have all the fun!’
Erin knew Chloe was joking, trying to help ease her tension as they waited anxiously. ‘Yeah, yeah,’ she said. ‘I know you wish you were me. You’re just jealous! You so wish you could fight Marianne later!’
There was a cold laugh behind them. ‘Not later, Erin. Now! ’
They both swung round.
Marianne was standing on the rocks, just a few metres away from them, her silvery-blue dress swirling around her, a spiteful smile on her face.
CHAPTER
Eleven
Marianne raised her hands and pointed at Erin. ‘Bind her!’ she hissed.
Chloe leapt out of the way, but Erin didn’t move fast enough.
Marianne’s magic hit her, knocking her off her feet and slamming her into the cliff face. She was pinned there, as if an invisible giant hand was holding her against the rocks. It was a powerful binding spell. Erin knew the only way to break free was to distract the attention of the dark spirit.
‘Hello, Erin,’ Marianne said, triumph glittering in her eyes.
Chloe started to raise her hand.
‘Don’t even think about it!’ snarled Marianne,
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