Read Online Princess in Disguise by E. D. Baker - Free Book Online

let her,” grumbled the fairy in the bluebell cap. “She laughed at me! Call me Hairy Fairy, will you?”
    Once again Voracia raised her hand and gestured, only this time she pointed at Liam. Annie grabbed hold of his hand before the evil fairy let the sparks fly. Instead of hitting Liam, the sparks bounced off and flew back at Voracia, just as if she had pointed at Annie. Everyone watched, horrified, as the evil fairy began to shrink, her lank hair became shorter, thick, and brown, and her ears moved to the top of her head and became rounded. When she was as big as a rabbit, a long, thin tail sprouted from her lower back and she fell to the ground, twitching. She continued to shrink and a moment later she was a mouse, just like Annie often saw scurrying across the floor of the castle.
    This was a food that the cat could understand. It threw itself against the cage wall, but Voracia’s spell that had made it large was already coming undone. In less than a minute it was its normal size again and fit between the bars easily. The Voracia-mouse saw thisand took off into the tall grass, although she was not nearly as fast as a real mouse.
    â€œDid you see that!” squealed the fairy wearing the mossy cap. “She turned Voracia into a mouse!”
    â€œActually, she turned herself into one,” Annie said, but the fairies weren’t listening to her. They were all looking at her with horror, and when she sighed and got to her feet, they backed away a few feet only to hover as if they weren’t sure if they should leave or not.
    The sides of the cage had grown closer to Liam than to Annie. By the time she had taken three steps, however, the branches began to droop. As soon as she laid her hand on one, the entire structure fell apart. When Annie looked for the tiny fairies, they had gone.
    â€œFeeling more rested?” Annie asked Liam as he untied Otis’s rope from the branch. “Because I don’t care how tired we are after this, we’re not going to stop again until we cross over the bridge to Floradale.”

Chapter 7
    Annie and liam passed only a few people on the road, none of whom seemed interested in two boys riding an old chestnut gelding. It was late afternoon by the time they crossed over the bridge into Floradale. The last time they had visited the Moonflower Glade, they had learned of a shortcut when they were leaving. They took it now, traveling south on the main road until they reached a cutoff that led them toward a heavily forested hillside. The sun was setting when they entered the forest. On the other side of the hill, the road turned into a path scarcely wide enough for Otis. After that, it wasn’t long before they reached the glade.
    Although the trees continued on the left side of the road for as far as Annie could see, they ended abruptly on the right, giving way to pale blue and iridescent white spheres that floated above their heads, tethered to the ground by long, spindly stalks. The moonflowers bumpedtogether, making a gentle tapping sound. Under them lay a soft carpet of a dense grass that felt spongy under Annie’s feet when she dismounted from Otis. The unusual plants appeared to fill a large meadow, and because they grew so high off the ground, Annie could easily see under them from one side to the other. She hadn’t noticed it when they’d seen the flowers in the daylight, but a pale glow came off them, the glow brightening as night fell.
    â€œI don’t think anyone is here,” Annie told Liam. “At least, I don’t see anyone. Do you?”
    â€œNo,” he replied, turning to look around. “There’s no one here but us. This is incredible. It’s pitch-black in the forest, but here it’s as bright as if we’re in the great hall when all the candles are lit.”
    â€œI think they look like full moons on a clear night. They are moonflowers, after all. What do you think about spending the night here?