Read Online The Crystal Mirror by Paula Harrison - Free Book Online
Authors: Paula Harrison
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him if he wanted a cup of tea.”
Laney turned away so that Kim couldn’t see her fear. “Yes, he’s gone,” she managed to say.
Tonight she was going to be tested. The thought of it weighed on her chest so much that she could hardly breathe.
Laney spent the rest of the day desperately trying to make her Mist powers work. If the faerie Elders were going to do some sort of test on her, she thought she should practise as much as she could. So she took a bowl of water to her bedroom and stared at it for a long, long time. She managed to get a few drops to rise up from the bowl and float in the air.
At last, exhausted, she collapsed on her bed. Considering the amount of damage she’d caused to the school water fountain, and the rain shower she’d made that morning, it was surprisingly hard to get the water to do anything. It was much easier to do it all by accident. She glanced at her gold-ringed eyes in the mirror. She just hoped she could make her powers work tonight.
* * *
It felt like a long wait until the sun went down.
Her dad turned to her at teatime while Kim was taking some dishes out to the kitchen. “Don’t worry about Stingwood. Just leave those people to me.”
“What’s the prophecy he was talking about?” said Laney. “Is it something to do with the red moon?”
Her dad hesitated. “Yes, it’s all to do with that, but it’s just nonsense and you don’t have to worry about it. I don’t want them dragging you into it.”
Laney knew he wanted to protect her but she had to meet the Elders. It was her they wanted and if she could prove to them that there was nothing wrong with her, then maybe they would leave her family alone after that.
At eleven o’clock she opened her window wide. She knew she wouldn’t get out of the front door without her dad noticing, but if she could use her wings then she might be able to get out by flying.
She climbed on to the window ledge, closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. It took several minutes until she felt what she was hoping for. There was a swish of air behind her and smooth pale wings curved open from her back. She touched them, amazed all over again. Then she looked down at the lane below.
There was one slight problem with her plan…shedidn’t really know how to fly.
Maybe if she made sure her wings were spread wide she could at least glide down to the ground without hurting herself.
She pressed her lips together tightly. This was it.
Launching herself upwards, she spread out her arms and her wings opened too. She sailed over the plum tree by the front gate, lifted for a moment by the wind. But the ground zoomed upwards and she put her hands out to protect herself before hurtling straight into the churchyard wall on the other side of the lane.
She picked herself up and examined her scratches and scrapes. Vowing not to try that again until she knew how to do it properly, she ran down the lane. She didn’t stop till she’d passed the last house on the edge of the village.
It was weird walking along with wings. Even though they were light, they bumped against her back a little, and now and then a gust of wind caught them and lifted her off her feet. She closed her eyes to tell them to go. Even though she was outside Skellmore, it would be better to get rid of them. If she was seen like this she’d have a hard time explaining it.
But with her eyes closed, her mind filled up with terror. She told herself it was just because she’d shut her eyes in the middle of the countryside.She opened them again. The footpath in front of her ran down to a narrow stream that joined the larger river half a mile further along. Even though nothing moved in the darkness, her skin prickled.
Giving in to instinct, she ran down the footpath and through the fields, not slowing down until her panic subsided. As she reached the edge of Hobbin Forest, a bright full moon rose above the trees. Seeing its round white face made Laney wonder again why it had
Laney turned away so that Kim couldn’t see her fear. “Yes, he’s gone,” she managed to say.
Tonight she was going to be tested. The thought of it weighed on her chest so much that she could hardly breathe.
Laney spent the rest of the day desperately trying to make her Mist powers work. If the faerie Elders were going to do some sort of test on her, she thought she should practise as much as she could. So she took a bowl of water to her bedroom and stared at it for a long, long time. She managed to get a few drops to rise up from the bowl and float in the air.
At last, exhausted, she collapsed on her bed. Considering the amount of damage she’d caused to the school water fountain, and the rain shower she’d made that morning, it was surprisingly hard to get the water to do anything. It was much easier to do it all by accident. She glanced at her gold-ringed eyes in the mirror. She just hoped she could make her powers work tonight.
* * *
It felt like a long wait until the sun went down.
Her dad turned to her at teatime while Kim was taking some dishes out to the kitchen. “Don’t worry about Stingwood. Just leave those people to me.”
“What’s the prophecy he was talking about?” said Laney. “Is it something to do with the red moon?”
Her dad hesitated. “Yes, it’s all to do with that, but it’s just nonsense and you don’t have to worry about it. I don’t want them dragging you into it.”
Laney knew he wanted to protect her but she had to meet the Elders. It was her they wanted and if she could prove to them that there was nothing wrong with her, then maybe they would leave her family alone after that.
At eleven o’clock she opened her window wide. She knew she wouldn’t get out of the front door without her dad noticing, but if she could use her wings then she might be able to get out by flying.
She climbed on to the window ledge, closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. It took several minutes until she felt what she was hoping for. There was a swish of air behind her and smooth pale wings curved open from her back. She touched them, amazed all over again. Then she looked down at the lane below.
There was one slight problem with her plan…shedidn’t really know how to fly.
Maybe if she made sure her wings were spread wide she could at least glide down to the ground without hurting herself.
She pressed her lips together tightly. This was it.
Launching herself upwards, she spread out her arms and her wings opened too. She sailed over the plum tree by the front gate, lifted for a moment by the wind. But the ground zoomed upwards and she put her hands out to protect herself before hurtling straight into the churchyard wall on the other side of the lane.
She picked herself up and examined her scratches and scrapes. Vowing not to try that again until she knew how to do it properly, she ran down the lane. She didn’t stop till she’d passed the last house on the edge of the village.
It was weird walking along with wings. Even though they were light, they bumped against her back a little, and now and then a gust of wind caught them and lifted her off her feet. She closed her eyes to tell them to go. Even though she was outside Skellmore, it would be better to get rid of them. If she was seen like this she’d have a hard time explaining it.
But with her eyes closed, her mind filled up with terror. She told herself it was just because she’d shut her eyes in the middle of the countryside.She opened them again. The footpath in front of her ran down to a narrow stream that joined the larger river half a mile further along. Even though nothing moved in the darkness, her skin prickled.
Giving in to instinct, she ran down the footpath and through the fields, not slowing down until her panic subsided. As she reached the edge of Hobbin Forest, a bright full moon rose above the trees. Seeing its round white face made Laney wonder again why it had
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