Read Online The Crystal Mirror by Paula Harrison - Free Book Online Page B

only just Awakened.” Gwen turned to Laney. “There’s a legend among faeries about a child who will be born at the time of a red moon. That kind of moon – called a Wolf Moon – hasalways brought bad luck. No one knows for sure what the prophecy means, but—”
    “Greytails don’t believe in it anyway,” said Mrs Lionhart fiercely. “It’s a lot of silly superstition.”
    Stingwood drew himself up to his full height and pointed at Laney. “How can you stand there calling it superstition when we have a girl here who Awakened on the night of the Wolf Moon? If she shows signs of unnatural power we must send her to the Faerie Council immediately.”
    Laney’s heart began to race. Her dad had told her not to worry about the red moon prophecy, but that was the main reason she was being tested. Becoming a faerie on the night of the red moon had made people suspicious of her.
    “But the prophecy says the child will be
born
under that moon, not Awaken,” said Gwen. “When is your birthday, Laney?”
    “July the fifteenth,” Laney said automatically. “Yesterday.”
    “You see?” Stingwood’s face darkened. “She had her birthday yesterday on the night of the Wolf Moon.”
    “Yes, but she can’t have been
born
under a red moon because there’s never been one in the month of July before,” said Gwen.
    Stingwood glared, but didn’t argue.
    “May I suggest we start the test?” Miss Reed cutin. “Come here, child.”
    “Will it hurt?” Laney walked reluctantly to the edge of the forest pool where Miss Reed stood.
    “For the first part I simply require you to show me what you can do.” She clicked her fingers and the white orb floated closer to them, shining down on the pool and turning it into a dark mirror. The wind blew and the leaves on the edge of the clearing rustled. Laney thought she saw something move on the other side of the thicket, but then it was gone.
    “We’ll start with something simple,” said Miss Reed. “Raise a single drop of water from the pool up to at least waist height.”
    Laney focused on the pool and tried to concentrate. One drop, just one drop, she begged silently. The water stirred a little, but no drop appeared. Her cheeks grew hot. She tried again, putting every tiny bit of her willpower into making the water move, but it made no difference.
    “Oh dear! Finding it difficult, are we?” Miss Reed’s eyebrows rose. “Let’s try something else. Turn part of the pool into ice. You may touch the water if you need to.”
    Laney crouched down by the pool and put both hands in the water. She shut her eyes this time and tried to imagine the pond turning hard and white as a layer of ice stretched across it. She heard a faint hiss and opened her eyes. The water hadn’t changedat all. The faerie Elders were looking at her with various degrees of surprise, pity and disdain.
    “Are you sure she isn’t cheating?” Stingwood asked Miss Reed, who shrugged. “Well, there’s one way to find out.” From his pocket he drew a silver thread almost too thin to see. His dark-green wings flared out, as if he was pleased by what was to come.
    “The Seeing Thread allows us to see the truth of things,” Gwen explained to Laney. “We can use it to see exactly how much Mist power you really have. In the old days it was made of hemp, but it can be made of anything as long as it’s been dipped into a faerie ring.”
    “This one is spider silk, by the look of it. We must prime it with the power we’re searching for.” Miss Reed took the fragile-looking silver thread and plunged it into the pool. It came out decorated with water drops that gleamed white in the light from the orb.
    “Hurry up, for goodness’ sake,” said Mrs Lionhart. “I don’t want to be out here all night.”
    “Hold the girl still,” said Stingwood, taking back the thread.
    Miss Reed took Laney’s arms and held them behind her back.
    “You must remain absolutely still, Laney,” said Gwen. “The whole