Read Online The Last Phoenix by Linda Chapman - Free Book Online Page B

was right. I’m not good enough. I’m going to mess everything up .
    Future Jess put her arms around Future Milly. “It’s okay. Don’t worry…”
    It was too much. Milly couldn’t bear to see any more. With tears stinging her eyes, she turned and ran back across the road and up the path. Despite everything she’d said to the others, she’d hoped that maybe she would be good enough to be Annie. But she wasn’t. She climbed back over the fence, a heavy dullness filling her heart. As she approached she saw Jess, Michael, and Jason searching around and looking worried. They know I’ve gone offsomewhere, she realized. If I tell them what I’ve seen, I’ll never hear the end of it.
    She crept up to a tree, drew on all her acting ability and fixed a bright smile on her face. “Boo!” she shouted, jumping out from behind it. “Tricked you!”
    â€œMilly!” Jess complained. “That’s not funny!”
    â€œIt’s lame,” Michael agreed. But then he froze. The clouds were floating away from the sun, and hard shadows stretched out on the ground behind them.
    â€œQuick!” Jess cried.
    Michael pulled the feather with the crystal out of his pocket and held it up to the sky. As the sun hit the top of it, the gem seemed to flare but then the light ebbed away once again. “It’s still not strong enough.”
    â€œNot yet…” Jason held up the magnifying glass, angling the sun’s rays against the feather and the gemstone. “But if I use my new magnifying glass to concentrate the sunbeam…”
    â€œI think it’s working!” whispered Milly.
    The little crystal glowed again, more and more fiercely. The light within it suddenly burst forth, blinding white. The Worthingtons all blinked, and for a moment each of them saw a bright white gem shape etched onto the inside of their eyelids. When they opened their eyes again the fierce sunlike blaze had gone, but the crystal was glowingand glittering in Michael’s hand, golden light swirling around inside it.
    They stared in silent awe for a few seconds.
    â€œGood one, Jase,” said Michael. “It’s worked!”
    Jason cheered. “We’ve got the shaft of tomorrow’s sunlight Fenella needs!”
    â€œWow!” breathed Milly, her sadness almost forgotten in the excitement of completing the phoenix’s first magical task.
    Michael held out the feather. “Let’s get back to Fenella and let her do her gold-spinning thing!”
    The Worthingtons hurried back into the shed. Jason set down the magnifying glass outside the workshop door for his future self to collect, as he’d agreed. “Thank you, me,” he whispered.
    Then Michael held the feather out. They all touched it.
    Michael took a breath. “Time of yore, be never gone!”
    Milly felt herself swirling round again but this time going in the opposite direction. Golden flashes filled her vision, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. No sooner had the journey begun than it ended, and a huge relieved screech made her and the others jump into the air.
    Fenella was sitting on a workbench, hopping from leg to leg in anxiety. “Oh, dearies!” she squawked. “What arelief! Thank goodness you’re back safe and sound. All of a quiver I was!”
    â€œMe too,” Milly whispered, thinking back to the scene outside the church hall. “I’m glad we don’t have to go back to the future.”
    â€œWhat was I thinking?” Fenella cried theatrically. “Sending you off like that into goodness knows what!”
    â€œWe got your shaft of sunlight!” Jason said eagerly.
    â€œHere,” said Michael, holding up the feather with its swirling, beautiful gemstone.
    â€œOh, you wonderful children!” The phoenix rubbed her head affectionately against Michael’s arm. “Not that some silly sunlight matters