Magic of the Guardians E-Book

V.K. May

• Herausgeber: Opal Tree Press
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The exciting conclusion to the series.

Molly and Michael only have ten days before school starts. Can they use this time to expose Symbiotica and restore balance to the natural world? Join them as they meet the full Council of Guardians; the supreme and magical beings who have been caring for the land since Pangaea first broke up. Discover how Molly and Michael combine their super smart science minds with the magic of the guardians to finally defeat Symbiotica. And prepare yourself for the final twist as they discover the secrets behind the strange chemicals, plants and animals created by the company's evil leader - the ghost man!

Leseprobe

MAGIC OF THE GUARDIANS

MOLLY’S MAGICAL ADVENTURES: BOOK FOUR

V.K. MAY

Copyright © 2021 by V.K. May

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Published by Opal Tree Press

Books in this series include:

The Magic Volcano: Book One

Jungle Magic: Book Two

Adali’s Magic: Book Three

Magic of the Guardians: Book Four

CONTENTS

Prologue

And now

Day 1 - The new normal

Day 2 - The Council of Guardians

Day 3 - Friends and neighbors

Day 4 - Magic of the Guardians

Day 5 - It's all over the news!

Day 6 - A meeting at the town hall

Day 7 - The missing link

Day 8 - The farewell party

Day 9 - The journey home

PROLOGUE

Welcome to the fourth and final book in this series of Molly's Magical Adventures. Just in case you have forgotten what happened in the first three books, here is a summary -

Book One: The Magic Volcano

Our journey through Molly's world started with her on a plane, traveling from Australia to Papua New Guinea with her parents. Shortly after arriving, she met a butterfly who landed on her face and told her she would like it here. Her next meeting was with Yosia, an odd fellow whom she could not fathom. But when she saw him bring a collection of dead butterflies back to life, she knew she had something to learn from him. And when Michael, the boy from next door, told her about his passion for science and nature, they became friends.

Their fathers, who worked at the local copper mine, took them on a tour of the mine where they discovered a natural cave filled with a fluorescent turquoise lake. The explanation for the strange color of the water was the copper sulfate from the rocks inside the mine, but Molly and Michael were not convinced. And when the pair found an identical lake inside a volcano, they were so intrigued, and climbed down for a closer look. Accompanied by their friend Ted, a three-meter-long lizard, they discovered a collection of bizarre plants feeding off the contaminated lake. They also encountered animals that looked like the dinosaurs that had roamed the earth over 60 million years ago. A triceratops-like creature galloped toward Molly, but Ted stood up on his hind legs and fought the beast, giving her time to escape.

She and Michael were quick to climb out of the volcano, but Ted was slower. As he tried to scramble up the wall of the volcano, he was attacked by a massive raptor called the ropen. They fought, then both tumbled into the contaminated lake below. Ted eventually climbed out and Michael carried him home for some tender loving care. But the lizard was changed forever. No longer the friendly creature he once was, he became aggressive toward everyone, even Molly. And his once brown eyes had turned fluorescent blue, providing shocking evidence that the water in the lake was far more dangerous than anyone had been willing to admit. This, Molly and Michael decided, was a mystery they had to investigate.

Book Two: Jungle Magic

Molly and Michael planned to return to the mine to collect a sample of the fluorescent turquoise water. But when a bunch of adults entered the walking track, they hid then ventured deeper into the jungle where they encountered plants, animals, and birds they had only ever read about in their science magazines. Behind a cluster of curly ferns, they found a nest filled with large blue-green eggs. But it was not long before a mad daddy cassowary sensed their presence and ran after them. The terrifying chase seemed to go on forever, ending only when Molly tripped and fell down the mountain, taking Michael with her.

After a long fall down the side of the mountain, they awoke in an open valley. Sunburnt and dehydrated, they were drawn to a waterfall cascading down the side of a mountain on the far side of the valley. They trekked toward it only to find the water was gushing into a sinkhole. Still desperate for shade and fresh drinking water, they climbed to the bottom of the hole where they played under the waterfall. But when Molly's water bottle disappeared before their eyes, and Michael chased after it, only to bump into something invisible, they realized they were in the presence of something very strange. Molly felt her way around the edges of the invisible structure and was suddenly pulled through its wall. A moment later she found herself inside a transparent dome filled with a collection of plants just as strange as the ones she and Michael had seen inside the volcano. She only had time to pick a bright white flower from a turquoise vine before Yosia appeared and took them home.

Later that evening, as the three friends lay in Molly's garden, staring at the stars, Molly and Michael realized they had a long list of questions for Yosia. At the top of their list was: How did you know where to find us? It was then, Yosia explained that his pet bird, Adali, had been watching them during their entire adventure and had told him of their location.

The next day Molly planted the flower she had taken from the dome, only to find it had grown into a tree by that evening. When she and Michael explored the tree, they were pulled through a hole in its trunk, shrunk down to the size of ants and dragged under the ground by the mycelium network. When it finally flung them back to the surface, they found themselves inside the dome once again. In their enthusiasm to explore the place, they set off the alarm and the place was soon crawling with armed guards and dogs. Their only escape was to hide inside the wall but when they started to run out of air, and feared being trapped there forever, they knew their only choice was to summon Adali. And that's when they discovered the bird's true magic.

Book Three: Adali's Magic

When the town's water supply became contaminated with the same fluorescent turquoise water that Molly and Michael had seen inside the volcano and the mine, they knew there had to be a common cause. And the damage it had done to the jungle's ecosystem became so bad, they were determined to understand how and why.

Molly was the first to suggest that the scientists working for a company called Symbiotica were responsible. She was also the first to suggest that Symbiotica was creating a collection of super plants to use for agromining. But it was not until Yosia found some documents under the Marsh family's house, written by someone who had the same hunch, that everyone started to take Molly's ideas seriously.

Accompanied by her father, Michael, Yosia, and some of his friends, Molly lead a dangerous mission back to the dome to gather the evidence they needed to expose Symbiotica. They were victorious, but only Molly knew the battle was far from over.

AND NOW

Molly and Michael have ten days before school starts. Can they use this time to expose Symbiotica and restore harmony to the natural world? Read on to find out!

DAY 1 - THE NEW NORMAL

Molly sat in Sergeant Nalong's vehicle staring at the back of his head, which looked like a square block on top of a thick pole. He reminded her of a Lego man, but she did not say that. In fact, she said nothing - partly because the sergeant was concentrating on driving the massive vehicle and partly because she was too tired to think of anything useful to say. The triumph at the dome a few hours earlier had worn her out and she could tell everyone else was exhausted, too.

Eddie was staring silently at the road ahead, as though helping the sergeant concentrate on driving the massive military vehicle. Michael's head was tilted back against the head rest, his eyes were closed, and his arm was wrapped around his sleeping mother. Mrs. Calthorpe's pale face and drooping mouth showed her exhaustion, which made Molly feel a mix of emotions - sympathy for everything the woman had endured, hope for her speedy recovery, and anger she had kept Symbiotica's secrets for so long.

Molly glanced at Yosia, next. His long arms were hanging by his sides as he stared through the window at the endless blur of green outside. Adali, the ultimate hero of the day, was on his lap, snoozing. Gideon, in the furthest back seat, was stretched across the seat, staring at the ceiling like someone who was having trouble getting to sleep. And Molly's father, whom she was snuggled up to, had been silent throughout the entire journey home.

Eddie was the first to break the silence.

'Almost there,' he said.

Sergeant Nalong took the vehicle off the main highway onto a rough and dusty road. He was driving slowly enough for Molly to see the scenery in more detail. The shape of every tree and flower, each a beautiful part of the landscape she had loved from the moment she had first seen it, made her feel happy.

Her father yawned.

'I don't know about you, muppet, but I'm looking forward to resting in my favorite chair,' he said.

'That sounds good, Dad, but we might have some explaining to do,' said Molly.

'What do you mean?' he asked, frowning.

'Mum was not happy about us leaving, this morning,' Molly replied.

'She'll be happy when we tell her about our success,' her father said.

But Molly was not so sure about that.

The instant Sergeant Nalong pulled into the driveway, Yosia and Gideon leapt out of the vehicle and strode toward the back garden. Adali flew behind them, chirping at Yosia. About what, Molly did not know, because she still had not mastered the bird's language. Michael and his mother murmured a soft farewell then shuffled over to their house. But Molly and her father lingered a moment.

'It was a great pleasure meeting you guys,' her father said.

'Likewise, Mr. Marsh,' Eddie replied.

Sergeant Nalong nodded then rubbed his eyes.

'You look as tired as I feel,' said Molly, smiling at him.

'I am tired,' he agreed. 'But I'm glad we got the bad guys,' he added, winking.

'Jimbo certainly was a bad guy,' said Molly, remembering the moment she had seen Mrs. Calthorpe gagged and tied to a chair inside the dome. 'I hope he stays in jail forever.'

'Come on, muppet,' her father said, sliding toward the open door.

Molly followed, feeling sad about saying goodbye to Eddie and Sergeant Nalong.

'I hope we can do more to help,' she said.

Eddie broke into a smile so wide; he looked like a circus clown.

'Perhaps you and your parents could come over for a bowl of zombie frog soup,' he said.

'Eeew!' said Molly. 'That's disgusting!'

She followed her father toward the back steps of her house, feeling a combination of exhaustion and relief about their victory at the dome. But those feelings soon gave way to worry, because she knew her mother would still be upset about her joining the adventure. She could not apologize for it, though. Traveling to the sinkhole, helping everyone to enter the dome, gathering the evidence, and rescuing Mrs. Calthorpe had been awesome. And watching Jimbo get stomped on by a cassowary had been the most hilarious thing she had ever seen.

Molly's father opened the back door.

'We're home, darling!' he called out, stepping inside.

'Hello,' her mother called back.

Molly and her father wandered into the loungeroom where they found her mother on the couch with a cushion on her knees and her laptop on top of it. Her long brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she was wearing her reading glasses. She was in professional mode, but she took a moment to glance at Molly and her father.

'You two are looking worse for wear,' she said.

Molly's father sighed then slumped into his chair in front of the TV. He stared at the screen as though it was broadcasting something fascinating which Molly thought was strange because it was not even turned on. She figured it might be his way of avoiding a tricky conversation, so she decided to break the ice.

'Mum, we had the most incredible time,' she said. 'We—'

'That's great,' her mother interrupted.

Then she slammed her laptop shut and left the room. Molly felt shocked. She also felt frustrated, because she wanted to tell her mother every amazing detail of their adventure. She started to follow her mother, but her father stopped her.

'Stay there, muppet,' he said. 'It's not the time.'

Molly did not want to stand there feeling awkward, so she went to her bedroom.

Staring out of her window at her beautiful garden made her feel better. She felt happy that everyone was home safe and chilling out. Except for Eddie who, she knew, would be busy organizing the evidence bags for his analysis. Molly stuck her head out of her window and glanced up at the Calthorpe's garden, wondering when Mrs. Calthorpe might feel ready to tell Eddie and Sergeant Nalong all the Symbiotica secrets she had promised to share with them.

And that's when she realized, for the first time, she had no idea who the Symbiotica people were. Other than Jimbo and the three scientists who had showed up at the dome earlier that morning, she had never seen a Symbiotica person. She figured there must have been a main boss for the company, and she wondered if Mrs. Calthorpe had met that person.

'You're not listening!' she heard her mother shout.

Molly tiptoed over to her bedroom door and opened it just enough to hear more.

'I am listening!' her father shouted. 'I know you're upset that I let Molly go to the dome but—'

'But what? You thought you could disregard my wishes? In front of everyone!' her mother said.

Molly knew from the tone of her mother's voice she was feeling hurt and that broke her heart. Before she knew it, she was running down the hallway toward her mother. She wrapped her arms around her waist and looked up at her.

'Don't cry, Mum,' she said. 'I love you so much!'

Her mother smiled and hugged her.

'I love you, too, honey, which is why I can't bear the thought of you getting caught up in something dangerous,' she said.

Molly's father stepped in and wrapped his arms around them both.

'My gorgeous girls,' he said. 'I love you both like crazy, but sometimes—'

Then he pulled away and stared into Molly's mother's eyes.

'What?' she asked.

'Sometimes, love must extend beyond the circle of our family,' he said.

'What does that mean?' Molly's mother demanded.

'Darling, I know you love the natural world as much as Molly and I do, so you must understand that's why we wanted to go to the dome,' her father explained. 'There's a lot at stake and—'

'There is a lot at stake!' her mother snapped. 'Our lives are at stake!'

'It's not as bad as that,' her father grumbled.

'Yes, it is!' her mother shouted. 'We're obviously dealing with some dangerous people, and we can't even see them. We have no idea who's pulling the strings in Symbiotica, and they don't see us, either. All they see is money, and we're the invisible puppets helping them get rich.'

Molly's father groaned.

'Just because they're profit-driven doesn't mean they're out to kill us,' he said.

'For goodness, sake, Oliver!' Molly's mother shouted. 'Philippa was abducted! How much more dangerous should the situation become before—'

Molly saw her father grimace as though he had gas in his tummy.

'Yes, but that was just Jimbo being a jerk,' he replied. 'He's in jail, now, exactly where he belongs, so life will return to normal before we know it.'

'Normal?' her mother echoed. 'Do you really think—'

'Excuse me, please,' said Molly, stepping between her parents. 'Everyone is tired and upset, but we should acknowledge we did something brilliant today. We finally got the evidence that Eddie and Sergeant Nalong need to get rid of everyone at Symbiotica. We should be celebrating!'

Molly's mother's face softened, then she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

'My darling daughter,' she said, rubbing Molly's arms. 'Your courage and optimism are wonderful, but there's a lot you don't know about the world. Until you're older and wiser, it's our job to keep you safe and I intend to do that no matter what.'

'I understand, Mum,' said Molly.

'I'm glad you understand, because you're going to settle down now, and prepare for school,' her mother replied. 'It's less than two weeks before your first day.'