Snow Sisters: The Silver Secret E-Book

Astrid Foss

• Herausgeber: Nosy Crow Ltd
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: Snow Sisters
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 61

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

The first in the Snow Sisters series. Three brave sisters must race to discover their magical powers and save their home and their parents from the evil Shadow Witch! Luckily, they have a brave polar bear cub and a cast of cute snowy animals to help them... The evil Shadow Witch wants to steal the Everchanging Lights right out of the sky! The Snow Sisters will need all their magic to stop her turning their world dark forever... In their first adventure, the girls sneak away from their castle for a night-time quest through the frozen forest. Can they find the pink Everchanging Light before the Shadow Witch snatches it for herself? Beautifully illustrated throughout by Monique Dong, this magical action-adventure with real heart is perfect for fans of Frozen. The Snow Sisters series will have 7+ readers hooked till the final page. Check out all the Snow Sisters' adventures! The Silver Secret, The Crystal Rose, The Frozen Rainbow and The Enchanted Waterfall.

Leseprobe

Prologue

Though the sun had begun to sink below the horizon, the Everchanging Lights sent fresh colour dancing across the sky above the beautiful island of Nordovia. Hanna, Magda and Ida smiled as they waved their parents farewell from the window of their bedchamber.

Freya and Magnus Aurora were to be guests of honour at a banquet in neighbouring Icefloss, as a thank-you for their help in protecting the town from that winter’s harsh snowstorms.

“Your father and I will return in the morning for your birthday celebrations,” Freya called to the triplets. “If you misbehave, the Lights will let me know!”

As if in response, the purple, blue and pink lights in the sky glowed more brightly for a moment.

“We’ll be good, Mother!” called Ida, jostling for a place at the window between her sisters.

“Well, we’ll try! Don’t watch the Lights too closely!” giggled Hanna.

“Bye, Mother! Bye, Father!” cried Magda, watching Freya and Magnus trudge away through the deep snow towards their sledge. The two Arctic wolves that pulled it were shaking their harnesses, impatient to be off.

The girls’ mother had a very special role on Nordovia. She was the Keeper of the Lights. The magical Everchanging Lights sustained and protected the island, and the Aurora family had been in charge of their magic for as long as anyone could remember. The Keepers of the Lights kept everything in balance, guiding the magic to care for everything that lived on the island, and looking after the people. Hanna, Magda and Ida knew that one day it would be their turn to take on this responsibility.

The girls stayed huddled together at the window, following the lantern on their parents’ sledge until it disappeared from view in the dusk.

As Freya Aurora settled back into the sledge, she took Magnus’s hand. She could hardly believe that their girls were to turn twelve the next day – the age at which they would come into their magical powers, just as she had done. She couldn’t wait to see what each girl would be able to do. Each Aurora’s power was different. Freya had been thrilled to discover her ability to momentarily freeze time – though it had taken her a while to learn how to use her gift. She frowned as she thought about her sister, who had come into her own power a year later and had chosen a very different path…

Magnus squeezed her hand and smiled warmly, before turning to shout a loud “Yah!” to hurry the wolves along. Although he had no magic of his own, Magnus was a strong and brave man, who led his guardsmen well and helped the people of Nordovia in any way he could.

The pair talked happily as Magnus drove the wolves through the woodland, Freya’s red hair streaming behind her like flickering flames in the cold air. But as they approached the heart of the forest the two white wolves suddenly drew to a halt.

“What is it, boys?” called Magnus. “On!”

But the wolves seemed frozen, and whimpered in fright.

Magnus climbed down from the carriage, stroking his blond beard in confusion.

“Something feels wrong…” Freya said in concern. “Be careful, husband.”

The wolves had come to a halt in a small clearing. To one side, a steep bank of rock jutted above the trees, and the dark entrance to a cave gaped at its base.

Now the wolves began to growl at the mouth of the cave. Freya leapt from the carriage to join her husband, and as the pair crept towards the shadowy entrance Magnus drew his sword and Freya readied her magic. Their footsteps quietened as they stepped inside the cave. There was no longer snow beneath their feet, just dirt and dried pine needles. They stood for a moment, waiting for their eyes to adjust to the darkness.

“Who’s there?” called Magnus. “Show yourself!”

The shallow cave echoed Magnus’s words back at him. They searched around but the cave seemed empty, and the pair walked back through the entrance. But as Freya stepped into the dim light a shadow emerged from the trees and grasped her wrist tightly.

But it wasn’t a shadow. It was a woman.

Her hair – the colour of a starless night sky – spilled around her pale face. In her left hand she held a gleaming staff, as clear and smooth as glass.

Or ice.

“Veronika!” cried Freya. Fear flooded through her. She tried to use her magic to freeze time but her sister had cast a spell with her grip, blocking her power. As she struggled to escape Magnus ran to help her, but Veronika stabbed her staff into the ground and shouted a vicious-sounding spell. Instantly gnarled tree limbs burst out of the snow and weaved themselves round him. The thick tree limbs writhed around, squeezing Magnus’s hand and forcing him to drop his blade. He was trapped.

Distracted by Magnus, Veronika’s grip on Freya’s arm loosened. Freya seized her chance and rapidly muttered a powerful spell of her own. Three orbs shot from Freya’s free hand and into the dark sky. The Everchanging Lights flickered and dimmed as each orb filled with a swirling colour – one purple, one blue and one pink. Freya gestured, and the orbs flew away and disappeared.

“No!” shouted Veronika. “Are you trying to thwart me, sister? You’ll fail! You tried to banish me once, but I was too strong for your magic! I will take control of the Everchanging Lights and rule this island. This time you will not succeed in stopping me!”

She opened her lips and a stream of words flowed forth in a hoarse whisper.

Freya recognised them for what they were: a curse. Veronika was using it to drain Freya’s magic from her.

The woman laughed – an eerie, throaty sound – and Freya’s eyes widened with fear. Veronika, the Shadow Witch, had returned to Nordovia, and she was more powerful, more evil, than ever before.

Chapter One

The triplets raced down the castle’s west passage towards their bedchamber, late to the preparations for their birthday celebration. As usual, Hanna was up ahead, laughing and pulling her sisters Ida and Magda by the hands.

“Stop tugging!” shouted Magda.

“We’d have been back on time if you’d left the skating pond earlier, Hanna,” Ida pointed out.

“It’s our birthday!” Hanna shot back. “I deserve to have some fun!”

Ida rolled her eyes, but kept running. She had spent a peaceful morning drawing a beautiful snow orchid that had just begun to bloom among the nearby spruce trees. That is, until the wild deer Magda had been playing with had run right through the glade and crushed the little flower. But there was no time for arguing about that now. Madame Olga, their governess, would be waiting. She always told them that being the daughters of the Keeper of the Lights was no excuse for being late!

Hanna, still dragging her sisters, sped past two of the castle maids scrubbing windows, who called out birthday good wishes to the girls.

Suddenly Magda slowed down and came to a stop in front of an enormous tapestry.

“What?” asked Hanna, impatient.