Snow Sisters: The Frozen Rainbow E-Book

Astrid Foss

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

Seitenzahl: 62

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

The third 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 Snow Sisters' magic is growing stronger, but every day the evil Shadow Witch grows stronger too. It's a race against time to find the magic of the Everchanging Lights... In their third adventure, the girls rush to the mysterious Rainbow Pools. But the Shadow Witch is one step ahead of them! Faced with bubbling lava, can the girls reach the purple Everchanging Light before it's too late? 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

“Done it!” said Ida. The lines of the drawing shivered and then suddenly they vanished and a real sleigh with green sides and red runners and a seat just big enough for three people was in the snow next to them. The pony jumped in surprise and snorted.

Prologue

A biting wind blew across the island of Nordovia. It swept from the jagged ice-capped mountains in the north to the snowy plains and dark pinewoods of the south. The sky was iron–grey and seemed to press down on the land. Wolves howled mournfully in the woods while Arctic foxes and hares hid in their dens and people huddled round the fires in their cottages.

Once Nordovia had been a glittering, happy place, lit by the magical purple, pink and blue Everchanging Lights that danced and swirled across the sky. But then Veronika, the Shadow Witch, had returned.

She had come back from the darkness of Svelgast Mountain to steal the Everchanging Lights. She didn’t care that by taking them she would throw Nordovia into darkness and chaos and she didn’t care that, as a member of the Aurora family, it was her duty to protect the Lights and the island. She just wanted to take the Lights’ magic for herself and use their great power for evil.

Her sister, Freya, had tried to stop her. She had managed to contain the Lights in three magical orbs, one purple, one pink and one blue, and hidden them across the land using her own magical powers.

But then Veronika had imprisoned Freya in an ice cave carved into the side of a remote mountain.

Freya lay on the floor of the cave, her face as pale as fresh snow, her long red hair tangled, her once beautiful dress torn and dirty. Over her stood the Shadow Witch, her dark cloak reaching her feet, her raven hair falling around her shoulders. She was strong and powerful, her coal-dark eyes glowing.

“You will tell me where the purple orb is, sister!”

“Never!” Freya panted.

Veronika made a sharp twisting motion with her hands. Freya instantly cried out in pain. Her green eyes clouded over and her head slumped to the ground.

In a corner of the cave Freya’s husband, Magnus, struggled desperately against the invisible magic bonds that held him tight. “You must stop this, Veronika!” he gasped.

“Not until she tells me where the purple orb is!” Veronika snapped. “I must have it before the Day of the Midnight Sun in three days’ time.” She turned back to Freya who was returning to consciousness. “Tell me where it is, sister. It is pointless to try to fight me now that I have taken all of your magic.”

With a huge effort, Freya raised her head. “Not … quite … all. My daughters will find the purple orb before you. Just like they found the pink orb and the blue orb. I will do all I can to help them.”

Veronika’s face turned ice-hard. “Very well. If you wish to put your daughters in danger, then so be it.” She gave a harsh laugh. “Just remember, you could have helped them, Freya. You could have saved them.”

“I do not believe they need saving,” cried Freya, a flame of defiance lighting up her emerald-green eyes as she sat up. “I think they’ll stop you!”

Veronika spun round, her cloak swinging out behind her. Muttering a harsh-sounding spell, she started to change. Her shoulders stooped, her face became covered with deep wrinkles, and her hair turned grey.

“What are you doing?” Magnus demanded

A wolf-like smile caught at the Shadow Witch’s mouth. “I’m going to use my new magic – the magic I have taken from you – to find your precious girls,” she cackled. “They will not recognise me disguised like this and I will learn all they know about the purple orb.” She shuffled to the entrance of the ice cave and moved her hand in a circle.

Moments later an enormous snow-white sabre-toothed lion appeared. Throwing back his head, he opened his mouth and roared, showing off his enormous curved fangs.

Freya and Magnus exchanged horrified looks.

“The purple orb shall be mine, dear sister!” hissed the Shadow Witch. With a triumphant laugh she leapt on to the lion’s back and galloped away.

“Magnus!” cried Freya. “We have to stop her before she gets to our girls.”

“We cannot, my love,” said Magnus despairingly. “All we can do is hope our daughters get the better of her and restore the Everchanging Lights to the island.”

“Before it’s too late,” Freya whispered.

Chapter One

Hanna, Magda and Ida Aurora were kneeling on the cosy red rug on the floor of their bedchamber in the castle. Oskar, their pet Nordovian polar bear cub, was lying beside Magda, wuffling happily as she stroked his fluffy white fur. Ida was braiding her dark blonde hair into a single plait as Hanna talked.

“I can’t wait to go to the Rainbow Pools,” Hanna said to her sisters. “Apparently some are so hot they can boil you alive!”

Ida looked worried. “But we haven’t worked out a proper plan yet. I’m really not sure about going to the Rainbow Pools today.”

“We haven’t got time to wait!” Hanna protested. “It’s just three days until the Day of the Midnight Sun. If we don’t find the last orb by then, we won’t be able to unite the Lights and get back Mother’s magic. If evil Aunt Veronika gets the orb before us we’ll never free Mother and Father and save Nordovia.”

“I think Hanna’s right. We have to go today,” said Magda, pushing her long dark–brown hair back behind her ears. The triplets all had emerald-green eyes, just like their mother, but their hair was very different. Magda’s long hair was the colour of dark chocolate, Hanna’s hair was short and the red of autumn leaves, and Ida’s was honey blonde.

“Are you sure the purple orb is hidden near the Rainbow Pools, Ida?” Magda went on.

Ida nodded. “As sure as I can be. Mother told us to use the tapestry – that it would give us clues about where to look.” The tapestry was a huge wall hanging showing the Nordovian flag, which hung in the hallway of the castle. It displayed the three ancient symbols of Nordovia – a snow hawk, a crystal rose and a perfect rainbow.

“We found the first orb near the snow hawk’s nest,” Ida said. “And the second orb in the petals of a crystal rose—”

“Those adventures were so much fun!” Hanna interrupted.

Magda grinned. Hanna was right. The trips to find the first two orbs had been scary and dangerous … but exciting and fun too!

“We did almost get killed,” Ida pointed out.

“We got back safely in the end so it was fine,” said Hanna airily.

Magda saw Ida start to frown. “So, you think the third orb will be hidden near a rainbow then, Ida?” she said quickly, wanting to head off the argument she could tell was brewing. Her two sisters were just so different!

Ida nodded. “There’s a book in the library that says the best place to see rainbows is by the Rainbow Pools that lie to the east. That’s where rainbows form in the mists of the hot springs. But it will be dangerous – the springs are heated by bubbling lava!”