Wish Trap E-Book

Linda Chapman

• Herausgeber: Little Tiger Press
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: Star Friends
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 105

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Do you believe in magic? Ionie and her friends do! When they meet the Star Animals, a whole world of adventure unfolds. Ionie and her star animal, a wildcat called Sorrel, must use their special powers to stop the forces of dark magic. When a young girl, Paige, wishes she could be on the gym team, she doesn't realize that a Wish Shade hiding in her garden will make it come true in the worst way imaginable. Can the Star Friends stop the girls on the team from getting hurt and send the Wish Shade back where it came from?

Leseprobe

Contents

In the Star World

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Also in the Series

Extract from Star Friends: Mirror Magic

About the Author and Illustrator

Copyright

The meadows and mountains, hills and valleys all glittered with sparkling stardust. The animals who lived in the Star World were going about their business but one snowy owl – Hunter – was watching something very important. In a pool, under a waterfall of stars, he could see what was happening in the human world.

He hooted softly: “Show me the Star Animals!” Peering curiously into the pool, he watched the images form, fade and re-form.

First he saw a fox cub curled up on a bed beside a girl with dark-blond hair. His muzzle was resting against her cheek and she was stroking his fur. Next, a squirrel scampering along the rail of a bunk bed, chattering to a girl with black curls. Then he saw a gentle deer being cuddled by a third girl with long dark brown hair. In a fourth image, a wildcat was weaving between the legs of a girl with red hair and clever green eyes.

The owl nodded in satisfaction. Four of the young Star Animals who had recently made the journey from the Star World to the human world had found Star Friends. They would now teach those children how to use the magic that flowed between the Star World and the human world to do good deeds. Together the Star Animals and their new friends would try to stop anyone using dark magic to cause unhappiness and hurt people. They would help keep the human world safe.

As the owl watched, the image in the sparkling pool changed again, this time showing a person in a hooded cloak holding up a glittering black pendant above a small, squat shape. The owl stiffened and gave an anxious squawk as he watched shadows swirl about the shape. Dark magic was happening! There was no doubt about it – someone was about to cause trouble near to where the new Star Friends lived. Would the Star Friends and their animals realize? Would they be able to use their powers to stop the dark magic before people got hurt? He watched as the images continued to shift and change…

Maia Greene lay on her bed with Bracken the fox cub snoozing in her arms. Stroking his russet-red head, she felt her heart swell. It was hard to believe that she and Bracken had known each other for such a short time. But it was just two weeks and two days since she had seen him in the woods for the first time. Two weeks and two days since her life had changed forever.

Maia hugged Bracken closer. To start with she had thought he was just a young fox with unusual indigo eyes. But then he had spoken to her and she had found out that he was a Star Animal – a magical animal from a faraway place called the Star World.

Bracken’s eyes blinked open. Seeing her gazing at him, he put his head on one side. “What are you thinking about, Maia?”

“When you first told me you were a Star Animal,” Maia told him softly.

Bracken wriggled into a sitting position. “You should have seen your face when I first spoke to you,” he teased. “You looked really shocked.”

“Of course I did. It was the first time anything magical had ever happened to me,” said Maia.

Bracken licked her nose. “And now you’re my Star Friend and know all about magic.”

Maia nodded. It was amazing and she could still hardly believe it. Every Star Animal who came to the human world had to find a child to be their Star Friend. Star Friends were able to hear and see the Star Animals because they believed in magic. Together they used the magic that flowed between the human world and the Star World to do good and to stop bad people who used dark magic to make others unhappy. Whenever Maia wanted Bracken, she could call his name and he would appear – but he was always careful to vanish when there were other people around.

Maia had been absolutely delighted when her best friends, Lottie and Sita, had also become Star Friends. Lottie’s Star Animal was an energetic squirrel called Juniper and Sita’s was a gentle deer called Willow. They were all having a brilliant – if sometimes scary – time learning about magic together.

Bracken jumped off the bed and shook himself. “Why don’t you practise your magic? The more you practise, the better you’ll get at it.”

“OK,” Maia said. Jumping up eagerly, she went to her desk with Bracken bounding around her legs. The desk’s surface was covered with animal magazines, animal stickers, pens, pencils and books. Pushing them to one side, she leaned forwards, staring into her mirror.

One of the first things that Maia had learned when she started doing magic was that different Star Friends had different magical abilities. Her own magic was to do with sight. If she looked into a shiny surface, she could see things that were happening in other places. She could also see glimpses of the future and Bracken had told her that if she kept on practising she would be able to see into the past one day, too.

Focusing on the surface of the mirror, Maia let the rest of the world fade away and opened herself to the current of magic. It tingled through her body, making her feel like every centimetre of her skin was sparkling. What should she ask to see? She thought for a moment and then decided.

Show me the future. Show me something I need to see.

Her own reflection faded and a picture of a girl appeared in the mirror. She was crouched on the ground, hugging her ankle and crying. Maia frowned. The girl seemed to be wearing the red and grey uniform of Maia’s school but Maia couldn’t see her face. Who was she? What had happened to her?

I want to see more, Maia thought. But instead of the image becoming clearer, another image appeared. This time it was a different girl on a climbing frame. Maia couldn’t see who it was but she was swinging from the top bar by her hands. As Maia watched, she lost her grip, cried out and fell.

Maia caught her breath as the girl hit the ground.

“What are you seeing?” Bracken asked curiously. Only Maia could see the images in the mirror.

“Two girls, in two separate images,” Maia replied. “Both getting hurt. Wait, the image is changing again…”

Shock jolted through her as a new picture appeared – a skinny girl with shoulder-length black curly hair. She was staring at something that was coming towards her and she looked terrified.

“It’s Lottie!” Maia exclaimed, recognizing her friend.

The image disappeared, leaving Maia looking at her own reflection, her wide green eyes staring back at her and her dark-blond fringe falling across her face. She swung round. “There was something coming towards Lottie and she looked really scared. Do you think she’s OK?”

“Use your magic to find out,” Bracken urged.

Maia turned back to the mirror. I want to see Lottie wherever she is right now.

A new image appeared in the glass – Lottie was in her bedroom, practising handstands, her black curls brushing the floor. To Maia’s relief, she looked just fine. A red squirrel with a fluffy tail and bright, inquisitive eyes was scampering along the top of the bunk bed.

Maia’s breath rushed out. “It’s OK, she’s with Juniper in her bedroom.”

“What did you ask the magic to show you when you saw those images?” Bracken said.

“I asked it to show me something in the future that I needed to see.”

Bracken looked troubled. “Then the magic will have shown you those things for a reason. Maybe they’re going to happen because of dark magic.” His ears flattened.

Maia stared at him. “You mean, you think there might be another Shade nearby?”

Bracken nodded and Maia’s heart beat a little faster. People who used dark magic could conjure horrible spirits called Shades from the shadows. The Shade would then either be set free to bring chaos and unhappiness wherever it went, or it could be trapped in an object and given to someone who the person doing dark magic wanted to harm.

Maia had already encountered one Shade, which had been trapped in a make-up compact. It had talked to Clio, her older sister, from within the little mirror, twisting her mind and making her feel jealous of her best friend. Thankfully Maia, Lottie and Sita had managed to defeat it and send it back to the shadows. But only with the help of another Star Friend, Ionie.

Bracken padded round anxiously. “I think you should talk to the others. If there is another Shade, we must try and stop it.”

“You’re right. I’ll get them to meet me at the clearing.” Maia picked up her phone and typed in Lottie and Sita’s names. After a moment’s hesitation, she added Ionie into the message, too.

She and Ionie used to be friends when they were younger but they didn’t get on at all now. Still, like it or not, Ionie was a Star Friend and had helped send the last Shade back to the shadows. Maia had to include her. She tapped in her message.

Need 2 talk 2 u all. It’s important. C u at clearing in 45 mins. Mx

She pressed send.

Going downstairs, Maia heard Clio calling out to their mum. “I’m going to babysit Paige for a few hours, Mum. I’ll be back at seven.”

“OK,” Mrs Greene said, coming to the kitchen door with Alfie, Maia’s little brother. “Say hi to Paige’s mum and dad for me.”

“I will,” said Clio.

“Train!” said Alfie, spotting his model train by the bottom of the stairs. Mrs Greene put him down and he toddled over to it.

Maia smiled at him. “Chooo-choo!” She pushed it across the floor and he followed it, giggling in delight.

Maia unhooked her coat from the pegs by the door. “I’m going out, too, Mum. Is that OK?”

“Where are you off to?” her mum asked.

“To the woods to meet up with Lottie and Sita. Ionie might come, too.” She’d already had texts back from Sita and Lottie saying they would meet her there but she hadn’t heard from Ionie yet.

Her mum smiled. “So you and Ionie are friends again now?”

“Um … kind of,” Maia said, wondering what her mum would say if she told her the truth – that she was only including Ionie because they were all Star Friends and could do magic.

Her mum looked pleased. “I’ve always liked Ionie. You were such good friends when you were little – always playing make-believe games about magic and animals. I’m glad you’re becoming close again now you’re in the same class at school.”

At the start of the school year, the teachers had shuffled the classes around. Sita and Lottie had been put in one Year Six class while Maia was in the other. As if being separated from her best friends wasn’t bad enough, she had also ended up sitting next to Ionie. Ionie was really clever but she was impatient and seemed to love pointing out any mistakes that Maia made. Ionie didn’t have many friends in the class and spent most of her lunchtimes reading.

“Why don’t you have a sleepover next weekend and invite Ionie, Sita and Lottie?” Mrs Greene went on. “You could have a bonfire in the garden and toast marshmallows.”

Maia wasn’t sure that was a good idea – Lottie found Ionie even more annoying than she did! But her mum was looking at her expectantly. “OK, thanks, Mum. I’ll ask the others,” she agreed. “Bye, Mum. Bye, Alfie.”

“Chooo-choo!” said Alfie, waving his train at her.

Maia shut the door behind her and did up the zip on her coat. Although the autumn sun was shining, there was little warmth in its rays and the wind was blowing fallen leaves into piles.