The Magic Book series, book 1 by Elsa Bridger Page A

composure.
    “Luckily, no.
I’d just stopped off for a drink. I swear I didn’t see a cloud in
the sky, just seconds before! Did you?”
    “No, not a
single one,” agreed Bryony. “It swept in so fast! I’m glad it only
lasted a few seconds otherwise I’d have been drenched.”
    “The plants
seem to be feeling it too. They’re really sickly. The worrying
thing is that no one has any idea what’s wrong with them, and
nothing we try seems to makes any difference. If things don’t
change soon we’re going to be in big trouble,” grimaced
Heather.
    “Hmm, Earth
too,” Bryony was quick to point out. “Queen Tara was telling us
again just last week how Serenia is its lifeblood. The humans must
be noticing changes in weather patterns too by now.”
    “Apparently the
humans call it ‘Global Warming' – whatever that’s meant to mean!
Well, at least they’re lucky; they have no idea just how serious
this could be. I don’t envy Queen Tara being responsible for our
survival as well as theirs! My guess is that this has to be what
this emergency meeting is about,” said Heather.
    They took their
seats near the back of the assembled mass. Bryony was aware of a
strange silence which wouldn’t usually exist. Chatter, laughter and
sounds of her friends gladly going about their business of tending
to nature were the norm, not this overbearing, unnerving quiet!
Everyone on tender hooks to hear what Queen Tara had to say so
urgently and, to make matters worse, she was late – she was never
late! Concerned murmuring had started to ripple through the crowd,
like the thrum of bees' wings as they beat in flight making their
way amongst the flowers of the meadow.
    “Look Bryony!”
exclaimed Heather, pointing up to a silhouette in the sky above,
moving in at great speed. “Isn’t that Poppy, Queen Tara’s personal
assistant?”
    Poppy started
to speak even before she landed clumsily on the small stage at the
front. Every head snapped round to face her in total surprise. “I
can’t find Queen Tara anywhere , and I can’t find The Book
either; they’ve both vanished!” A collective gasp rose from the
crowd. Poppy started to sob in defeat.
    Bryony’s blood
ran cold. Her hand tightened round Heather’s. That feeling of dread
that had been following her around like an invisible shadow seemed
to have just wrapped its icy self around her very heart. Nothing in
the history of Serenia had ever happened like this before. The Book
of Serenia was the key to life itself, and Queen Tara its rightful
keeper was missing! What was it that she so desperately needed to
tell everyone? Was Nightshade involved in all this somehow? Serenia
was in trouble, that was clear now, and Bryony felt utterly
powerless to do anything about it. Who could they turn to for help
now? How was this all going to end?
     
     
    Felicity
Finder!
     

    As Felicity
woke up, she realised with a familiar sinking feeling in her tummy
that today was another school day. How she would love to stay
tucked up in bed all warm and cosy, and she wished she was
blissfully still asleep like her twin sister, Sophie.
    She could hear
her mother downstairs, already making breakfast and sandwiches for
the day, and her father washing in the shower in the bathroom
opposite their bedroom.
    It was no use;
she decided she may as well get up. As she pulled back the curtains
to let in more light, Sophie awoke, complaining loudly and wrenched
her covers up over her head in an attempt to get back to sleep and
block out the knowledge that today was Monday. She disliked the
thought of school as much as her sister.

    “Would anyone
like pancakes for breakfast?” Sophie and Felicity’s mother called
up the stairs. Pancakes with chocolate spread were their favourite
breakfast. She knew Mondays were particularly unpopular with her
daughters, and she did what she could to start the new school week
off with a little treat. It did the trick and Sophie, Felicity and
their father were soon