Skandar and the Phantom Rider: the spectacular sequel to Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, the biggest fantasy adventure since Harry Potter by A.F. Steadman

Author:A.F. Steadman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2023-04-27T00:00:00+00:00

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Skandar arrived back at the fire piste at the exact moment Bobby drew back the fiery string on her perfectly formed flaming bow and launched an arrow right at Romily’s armoured chest. He grinned, despite their falling-out, and then immediately felt sad. Bobby was the best. She didn’t need a Shekoni saddle or a Peregrine Society invitation to prove that. None of them, not even Flo and Blade, really stood a chance against her magic. Really, they were all in her shadow. He just wished he could make her see that she could be the best and still be his friend. He missed her. He missed her teasing and her jokes and her honesty. He missed their talks about life on the Mainland. He missed how she pushed him to be braver. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted her back – like before.

He thought about his mum. Maybe this was what would always happen to him? Maybe that’s what being a spirit wielder really meant? People abandoning him. He thought about Erika leaving her young family. About Flo swearing the silver oath. About Kenna refusing to write to him. Even Mitchell had tried to leave him at first.

Back on the piste for the second round, Midnight Star and Falcon’s Wrath galloped towards each other. Romily waved her shield wildly to try to deflect Bobby’s magic weapon, but it was no use. The arrow hit her hard in the chest again and she only just managed to stay in the saddle.

A few other riders were watching Bobby and Romily now, their own matches finished.

‘Two to zero,’ Instructor Anderson called, the flames at his ears flicking as he held up an arm on Bobby’s side of the piste.

‘C’mon, Romily!’ Elias and Walker shouted. The trio were very close. Because of the number of unicorns hatched in their year, there’d never been a fourth member to complete their quartet.

‘Flo,’ Skandar whispered, as Falcon and Star moved back into position to joust the last point. ‘You know what Dorian said about using Blade for the next killing. Did he tell you when it might be?’

Flo shook her head, her voice miserable. ‘I don’t know when, but he said I’m supposed to ride Blade with the hunting party – the riders that catch the wild unicorn to be killed. I’ll get an hour’s warning to fly to the Stronghold and join the hunt.’

‘But how do the hunters know where to go?’ Skandar asked quietly, as Instructor Anderson blew the first whistle. The muscles in Falcon’s hindquarters rippled with power as she launched herself forward.

‘The sentinels track a herd, tell us its position and then we’re all supposed to catch the targeted wild unicorn together. Dorian told us all about it in the arena. Not that I’m going to help them,’ she added fiercely. ‘Even if it gets me thrown out of the Eyrie.’

Skandar thought hard. The truesong warned that the unicorn deaths and the elemental unrest were linked, and Skandar was getting more worried by the day that the Island he loved might very well destroy itself.

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