Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons by Abi Elphinstone

Author:Abi Elphinstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2024-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

Then, a creature shot out from the cliff like a bullet. A bird, clearly startled by all the clapping. But it wasn’t a puffin or a guillemot or a tern. This bird had red feathers and it trailed flickers of fire in its wake.

‘A phoenix,’ Ember breathed. ‘It must have been nesting on the cliff right there!’

The phoenix flew fast but it was panicking – Ember could tell as much from the way it was shrieking – and as it swooped out over the boat, the man with the blond hair held up his net.

‘No!’ Ember gasped. ‘No!’

She expected a tussle – of feathers and claws and tangled netting – but there was only a flash of light, like sunlight bouncing off glass. Then the phoenix vanished.

The woman on the cliff hurried back towards the boat, as if what had happened was the most ordinary thing in the world. But to Ember, it felt wrong. More than wrong. It felt outrageous. And before she could stop herself, words spilt out.

‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!’ she roared.

Ember regretted the words as soon as they’d left her mouth. But it was too late. The woman on the cliff stopped in her tracks then her eyes settled on Ember.

‘I think it’s the girl we were told about!’ she shouted to those aboard the boat. ‘And a magical beast!’

Then she began to climb – fast – towards Ember.

Ember clutched Marble tight, feeling sick to the core. What had she done?

‘Arno!’ she called. ‘Where are you? We’re being followed and I don’t think I’ll manage to hoist Marble over the clifftop by myself! I need you!’

But Arno didn’t peer down over the edge. He didn’t even reply and as Ember slid a look at the woman scuttling along the cliff towards her, and the boat trailing below, she felt a jolt of fear. She only had one hand free to do the climb, which would make it even harder than before, and she didn’t to have time to be careful.

Ember climbed as fast as she dared. She could feel Marble shaking under her arm, as if the baby unicorn could sense the dangers all around them. Eventually, though, Ember was nearly back at the top of the cliff, but she knew she’d need both hands to climb to safety.

‘Arno!’ she called again. ‘Arno!’

No reply.

Ember steeled herself. She was going to have to do this alone, after all. And she was going to have to do it now because the woman on the cliff was only twenty metres away and the boat had pulled up immediately below. If Ember dropped Marble, she knew the net on board that boat would close over her in seconds.

Ember grabbed a tuft of grass on the clifftop and heaved. But the grass snapped and Ember shrieked as she swung back against the rocks and the woman drew even closer still.

Ember tried again, with the same result, which made Marble start to whimper. Then, two things happened at the same time. Ember

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