staying at a hotel.
‘But we can’t just go!’ protested Nicky. ‘What about Chloe – and Erin?’
‘I can look after them,’ said Xanthe. ‘I know how stressed you’ve both been with the house move and, seeing as it’s your wedding anniversary next week, I thought this would be the ideal early present.’
‘It’s wonderful, Xanthe! Thank you!’ said Nicky in delight.
When Xanthe went upstairs to unpack her bag, Chloe and Erin finally got a chance to talk to her. As soon as they were in the spare room, Xanthe commented, ‘Well, you two, it seems like a lot’s been going on.’
‘Loads,’ Chloe said.
‘Do you know what I’ll have to do for the unbinding spell?’ Erin asked anxiously. ‘Tor’s told me that it’ll be very difficult.’
Xanthe took her hands. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know any more than that myself. I wish I could do the spell for you, but only a weather weaver can work binding and unbinding magic of this sort. I will try to keep Marianne out of the way to give you time to perform the spell though, so at least you will not be in danger from her. Does she know that you are stardust spirits and that you have met Tor?’
‘No,’ Erin said.
‘Good,’ Xanthe replied, looking relieved. ‘In which case she will not be suspecting that anyone is trying to free him.’ Her eyes met Erin’s. ‘Try not to worry,’ she said softly. ‘All you can do is try your best and hopefully by the morning the stallion will be free and back in his cloud kingdom where he belongs.’
When Chloe’s parents left the house, Xanthe helped the girls gather enough bindweed from the garden to plait into a long rope. The rain was starting to slow down. By the time it was dark and they turned into stardust spirits it had finally stopped, but more heavy clouds were already gathering on the horizon and there was a dangerous feel about the air. It seemed charged with electricity. Erin could feel it tingling across her skin.
‘There’s Lookout Point,’ Chloe said to Xanthe as they approached the house. ‘Erin’s gran used to live there.’
‘She would have been a weather weaver too,’ Xanthe said. ‘Weather weavers pass their abilities down through the generations. You will have come from a family of weather weavers, Erin. Your mother would have been a weather weaver as well.’
‘My mum?’ But deep down Erin realized she wasn’t that surprised. Ever since she had found out about weather weavers, a part of her had wondered if her mum had been one too – if that was why she had kept a box of them and why she had kept the bit of paper in the box that talked about a dark one coming.
Xanthe nodded. ‘The gift of weather weaving passes down the generations through the female members of the family. When all this is over, you must learn how to use your powers properly. They are very, very special. However, now let’s concentrate on the night ahead.’
‘The lights are on in the house,’ Chloe said warningly.
‘I wonder if Marianne is inside,’ Xanthe replied.
‘Yes, look!’ Chloe said as Marianne appeared at one of the windows, drawing the curtains.
‘Excellent,’ Xanthe said. ‘I will go and keep her talking. I will tell her there is concern about the weather along the coast and ask if she knows anything about it. You must be as quick as you can.’ She smiled at them. ‘Good luck! And remember the important thing with magic of any kind is to believe you can do it. Believe it and it will happen!’
She flew off. The girls raced to the feed room and pulled open the door as quietly as they could. The ring of keys was still hanging opposite the door. Chloe grabbed them and they flew straight to the woods.
There was an eager whinny from inside as if the sky stallion could sense them coming.
‘Tor!’ Erin gasped, reaching the door of the building. ‘We’re here and we’ve got everything!’
Chloe opened the door.
Tor stepped forward, his neck arched, his proud head held high. Erin
‘But we can’t just go!’ protested Nicky. ‘What about Chloe – and Erin?’
‘I can look after them,’ said Xanthe. ‘I know how stressed you’ve both been with the house move and, seeing as it’s your wedding anniversary next week, I thought this would be the ideal early present.’
‘It’s wonderful, Xanthe! Thank you!’ said Nicky in delight.
When Xanthe went upstairs to unpack her bag, Chloe and Erin finally got a chance to talk to her. As soon as they were in the spare room, Xanthe commented, ‘Well, you two, it seems like a lot’s been going on.’
‘Loads,’ Chloe said.
‘Do you know what I’ll have to do for the unbinding spell?’ Erin asked anxiously. ‘Tor’s told me that it’ll be very difficult.’
Xanthe took her hands. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know any more than that myself. I wish I could do the spell for you, but only a weather weaver can work binding and unbinding magic of this sort. I will try to keep Marianne out of the way to give you time to perform the spell though, so at least you will not be in danger from her. Does she know that you are stardust spirits and that you have met Tor?’
‘No,’ Erin said.
‘Good,’ Xanthe replied, looking relieved. ‘In which case she will not be suspecting that anyone is trying to free him.’ Her eyes met Erin’s. ‘Try not to worry,’ she said softly. ‘All you can do is try your best and hopefully by the morning the stallion will be free and back in his cloud kingdom where he belongs.’
When Chloe’s parents left the house, Xanthe helped the girls gather enough bindweed from the garden to plait into a long rope. The rain was starting to slow down. By the time it was dark and they turned into stardust spirits it had finally stopped, but more heavy clouds were already gathering on the horizon and there was a dangerous feel about the air. It seemed charged with electricity. Erin could feel it tingling across her skin.
‘There’s Lookout Point,’ Chloe said to Xanthe as they approached the house. ‘Erin’s gran used to live there.’
‘She would have been a weather weaver too,’ Xanthe said. ‘Weather weavers pass their abilities down through the generations. You will have come from a family of weather weavers, Erin. Your mother would have been a weather weaver as well.’
‘My mum?’ But deep down Erin realized she wasn’t that surprised. Ever since she had found out about weather weavers, a part of her had wondered if her mum had been one too – if that was why she had kept a box of them and why she had kept the bit of paper in the box that talked about a dark one coming.
Xanthe nodded. ‘The gift of weather weaving passes down the generations through the female members of the family. When all this is over, you must learn how to use your powers properly. They are very, very special. However, now let’s concentrate on the night ahead.’
‘The lights are on in the house,’ Chloe said warningly.
‘I wonder if Marianne is inside,’ Xanthe replied.
‘Yes, look!’ Chloe said as Marianne appeared at one of the windows, drawing the curtains.
‘Excellent,’ Xanthe said. ‘I will go and keep her talking. I will tell her there is concern about the weather along the coast and ask if she knows anything about it. You must be as quick as you can.’ She smiled at them. ‘Good luck! And remember the important thing with magic of any kind is to believe you can do it. Believe it and it will happen!’
She flew off. The girls raced to the feed room and pulled open the door as quietly as they could. The ring of keys was still hanging opposite the door. Chloe grabbed them and they flew straight to the woods.
There was an eager whinny from inside as if the sky stallion could sense them coming.
‘Tor!’ Erin gasped, reaching the door of the building. ‘We’re here and we’ve got everything!’
Chloe opened the door.
Tor stepped forward, his neck arched, his proud head held high. Erin
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