The Last Phoenix by Linda Chapman

be.” She sighed, and placed a claw on her egg. “I’m only sending you off now because the genie prophecy says these things must be acquired. Wise genies like Skribble can read the fates far better than an old bird like me.”
    â€œDon’t be upset, Fenella,” said Milly. “We’ll be good.” She looked pointedly at Michael. “Won’t we?”
    â€œEspecially since we have to be sixteen or over to win the lottery anyway!” Jason added.
    Michael grimaced. “Well, I guess there’s always the phoenix gold! That’s got to be better than winning any lottery.”
    â€œExactly, lovie! Now…” The phoenix reached down and carefully selected a long, glowing feather from her chest with her beak. “You will need one of these for every journey you take, whether past, present, or future.”
    Jason looked closely at it. “There’s something stuck to that feather.”
    Fenella transferred the feather into her claw. “It’s the tear I cried earlier. When it hit my plumage, the heat fused it into a glow-jewel.” She smiled. “Place the jewel in a ray of sunshine and it will draw in the light for me to spin into gold. It must be a nice, strong, bright ray of sunshine, mind.”
    Michael reached out for the feather eagerly but Fenella snatched it away. “Remember! Time travel must not be undertaken lightly! Each feather can be used for one day only.” She surveyed each child with her glittering eyes. “You must always return by sunset, and always keep the feather with you. Because without it, you will be trapped. Trapped!”
    â€œWe’ll be careful.” Milly’s eyes shone. “This is so exciting!”
    Jason nodded.
    â€œHere you are.” Fenella solemnly held the feather outto Michael in her claw. “Use it well. I’ll wait here with my egg, nice and undetectable.”
    Michael took the feather. “Whoa!” The feather felt hot to his touch, and smelled like old coins. The others crowded round. “How does it work?” Michael asked Fenella.
    â€œYou each take hold of the feather—all of you, that’s very important, we don’t want anyone left behind, do we?” Fenella clucked. “Say the words ‘ Time before me, take me on ’ followed by the date you want to go to. When you want to return you say, ‘ Time of yore, be never gone .’ But be careful. A feather can only take you on so many journeys before it runs out of time-puff.”
    â€œTime-puff,” Michael echoed. “That’s the technical term, is it?”
    Fenella fluttered her eyelashes. “I believe so.”
    â€œSounds simple enough,” said Jess, taking a deep breath. “And we only want to travel into tomorrow. Twenty-four hours.”
    Michael nodded and held out the shimmering quill. “Come on, guys,” he whispered. “Let’s do this.”
    Cautiously, they all reached out to touch the feather.
    â€œAfter three,” Jess said, a feeling of warmth flooding through her fingers. “You say it, Michael. One, two, three…”
    â€œ Time before us, take us on! ” cried Michael. “Twenty-four hours from now !”

Chapter Seven
    T he world blurred into a golden haze. Milly felt herself whirling around and around. Faster and faster she went until abruptly she stopped. As her feet thumped into the ground, she blinked and looked into the others’ shocked faces.
    â€œWhoa. Now that was seriously freaky,” said Michael, giving his head a shake.
    Jess looked around the overheated workshop. “Are we in the future? It all looks exactly the same.”
    Milly caught her breath. It was all the same but just slightly different. “The pots have gone!” she exclaimed.
    â€œAnd look at the rain.” Jason pointed out of the open door. “It was sunny a moment ago!”
    â€œAnd look what else,” said Michael,