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

Nightshade was being used like a puppet if you will, a
tool with which to overcome us. Having Nightshade growing up right
in our midst gave her the perfect camouflage until Nightshade was
old enough and strong enough to carry out her plans. Now though,
your help has given Nightshade a new chance of life, a proper life,
living as he should have been, not what he had been forced to
become. The Wicked One has been driven out by the very forces of
evil she was using against us, which was probably the last thing
she would think of us using! Even she is weak against human
non-belief in fairies. We needed a human child with strong beliefs,
trustworthiness and bravery, enough to complete such a task.
Luckily The Book saw a chance to escape from Nightshade and was
able to cross into your world in search of humans such as
yourselves, and in turn you released me!
    “So how come I
drew you? – I just used my imagination,” Sophie puzzled.
    “Ah well, you
may have been holding the pen but The Book ultimately controls it,
so you drew the image the book placed into your mind. It needed a
human child to willingly draw me in order to break the spell,” she
explained.
    “How about when
we tried to use the book at home, nothing ever happened?” asked
Felicity.
    “Not all your
land is accessible to our magic. Your school happens to sit right
in the middle of a very special place, right next to our Great
Oak,” Queen Tara said proudly, reaching out and affectionately
patting the wall as if to emphasise its importance. “Step outside
the school area…” she continued, “and our powers, depleted as they
were due to The Wicked One, failed to be strong enough for The Book
to function. The Great Oak was a vital connection, boosting its
strength, just enough!
    Felicity nodded
thoughtfully. It was all starting to make more sense now.
    “You have saved
our kind and we will be eternally in your debt.” Queen Tara rose
from her chair to make a slow curtsey, bowing her head as she did
so – to them. Royalty bowing to them! Sophie and Felicity felt
deeply honoured, and more than a little embarrassed.
    “It was
teamwork though,” Felicity said, feeling her cheeks flush red at
the compliments. “We wouldn’t have known what to do, or even know
how to get here without everyone’s help.”
    At that moment,
Nightshade stirred and struggled to sit up.
    “Quickly,
encircle him in case…” Queen Tara left the sentence hanging as she
flew swiftly to his bedside. Once again they joined hands around
the bed and held their breaths……
    But when
Nightshade sat up, it was clear that things were different with
him. He looked bewildered and more than a little afraid.
    “What happened?
Why are you stood round me like that?” he asked apprehensively, now
defensively crouched cat-like on the bed, slowly wheeling round on
the spot, as if ready to bolt should any of them make a move
towards him. He saw the girls for the first time, “Who are you?” He
eyed them with great suspicion.
    “It’s okay,
we’re friends,” Sophie was quick to reassure him as they broke the
circle of arms.
    “It’s a long
story my dear Nightshade, one for another day,” cut in Queen Tara.
“For now, welcome home.” She bent to embrace him. He crumpled into
her arms and cried, like the young vulnerable fairy he still
was.
    “I’ve... I’ve…
had the most terrible dream!” he blurted out between sobs.
    “We know
darling, but it’s all over now. Hush child,” she crooned, rocking
him gently. Queen Tara was now certain Nightshade was truly free of
The Wicked One.
    Bryony wiped a
tear of joy and relief from her cheek at having back the Nightshade
she had known, loved and missed terribly. The conversation she’d
had with Heather as they’d headed to that fateful meeting when
Poppy had told them Queen Tara and The Book were missing, seemed
like a lifetime ago now; when they’d all thought Nightshade had
turned bad. But now she understood it was never his fault;