“Cool!” said Maia, wishing she had a story to tell, too. “I didn’t do anything magical. Bracken and I just talked. I’ll have to try and find something to do today.” She grinned at the others. “I can’t have you both doing magic and me not.”
“Are we going to go to the clearing?” Juniper asked. “I like it there. It’s a good place for playing and practising magic.”
“It is,” agreed Willow. “The air smells sweet because there’s lots of Star Magic there.”
“We can go in a bit – but first we’ve got to finish making posters,” Lottie said. “The cake sale is on Saturday – in four days’ time. We need to get some posters up so that people know about our stall and what we’re raising money for. That way, people will buy lots of cakes.”
Maia got out the posters. “We’d better get started then.”
When the posters were finished, they set off around the village on their bikes to put them up. Their first stop was the village hall where, to their surprise, they found Ionie standing by the noticeboard.
“Hi,” said Sita as they got off their bikes.
Ionie smiled back. “Hi.”
“Are you putting up a notice, too?” Maia asked her.
“Yes, I’m organizing a decorate-a-biscuit stall in aid of endangered animals at the Harvest Show,” said Ionie. “You should come along.” She looked at them. They were all staring at her. “What?” she said.
“But … but we’re doing that!” Maia burst out. “Well, we’re organizing a cake stall and that’s pretty much the same thing.”
“You stole our idea!” Lottie said.
Ionie’s eyebrows shot up. “I so didn’t!”
“You must have done!” exclaimed Lottie. “You must have been spying on us!”
“Seriously? You’re not that interesting, and I’ve got better things to do with my time than spy on you!” Ionie snapped.
“It’s obvious there’s just been a mix-up,” said Sita. “It’s funny in a way – I mean, both you and Maia having the same idea.” She looked around hopefully but none of the others smiled back at her. “Why don’t we all do a stall together?” she hurried on. “Ionie could have one end of the table for decorating her biscuits and we could sell cakes at the other end. After all, we’re raising money for the same cause, so it’s a bit crazy to have two stalls. We’ll probably raise more if we join forces.”
Lottie glanced at Maia.
“All right,” Maia muttered. “You can share with us, Ionie.”
“Thanks.” Ionie rolled her eyes. “But no.”
“What?” Maia frowned.
Ionie gave her a haughty look. “I know you all might find this impossible to believe, but I don’t want to have a stall with you. I’d rather do my own thing.”
“Ionie, that’s silly…” Sita began.
Ionie shrugged. “Well, it’s what I’m going to do.” She stalked off.
“She’s so annoying!” Lottie burst out.
Sita sighed. “To be fair, we didn’t make it sound like we really wanted her to share with us. I don’t blame her for saying no.”
Maia felt a flicker of guilt.
Lottie put her arm through Maia’s. “Come on, let’s put up the rest of the posters and then go to the clearing. I want to do some more magic!”
A smile caught at Maia’s lips. “Me, too,” she said.
“That was even easier than yesterday!” Maia said, opening her eyes and looking around at the clearing as she let Star Magic flow into her.
Bracken wagged his tail. “I told you it would get easier every time.”
Sita came over with Willow. “My magic feels much stronger today. Can I have another try at healing those scratches on your hands?”
Maia held out her hands. Sita touched the scratches and shut her eyes, breathing deeply. Maia felt warmth flood over her skin and the scratches tingled. She gasped as they started to shrink and fade, then vanish completely.
“Sita! Look!”
“I did it!” Sita said in delight.
Maia turned to Bracken, even more eager to do something herself. “What should I try?”
“Why don’t you work on using your sight to find out what’s happening elsewhere?” he said. “If you practise, you should be able to hear what’s being said. You might be able to find out if anyone needs help. You just need something that reflects light to look into.”
“I should have kept that compact I gave Clio,” Maia said. “I could have used the mirror in that.”
She took another rock out of the river and sat down on a tree stump, holding it in her hands.
“Think about something or someone you really want to see,” said Bracken.
Maia thought about Clio. She let the magic flow from her into the rock she was holding. An image appeared in the shining surface. It was a fuzzy picture of Clio in her bedroom.
“Can you see anything?” Bracken asked.
Maia nodded. “Yes, I can see Clio. But it’s not very clear.”
“Try to relax and just let the magic flow,” suggested Bracken.
Maia breathed slowly in and out. “It’s working,” she said as the image came into focus. Clio was sitting at her desk, the compact in her hand. She seemed to be talking to someone but there was no one there. Maia frowned. Maybe her phone was on speaker?
Maia heard a faint buzz and then, little by little, she began to make out what Clio was saying.
“You’re right, it’s really not fair,” Clio was muttering angrily. “Why should the good things always happen to her? What about me?” Maia watched as her sister brought the compact closer to her face. “You understand, don’t you?” she said to the mirror.
Maia stared. Clio was talking to her reflection! That was seriously odd. She blinked and let the vision fade.
“What did you see?” Bracken asked.
“Clio was being really weird,” said Maia.
Bracken pricked his ears hopefully. “If she’s unhappy in some way, maybe you can use magic to help her.”
“I’m not sure how,” said Maia. “It sounds like she’s mad at her best friend Beth for being so pretty. Maybe I should try and see if I can find someone else who has a problem.”
Bracken nodded and Maia used the rock to see her mum. An image appeared showing her searching for her purse with Maia’s dad.
“Where did you have it last?” her dad was asking.
“At the petrol station,” her mum said. “But I rang them and they said they haven’t found it. If I don’t find it soon, I’ll have to cancel all my bank cards.”
Maia had an idea. “Mum’s purse,” she said to the rock.
The image rippled and changed to show her mum’s purse. It had been pushed under the bookcase in the lounge – probably by Alfie. Maia pulled out her phone and texted her mum.
Hi Mum. Just remembered – I meant to tell you, I saw Alfie playing with your purse in the lounge, near the bookcase. Mxx
She said her mum’s name and watched in the rock as her mum checked the text, then hurried to the bookcase. Her face lit up as she pulled the purse out from underneath it. “It’s here!” she called to Maia’s dad. She took out her phone.
A few seconds later, Maia’s phone pinged with a text.
Thank you! Just found it! Phew! X
Maia smiled. OK, it had only been a small thing but it had definitely been a good deed. She let the vision fade.
“So? What happened?” Bracken said.
When Maia told him, he jumped round her, his tail waving.
Maia grinned. “I know what magic I want to practise next,” she said. “That weird thing I did the other day where I can see where people are going to move before they actually do.”
“Try with me!” said Bracken. “Use your magic to see which way I’m going to go and try and tag me!”
He stood in front of her, poised and ready. Maia concentrated on letting the strange feeling creep into her eyes. She nodded at him.
“Left!” she shouted, a fraction o
f a second before he actually moved. She sprang to the left at the same time, reaching out with her hand and touching his soft fur.
Bracken rolled on to his tummy and jumped to his feet. “That was good! Try again.”
This time she tagged him as he sprang to the right.
“What are you doing?” Lottie asked.
Maia explained.
“Let’s all play!” said Lottie.
Soon Maia was chasing everyone. It was much more fun being It in a game of tag if you could see where people were going to go! She tagged Sita, Bracken, Willow and Juniper easily. The only person who managed to get away from her was Lottie and that was only because she could move so fast. Maia chased her around the clearing, changing direction a split second before Lottie did each time but never quite managing to tag her with her outstretched hand. Lottie was faster than a cheetah!
In the end they stopped and fell on the grass together.
“That was fun!” said Lottie, her eyes shining.
Maia laughed and stretched out her arms above her head.
“Well, I’m definitely never playing tag with either of you again!” Sita said with a grin.
“I guess we’d better go home,” said Maia, sitting up reluctantly.
“When we meet up next we should try and think up a plan to find out if dark magic is being used nearby,” said Sita, glancing at Willow.
“Willow says she feels sure that something is going on.” Willow pawed at the grass uneasily. “I keep getting a scent of dark magic but I can’t work out exactly where it’s coming from.”
Bracken pricked his ears. “Maybe we can all figure it out over the next few days.”
Sita, Maia and Lottie got back to Maia’s house just as Lottie’s mum arrived.
“Have you had fun?” Lottie’s mum asked, helping her put the bike in the boot of the car.
“Yep!” said Lottie, winking at the others. “Lots and lots!”
Sita said goodbye and cycled off. Maia waved to Lottie and then went inside. Clio was in the hall.
Maia looked at her closely, remembering how weirdly she’d been behaving when she’d watched her in the rock. “Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” Clio muttered.
“Are you OK?” Maia said.
“Yes. Well, I mean obviously I’m not as pretty as Beth in your eyes and obviously I shouldn’t be a model like Beth should,” she said. “But apart from that I’m just fine.” She stalked through to the lounge.
Maia stared after her and then went into the kitchen. Her mum was helping Alfie paint a picture.
“Mum,” Maia said. “Do you think Clio’s acting a bit weird?”
“In what way?’ her mum said.
“I don’t know,” said Maia. “It’s just she keeps saying stuff about not being as pretty as Beth.”
“Oh, that’s just Clio being fifteen,” her mum said, turning her attention back to Alfie. “Paint the paper, Alfie, not your hands. “At that age you have days when life doesn’t seem fair and it feels like no one understands you. Don’t worry about it. She’ll get over it in a day or two.”
Maia bit her lip.
Her mum glanced up, saw her worried face and gave her a quick smile. “It’s sweet of you to be concerned but really, she’s fine, Maia.”
“OK.” Maia sighed, hoping her mum was right.
Over the next few days, Clio didn’t become her normal teasing, gossiping, cheerful self again. If anything, she became even more grumpy and lost in her own thoughts. If she did speak to Maia, it was only to snap at her.
Most of the time Maia was too busy practising magic or talking to Bracken to think about it much. But on Thursday evening, Maia knocked on Clio’s bedroom door to make sure she’d remembered her offer to make chocolate brownies for the cake sale on Saturday.
No one answered but the door was ajar so Maia pushed it open and looked inside. Clio wasn’t there. Maia’s gaze was caught by a glint of light. The compact was on the desk, its lid open. As she looked at it, Maia felt a sudden strange urge to pick it up.
She walked into the room and reached for it.
“What are you doing?” Clio’s voice snapped. Maia swung round. Clio was standing in the doorway. She strode over and grabbed the compact. “That’s mine!”
Maia recoiled in shock as Clio stepped forwards threateningly. “Get out of my room!” she yelled.
“Sorry!” Maia ran out.
The door slammed shut after her.
Maia turned and stared at the door, her heart pounding. OK, Clio didn’t like her going into her room but she’d never screamed at her like that before. Something very, very weird was going on. This wasn’t Clio just being fifteen and moody.
She hurried back to her room. “Bracken!” she whispered.
Bracken instantly appeared and bounded up to her. “Are we going to do something? Shall we try practising your magic again?” He stopped, putting his head on one side. “Are you all right, Maia? You seem upset.”
“Mmm,” she said distractedly.
He stood on his back legs and put his paws on her knees. “What’s the matter? You can tell me.”
She hugged him. “I’m worried about Clio. She’s acting so strangely. I just went to her room and she was really odd.”
“Why don’t you use your magic to see what she’s doing now?” Bracken said.
Maia went over to her bedroom mirror. Taking a deep breath she opened herself to the current of magic. “Clio,” she whispered. The mirror shimmered and then an image of Clio appeared in the glass. She was sitting on her bed, talking to something in her hand. At first Maia thought it was her phone but then, as the vision got clearer, she realized that it was the compact again.
“I hate her,” Clio was muttering to the compact. “You’re right, I should do something about it. She deserves it.”
A chill ran down Maia’s spine. “She’s talking to herself in the mirror again and saying really weird stuff,” she said.
Bracken flattened his ears. “In a mirror? Oh no, no, no. Maia, this isn’t good. Which mirror?”
Maia frowned. Why did that matter? “It’s the make-up compact that used to be Granny Anne’s. Mum said I could have it but I gave it to Clio a few days ago.”
“About the time when she started behaving strangely?” Bracken asked. “Maia, we’ve been looking for evidence of dark magic – well, that mirror could have a Shade trapped inside it. Mirror Shades can work all sorts of evil. They manipulate anyone who looks into the mirror. They pretend to be that person’s friend but then they start twisting their minds, making them jealous and angry.”
Maia’s heart felt like it was in her throat. “Then what happens?”
“If the Shade isn’t stopped, the person can end up doing dreadful things.”
Maia frowned. “But Bracken, the compact was Granny Anne’s. How can it have something evil in it? Granny Anne would never have something evil in the house.”
“If she was a Star Friend, she might well have tried to hide it to make sure that no one else would use it,” Bracken said.
Maia swallowed. It made horrible sense. “We’ve got to get the mirror away from Clio. But it won’t be easy,” she said, thinking about how angry Clio had been when she had found Maia near the compact in her room. “What should we do?”
“I think we should contact the others and come up with a plan together,” said Bracken.
Maia nodded. “It’s too late for them to come over now but they’re coming round tomorrow and sleeping over, so we can work out what to do then.” She sank down on her bed. Bracken jumped up beside her and she pulled him on to her lap. “Oh, Bracken, Clio is going to be OK, isn’t she?”
“I hope so,” he said. “I really do.”
Maia’s dreams that night were full of dark shadowy figures hiding in mirrors and mocking her. She woke up feeling sick with worry. Was there really a Shade in Clio’s compact? Was that why her sister had been acting so strange and scary? Even cuddling Bracken didn’t help her feel bett
er. She just wanted to rush into her sister’s room and grab the compact, but even she could see that wasn’t a good idea.
As soon as the others arrived, she took them upstairs. Bracken, Juniper and Willow appeared almost instantly.
“What’s the matter?’ said Sita, seeing Maia’s face.
Maia told everyone about the compact.
Willow sniffed at the air and her ears flickered anxiously. “Bracken’s right. I can smell the sour scent of dark magic here.”
“What are we going to do?” Juniper ran along Maia’s bed and jumped on to the back of her chair. “If it is a Shade, we should send it back to the shadows. But because none of you are a Spirit Speaker, we can’t do that.”
“We need another plan then,” said Lottie.
“The next best thing is to steal the compact and put it where no one will ever find it,” said Juniper.
“Like Granny Anne tried to,” said Maia.
“When Clio leaves her room, I could sneak in and get it,” said Lottie. “I’ll use my magic to move really fast.”
But Clio’s door stayed firmly shut. In the end they went downstairs to start making the cakes.
“Lunchtime!’ Mrs Greene called up to Clio when the cakes were cooling on wire racks.
“She’ll have to come out now,” Maia whispered to the others.
Clio came downstairs but Maia saw the shape of the compact in the pocket of her jeans. Now what were they going to do?
Clio hardly said a word at lunch. When Maia asked her when she was going to make the chocolate brownies, she shrugged and didn’t give an answer. As soon as she could, she went back upstairs and shut her door. Maia thought over various possibilities while she, Lottie and Sita iced and decorated the cupcakes. How could they get hold of the compact? How could they get Clio out of her room?
At six o’clock, her mum served lasagne and salad and Clio finally emerged from her room again.
“Aren’t you and Dad having supper with us?” Maia said when her mum didn’t sit down.
“No, we’re going to pop next door for an hour or so. We’ll take Alfie with us. Clio, you’re in charge of everyone else while we’re out.”
Star Friends – Mirror Magic Page 5
