Clio hunched over her plate, pushing the food around with her fork.
“OK, Clio?” Mrs Greene said.
“Mmm,” Clio muttered.
Mrs Greene smiled at the rest of them. “If you need us, just give us a ring.”
Once Mr and Mrs Greene had left with Alfie, Clio took the compact out of her pocket and began to open it up. Maia, Lottie and Sita exchanged glances.
“That’s nice. Can I see it?” Lottie asked, reaching out.
“No!” Clio snapped, pulling the compact away and shutting it quickly.
They carried on eating in an uncomfortable silence. They had just finished when the doorbell rang.
Maia jumped up, glad of an excuse to escape the tension at the dinner table. “I’ll get it.”
She went to the door. Beth was standing on the doorstep. “Hi, is Clio there?” she asked.
“Yeah,” said Maia. “Come in.”
Beth followed her inside. Clio was in the kitchen doorway. She scowled when she saw Beth. “What do you want?”
Beth blinked in surprise. “I … I just thought I’d come over to see you. You’ve been really weird the last few days. Are you OK?”
Clio glared at her. “Like you’d care.”
Confusion crossed Beth’s face. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know. All you care about is yourself.” Clio’s face creased in an ugly sneer. “I’m Beth, the model. I’m Beth and I’m so beautiful. No one else matters.”
“What are you talking about?” Beth asked.
“You think you’re so perfect, don’t you?” Clio said angrily. “Well, no one else thinks so and no one likes you and soon – very soon – you’ll be sorry!”
“Clio!” Maia burst out, seeing the shocked look on Beth’s face.
“I’m not listening to this,” Beth said, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t know what’s up with you.”
Beth turned and ran out of the house, and Clio marched upstairs.
“Beth! Wait!” called Maia, but Beth didn’t stop.
Lottie and Sita hurried out of the kitchen. They had obviously heard every word of the argument.
“What do we do now?” said Lottie.
“We have to get that compact,” said Maia.
“Maybe I could get it when she goes to sleep,” said Lottie.
“We can’t wait until then.” Maia thought for a moment and then nodded. “OK, how about this for a plan…”
Ten minutes later, Sita stood outside Clio’s bedroom door with a mug of hot chocolate decorated with whipped cream and tiny marshmallows. Maia was in her bedroom, using her magic to watch in her bedroom mirror and Lottie was in the garden below with Juniper.
Bracken nuzzled Maia’s hands. She stroked his head gratefully as she heard Sita knock on Clio’s door. Would the plan work? The first part of it depended on Sita’s ability to get Clio out of her room.
“Clio, it’s Sita,” Sita called softly. “I’ve brought you a hot chocolate.”
The door opened. Clio gave Sita a suspicious look. “Where’s Maia?”
“With Lottie,” Sita said. “Are you OK?”
She handed Clio the hot chocolate. As Clio took it, Sita’s hand closed gently on her arm. “You seemed really upset earlier,” she said, her voice sympathetic.
Clio’s frown began to fade as Sita touched her.
“I have been feeling odd,” she admitted slowly. “I don’t know what’s been the matter with me this week.”
“Why don’t you come downstairs with me and have a talk about it?” said Sita gently. “Simi, my big sister, says I’m a good listener. I’d like to listen to you.”
Maia held her breath, hoping Sita’s persuasive, calming magic would work and that Clio would go with her.
To her relief, Clio nodded. “OK, but don’t go in my room.” She shut the door firmly. “I’ll hear if anyone opens the door,” she warned.
“No one will open your door,” Sita promised. She led Clio downstairs, shooting a quick look over her shoulder and winking.
Maia ran to her window. “Lottie!” she hissed into the dusky garden. The next part of the plan involved Lottie getting the compact – without using the bedroom door, just in case Clio decided to check.
“On to it!” Lottie whispered back. Maia watched as she grabbed hold of the Virginia creeper that covered the house and pulled herself easily up the wall. Juniper scampered beside her and stopped by the window. It was just slightly ajar. Lottie pulled it open and then Juniper leaped inside. Lottie followed him.
“Time to go, Bracken,” Maia said. She and Bracken ran as quietly as they could along the landing and down the stairs. She paused on the bottom step. She could hear Sita talking soothingly to Clio in the lounge. “It must be awful to feel like that. You look so tired. Why don’t you have a rest?”
Clio yawned. “Now you say it, I do feel tired.”
“I’ll shut the curtains,” said Sita. “And then you can have a little sleep. I’ll make sure everything is OK.”
Maia slipped past the lounge door and ran into the kitchen. The French windows were open and she could see Lottie outside.
“Got it!” Lottie hissed, holding up the compact. Juniper was on her shoulder.
Maia took the compact from Lottie. Her heart was pounding. “Should I open it?” She looked at Bracken.
“We do need to find out if there’s a Shade in there,” he said. “But be careful, Maia.”
“Really, really careful,” said Sita anxiously as she came out through the French windows. “Clio’s asleep now.”
Maia opened the compact and looked into the mirror. As she did so, she caught sight of a shadowy grey shape flickering deep in the glass. The image grew clearer, becoming the reflection of a handsome boy with tousled blond hair and dark eyes.
“What have we here?” a voice said in her head. “Not my Clio but someone else. A Star Friend for me to have fun with! ”
Maia felt anger surge through her. “Clio’s not your Clio and yes, I’m a Star Friend, but you’re not going to do anything with me.”
“Really?” The Shade’s voice was like golden syrup, smooth and tempting. His eyes looked deep into hers, kind and understanding. “Don’t you want to be special, Maia? Being the middle child must be hard. Your parents adore little Alfie and his funny ways and Clio’s the eldest, the firstborn. She’ll always be the one they love most. That leaves you… Well, where does it leave you?”
His hypnotic voice wove its way into Maia’s mind. He was right. She was just the middle one. Her parents did love Alfie and Clio more…
“Maia!” Bracken said. “Don’t listen to the Shade. Use your magic to fight it.”
With an effort, Maia connected to the magic current. As magic flowed into her she looked at the Shade – properly looked at it. The handsome face and sympathetic brown eyes melted away under her gaze, becoming a grey skull with glittering red eyes. The spell it was casting was broken. “No!” she cried. Repulsed, she threw the compact down.
The mirror smashed as it hit the ground. Juniper chattered and Willow bleated in alarm. Grey smoke started to seep out through the cracks in the broken glass.
“What’s happening?” cried Lottie.
Bracken jumped in front of Maia as the smoke swirled together and formed a very tall thin figure with grey skin, a skull-like face and ragged clothes. The figure’s slanted eyes glowed red in his bony face. Seeing the horror on the girls’ faces, he laughed and stepped towards them.
“Finally, I am free!” He cracked his long bony fingers then he pointed at Maia. “Thank you, my dear. I never imagined you’d give me my freedom. You really have a lot to learn.” He rubbed his hands together. “Now I can roam where I like, inhabit any mirror I like, cause whatever mischief I like.”
“No!” she said bravely. “I won’t let you.”
The Shade laughed. “And how do you plan on stopping me? I see three Star Friends here but not one of you is a Spirit Speaker.”
He spread his fingers. Sharp nails popped out like knives.
“What shall we do?” Sita gasped.
The Shade stepped towards them.
Bracken growled. “Stay back!” Darting forwards, he grabbed the Shade’s leg with his teeth.
At the same moment, Willow charged and butted the Shade. Juniper leaped on his head.
“No!” the Shade hissed, swiping at them with his long nails.
He caught Bracken’s side, making the fox yelp.
“Bracken!” cried Maia. She threw herself at the Shade. He stood his ground and, as she hit his chest, he threw her backwards as easily as if she weighed no more than a piece of paper. She landed on her back on the ground with a thump. The next moment the Shade was looming over her, laughing and showing off his teeth. “You think you can attack me?”
“Maia! Use your sight!” Bracken said.
She saw the Shade swipe down with his left hand a second before he actually made the move. She rolled to the right and jumped to her feet just as Sita threw a plant pot at him.
“Get off her!” Sita shouted. It hit his side, making him stagger.
Lottie grabbed a second plant pot from the patio and charged at the Shade, using her super-speed to dodge his hands with ease. She hit him on the head. “Got you!” she gasped as he fell to the ground.
The Shade slowly sat up. Bracken growled warningly at him, Juniper chattered and Willow lowered her head as if she was about to charge again.
Maia heard his silky smooth voice. “Well, aren’t you all very clever?” he said. “Really very clever indeed… But who is the most clever? Who is going to be the best Star Friend? Who will be able to do the most magic? Don’t try and tell me you haven’t thought about that! Will it be you, Sita? Or you, Maia? Or you, Lottie? Don’t you all secretly wish you could be the best? One of you will be more powerful than all the others. I can see that. But who will it be?” His voice weaved its way around their thoughts. Maia found she couldn’t stop listening to it. She stared at him, aware the others were staring, too.
“You should all just sit down and let me slip away,” said the Shade. “Then you can work out between you who is the strongest, while I find more mirrors to inhabit, more people to enchant.”
No, Maia wanted to say, but she couldn’t get the word out. Instead she found herself starting to nod in agreement, caught in the Shade’s persuasive spell.
“Oh, I don’t think so!” a familiar voice rang out.
Maia blinked. The spell the Shade had been casting faded in an instant. She swung round and saw Ionie standing just inside the garden gate.
“Ionie!” she gasped in astonishment.
Ionie put her hands on her hips and gave the Shade a level stare. “Your freedom is over, Shade.” She held up her phone. “Smile!”
The Shade’s face pulled into a grimace as the camera on her phone flashed. With a scream he dissolved into smoke and was sucked into the screen of the phone.
“Got him!” Ionie said triumphantly.
Maia, Sita and Lottie stared at her open-mouthed.
“Ionie?” Maia stammered. “What’s going on?”
Ionie raised her eyebrows. “Honestly, Maia, I’d have thought even you could work this out. I’m a Star Friend, too, of course.”
A wildcat with cool indigo eyes, a stripey tabby coat and large, pointed ears stalked out of the shadows. “And I’m her Star Animal,” she said.
For once Maia was lost for words. She glanced at Bracken. He looked as shocked as she felt.
Sorrel, the wildcat, looked around. “Well, this is fun,” she said, her indigo eyes sparkling with amusement.
“How … how long have you been a Star Friend?” Sita stammered to Ionie.
“Since Monday,” said Ionie. “Just after I saw all of you in the clearing, Sorrel spoke to me.”
Bracken turned on Sorrel. “I thought you’d left.”
Sorrel gave him a scornful look. “I’m a cat. We don’t follow the pack. My instincts told me I should stick around.” She purred and rubbed her body against Ionie’s legs. “And I’m very glad I did.”
Ionie touched her head. “So am I,” she murmured, smiling.
“Ionie’s exceptionally talented at magic,” Sorrel announced smugly. “She’s a Spirit Speaker.”
“That explains why she managed to get the Shade to look at the camera so easily,” said Bracken.
“A piece of quick-thinking,” said Sorrel approvingly. “Did I mention, she’s very clever, too?”
Maia could see why Ionie and Sorrel had bonded! Still, though they were both annoying, Maia couldn’t deny that Ionie had helped save the day. She shuffled her feet awkwardly. “Well … um … thanks for trapping the Shade,” she said.
“Yes, thank you,” said Sita. “I don’t know what we’d have done if you hadn’t been here.”
Lottie nodded.
Ionie shrugged. “It’s OK. I’m glad I could help.”
Sita kneeled down by Bracken. His side was bleeding. “Here, let me heal you.” She touched her hands to the wound and it closed up.
“Thank you,” he said, licking her gratefully.
“What will you do with the Shade now you’ve trapped it, Ionie?” said Maia.
“You won’t be able to use your phone while it’s in there,” said Bracken.
Ionie clicked on the photo and the girls saw the Shade moving angrily inside the screen.
“Careful!” Juniper burst out.
“I will not be kept in here!” the Shade ranted. “I will not! I—”
“Spirit, return to the shadows,” Ionie said coolly. “I command it.” She pressed DELETE.
For a moment the girls saw the Shade’s face screw up in horror and then the photo vanished.
Ionie looked up and gave a grin. “Sorted,” she said.
Sorrel weaved around her legs. “Oh, clever girl. Best of all possible Star Friends.”
Lottie pulled a face at Maia. “Should I be sick now?” she muttered.
“Ionie,” Sita said. “It’s great you were able to help … but why were you even here? Did you know about the Shade?”
Ionie shook her head. “Not for definite. Sorrel sensed something was wrong – she could smell it in the air – but she wasn’t sure exactly what was happening.”
Sorrel flicked her tail. “Cats are far more sensitive than other Star Animals,” she said, giving the other three animals a superior look.
“I actually came round to talk about tomorrow,” Ionie said. “I’ve been thinking about the Harvest Show. You’re right, Sita – raising as much money as we can is the most important thing, so I wanted to say I’d share a table with you. When I got here we heard noises and came into the garden.”
“Luckily for all of you,” said Sorrel tartly. “You weren’t handling the Shade very well on your own.”
“We were fighting it off,” said Bracken defensively.
“Star Friends are meant to trap Shades, not fight them,” Sorrel said. “Or had you forgotten that? But I know it’s hard without a Spirit Speaker. Luckily you have Ionie and me to help you now.”
Maia exchanged looks with Lottie and Sita. She was relieved Ionie had been there to help them but she wasn’t sure how she felt about Ionie and Sorrel hanging out with them regularly and helping them. Meeting her friends’ eyes, she could tell they felt the same.
“I’d better get home. We’ll see you in the morning,” Ionie said. “Come on, Sorrel.”
“Bye,” said Sita.
“Yeah, bye,” muttered both Maia and Lottie.
Ionie put her hand on Sorrel’s head and the two of them seemed to vanish into thin air.
“Stealth,” said Juniper, flicking his tail. “Ionie must have that magical ability as well as being able to command spirits.”
“Great,” said Maia, shaking her head. “So, she’s doubly talented.”
“Which will make her doubly unbearable!” said Lottie. “I don’t want to have to work with them.”
“It m
ight not be that bad,” said Sita hopefully.
“Someone’s coming,” Willow said, her ears swivelling towards the house.
The animals vanished just as Clio appeared.
She stood there groggily, swaying slightly. “I feel really strange,” she said. “I’ve just woken up on the sofa but I feel like I’ve been asleep all day. Did I have an argument with Beth?”
“Yes,” Maia said. “You weren’t very nice to her.”
Clio bit her lip. “I don’t really remember it…” She shook her head. “I feel really dizzy and shaky.”
Sita went over and put her hand on Clio’s arm. “You’ve probably got a virus,” she said soothingly. “That must have been why you were acting so strangely. I’m sure if you tell Beth that, she’ll understand.”
Clio nodded. “I’ll phone her straight away and say how sorry I am.”
“Yes, do that,” said Sita.
Maia found herself nodding along with Clio. As Sita was growing stronger, it seemed like she wasn’t just able to comfort and heal people, but she was able to persuade them to do things as well.
A puzzled look crossed Clio’s face and she patted her jeans’ pockets. “Has anyone seen my compact?”
Maia bit her lip. “I’m … um … sorry. I borrowed it and I … well … I broke it.” She picked up the compact from the grass and held it out. Clio looked at the cracked mirror for a moment and then shrugged.
“OK, well, no big deal. It can go in the bin.”
“She doesn’t remember anything about the Shade,” hissed Lottie as Clio went back inside and the animals all reappeared.
Juniper flicked his tail. “No, now the Shade has been sent back to the Shadows, she won’t remember a thing.”
Maia yawned and looked up, suddenly realizing that night had fallen and stars were twinkling in the dark sky. “It’s been an incredible day,” she said.
“A bit too incredible for me,” said Sita. “How about we all go and have a hot chocolate?”
“Good plan. We can eat some of our midnight feast, too,” said Lottie. “I know it’s only about seven o’clock but I think I need to do something normal for a while.”
“Normal sounds good,” said Sita.
Star Friends – Mirror Magic Page 6
