Sophia the Snow Swan Fairy

  There are seven special animals,

  Who live in Fairyland.

  They use their magic powers

  To help others where they can.

  A dragon, black cat, phoenix,

  A seahorse, and snow swan, too,

  A unicorn and ice bear —

  I know just what to do.

  I’ll lock them in my castle

  And never let them out.

  The world will turn more miserable,

  Of that, I have no doubt!

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map

  Poem

  Into the Darkness

  Sophia Appears

  Down the Waterfall

  An Icy Trap

  Breaking Free

  A Kind Heart

  Teaser

  Also Available

  Copyright

  Kirsty Tate bit into a warm, sticky marshmallow and smiled. Yum! It had been another fantastic day at the adventure camp where she and her best friend Rachel Walker were staying for a week. The sun was going down and everyone was sitting around a fire, singing songs and toasting marshmallows. “I’m having such a wonderful vacation,” Kirsty said happily to Rachel.

  “Me, too,” Rachel agreed. Then she lowered her voice. “Especially with our new fairy friends!”

  Kirsty smiled at her friend’s words. She and Rachel shared an amazing secret. They had met lots of fairies and had shared all kinds of exciting adventures with them! This week, they were helping the Magical Animal Fairies find their lost animals because Jack Frost had stolen them. The girls had already helped the fairies find a young dragon, a magic black cat, a phoenix, and a seahorse . . . but there were still three animals left to return to Fairyland.

  “Listen up, guys!” came a voice just then. Kirsty and Rachel turned to see Trudi, one of the camp counselors, standing on a tree stump. “There’s such a wonderful full moon tonight, we’re going to take a night hike. I have something very special to show everyone. Can you get into pairs, please?”

  The campers immediately hurried to pair up. Kirsty and Rachel went together, of course, and smiled at each other. They always had their most exciting times when it was just the two of them.

  Two other counselors, Jacob and Lizzy, began passing out flashlights.

  “Why are we going hiking in the dark, anyway?” a girl named Anna wanted to know.

  “Nature looks very different at night,” Jacob told her. “All kinds of birds and animals come out that you don’t see during the day. And the surprise waiting for you at the end of the trail will definitely make it worth the walk!”

  When everyone was ready, the campers set off, flashlight beams bobbing across the grass. First they went through some dark woods. Because they heard strange scufflings all around them, Rachel and Kirsty kept close together.

  Twigs snapped beneath their feet, and Kirsty stumbled on a long, twisted root. It was a relief when they came out from under the trees and into the open, where the moonlight lit the path and covered everything with a silver haze.

  “It’s so pretty,” Rachel marveled as they walked alongside a bubbling stream. The moonlight glittered on the water as it rushed by.

  “And look at that swan!” Kirsty exclaimed. “It’s so beautiful with the light reflecting on its white feathers — almost as if it were shimmering.”

  Rachel stared thoughtfully at the swan. The little bird did seem to be glowing in the darkness. Its gleaming white feathers sent sparkling reflections into the water all around.

  “I think it is shimmering,” Rachel whispered, clutching Kirsty and pulling her away from the path, so the other campers could pass. “Shimmering . . . as if it were magical!”

  Kirsty felt her skin tingle with excitement, and she looked closely at the swan. “I think you’re right,” she said when she and Rachel were alone. “That must be the magical snow swan!”

  The girls watched the little white swan as it sailed gracefully along the stream away from them. With its neck curved in an elegant arch, the bird looked so peaceful on the water. Kirsty and Rachel knew that the magical animals all possessed special powers and helped spread the type of magic that every human and fairy could find within themselves — the magic of imagination, luck, humor, friendship, compassion, healing, and courage.

  The fairies trained the young animals for a whole year, teaching them how to use and control their powers. Once their training was complete, the magical animals returned to their families. Then they could spread their special gifts throughout Fairyland and the human world!

  “The magic snow swan spreads compassion,” Rachel remembered. “That’s when you’re kind to someone who is sad or hurt, I think, and you try to help them feel better.”

  “That is a nice gift,” Kirsty said. “Well, we’ll have to catch the swan somehow and use our fairy dust to take her back to Fairyland.” She fingered the gold locket that she always wore around her neck. The fairy queen had given it to her, and it was full of magic fairy dust.

  “Good idea,” Rachel agreed. “She doesn’t look as big as an ordinary, full-grown swan, does she? Hopefully we can scoop her up when she comes near the bank.”

  The girls crept closer to the stream. The swan was very near the grassy bank now. As she dipped her head slightly to peck at some weeds, the moonlight gleamed on her feathers. Kirsty took a deep breath and inched forward, arms outstretched. Her fingers were just about to touch the swan’s white feathers when she stepped on a twig, which cracked with a loud snapping sound.

  The swan was startled and threw up her wings, splashing the water as she took off into the air. With just a few flaps, she had flown far upstream.

  “Oh, no.” Rachel groaned, watching the bird disappear. “Now what? Should we go to Fairyland anyway, to tell the fairies we found the swan?”

  “I —” Kirsty began, then stopped. “Rachel — look!” she said. “That flower in the grass . . . it’s shining so brightly!”

  Both girls stepped closer to the flower. It was bright white, and its closed petals glowed with light. Then, as Rachel and Kirsty watched, the flower petals opened . . . and a tiny fairy fluttered up into the air!

  “Sophia!” Kirsty cheered, recognizing the Snow Swan Fairy. She and Rachel had met all the Magical Animal Fairies at the start of their adventure. Sophia had long brown hair, fastened at one side with a purple bow. She wore a pinkish-purple top that was dotted with sparkles, and a fluffy skirt. On her feet were pretty purple ballet flats.

  Sophia flew in a swirly loop before floating down to hover in front of Kirsty and Rachel. “Hello again, girls,” she said with a smile. “I came here because I could sense my snow swan, Belle, was nearby. Have you seen her anywhere?”

  “Yes,” Rachel replied. “She was right here on the stream. But when we tried to catch her, she flew away!”

  “You’re so smart to have spotted her,” Sophia said. “Now we need to find her again.Will you help me?”

  “Of course,” Kirsty said. “Let’s —” But before she could finish her sentence, she heard the sound of footsteps and she immediately stopped speaking.

  Kirsty and Rachel turned to see Trudi approaching. Sophia had to dart out of sight into one of Kirsty’s pockets before Trudi noticed her.

  “Girls, what are you doing back here?” Trudi exclaimed. “You need to keep up — we don’t want anyone to get lost in the dark.”

  “Sorry,” Rachel said, feeling guilty. She’d been so excited about seeing Belle the snow swan and meeting Sophia that she’d forgotten all about the hike.

  “
Come on, let’s catch up with the others,” Trudi said. “It won’t be long before we see the surprise — you can’t miss out on that!”

  The girls followed Trudi along the trail and rejoined the group. Both felt glum as the camp counselor walked beside them. Kirsty could feel Sophia wriggling in her pocket and was frustrated that they couldn’t talk about Belle and make plans to find her! What if the snow swan had flown far away? They’d have lost their chance to catch her!

  The other campers were waiting on a wider stretch of path. As Rachel and Kirsty joined them, Rachel noticed that Anna looked confused. “That’s weird,” she was saying to herself, staring across the stream.

  Rachel’s heart sped up. What had Anna seen? Had she caught a glimpse of Belle the snow swan doing something magical? “What’s weird?” she asked Anna.

  “I thought I saw a small green creature on the other side of the stream,” Anna replied, rubbing her eyes and staring again. “Not a frog — bigger than that. And it was running on two legs, just like a little person!”

  Rachel and Kirsty exchanged horrified glances, both thinking the same thing: it sounded like Anna had just seen one of Jack Frost’s sneaky goblins. The goblins would have been sent to look for Belle, so the girls had to find the snow swan — and fast!

  Anna shook her head and smiled. “The moonlight must be playing tricks on my eyes,” she said, smiling. “That — or some little green men have landed from Mars!”

  Lucy, Anna’s partner, giggled. “I don’t think that’s the surprise Trudi has planned for us!” she said. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Anna and Lucy set off together, and Kirsty turned to Rachel. “I bet it was a goblin,” she murmured.

  “Sounded like one to me,” Sophia whispered from her hiding place. “We need to hurry!”

  Kirsty and Rachel knew that Jack Frost had sent his goblins into the human world to try to find the magical animals before the fairies did. Jack Frost didn’t want the animals to spread their special gifts around the world. He wanted everyone to be as miserable as he was. That was why he had stolen the magical animals in the first place — and why he wanted them back again!

  Rachel and Kirsty scanned the opposite side of the stream and all around them as they went along, but there was no sign of goblins now. Rachel could feel goosebumps rising along her arms as she searched. It was kind of spooky being out at night and wondering if a goblin was close by!

  The stream soon widened and became a river. After a few minutes of walking, Kirsty suddenly grabbed Rachel’s arm. “Look,” she said. “Straight ahead — it’s Belle!”

  Sophia peeked over the edge of Kirsty’s pocket and smiled in relief. “Yes, that’s definitely her,” she said in her little fairy voice. “Now, let’s think. I need to get her back without being seen.”

  Rachel bit her lip. “That’s not going to be easy,” she said in a low voice. “We can’t hang back from the others again — Trudi will be upset with us and may even take us back to camp. And, Sophia, I’m worried that if you fly across to meet Belle, someone will spot you glittering in the darkness.”

  Sophia’s pretty face twisted into a frown. “You’re right,” she said. “Anna already thinks she’s seen a strange creature over there. We can’t risk her — or anyone else — seeing me, too.”

  The three of them fell deep into thought, watching Belle as she glided serenely down the river. Then Kirsty noticed that the river seemed to come to a stop farther along, with the water dropping over the edge. “It’s a waterfall!” she realized, her mouth open in surprise.

  The others looked. Kirsty was right! They could hear the water crashing down at the bottom of the waterfall, making a rushing, roaring sound as it tumbled over the rocks.

  “There goes Belle!” Rachel whispered, trying not to stare too obviously as the beautiful white bird opened her wings again and took flight. She soared over the edge of the waterfall. “Wow — you can hardly see her through all the spray.”

  It was true. They had reached the top of the waterfall now, and it threw up such huge clouds of misty spray that it was almost impossible to see the bottom from where they stood. Belle, too, had vanished into the mist.

  “Can you all listen to me for a minute?” Trudi called just then. “We’re going to work our way down to the base of the waterfall now. There’s a path on your left that we can follow to the bottom. Take your time, because some of the rocks might be wet and slippery.”

  “Is this the surprise?” one of the boys called out curiously.

  Trudi smiled. “We’re almost to the surprise,” she replied. “Just be patient and we’ll be there soon! Let’s go.”

  She led the group along a path that twisted and turned down the side of the waterfall. Sophia let out a little groan of frustration. “It’s going to take ages to get down there!” She sighed. “And Belle could fly miles in that time. There’s only one answer, girls — I’m going to have to turn you both into fairies. That way, we can all fly together to the bottom of the waterfall, and find Belle.”

  She paused, and a flash of doubt crossed her face. “The only thing is, we have to be careful not to fly too close to the waterfall. If our wings get wet from the spray, we won’t be able to fly as well . . . which could be very dangerous.”

  Rachel and Kirsty exchanged a glance. It sounded kind of nerve-racking, diving down to the bottom of the waterfall from such a great height. But then a scuffling noise in the undergrowth nearby reminded them that there were goblins on the prowl. They knew what they had to do!

  “OK, let’s do it,” Kirsty said, looking around carefully to make sure that all the other campers and counselors had already started to make their way down the path. “Let’s fly!”

  Kirsty and Rachel stayed back so that they were at the tail end of the group again. Then, when nobody was looking, Sophia waved her wand over them, sending streams of fairy sparkles whirling around. The girls felt a familiar magic tingle. Moments later, they were fairies, just like Sophia, with their own glimmering wings that sparkled in the moonlight.

  “Ready? Then off we go!” Sophia called.

  With a deep breath, Kirsty and Rachel plunged toward the heart of the waterfall, keeping a safe distance from the flying spray. They also had to make sure they kept out of sight of the group of campers, who were slowly making their way down the path.

  “Whoaaaaa!” shouted Rachel. It was amazing, flying down so fast with the world blurring before her eyes. Kirsty was shouting alongside her, although it was hard to hear anything with the noise of the water tumbling below.

  It only took a few seconds for the three friends to reach the bottom — and they all gasped as they saw what was there. Stretching through the mist was what looked like a dazzling rainbow!

  Kirsty and Rachel knew all about rainbows, of course, from their very first adventures with the Rainbow Fairies. But this was like no other rainbow they’d ever seen. “I don’t understand — how can there be a rainbow when it’s so dark?” Rachel wondered.

  Sophia smiled. “It’s a lunar rainbow — or a ‘moonbow,’” she explained. “They are very rare in the human world. They only occur when the moon is at its fullest, and when there is moisture in the air.”

  “Wow,” Kirsty said, marvelling at the shining arc of light. “This must be what Trudi wanted to show us. This is the surprise!”

  “And there’s something even better,” Rachel said, pointing excitedly. “I just saw Belle!”

  Kirsty and Sophia could also see the magical snow swan gliding away from the waterfall on a new stretch of river. But, unfortunately, they saw something else, too — three goblins on the riverbank.

  “Oh, no!” Kirsty exclaimed. “One of them has a wand. What’s he going to do?”

  The goblin pointed the wand at the river, and the three fairies watched in dismay as a stream of icy magic shot out of it. The frosty stream
reached all the way to the snow swan, like a jagged bridge of ice.

  “Jack Frost must have given them the wand,” Sophia realized. “And he filled it with his horrible icy magic.”

  Kirsty and Rachel were alarmed. They had seen the power of Jack Frost’s magic many times before, especially when they were helping the Petal Fairies. The goblins had had a similar wand then, which had caused all kinds of problems for the girls and their fairy friends.

  Now the three goblins jumped onto the ice bridge and began skidding clumsily toward Belle.

  “Quick, we’ve got to stop them,” Sophia cried, flying ahead as fast as she could. Kirsty and Rachel flapped their wings hard as well, zooming forward at top speed. But they were too late! The goblins slid all the way over to Belle and waved the wand at her. There was a flash of electric-blue sparkles, and then a cage made of icicles appeared around the snow swan. Belle was trapped!

  The goblins chuckled with glee and gave each other high-fives. The one closest to Belle picked up the ice cage and tucked it under one arm, and then they all started sliding back to the bank.

  Belle’s head drooped sadly. The cage was so small she couldn’t even open her wings. She began to sing a mournful song that sent shivers down Kirsty’s spine.

  “She sounds so unhappy,” she said with concern.

  Sophia nodded. “Belle’s songs change according to how she’s feeling,” she said. “When the magical snow swans are very sad, they sing low and deep. When they’re happy, they sing at a very high pitch — so high that they can shatter glass.” She smiled briefly. “Nobody in Fairyland minds, though, because they are always glad to hear that a snow swan is happy.”