Evelyn the Mermicorn Fairy Page 3

  “I’m glad we can give the queen some good news,” said Kirsty. “The last time we saw her, the pink gemstone was still missing.”

  They entered the throne room. Queen Titania was standing beside the window, gazing out over Fairyland. She turned when the fairies came in, and they curtsied. The queen looked worried.

  “We found the pink gemstone,” said Rachel. “Now there is just one left to find.”

  “Thank you,” said the queen. “You have been very brave. I wish I knew what to tell you to do next. But now that Jack Frost has the green gemstone, I don’t feel sure that my advice is wise.”

  “I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” said Evelyn, hanging her head.

  The queen came forward and placed one hand on Evelyn’s shoulder.

  “The only person to blame is Jack Frost,” she said.

  “Where are the fairies from the festival?” asked Kirsty, gazing around. The throne room was empty apart from Bertram the frog footman.

  “They have gone back to Mermicorn Island,” said the queen. “I am not sure why.”

  “Maybe we should go back to the island, too,” said Rachel.

  “Perhaps,” said the queen. “I’m not sure. The only thing I know is that I won’t be able to give advice until the green gemstone is back where it belongs.”

  The fairies curtsied and turned to leave. At the throne room door, Bertram spoke shyly to them.

  “Excuse me,” he said. “I think I know why the fairies went back to the island. It was because of the Amazing Advisor.”

  “Who’s that?” asked Evelyn.

  “All I know is that the Amazing Advisor told them everything would be all right if they went back to the island,” he said. “He sounded very sure of himself and he gave great advice.”

  Rachel and Kirsty exchanged a puzzled glance.

  “Who could he be?” Kirsty asked.

  “I don’t know,” Rachel replied. “But I think we should go right to Mermicorn Island and find out.”

  The fairies flew out across the shining blue sea. The tall, slender trees of Mermicorn Island were bending in the warm, gentle breeze.

  “The island looks like a green gemstone in the water,” said Kirsty.

  The fairies on the golden beach were lining up outside a blue tent. It was decorated with white shells, and the sign beside it said:

  The Amazing Advisor’s Seashell Cave

  FREE Advice for Fairies

  There were so many fairies crowding around the entrance that it was impossible to see inside.

  “Let’s look around the back,” Rachel suggested. “Maybe we can find a clue.”

  They fluttered around and saw that there was a small flap on the other side of the tent.

  “It’s just like a back door,” said Evelyn.

  At that moment, the flap was lifted and two figures stepped out of the tent. They were wearing long blue capes that reached the ground, with huge hoods that covered their faces. Each of them was wearing a badge that said Amazing Advisor’s Helper. The capes were decorated with the same white shells as the tent.

  They sat down on two driftwood logs. One of the helpers pulled a green bottle from under his cape. He twisted the lid and fizzy green bubbles spurted out.

  “Yum!” said the other helper, snatching the bottle and taking a big glug. “I love cabbage soda.”

  “What a squawky voice he has,” said Kirsty.

  The first helper burped and they both cackled with laughter.

  “And what bad manners,” said Evelyn.

  “It’s too hot on this island,” grumbled the first helper. “And I’m fed up with fairies.”

  He threw back his hood, and Rachel clutched Kirsty’s hand.

  “Oh no,” said Evelyn. “Goblins!”

  The three fairies darted out of sight behind the sand dunes. They peered out from behind a clump of beach grass. The second goblin was busy complaining.

  “Why can’t we go home?” he whined. “I’m worried that all the goodness and sweetness here is contagious.”

  “I’m sure I’m allergic to fairy dust,” said the first goblin. “But we can’t go home until that mermicorn turns up. Jack Frost won’t stop yelling at us until he has her gemstones back.”

  The three fairies exchanged worried glances.

  “Come on,” said the second goblin, finishing the last drops of cabbage soda. “Maybe the mermicorn will turn up soon. Then we can jump in the boat, catch it, and get back to Goblin Grotto.”

  Putting their hoods up again, they ducked back into the tent.

  “So they’ve got a boat,” said Rachel. “They’re planning to catch Topaz.”

  Evelyn gave a little sniff, and tears glistened in her eyes.

  “Don’t worry,” said Kirsty, putting her arm around Evelyn and giving her a squeeze. “We won’t let them take Topaz. We’re one step ahead of them already, because we know their plan. We have to warn the other fairies.”

  “Let’s just see if we can hear anything else,” said Rachel.

  They fluttered closer and pressed their ears against the tent. At once they heard a strange, deep voice.

  “How can I help you, young fairy?”

  “That must be the Amazing Advisor,” Kirsty whispered. “I suppose it’s another goblin in disguise.”

  “I want to protect my magical objects from Jack Frost,” said a clear, musical voice. “What should I do?”

  “Hide them under a potted plant in your garden,” boomed the Amazing Advisor. “Next!”

  Another fairy voice spoke. “I feel as if all my confidence has been taken away. How can I be the best that I can be?”

  “Easy,” said the Amazing Advisor. “Confidence isn’t about being the best you that you can be. It’s about being better than other people. Have a competition with your friends that you know you can win. Next!”

  “The Amazing Advisor doesn’t sound very amazing to me,” said Rachel. “What awful advice!”

  “But he sounds so confident that the fairies are listening to him,” said Kirsty, groaning.

  “He must have the green gemstone,” said Evelyn. “It’s giving him the confidence to advise others.”

  “The Amazing Advisor is taking a break,” squawked one of the goblin advisors. “Come back later.”

  The back flap of the tent trembled, and the fairies darted out of sight. A tall figure in a bright-blue cloak stepped out of the tent, followed by four goblin helpers. He threw back his hood, and the fairies gasped. The Amazing Advisor wasn’t another goblin after all. It was Jack Frost himself!

  “Give me some water,” Jack Frost snapped at the goblins. “Using that deep voice is hurting my throat.”

  While the goblins scurried to obey, Jack Frost touched the green gemstone that hung around his neck under his cloak.

  “The last gemstone,” whispered Evelyn.

  “From now on, no one can feel better or more important than me,” said Jack Frost with a thin smile. “The fairies won’t be able to advise anyone, and I’ll take over in the confusion. Fairyland will be mine!”

  He threw his head back and cackled with laughter.

  “I want to go home,” whined the tallest goblin.

  Jack Frost stopped cackling and turned on him with blazing eyes.

  “Go and eavesdrop on the fairies,” he yelled. “They’re bound to spot the mermicorn as soon as it turns up. Then we’ll show it this gemstone and it’ll follow us anywhere. Go!”

  The goblin scurried back into the tent.

  “Soon all the mermicorn magic will belong to me,” said Jack Frost. “I’ve heard mermicorns can time-travel, grant wishes, and cure illness.”

  “Those are just legends,” Evelyn muttered. “Topaz can’t do those things. But if Jack Frost gets the gemstones again, he will be more powerful than ever.”

  “He’ll be mad when he finds out that Topaz can’t do what he wants,” said Kirsty.

  “We have to stop him,” said Rachel. “Luckily the island is full of fairies. Let’s go
and tell them who the Amazing Advisor really is.”

  But before they could move, the tallest goblin came tumbling out of the tent.

  “It’s back!” he squealed. “One of the fairies said she saw a horn in the water.”

  “At last!” said Jack Frost, throwing off his cloak. “The boat is on the other side of the island. Go!”

  The goblins sprinted off and Jack Frost disappeared in a flash of blue lightning.

  “There’s no time to tell the other fairies,” said Evelyn. “We have to save Topaz!”

  Rachel, Kirsty, and Evelyn zoomed across the island. They flew over the goblins below and soon reached the other side of the island. A little ice-blue fishing trawler was bobbing on the water. Jack Frost was in the cabin.

  “Let’s hide behind the boat,” said Kirsty. “The goblins will be here any minute.”

  They ducked down at the back of the boat just in time. The goblins burst out of a clump of trees and clambered on board.

  “Get this boat moving!” Jack Frost roared. “Go around to where the mermicorn was seen. Faster!”

  Soon the boat was chugging around the island. The fairies clung on to the back, keeping their heads down.

  “We have to get the gemstone back before Topaz sees it,” said Evelyn. “Otherwise I won’t be able to stop her from following the boat.”

  They peeked over the side and saw Jack Frost put the gemstone in a bottle and cork it up. He tied one end of a rope around the bottle. Then he threw the bottle over the back of the boat and dragged it along behind them, holding on to the rope.

  “Now all we have to do is wait for the mermicorn to spot it,” he said. “When the mermicorn follows it, we’ll lead it into deeper water and capture it—and all its other magical gemstones, too.”

  The fairies exchanged worried glances.

  “We can’t go and untie the rope with Jack Frost watching,” said Kirsty.

  “We’d be spotted at once if we flew over and pulled the bottle out of the water,” said Evelyn.

  “We have to get to the bottle from underneath,” said Rachel. “That’s the only way to reach it without being spotted. Then we can uncork the bottle and save the gemstone.”

  “But we can’t swim underwater for long without coming up for air, and the boat is really fast,” said Evelyn. “Jack Frost will see us.”

  The boat chugged along, and spray flew into the fairies’ eyes. Suddenly, Kirsty had an idea.

  “Rachel, do you remember our adventure with Shannon the Ocean Fairy?” she asked. “If Evelyn could put magical bubbles on our heads, we could breathe underwater.”

  “Yes, I know Shannon’s bubbles spell,” said Evelyn. “I can do it, but my magic works differently from hers. The bubbles won’t be strong enough for you to dive very deep. You will have to stay near the surface.”

  “That’s OK,” said Rachel. “We don’t need to dive down far to get the bottle.”

  Each of them took a deep breath and dove underwater. Three shiny bubbles floated out of Evelyn’s wand and settled over their heads.

  “We can breathe,” said Rachel.

  “But the boat is getting away,” said Kirsty.

  Evelyn pointed her wand at the water behind them, and it started to bubble and churn. Then, WHOOSH! The water pushed them forward until they were just below the bottle.

  “I’ve got it!” cried Rachel, slipping the bottle out of the rope.

  But in her excitement, she lifted her head and it broke the surface of the water. Jack Frost spotted her at once.

  “Fairies!” he shrieked. “Goblins, get them!”

  The engine stopped and there were four splashes as the goblins belly flopped into the water.

  “Uncork it!” cried Kirsty.

  But a bony green hand wrenched the bottle away from Rachel. The goblin cackled and rattled the gemstone under Rachel’s nose.

  “Give it back,” said Kirsty. “It doesn’t belong to you.”

  “It does now,” said the goblin, making a face at her.

  He threw the bottle to another goblin, but Evelyn rose out of the water and caught it. The third goblin snatched at her wings and pulled her backward, and the bottle flew out of her hand.

  “Butterfingers,” squawked the fourth goblin. “Hey, watch this!”

  He balanced the bottle on his head. At that moment, a whirlpool of color appeared behind him. A spiral horn broke through the water.

  “Topaz!” cried Kirsty in delight.

  Topaz whinnied loudly and made the goblin jump. The precious bottle fell off his head … and sank beneath the waves.

  “The gemstone!” cried Evelyn.

  “No!” Jack Frost roared.

  Rachel and Kirsty dove after the bottle. It was already far below, turning over and over as it sank. They tried to follow it, but there was a loud POP and their bubbles burst. Holding their breath, they swam back to the surface. Below, the green gemstone disappeared into the darkness.

  When Rachel and Kirsty reached the surface, the goblins were clambering back onto the boat.

  “You silly goblins!” Jack Frost was yelling at them. “Fuzz for brains! Get this boat moving and don’t you dare drip on me!”

  He whirled around and glared at Topaz and the fairies. They treaded water, staring up at him.

  “At least you’ve lost the gemstone, too,” he hissed. “No fairy will ever feel confident about helping anyone again.”

  The trawler chugged away toward the shore. The roar of the engine faded.

  “I’m so sorry, Evelyn,” said Rachel, turning to the Mermicorn Fairy with tears in her eyes. “We’ve let you down.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” said Evelyn. “Oh, Topaz, I’m sorry.”

  The mermicorn hung her head and the fairies wrapped their arms around her.

  SPLASH!

  A large, silvery tail had risen out of the water. Rainbow colors danced across it. With another splash, the tail disappeared. Then a head rose out of the water. Blue eyes twinkled at them, and long blond hair fanned out upon the waves.

  “It’s a mermaid,” said Rachel in a whispery voice.

  The mermaid smiled.

  “My name is Pearl,” she said. “I couldn’t resist meeting the only two humans who have traveled to Fairyland.”

  “It’s incredible to meet you,” said Kirsty.

  “I was just waiting for Jack Frost to leave before I gave you this,” Pearl said to Evelyn. “It landed beside me as I was pruning the seaweed.”

  She lifted her hand out of the water, holding the precious bottle. The green gemstone glowed inside it. Evelyn let out a cry of delight. In a moment, the gemstone was out of the bottle and back around Topaz’s neck.

  “Thank you, Pearl,” said Kirsty. “You’ve saved the day!”

  Pearl smiled again. Then, with a flick of her shining tail, she was gone.

  “I can’t wait to tell the others the good news,” said Evelyn. “Rachel and Kirsty, how can I ever thank you? Without you there would be no Mermicorn Festival and no confident fairies.”

  “It really was a wonderful watery adventure,” said Rachel.

  Evelyn hugged them both, and Topaz dipped her horn into the water. The waves changed color around them, shifting between all the colors of the rainbow.

  “That’s her way of saying ‘thank you,’ ” said Evelyn.

  Rachel and Kirsty buried their faces in the mermicorn’s beautiful mane. It was soft and warm, and it smelled like jasmine. Suddenly, everything started to spin around. Laughing and dizzy, the girls looked up and saw that they were back in Rachel’s living room. The fire was crackling in the grate, and the rain was still beating on the window.

  “Here we are,” said Mr. Walker, coming in with a tray. “Two hot chocolates with whipped cream and sprinkles.”

  Rachel and Kirsty shared a happy smile. As usual, no time had passed while they had been away.

  “That’s one of the things I love about Fairyland,” said Kirsty. “Even after the most incredible adventur
e, there’s still a whole week of vacation ahead of us.”

  “As well as two mugs of the best hot chocolate in the world,” said Rachel. “Yum!”

  The two friends clinked their mugs in a toast. “To Fairyland!” they cheered together.

  “What an icy, gray December this is,” said Rachel Walker, blowing on her fingers and shivering. “I’m starting to wonder if it will ever be Christmas!”

  It was Saturday morning, and Rachel was in her backyard with her best friend, Kirsty Tate. They had come out to play a game of ball, but sleet was coming down. Kirsty shivered, too, and buried her hands deep into her pockets.

  “I’m really glad I’m staying with you for the weekend, but I wish the weather wasn’t so horrible,” Kirsty said.

  “We had such awesome plans,” said Rachel. “But nature walks and boating on the lake won’t be much fun when it’s so miserable and freezing. It looks as if we’ll be spending most of the weekend inside.”

  “Never mind,” said Kirsty, smiling at her friend. “We always have fun when we’re together, no matter what we’re doing.”

  “You’re right,” said Rachel, trying to forget about the dark clouds above.

  “Let’s go inside,” Kirsty said. “I think it’s starting to snow.”

  “Oh, really?” said Rachel, feeling more cheerful. “Maybe we can go sledding.”

  “I don’t think so,” said Kirsty. “I only see one snowflake.”

  She pointed up to the single, perfect snowflake. It was spiraling down from the gray sky. The girls watched it land on the edge of a stone birdbath.