Pete McGee and the Master of Darkness by Adam Wallace Page A

of you to your senses.’
    â€˜Yeah right,’ Smithers said, the seriousness gone from his voice now. ‘Were you not even at knight training? Do you not remember me kicking your butt every time? Huh? HUH?’
    He punched Pete on the arm. Molloy stood with them, looking around.
    â€˜Hey, where’s Tahnee? And Ashlyn? Are they okay?
    And how do we get out of the forest? Trust me, Sweet, it isn’t easy. This path is on repeat or something.’
    Pete stared at Molloy. There was no way he was going to be able to get around this one.
    â€˜Getting out’s easy,’ he said. ‘I’ve got this cool little light, and we can stay on the path.’
    He looked at Smithers, who could see something was wrong.
    â€˜What is it, Pete?’ he asked.
    Pete swallowed and looked back at Molloy.
    â€˜The spiders, Molloy. We were fighting giant spiders and they got Tahnee. They bit her. It’s …’
    His voice trailed off and he stared at the ground, biting his cheeks to stop the tears coming. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Molloy’s eyes lost their usual twinkle and went hard. His voice did too. He dropped the rhyming slang.
    â€˜Take me to her,’ he said. ‘Now, Pete!’
    Pete didn’t say a word. He simply started walking, leading the way but having to keep up with Molloy, who wanted to get to his sister as fast as he could.
    The three burst out of the forest into the sunlight. It normally would have been a relief, but not when it illuminated Tahnee lying against the tree, her leg swollen and red, black lines of poison running under the skin. Molloy cried out and ran over to her. Pete forced himself to stand back.
    â€˜Ashlyn,’ he said, trying to distract himself. ‘Have you got the Green Book?’
    Ashlyn shook her head. Pete looked at Smithers, who also shook his head.
    â€˜I thought it was in your pack,’ Smithers said.
    â€˜No, not since after the squirrels, when we—oh no …’

    The Green Book jiggled and wiggled itself open, still beside the tree where Pete had left it.
    â€˜Hellooooooooo?’ it asked warily. ‘Pete? Ashlyn? Anyone? Are you there? I’m lonely and there are wolves.’
    â€˜AHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!’ howled a wolf in the distance … but not too far away.

    Pete groaned. The Green Book may have given them something, some sort of clue on how to save Tahnee. Suddenly Molloy strode past. Pete grabbed his arm and stopped him.
    â€˜Molloy. Where are you going? Tahnee needs you with her.’
    Molloy’s eyes, already red with tears, stared at Pete.
    â€˜I know, Pete, of course I know that. Tahnee and the other healers in Bandragon taught me a few things, and I know what I have to do. I know what I need to save her. But I have to collect some things. I won’t be long. I can’t be long. That poison’s spreading fast. I can’t let her die, Pete. I can’t let her die.’
    There was desperation in Molloy’s voice, and Pete released his grip. Molloy ran off, stopping here and there to gather flowers, seeds, Pete didn’t know what. Ashlyn sat with Tahnee, holding a wet cloth to her forehead. Tahnee was awake now, a fever taking hold. She groaned and squirmed, crying out in pain every now and again, and it was all Ashlyn could do to keep her still.
    Smithers stood to one side, staring into the distance. Pete walked over to him.
    â€˜What are we going to do, Smithers?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know what to do.’
    Before Smithers could answer, a voice boomed down from the sky. Syra Tanooth was back.
    â€˜So, Pete McGee, you and your little friends have survived the FOREST OF DEATH! Do not worry though, your tests are not complete, and it seems one of your group is not all that well.’
    Pete glared into the sky.
    â€˜Back off, weirdo,’ he said, losing all semblance of cool. ‘You just back off. If you so much as