before. Father says it’s not possible to transfer power like that unless you’re a Spell Lord but I’ve been thinking about it and I’m sure something happened when we fell down together in the supermarket—”
“Just get on with it. What do I have to do?”
“Nothing. Er… that is… touch the spell, that’s all.”
Natalie grasped the spell firmly and raised her chin. Her eye held a challenge. “Go on then. But this time I’m watching you, great wizard Merlin. Don’t try that firework trick again, all right?”
Merlin closed his eyes.
Draw the power up your arm . Feel it flow through your veins, feel its heat fill you...
In the early days, one of his father’s favourite lessons had been to lock him in his room and make him practise transporting food. He used to say when Merlin was hungry enough he’d stop being so useless. Merlin had stayed hungry but he knew the theory off by heart.
Hearing Natalie’s sharp intake of breath he opened his eyes and looked round eagerly. If wanting was enough he’d have transported the entire contents of the cellar into the passage: generator, bench, stools, empty tanks, the lot. Not only did he want Redeye safe but almost as badly he wanted to show Natalie he could do it.
But there was no spellflash. The spell cooled and dimmed, and Natalie let go. She frowned at her fingers a moment, then shook her head.
“Satisfied now?” she said.
Merlin clutched the spell tighter, a chill breathing down his neck as he realized what must have happened. That dark smile. “He knew,” he whispered. “Father must’ve seen the spell in Redeye’s cage and taken it out. Oh, he’s going to murderme!”
“All the more reason to get out of here then, isn’t there? If you won’t tell me where the key is, I’ll climb out a window.” With a determined look on her pale face, Natalie opened the door to one of the downstairs rooms.
Merlin ran after her and caught hold of the back of her sweatshirt. She scowled at his hand. “The key’s under the mat,” he said, hopelessness closing about him like a cloud. “Take it and go. Turn right when you get over the gate, otherwise you’ll end up at the archery range and someone will see you. I’ll put Father off the scent for as long as I can. But I’m warning you now, if he tries to pull off one of Redeye’s legs like he did to your spider, I’ll tell him everything right away.”
Natalie was already scrabbling under the mat. She found the key and flung the door wide. Sunlight lanced into the hall, bringing cold air and damp woodland smells. She raised her face to the sky and inhaled as if she were taking her first-ever breath. Then she turned and gave him a hesitant look. “Are you going to be all right?”
Tears filled Merlin’s eyes. “Not really. Hunter will eat Redeye now.”
He didn’t think she’d heard. She was already running down the path. But after three strides she stopped, kicked at the gravel and came back. “What would make your father open the cellar door?”
Merlin tried to think. “I dunno. There’s the generators. If they went wrong, he’d have to go down and fix ’em, I suppose. And there’s the spells, of course. I think Father and Claudia are doing experiments on them, they’ve got ’em down that tunnel you saw.”
“How about a fire?”
He blinked again. “Set fire to the Lodge, you mean?” It was a dreadful, wild idea. “But what if the spells catch? Spellfire’s dangerous, you can’t put it out till the spells die, and there’s whole sacks of ’em down there. They’d burn the whole wood down!”
“We only need a small fire, just to make some smoke. Then when your father opens the cellar to rescue his spells, we sneak in, grab your mouse and run.”
Merlin’s heart did peculiar things. “Redeye might burn too.”
“We’ll get him out before then.”
He cast a doubtful look upstairs. What if the fire spread to his room? Then he shook himself. He’d have to leave his
“Just get on with it. What do I have to do?”
“Nothing. Er… that is… touch the spell, that’s all.”
Natalie grasped the spell firmly and raised her chin. Her eye held a challenge. “Go on then. But this time I’m watching you, great wizard Merlin. Don’t try that firework trick again, all right?”
Merlin closed his eyes.
Draw the power up your arm . Feel it flow through your veins, feel its heat fill you...
In the early days, one of his father’s favourite lessons had been to lock him in his room and make him practise transporting food. He used to say when Merlin was hungry enough he’d stop being so useless. Merlin had stayed hungry but he knew the theory off by heart.
Hearing Natalie’s sharp intake of breath he opened his eyes and looked round eagerly. If wanting was enough he’d have transported the entire contents of the cellar into the passage: generator, bench, stools, empty tanks, the lot. Not only did he want Redeye safe but almost as badly he wanted to show Natalie he could do it.
But there was no spellflash. The spell cooled and dimmed, and Natalie let go. She frowned at her fingers a moment, then shook her head.
“Satisfied now?” she said.
Merlin clutched the spell tighter, a chill breathing down his neck as he realized what must have happened. That dark smile. “He knew,” he whispered. “Father must’ve seen the spell in Redeye’s cage and taken it out. Oh, he’s going to murderme!”
“All the more reason to get out of here then, isn’t there? If you won’t tell me where the key is, I’ll climb out a window.” With a determined look on her pale face, Natalie opened the door to one of the downstairs rooms.
Merlin ran after her and caught hold of the back of her sweatshirt. She scowled at his hand. “The key’s under the mat,” he said, hopelessness closing about him like a cloud. “Take it and go. Turn right when you get over the gate, otherwise you’ll end up at the archery range and someone will see you. I’ll put Father off the scent for as long as I can. But I’m warning you now, if he tries to pull off one of Redeye’s legs like he did to your spider, I’ll tell him everything right away.”
Natalie was already scrabbling under the mat. She found the key and flung the door wide. Sunlight lanced into the hall, bringing cold air and damp woodland smells. She raised her face to the sky and inhaled as if she were taking her first-ever breath. Then she turned and gave him a hesitant look. “Are you going to be all right?”
Tears filled Merlin’s eyes. “Not really. Hunter will eat Redeye now.”
He didn’t think she’d heard. She was already running down the path. But after three strides she stopped, kicked at the gravel and came back. “What would make your father open the cellar door?”
Merlin tried to think. “I dunno. There’s the generators. If they went wrong, he’d have to go down and fix ’em, I suppose. And there’s the spells, of course. I think Father and Claudia are doing experiments on them, they’ve got ’em down that tunnel you saw.”
“How about a fire?”
He blinked again. “Set fire to the Lodge, you mean?” It was a dreadful, wild idea. “But what if the spells catch? Spellfire’s dangerous, you can’t put it out till the spells die, and there’s whole sacks of ’em down there. They’d burn the whole wood down!”
“We only need a small fire, just to make some smoke. Then when your father opens the cellar to rescue his spells, we sneak in, grab your mouse and run.”
Merlin’s heart did peculiar things. “Redeye might burn too.”
“We’ll get him out before then.”
He cast a doubtful look upstairs. What if the fire spread to his room? Then he shook himself. He’d have to leave his
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