Tara Duncan and the Forbidden Book by HRH Princess Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian Page A

those plants to grow and thrive.”
    At first, the animal was too busy pushing against the tree to notice that the surrounding vegetation was getting taller. But it must have started to tickle, because it flailed with its trunk to get rid of the prickly bushes jabbing its belly.
    Tara put her hand on Robin’s, joining her magic to his, and recited: “By the tree that is alive, I want those plants to grow and thrive.”
    Galvanized by Tara’s powerful magic, the plants made a great leap upward, trapping the pachyderm in a living prison. It struggled to free itself, but the grasses and bushes tangled its feet and trunk. In minutes, the mammoth was helpless, able only to trumpet furiously.
    Tara and Robin climbed down from their tree and cautiously backed away.
    â€œVery effective!” he said with a grin. “You can hold my hand any time you like.”
    Tara blushed. Sparrow and Fabrice, who were still shaken, joined them.
    â€œYikes!” said Fabrice, “I was so scared! I thought that monster was gonna flatten you like a pancake!”
    â€œHey, look out!” Sparrow’s cry made them turn around.
    Alarmingly, the vegetation entangling the mammoth had started to smoke. They were about to run out of the way when the monster suddenly burst from the scorched bushes and grabbed the nearest person: Fabrice.
    The boy screamed as the huge trunk crushed his ribs. But just as Sparrow was about to leap into the fray with fangs and claws, and just as Tara was activating her power, something very odd happened.
    The mammoth suddenly jerked to a stop, paralyzed, apparently unable to move. Then it gently set Fabrice down, whose cheeks were now wet with tears. The huge animal started shifting awkwardly from foot to foot while its trunk delicately stroked the boy’s head.
    â€œHe . . . he . . . he chose me!” stammered Fabrice. “He says his name is Barune. He feels terribly sorry. He doesn’t know what came over him. He . . . chose me!”
    Jaws slack, the friends stared at Fabrice as if he’d gone crazy.
    Then Sparrow started. “By my ancestors, it’s a familiar!” she exclaimed. “This . . . this monster has become a familiar. Look at his eyes. They’ve changed, they’re golden!”
    She was right. The small, angry eyes had turned gold—and they looked very concerned.
    Robin was so astonished that his legs buckled, and he slumped to the ground.
    â€œNo! I can’t believe I’m seeing this!” he moaned. “Don’t tell me Fabrice was just chosen by the empress’s favorite animal!”
    â€œI hate to say so, but that’s exactly what happened,” soberly said Tara, who could feel a giggle rising in her. “From now on, Fabrice’s familiar is an immortal fifty-ton blue mammoth. Do you think we’ll have any trouble hiding this little . . . detail?”
    That did it. The terror they’d been feeling turned into a wave of hysterical laughter that left them bent over, with tears streaming down their cheeks. And every time one of them managed to say the word “detail,” it started up all over again.
    Still feeling overwhelmed, Fabrice came out of his trance and frowned.
    â€œWhat are you guys doing, rolling around on the grass?” he snapped.
    â€œOh, sorry,” said Sparrow, laughing and wiping the tears from her fur. “It’s just wonderful. I’m very happy for you.”
    Fabrice’s face immediately cleared. “Yes, it’s extraordinary. Barune is fantastic. Do you realize what happened? He chose me—me! I can’t believe it.”
    â€œNeither can I,” said Robin with a sigh, still holding his belly. “All right. Now we have to take care of this . . . problem.” (He was careful not to say the word “detail.” His stomach muscles hurt enough already.)
    â€œWhat problem?” asked Fabrice. He was lovingly stroking Barune’s coarse