The Wildwood Arrow Read Online Free

towards her. In a heartbeat, Laney felt transported back to themoment she found the Crystal Mirror. She pictured the Shadow towering over her and sliding the Mirror easily from her helpless fingers.
    She heard a shout and the figure on the path raised one black arm. Laney screamed and ran.

 
     
    Laney stumbled over bumps in the path, expecting at any moment to feel the burning pain of the Shadow’s red lightning.
    No lightning came.
    She ran on, not daring to look back. Perhaps the Shadow had taken to the air? He could be about to land right in front of her, spreading out his monstrous bat-like wings.
    Struggling for breath, she pounded down the footpath, hoping for a glimpse of Faymere Lake and the other Mist faeries. The ground grew stonier and she could see the glint of water in the distance. She fixed her eyes on the water and tried to gain speed.
    She was nearly there, so close – but then her foot caught on something hard sticking out of the path and she fell. Her hands and knees smacked into the stony ground. The world spun over and as she lay gasping she heard someone laugh.
    Stumbling up, she turned to look for the Shadow, her heart still hammering. She was right by the edge of the lake, in the centre of a group of kids, and a figure was walking down the path from the trees. He wore a long coat that flapped as he walked and the light from the setting sun shone on his face – a kind face with a broad nose framed by fuzzy dark hair.
    There was no hood, no vast black wings. This wasn’t the Shadow.
    She brushed the dirt off her jeans, feeling stupid.
    The man with the long coat walked straight over. “Are you all right?” he asked. “I thought you must be a Mist on your way to training and tried to catch up with you, but you ran off.”
    The kids whispered to each other and there was a sharp burst of laughter.
    Laney flushed a deep red. She knew everyone was staring, dozens of gold-ringed eyes all fixed on her. “I was hurrying. I just didn’t want to be late,” she said lamely.
    “It was a good way to make an entrance, if that’s what you were aiming to do.” Laney turned at the sound of Frogley’s voice, and he frowned at her over his half-moon spectacles. “OK, everyone, are we all here now? This is Joe Fenworth. He’s come to help us.” He indicated the younger man with the long coat and thick, dark hair. “Gather round now and we’ll start.”
    The kids crowded closer and Laney edged to the back. There was a mixture of younger and older kids, some from the villages of Gillforth and Pyton. She spotted Leah Millbrook with her shiny grey glasses and the tall figure of Cathy Rainer, who she knew from school. She hadn’t known they were Mists, but it made sense somehow. A boy in front of her looked round and nudged the girl next to him, who glanced round too. Laney’s heart sankwhen she saw who it was: Jessie Weir.
    Jessie’s eyes gleamed and she shook back her curly dark hair as she whispered to the boy. Then they both sniggered. Laney felt her cheeks turn red again. Jessie had always been the Queen of Mean and she hadn’t expected anything else.
    But now she was getting funny looks from Cathy and Leah too, even though they’d always been friendly before. She guessed that Jessie had done a good job of filling everyone in on her late Awakening.
    Mr Frogley cupped his hands and breathed into them. Letting them open, he released a thick blue vapour that went swirling up into the air. The mist spread out, forming a barrier around the edge of the lake. Then he released several glowing white orbs that floated into the air, casting a pale light over the surroundings.
    “We are cut off from human eyes for a while.” Mr Frogley chuckled as he looked round at them. “Safe and sound, eh? All the same, there will be no flying during this session and you must get back home on foot. Better safe than sorry.”
    At this news, there was some grumbling from the older kids, but Frogley ignored it. “As you