The Sapphire Quest by Gill Vickery Read Free Book Online

heavenly blue light with a lurid crimson. It lit up the trolls’ faces, staining their broken fangs as they ground their jaws. With a ghastly grating noise they raised their clubs and swivelled towards Tia, their red eyes pulsing.
    Tia pelted for the archway. Two trolls reached it before her. They crammed into the space at the same time and trapped themselves. Before they could wrench their bodies free, or the other trolls couldreach her, Tia snatched up her bag and squeezed between their stone legs into the hall.
    â€˜You!’ Skadi stood in the doorway to her rooms, staring in furious shock.
    â€˜Yes, me!’ Tia sprang forward towards the stairs but a marble fist caught her bag. Her jacket sleeve slid up her arm, showing the bracelet.
    â€˜My sapphire!’ Skadi screamed.
    In panic Tia pushed at the troll’s hand gripping her bag. Why hadn’t she just transported herself to Askarlend when she had the chance? An image of Hyldi’s castle flashed through her mind –
    And then she was there. The sprawling, ungainly building loomed above her, lights flashing and music ringing from every window and door. Tia had transported herself there without meaning to. And she’d brought the troll with her!
    â€˜Ugh?’ He let go of Tia and stared round in bewilderment before the last of Skadi’s magic drained out of him and he turned to nothing more than a statue again.
    Tia hurriedly pulled down her sleeve to hide the glowing sapphire and walked away with her head down. While people were excitedly gathering round the marble troll who’d suddenly appeared in their midst, they weren’t bothering with her.
    When she reached a quiet little square with a fountain splashing in the middle, she slid off the bracelet and put it in her pocket. She sat on the wall surrounding the fountain and thought about Skadi. The commotion she’d made would alert everyone in the castle and they’d soon realise she couldn’t ‘take’ people any more or switch from place to place in the blink of an eye. Surely they’d overpower her and spread the good news among the townsfolk? Then, when Loki patrolled Iserborg he’d see cheerful people, realize what had happened and report to Finn.
    Tia brightened at the thought – then frowned. It might still take her friends some time to work out that she was already in Askarlend. Perhaps she ought to use the sapphire and return to them now? It was easy; she hadn’t felt sick or dizzy when she’d transported herself.
    Before she knew what she was doing the bracelet was in her hand and she was gazing into the sapphire’s entrancing blue glow.
    She closed her eyes. No – the jewels were too powerful for her to control; that was why she’d promised her DragonBrother never to use them. She shoved the bracelet back in her pocket. She had to wait till Finn and Loki came looking for her.Until then she needed a safe place to stay and a way to earn her food.
    She pulled her jacket tightly round herself, slung her bag on her back, and set off to explore this flashing, noisy town she’d arrived in by mistake.

Can Tia and her friends meet the challenge of the fifth adventure? Find out in
    The Ruby Quest
    published by Bloomsbury
March 2014

This electronic edition published in November 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing
    Copyright © 2013 A & C Black
Text copyright © 2013 Gill Vickery
Illustrations copyright © 2013 Mike Love
    First published 2013 by A & C Black
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