The Sapphire Quest by Gill Vickery Read Free Book Online
Authors: Gill Vickery
heavenly blue light with a lurid crimson. It lit up the trollsâ 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.
âYou!â Skadi stood in the doorway to her rooms, staring in furious shock.
âYes, me!â Tia sprang forward towards the stairs but a marble fist caught her bag. Her jacket sleeve slid up her arm, showing the bracelet.
âMy sapphire!â Skadi screamed.
In panic Tia pushed at the trollâs hand gripping her bag. Why hadnât she just transported herself to Askarlend when she had the chance? An image of Hyldiâs castle flashed through her mind â
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 sheâd brought the troll with her!
âUgh?â He let go of Tia and stared round in bewilderment before the last of Skadiâs 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 whoâd suddenly appeared in their midst, they werenât 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 sheâd made would alert everyone in the castle and theyâd soon realise she couldnât âtakeâ people any more or switch from place to place in the blink of an eye. Surely theyâd overpower her and spread the good news among the townsfolk? Then, when Loki patrolled Iserborg heâd see cheerful people, realize what had happened and report to Finn.
Tia brightened at the thought â 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 hadnât felt sick or dizzy when sheâd transported herself.
Before she knew what she was doing the bracelet was in her hand and she was gazing into the sapphireâs entrancing blue glow.
She closed her eyes. No â the jewels were too powerful for her to control; that was why sheâd 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 sheâd 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
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square,
London, WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
The right of Gill Vickery and Mike Love to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation
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.
âYou!â Skadi stood in the doorway to her rooms, staring in furious shock.
âYes, me!â Tia sprang forward towards the stairs but a marble fist caught her bag. Her jacket sleeve slid up her arm, showing the bracelet.
âMy sapphire!â Skadi screamed.
In panic Tia pushed at the trollâs hand gripping her bag. Why hadnât she just transported herself to Askarlend when she had the chance? An image of Hyldiâs castle flashed through her mind â
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 sheâd brought the troll with her!
âUgh?â He let go of Tia and stared round in bewilderment before the last of Skadiâs 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 whoâd suddenly appeared in their midst, they werenât 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 sheâd made would alert everyone in the castle and theyâd soon realise she couldnât âtakeâ people any more or switch from place to place in the blink of an eye. Surely theyâd overpower her and spread the good news among the townsfolk? Then, when Loki patrolled Iserborg heâd see cheerful people, realize what had happened and report to Finn.
Tia brightened at the thought â 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 hadnât felt sick or dizzy when sheâd transported herself.
Before she knew what she was doing the bracelet was in her hand and she was gazing into the sapphireâs entrancing blue glow.
She closed her eyes. No â the jewels were too powerful for her to control; that was why sheâd 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 sheâd 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
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square,
London, WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
The right of Gill Vickery and Mike Love to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation