Free Emily Feather and the Chest of Charms by Holly Webb Page B

can track the essence of them, if you’re careful. Having the feather will help, it’s a part of Lory’s magic. It should lead us to her.”
    Emily nodded. She was still stroking the feather, and she did feel as though she was holding a part of Lory. It seemed to wriggle in her fingers, eager and determined and rebellious. It tugged at her grip, as though it wanted to vanish through the door after the rest of itself. Robin was right – she knew the feather would lead them to Lory.
    Emily swallowed. “We’d better go and get them back,” she said again. “Does this spell really need Dan back here to undo it?” she asked Sasha, hoping she’d say no.
    â€œI think so.” Sasha sighed and ran a gentle hand over Lark, shivering as she met the stony magic of the spell. “Spells are like that, sometimes. You have to balance one thing against another. And almost always it’s the person who puts the spell on who has to take it off again. I don’t know how he made this one. It’s old, I think. We might be able to find some way to break it, but it would be better just to make him come back through the door. Then it’ll just undo.”
    Emily nodded. It did make sense that Dan would have to break his own spell, unfortunately. “Come on then,” she murmured, stepping a little closer to the chest. Even as frightened as she was, and worried about her sisters, her stomach still gave a little jump of excitement, as though she was in a fast lift. She could hear the trees rustling in the warm wind, now she was closer, and the river, shallow at the edges, was rippling over stones, chattering to itself. She smiled. It was the sort of thing people just said about water, in the human world, but over there, who knew? Perhaps the water really was talking.
    Sasha was smiling too, one hand reaching out towards the chest with a painful eagerness. For the first time, Emily wondered how much it hurt for her to be away from her home, from the strong, rushing water of her river. It wasn’t just her home, it was part of her. A garden pond, even in a half-magical garden, couldn’t ever be the same.
    Emily hated to remind Sasha that the river could never be her home again, but she had to. “We must be careful,” she said gently. “How long will it take for the hunt to catch your scent again? I mean, they could be anywhere. The other side of the world? Maybe they won’t even notice?”
    â€œThey will,” Sasha and Robin said grimly together, and even Lark gave a sad little nod.
    â€œI won’t have long,” Sasha murmured. “The hunt will sense that I’m back and they don’t run the way you do, Emily. They’ll fly, if they must. They have horses and they’ll gallop through the air.”
    Emily sighed. “You shouldn’t come with us. But you’re going to anyway, aren’t you, whatever I say? Let’s hope you’re right and Dan hasn’t gone far.”
    â€œThis spell must have taken a lot of his strength,” Lark croaked, raising herself a little on one elbow. “He’s lived without his real magic for years and years, if he’s been in exile here. He’ll be weak now. He can’t have gone far.”
    â€œHe’s probably just beyond the door.” Sasha nodded.
    â€œWaiting for us!” Emily said it before she thought, and then wished she hadn’t. It wasn’t helpful.
    Robin glared at her, but Sasha shook her head. “No. The binding spell, remember? He’ll think we’re all caught. We should be able to take him by surprise.”
    â€œUm…” Emily looked uncertainly between Robin and Sasha. “How exactly are we going to do that? I know we think he’s weakened, but he’s still one of the great lords, isn’t he? He was part of the fairy court if he really is Lady Anstis’s brother.”
    â€œSo am I,” Robin pointed