Free Emily Feather and the Secret Mirror by Holly Webb Page A

knuckles in her mouth to muffle the noise.
    â€œWho’s there?” came a panicked whisper. A girl’s voice – not a slavering hound. Unless the dogs could talk, of course. Emily gave a sharp gasp.
    â€œWho are you ?” she whispered.
    â€œI asked first!”
    It was true … she had. Emily swallowed. “I’m Emily. I came looking for someone.” Someone, come to think of it, who was probably hiding, just like she was… She paused, and added doubtfully, “Is it you?”
    The frightened person next to her in the dark was silent for a moment. Then she whispered, “You’re the girl from the house?” There was a sudden hope in her voice.
    â€œYes!”
    â€œI thought it was you… I felt you – just a scrap of magic, but it was close somehow. I didn’t understand. Were you by the mirror?”
    â€œNo, I think it was another door. A secret door. One of those doors that aren’t really allowed.” Emily stumbled over the explanation. “It was in a painting. There was a gallery full of paintings, but I could feel you calling me out of one of them. I don’t know how it ended up there. I suppose someone must have brought it back from your world.”
    â€œIt’s a very powerful spell, to make someone’s picture,” the girl whispered faintly. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
    â€œI wanted to! I wanted to come before, but that man grabbed me. And then it was so hard to get back. My parents made the spells stronger, you see, when they realized I’d gone through the doors. I promised I wouldn’t do it again,” she added hesitantly.
    â€œYou shouldn’t have done,” the girl agreed, and her voice sounded weary. “It’s too dangerous. I shouldn’t have called to you, but I was desperate, and I felt you close by. I’m sorry…”
    â€œOf course you should have done!” Emily gripped the girl’s cold hand. She could feel her shivering. “You helped us before; it was my turn. And I could tell how scared you were. I wanted to help you .” She paused, suddenly feeling rather stupid. All she had been thinking was that she must get to the river girl and help her. She hadn’t thought any further, and now both of them were stuck in a dark wood, with hunters and dogs circling around them. She had no idea what to do next.
    â€œYou can’t rescue me,” the girl said gently. “I’m running from the Ladies’ huntsmen.”
    â€œBut we have to be able to do something,” Emily whispered urgently. “Can’t we find somewhere to hide? Until they’ve given up on you?”
    â€œThey won’t give up! The hounds never give up on a quarry!”
    Emily shook her head, confused. “But what are you going to do, then? You’re worn out already. You can’t just keep running for ever!”
    â€œThat’s all there is. Better that than being chased down by the hounds.”
    Emily put her hand up against her mouth, feeling suddenly sick. “They wouldn’t … hurt you?”
    â€œThey would.”
    Emily took a deep, steadying breath and shook her head angrily. “No. And I don’t care if it’s against all the laws.” She wrapped her arms tightly around the river-fairy girl and begged all the magic in the house to bring them home.

Emily was back on the window seat, shaking, and staring into the darkness. The cushions were still piled up around her as if she had never moved.
    So it had been a dream – she had been here all the time. But surely she had brought the girl back out of the dream with her? She must have done. It couldn’t all have been for nothing.
    â€œAre you there?” she breathed, not daring to speak above a whisper. If it had worked, who was to say that the girl was all she had brought?
    There was a waiting, anxious silence. And then someone shifted at the other end of the