“What noise?” Grandpa frowned.
“It was like a laugh – a chuckle? Coming from the trees.” Anthony pointed.
They all listened, but there was just silence.
“You must have imagined it,” said Sophie. “Now, what was that you were saying about pizza, Grandpa?”
“Oh, I think a couple of giant-sized ones with lots of toppings, a massive bottle of lemonade and a bucket of cookie-flavoured ice cream is just what we need,” said Grandpa. “Then afterwards, Anthony, I can tell you all about the Shadow Files and show you how to keep the notes in them up to date.”
“You mean there’s writing? You never said anything about writing!” Anthony exclaimed in alarm.
“Ah, well, you see, Anthony,” Grandpa put his arm over Anthony’s shoulders, “being the Guardian is a position of great responsibility. You must prepare and practise, work day and night. When I was a young Guardian…”
Sophie shook her head as she watched them go into the house, Grandpa still talking. “How is this going to work out?” she said to Sam.
“I have absolutely no idea.” Sam looked at her. “But for now I think we should do what your grandpa said – eat pizza and celebrate!”
Sophie high-fived him. “Bring it on!”
As their hands met, happiness surged through her. The shadow creatures had been defeated, the gateway was locked, Ug had gone and the key and the gems were back in their safe-keeping. There was no danger any more.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s time to party!”
Grinning at each other, she and Sam ran into the house.
A silence seemed to have fallen over the gnarled trees as if the world was waiting for something. Slowly, a creature crept out of hiding and looked around, her red eyes gleaming. So this was the human world she had heard about for so long. It was different from what she had expected but no matter. She would soon make it hers. Fire flickered around her long yellow nails and she chuckled softly. At last, her time had come!
Copyright
SOPHIE AND THE SHADOW WOODS : THE BAT SPRITES
Text copyright © Linda Chapman and Lee Weatherly 2011
Illustrations © Katie Wood 2011
Linda Chapman and Lee Weatherly assert the moral right
to be identified as the authors of this work.
ISBN 978-0-00-74117-3
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition © 2011 ISBN: 9780007411740
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The Bat Sprites Page 5