by Bentley, Sue
To Champion—wonderful and steadfast
GROSSET & DUNLAP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Text copyright © 2009 Sue Bentley. Illustrations copyright © 2009 Angela Swan. Cover illustration © 2009 Andrew Farley. First printed in Great Britain in 2009 by Penguin Books Ltd. First published in the United States in 2014 by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-0-698-16439-0
Version_1
Sunshine Shimmers
SUE BENTLEY
Illustrated by Angela Swan
Grosset & Dunlap
An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Contents
Dedication
Title Page
Prologue
Chapter * ONE *
Chapter * TWO *
Chapter * THREE *
Chapter * FOUR *
Chapter * FIVE *
Chapter * SIX *
Chapter * SEVEN *
Chapter * EIGHT *
Chapter * NINE *
About the AUTHOR
Prologue
The young silver-gray wolf raised his head and looked up at the mountaintops, which were veiled by mist. Storm took a deep breath. It felt good to be back. He wondered where his mother might be hiding.
Suddenly a terrifying howl shattered the silence.
“Shadow!” Storm gasped, realizing that the fierce lone wolf who had attacked his family and the Moon-claw pack was very close.
There was a bright flash and a dazzling shower of golden sparks. Where Storm had been standing, there now crouched a tiny fluffy ginger-and-black Yorkshire terrier puppy with a pointed face, pricked ears, and midnight blue eyes.
Storm trembled, hoping that his puppy disguise would protect him from the evil Shadow. Keeping his furry belly close to the ground, Storm crept toward a clump of rocks.
As he approached, one of the rocks seemed to move. Storm’s tiny heart beat fast as he picked out the shape of a large adult wolf and saw the gleam of familiar bright golden eyes.
The tiny puppy’s whole body wriggled and his tail twirled. “Mother!” Storm yapped with relief. With a whimper of greeting, he leaped forward and began licking Canista’s mouth and nose.
“I am glad you are safe and well, my son, but you have returned at a dangerous time,” Canista said in a warm, velvety growl. She nuzzled her disguised cub’s little ginger-and-black face, but then gave a sharp wince of pain.
“Let me help you!” Storm blew out a gentle stream of tiny gold sparks, which swirled around a nasty bite on Canista’s leg for a few seconds and then disappeared.
“Thank you, Storm. The pain is easing. But there isn’t time now for you to help me recover all my powers as well. You must go—Shadow is very close,” Canista rumbled softly.
Sadness rippled through Storm’s tiny puppy body as he thought of his father and brothers and the once proud Moon-claw wolves, now gone or scattered. His midnight blue eyes flashed with anger. “One day I will stand beside you and face Shadow and force him to leave our lands forever!”
Canista nodded proudly. “And then the others will accept you as their leader, and the Moon-claw pack will run together again. But until then you must use this disguise and hide in the other world. Return when you are wiser and your magic is stronger.”
Another fierce howl split the air. The sound of iron-hard paws thundered on the hillside. Powerful claws scrabbled at the rocks, close to where Storm and his mother hid. “I know you are here! Let us finish this!” Shadow growled coldly.
“Go now, Storm! Save yourself!” Canista urged.
Bright gold sparks ignited in the tiny puppy’s ginger-and-black fur. Storm whined softly as he felt the power gathering inside him. Golden light pooled brightly around him. It grew brighter . . .
Chapter
* ONE *
Della Walton sighed as she sat next to her mom in the busy Valencia airport.
“Cheer up, honey,” her mom said. “I’m sure our luggage will turn up. Your dad’s gone to find someone who can help to track it down.”
“I know. But it’s not just that,” Della said dejectedly, thinking about Chloe, who was originally supposed to come with them on their trip to Spain. But at the last minute, Della’s younger cousin had decided that she’d miss her parents too much and was staying at home. Della was certain that the vacation wasn’t going to be half as much fun without Chloe to play with.
“I know you’re disappointed about your cousin, but I’m sure you’ll meet some new friends,” her mom said.
Della hoped so. She tried to smile, for her mom’s sake, but she couldn’t make herself cheer up. It felt like a big black cloud was hanging over her head.
She saw her dad weaving toward them through the crowds of people. “Well, that was a waste of time,” he said, irritated. “A whole lot of luggage has gone missing, and no one has any idea where it is. We’re supposed to go on to the villa, and the airport staff will get in touch when our things turn up. I’ve left them our contact information.”
“Oh, dear. Well, I suppose we’d better pick up the car and get going,” Mrs. Walton said in her calm, practical way. “It’s a good thing we’ve got our money and all the important stuff.”
Della trudged after her mom and dad as they stepped outside the airport terminal. Bright sunshine shone down on beds of palm trees and giant cacti.
They picked up their car and soon joined the busy traffic on the highway.
Della stared gloomily out of the window at the towns they passed, baking in the sun, and the lines of cars and huge trucks. After about twenty minutes, the traffic thinned out, and the scenery was replaced by shady groves of olive and orange trees and green fields with low farmhouses.
Overhead, the sky was a clear, bright bl
ue. Despite herself, Della gradually felt her spirits starting to lift a bit. She was about to ask if they were there yet when they turned on to a narrow road that snaked up the side of a hill.
“There’s our villa!” Mrs. Walton said, pointing.
Della caught a glimpse of white walls and a red-tiled roof through the trees. Maybe things would get better once they got there. She began looking forward to a long, cool drink as she relaxed and splashed around in the pool.
But as their car drew to a halt outside the villa, Della caught her breath. Metal shutters covered all the windows, the lawn was long and straggly, and the pool was a sludgy greenish color.
“You must have made a mistake, Dad! This is the wrong place!” she exclaimed. There was no way she was swimming in that pool!
Scratching his head, her dad checked the address. “No. This is it, all right. I don’t understand what’s gone wrong. The owner lives on a farm just down the road.” He turned to his wife. “
Why don’t you and Della relax in the shade while I go and have a word with her?”
Mrs. Walton nodded. “Good idea.” She got out of the car and then sank onto a wooden bench beneath a tree.
I’m going to have a look around, Della decided, wandering off down a winding path past some flower beds. “First I’m left with no one to play with and now the villa’s a dump. This vacation’s one giant disaster,” she grumbled, starting to wish that she’d stayed at home, too. At least then she and Chloe could have had fun together.
She had just reached some palm trees when a dazzling flash lit up the white garden wall.
“Oh!” Della blinked, blinded for a moment. She looked up, expecting to see dark clouds gathering after what she thought was a flash of lightning. But the sky was still calm and sunny.
Feeling puzzled, Della looked back at the trees and saw a tiny cute puppy with ginger-and-black fur, a pointed face, and huge midnight blue eyes. Hundreds of tiny sparkles, like miniature fireflies, gleamed in its fluffy coat.
She frowned. What was a puppy doing here with the villa closed up and deserted? Maybe its owners had left it behind when they left. “You poor little thing. Are you all alone?” she murmured.
The puppy stood up and shook itself. “Yes, I am. I have come from far away. Can you help me?” it woofed.
Chapter
* TWO *
Della stared down at the puppy in surprise. The Spanish heat must have made her feel funny—she’d just imagined that it had spoken to her!
She fanned herself with her hands to cool down a little. The puppy was so cute, but her mom had told her it was best not to touch animals abroad. So she sat down on one of the low walls a little way away.
“I suppose you might belong to someone at the farm. Or maybe you’re a stray,” she said aloud to herself.
“I do not belong to anyone,” the puppy woofed.
Della’s eyes widened with shock. She almost toppled back off the wall onto her behind. “Y-you r-really can t-talk!” she stammered, straightening up.
The puppy pricked his tiny ears. “All the wolves in my world can talk. My name is Storm of the Moon-claw pack. What is yours?” it woofed again.
Della gulped. Talking dogs did not just appear to ordinary girls in real life, except in fairy tales. But this puppy had and it was blinking up at her expectantly with the brightest eyes she had ever seen, waiting for her answer.
“I’m D-Della Walton,” she found herself replying.
“I am honored to meet you, Della.” The puppy bowed his little head. “Where is this place?” Despite his tiny size, Della noticed that Storm seemed strangely unafraid of her.
“It’s a villa in Spain. I’m here on vacation with my parents. At least, we’re supposed to be on vacation. So far, everything’s gone wrong,” she said. She frowned and looked around nervously. “Did . . . did you just say something about a wolf pack?”
Storm nodded proudly. “My mother and father led our Moon-claw pack. But an evil lone wolf attacked us. He is called Shadow. My father and brothers were killed, and my mother is wounded and in hiding. Shadow wants to be leader of our pack, but the others are waiting for me to return. I am here alone in this world.”
“But how can you lead a wolf pack? You’re a tiny pup—” Della stopped as Storm held up a tiny fluffy front paw and began backing away.
There was another dazzling bright flash, and a burst of gold sparks showered over Della, crackling around her feet onto the grass.
Della rubbed her eyes, and when she could see again, the tiny ginger-and-black puppy was gone. In its place now stood an amazing young wolf with thick silver-gray fur and glowing midnight blue eyes.
“Storm?” Della gasped nervously, eyeing the wolf’s large teeth and thick neck-ruff that glimmered with hundreds of gold sparks like tiny yellow diamonds.
“Yes, Della, it is me,” Storm said in a deep, velvety growl. “Do not be afraid.”
Before Della could get used to seeing Storm as a handsome silver wolf, there was a final gold flash and he again appeared as a cute, fluffy ginger-and-black puppy.
“Wow! You really are a wolf. No one would ever know!” she said, bending down again and holding out her hand. Della decided that it would be okay to pet a magic puppy.
To her delight, Storm edged closer and brushed her fingers with his damp little nose. His tail wagged nervously, and she saw that he was beginning to tremble all over. “Shadow will know if he finds me. Will you help me to hide?”
Della’s heart went out to the helpless little puppy. “Of course I will . . .” Her voice trailed off as she realized that she didn’t know what was going to happen with the villa. “Except that I’m not sure where we’ll be staying now. I’d love to take you with me, but I don’t think Mom will be that happy about me adopting a stray. And I don’t see how I can smuggle you into our car without anyone noticing,” she said thoughtfully.
“Do not worry. I will use my magic so that only you will be able to see and hear me,” Storm woofed.
“You can make yourself invisible? Wow!” Della said breathlessly. “No problem, then. You can stay with me, wherever we end up!”
“Della! Where are you? Your dad’s coming back,” called her mom’s voice.
Della looked around. “Coming!” she called. She turned back to Storm. “Can you make yourself invisible now?”
Storm nodded. A cloud of tiny gold sparks glittered in his fluffy fur and then went out. “It is done.”
As Della began walking back through the garden, Storm padded along invisibly beside her. Della smiled to herself. When her mom had said that she might meet new friends on this vacation, she had never imagined that it would be a magic puppy!
“There’s been a mix-up,” Della’s dad explained. “Maria Isola, who rents out the villa, thought we were arriving next week. She’s very sorry and insists that she cooks us all a meal. We can relax at the farm while she and her daughter get the villa ready for us.”
Mrs. Walton nodded slowly. “Well, that’s good of her. And it will save us trying to find somewhere to eat out.”
Storm’s probably hungry, too, and ready for a rest after his long journey, Della thought, biting back a grin. She still couldn’t quite get used to having the tiny puppy sitting next to her while her mom and dad were completely unaware of him. But as they continued to take no notice of Storm, she felt herself beginning to relax.
Mrs. Walton ruffled Della’s short brown hair. “I’m glad you’re handling this so well, honey. I know you were already disappointed about Chloe.”
“I guess it’s not all been that bad,” Della said, looking at Storm and smiling to herself.
Her dad grinned. “That’s my girl!”
The farmhouse was close by, so they decided to walk to it. “After all, we haven’t got any heavy suitcases to carry,” Mrs. Walton reasoned.
Della felt better for the first time since their plane had landed. It would have been so cool to share her amazing new secret with Chloe, who she knew would have loved Storm, but Della decided that it was even more special to keep it all to herself. She took her time and let her mom and dad walk ahead of her, enjoying having Storm scampering along beside her on his short ginger-and-black legs.
Della wondered if she still might meet someone her age to be friends with this vacation. Then, she thought wistfully, this could just turn out to be my best vacation ever!
Chapter
* THREE *
The farmhouse and buildings were built around an open-ended courtyard. Soft early-evening light cast long shadows across the ground as Della and her family arrived.
“Oh, it’s really pretty,” Della said admiringly, glancing at the stone well and red and yellow flowers, which glowed from terra-cotta pots and window boxes.
A dark-haired woman came out of a barn and began scattering handfuls of grain for some chickens that w
ere scratching around in the dust. A smile lit up her face when she spotted Della and her parents.
“That’s Mrs. Isola,” Della’s dad said.
“Hola!” the Spanish woman greeted them cheerfully. “Welcome. Come inside. And please call me Maria.” After more apologies about the mix-up, Maria made them all cold drinks and then set about making food.
A tall dark-haired girl came into the kitchen. She looked about twelve years old and was carrying a bucket and cleaning things. Maria introduced her as Carmella, her daughter.
“Hi . . . I mean, hola,” Della said, grinning.
Carmella smiled. “Nice to meet you. I have to start cleaning your villa, but I hope that I will see you later.”
“Me too,” Della said.
Della quickly made sure that no one was watching her before whispering to Storm, “I’m glad that Carmella and her mom speak English so well. I’m not that great at languages, even though I’ve been practicing with my Spanish phrase book.”
Storm blinked at her with intelligent bright eyes. “What is a phrase book?”
“It has useful sayings in it, in Spanish, like ‘How much is this?’ and ‘Where can I find a drug store?’ But sometimes you can’t find the thing you really want to say!”
“I can use my magic to help you to do that,” Storm offered helpfully.
“Really? Wow! Thanks. I’ll let you know if I need it,” Della said. Storm was full of surprises. She wondered what else her amazing little friend could do.
Maria soon rustled up a meal of spicy sausage-and-potato omelets, tomato salad, and crusty bread. Della, Storm, and Della’s mom and dad sat at an outside table to eat. After making sure they had everything they needed, Maria went off to join her daughter in getting the villa ready.
The food was delicious. Storm jumped up to sit on Della’s lap, and she was able to secretly slip bits of food to him. He gobbled up the omelet and then licked his chops, seeking out every last tasty morsel with his little pink tongue.