The False Fairy

by Jordan Quinn

  Grom dropped the scale back into his satchel. “Our ship does need more power,” he said. “Can you think of anyone right for the job?”

  Lucas and Clara gave each other a puzzled look.

  Then Lucas’s eyes grew wide. “Do you mean Ruskin?”

  The Spell

  * * *

  * * *

  “Is Ruskin strong enough to pull a ship?” asked Lucas.

  “Probably not,” Grom answered. “But he could pull a smaller boat.”

  Grom walked toward a large dory—a lifeboat—hanging from the side of the ship.

  Lucas sized up the dory. “It’s perfect!” he declared. Then he gave orders. “I’ll lower the boat. You two get started on the tracking spell.”

  1 body part from creature to be tracked (hair, fingernail, scale, dander, or shell)

  1 cup orange blossom honey

  1/2 turnip

  1 handful of gooseberries

  1 swoosh of snail slime

  Grom and Clara hurried below and told Falsk and Ruskin the plan. Then Grom set a mortar and pestle on the galley counter. He opened his spell book and laid out the ingredients for a creature-tracking spell:

  Clara handed the ingredients to Grom one at a time.

  “It’s a good thing you had to pick up all these spell ingredients in Primlox today,” Clara commented.

  Grom cut the root from a turnip. “I’d say it was a good thing we all went to Primlox today.”

  The wizard ground and mixed the spell ingredients with the mortar and pestle. Then he unclasped a silver medallion, which was also a locket, from around his neck and filled it with the potion. With all in place, Grom chanted the tracking spell.

  Pursue-mora!

  Pursue-a-meest!

  Hot on the trail of an unknown beast.

  Track it down in a high-speed chase.

  Then make known its hidden face.

  POOF!

  Sparkling light and glitter swirled from the locket. It rippled out of the cabin and up into the sea air.

  Grom fastened the locket around Ruskin’s neck.

  “Follow me,” Grom said to the dragon. “Falsk, stay below until I return.”

  Lucas, Clara, and Ruskin climbed into the dory. Grom handed them a basket of water and food. Then he lowered the boat into the water. Lucas tied a harness around Ruskin and secured it to the boat with heavy rope.

  Ruskin took flight and began to carry the dory swiftly through the waves.

  Meanwhile, Grom returned to the cabin and cast a strong protection spell on the children and Ruskin. Then he told Falsk she could unstop her ears. “The humming is out of range for now,” he said.

  The frightened fairy pulled the fluff from her ears. “Is there a terrible monster out there?” she asked.

  Grom heaved a great sigh. “The sound is coming from some kind of creature. But a terrible monster?” He paused. “Only time will tell.”

  Rumblings

  * * *

  * * *

  Stars dotted the sky like starry gems. The sea had calmed, and Ruskin pulled the dory quickly across the water. There had been no sight or sound of the creature since they had left the ship.

  “We’ll have to trust the tracking charm,” Lucas said.

  Clara nodded. “And our wits,” she added.

  Lucas and Clara took turns watching and sleeping. Ruskin took breaks for fish snacks and water every hour. Soon the sun began to rise.

  Clara spied something in the distance. “An island!” she cried, pointing.

  Lucas rubbed his eyes and sat up. Sure enough, there was a strip of land on the horizon.

  “I never knew there was an island out here,” said the prince. “It’s definitely not on any map.”

  Ruskin flew faster, seeing land up ahead. Soon the boat scuffed along a sandbar. Lucas and Clara hopped into the shallow water and undid Ruskin’s harness. Then they pulled the boat onto the beach. The morning sun felt warm on their backs. Ruskin squawked and ran toward the edge of a jungle.

  “Come on!” Lucas said, following Ruskin toward the trees.

  Ruskin sniffed out a path into the jungle. The path led them under a thick canopy of trees. Ruskin found a freshwater stream and splashed into it. He stood under a waterfall and lapped the falling water. Lucas and Clara drank too.

  Then they walked along the path lined with trees, vines, and flowering bushes. Insects clicked and buzzed in the branches.

  “This island reminds me of Primlox,” said Lucas. “It’s so beautiful and lush.”

  Clara pushed a vine out of the way. “I wonder if it’s fairy magic,” she said.

  Ruskin stopped and looked up into the umbrella of leaves. He barked loudly.

  Lucas looked up and drew in a sharp breath. “There is fairy magic here!” he cried.

  Clara leaned her head back. Several fairies flew overhead. The children spied Rainbow Frost, Amber Quill—even Queen Sophie.

  “Hey! Down here!” Lucas called, beckoning with his hands.

  Clara waved too. “Hello! Calling all fairies!” she cried.

  The children shouted, whistled, and clapped their hands. But it was no use. The fairies didn’t seem to hear a word they were saying.

  “They must still be in a trance!” cried Lucas.

  “Shh! Be quiet,” Clara said. “I think I hear something.”

  Lucas stopped and listened. Something close by rumbled and rattled. It sounded like a wheeze . . . deep down inside the island’s throat.

  “It’s coming from behind that hanging moss,” Clara whispered.

  The thing rasped again, and Ruskin began to growl. Lucas put a hand on Ruskin’s head to quiet him.

  Then what sounded like claws scraped against rock, followed by a thunderous Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!

  “That sounded like very large wings,” whispered Lucas.

  Clara looked at the prince. “What do you think it is?” she whispered.

  Lucas shrugged. “Whatever it is, it’s not human,” he said quietly.

  Then a twig snapped under Clara’s foot. The children froze. The creature grunted.

  Lucas laid a hand on Clara’s shoulder. “Let’s find out what’s over there,” he whispered.

  “Right behind you,” said his best friend.

  Trapped!

  * * *

  * * *

  The children gently pulled back the curtain of moss and peeked between the branches. There stood a shimmering beast at the mouth of a dark cave. It had the body of an enormous dragon and the wings of a monstrous bat. Purple, blue, and silver scales neatly overlapped one another, like shingles, on the beast’s body. The scales looked just like the one the fisherwoman had found. Two curved horns rose up from the crest of the beast’s head, while thousands of hairy spikes ran down its back. The tip of its tail curled like a snake.

  Lucas blinked. “It’s huge,” he whispered.

  Clara swallowed hard. “Do you think it’s friendly?” she asked uncertainly.

  “I don’t know about friendly, but it sure looks powerful,” Lucas responded.

  Ruskin barked.

  “Shh!” Lucas shushed sharply, but it was too late.

  The creature locked its glowing crystal eyes on all three of them.

  Lucas dropped the curtain of moss to escape its stare.

  “Bad boy, Ruskin!” he scolded. “We didn’t even have a plan yet!”

  Ruskin squawked and raised his wings. Then he flew through the drape of moss straight toward the creature.

  “What’s he doing?” cried Clara.

  They peered through the moss. Ruskin landed in front of the creature and began to chirp and bark.

  “He’s trying to talk to the beast!” Clara said.

  “We have to stop him!” cried Lucas.

  Lucas and Clara flung back the moss and charged toward Ruskin. The beast fastened its gaze on the children and began to thunder toward them.

  “Run!” Lucas yelled.

  Lucas and Clara darted back into the jun
gle. The beast began to flap its heavy wings and took flight. Lucas and Clara kept going.

  Then, from above the treetops, they heard the eerie humming. It was the same sound they had heard from the ship, but it was much, much louder. Ruskin squawked overhead too. The children stumbled over plants and roots as they raced down the path. Then they burst out of the jungle onto the beach. They barreled toward the boat.

  Then whoosh! All at once the enormous beast swooped down and landed on the beach in between the kids and the boat. The enchanted fairies of Wrenly swarmed around the great beast. The children froze.

  “Oh no!” Lucas cried. “We’re trapped!”

  Brave Little Wings

  * * *

  * * *

  A fairy fluttered down from a palm tree above the children. She landed in the sand—directly in front of the creature.

  Lucas and Clara looked at each other in alarm.

  “It’s Falsk!” Clara whispered.

  The creature lowered its serpent face in front of the fairy. Falsk trembled wildly.

  “I—I—I am Falsk,” she began shakily, “the last fairy of Primlox, and this is Prince Lucas of Wrenly and his best friend, Clara.”

  The beast grunted and relaxed his wings.

  “We mean you no harm,” the brave little fairy went on. “We have come to gather my friends, these fairies who surround you, to bring them home.”

  Then, to everyone’s surprise, the creature spoke.

  “I know not of Wrenly,” it said in a deep, gravelly voice. “The place where you stand is Siren’s Island, and I am Siren. I sleep most of the time—sometimes for years. When I wake up, I go out in search of food. This time these tiny flying creatures followed me home. I know not why.”

  Grom, who had rowed in from the ship, stepped from his small boat and walked up the beach.

  “I know why, great Siren of Siren’s Island,” said Grom. “The fairies of Primlox have been bewitched by the hum of your spikes when you fly. The beautiful melody has put them into a trance.”

  Siren tipped his scaly chin toward Falsk. “How is it this one stays awake?” he asked.

  Falsk knew the beast was talking about her, but she couldn’t hear what he said. She looked to Grom.

  “Her ears are filled with milkweed fluff,” he said. “It shields her from your bewitching song.”

  Siren nodded. “This tiny creature is brave to talk to a beast of my size. She had no way to know that I am friendly. I would like to call her Brave Little Wings.”

  Lucas, Clara, and Grom turned to Falsk and bowed their heads. The wee little fairy had risked her life to save them all. Then Lucas stepped forward.

  “She will be greatly honored,” the prince said. “But tell us, how can we wake the fairies from their trance?”

  Siren shook his head. “I know not how to awaken them,” he said.

  “But I know,” Grom said. “The fairies will wake up when they leave Siren’s presence. Then there will be nothing to hypnotize them.”

  “I meant no harm,” the ancient dragon apologized. “I cannot control my wing song. You must get the fairies back to their home.”

  Clara looked out to sea. “But we have no idea where we are.”

  Siren lifted his mighty head. “Then I shall lead you back,” he said.

  The travelers boarded the ship and sailed home. They followed Siren’s mystical cloud, which they had learned was his camouflage—a thick mist given off by his scales. The fairies trailed behind the dragon in a great swarm.

  “Wait until our families hear about this!” Lucas said as they sat in the cabin with Falsk, who had to stay away from the hum of Siren’s spikes.

  Clara cut a piece of oatmeal bread from a thick loaf. “More important, wait until the fairies hear that Falsk saved them all,” she said.

  Falsk fluttered close to Lucas and Clara. “Do you think the fairies will like me now?” she asked.

  Lucas smiled. “That depends, Brave Little Wings,” he said. “Have you become a trustworthy fairy?”

  Falsk nodded firmly. “From now on, I will never play another trick,” she said. “And I’ll be truthful, honorable, and kind.”

  And this time everyone believed her.

  JORDAN QUINN grew up in a fairy-tale castle in England. It had a spiral stone staircase, a moat, and a dungeon. As a child she liked to play hide-and-go-seek and ride her beloved horse, Prince Charming. When she wasn’t riding, she wrote stories about fairies, trolls, dragons, and wizards. Today, Jordan lives on a ranch in California with her husband, son, and a golden retriever named Sir Toots-a-Lot.

  ROBERT McPHILLIPS has been involved in a wide variety of projects over the years—from illustrating greeting cards to animation. But he has always loved children’s books, and after many years he has turned his attention back to that. Robert makes his home in Wiltshire, England, with his wife, Sam.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  First Little Simon hardcover edition December 2016

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Quinn, Jordan, author. | McPhillips, Robert, illustrator.

  Title: The false fairy / by Jordan Quinn ; illustrated by Robert McPhillips.

  Description: First Little Simon edition. | New York : Little Simon, 2016. |

  Series: The Kingdom of Wrenly ; 11 | Summary: “A mysterious spell has hypnotized the fairies on the island of Primlox and it’s up to Prince Lucas and Clara to save them”— Provided by publisher.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016021955 | ISBN 9781481485876 (hc) | ISBN 9781481485869 (pbk) | ISBN 9781481485883 (eBook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Fairies—Fiction. | Magic—Fiction. | Princes—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Readers / Chapter Books. | JUVENILE FICTION /

  Fantasy & Magic. | JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.Q31945 Fal 2016 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016021955