The Flying Glass (Fanglewick School of Magic Book 1)

by E. M. Cooper

  Later as they made their way back to Andromeda up the grassy path, Marnie asked, ‘Why did you take the risk of helping me? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you both did.’

  Oliver half laughed. ‘We don’t agree with everything we see here. Like Seb said earlier, you shouldn’t be working as a servant when you have obviously had so many problems like needing glasses and not having a family.’

  ‘None of us would have passed the exam if that had happened to us,’ Seb said.

  ‘They create strange rules,’ Oliver said. ‘Wizards set themselves up as masters in the Imporium and try to control magic. Feral magic might be against the rules, but the rules aren’t always fair.’

  ‘Thank you both,’ Marnie said. ‘For taking the risk for me.’

  Hours later, Marnie sat by the window in the common room. In the distance, against the night sky, she could see the outline of Fanglewick like a prehistoric beast with knobbly towers and spires protruding from its back. As she watched and sipped cocoa, a spire crumbled and was reabsorbed.

  ‘Here you are,’ Seb said and slid into the chair opposite her. ‘I didn’t see you at dinner.’

  Marnie nodded. ‘I wasn’t hungry.’

  ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Why do you suppose I couldn’t fly today or light the fire?’

  ‘I don’t know, maybe because you haven’t been taught by a proper teacher. I wouldn’t worry.’

  But Marnie couldn’t help wondering as a scatterling whether her magic was slight or perhaps non-existent, so she would never make it as a student at Fanglewick. Or perhaps she wasn’t a scatterling at all and was just a lucky human who had managed to stumble through the demonic halo unscathed.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 17

  Fangleball

  Marnie sprawled on the grass in the sunshine watching the Lyra and Gemini teams line up on the Fangleball field wearing caps and goggles and carrying paddles. Pressured to try out for the Gemini team, Lissa stood awkwardly with her arms folded waiting to play while her eager teammates stretched or jogged on the spot.

  ‘Poor Lissa, she doesn’t deserve this,’ Marnie said to Seb.

  ‘No big deal. If she’s pathetic at it, she’ll be off the hook quickly.’

  ‘Why are they wearing goggles?’

  ‘Watch, you’ll see. The game’s pretty basic.’

  Holding a mallet, Muriel Crawfoot stood beside a bronze gong decorated with the house motifs: a wolf, dragon, unicorn and owl. When she struck the gong, the players ran onto the field as the Lyra and Gemini crowds chanted and cheered. Each player had a ball, yellow for the Gemini wolves and blue for the Lyra dragons.

  ‘If any of them score a goal at the opposite end of the field, they get to run back and collect a black balloon,’ Seb explained. ‘They’re about the size of a grapefruit. See them in the basket.’

  ‘What do they do with them?’

  ‘Try and hit the opposition—hard, so they burst. They’re filled with paint and if a player from the other side gets hit, they have to walk off. It ends when one team loses all its players. Like I said, it’s fairly basic but fun.’

  ‘Hmm, interesting,’ Marnie said. ‘So that’s why some kids call the game whacksplat?’

  ‘Not exactly. In the early days, itchy imps copped a paddle when they stuck their heads up from their lawn burrows to see what the fuss was about.’

  ‘Sounds messy.’

  ‘These days it’s against the rules to hit one. Now someone checks the field the day of the game to make sure the burrows are empty.’

  Muriel brought a large basket of blue and yellow balls to the centre of the field. After each player had collected a ball, they stood on their back line eyeing each other off. Once Muriel had blown a whistle to start the game, players ran madly swatting at their balls towards their goals. After a number of spectacular collisions, a few players managed to score and returned for their balloons. Soon paint balls flew madly through the air accompanied by wild screaming and cheering. Lissa was one of the final players standing when one of her teammates sent a balloon of yellow paint barrelling into the last Lyra girl, a fierce looking witch.

  After the first match, Andromeda and Capricorn teams began lining up on the field. Covered in a rainbow of paint, dirt and grass stains, a smiling Lissa approached Marnie and Seb. Her hair had pulled from one plait and her face was smudged with dirt, but she didn’t seem to care.

  ‘You were amazing,’ Marnie said.

  ‘Sport’s not something I do, but it was so much fun,’ Lissa said.

  Marnie patted her on the back. ‘You whack-splatted two wizard boys and a witch girl—I kept count.’

  ‘Did I?’ Lissa shook her head in amazement. ‘I didn’t know I could play.’

  Seb grinned. ‘Well you do now.’

  ‘This looks the perfect spot,’ Charlie said to Callie and Eudora before spreading a blanket only a few steps from where Marnie and Seb were standing.

  ‘When’s your dad taking over the school?’ Eudora asked Charlie in a loud voice.

  A few heads swung around.

  ‘Soon, I expect.’

  ‘Easy,’ Callie said. ‘Thigi’s too doddery to catch the murderer and everyone knows Mystilic isn’t really a ....’ She giggled.

  Marnie glared at her. ‘Isn’t what?’

  Charlie turned. ‘A real wizard.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You of all people should know.’

  ‘Come on, let’s move,’ Seb said. ‘It’s crowded here.’

  Charlie and the two elfin girls burst into laughter.

  ‘Going so soon?’ Charlie said.

  They moved to the back of the crowd onto an embankment which gave them a better view of the game and the surrounding fields. On the far side of the grounds in an easterly direction was a thickly wooded area.

  ‘What’s that place?’ Marnie asked.

  Seb peered in the same direction. ‘Wilderly Woods. It’s off limits, just like Lunaris Field.’

  ‘Are there more fairies in there?’

  ‘No, it’s just wild like the name suggests. Kids have got lost in there and haven’t been found.’

  Marnie shaded her eyes and squinted in the direction of the Wilderly Woods. ‘A few people with dogs are walking into the woods.’

  ‘I heard detectives are doing a sweep of the Wilderly paths to see if they can find any clues about what happened to Jax.’

  ‘Won’t they get lost?’ Lissa said.

  ‘No, they’ll only go a few hundred metres with their dogs sniffing the trails,’ Seb said.

  ‘I hope they’ve got their wands,’ Marnie said, ‘just in case they do find Jax.’

  Not being overly interested in watching the next game, Marnie noticed Charlie had left the two girls and was walking slowly away from the Fangleball field. ‘Charlie’s going for a stroll.’ She watched curiously as he took the path towards the small wooden cottage owned by Jax and his brothers in the direction of Lunaris Field.

  Seb pointed to the cottage porch where someone was waiting. ‘I’d say there’s the reason.’

  ‘It could be Jax,’ Marnie said. ‘Want to stretch your legs?’

  ‘Not me. I’m starving,’ Lissa said. ‘The goblins are bringing lunch down the hill.’

  ‘It smells like sausages and onions,’ Marnie said.

  ‘What are they?’ Lissa asked.

  ‘You’ll love them. We ate them a lot in the orphanage. Make sure you smother them in sauce.’

  ‘I’ll stay here and cover for you,’ Lissa said. ‘Please be careful.’

  ‘We’ll just have a peek and stay clear of trouble,’ Seb assured her. He nodded at the playing field, which had erupted into a chaos of flailing legs, arms, balls, shouting and squealing. The appreciative crowd was jumping up and down, clapping and cheering, obviously delighted with the mayhem. ‘Our timing’s perfect.’

  Marnie and Seb jogged over the grass to the path and ran swiftly to the bushes near the open door of the c
ottage where Charlie had just entered.

  ‘Get down,’ Seb whispered. ‘I can see Charlie inside the doorway.’

  ‘Where have you been?’ Charlie said in a tense voice.

  ‘Here and there.’

  ‘Why? Why did you do it?’

  ‘Isn’t it what you wanted?’ Marnie recognised Jax’s voice.

  ‘Are you crazy? We had the car waiting outside the gate. All you had to do was get Crabwinkle there ... but you ...’

  ‘But you ... but you,’ the possessed Jax mocked. ‘Although I’m flattered, I have to admit I didn’t kill her. The stupid wizard ran upstairs and locked herself in a tower. When I visited last night to finish her off, someone had sealed the door from the outside.’

  ‘What?’ She’s still alive?’

  ‘Perhaps Fanglewick has digested her now—who knows? Ooo, so gruesome.’

  ‘Stop it. What a minute ... why did you want to finish her off?’

  ‘It’s what I do.’

  ‘No, you weren’t meant to hurt her.’

  ‘You’re no fun.’

  ‘I order you to leave Jax’s body and return to the halo.’

  The djinn chuckled.

  ‘He’s in trouble,’ Marnie whispered as she plucked a small rock from under the bush.

  ‘I don’t think you’re going to take a djinn out with that,’ Seb whispered.

  ‘We need a diversion.’

  ‘Did you really imagine you summoned me, child?’ Jax’s voice was louder.

  In desperation, Charlie muttered spells and slashed the air with his wand.

  Marnie sneaked to the open side window where she could see his panicked expression and Jax inching closer to him.

  ‘Oh dear, it isn’t working, is it?’ the djinn said. ‘Let me clear up the puzzle. It’d be a shame to die not knowing.’

  Charlie stood frozen.

  ‘Do you honestly believe a child fresh to magic could summon a great djinn? Yes, you opened the portal—a chattering monkey could. Unfortunately, what you didn’t see was the shadowy thing that came with me. It sat in a chair by the curtains before Jax arrived.’ Jax pretended to shudder. ‘It gave me the willies, so I ignored it. Thankfully it seemed to be in a primitive mode as though it needed to gather juice. Best you die now instead of feeling guilty about unleashing that monster.’

  Marnie lifted the rock and flung it at the window, smashing the glass. ‘Run Charlie!’ she yelled.

  She and Seb sprinted from the cottage garden to the forest edge and threw themselves under bushes out of view. Charlie came tearing after them entering the forest nearby.

  Inside the cottage, Jax swore and raged before racing outside and turning his nose to the air. ‘Master?’ He hummed as he crept towards the forest edge. ‘I smell your sweet fear on the wind. Surrender. It’s just so—inevitable.’

  Charlie ran deeper into the forest as Jax gathered pace and charged after him. Watching helplessly from behind trees, Marnie and Seb could see Jax reach Charlie in the clearing. Charlie was whimpering and walking backwards as he faced Jax.

  Seb and Marnie crept forwards and hid behind more bushes.

  ‘Don’t feel bad. Like I said, it’s what I do,’ the djinn said to Charlie.

  A faint, high-pitched drone filtered from deeper in the forest. Jax paused and studied the tree canopy curiously. ‘Did you hear that?’ As the sound grew, he appeared confused. ‘What is this place?’

  Speechless with fear, Charlie could only shake his head.

  ‘Speak!’

  ‘Um, it’s um ....’

  ‘Don’t jabber! Where are we?’

  ‘Lunaris Field,’ Charlie croaked.

  The drone grew louder until it turned into a throb. The dim forest pulsated. A swarm of beating wings, a haze of flickering silver descended through the leaves. Poor Charlie collapsed immediately on the forest floor from fright. Teeming creatures swarmed over his prone body.

  Jax stood his ground watching in horror.

  ‘Fairies,’ Seb whispered in awe.

  A handful of them darted overhead. Their angry screams merged into a high-pitched moan. They flew towards Jax. Marnie held her breath. They soared in a flicker of double wings, fine limbs and angular faces. One fairy paused and hovered while gazing into the shadows where she and Seb were hiding. Its tiny wings beat so furiously, it sounded like a bird. With a small silver arrow poised for release in a bow, the fairy scanned back and forwards. Marnie could see its startling green eyes and needle teeth glistening in the darkness. She covered her mouth to stifle a scream. When the fairy finally turned and followed the others, she trembled uncontrollably.

  After wrapping Charlie in a shimmering cocoon, the rest of the fairies advanced in a cloud towards Jax with their iridescent eyes flashing. Jax panicked and ran deeper into the forest. The fairies chased him, whooping with delight. They quickly caught him. Jax thrashed and bashed at the fairies, only enraging them. Spitting and screaming, they tore at him with sharp teeth and fine talons.

  ‘Quick, while they’re distracted.’ Marnie ran to Charlie. She picked at the web with her fingers, but it stuck on them. Picking up a stick, she hacked at the tacky web. ‘Hurry. We have to get him out of here.’

  Seb grabbed up a stick and tore at the web from the other side.

  They dragged Charlie by his feet under the bushes and through the undergrowth. As they looked back, another wave of fairies arrived. And another. Some with fine bows hovered and shot silver arrows into Jax’s flesh, while he still wriggled and thrashed. When finally he fell helpless to the ground, they dived and with webs shooting from their fingertips, bound him tight.

  Clear of the fairies, Seb and Marnie pulled Charlie to his feet and draped his arms over their shoulders before half carrying him to the edge of the forest. They had almost reached the Fanglewick lawns when a fairy swarm flew at them, screaming with fury. Without looking back, Marnie and Seb threw Charlie over the boundary and dived into the sunlight.

  Marnie sprawled on the lawn and gasped until she had air to speak. ‘Why didn’t they follow us?’

  ‘They couldn’t,’ Seb said. ‘Protective wards guard Fanglewick.’

  Charlie moaned as he picked feebly at the sticky webbing over his body. ‘I’m going to die.’

  ‘I doubt it,’ Seb said.

  Marnie squinted into the distance. ‘Lissa’s coming—with Thigimus, I think.’

  ‘My head ... the pain ... it’s agony.’

  ‘Shut up, Charlie,’ Seb said.

  ‘You’ll be okay,’ Marnie said.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ Thigimus said when he reached them. ‘Lissa said you were forced into Lunaris Field.’

  ‘It’s true,’ Seb said quickly. ‘Jax was acting crazily. He chased Charlie. We had to help, so we followed them.’

  ‘Jax, you say?’

  ‘He ran after Charlie into the forest. He was acting very strangely ... something about a djinn,’ Marnie said.

  Thigimus’ eyes opened wide. ‘Where’s Jax now?’

  ‘The fairies wrapped him in a cocoon, deep in the forest,’ Marnie said.

  ‘Seb, Marnie, run up to the cottage. Fetch me an empty jar or bottle with a lid. Lissa take Charlie to the infirmary. Do you know where that is?’

  Lissa nodded. ‘Yes, it’s on the path to Gemini. I pass it every day.’

  ‘Now you don’t want to dilly dally,’ Thigimus said. ‘Those fairy arrows deliver a slow-acting poison. Charlie will be dead in a few hours if he doesn’t get treatment.’

  Charlie gasped and whimpered as Lissa helped him stand.

  ‘No need to fret, you’ve hours left. You’ll be fine. Witch Yallow will know what to do—she runs the infirmary,’ Thigimus said to Charlie.

  When Seb and Marnie returned with a pickle jar they’d emptied, Thigimus asked them to show him where they’d last seen Jax.

  ‘You want us to go back in there?’ Seb said.

  ‘I’m afraid so, dear boy. I think Jax might be possessed and suspect he might
be Mae Crabwinkle’s killer.’

  ‘Yes, we’ll show you where he went.’ Although the prospect left Marnie cold, she felt responsible for not having told the teachers about Jax earlier. ‘What are you going to do to stop the fairies?’

  Thigimus plucked a long wand from under his cloak. ‘Never fear, I’m always prepared.’

  Marnie tried to hide her doubt.

  ‘Come along, we have a demon to snare—preferably before Jax becomes their afternoon tea.’ Thigimus gathered his robes to avoid the brambles as he strode into the forest.

  Following him, Marnie and Seb crept over the boundary while glancing nervously at the tree canopy.

  When they reached the clearing, Marnie whispered, ‘The fairies attacked Charlie over there.’

  Thigimus peered into the clearing where thin shafts of light cut the gloom. ‘Can you see Jax?’

  Marnie shook her head.

  ‘I think we’ll need to find the fairies’ abode,’ Thigimus said.

  ‘How?’ Marnie stared at him, wondering if he was unhinged.

  Thigimus leaned over and jabbed the ground with his wand. ‘Tracks, my dear.’ The forest was getting darker and the trees closer. ‘See the shimmery stuff?’ Thigimus pinched some from a fern and peered at the gooey strand between his thumb and forefinger. ‘That’s gossamer residue. We’ll follow it.’

  They crept deeper into the forest until they spotted a silvery form swaying from a tree, a large cocoon, large enough to hold Jax.

  Marnie hissed and grabbed Seb’s arm. ‘What if it’s a trap?’

  Thigimus turned and said audibly, ‘Nonsense, they’re not that bright.’ He strode towards the cocoon and prodded it with the end of his wand while Seb and Marnie waited, hidden by the trees.

  Jax moaned.

  ‘Yes, It’s definitely him,’ Thigimus said loudly.

  A familiar, high-pitched sound penetrated the forest making Marnie and Seb flinch.

  ‘Uh oh.’ Seb dragged Marnie under a bush as a flurry of furious fairies swarmed into the clearing. Moments later, a volley of silver arrows showered Thigimus. He gazed at them with a perplexed expression. Like a giant silver porcupine, he fell face-first on the forest floor. Within moments a cloud of fairies engulfed him.