A Summer Spell Read online

  Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Sue Bentley’s books for children often include animals or fairies. She lives in Northampton and enjoys reading, going to the cinema, and sitting watching the frogs and newts in her garden pond. If she hadn’t been a writer, she would probably have been a skydiver or brain surgeon. The main reason she writes is that she can drink pots and pots of tea while she’s typing. She has met and owned many cats, and each one has brought a special sort of magic to her life.

  To Bradley – my lovely laid-back blue boy

  PROLOGUE

  There was a flash of bright white light and a shower of silver sparkles. Where the young white lion had stood, now crouched a tiny, fluffy, marmalade kitten. Overhead, grey clouds skidded across a huge red moon.

  Suddenly an old grey lion ran up to the little kitten and bowed his head. ‘Prince Flame! Hurry! Your Uncle Ebony comes! If he finds you, he will kill you. You must use this disguise and hide until your powers grow stronger.’

  ‘Cirrus! Save yourself,’ Flame mewed, his emerald eyes flashing. ‘I will face him.’

  ‘Please, Flame. You must hide,’ Cirrus urged.

  Flame shivered. ‘Hide where? My kingdom is taken. Uncle’s spies are everywhere … ’

  Cirrus laid a paw on the young prince’s little marmalade head. ‘Go far away. Grow strong and wise. Return then, to claim the Lion Throne and rid the land from this terrible evil.’

  Something moved on the lower slopes. Flame gasped as an enormous adult lion surged upwards in great, muscular bounds that ate up the wet grass. His terrifying teeth were bared.

  Silver sparks ignited in Flame’s fur and the kitten mewed as he felt the power building inside him.

  Just as the older lion leapt on to a flat rock and gathered himself for a final spring, there was a bright blue flash. Flame heard a roar of rage, then felt himself falling. Falling …

  CHAPTER ONE

  Lisa Morgan gave a sigh as the train drew to a halt. Long Brackby station had no waiting room. There was just a wooden platform and some steps that led down to the road. All around there was miles of open countryside.

  ‘Great, I’m being dumped in the middle of nowhere,’ she grumbled. ‘Thanks a lot, Mum and Dad!’

  Her parents had gone to America on business. But Lisa was going to stay with her Aunt Rose, who she hadn’t seen since she was a baby.

  Lisa scanned the platform. She saw a woman with plaits and flowing clothes hurrying towards her. Her heart sank. Aunt Rose was an old hippie!

  I bet she has weird ideas about food, Lisa thought glumly. She imagined being force-fed beans, lettuce and raw carrots. She pictured herself looking all limp and pale. Wouldn’t that just serve her parents right?

  The hippie woman smiled. She dashed straight past Lisa and jumped on the train.

  ‘Phew!’ Lisa breathed, feeling relieved but a bit disappointed. She had quite liked the idea of making her parents feel guilty for not taking her with them.

  Just then a voice called out, ‘Hi, Lisa! I’m over here!’

  A slim woman with wavy brown hair was climbing the platform steps. She wore jeans and a yellow T-shirt. She waved at Lisa.

  Lisa waved back.

  ‘Sorry I’m a bit late.’ Rose gathered Lisa up and gave her a big hug. She then held Lisa at arm’s length and studied her. ‘Gosh, aren’t you tall for ten years old?’

  ‘Everyone says that,’ Lisa murmured. ‘Dad says I take after him.’

  ‘I expect you’re right.’ Rose’s smile was warm. It made her eyes twinkle. ‘It’s so lovely to have you for the school holidays. We can really get to know each other.’

  Lisa felt cheered by Rose’s warm welcome. But she wasn’t ready to let go of her bad mood. ‘I didn’t want to come here. Mum forced me to stay with you.’

  Rose looked amused. She picked up Lisa’s suitcase. ‘Well – I’d better make sure you enjoy yourself then. Long Brackby may not compare with America, but it has a lot to offer. Come on. Let’s go home. The car’s this way.’

  Lisa followed her aunt down the steps. The car park was empty. ‘Has someone stolen your car?’ she asked worriedly.

  ‘Oh, no. Matilda’s over there.’ Rose pointed across a wide field. ‘She conked out on me, I’m afraid. That’s why I was late.’

  Lisa craned her neck. She could just see the rounded top of a red car above a hedge. It looked about a hundred miles away!

  Rose grinned at Lisa’s expression. ‘It’s only a short walk. I expect you could do with stretching your legs after two hours on the train.’ She opened a big wooden gate and stepped into the field.

  Lisa hung back nervously. There were lots of enormous black and white cows in the field. ‘Won’t they chase us?’ she asked.

  ‘Not if we don’t chase them,’ Rose joked. ‘Just follow me. You’ll be fine.’ She closed the gate behind them and set off.

  After a couple of metres Rose stopped suddenly. ‘Oh, look, how pretty. That’s ragged robin … ’ She pointed to a clump of pink wild flowers.

  ‘Oh.’ Lisa almost bumped into her aunt. She was keeping a wary eye on the cows. One of them, which looked about the size of a bus, was staring hard at her. She was sure it was going to charge at any moment. Rose set off again. ‘Lisa, you’d better watch out for the … ’ she began.

  Lisa’s foot sank right into something soft and smelly. She skidded and almost slipped over. ‘Ugh! How gross is that!’

  ‘ … cowpats,’ Rose finished.

  ‘My trainers!’ Lisa wailed. ‘They’re ruined.’

  Rose’s mouth twitched. ‘Oh, well, it’s only a bit of old poo. We can hose it off when we get home. Good thing you didn’t slip over and sit in it!’

  Lisa scowled at Rose. ‘Ha, ha,’ she muttered crossly.

  Peering down at her trainer, Lisa hopped about on one foot, trying to wipe the sole clean on the grass. When she looked up again, she saw that Rose was almost at the other end of the field.

  ‘Wait for me!’ she shouted in panic. She zoomed across the field and shot through the gate. There was no way she going to be left behind with the cows, to be trampled into a human pancake!

  Rose walked along the grass verge until she came to her car. ‘Here we are. Say hello to Matilda.’

  Rose’s VW Beetle was painted black and tomato red. It looked like a giant, rather battered ladybird.

  ‘Oh – my – goodness,’ Lisa mouthed silently. ‘Will that old thing start?’

  ‘She, please,’ Rose corrected, ‘Matilda always starts after a rest. She opened the bonnet, which Lisa saw was actually the boot, and put Lisa’s suitcase inside. When they were both seated, Rose gunned the engine. ‘Hurrah! First time!’ she cried.

  Despite herself, Lisa smiled.

  A couple of minutes later, they drew up outside a neat thatched cottage. White roses scrambled all over the honey-coloured stone walls.

  ‘Leave your trainers on the front step. You can clean them later,’ Rose said. ‘I expect you’d like a cold drink.’

  ‘Yes, please.’ Lisa followed her aunt through to the kitchen. A big iron kettle sat on top of Rose’s cooker. There was also a deep sink and a wooden dresser, but no dishwasher, toaster or microwave.

  ‘Now, what can I get you?’ asked Rose.

  ‘A Coke, please,’ Lisa said.

  Rose frowned. ‘I’m afraid I’ve only got lemonade. It’s home-made. Would you like to try it?’

  Lisa wrinkled he
r nose, but she was dying of thirst so she accepted a glass. She took a tiny sip. It wasn’t as bad as she’d expected.

  ‘Come on. I’ll give you the grand tour.’ Rose led the way into a room filled with afternoon sunshine.

  Lisa saw a sofa with big patchwork cushions and lots of bookcases. ‘Through there is my workroom.’ Rose pointed towards an open door.

  Lisa peered inside. There were shelves piled with folded material, and glass jars crammed with colourful beads and buttons. ‘I thought Mum said you were an artist.’

  Rose chuckled. ‘I’m a textile artist. I make patchwork quilts and wall hangings.’

  ‘Oh,’ Lisa said. That sounded really boring. ‘What’s upstairs?’

  Rose explained that there were two bedrooms. One was hers and Lisa would be using the other.

  ‘It’s a bit small, isn’t it?’ Lisa said. She was sure Rose’s entire cottage would fit into the sitting room of her parents’ flat in London.

  ‘I prefer to think of it as cosy,’ said Rose with a smile. ‘It suits me just fine. Why don’t we sit down and finish our drinks before I show you your room?’

  ‘OK,’ Lisa shrugged. She plonked herself down on Rose’s squishy sofa. Something didn’t seem quite right with the room. Then, with a shock, she realized why. ‘You haven’t got a TV!’

  ‘Oh, I don’t bother with watching the box. I always have so much to do,’ Rose said.

  Lisa was speechless. She didn’t know anyone who didn’t have a TV.

  Rose took one look at Lisa’s glum face. She chuckled. ‘I’ve an old set in the cupboard. I’ll get it for you, if you like.’

  Lisa shrugged. ‘I don’t mind.’

  Five minutes later Rose came in carrying a small black and white TV. ‘Here you go.’

  Lisa just stared. ‘It’s only got four channels!’

  Rose frowned. ‘How many should it have?’

  ‘I don’t know. But ours at home has at least thirty.’

  ‘Really?’ Rose looked astonished. ‘However do they fill that many channels? Well, if you don’t want it … ’

  ‘No, I do. I do!’ Lisa decided quickly.

  She watched as Rose set about plugging in the TV. No microwave and a TV that should be in a museum. This holiday was going to be a nightmare.

  CHAPTER TWO

  As Lisa finished stuffing her clothes into a drawer, her aunt called up the stairs.

  ‘Lisa! Why don’t you have a look round outside while I’m cooking supper? There’s something that might interest you in the barn.’

  Lisa padded downstairs in her socks. Rose was in the kitchen by the backdoor. She gave Lisa some green wellington boots. ‘You can borrow these.’

  Lisa rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, good!’ she murmured.

  Rose chuckled. ‘They might not be the height of fashion, but they’ll keep your feet clean!’

  Rose’s garden had a long narrow lawn and a big vegetable plot. The old barn was right at the bottom. Lisa wandered down to it. She hoped the barn wasn’t dark and creepy and full of horrible spiders.

  Just as she opened the door there was a bright silver flash. Lisa thought she saw a large white shape out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head, but saw only a pile of old newspapers.

  She pushed the door wide open and poked her head in. A warm, slightly musty, smell greeted her. It was somehow familiar. Lisa went right inside. She could see rows of cages and pens. Now she recognized that smell. It was just like inside a pet shop.

  ‘Look at all these animals! This is great!’ There were rabbits, guinea pigs and even some hedgehogs. ‘Aunt Rose must be into animal rescue.’

  Sacks of animal food were stored on a bench. Lisa noticed a glow coming from one of the food sacks. ‘That’s strange.’ She went over to investigate.

  ‘Oh!’ She gazed in amazement.

  A fluffy marmalade-coloured kitten was curled up on one of the sacks. Its silky coat looked as soft as thistledown. Silver sparkles glittered in the air around it and its whiskers crackled like electricity.

  Lisa stared and stared at the kitten. It looked so real. Was it some kind of new toy? No cat in the world sparkled like that.

  Suddenly the kitten’s eyes shot open. It took one look at Lisa and hurtled into the air on stiff little legs. ‘Miaow! Monster!’ it cried fearfully.

  ‘Argh!’ Lisa yelled in shock. Did this kitten really just speak?

  Lisa took a step back, fell over her own feet and landed on her bottom in the straw.

  The kitten gazed at her with glowing emerald eyes. Its fur all stood on end. Silver sparkles crackled all round it. ‘What are you?’ it demanded in a velvety miaow.

  ‘I’m a girl,’ Lisa stammered in complete shock. ‘What are you?’

  But the kitten didn’t seem to hear her. ‘A girl?’ it repeated to itself. ‘Strange. You have two legs. No tail or whiskers.’

  ‘Of course I haven’t! I’m not a cat!’ Lisa said. She rose to her feet slowly, so that the amazing kitten wouldn’t run away. ‘My name’s Lisa Morgan.’

  ‘Lisa,’ the kitten mewed, looking up at her. It seemed strangely unafraid of her, despite how tiny it was. ‘Where is this place, Lisa?’

  ‘It’s a village called Long Brackby,’ she replied. ‘My Aunt Rose lives here. I’m staying with her for the holidays. What are you doing here? Who are you? What are you?’

  ‘I am Prince Flame,’ replied the kitten, sitting up very straight. ‘Heir to the Lion Throne.’

  ‘Wow! Really?’ Lisa was having trouble taking everything in. A royal cat. A magic, talking cat. Here in her aunt’s barn! Lisa thought for a moment. She was confused. ‘Did you say Lion Throne? But you’re only a kit–’ She was suddenly interrupted as Flame pricked up his ears.

  ‘What is that big noise?’

  Lisa heard a car go by on the road outside. ‘Just a car. It’s OK. It won’t hurt you.’ She had a sudden thought. ‘Are you hungry? Aunt Rose must have loads of cat food. I can get you some if you like.’

  Lisa saw Flame’s eyes light up at the thought of food. ‘You are kind, Lisa. This is a safe place.’

  He leapt forward. There was a bright blue flash and a crackle of silver sparks.

  ‘Oh!’ Lisa was blinded for a second. When her sight cleared, she saw that in Flame’s place stood a young, regal, white lion. Then just as suddenly as it had appeared, Flame returned as the fluffy marmalade kitten.

  ‘Flame? Was that you?’ she gasped. ‘You really are a lion prince!’

  Flame blinked up at her with wide, emerald-green eyes. ‘I am in danger. I must hide. Will you keep me safe?’ he asked in a tiny mew.

  Lisa’s heart melted. Flame was impressive as a royal lion. Disguised as a kitten he was adorable. ‘Oh, of course I will!’ Picking him up, she gently stroked the top of his head. Then she paused for a moment. ‘But what are you hiding from?’

  Flame placed his tiny paws on Lisa’s chest and looked up at her. ‘My uncle wants my throne. His spies seek me here. He wants – he wants to kill me.’

  ‘Well, they’ll have to fight me first!’ Lisa said fiercely. ‘I’ll look after you, Flame,’ she promised. ‘You’ll be my secret. My secret magic kitten. Although I don’t know what I’m going to tell Aunt Rose. She’s going to notice you if you live here.’

  ‘Notice who?’ asked a voice at her side. ‘Who are you talking to, Lisa?’

  Lisa almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn’t heard Aunt Rose come into the barn.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘I found Flame asleep on a feed sack. Please can I keep him?’ Lisa asked, stroking Flame’s tiny ears.

  ‘Flame? I see you’ve already given him a name.’ Rose stroked the kitten’s soft marmalade fur. ‘He’s beautiful all right. But we should find out where he lives. He’s not one of the rescued animals, you know.’

  ‘He hasn’t got a home or he wouldn’t be sleeping in a barn, would he?’ Lisa reasoned. She had promised Flame she would take care of him and there was no way she was letting him
down. ‘If you let Flame live here, I’ll do everything for him. I’ll buy his food out of my pocket money. He can sleep in my bedroom. And … and … I’ll clean out pongy animal cages and everything!’

  Rose laughed. ‘You’re determined to keep him, aren’t you?’

  ‘Completely!’ Lisa said spiritedly. ‘So – can he stay?’

  ‘You’d best give him to me then,’ Rose said. ‘I’ll check him for fleas and ticks before he comes into the house.’

  ‘Brilliant! You can stay here. We’re going to be the best of friends,’ Lisa whispered, giving Flame a swift hug before handing him to her aunt.

  ‘Hello there, you sweet thing.’ Rose ran expert fingers through Flame’s soft coat. ‘No flea dirt showing, so far.’ She then turned him over and searched the paler fur on his fat, round tummy. ‘Good, none there either.’

  Flame wriggled and mewed in protest.

  Lisa had to bite back a grin. She suspected this was the first time a lion prince had been searched for fleas!

  Rose finished her examination. ‘He’s clean and in very good condition. I expect he’s hungry. You’ll find food and a feeding dish on that shelf.’

  ‘Thanks, Aunt Rose! You’re wonderful!’ Lisa hugged her aunt on impulse.

  Rose gave her a pleased smile. ‘Anyone would think you’d never had a pet!’

  ‘I haven’t. Mum says it isn’t fair to have animals in a town flat.’ Lisa opened a tin, forked food into a dish and set it on the floor.

  Flame purred loudly as he munched the cat food.

  ‘Well, I agree with your mum about pets,’ Rose said seriously. ‘Don’t get too attached to Flame. You’ll have a tough decision to make when you go back to London.’

  Lisa knew that Rose was right. But it was too late. She had promised Flame she would look after him, and this magic kitten was the one good thing that had happened since her parents had left her here. She didn’t want to give him up!

  Flame licked his lips when he’d finished the food. He came and rubbed his body against Lisa’s legs. She bent down to stroke him and he mewed softly, so only she heard him.