Previously…
Wychetts (pronounced “Witch-etts”) is an ancient timber framed cottage, which contains an amazing magic power that was awoken accidentally by Bryony and her stepbrother Edwin on the first night in their new home.
The children wanted to use the magic of the Wise Ones to rid themselves of each other and return to their old lives; but when the evil Shadow Clan took over Wychetts and seized its power, Bryony and Edwin were forced to work together to save the cottage, and the whole of civilisation, from destruction (not to mention a worldwide shortage of ice-cream).
Following their traumatic battle with the Shadow Clan, the children had mixed feelings about a planned summer holiday. Bryony couldn’t wait to spend a relaxing week in the sun, but Edwin preferred to stay home and learn more about magic from Inglenook, the Keeper of the Ancient Wisdom. As it happened, neither got their wish; the children were plunged into a harrowing adventure on the Isle of Lost Souls, where they became embroiled in a bitter feud between two criminal animal gangs in a quest to recover the lost Wychetts Key and control its power. After a deadly fight against the Terrible Fang, Bryony and Edwin learned to share the power of the Wise Ones, but on her return home Bryony made a discovery that would change her mind about magic…
Bryony dumped her suitcase in the corner of her bedroom. She might have enjoyed packing for a holiday, but unpacking had never been her forte. Of course, she could use magic to help her, but somehow it didn’t seem right anymore. Besides, after her ordeal Bryony felt she’d had more than enough magic for a while.
Bryony flopped onto the bed and sighed, savouring the familiar comfort of her own mattress. It was dusk now, and through the window she could see stars twinkling through the veil of darkening sky. For some reason, stars always reminded her of Mum. When she was very small, Mum had a bedtime routine of holding Bryony up to the window and showing her the night sky. And there was a song she would sing, but Bryony couldn’t remember how it went. It was something to do with the moon…
At the thought of her mother, Bryony’s hand slipped unconsciously beneath her pillow, and there her fingers touched something soft and slightly furry. Hoping against hope, Bryony drew her hand from under the pillow, and with it came…
“Mr Cuddles!” Bryony exhaled a grateful sob, and clasped Mr Cuddles to her chest. “Thank you, Inglenook!”
Although Bryony hadn’t let on to Edwin, she had still been a bit upset at the thought of never seeing her favourite soft toy again. But now Mr Cuddles was back with her, and everything was all right. It didn’t matter that he’d been pecked quite a bit, and was leaking stuffing from a hole in his stomach.
Bryony lovingly prodded the stuffing back into place. Then she saw something poking out of Mr Cuddles that wasn’t stuffing: at first she thought it was a bit of dried pasta, but on closer inspection discovered it was a rolled up piece of paper.
Curious, Bryony pulled the paper from Mr Cuddles’ stomach and unrolled it. There was writing on it. Her mother’s writing.
Bryony read the words, her dark eyebrows furrowing as she struggled to make sense of their meaning. But that was impossible. The words had no meaning. They just didn’t make sense.
Bryony looked up and gazed through the window. She was surprised at how dark it had become, how quickly the hungry night had fallen. The stars were shining brighter now, but she scarcely noticed their brilliance as her black eyes focussed on that large silver crescent which seemed to dwarf everything else into insignificance.
And as Bryony sat staring at the night sky, the words on the paper repeated in her mind…
“Beware the Moon of Magister.”