Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT "Ms Willow!" exclaimed Valentina triumphantly. "I knew I was right. I suspected that you sent the letters and when my aunt started behaving strangely today, I guessed it wasn't really her but you in disguise!" Isla was astonished that she didn't sound scared. "How did you disguise yourself and get around the protection spells?" Valentina asked. "Prancer cast a glamour, making me look like Ms Nettles. As for the protection spells–" Ms Willow waved a hand– "with the magic I've stored in the lagoon and with Prancer's powers, they were easy to break." "Where is my aunt?" asked Valentina, and now Isla was sure she heard a tremor in her voice.

“威洛小姐！”瓦伦蒂娜得意地叫道。 “我知道我是对的。我怀疑那些信是你寄的，今天我姑妈举止古怪，我就猜那不是她，而是你乔装打扮的！”艾拉很惊讶，她听起来一点也不害怕。 “你是怎么伪装自己，避开保护咒的？”瓦伦提娜问道。 “腾跃舞散发出一种魅力，让我看起来像荨麻女士。 至于那些保护咒语——”威洛女士挥了挥手——“有了我储存在泻湖里的魔法和普兰瑟的力量，它们很容易被打破。” “我的姑妈在哪儿？”瓦伦蒂娜问道，现在艾拉确信她听到了她声音中的颤抖。

"Safely out of the way, imprisoned in a secret place. I sent her a letter inviting her to an urgent meeting about Ms Willow and as she rode out of the school, I captured her and her unicorn. Now I shall I bind all the unicorns in this school to me and then they shall become my army and help me take over the island!" "How?" said Valentina. Ms Willow laughed and clasped her hands in delight. "A girl after my own heart. Always asking questions. There is enough magic stored in the Frozen Lagoon to make binding ribbons for every unicorn at the academy. Once the ribbons are in their manes they will obey me, just as Prancer does!" Isla's heart clenched as Valentina chuckled slyly. "So where do I come into all of this and, more importantly, what do I get in return?"

“安全的，被囚禁在一个秘密的地方。 我给她写了一封信，邀请她参加一个关于威洛女士的紧急会议，当她骑马离开学校时，我抓住了她和她的独角兽。 现在我要把学校里所有的独角兽都绑在我身上，然后它们就会成为我的军队，帮我占领这个岛！”“怎么做？”瓦伦蒂娜说。 威洛女士笑了，高兴地紧握着双手。 “一个合我心意的女孩。 总是问问题。冰冻泻湖里储存的魔法足够为学院里的每只独角兽制作绑扎带。 一旦缎带戴上它们的鬃毛，它们就会服从我，就像普兰瑟一样！”瓦伦蒂娜偷偷地笑着，艾拉的心紧绷着。 “那么，我从何做起，更重要的是，我能得到什么回报？”

"Money, power and of course you'll get to graduate from the academy. Not that you'll need to after tomorrow night. First, you must prove your loyalty by binding Golden Briar to you. Then we shall work together to bind all the unicorns. We can do this if we work together. What do you say?"

“金钱，权力，当然你还能从学院毕业。 明晚之后你就不需要了。 首先，你必须把金荆棘绑在你身边来证明你的忠诚。 那我们就一起把所有的独角兽绑在一起。 如果我们一起努力，我们就能做到。 你说呢？”

Say no, Isla thought fiercely. Don't agree! Her stomach sank as she heard Valentina say firmly, "Yes, I'll do it." "I knew I had made the right choice!" said Ms Willow. "Fetch Golden Briar, then meet me by the lake. Do not breathe a word of this to anyone, especially not Golden Briar. Once he is bound to you, my quest– our quest– to take over the Unicorn Island will begin!" Isla didn't stop to listen any more. She raced back along the corridor and up to the teachers' lounge, but as she got closer her courage failed. What if none of the teachers believed her? She didn't have any proof. They might just shoo her away or, even worse, they might laugh at her.

说不，艾拉凶狠地想。 不同意!当她听到瓦伦蒂娜坚定地说：“好，我会做的。” “我知道我做出了正确的选择！”威洛女士说。 “去找金荆棘，然后在湖边见我。 这件事不要告诉任何人，尤其是金荆棘。 一旦他和你结合在一起，我的任务——我们的任务——占领独角兽岛就开始了！”艾拉不再停下来听了。 她沿着走廊跑回教师休息室，但当她走近时，她的勇气消失了。 如果没有老师相信她呢？ 她没有任何证据。 他们可能会把她赶走，或者更糟的是，他们可能会嘲笑她。

So, what should she do? Diamond dorm! If she told them, they would help convince the teachers. She was sure of it! Remembering that they were going to the barn, Isla charged back along the corridor and out into the dark night. As she got closer to the barn, she heard laughter coming from it. She had just reached the door when she caught a movement from the corner of her eye– it was Valentina

那么，她应该怎么做呢？钻石的宿舍!如果她告诉他们，他们会帮助说服老师。 她对此很有把握！艾拉想起他们要去谷仓，便沿着走廊冲回去，消失在漆黑的夜色中。 当她走近谷仓时，她听到里面传来笑声。 她刚走到门口，就从眼角瞥见一个人影——那是瓦伦蒂娜

leading Golden Briar out of the stable block. Isla felt a rush of fierce anger. How could Valentina be so evil as to work with Ms Willow? "Valentina!" she yelled furiously, changing direction and running straight towards her dormmate. But Valentina didn't hear her. She vaulted on to Golden Briar's back and cantered straight towards the lake– and Ms Willow. Isla charged after her, as fast as she could. "Valentina! No!" she screamed.

领着金荆棘走出马厩。 艾拉感到一阵强烈的愤怒。 瓦伦蒂娜怎么会这么邪恶，竟然和威罗女士合作？ “瓦伦蒂娜！”她愤怒地喊道，改变了方向，径直向她的室友跑去。 但是瓦伦蒂娜没有听见。 她跳上金荆棘的背，直奔湖边——还有威罗女士。 艾拉飞快地追上她。 “瓦伦提娜!不！”她尖叫道。