Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE Isla ran faster than she'd ever run in her life. I have to stop Valentina. The thought drummed through her brain, over and over again. Getting closer to the lake, Isla saw Ms Willow on a tall unicorn with a golden mane. Golden Briar had stopped next to Ms Willow's unicorn, and Ms Willow was smiling at Valentina and reaching for her hand. "Come with me, my dear." "I didn't realise we were going somewhere." Isla thought she could hear an edge to Valentina's voice, a sudden quiver of concern. "Where are you taking me?" "To the Frozen Lagoon!" Ms Willow's fingers closed on Valentina's.

第九章艾拉从来没有跑得这么快过。 我得阻止瓦伦蒂娜。这个想法在她的脑海里一遍又一遍地回荡。 靠近湖边时，艾拉看见威洛女士骑在一头金色鬃毛的高大独角兽身上。 金荆棘停在威洛女士的独角兽旁边，威洛女士对瓦伦蒂娜微笑着伸手去拉她的手。 “跟我来，亲爱的。”“我没意识到我们要去什么地方。” 艾拉觉得她能听到瓦伦蒂娜的声音变得尖锐起来，一种突然的担心的颤抖。 “你要带我去哪儿？”“去冰封的泻湖！”威洛女士的手指抓住了瓦伦蒂娜的手指。

"No!" shrieked Isla, bursting out of the shadows and grabbing Valentina's foot. For a second, she saw Valentina and Ms Willow's shocked faces, and then there was a flash of green and the world fell away. Isla hung on to Valentina with all her strength. She spun round and round and then suddenly dropped to the ground, landing with a thud on a glassy, freezing surface. The sky was packed with glittering stars. Isla blinked, realising she was on a thick layer of ice above a lagoon that swirled eerily beneath it. This had to be the mysterious Frozen Lagoon where Ms Willow was storing the magic stolen from the island. Isla scrambled towards the bank. "You!" Ms Willow hissed. "What are you doing here?" She swung round to Valentina. "Did you tell her about meeting me?" "No!" Valentina exclaimed, looking at Isla in astonishment. Ms Willow flicked a bolt of magic at Isla. Isla cried out in pain as it smacked into her and sent her flying backwards across the lagoon. As she landed all the breath was knocked out of her.

“不！”艾拉尖叫着，从阴影中冲出来，抓住瓦伦蒂娜的脚。 有那么一瞬间，她看到了瓦伦蒂娜和威洛女士震惊的脸，然后一道绿光闪过，整个世界都消失了。 艾拉用尽全力紧紧抓住瓦伦蒂娜。 她不停地旋转，然后突然掉到地上，砰的一声落在玻璃般冰冷的地面上。 天空布满了闪闪发光的星星。 艾拉眨了眨眼睛，意识到自己正站在一层厚厚的冰上，下面是一个诡异地旋转着的泻湖。 这一定是神秘的冰冻泻湖威洛女士在那里储存从岛上偷来的魔法。 艾拉向岸边爬去。 “你!”威洛女士嘶嘶地说。“你在这儿干什么？”她转身向瓦伦蒂娜走去。 “你跟她说了见到我的事吗？”“不!”瓦伦蒂娜惊奇地望着艾拉，喊道。 威洛对艾拉施了一道魔法。 当它撞到艾拉时，艾拉痛苦地叫了起来，她向后飞过了泻湖。 她一落地就喘不过气来。

"Isla!" she heard Valentina cry. "Ignore her!" snapped Ms Willow. "She is no threat to us. I'll deal with her in a minute. Prancer, make sure she does not leave the ice until I am back." The golden-maned unicorn nodded obediently. "I'll go and fetch the ribbons so that you can bind Golden Briar to prove your loyalty." It was Valentina's turn to nod, and Isla felt a rush of hatred as Ms Willow stalked away towards a hut near the lagoon. As soon as Ms Willow disappeared inside, Valentina slid from Golden Briar's back. She looked briefly towards where Isla was scrambling to her feet and then ran over to Prancer. Pulling something from her pocket, she grabbed Prancer's mane. Isla saw a flash of moonlight on metal.

“艾拉！”她听见瓦伦蒂娜喊道。 “别理她！”威洛小姐厉声说。 “她对我们没有威胁。我马上就去处理她。 普兰瑟，在我回来之前别让她离开冰块。” 金色鬃毛的独角兽顺从地点了点头。 “我去拿缎带，这样你就可以捆绑金荆棘来证明你的忠诚。” 轮到瓦伦蒂娜点头了，当威洛女士大步走向泻湖附近的小屋时，艾拉感到一阵憎恨。 威洛女士一走进屋里，瓦伦蒂娜就从金荆棘的背上滑了下来。 她朝艾拉挣扎着站起来的地方瞥了一眼，然后跑向普兰瑟。 她从口袋里掏出什么东西，抓住飞天狮的鬃毛。 艾拉看见月光照在金属上。

"Valentina! Stop! Don't, whatever you're doing! You mustn't help Ms Willow!" she cried. "Help Ms Willow!" Valentina spluttered. "For

“瓦伦提娜!停!不要，不管你在干什么！你不能帮助柳树女士！”她叫道。 “救救柳树女士！”瓦伦提娜激动。 ”

goodness sake, Isla! As if I would!" "What? You can't deny it!" said Isla. "She's getting the binding ribbons right now!" "I had to agree so I could do this!" Valentina held up a pair of scissors triumphantly and a clump of ribbons fell to the ground. "It was my plan all along."

天哪，艾拉！说得好像我愿意一样！”“什么? 你不能否认！”艾拉说。 “她现在就去拿绑扎带！”“我必须同意才能做这件事！”瓦伦蒂娜得意地举起一把剪刀，一束丝带掉到了地上。 “这一直都是我的计划。”

"I'm free of the binding!" whinnied Prancer, shaking her mane. "The ribbons are gone! Oh, thank you, Valentina!" "Did you really believe that I would bind Golden Briar to me?" Valentina exclaimed. "I'd never do that!" "Oh!" Isla's eyes were wide as she scrambled off the ice. "So, you aren't in league with Ms Willow?" "Don't be silly! I was stringing her along. I thought if she believed I would join with her then I could find a way to trap her. I wasn't expecting her to bring me here though!" said Valentina. "It's true!" Golden Briar agreed. "I didn't want Valentina to meet her at first, but she insisted." "I was sure I could find a way to stop her," said Valentina. "Oh," said Isla, realising she had misjudged her. "I should have trusted you." "Yes, you really should've!" said Valentina. She turned to Prancer. "Do you know where my aunt is imprisoned, Prancer?" "Ms Willow shut her and her unicorn in a shed

“我摆脱束缚了！”飞天怪摇了摇鬃毛，呜呜地说。 “丝带不见了！”哦，谢谢你，瓦伦蒂娜！”“你真的相信我会把金荆棘绑在我身上吗？”瓦伦提娜喊道。 “我绝不会那样做的！”“噢!”艾拉从冰面上爬下来，眼睛睁得大大的。 “这么说，你和威罗女士不是一伙的？”“别傻了！”我在骗她。 我想如果她相信我会和她联手我就能想办法困住她。 但我没想到她会把我带到这里来！”瓦伦蒂娜说。 “这是真的!”金荆棘同意了。 “一开始我不想让瓦伦蒂娜见她，但她坚持要见。” “我确信我能找到办法阻止她，”瓦伦蒂娜说。 “哦，”艾拉说，意识到自己看错了她。 “我应该相信你的。” “是的，你真的应该这么做！”瓦伦蒂娜说。 她转向普兰瑟。“你知道我姨妈被关在哪里吗，普兰瑟？”柳树女士把她和她的独角兽关在一个小屋里