Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR The next day, Amethyst dorm used their free time to spy on Mr Longnose. The remote-controlled trolleys that moved bales of straw around the stables were useful for cover. The girls hid behind them and watched him following Ms Tulip around the stable block, clipboard in hand. Then they watched him having a riding lesson in the arena, sitting in front of Ms Tulip on her unicorn, Rocket, as she instructed him. It was fun spying on Mr Longnose but they didn't see him do anything suspicious. Not that he would do anything when he's with Ms Tulip, Zara thought as she headed back to Amethyst's dorm after supper to fetch a book. We need to spy on him when he's on his own, maybe sneak into his room… Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Mr Longnose crossing the corridor ahead of her and climbing a spiral staircase that led up one of the

towers. Zara frowned. Why is he going up there? There were only two rooms up that staircase– Diamond dormitory on the first floor and a storeroom at the very top. Intrigued, Zara ran after Mr Longnose. At the half-landing between the two floors, she heard Mr Longnose's footsteps stop. She halted, hovering outside the door to Diamond dorm. If he came back she'd have to pretend she was just going to see one of the girls there. She listened hard and heard a door open.

Zara waited. What was Mr Longnose doing? She crept on up the stairs to the half-landing where there was a large wooden cupboard in the wall. Zara pushed at the door gently, her heart thudding. What would she do if Mr Longnose was inside? But to her relief, she saw that it was empty apart from a stack of old packing crates and some cardboard boxes. Zara continued up the top floor but to her astonishment there was no sign of Mr Longnose there either. Where had he gone? She stepped inside the storeroom, picking her way between the students' suitcases, shelves of empty potion bottles and some old paintings to the window. It was covered in dust. Mr Longnose hadn't left by the window unless he could fly! Feeling very puzzled, Zara went downstairs. This didn't make sense. Mr Longnose had definitely gone up the stairs. So where was he now? She wanted to talk to the others but the dorm room was empty. Glancing at the clock, she realised it was getting late and her friends must have gone to the stables to settle their unicorns for the night. Zara felt a pang of guilt. Moonbeam would be wondering where she was. She hurried outside, running across the dry grass to the stable block.

Moonbeam whickered happily when she saw her. "There you are!" she said. "I was worried that I'd done something to upset you." "Of course not!" Zara laid her head against Moonbeam's neck. "I'm sorry I was late. Something really weird happened, Moonbeam… Moonbeam?" She felt a pang of worry as she saw that Moonbeam's eyelids had closed and she was swaying slightly. "I see a cloaked man," Moonbeam whispered. "And a dark-green book." Zara put a hand on her side to steady her. "Are you feeling OK?" Moonbeam's eyes stayed closed. "A red desert that stretches on and rocks falling from the sky," she intoned. "Danger comes." Zara frowned. "Moonbeam! What's happening to you? Is it the heat? Do you want a drink?" It was very warm in the stables despite the fans that Ms Tulip had installed when the heatwave showed no sign of breaking. Moonbeam's eyes flew open. "What just happened?" "I don't know, you went all weird," said Zara. "You were saying stuff about a cloaked man and a book, a desert and rocks."

"I was seeing pictures in my head again, Zara. Clearer this time." Excitement lit up Moonbeam's dark eyes. "I think I've started to see things that are going to happen. Yesterday, I had a vision about a man arriving at the school and then, just after that, Mr Longnose appeared. This morning, I had a vision that Ms Tulip would give him a riding lesson in the arena and she did. I… I think I might have seer magic– magic that lets me look into the future!" Moonbeam looked so hopeful that Zara didn't want to disappoint her, but it didn't sound very likely. "Moonbeam, if this was your magic, there should be sparks and you should be able to smell burnt sugar, shouldn't you? That's what happens when the other unicorns use their powers." "My magic's different," said Moonbeam. "I feel it inside me. It's like having sparks in my head." "That doesn't sound like magic to me," said Zara doubtfully. Moonbeam stamped a hoof in frustration. "So why do I keep seeing the same pictures over and over again? A cloaked man who makes me feel scared, a desert, a damaged green book and rocks falling." She glanced at Zara. "How do you explain that?"

Zara hesitated. "I… I don't know but I'm sure there is a logical explanation and I don't think it's because it's your magic." Moonbeam's face fell. Zara felt bad. She hated upsetting her, but she knew it was wrong to lie to her unicorn. "I love you, Moonbeam," she went on awkwardly. "You know that. You're a dreamer and I'm scientific so there are bound to be things we disagree on but just because we're different and don't always agree, it doesn't mean that we can't be really good partners