Chapter 1

Evie and Sunshine

Chapter one "That was yummy," Evie said as she licked crumbs of chocolate cake from her fingers. The girls from Ruby dormitory were having a picnic in a corner of the walled orchard while their unicorns grazed on the lush grass. It was late spring, the apple trees were covered with white blossom and the bright sunlight, dappling through the branches, warmed Evie's face. "OK," said Lyra, packing away the picnic things and double-checking that no one else was in sight. "Now for the important business that we came here to discuss." "To solve the riddle on the treasure map!" said Sienna eagerly. She poked Ivy, who was lying on her back with her eyes shut. "Ivy, wake up!" Ivy wriggled away. "I am awake. Have you got the map, Lyra?" She turned herself on to her tummy.

Lyra carefully pulled two yellowed squares of paper from her pocket. They crackled as she unfolded them and smoothed them out, placing them side by side on the picnic rug. Each one was part of a map that had been cut into four pieces. These two each had a small picture of a crying unicorn in their outside corners. Together they made up the top half of the map. They formed a picture of Unicorn Academy and, further down, part of a maze with half of a big X in the centre. The girls didn't know what the treasure in the maze was but they were determined to find out! They had discovered the first piece hidden in a secret room above their dorm and Topaz dorm. A riddle on the back had led them to the second piece, which they had found behind an underground waterfall in the school

grounds. They hoped that the riddle written on it would direct them to the third piece. "This riddle is really annoying!" said Lyra. "What does it even mean?" Evie pushed her wavy brown hair behind her ears. She had already memorised the riddle and recited it for the others: "In a new folly that phantoms keep safe There's a space you can enter and leave with no trace. A cold place to rest hides the circular key, Press once and enter the d-da-dark cavity." As Evie stumbled over the last few words, she blushed. Sometimes her mouth just couldn't seem to keep up with her brain and her words came out muddled. Luckily her friends never mentioned it, but she hated when it happened. Similarly, when she was moving fast or playing sport, she often tripped over. But Evie didn't mind about not being great at sport– she preferred reading and wanted to be a scientist when she was older. "I don't understand the first line," said Sienna. "Phantoms are ghosts. But how can ghosts keep anywhere safe?" "And what's 'a new folly'?" asked Ivy. "'Folly' means foolish," said Evie shyly. "A new foolish that ghosts keep safe?" said Lyra. "That doesn't make any sense." She rubbed her forehead in frustration. The word folly was bothering Evie too. She'd heard it before and thought it had another meaning but she couldn't remember what. "A cavity's a hole," said Sienna. "Could the dark cavity be the secret room where we found the first part of the map? You have to press a hidden circular button to open it up." Her eyes lit up. "Yes, maybe that's it!" "But the secret room isn't dark," Lyra argued. "It has a window and it's not really a cavity." Evie reached for the map but, as she did so, her arm knocked against her water bottle. She hadn't screwed the top on properly and water splashed out. She tried to grab it but her fingers fumbled and instead she sent it rolling towards the precious paper. "No!" shrieked Sienna. Luckily Lyra swept up the pieces of map before the water could reach them. "I'm sorry!" cried Evie, jumping to her feet as Ivy pulled some tissues out of her pocket and started to mop up the water.

"What's going on?" Sunshine, Evie's elegant unicorn, came trotting over with the other unicorns– Misty, Flame and Sparkle. "Just Evie being a clumsy doughnut again," said Sienna, grinning. "Honestly, Evie, I think we should ban you from being around food or drink. You always spill something!" Even though Sienna was only teasing, Evie felt awful. She tried to help by brushing the remaining liquid from the rug but, as she stepped back, she tripped over Lyra's bag and fell over. "Oh, Evie!" groaned Sunshine. She was a very pretty unicorn with yellow, turquoise and deep-pink patterns on her white coat that matched her long mane and tail. "Evie, please go and stand by Sunshine and we'll clear up," said Ivy. Evie went over to Sunshine and stroked her mane to hide her blushes. She wondered if Sunshine wished she had been paired with a different student– someone who wasn't so embarrassing. Sunshine hated being the centre of attention almost as much as Evie did. How will we ever bond and graduate if Sunshine is embarrassed by

me? Evie thought anxiously. During their time at Unicorn Academy the students learned how to become guardians of Unicorn Island. They couldn't graduate until they had bonded with their unicorn and discovered their unicorn's magic power. Bonding was the highest form of friendship and Evie would know when it happened because a lock of her hair would turn the same colour as Sunshine's mane. Lyra and Misty were the only ones in Ruby dorm to have bonded so far– Lyra now had a purple, yellow and green streak in her hair to prove it. Misty was also the only unicorn in Ruby dorm to have found her magic. She could form protective bubbles around people in danger. Evie couldn't wait to discover what Sunshine's magic was! "I vote we go and explore the hidden room again," said Sienna as Lyra and Ivy packed the rug and water bottles away. "But for now let's make the most of the sun and have an obstacle race. I bet there's some stuff in that shed we could use!" Sienna ran to a nearby garden shed and began to pull things out. The others went to help but Sunshine stopped Evie. "Let's just watch," she said. Evie guessed Sunshine was worried that she would embarrass her if they tried to take part. "OK," she said with a sigh. The others came back laden with buckets, beanpoles, plant pots, hoops and beanbags. Sienna instructed everyone where to put everything, and when the course was set up she shinned up an apple tree with a beanbag and balanced it on a branch. "Listen up!" she said, sliding easily back down the trunk. "This is the course. First you gallop to the line of poles. You weave through them then race to the upturned bucket where you have to reach down and pick up a plant pot. Next, ride to the pole near the apple tree, put the pot on top then climb the apple tree to get the beanbag. Once you're back on your unicorn it's a race to the end, jumping over the fallen log and throwing the beanbag through this hoop as you cross the finishing line. Fastest time wins. Evie and Sunshine, you're up first." Evie shook her head. "I'll just keep the times for everyone." "Oh no, you've got to join in. We can all take turns at timing," said Sienna. "Yes, please take part," said Ivy. "Pleeeease, Evie!" begged Lyra. "It'll be more fun if we all do it."