Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Isabel's friends had just returned from the quiz and were chattering loudly as she burst through the shiny blue door. "Listen up!" Isabel jumped up and down on her bed to get everyone's attention. As silence fell, Isabel glanced round the room. The girls each had identical blue and silver duvets, a small wardrobe and a chest of drawers with a sapphire-studded lamp. Everyone had personalised their area with posters, photographs and trinkets. Isabel's heart beat frantically. What if she had to leave all this and her friends behind? "Guess what I just overheard!" she said. When Isabel finished, everyone spoke at once. Sapphire dorm was unanimous– not one of them wanted to be evacuated from the academy.

"It can't happen," said Olivia firmly. "Ms P will work it out. The whole of Unicorn Island is in danger if the academy closes and there's no one here to guard the lake." There were murmurs of agreement.

Sophia lifted her chin. "I wish I knew who it was. I'd try to stop them." "I bet it's the person in the black cloak," said Ava. Earlier that term she and Sophia had been chased down the mountain by a cloaked figure riding a unicorn and firing spells at them. "Me too," said Scarlett. They all nodded and started to get ready for bed. "So how was the quiz?" Isabel asked Scarlett, suddenly remembering that she'd missed it. "Did you win?" "It was great fun– we came third." Scarlett disappeared as she pulled her pyjama top over her head. "Third?" said Isabel, thinking she'd misheard. How could Scarlett think it had been fun if they'd only come third? "It was my fault. If I hadn't got my birds muddled we'd have come second." Sophia dissolved into giggles.

Ava took up the story. "Ms Rosemary wanted the name of the bird that feeds on raspberry clams. It's a red bill, of course, but Sophia shouted out red bum. We laughed so much we missed the next two questions." "Red bum?" said Isabel, raising her eyebrows. "I can't believe you said that, Sophia, and lost marks for the team." "No one minded," said Sophia, shrugging. "We were having too much fun," said Olivia. Isabel frowned, bewildered. She sometimes felt she just didn't get her friends. How could losing a competition ever be fun? It rained through the night and all of the following day. Rumours started to fly that the school was going to be evacuated. All of Isabel's free time was taken up sorting books for Ms Nettles. "It's a horrid job," she moaned to Scarlett as

they parted company by the stairs. "The books are dusty and they stink." Scarlett shuddered. "Ugh! Watch out for book beetles! My uncle had them and they nibbled everything." Her eyes lit up. "If you find one, catch it and put it in Valentina's bed!" Isabel reluctantly shook her head. "No way. I'm in too much trouble already. No more pranks for me." Isabel didn't waste time and worked quickly, putting the good books into one pile and the others into the bin. One dusty book, with a dark- green leather cover, caught Isabel's eye. It was much thicker than the rest and she needed both hands to lift it. As Isabel blew the dust away, she felt a tickle. A large brown beetle with yellow and black spots scuttled from the book and on to her hand. "Ew! Get off!" Isabel tossed the book on to the floor but the beetle clung to her hand, its antennae waving frantically.