Willa the Silver Glitter Dragon

  For Madeleine and Asmara—and every

  other girl working on her roar

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Sneak Peek

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Willa stood at the edge of the local indoor pool, her towel wrapped around her shoulders. Beams of sunlight fell through the windows above and danced on the water’s surface.

  The other kids from Willa’s swimming lesson had all hurried off to the changing rooms. But Willa stood gazing into the rippling water,thinking about all the amazing things that had happened to her recently. Only a few days ago, Willa’s life had been perfectly normal. She had been a regular girl who loved swimming, diving, and hanging out with her friends.

  But that was before she had discovered the Magic Forest. When Willa was in the Magic Forest, she was anything but a typical girl. There, she and her friends turned into Dragon Girls! As Dragon Girls, they could fly, had incredible strength, and best of all, they could roar the most powerful and glittering roars!

  Through the open window, Willa heard the wind pick up. She listened carefully. To anyone else, it might just sound like a breeze rustling the leaves. But Willa heard something more. The wind carried a special message, just for her. This was a message she had been waiting for ever since she got back from the Magic Forest.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  “Willa, are you coming to get changed?” called Nancy, the swim coach. “The lesson is over, you know!”

  Willa smiled. “Yes, I know. Can I just do one more dive?”

  “Sure,” Nancy agreed. “But be quick. The next class starts soon!”

  Just then, Nancy’s phone rang. Willa’s heart thumped. This was her chance! She knew time moved differently in the Magic Forest. She could spend an entire day there, but when she returned, only a second would have passed.

  While Nancy was distracted, Willa dropped her towel and returned to the water’s edge. A beam of sunlight suddenly appeared, illuminating a small white seashell sitting on the bottom of the pool. The shell was shaped like a fan and was flecked with silver.

  Willa felt drawn to the shell like a magnet. She had seen it the first time she was called to the Magic Forest. She knew it was no ordinary shell—it was her travel charm. She loved the way it fit perfectly into the palm of her hand, and how it was always warm to the touch. Now its reappearance must mean it was time to return to the forest.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  The magical words were getting louder now. Willa knew she had to hurry. She curled her toes around the edge of the pool and stood up straight. She loved the way her body felt like an arrow, arcing through the sky before slicing into the water.

  True, her dives were still a bit wonky sometimes, but she was getting better and better. Willa raised her arms above her head.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore.

  “Magic Forest, Magic Forest, hear my roar!” Willa finished, her voice echoing around the pool area.

  Taking a huge gulp of air, Willa dove into the water.

  On land, Willa wasn’t all that fast or agile. But when she was underwater … well, that was a different story! When she was swimming, Willa could move at top speed and hold her breath longer than anyone. She could also do all kinds of somersaults and tumbles and handstands.

  But there was no time for tricks right now. Willa focused on the shell lying below her on the pool’s floor. The sunlight made the shell glimmer like it was on fire. As she got closer, Willa stretched out her hand and wrapped her fingers around the shell. Warmth spread up her arm. Her insides tingled with excitement.

  She was going to the Magic Forest again!

  As Willa swam back up to the surface, still holding the shell, things around her began to change. The blue tiles of the pool faded away. In their place appeared the long leaves of river plants, waving gently back and forth. Rocks emerged, faintly at first, and then more solidly. Tiny jewel-like fish passed her, changing colors like a rippling rainbow as they flicked their tails.

  Willa grinned in delight. Underwater was such a magical place.

  And this water was very special indeed. Willa felt like she could hold her breath forever! She kicked her legs and shot ahead with incredible speed. She had never felt so strong before.

  As she neared the surface, a gleaming, silver-skinned dolphin swam over and gently nudged Willa with its nose. Willa had the feeling the dolphin was saying hello.

  Willa burst through the water’s surface and took a big, sweet gulp of air. She looked around. The pool center had completely disappeared. Willa was now in the middle of a shimmering lake, surrounded on all sides by a splendid forest.

  Not just any forest, she reminded herself with a shiver. The Magic Forest!

  Willa took a deep breath to calm her excitement. She knew that the pool turning into a glittering lake wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

  She raised the hand that was holding the shell up above the water. Her normal girl hand was gone. Instead, she saw a silver paw. As she watched, the shell began to shimmer and fade away. Willa wasn’t worried. She knew that it would reappear when she needed it.

  Excitedly, Willa looked down at her reflection in the smooth surface of the lake. Gone was her usual light brown hair and the spray of freckles across her nose. She had become a majestic silver dragon with sparkling gray-green eyes!

  Willa laughed, and a puff of glittery smoke rose into the air. She was a Dragon Girl, and not just any Dragon Girl. She was a Glitter Dragon Girl! Willa had changed into dragon form before, but it felt just as thrilling every time.

  As Willa admired her dragon-y self and gave a little roar to clear her throat, she heard a tinkling splash of water behind her. She turned just in time to see a very strange sight: The silver dolphin she’d seen in the water had leapt into the air.

  Now, Willa loved watching nature shows with her dad, so she often saw dolphins jumping high into the air. But she also knew that dolphins then dove back into the water.

  But this dolphin wasn’t doing that. Instead, it was doing loops in the air, over and over, like an acrobat training for the circus.

  “Amazing! How can you do that?” exclaimed Willa.

  She was NOT expecting the creature to answer her, but it did all the same. “I go where you go,” the dolphin said in a funny, squeaky voice. “Underwater. In the air. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there.”

  Willa knew that dolphins were smart and playful. But this was on a whole new level!

  Willa gave a great underwater flap of her wings and rose up out of the water and into the sky. She’d never done that before and it felt wonderful! Glittery drops of water rained down from her long tail and strong paws. It was so good to be flying again.

  And sure enough, the little dolphin zoomed up into the sky beside her, leaving a silvery trail of stars in its wake. When Willa did a midair somersault, the dolphin was right there doing one, too. It reminded Willa of when her swim team trained together, everyone focused on the same moves.

  “What’s your name?” Willa asked the magical creature.

  “Delphina,” replied the dolphin, hovering in midair and giving Willa a formal bow of introduction. “That was fun, but now we must hurry. The Tree Queen is waiting for you.”

  This time it was Willa’s stomach that did a somersault. Of course, she had been called to the Magic
Forest for a reason!

  “Are Naomi and Azmina already there?” asked Willa, following Delphina as she zoomed ahead.

  Naomi was one of Willa’s oldest friends. They had met on the very first day of kindergarten, and had been friends ever since. Azmina was the new girl who’d arrived at their school just this week. As soon as Willa saw Azmina, she knew they’d become friends.

  But more than all that, Naomi and Azmina were also Glitter Dragons!

  They had been summoned because the Magic Forest needed their help. The evil Shadow Sprites were gathering strength, trying to turn the forest into a place of constant gloom. It was up to the Glitter Dragon Girls to help stop them. They had already completed one quest, but Willa knew that there was still work to be done.

  “They’ve just arrived,” squeaked Delphina. “I know a shortcut. Follow me.”

  With a twitch of her tail, she sped off, tiny stars streaming behind her.

  Willa was getting better and better at flying, but all the same it was hard to keep up with Delphina. It was lucky that she shone like polished metal, or Willa might have lost sight of her darting through the treetops.

  Down below, Willa could see a wide and fast-flowing river. It was a glorious deep turquoise color. Except … hang on! In some places the river wasn’t turquoise at all, but a horrible murky gray. As Willa watched, she could see the grayness was spreading through the water like curls of ink.

  A coldness gripped Willa’s chest. Shadow Sprites, she thought darkly.

  Delphina seemed to sense her thoughts. “The Shadow Sprites are spreading through the water now, draining it of its goodness,” she said. “The word in the forest is that they are working for the Shadow Queen.”

  “The Shadow Queen?” Willa frowned. “Is she that powerful?”

  “A long time ago, she controlled the whole forest,” explained Delphina. “Oh, she was a cruel leader. Lots of animals think she’s trying to take over again, using the Shadow Sprites.”

  Willa did not like the sound of this Shadow Queen.

  Finally, Willa caught sight of the glade where the Tree Queen lived. The Tree Queen watched over the Magic Forest and kept it safe. It was she who had called on the Glitter Dragons when the Shadow Sprites first began causing trouble.

  As always, the air around the glade shimmered like it does on a hot day. But it wasn’t hot. The shimmering was a special force field that protected the glade and everything—or everyone—inside it. Only those who wanted to help the Tree Queen were able to pass through.

  Willa sighed with relief. She was almost there. The Tree Queen would know what to do about the sprites spoiling the river. She zoomed down below a low-hanging branch … and then, quite suddenly, she became stuck. She couldn’t fly!

  Don’t panic! Willa told herself, but it was hard to fight the feeling. She couldn’t move her wings. Maybe her wings were caught in the branches of the tree?

  But when Willa looked, she saw something that nearly made her heart stop. Shadowy fingerlike shapes were wrapped around the tips of her wings, holding her. She shook them off. But almost instantly, more came, snaking around her wings and her legs, too.

  When she looked up into the tree’s canopy, Willa saw more shadows coming down the branches toward her.

  They made soft, whispery sounds. As they got closer, Willa saw their cold eyes. With a jolt, she realized she could hear words, too. Hopeless Dragon Girl … Can’t fly as well as the others … Loses everything …

  The words seemed to seep into her, making her feel cold and worried. She shivered.

  “Delphina!” she called through chattering teeth. “Where are you?”

  “I’m right here. Don’t worry,” called Delphina.

  Willa saw the dolphin flying toward her through the trees.

  Willa was very glad to see her. “I can’t move!”

  “Hold still,” commanded the dolphin, opening her mouth to show a set of very shiny, very sharp teeth. “I’ll have you free in a moment.”

  She flashed around Willa, nipping at the shadows and tearing them away. They hissed angrily at the dolphin, but a few moments later, Willa was free … and tumbling toward the river below!

  “Don’t forget to flap your wings!” called Delphina.

  But it was too late. Willa only had time to flip herself around and dive into the river.

  As soon as she was in the water, Willa felt better. She wasn’t a hopeless dragon! And maybe her flying wasn’t the best, but that was okay. Willa felt at home in the water. Bubbles tickled her sides and she saw Delphina next to her, a wide grin on her snout and strange squeaky noises emerging from her mouth.

  “Are you laughing at me?” demanded Willa.

  “Maybe a little,” admitted Delphina. “That was a pretty crazy-looking dive!”

  “Definitely not my best. But I had just been attacked by Shadow Sprites!” Willa laughed.

  In the cool water, she could feel her strength returning.

  “Don’t get too comfy,” warned Delphina in a low voice. “There are even more shadows underwater than on land.”

  As she spoke, Willa saw a gray, see-through shape slither past.

  “Let’s fly the rest of the way,” Willa said.

  Delphina nodded. “The air is safer right now.”

  They burst back out of the water, showering silver droplets everywhere. Willa was very glad to see the shimmering barrier of the glade up ahead. She felt like she’d had an adventure already, and the quest hadn’t even begun!

  Willa and Delphina landed near the shimmering air.

  “I’m not coming into the glade,” said Delphina. “But I’m never far away.” With a flutter of her tail, she sent silver stars flying as she swished away.

  Willa turned toward the glade’s protective force field. She took a big breath and stepped into it. The air pushed past her, warm and a tiny bit tingly. A moment later, Willa was through the force field and safe within the glade. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet smell of flowers and fruit.

  She loved this place. All of the Magic Forest was incredible, of course, but there was something extra special about the glade. Somehow it always felt like the forest’s heart.

  “Uh, Willa?” said a voice. “Did you just fall asleep?”

  “Maybe she’s power-napping,” said another voice.

  Willa opened her eyes to see a rainbow dragon peering at her curiously. Behind her was a golden dragon, laughing and sending little puffs of sparkling glitter into the air.

  “Hi, Naomi! Hi, Azmina!” Willa grinned. “I’m not napping. I’m just really, really happy to be here. And to see you two, of course.”

  “Yeah, I always close my eyes when I’m happy to see someone,” teased Naomi.

  “Well, I’m pleased to see the three of you,” said a warm, familiar voice.

  Willa turned to see the stately tree in the center of the glade transforming into the Tree Queen. Willa thought the queen was very beautiful. Her long wavy hair flowed around her face and across her mossy green gown.

  But Willa couldn’t help noticing that the queen looked a little tired. Were her arms thinner than usual? And her big brown eyes weren’t quite so sparkly.

  “Excuse me, Tree Queen, are you feeling okay?” she asked anxiously.

  The Tree Queen smiled at Willa, but her smile was not as wide and bright as usual. “I am feeling better now that my Glitter Dragons are here,” she said. “But it is true that I am not as strong as usual. The Shadow Sprites are still at work, you see.”

  “I thought we were safe in the glade.” Naomi frowned.

  “Everything within the glade is safe,” confirmed the Tree Queen, “but my roots go deep into the earth and draw water from an underground river. And the Shadow Sprites are attacking the water.”

  Willa thought about the strange inky swirls she’d seen in the river and shuddered. She remembered what Delphina had said. “Is it true that they work for the Shadow Queen?”

  The others looked at her curiously, but the
Tree Queen just nodded. “She has been quiet for a very long time. But she is gathering strength.”

  Willa, Azmina, and Naomi exchanged worried looks.

  The Tree Queen stretched out one of her long branch arms, from which hung a tiny apple. It was no bigger than an acorn. As the Dragon Girls watched, the apple rapidly began to swell until it was a giant silver fruit—much bigger than an apple in the normal world.

  The Tree Queen had grown a magic apple when they had last visited. But that time it had been gold.

  “Look into the apple,” said the queen in her soft, rustling voice.

  The Dragon Girls leaned in and gazed at the shiny fruit. Slowly, images began to play like a movie across the apple’s surface. Willa felt like she was flying above the river again, although now she was much closer to the water. She had already seen the gray swirls wriggling through the water, leaving ashy trails behind them. But Willa was still shocked when they appeared in the bright turquoise water.

  Even worse, the plants growing along the edge of the river seemed to be turning gray, too. The Dragon Girls saw the river lead into the mouth of a huge cave, just before the images faded from the apple’s surface.

  “That cave is where the river starts to flow underground,” explained the Tree Queen. “It flows directly under the glade, which is why I am not as strong as usual. The shadow water doesn’t have the same minerals in it.”

  It was awful to think the Tree Queen might be losing power.

  “Is there a potion that will help?” asked Willa.

  Last time they had collected three rare ingredients to make a potion that supercharged their roars. That, in turn, had given the Glitter Dragons the strength to overcome the Shadow Sprites.

  “Yes, there is a potion,” said the Tree Queen. “But the ingredients will be even more difficult to collect than last time.”

  “We’ll find them,” said Azmina firmly.

  Willa smiled. Azmina was always so confident that they could do anything. The good thing was her confidence was infectious!