Stella the Starlight Dragon

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Sneak Peek

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  Stella woke to the sound of her alarm. She sat up, feeling confused. Was it time to get up for school? No, it couldn’t be. Starlight shone through her bedroom window. Then she saw Rosie and Phoebe, asleep on sleeping bags on the floor. Stella and her two best friends had a sleepover most Friday nights, which meant that it was the weekend.

  So why had her alarm gone off? And why was it shoved under her pillow, instead of sitting on her bedside table like usual? Stella quickly turned it off. The clock was shaped just like a star. Stella loved stars. Her name even meant star! But that wasn’t the only reason she liked stars so much. Ever since she had been very young, Stella had wished on the first star she saw each night. Her favorite wish was always that something magical would happen.

  Not so long ago, something very magical had happened. And not just to her but to her friends, too. The three girls had been transported into the Magic Forest, where they had become Night Dragons.

  Stella was the Starlight Dragon, Rosie was the Twilight Dragon, and Phoebe was the Moonlight Dragon. Stella loved everything about being a dragon. She loved how powerful she felt. She loved roaring whirls of colored smoke that were deliciously and mysteriously cool. She also loved flying, even though she was still learning how to do it the right way.

  So far, the Night Dragons had twice been summoned to the Magic Forest. Stella couldn’t wait until they got called again.

  The glowing numbers on her clock read 11:45 p.m. Suddenly, Stella remembered why she had set it in the first place. They were having a midnight feast! She fizzed with excitement as she pushed back the covers and stood up. The sleepover was at her house, so she was in charge of waking the others. Mostly, Sleepover Club was at Phoebe’s house because she got homesick the most. But ever since they’d started going to the Magic Forest, Phoebe had become a lot braver. In fact, it had been her suggestion to have tonight’s sleepover at Stella’s place.

  Her friends were still fast asleep as Stella knelt down beside them. “Rosie! Phoebe!” she whispered. “Time to wake up and FEAST!”

  Her friends were awake in an instant.

  Then Rosie smacked her forehead. “Oops! I left my treats in the kitchen. I’ll go and get them now.”

  “I’ll come with you,” said Phoebe. “I put some juice in the fridge. Should I get glasses and plates while I’m there?”

  “Good idea.” Stella nodded. “While you guys do that, I’ll set up a comfy spot for us here. Just be extra quiet so you don’t wake my little brother!”

  As her friends sneaked out of the room, Stella got busy. She pushed the sleeping bags to one side and grabbed the quilt off her bed. Her grandmother had made it. Little silver and gold stars had been embroidered onto fabric the color of inky-blue sky.

  Stella smoothed it out like a picnic blanket on the floor. Then she collected all the pillows and arranged them around the edge. From under her bed she gathered her own offerings for the feast: popcorn and candy. Perfect! Stella stretched out on the quilt to wait for her friends to return.

  Stella loved nighttime. She loved the velvety blue-black of the sky, and she loved how quiet it was once the traffic died down and everyone was asleep. You could hear different things at night. Things that were drowned out by the bustle of the day.

  In fact, Stella could hear something right now. What was it? She held her breath as a soft, beautiful song floated around her.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  The song was familiar. Stella smiled and her heart began to beat faster. This song meant that soon she and her friends would be returning to the forest. From the corner of her eye, Stella saw something strange. One of the stars on her quilt had just moved! She looked at the fabric more closely. An embroidered star shot across the quilt like a comet.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  Stella wondered if she should call out to her friends. But as quickly as she had the thought, she dismissed it. They always traveled into the Magic Forest separately.

  Anyway, there was no time. The blue of her quilt floated into the air around her. Her bedroom walls began to fade away. A star shot past, sparking as it flew overhead.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, hear my roar!

  Stella closed her eyes as she whispered the final notes of the enchanted song. Her stomach felt very strange, like she was falling and flying at the same time. But Stella didn’t mind one little bit. She couldn’t wait to return to the Magic Forest!

  Slowly, Stella opened her eyes. She no longer felt like she was moving. Was she in the Magic Forest? It was dark, but Stella could see the outlines of trees. Long blades of grass swayed in a gentle breeze and the faint smell of tropical fruit wafted past.

  Stella smiled. She was definitely back in the Magic Forest! She looked down. It was so cool to find herself transformed into a dragon. She was a deep purple and yellow, with stars on her wings. She would never tire of seeing her shining scales, strong limbs, and gleaming claws. But nothing was as awesome as her wings! Stella gave them a mighty flap, making the leaves on the nearby trees rustle and sending a ripple through the grass.

  She breathed in deeply and let out a roar. Stella relished the sound of it echoing through the forest. The darkness lit up with a purple-and-yellow glowing light, creating a little patch of starlight that soon faded.

  It was good to be back, but Stella had the feeling something was not quite right. Something was missing. She looked up at the sky and realized what was wrong. There were no stars! Sometimes the stars are hidden by clouds. And in the normal world, the lights of the city can make the stars hard to see.

  But the sky above the forest was completely clear. And there were no city lights to cause problems here.

  “This is not good,” Stella muttered to herself, looking down with a frown.

  In front of her was a small pool of crystal-clear water. Something in the water caught Stella’s eye. A little golden starfish was lying on a rock. As Stella watched, it raised one of its five arms.

  It’s waving at me! thought Stella in delight. Carefully, she reached her paw into the water. To her surprise, the starfish jumped right into it! As Stella gently pulled her paw out of the water, the little creature gave itself a quick shake, water flying in all directions. Then it floated up into the air and began to turn cartwheels!

  Stella blinked. A starfish with a funny little horn spinning in midair? This seemed like a very strange thing to see. But this is the Magic Forest, Stella reminded herself. She had seen plenty of weird and wonderful things here.

  The golden starfish came to a stop in front of Stella, bobbing up and down in the air like it was floating in the ocean. Its friendly face was smiling.

  “Hi! I’m Stella,” Stella said. She had no idea who this creature was, but she was always friendly when she met someone new.

  The starfish did another spin. “I know,” he said in a surprisingly deep voice. “I’m LuckyStar, and I’m here to help you. Any questions?”

  “So many!” Stella said. “Like, where have all the stars gone?”

  LuckyStar twirled in the opposite direction. “That’s a very good question,” he said. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a good answer. The truth is, no one is sure where they are. One night recently, there was a big flash. It was like the sky was on fire! It dazzled us all. When we could see again, all the stars had disappeared.”

  Stella frowned. “I bet it’s the work of the Fire Queen,” she muttered.

  Stella and her friends had already dealt with problems caused by the evil Fire Queen and her band of Fire Sparks.

  “You’re probably right,” LuckyStar said, nodding the top point of his star. “That’s why the Tree Queen has called you and the other Night Dragons to the forest. Come on! She’s waiting for us in the glade.”

  Stella did not need to be asked twice. With a flap of her wings, she rose into the air. “Lead the way, LuckyStar!” she called.

  The glowing star zipped off between the trees. He was very fast but easy to track in the dark, starless sky.

  “You are flying really well!” called LuckyStar as they wove in between the trees.

  “Thanks,” said Stella. “I improve every time we come here. And on the first star I see each night, I’ve been wishing I’d get better at flying.”

  LuckyStar’s glow seemed to falter. “That’s one of the biggest problems now that the stars have vanished,” he said. “No one can make any wishes. And without things to wish for, no one in the forest has anything to look forward to.”

  Stella loved making wishes. It would be awful if there were no stars to make them on!

  She was about to tell LuckyStar not to worry, because she and her friends would get the stars back, when she spotted something bright up in the leaves of a tree.

  Stella’s heart leapt. Had they found a missing star?

  She quickly decided this was not the case. Gazing at the stars always gave her a warm feeling. But she did not have that now.

  “Watch out!” she called. “Fire Sparks!”

  Stella was quickly surrounded b
y the pesky creatures. The worst thing about Fire Sparks was how they made you feel inside. In her normal life, Stella sometimes got angry about things, but the anger always passed quickly.

  But the Fire Sparks really got under her skin. When Stella and her friends had first come up against the Fire Sparks, they’d tried to stay calm. It was very hard! Getting mad seemed to give the Fire Sparks strength. Then over time, the Night Dragons had noticed something: They could use their anger to help fix things by channeling their feelings into action. And when they worked together, the sparks were no match for them.

  Stella took a breath, ignoring the way the sparks stung at her skin and tickled her ears. She thought about the stars going missing. She was determined to get them back. There was no way these evil, electrified gnats would stop her and her friends!

  With all her might, Stella roared, filling the air with purple and yellow. “OUT OF MY WAY!”

  There was a fizzle, like a match being dropped in water. The air filled with a nasty-smelling smoke. When it cleared, there was not a single spark in sight!

  Stella and LuckyStar did not meet any more Fire Sparks on their way to the glade. They soon reached the force field. It glowed with a honeyed light in the dark forest. Stella felt a surge of excitement. She couldn’t wait to find out about their next quest.

  She turned to LuckyStar. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she said. “I hope we get to meet again.”

  LuckyStar did three quick cartwheels, sending out a trail of light. “I’m sure we will! I’ll always be there when you need me,” he trilled.

  After one more cartwheel, he shot up into the sky, did a spin, then dove down into a nearby stream.

  Eagerly, Stella pushed through the force field. On the other side, she couldn’t see anything at all. It was so bright after the darkness of the forest! Stella blinked and her vision cleared. She sighed happily as she gazed around. The glade was always so perfect! Everywhere she looked were tiny glowing fruits and flowers. They twinkled as they moved in the breeze.

  “Stella! You’re here!”

  Stella looked up when she heard familiar voices.

  Rosie and Phoebe, in Night Dragon form, hovered nearby. Her friends landed on the plush grass and Stella was wrapped up in a three-dragon hug.

  “How amazing is this?” Rosie exclaimed. “One minute we’re getting ready for our midnight feast, the next we’re in the Magic Forest! Do you think there’s anyone else whose lives are as exciting as ours?”

  Phoebe shook her head. “Not possible,” she said. “Hey, do either of you know what the quest is going to be? I guess it’ll be something to do with the missing stars?”

  “That’s what I thought,” Rosie said. “It’s sad to look up and not see a single star in the sky.”

  The girls fell quiet as something moved in the center of the glade. The huge, elegant tree swayed from side to side.

  “The Tree Queen is coming!” Stella exclaimed as the trunk of the tree transformed into a beautiful moss-green gown. The fluttering leaves turned into flowing hair framing a wise and noble face. Two branches reshaped into long arms, which the Tree Queen now held out in welcome.

  “It is so good to see you, Night Dragons,” the Tree Queen said in her strong, warm voice. “The Magic Forest needs your help.”

  “To get the stars back?” Stella asked. “I’m sure we can do it!”

  The Tree Queen smiled. “It is good to be confident, Stella. It will be a challenging quest, though. Things have become more dangerous since your last visit.”

  “What’s happened?” asked Phoebe.

  Stella could tell that her friend was worried.

  “The Fire Queen herself has been spotted in the Magic Forest,” explained the Tree Queen. “Up until now, she has stayed out of sight. The fact that she has let herself be seen means that she is growing bolder.”

  “I guess that means she’s getting more powerful, too?” Stella asked.

  The Tree Queen nodded. “We don’t know why she has stolen the stars. But until we have them back, none of the forest creatures can make wishes.”

  “And that means they have nothing to look forward to, right?” said Stella, remembering what LuckyStar had said.

  “That’s a big part of the problem,” agreed the queen. Her voice dropped. “But it is even more serious than that. Wishes in the Magic Forest can actually change the future. Without wishes, we simply don’t know what will happen.”

  Stella, Rosie, and Phoebe exchanged a look. This sounded bad.

  Stella flapped her wings and rose into the air. “We’ll fix this,” she said. “I’m ready!”

  The Tree Queen smiled again, although not quite as broadly as usual. “It’s important to be so enthusiastic,” she said. “Let me tell you a few things first.”

  Stella landed on the ground with a bump, feeling silly. Sometimes she was just a little too keen to get things started. But a smile from her friends helped her embarrassment fade. She, Rosie, and Phoebe had quite different personalities, but they worked beautifully as a team.

  “Stella,” said the Tree Queen, “I’d like you to take the necklace. You will lead this quest.”

  She extended a branch-arm toward Stella. Dangling from it was a silver chain. On the chain was a tiny ball of magical thread. Although the thread had been used in their other adventures, it never seemed to get any smaller.

  I wish tubs of ice cream worked like that, Stella thought.

  “Where should we look for the stars?” Rosie asked. “Do you have any clues?”

  The Tree Queen swayed. “Unfortunately not. The stars disappeared without a trace. One minute they were there, and the next they had vanished.”

  This was going to make their quest very difficult. The Magic Forest was a vast place!

  “I suggest you start by visiting the Star Fields. There is a dance academy there, where the forest’s stars are trained.”

  “Trained?” Stella laughed.

  The Tree Queen nodded. “Twinkling and shining is not as easy as it looks. It takes a lot of lessons before a star is ready to join the others in the night sky. If you go to the Star Fields, you might find some clues. But the Fire Queen is almost certainly watching. Be very, very careful.”

  The Tree Queen turned into a solid tree once more.

  This would be the most difficult quest the Night Dragons had been on. But we’ll do it, Stella told herself.

  She flapped her wings and rose into the air again. This time, Rosie and Phoebe joined her.

  “Come on, Night Dragons!” Stella roared. “Let’s go find us some stars!”

  Stella, Rosie, and Phoebe flew through the shimmery force field and out into the Magic Forest. They flew higher and higher, until they were way above the treetops. Stella preferred flying very high. There were fewer things to crash into! The darkness closed in around the Night Dragons, but this didn’t bother them. Their eyes were perfectly adjusted to seeing in low light.

  “I guess the stars in the Magic Forest are totally different from the stars in our world,” Rosie commented as they flew. “I’ve looked at stars through my cousin’s telescope. They’re not normally something you could hide.”

  “I was thinking that, too,” said Stella. “The sun is a star, after all. That would NOT be easy to steal.”

  “Which way to the Star Fields?” Rosie asked.

  As Rosie spoke, the little ball of thread around Stella’s neck begin to unwind. The end of the thread rose, just a little. It was pointing toward the horizon.

  “I guess we go that way.” Stella pointed.

  She flapped her wings harder, loving the feeling of the cool night air rushing past. Stella wasn’t perfect at flying yet, but that didn’t stop her from loving every moment of it.

  Phoebe swooped alongside her, wobbling a little as she tried to straighten up her wings. She scanned the forest below.

  “Watch out!” Stella laughed. “You nearly crashed into me.”

  Phoebe also had a little bit to learn when it came to flying. But like Stella, she was improving every time they visited the forest.

  “Sorry!” Phoebe said, swerving away. “I got distracted by that glow down there. Can you see it? Between those trees. It’s pale. I am not sure if I’m imagining it.”

  “You’re not imagining it,” said Rosie, flying closer.