Summer Spell (9781743437261) Read online

  A Trickstars Adventure with Ruby, Lexie and Kit, the fantastic trick-riding triplets

  Old rivals from Grampy's past turn up in town. The Hexleys believe that Lexie's precious gold belt-buckle is rightfully theirs, and challenge the Trickstars to a trick-riding duel. But Silvanus Hexley will try all sorts of tricks to win, including casting a spell on Lexie.

  Also by Karen Wood

  The Diamond Spirit Series

  Diamond Spirit

  Moonstone Promise

  Opal Dreaming

  Golden Stranger

  Brumby Mountain

  Jumping Fences

  Rain Dance

  Under the Flame Tree

  First published in 2015

  Copyright © Text, Karen Wood 2015

  Copyright © Illustrations, Astred Hicks 2015

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

  Allen & Unwin

  83 Alexander Street

  Crows Nest NSW 2065

  Australia

  Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100

  Email: [email protected]

  Web: www.allenandunwin.com

  A Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the National Library of Australia

  www.trove.nla.gov.au

  ISBN 978 1 74331 906 2

  eISBN 978 1 74343 726 1

  Cover and text design by Astred Hicks, Design Cherry

  Cover and text illustration by Astred Hicks

  Typeset by Astred Hicks, Design Cherry

  www.diamondspirit.net

  Contents

  1 Front Page News

  2 The Boy in the Forest

  3 Phantosmia

  4 The Deal

  5 Mess and Merry

  6 Show and Tell

  7 The Summer Festival

  8 The Hexley High Flyers

  9 From Weakness Comes Strength

  10 And the Winner is…

  Sincere thanks to my friend, Ian Bigwood, who spent endless hours rescuing this book from the dark depths of my computer after I accidentally deleted the entire thing.

  Lexie sat in the ramshackle kitchen of Windara eating a late lunch – eggs with green tomato pickle. She and her triplet sisters had worked hard in the orchard all morning. But this afternoon they would ride. Lexie took another bite and stared through the window.

  In the horse paddock, Featherfoot, Kismet and Tinker drank from the trough. After pulling cartloads of fruit all morning, they were damp with sweat and covered with dust.

  Lexie twisted a dark, curly plait around her finger and smiled to herself as she watched Featherfoot walk away and roll in the dirt. Their gypsy cobs worked hard, but last weekend, Lexie and her sisters had proved that they were far more than just farm nags.

  It had all happened by accident. On the morning of their ninth birthday, Lexie, Ruby and Kit had snuck out to go trick riding at their special headquarters, an abandoned flower farm. But when they were late home for their surprise party, the party had come to them, just in time for their performance. Everyone had clapped and cheered, and Lexie had felt quite proud of herself.

  But the truth was, if she had known they had an audience she probably would have fallen off. Normally she didn’t like people watching her; it made her anxious. Performing in front of people was okay once, but Lexie was secretly glad she didn’t have to do it again.

  So was Grampy. He had been furious, and had grounded them for a whole week. He thought trick riding was dangerous. It had been a long week, but now it was over. Today they could ride again!

  Ruby came into the kitchen and flopped onto a chair opposite Lexie. Her short hair was a mess. ‘I’m exhausted.’

  ‘You need a power lunch,’ said Lexie. She impaled the last bite of egg with her fork and held it out.

  ‘No, thanks.’ Ruby grimaced at the rubbery white offering. ‘I wonder if Kit has a herbal tea that could help.’

  ‘No doubt,’ said Lexie.

  For their birthday Grampy had given them three golden amulets, each with its own special power. Kit’s was a bracelet that signified compassion and helped her heal people and animals, especially horses. Ruby’s gift – a coin necklace that helped her see people’s fortunes – represented hope.

  Lexie was given a belt buckle that symbolised courage. It was engraved with the words, From weakness comes strength. ‘You can’t be courageous if you’re not afraid to begin with,’ Grampy had explained.

  Lexie was the smallest of the triplets, and very shy. She knew what it was like to feel vulnerable, but when she wore the buckle she felt invincible. She hadn’t taken it off all week.

  The front door burst open and footsteps rushed down the hall.

  ‘Look at this!’ said Kit, appearing in the doorway. Her crazy black curls bounced around her face. ‘Mr Chalkman’s written an article about us for the Saturday paper!’ She threw it onto the table and pointed to a photo of the three Trickett sisters wearing sequined unitards. Above it was the headline,

  TRICKSTARS RIDE AGAIN!

  Lexie felt a flush of heat run up her neck and over her cheeks. She put her hands over her face. ‘That is so embarrassing,’ she squeaked.

  ‘No, it’s not,’ said Kit. ‘It’s way cool. Look at us!’

  ‘What else does it say?’ asked Ruby.

  ‘After decades out of the limelight, the formerly famous Trickett family are back in the saddle and performing astonishing feats of trick riding once more – this time with a new generation taking up the reins,’ Kit read out loud. Then she looked up. ‘How did he know about Grampy’s background?’

  She continued reading. ‘Nine-year-old triplets, Ruby, Kit and Lexie, have been rehearsing awe-inspiring stunts on their horses. The girls’ grandfather, Gallius Trickett, was once part of a travelling show called the Trickstars, performing all over Europe. He retired after the tragic death of his leading lady Levinia Trickett many years ago––’

  WHACK!

  A hand slammed down over the newspaper.

  ‘What did I tell you about keeping our family history private?’ said Grampy.

  Kit looked shocked at first. Then she looked angry. ‘It wasn’t our fault. We never asked to be interviewed. Mr Chalkman just started asking us all these questions…’

  ‘How did he get that information about Levinia?’ Grampy demanded.

  ‘It wasn’t me!’

  Grampy’s voice rose. ‘Well, somebody must have told him and you’re the only people who know.’

  ‘It was me.’ Their mother, Analita, stood in the doorway with her sewing apron on. Her arms were folded stubbornly across her chest.

  For a moment Grampy said nothing. When he finally spoke it was a perplexed whisper. ‘You? But why?’

  ‘Mr Chalkman approached me and asked me for an interview, so I gave him one,’ said Analita matter-of-factly. ‘Levinia was my mother and I have every right to talk about her. We should all be proud of our family history, not ashamed of it.’

  Analita’s words seemed to cut into Grampy. He visibly winced.

  Lexie felt a rush of sympathy for him. Did he still blame himself for Levinia’s death?

  ‘Yeah,’ said Ruby, siding with her mum. ‘We should be proud. I want to
take this article to school for show-and-tell.’

  ‘You’re to do nothing of the sort,’ snapped Grampy. He gestured to the newspaper. ‘Look, the Boswell necklace and the belt buckle, both clearly visible in this photo. What if another clan sees it? I’ve told you before: if the amulets fall into the wrong hands, they will cause all sorts of trouble.’ He picked up the paper and threw it in the bin. ‘All this attention. No good will come of it.’ He stalked out the door.

  Ruby rushed to retrieve the paper. ‘I’m going to keep it,’ she said.

  Lexie sighed. Why did Ruby always have to defy Grampy? It usually ended up with all three of them in trouble.

  ‘I’ll put it in Grandma Levinia’s diary where no one can see it,’ said Ruby, as though reading her mind.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Lexie. ‘I’m going to ride. Are you two coming?’

  ‘Soon as we’ve grabbed something to eat,’ said Kit. ‘We’ll catch up.’

  Featherfoot nickered happily when he saw Lexie. Like all the horses sired by Magnifico, he was a one-man horse, or in this case, a one-girl horse. Featherfoot had chosen Lexie to be his special person from the moment he had first snuffled a carrot out of her hand.

  The giant black-and-white cob came trotting to the fence. Lexie slipped a rope around his neck, gave him a big hug and led him to the barn. As she ran a brush over his sides, Grampy’s words echoed in her ears.

  All this attention. No good will come of it.

  Lexie didn’t like attention at the best of times.

  Lexie rode off towards the headquarters by herself. In the forest, the air was strangely still; no birds or insects chirruped. The trees cast mottled shadows over the track. With every step, Featherfoot’s hooves snapped the tiny twigs on the forest floor and rustled the fallen leaves.

  As she rode deeper into the forest, Lexie became uneasy. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she muttered to herself.

  But Featherfoot seemed nervous too, flicking his ears back and forth and snorting. Finally he stopped and refused to move. ‘What’s wrong?’ Lexie asked. She scanned the forest but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

  Featherfoot raised his head and Lexie felt his muscles tense. She urged him forward. ‘It’s okay,’ she said, trying to reassure him.

  Then she saw what was upsetting him. In a nearby clearing, a boy with hair as orange as a carrot stood grinning at her. His eyes were two different colours: one was grey, the other intensely green. His gaze seemed to capture her and draw her in. It was several moments before she noticed the small silver bowl he held in his hands. It was filled with smouldering leaves, and blue smoke wafted from it.

  The boy stepped forward and began a slow chant.

  ‘Bloodroot and baneberry

  Fill the nose with mess and merry …’

  Smoke hit Lexie’s nostrils and the smell of it made her stomach churn. She coughed. ‘What is that?’ she choked. ‘Who are you?’

  The boy smiled. He came closer, waving the bowl. A waft of old gym socks made Lexie recoil. ‘Get that away from me,’ she said.

  Lexie tried to gather her reins, to kick Featherfoot onwards, but her limbs felt like jelly. Sensing she would fall otherwise, she dismounted before crumpling to the ground.

  ‘What’s happening?’

  The boy laughed and hopped excitedly from foot to foot. ‘It worked!’ he said. ‘I never thought it would, but it did. It really worked!’

  Lexie tried to get up, but whatever was in that bowl had made her feel woozy.

  From weakness comes strength.

  She remembered the words that were etched into her golden belt buckle. Her hand went to her waist, and the feel of the warm metal calmed her. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. Something potent trickled through her veins. It grew and grew until she felt a surge of courage.

  Lexie pushed through the nausea and staggered to her feet. ‘I told you to get that away from me,’ she said, then turned her hip to him and did a sideways karate kick. Her foot hit the bowl and it went flying into the air. Leaves and coals scattered everywhere as it tumbled to the ground.

  The boy stepped back a few paces, then turned and bolted, laughing loudly as he disappeared into the forest.

  Lexie watched until the trees blurred and blackness overtook her.

  ‘Lexie!’

  ‘Lexie, where are you?’

  She woke to the sound of her sisters’ voices. Soon they appeared along the forest track. Ruby led Featherfoot off the side of Tinker. ‘We found Featherfoot galloping towards home. What happened?’

  Kit followed on Kismet. ‘Are you okay? Did you come off?’

  ‘No, I…’ Lexie frowned, remembering. ‘There was a boy. He made me fall.’

  ‘Did he push you off?’ asked Ruby. She twisted her head around. ‘Who was he?’

  ‘He ran away. He had a bowl of smoke. And strange eyes.’

  Ruby and Kit looked at each other.

  ‘Maybe you hit your head,’ said Kit. She slipped off Kismet and held out a hand to help Lexie up. ‘Are you hurt?’

  Lexie stood slowly and brushed the leaves and twigs off her legs. ‘No.’ She looked around for any sign of the boy.

  ‘Are you still okay to ride?’ asked Kit.

  Lexie forced a smile. ‘I think so.’ She climbed back onto Featherfoot. ‘Come on, let’s go.’ She had been waiting to do tricks all week and she wasn’t going to let a little nausea stop her.

  Soon the girls came to their headquarters, the old flower farm. Fields of long grass, splashed with the colours of poppies and delphiniums gone wild, led to an old ruined cottage.

  They rode into their ring of straw bales and began the warm-up exercises. Lexie pushed Featherfoot into a canter but with each stride she felt more and more dizzy. She was glad when she got through the scissors and the dismount without falling off.

  ‘Let’s do the Galaxy of Stars,’ said Ruby. It was the only trick they had learned so far.

  ‘Okay,’ said Lexie. Ruby and Kit mounted Featherfoot behind her and she kicked him into a canter.

  ‘One, two, three, go!’ said Lexie. She felt her sister’s hands on her shoulders as Ruby hopped to her feet. Featherfoot kept a nice steady rhythm.

  ‘One, two, three, go!’ said Ruby.

  Lexie managed to stand, but everything started spinning. Before she knew it, she was landing on the ground with Ruby on top of her in a tangle of arms and legs. Featherfoot skidded to a halt.

  Kit dismounted. ‘What happened? Are you okay?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Lexie, trying to sit up.

  ‘Maybe you have stage fright,’ said Kit. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her bracelet, and then placed her hands on Lexie’s shoulders. ‘You do tend to freak out in front of other people.’

  ‘But there’s no one here,’ said Lexie.

  ‘That’s what we thought last time we rode here, but then all those people showed up and surprised us. My bracelet feels cold when I touch you. You seem … anxious.’

  Lexie pushed her hand away. ‘You’re making me anxious!’ But she shook her head. This wasn’t just nerves. Something very strange was happening to her.

  Kit leaned down and peered into Lexie’s eyes. ‘Perhaps we should try this again tomorrow, when you’re feeling better. I’ll take you home and make you some valerian-root tea. I read in Levinia’s diary that it helps settle nerves.’

  ‘I’m not nervous,’ said Lexie, standing and taking Featherfoot by the reins. ‘I want to try again.’

  Both Ruby and Kit frowned.

  Lexie stared back. ‘What?’

  ‘I’m not sure I want to ride with you when you’re too unsteady to hold me,’ said Ruby.

  Lexie felt like crying. Ruby was right. How could she hold her sisters up when she couldn’t even hold herself steady? She turned Featherfoot away and led him towards home.

  Lexie couldn’t remember getting home. A wet slurp from Shoddy woke her and she fou
nd herself lying in bed.

  The dog’s breath smelled of rotten eggs. It was so powerful that Lexie burrowed her head into her pillow, trying to hide from it. ‘Ugh! That is so bad,’ she moaned.

  When she went into the kitchen there were more awful smells. ‘Has Ruby forgotten to take the rubbish out?’ she asked Analita. The odour suddenly changed and Lexie inhaled with pleasure. ‘Or are you baking a cake?’

  Analita gave her a worried look. ‘I’m not baking anything.’

  Kit and Ruby gathered around her.

  ‘What happened to your nose?’ said Kit.

  ‘What’s wrong with my nose?’ asked Lexie.

  ‘It’s gone all red,’ said Ruby.

  ‘Sit down,’ said Analita. ‘I’m going to get Grampy.’

  A moment later, Grampy sat opposite Lexie. ‘Tell me what happened,’ he said.

  Lexie told him about the carrot-haired boy and the smoking silver bowl. ‘I wasn’t sure if I dreamed it or not,’ she said.

  ‘The Hexleys,’ said Grampy in a grim voice. ‘As soon as the amulets saw the light of day, I knew they would appear.’

  Lexie grimaced. She had never noticed what bad breath Grampy had. ‘Who are the Hexleys?’ she asked. ‘And what have they done to me?’

  ‘They are another clan of trick riders. Our family has quite a history with them.’

  ‘Then we should be friends,’ said Ruby excitedly. ‘Maybe we could ride together.’

  Grampy snorted. ‘I didn’t say it was good history.’ He ran his hand along his chin, his brow deeply furrowed. ‘They are masters of herbal lore. They can make all sorts of concoctions, including mischievous ones.’

  ‘But what have they done to me?’ asked Lexie, also noticing the bad cologne Grampy seemed to be wearing. It was odd. Grampy did not usually wear cologne.

  ‘I’m afraid you’ve been cursed with Phantosmia,’ said Grampy. ‘You’re having phantom smells. It’s an old trick; not harmful, but very unpleasant.’

  ‘You mean, I’m not really smelling what I think I’m smelling?’ she asked.