First published in the United Kingdom by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2023

  Published in this ebook edition in 2023

  HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,

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  London SE1 9GF

  www.harpercollins.co.uk

  HarperCollinsPublishers

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  Dublin 1, D01 C9W8, Ireland

  Text copyright © Paula Harrison 2023

  Cover design copyright © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2023

  Cover illustration copyright © Mónica de Rivas 2023

  Paula Harrison asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work.

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

  Source ISBN: 9780008582975

  Ebook Edition © March 2023 ISBN: 9780008582982

  Version: 2023-06-02

  For Abby, Megan and Emmie

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Waybeyond

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Books by Paula Harrison

  About the Publisher

  ‘Watch this!’ Snow White called to her friends. ‘I’ve almost got it right.’ And she leaped across the dance studio of the Glass Slipper Academy with a wooden training sword in her hand. Stretching her arms high, she spun round in front of the mirror. It was the perfect sword-fighting move!

  ‘Did you see what I did?’ She turned to her friends, beaming.

  But Red Riding and Goldie Locks were busy arguing over a shield, and only Blackberry, Snow’s pet squirrel, was watching. He flicked his bushy tail approvingly and gave Snow an acorn as a reward.

  Snow giggled. ‘Thanks, Blackberry! That’s really kind—’ She broke off as Madame Hart rushed back into the room and tapped on the floor with her cane.

  ‘What are you doing, girls?’ snapped the dance teacher. ‘You’re meant to be practising ballet before you start sword training!’

  ‘But look at this new move!’ cried Red, leaping around. ‘If we meet Sir Scallion again, I’ll beat him for sure.’

  Madame Hart frowned deeply at the mention of her arch-enemy – the knight who’d locked her in a tower a few weeks ago. ‘Were you listening, Red? I said ballet first and sword-fighting later.’

  ‘Anyway, Sir Scallion’s trapped in his castle and guarded by a hundred soldiers,’ Goldie pointed out. ‘So you’re not likely to run into him anytime soon.’

  ‘Good!’ cried Snow. ‘I don’t want to see him or his army of rats ever again!’

  Red, Snow and Goldie had begun learning sword-fighting and ninja moves several weeks before when they’d discovered a secret storeroom full of swords, shields and other useful things hidden behind a mirrored wall in the Glass Slipper Academy. Madame Hart, who ran the dance academy, had once been one of the finest sword-fighters in the land.

  The Kingdom of Waybeyond was a vast and magical place full of mountains and forests, and trolls and unicorns. But Red, Snow and Goldie lived in the sleepy town of Hobbleton where nothing exciting ever happened. Everyone else seemed to like it that way – quiet and boring – so they’d put up big signs at the edge of town that read:

  But Snow, Red and Goldie had longed for magic and adventure. Tired of sewing dresses and cooking porridge, they had set off to explore. They’d met all sorts of magical creatures, climbed castle walls and fought their way through Shadowmoon Forest. It had been dangerous, scary and absolutely awesome!

  As soon as they’d got back home, Goldie and Red had begun training very hard for their next mission. But Snow had a secret that she hadn’t told anyone – well, no one except Blackberry …

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to go on another adventure. Battling trolls had been kind of fun, but she loved being at home in Hobbleton. Snow lived in the house above the Silver Buttons dress shop with her family and, when the sun set, a crowd of bluebirds and squirrels would perch on the hazelnut tree outside her bedroom window to sing her to sleep.

  It was true that her stepmother could be a little grumpy, and her seven little brothers liked to wake her up by jumping on her bed every morning, but Snow loved her animal friends dearly. Spending time with them meant everything to her. Blackberry often scampered through the window and slept on her pillow at night.

  Snow smiled as she put Blackberry’s acorn in her pocket. She loved living here – so why would she want to rush off on another quest?

  Red swung her wooden sword again, and Madame Hart tutted as she took the weapon away. ‘I said ballet first, Red!’ But then her face softened as she added, ‘You’re making good progress, girls! Some of these moves are tricky, but remember you can do anything if you set your mind to it. Okay – that’s all for today …’

  ‘Oh, PLEASE can you teach us a bit more?’ Red begged. ‘There’s so much I want to know!’

  Madame Hart hung the swords and shields back in the secret storeroom behind the mirror. ‘No one can know everything,’ she said. ‘Not unless they read every book in Big Hollow …’

  ‘What’s Big Hollow?’ Snow asked curiously.

  But just then the clock on the town hall began to chime …

  ‘I’m sorry, girls, we’ve run out of time,’ said their teacher, ‘and I’m going away for a few days to visit my sister, so I won’t see you all till Monday.’

  Blackberry scampered on to Snow’s shoulder as the girls said goodbye and headed outside. Hurrying down the academy steps, they passed the old wishing well in the garden where patches of golden star flowers were swaying in the breeze.

  ‘No more training till Monday!’ Goldie wailed. ‘What are we going to do till then?’

  ‘We could go on another adventure,’ Red said eagerly. ‘It’s been AGES since we got back from the last one!’

  ‘It’s only been three weeks,’ Snow pointed out.

  ‘That’s a REALLY long time!’ replied Red. ‘Wouldn’t it be AWESOME to meet some new magical creatures like rock goblins or water serpents?’

  ‘Exactly!’ cried Goldie. ‘I’ve made a list of all the things I want to do, and it does NOT include making more porridge.’

  Hanging back a little, Snow scuffed her shoes against the pavement. How could she explain to the others that she didn’t really want to leave Hobbleton? Blackberry leaped off her shoulder and ran up a tree to look for nuts.

  Snow coughed nervously. ‘Um … I’m not sure I can go on another adventure right now,’ she said quietly. ‘There’s a lot of work to do in the shop … shirts to sew and coats to mend …’

  ‘Can’t you do that later?’ asked Red. ‘Come on, Snow. We can’t go on an adventure without you!’

  Snow twisted her cloak ribbon guiltily. Would Red and Goldie get cross if she said she didn’t want to go? She swallowed. ‘It’s not just that! The animals need me. Yesterday, Blackberry got his tail stuck on a bramble. He would have been trapped all day if I hadn’t helped him.’

  Red rolled her eyes. ‘You can’t stay here forever because of a squirrel!’

  ‘But we’ve completed our mission, and Sir Scallion has been banished to his castle,’ said Snow.

  ‘But there might be more baddies out there,’ said Goldie. ‘We won’t know unless we go looking for them!’

  ‘And you’re the only one who’s good with a bow and arrow,’ said Red. ‘You’ve GOT to come, Snow!’

  Snow gulped. She definitely didn’t want to go looking for baddies, but how could she disappoint her friends?

  Red sniffed the air and breathed in deeply. ‘Wow, can you smell that? Mr Coddle’s been making gingerbread again. We should buy some to take with us.’

  Together they headed to the town square, which was crammed with market stalls. Right in the middle was a large booth labelled:

  Marzipan, jellies and gingerbread were laid out on silver trays.

  Red filled one paper bag with gingerbread and another with banana muffins before handing three pennies to the shopkeeper. ‘Let’s fetch the map and some training swords from the academy,’ she whispered to Snow and Goldie. ‘Then we can set off!’

  Snow took a deep breath. ‘I don’t think I can come with you this time! I’m really sorry, but—’ She broke off suddenly as a strange-looking fiery ball streaked across the sky.

  All around the marketplace, people stopped and stared. Crackling, the fireball zoomed through the air, heading in their direction. A little boy squealed in fright, and suddenly everyone started running for cover. Snow stood frozen as the ball of flame transformed itself into the shape of a bird with a blazing tail and golden wings.

  ‘Duck!’ cried Red, divi ng under a market stall.

  ‘That’s a firebird – not a duck!’ Goldie yelled back.

  ‘Goldie, look out!’ Snow pulled her friend out of the way as the firebird plunged towards the ground.

  The creature crash-landed in the middle of the square, burning a hole in a stall selling underwear. Scrambling up, Snow rushed towards the smoking hole. Inside, she found a fiery golden bird, not much bigger than a chicken, peering out from beneath a pile of woolly underpants.

  Snow caught her breath. Why had this magical creature fallen out of the sky right in the middle of Hobbleton? She hadn’t wanted a new adventure, but it looked like one had found her anyway!

  People ran round the market square, yelling in fright, but Snow took no notice. Leaning forward, she pulled the scorched underpants off the firebird’s head. ‘Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?’

  The little bird coughed, and smoke puffed out of its beak. Tilting its head, it gazed at Snow with bright amber eyes. Snow smiled. She couldn’t believe she was meeting a real firebird for the very first time. The golden bird coughed again, and more smoke puffed out. Red and Goldie ran over to join Snow.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Snow asked the firebird again. Then, hearing a noise, she glanced up in the air.

  An enormous beast with pale blue wings hurtled out of the sky, landing in the town pond and splattering water everywhere. Shaking pondweed from its spines, it gave a thundering roar that shook the square. The pond began to freeze under its icy breath.

  The people hiding under the market stalls all clapped their hands over their ears.

  Red’s eyes lit up. ‘An ice dragon! Look at the size of it!’

  Yawning, the dragon climbed out of the icy pond and settled on the bank, closing its eyes.

  ‘What is it doing here?’ cried Goldie. ‘Magical creatures NEVER come to Hobbleton, and now two have arrived on the exact same day. It doesn’t make any sense!’

  Snow gazed at the sky and noticed strange specks high up in the air. ‘I think there could be even more on the way …’

  ‘No way! That’ll never happen,’ said Goldie.

  Snow frowned. Maybe she was just imagining it. Kneeling beside the firebird, she checked its wings. The bird shook itself, and golden flames rippled across its feathers.

  Everyone in the market square began to scramble out of their hiding places. They gathered round in groups, talking urgently about the strange new creatures.

  ‘Let’s load them on to a cart and push them out of town!’ cried Mrs Skimble, the baker. ‘They can’t stay here in Hobbleton.’

  ‘But moving them is too dangerous! What if the dragon gets angry and freezes the whole square?’ snapped Mr Piper, the mayor.

  ‘We should clear the marketplace and put up barricades!’ said Mr Locks, Goldie’s dad. ‘These creatures probably have some terrible plan. Goldie, you must come home with me at once!’

  ‘But, Dad—’ Goldie broke off as a golden sand dragon zoomed overhead.

  Crashing into the roof of the town hall, the dragon set the clock chiming thirteen times. Then it tumbled off the roof and crashed into the street below. The townspeople shrieked and ran for cover again. Some fetched buckets of water and threw them at the sand dragon; others brought brooms and tried to chase the creature away. The ice dragon by the pond woke up and breathed frost all over their brooms, leaving them covered in icicles. The clock on the town hall went on chiming.

  ‘Look out! There are more of them!’ screeched Mrs Skimble.

  Snow peered at the sky again. There were more creatures up there! Her stomach turned a somersault as the dots grew into shapes, and the shapes transformed into creatures. There were flaming firebirds and smooth sand dragons, tiny frost fairies and giant butterflies, blue ice dragons and swooping storm eagles.

  ‘We need to put up more signs around town,’ gabbled the mayor. ‘Firebirds begone! Dragons depart! Frost fairies take a hike!’ And he raced across the street into the town hall and slammed the door shut.

  ‘There’s no need to panic,’ said Snow. ‘I’m sure they haven’t come here to hurt us.’

  But no one was listening.

  People ran in all directions. Some hid in their houses while others grabbed saucepans and garden spades to defend themselves. The yells of panic sent the little firebird burrowing back under the pile of woolly underpants.

  ‘We’ve got to do something!’ cried Red.

  ‘Don’t worry!’ Snow whispered to the firebird. ‘I’ll look after you.’ Taking off her cloak, she gently wrapped the firebird in a bundle. Then, scooping it up, she dashed across the market square. An ice dragon flew by, frost pouring from its wings, and Snow ducked under a stall to escape the falling ice.

  Red and Goldie chased after her.

  ‘What are you doing with that firebird?’ Red gasped.

  ‘I’m taking him somewhere quiet,’ Snow explained. ‘All the shouting is scaring him.’

  ‘Someone might see you,’ hissed Goldie. ‘No one’s supposed to know about our adventures, remember?’

  ‘I’ll use my ninja moves!’ Snow peeped out, checking the way was clear.

  Remembering what Madame Hart had taught them, she moved smoothly and quietly, freezing like a statue every time someone looked her way. Crouching low, she tiptoed past a clothes stall and hid behind a rack of winter coats. Then, gliding like a swan, she dodged behind the next row of stalls to reach the edge of the town square.

  Quick as the wind, she raced past the bakery and the potion shop, not stopping till she reached the corner. Then she took the street leading back to the Glass Slipper Academy with the frightened firebird tucked safely under her arm.

  Two big firebirds swooped over the town square, scattering sparks everywhere. An ice dragon crashed into an apple cart. Then a cluster of frost fairies zoomed into the bakery and began pelting each other with doughnuts.

  Snow ran on. She needed to take this little firebird somewhere safe. If the grown-ups spotted him, they’d throw water at him or chase him with a broom. Running down the street, she stopped suddenly outside her house.

  The hazelnut tree outside her bedroom window had fallen to the ground, and broken branches were scattered everywhere. Blackberry and his family were running to and fro, chattering anxiously. Snow’s heart sank. That tree had been a home for so many animals. Rabbits had built their burrows in its roots, and squirrels and birds had nested in its branches.

  Snow’s seven little brothers yelled to her from the upstairs windows.

  ‘There was a huge storm eagle!’ said Eric, Snow’s littlest brother.

  ‘It was just like a tornado!’ Wilf added cheerfully.

  ‘And the silly bird blew the tree right over,’ Tomas finished with a grumpy frown.

  Snow turned to her friends, who had just caught up with her. ‘Why is this happening? We never had dragons, firebirds and fairies here before.’

  ‘That’s EXACTLY what I was saying!’ said Goldie.

  ‘Something really terrible must have happened to drive these creatures out of their homes,’ Snow went on.

  ‘Like what?’ asked Red.

  ‘I don’t know!’ cried Snow. ‘But we have to work out what it is.’

  ‘How are we going to do that?’ said Goldie.

  Snow looked down at the firebird in her arms. She remembered the map of Waybeyond that Madame Hart kept in her secret cupboard. She’d seen the home of the dragons and firebirds marked on it. ‘We have to visit Redrock Canyon where the sand dragons and firebirds live. It’s time for us to go on an adventure!’

  ‘Yes, we need a new adventure!’ cried Red. ‘But I thought you didn’t want to come with us?’

  ‘I didn’t before … but now I want to help these creatures,’ Snow said seriously. ‘They don’t belong here! We have to find out why they left their homes.’

  ‘Then let’s fetch our rucksacks and meet back at the Glass Slipper Academy.’ Goldie looked at the broken clock on the town hall that was still chiming thirteen. ‘We can set off before the clock strikes fourteen!’

  Snow ran into the Silver Buttons dress shop. Setting down the firebird, she grabbed her rucksack from the back of the cupboard. Her ninja suit was scrunched up in a ball at the bottom.

 

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