wen’s fingers closed around the pendant. She couldn’t explain it, but it somehow felt like it had been waiting for her – that it belonged to her.

‘What’s happening?’ breathed Flora, her eyes wide.

A bright light seemed to shine out over a spot in the Lake. ‘Look!’ Gwen exclaimed.

They both stared as the light grew brighter and brighter, and then the waters parted. To their amazement, a beautiful young woman rose up to the surface.

Gwen stared. What was happening? Was this woman a water nymph – a spirit of the water? Or maybe she was a goddess or a sorceress? As Flora had said, Gwen had heard the storytellers who came to the castle telling tales of magical beings who lived throughout the land. Could it really be true?

‘I… I don’t like this!’ Flora stammered, backing away.

Gwen’s heart was banging against her ribs, but she was rooted to the spot. She bravely faced the woman and called out: ‘Who are you?’

‘My name is Nineve.’ The woman’s voice was low and musical. Her long chestnut-brown hair swept all the way down to her feet, held back from her face by a sparkling pearl headband. Her dress shimmered with different shades of green and blue all the way down to her bare feet. As the girls watched, she began to float across the surface of the water towards them.

Run! a small panicked part of Gwen’s brain yelled – but another feeling deep down inside held her still. Nineve was so beautiful and had such sparkling eyes. She gave off a feeling of peace and serenity. A thought beat through Gwen – There’s nothing to be scared of.

Nineve stopped in front of her. ‘Guinevere.’ She smiled.

Gwen felt a moment’s shock. ‘How… how do you know my name?’

‘I am the Lady of the Lake,’ Nineve answered softly. ‘And I know many things.’ Her eyes fell to the pendant around Gwen’s neck. ‘The pendant has chosen you, Guinevere. Avalon is in danger. Only a mortal girl can save it and you are that girl.’

If it hadn’t been for the icy water still lapping at her toes, Gwen would have been sure she was in a dream. ‘Avalon? You mean the island in the Lake?’

Nineve nodded.

Flora, who had been silent with shock until this point, finally spoke. ‘But why?’ she asked, her voice still shaking a little. ‘Why does Avalon need saving?’

‘Come. I will show you.’ Nineve started to float across the Lake towards the island, beckoning for them to follow.

Gwen went a few paces and then stopped. ‘Wait! The water’s too deep. How can we come with you, Nineve?’

A smile caught at Nineve’s mouth. ‘By magic,’ she said softly. She clapped her hands. Instantly, a fine white mist rose from the Lake, swirling around both Gwen and Flora, spiralling up from their toes to their heads. Gwen gasped as she felt herself being lifted into the air. The mist was everywhere and for a moment all she could see was a cloud of sparkling white. Suddenly, she had the sensation that she was floating over the water, and as the mist started to clear, spiralling back down to her feet, Gwen realised that she had been right. She really was floating across the Lake’s surface – Flora too! Gwen tried moving her feet and found she could move easily. She ran across the water towards where Nineve was waiting at the edge of the purple mist that still surrounded the island.

Gwen stopped beside the Lady of the Lake, her eyes shining. All her life she had wanted a real adventure, and now she was finally having one! Nineve waited for Flora to reach them too, and then she looked at the two girls steadily. ‘Are you ready to see Avalon?’

Flora and Gwen looked at each other. ‘Oh yes!’ breathed Gwen, and Flora nodded, though she looked a little nervous. Nineve smiled, but Gwen thought she saw a sadness in her dark eyes.

Lifting her hands into the air, Nineve began to murmur a string of strange-sounding words and the purple mist parted, forming a path that led to the secret island. Nineve walked down it. Flora grabbed Gwen’s hand and then they both followed. Coming out of the mist, they stepped from the water on to the solid rock of the island and looked around.

Gwen felt a shock run all the way through her. She’d always pictured Avalon as a beautiful place. The tales she had heard of it had told of a rich green island, covered with grass and apple trees and filled with the sound of birdsong. But this… it looked nothing like the place she’d been imagining. All she could see were grey craggy rocks, sparse clumps of grass, dried-up streams and dying, twisted trees. On a sloping hillside reached by stone steps was a large house. It too was crumbling and decaying, and its dark windows looked like empty, blank eyes. At the bottom of the stone steps was a small tree. It appeared to be the only tree on the island that still had a few green leaves. A single red apple was growing in its branches.

‘Oh,’ said Gwen. ‘I never thought…’ Her voice trailed off. ‘I… I always imagined Avalon to be beautiful.’

The sadness in Nineve’s eyes deepened. ‘It was, Guinevere. Not long ago, it was one of the most beautiful and magical places in this realm. Nine Spell Sisters, all sorceresses, lived here. Each had their own powers and most of them used their goodness to keep Avalon’s magic strong. For Avalon is very important to the world; in years to come, the kingdom will need its magic.’

Gwen and Flora looked at one another with concern. ‘What do you mean, the kingdom needs Avalon?’ Gwen asked, her forehead wrinkled with concern.

‘My powers allow me to see many things – past, present and future,’ Nineve answered. ‘I know this magical island has a vital role to play in the battle between good and evil that is to come. Even now, the loss of its magic is slowly draining the colour and life from the kingdom around us. The longer the sisters are away, the worse it will get. I cannot tell you more but, believe me, if Avalon’s magic is lost then great trouble will come to all.’

Nineve paused and then gave them a small smile. ‘Now watch – this is what the island should look like.’

Nineve raised her hands. For a moment the whole island seem to shimmer, and then, suddenly, it looked completely different. The grass was green and lush, the trees’ branches were heavy with red and green apples, clouds of multi-coloured butterflies flitted through the air and birds sang. The house was glowing with light from inside and music echoed out through the open windows.

‘It’s wonderful!’ Gwen gasped, looking around in awe and walking up the hillside towards the house. Nineve and Flora followed her.

‘This is how Avalon used to look. It is very different from what it has become.’ Nineve lowered her hands and the vision faded. Once again the island was grey and dying, a chill creeping through the air. The only splash of colour was the red of the single apple on the tree.

‘But what’s happened?’ Gwen demanded. She hated seeing the difference between the vision and the reality. ‘What happened to the Spell Sisters who lived here?’

For a moment, ice seemed to snap through Nineve’s musical voice. ‘Morgana Le Fay.’

‘Who?’ Flora asked in confusion.

‘I will explain, but I’m afraid I must be quick,’ Nineve answered, her face starting to look worried. ‘I cannot be out of the Lake for long or my magic will weaken.’ Gwen and Flora nodded, and Nineve continued. ‘Almost twelve moons ago, the eldest of the nine sisters of Avalon, Morgana, tricked her younger siblings into leaving the island. She used her magic to imprison them in eight hidden locations around the kingdom, and stole their powers.’

‘But why did she do that?’ asked Gwen.

Nineve sighed. ‘Morgana wants Avalon for herself. Now that she has the powers of all the Spell Sisters, the island will become hers and hers alone as soon as she steps foot on it. Avalon’s magic, and all the sisters’ abilities, will be under her control. So far, I have managed to stop her returning to the island by casting a spell that prevents her from crossing the Lake. However, it will only last until the next lunar eclipse and then Morgana will be able to take control of Avalon.’

‘What will happen?’ Flora said worriedly.

Nineve rubbed a hand across her forehead. ‘If that happens, this once beautiful place will continue to rot and die. Morgana is evil, and the island needs the goodness of the other eight sisters in order for its own powerful magic to flourish.’

‘Then we have to save it!’ Gwen declared. ‘What can we do to help?’

‘It is up to you now,’ Nineve said, her eyes fixed on Gwen’s. ‘The stars predict that a mortal girl will hold the balance of power in her hands. You are that girl because you were the one the pendant chose.’

‘What will Gwen have to do?’ asked Flora anxiously.

‘Find and free all eight Spell Sisters before the next lunar eclipse and return them to Avalon. Then good shall triumph over evil.’

Flora looked shocked. ‘But how can Gwen possibly do that? If your magic can stop Morgana crossing the Lake, can’t you use it to free her sisters too?’

Nineve shook her head. ‘I’m afraid my magic only works while I’m in contact with the water that surrounds Avalon. Gwen will need to search the land and find each of the sisters before they can be freed.’

‘But—’ Flora began.

‘I can do it, Flora!’ Gwen exclaimed, interrupting her cousin. Courage rushed through her like a fire igniting in dry straw. ‘Whatever it takes, I’ll do it!’

Nineve took her hands. ‘You mean it, Guinevere? You’ll really help?’

Gwen lifted her chin and met the Lady of the Lake’s gaze. ‘Yes,’ she declared bravely. ‘I will!’

As she spoke, the temperature of the air suddenly seemed to drop and there was a faint, sinister rumble of thunder in the sky above. Alarm flickered over Nineve’s face as she glanced back towards the Lake. ‘It’s Morgana!’ she whispered. ‘While I am out of the water, my spell weakens. She must have sensed its strength fading.’

‘What does that mean?’ demanded Gwen.

‘If Morgana feels the spell weakening, she will try and break through the magic barrier my spell holds in place.’ A cold wind started to swirl around them, catching at their clothes. There was another rumble of thunder.

‘She is coming!’ Nineve cried.