“So that’s why Merlin sent for those books!” said Teddy.

“What books? Who’s the Raven King?” said Jack.

“Now it all makes sense,” said Teddy.

“Who’s the Raven King?” said Jack.

“But I wonder how he found the Diamond of Destiny,” said Teddy.

“Teddy, who’s the Raven King?” Jack nearly shouted.

“He’s a terrifying creature who comes from the Otherworld,” said Teddy. “I read all about him in one of the books I brought Merlin from Morgan’s library. As a boy, the Raven King longed to be a bird so he could fly. He stole a spell from the Wizard of Winter, but he didn’t have the magic to make it work properly. So the spell only worked halfway. It made him half bird and half human.”

“Oh, man,” said Jack.

“Now he commands a huge army of ravens who treat him as their king,” said Teddy.

“Why would he steal the Diamond of Destiny?” asked Annie.

“I don’t know,” said Teddy, “but we must get it back! For the sake of Camelot’s future!”

“And for these ghost kids, too,” said Annie, “and the ghost dog!”

She looked around the room. “Don’t worry!” she called. “We’ll help all of you! We’ll get the Diamond of Destiny back!”

“We will?” asked Jack. “How? We don’t know where this crazy raven man lives or anything.”

“Look! More writing,” whispered Teddy. “She heard you.”

Three more words slowly appeared in the mirror dust:

Jack felt cold air whoosh by him again. The curtain covering the window moved aside. A patch of moonlight shone on the floor.

Jack, Annie, and Teddy walked to the window and looked out. In the distance, a craggy mountain rose into the moonlit sky.

“Ah!” whispered Teddy. “So there dwells the Raven King! I had thought his nest was in the Otherworld.”

“It might as well be,” said Jack. “We’ll never be able to get to the top of that mountain.”

“Aye,” said Teddy, “no mere mortal can climb that steep rock.”

“How will we get the diamond back?” cried Annie.

“I said no mere mortal,” said Teddy. “I am more than a mortal, remember? I’m a sorcerer.”

“Yeah, but your rhymes never work,” said Annie.

“True, but I have more than just rhymes,” said Teddy. He pulled a twig out of his pocket. “See?”

“What’s that?” said Jack.

“’Tis an enchanted hazel twig,” said Teddy. “Its magic is strong enough to change me into anything I want.”

“Oh, wow,” said Annie.

“Did Morgan give you that?” asked Jack.

“No,” said Teddy. “Morgan and Merlin do not even know I have it. A forest sprite, a cousin of my mother’s, gave it to me, in case I was ever in urgent need.”

“So what do you want to change into?” asked Annie.

“Why, a raven, of course!” Teddy said.

Teddy’s crazy, thought Jack.

But Annie didn’t seem to think so. “What a cool idea,” she said.

They’re both crazy, thought Jack.

“’Tis cool indeed,” said Teddy. He held up the twig.

“Wait a minute!” said Jack. “Do you have a plan? I mean, what’re you going to do once you change into a raven?”

“I shall fly up to the mountain nest,” said Teddy. “Find the diamond. Bring it back. Mission done.”

“And what do we do?” asked Annie.

“Wait here for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” said Teddy. He climbed up onto the window ledge. His moon shadow stretched across the floor.

“Good luck!” said Annie.

“Thank you!” said Teddy. He raised his hazel twig.

“Stop!” said Jack. “Can we discuss your ‘plan’ a little more?”

But Teddy was already sweeping his hazel twig through the air. He waved it from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

“Teddy, stop!” said Jack.

But Teddy started his rhyme:

“O hazel twig from hazel tree!

Make me a raven—”

“Quick,” he said, “a word that rhymes with tree?”

“Wait!” said Jack.

“Doesn’t rhyme with tree,” said Teddy.

“Three!” said Annie.

“Brilliant!” said Teddy. He started again:

“O hazel twig from hazel tree!

Make me a raven one, two, three!”

He waved the twig wildly.

“Careful!” said Jack. He ducked and covered his head.

Suddenly he heard a roar. He felt a blast of heat. Then he heard a strange screech.

Jack looked up. Teddy’s hazel twig had fallen to the floor. Jack saw Teddy’s shadow on the floor, too. But it was no longer the shadow of a boy.

A chill went through Jack.

A large raven was perched on the window-sill. Moonlight shone on its sleek blue-black wings, its shaggy throat feathers, its thick neck and big beak.

A second raven stood beneath the window. It looked like the first, only smaller.

Where’s Annie? Jack wondered wildly. He tried calling her name. But a terrible croak came from the back of his throat: “AWK-NEE!”

Jack felt as if he were caught in a terrible nightmare. With jerky turns of his head, he peered down at his own body.

His arms had turned into jet-black wings. His legs were spindly twigs that ended in four long, skinny toes with curved claws.

Teddy had accidentally changed them all into ravens. One, two, three.