Natalie ran faster than she’d ever run in her life, stumbling over tree roots and into muddy ditches, convinced that at any moment Lord Hawk’s horrible stick would encircle her neck. Wet leaves slapped her face, twigs caught at her hair, dappled sunlight flashed overhead, leaves spiralled down, the damp fungus smells made her want to sneeze. But there were no crashing footsteps behind, no furious shouts, and no way anyone would be able to drive a vehicle between these closely growing tree trunks.She stopped to catch her breath and pressed a hand to the stitch in her side. Merlin, whom she’d soon passed and left behind, caught up and stopped too. His face was as red as his hair and he was gasping for breath.“Why aren’t they chasing us?” Natalie panted.The boy looked nervously over his shoulder. “Dunno, but—”Even as he spoke, the birds stopped singing and an eerie hush fell. The back of Natalie’s neck prickled as the silence was broken by a series of rapid flaps. She twisted round, suddenly realizing why the spellclave didn’t need to give chase on foot.
