Chosen Sister Read Online Free PDF Page A

it is in that case, but I shall decline, all the same.” He waved his staff, muttering some strange words under his breath. Gold light blasted wildly from the end of it. It missed the lead harpy, though, only blasting off the tail of the one next to her. Feathers filled the air.
    The harpy shrieked, “My tail, my beautiful tail!”
    “Drat,” muttered the Gold Wizard. “It was supposed to be your not-so-beautiful head.”
    “Get him!” yelled the lead harpy.
    They dove at him. He swung his staff, moving surprisingly fast for an old man, although it didn’t make his aim any better. The harpies dodged back and forth as the staff swirled around his head. He clunked one on the head, and it fell to the ground, but this action opened him up on the other side. A harpy grabbed his shoulder and began pulling at him.
    Another dove at him, but he ducked, and its claws knocked off his hat. The Gold Wizard’s long white beard flapped in disarray. He tried to swerve and hit the harpy that had a hold on his shoulder. He managed to shake it off, hitting it with a thud, but two others grabbed his hair in its claws.
    “Yowch!” he screamed as they tried to lift him up by the hair. To Reina’s utter amazement, his entire head of hair, including the beard, came off in the harpies’ claws. They screeched in surprise, flying in opposite directions, which ripped the wig in half.
    Reina gaped at the Gold Wizard. He had the face of a young man, maybe twenty at the oldest, with short, black hair plastered to his head. His expression was grim. He used the harpies’ distraction though, twisting his left hand in an outward motion while he twirled the staff in his right, muttering strange words again.
    “Hah, found you, sweetlings,” cackled a harpy behind the children.
    Austyn made a half-yelling, half-sobbing noise and clutched Reina tighter. She turned and threw a rock at the harpy, but it hopped to one side, cackling. It clawed at them again, and Reina dragged Austyn backwards.
    “Children!” bellowed the Gold Wizard. “Here!”
    Gold light again began to surround him, flashing with bright specks of rainbow colors. Reina dragged Austyn out from under the cart. The lead harpy swooped at them, but Reina reached the flashing colors surrounding the Gold Wizard. He grabbed her hand, and a huge bang shook the ground. Smoke surrounded them, making her and Austyn cough.
    If she could have stuffed her fingers in her ears, Reina would have, because one of the harpies gave a blood-curdling scream. The smoke cleared just enough that she caught sight of another harpy, now a ball of fire, falling from the sky. She gasped, which made her breathe in smoke and start hacking again.
    “Drat, drat, drat,” muttered the Gold Wizard. “That wasn’t quite what I wanted to do. Lemme see….”
    He started muttering something else, and sparks showered down on them. Austyn whimpered.
    “Hey!” yelled Reina. “You’re gonna set us on fire!”
    “Sorry. Let’s try this.”
    Wind rose, blowing away the smoke. Reina’s hair swirled, and she shook her head to get it out of her eyes. The fierce gale blew the harpies backwards. The wind threatened to blow Austyn away and he clung to Reina while she gripped the Gold Wizard’s hand. The Gold Wizard moved his staff in a circular motion, and the wind whirled in a tornado around them. It increased in speed until the Gold Wizard rose a few feet off the ground.
    He tugged, pulling Reina and Austyn upwards, and they hung from him, now in the air as well. The harpies battled the wind, trying to break through it to attack them.
    “Hold tight!” the Gold Wizard yelled.
    The wind changed, rushing forward, and suddenly they raced across the meadow. The harpies, now screaming with rage, flew behind them, trying to catch up. The wind ripped the air from Reina’s lungs, her eyes stung, and she could hardly see. All she could make out was a dark blur ahead of them, getting closer and closer. They slowed a little as