Rani’s Sea Spell Read Online Free PDF Page A

certain!”
    “Morva, what is a message-stone?” Rani demanded, getting impatient.
    “A message-stone . . .” Morva explained slowly, “is a special stone that magic mermaids wear when they are separated from their families. That way they can always be sure that
their loved ones are safe.”
    “I don’t understand,” Rani said. “How can a stone tell you that? And anyway, my family is safe. I’ve only just left them.”
    “I’m not talking about your family here ,” said Morva. “I mean your true family – the family you were separated from as a baby. If this is your message-stone . . . if you open it . . . you will see your true family inside.”
    “But how—” Rani gasped.
    “A message-stone will always open for its true owner,” Morva said, as she dropped it back into Rani’s hand. “You must blow on it.”
    Rani lifted the amber stone up so that it was level with her face. She filled out her cheeks with air and blew.
    “That’s it,” Morva said.
    As they watched, the stone seemed to be glowing even brighter in Rani’s hand. Gradually, its surface changed. Instead of being hard, it was becoming soft, like jelly.
    “Look inside now,” Morva urged her gently. “Go on. Don’t be frightened.”
    Slowly, Rani lifted the stone up again and looked inside. It was like looking in through a window. Inside, she could see a merman, a mermaid and two babies. They all had red hair. The mermaid
was young and beautiful and looked a bit like Rani. The merman was broad-shouldered and handsome.
    “Is this . . . Are they . . .?” Rani stammered, unable to say any more.
    “This must be your family at the time you were separated from them,” Morva whispered.
    “But . . . but there are two babies!” Rani said hoarsely.
    “I know. Watch carefully and see what happens next.”
    As she watched, Rani saw the two babies slowly changing before her eyes. “That’s me ,” Rani gasped, as one of the babies grew into a little girl. At the same time, the
other baby changed into a little boy with short red hair and twinkling goldy-brown eyes like Rani’s.
    “You must have a twin brother,” Morva said.
    Only the man and the woman didn’t change. As Rani watched, they slowly faded away until they had completely disappeared.
    “Where have they gone? What does it mean?” Rani cried out.
    “It means,” explained Morva gently, “that your real parents must have died when you were a baby. I’m sorry, Rani.”
    Rani swallowed. She had known for a long time that her true parents might be dead. But somehow actually seeing them and then watching them disappear like that made the fact that they were
gone for ever seem a lot more real. She would never meet them now. She felt a tear roll down her cheek.
    “Did you know them?” she asked Morva.
    “I didn’t recognize them, no,” Morva said. “But remember how old I am, Rani. I left my home a long, long time before you were born . . . probably before your parents were
born too.”

    Rani was silent.
    “Your brother is still alive though,” Morva added, trying to cheer her up. “Imagine that! A twin brother!”
    “He probably doesn’t even know he has a sister,” said Rani sadly.
    Morva smiled. “I wouldn’t be so sure. How do you know that he hasn’t got his own message-stone, with you inside it?”
    “Do you really think so?” That thought made Rani feel better. She looked up at Morva. “I want you to take me to the place you come from – the magic place –
so that I can find him.”
    “I will take you,” Morva said. “But you must be patient, Rani. Your magic is not yet strong enough for you to make the journey.”
    “When will it be strong enough?” Rani demanded impatiently.
    “Soon,” Morva replied, smiling. “Very soon – I promise! And until then you can watch your brother growing up inside your pendant. Now, come on. It’s time we
practised another spell. How about I teach you how to turn my breakfast into enough to eat for