Shadow Wrack Read Online Free PDF

shake. “Tengu! Snap out of it.”
    â€œWha? Hm?” He let out another sputtering squawk and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
    Behind him the bird crashed into the bars of the cage.
    Willa sighed. “Nothing. Thanks for trying, Tengu.”
    â€œNo sweat,” he answered with a bright smile. “ SQUAWK!”

    The phoenix screeched Willa awake just after five on Saturday morning. To be fair, though, the bird had been woken by the fairies at the window. It took Willa a groggy moment to register that they were there, five little figures with Sarah in the lead, rapping their tiny knuckles on the glass and chittering like squirrels while the bird screamed. Willa moved the birdcage into her closet and shut the door. She made shushing signals to the fairies, but they only hollered louder.
    â€œAll right, I’m coming out! Hold on!” she snapped, grabbing her robe.
    The house was still and quiet. Willa tiptoed out the back door just as the fairies came around the corner. She sat on the back step as they swarmed around her head in a cloud of chatter.
    â€œI can’t hear what you’re saying! STOP TALKING!” Willa turned to Sarah. “What is going on?”
    â€œIron nails! To keep us out!” she squeaked.
    â€œWho’s got iron nails?”
    â€œThe dwarves,” hissed Sarah, her eyes blazing.
    â€œOkay. Are they magic or something?”
    â€œ Anti-fairy magic!”
    â€œSo … they’re keeping you out of the work site. With iron nails?”
    Nods all around. Willa rubbed her eyes and yawned.
    â€œI dunno. That seems reasonable, don’t you think? They need to do their work, and you were bugging them.”
    The fairies didn’t like that very much. Willa heard some low growls. She tried again.
    â€œYou’ve got to make peace with the dwarves. We need the house finished. Can’t you just be nice to them?”
    The fairies looked to Sarah as she considered this. Then she nodded slowly, with a sly smile. The fairies flew off in a huddle, whispering and laughing. Willa didn’t like it one bit.

    After breakfast, Willa grabbed her bike and rode over to Eldritch Manor. Eldritch Hole-in - the-Ground is more like it , she thought. As she stepped into the yard and closed the gate behind her, she spotted Tengu sitting in the grass, happily eating a muffin.
    â€œGood morning, Willa!”
    â€œHi, Tengu. What’s this I hear about iron nails?”
    Tengu shook his head. “Don’t worry, I pulled them out.” At his side was a small pile of roughly made nails.
    â€œActually, I was thinking they were a good idea.”
    â€œNot necessary. A truce has been called. The fairies made a peace offering.”
    Willa raised an eyebrow. “A peace offering. Really?”
    Tengu jumped up, showing her the last of his muffin. “Yes, they made rosehip gooseberry muffins. Fantastic.” He popped it into his mouth. He smiled at her. Then his eyes rolled back in his head. He was snoring before he hit the ground.
    â€œOh, for heaven’s sake.” Willa nudged him with her foot. “Tengu. Tengu!” It was no use. He was out cold.
    She spun around to see a swarm of tittering fairies emerge from the basement and zoom off into the trees. She heard chuckling behind her. Robert was in the stable window, leaning on the sill and enjoying the show.
    â€œThis is the most fun I’ve had in weeks!” he enthused. “Go on! You’d better check on them!”
    The scene in the basement was just as she had feared. Sleeping dwarves lay heaped on each other, snoozing where they’d dropped. The fairies had festooned them with daisies and dandelions, their long hair and beards had been braided one to the next, joining them together in a chain, and their faces were made up with rouge and lipstick.
    Willa burst out laughing but composed herself before emerging. She stomped into the