Unlocking the Spell Read Online Free PDF

dwarf. The day was getting hot when Beldegard snuffled the ground under a pine tree and finally announced he’d found a few footprints belonging to the little man. Liam inspected the prints carefully and declared they were at least two weeks old.
    â€œNow what?” Annie asked the bear prince after they’d all agreed that the dwarf must not have been near the lake for days.
    â€œNow we go visit the old widow who gave me shelter each winter. She lives about an hour away.”
    â€œFine,” said Annie, “but don’t tell her who I am. People always act differently when they know.”
    â€œWhy do we need to visit her anyway?” asked Liam.
    Beldegard grunted and swung his heavy head toward Liam. “Because she may have seen him and it’s as gooda place to start as any.” As he turned away and began to amble through the forest, he muttered, “I hate it when people question everything I do, but that’s what I get for traveling with people like them.”
    Liam’s brows drew together. “What do you mean, ‘people like them’?”
    â€œRoyalty!” the bear prince snapped. “You people are so demanding. If you weren’t royalty, you wouldn’t ask so many questions.”
    Annie was already following Beldegard. Liam snorted as he stepped in line behind her and replied, “And if you explained yourself, we wouldn’t have to ask questions at all.”

    Their progress was slow as they walked single file through the forest, but eventually Beldegard led them to a little-traveled trail. After that they were able to move faster and it wasn’t long before they entered a valley where the branches of the trees met overhead, and the air was cooler and sweeter smelling. The trail led them to a stream that wasn’t much bigger than a trickle, yet someone had built a bridge from one side to the other. Just beyond the stream, a small cottage nestled among the trees. With a thatched roof that resembled a saggy straw hat and two small arched windows on either side of the front door, Annie thought it looked like a friendly, if slightly dopey, face.
    Beldegard perked up when they saw the stream. Annie and Liam had to hurry to keep up with him as he trotted across the bridge and up to the front door of the cottage. They watched as he raised his huge front paw and tapped the door. “Mother Hubbard! It’s me, Beldegard!” he called.
    A moment later the door creaked open and a medium-size dog with curly brown fur bounded out of the cottage to bark and race around Beldegard, apparently not the least bit afraid. The bear prince stood stoically as the little creature jumped up to lick his face. When the dog ran back inside, Beldegard glanced at Annie and Liam. “The first time I knocked on this door it was winter. A mother and her two daughters were starving inside and that dog didn’t even have a bone to gnaw. I brought them some game to feed them, and gave them a few gold coins in the spring. For the past two years, I’ve spent my winters in this cottage. Come inside and I’ll introduce you.”
    Annie looked around as she stepped over the threshold. The cottage was a simple structure with two rooms below and a loft above. A table was shoved up against one wall of the main room while another wall boasted a small fireplace. Brightly colored cushions decorated with needlepoint flowers covered the seats of three wooden chairs set beside the table, while plumper cushions with needlepoint sayings rested on a bench beside the fireplace. Dried herbs strung together inbundles hung from the ceiling and Annie could smell meat roasting in the other room. Although it didn’t appear to be a wealthy household, the cottage was cozy and inviting. The only thing that Annie thought was unusual was the mellow tune that declared the presence of a good kind of magic.
    A gray-haired woman standing by the fireplace smiled and reached out her hand