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didn’t see Chloe again until just before lunch when Jackie asked them both to sweep the yard.
    ‘You should have come and had a ride on Ziggy,’ Chloe said to her. ‘Why didn’t you?’
    Erin shrugged and didn’t say anything.
    Chloe looked at her. ‘Look, if you’re mad about Fran and Katie hanging around, I’m sorry,’ she said in a low voice. ‘There wasn’t much I could do. You know I’d rather have been riding and grooming with you, Erin.’
    Erin felt a rush of relief and her bad mood started to fade. She smiled. ‘That’s OK. It was good to spend some time with Kestrel anyway.’
    ‘Should we go and eat lunch round the back of the barn where they can’t find us?’ said Chloe.
    Erin grinned at her. ‘Yeah, let’s!’
    When Erin got home she went into her bedroom and shut the door. Her brothers had all just got back and the house was filled with noise again as they inspected the damage the tree had done to Jake’s room. Erin went to the window and pulled out the hair from her watchstrap.
    ‘Tor?’ She wasn’t sure why she was calling him. She just wanted to hear his voice. She knew deep down she was still shaken up at finding out that Chloe didn’t believe she would be able to heal Kestrel or that they would defeat Marianne.
    ‘I am here.’
    Erin felt the rush of happiness she always felt when Tor spoke to her. ‘How are you?’ she asked.

    ‘Worried. I can feel my herd’s distress. I wish I could go through the hidden gateway and chase the dark one out of the skies. If only the gateway was not so hard to use…’
    Erin heard the frustration in the stallion’s voice.
    ‘I can feel another storm coming,’ he went on. ‘And with your powers being so weak, we will be unable to stop it, Erin.’
    ‘If only there was some way to increase my power,’ said Erin. ‘I wonder if Chloe has heard from Xanthe yet? I’ll ask her tonight. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’
    ‘I will see you then,’ said Tor.
    Erin looked down at the stone again. Almost immediately the darkness in the centre seemed to flicker and grow. She stared. Was the stone trying to show her another vision? Yes. She started to see a picture. It was Chloe again! She was sitting at her desk, writing in her diary.
    No, this time I am not going to read what she’s writing , Erin thought, but the words in the open diary seemed to jump out at her before she could look away:
    It was really fun today. Fran and Katie helped me with Ziggy. Erin was in a mood about that. But that’s just because she was jealous. I had a good time. I hope I get to see them tomorrow.
    Erin felt like she’d been hit. That wasn’t what Chloe had said. She must have been lying to me , Erin realized. The vision disappeared.
    Erin put the stone down. Her fingers were shaking. So Chloe was looking forward to seeing Fran and Katie the next day. She’d had a really good time with them, had she?
    Pain stabbed through Erin. She couldn’t believe Chloe had written that. Her whole world suddenly felt shaky and unsafe. Chloe was supposed to be her best friend. She looked at the hair in the strap of her watch. For a moment she longed to talk to Tor again, to have the comfort of his warm voice. But what would she say to him? This was just about her and Chloe. Not about magic at all.
    Erin sank down on her bed. It was horrible knowing Chloe was saying one thing and thinking another all the time. She covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. All of a sudden, she felt very, very alone.

CHAPTER
Seven
    Erin sat on the ground in the woods, staring at the healing stone in her hands. Drizzle fell around her, but she hardly noticed. She imagined wounds closing up, bones mending, blood vanishing from cuts. Her fingers felt as if they were buzzing. She concentrated as hard as she could. She wanted the stone to be as powerful as possible. For a moment it burnt so redhot that she almost dropped it, but almost immediately it turned as cold as ice.
    Erin