Read Winter of the Ice Wizard for Free Online

some stars in a clear sky.
    The Frost Giant must have left,
Jack thought. But then he heard a panting noise. He sat up and looked around. One of the white wolves was crouching right behind him!
    Jack scrambled to his feet. “Go away!” he shouted.
    The wolf stepped back and growled.
    â€œGo! Go! Go!” shouted Jack. He picked up handfuls of snow and threw them at the wolf.
    The wolf backed away a few more feet. Jack looked around wildly. Annie was lying very still on top of the snow. The other white wolf was sniffing and pawing at her.
    Jack’s anger made him fearless. “Leave her alone!” he shouted. “Go away!” He scooped up more snow and threw it.
    The wolf stepped back.
    â€œGO! GO!” shouted Jack. “Get away! Leave us alone!” He glared angrily at the two white wolves.
    The wolves stared back at Jack. Their yellow eyes gleamed.
    â€œI’m not kidding—GO!” shouted Jack.

    Jack stared fiercely at the wolves. Finally the wolves looked away. They glanced at each other and then slowly backed off. They looked at Jack and Annie one last time. Then they turned and trotted away over the snow.
    Jack rushed to Annie. He knelt beside her and lifted her head. “Wake up! Wake up!” he said.
    Annie opened her eyes.
    â€œYou okay?” Jack asked.
    â€œYes … I dreamed about white wolves,” Annie murmured.
    â€œMe too!” said Jack. “And then when I woke up, they were here! They were about to eat us!”
    â€œReally?” Annie sat up and looked around.
    â€œYeah, but I scared them off,” said Jack.
    â€œWhat about the Frost Giant?” Annie said.
    â€œHe’s gone, too,” said Jack. “Come on. Let’s get out of here!” Jack helped Annie up from the snow. “Do you still have the wizard’s eye?”
    Annie felt in her pocket. “Got it,” she said.
    â€œGood.” Jack looked around. Beyond theheaps of fallen snow, the silver sleigh was waiting for them. Overhead, the sky had turned to a light shade of gray.
    â€œIt’s almost dawn,” said Jack. “Remember what the wizard said? We have to bring back his eye by the break of day—or we’ll never see Merlin or Morgan again!”
    Jack held Annie’s hand and they trudged together through the snow. When they got to the sleigh, they climbed inside. Annie took her place at the rudder. Jack pulled out the wind-string and untied a knot.
    The breeze rocked the sleigh. Jack untied a second knot, and the sail began to fill. He untied a third, and the silver sleigh moved forward, gliding over the white ground.
    Swish—swish—swish.
The sleigh moved through the thick snow and away from the Hollow Hill. As they sailed over the white plain, the sky was turning from gray to pale pink.
    â€œWe have to go faster!” said Annie.
    Jack untied a fourth knot. The wind whistled in his ears. The sleigh picked up speed. Annie steered it past the rocks and over the sea ice. She steered it over the plain, south to the palace of the Ice Wizard.
    When the sleigh drew close to the palace, Jack tied a knot, and they began to slow down. He tied three more, and the sleigh came to a stop.
    Jack and Annie looked around in the faint, cold light. “I wonder where Teddy and Kathleen are,” said Annie. “They said they’d meet us here at dawn.”
    Jack studied the vast white plain, but he saw no sign of their friends. He wished he had Kathleen’s vision. “I hope they’re okay,” he said. “I hope they didn’t run into the white wolves.”
    â€œI have a feeling the wolves wouldn’t hurt them,” said Annie. “The wolf in my dream seemed nice.”
    â€œDream wolves are different from real wolves,” said Jack.
    â€œI don’t think we can wait for them,” saidAnnie. “The eye has to be back by the time the sun comes up.”
    â€œThe eye!” said Jack.