Unicorn Princesses 7 Read online

  The Unicorn Princesses series

  Sunbeam’s Shine

  Flash’s Dash

  Bloom’s Ball

  Prism’s Paint

  Breeze’s Blast

  Moon’s Dance

  Firefly’s Glow

  Feather’s Flight

  For Phoenix and Lynx

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Unicorn Princesses, Feather’s Flight

  About the Author and Illustrator

  In the top tower of Spiral Palace, Ernest, a wizard-lizard, sat at his desk. He adjusted his pointy purple hat. He straightened his cloak. And then he picked up a large black book with the title Spells for Fruitmobiles: From Grape Go-Carts to Mango Motorcycles. He flipped to the last page, where he found a spell that began, “Extremely Advanced (Only for Very Experienced and Very Skilled Wizard-Lizards): Transforming Household Hooks into Plum Cars.” Next to the spell was a picture of a grinning wizard-lizard speeding along in a six-wheeled sports car made out of three giant plums.

  “Well,” he said to himself, “Mother Lizard always did encourage me to challenge myself.”

  He studied the spell, whispering the words, “Vroomity Proomity Verity Prive! Make these Hooks into Plums that Drive!” over and over again. Then he pulled a screwdriver from his desk drawer and marched across the room to where three spare wizard’s cloaks hung on three gold hooks.

  With his scaly green fingers, Ernest unscrewed the hooks from the wall, leaving the cloaks in a heap on the floor. He lined up the hooks on his desktop, glanced at the spell one last time, and pulled his wand from his cloak pocket. As he waved his wand above the hooks, he chanted, “Vroomity Proomity Verity Prive! Make Firefly’s Books Come Alive!”

  Ernest waited for a flash of light or a swirl of wind. He watched the hooks for any sign that they were turning purple or growing wheels. But instead, thunder rumbled in the distance and the palace lights flickered. Ernest nervously glanced out the window just in time to see three bolts of orange lightning tear across the sky.

  “Oh dear! Oh dear!” Ernest said. “I’ve done it again!” He reread the spell and grimaced. “I must have been so excited for Firefly’s new library that I said the wrong thing. Hopefully she won’t notice anything amiss.” He sighed. And then he smiled to himself and added, “But I still really do want to drive a plum car!”

  He read through the spell again. He lifted his wand. He opened his mouth. But before he could say, “Vroomity,” six more orange lightning bolts flashed, and thunder boomed so loudly the hooks rattled against his desktop.

  Ernest paused. He grimaced. “On second thought, maybe I’d better try something else,” he said. Then he walked over to his shelf and pulled out a book titled Magic Bags and Enchanted Luggage: Easy Spells for Beginners.

  In the library at Pinewood Elementary School, Cressida Jenkins stood in front of the shelf with all the books about unicorns. There were twelve books total. She had read every single one at least twice. She had read five of them three times. And there were her two favorites—An Illustrated Guide to Forest Unicorns and The Unicorn Encyclopedia—that she had checked out and read cover-to-cover six times.

  Cressida pulled The Unicorn Encyclopedia off the shelf. It had been a few weeks since she last read it, and she wanted to look at her favorite picture: a giant, fold-out portrait of an orange, sparkling unicorn that reminded her of her friend, Princess Firefly. Cressida sat down on the library’s blue carpet and flipped to page 17. She opened the flaps and smiled as she looked at the unicorn, who resembled Firefly in every way except that the unicorn in the book wasn’t wearing a black ribbon necklace with a magic orange citrine gemstone.

  Cressida loved the unicorn books in her school library, but she found herself wishing, right then, that there was a book all about the Rainbow Realm—a secret, magical world ruled by her friends, the unicorn princesses. How wonderful it would be, she thought, to open a book and see pictures of yellow Princess Sunbeam, silver Princess Flash, green Princess Bloom, purple Princess Prism, blue Princess Breeze, black Princess Moon, and orange Princess Firefly. As she listed the unicorns’ colors in her head, she paused. Why, she wondered, wasn’t there a pink unicorn in the Rainbow Realm? And, for that matter, why wasn’t there a unicorn that could fly?

  That’s when she had an idea that made her stand up and hop with excitement right there in the middle of the library. The second she got home from school, she would start writing and illustrating her very own book about the Rainbow Realm. And not only would she include the unicorns she already knew, but she would draw and write about a new pink flying unicorn too. Now she just needed to think of a name. Maybe Star or Sky or Wings or—­

  Ms. Wilcox, the school librarian, clapped her hands three times. “It’s time to check out your books and return to your classroom,” she said.

  Cressida closed The Unicorn Encyclopedia and stood up. As she walked through a maze of shelves toward the front desk, she kept imagining her book. Maybe the first page would be a giant picture of Spiral Palace, the unicorns’ horn-shaped home. And after that—­

  “Cressida, are you ready to check out that book?” Ms. Wilcox asked.

  Cressida had been so caught up in her plans that she hadn’t even noticed she was standing right in front of Ms. Wilcox’s desk.

  “Yes, please,” Cressida said, smiling and handing Ms. Wilcox The Unicorn Encyclopedia.

  “You had the biggest grin I think I’ve ever seen on anyone’s face just now,” Ms. Wilcox said. “What were you thinking about?”

  Cressida never told adults—even kind adults like Ms. Wilcox—about the Rainbow Realm. Adults never seemed to understand that unicorns were real, and Cressida knew they would think she had simply imagined the unicorn princesses. “I was thinking about writing my own book,” Cressida said.

  “Well, that’s a lovely idea,” Ms. Wilcox said, and she stamped the page in the back of The Unicorn Encyclopedia.

  “Thank you,” Cressida said. And then she joined her friends Gillian and Eleanor as they lined up by the library door.

  When Cressida got home from school, she dropped her pink unicorn backpack by the front door and dashed into the kitchen, where she grabbed a chocolate-chip granola bar and a glass of water. She walked down the hall to her bedroom as fast as she could without spilling her drink. She closed the door so her older brother, Corey, wouldn’t disturb her. And then she pulled a drawing pad and a box of art supplies from her closet and set them out on her desktop.

  She could already see the cover of her book in her head. The title, The Rainbow Realm, would be in big letters across the front. And then, underneath, she would draw a picture of all the unicorn princesses, including the pink one she had just invented, standing together in front of Spiral Palace. Under the picture, in smaller letters, she would write, “by Cressida Jenkins.”

  The first thing Cressida wanted to do, even before she drew the cover, was to find a way to make a book from several blank pieces of paper. Maybe, she thought, she could try folding a stack of paper in half and then stapling it together along the crease. But just as she began to rummage around in her art supplies box for a stapler, she heard a high, tinkling noise.

  Cressida froze, and her heart skipped a beat with excitement. The high, tinkling noise grew louder, and Cressida leaped over to her bedside table, opened the drawer, and pulled out an old-fashioned key with a crystal ball handle that hummed and glowed bright pink. The key had been a gift from the unicorn princesses so that Cressida could visit the Rainbow Realm any time she wante
d: all she had to do was push the key into a tiny hole in the base of an oak tree in the woods behind her house. The unicorn princesses had also told her that when they wanted to invite her to the Rainbow Realm for a special occasion, they would make the key’s handle glow bright pink—just the way it was glowing right then!

  At that moment, the only thing that sounded more fun to Cressida than writing a book about the Rainbow Realm was visiting the Rainbow Realm. She pushed the key into the back pocket of her jeans. She looked down to make sure her shirt—an orange top with a yellow, glittery firefly design on the front—didn’t have any large grape-juice or tomato-sauce stains from lunch. She had been in such a hurry to start her book project that she hadn’t even taken off her shoes: silver unicorn sneakers with bright pink lights that blinked every time she walked, jumped, or ran. She finished her water in three giant gulps and ate her granola bar in two huge bites. And then she ran out of her room and down the hall to the living room, where her mother sat reading a book and drinking coffee.

  “I’m going for a quick walk in the woods,” Cressida said as she sprinted to the back door. Time in the human world froze while Cressida was in the Rainbow Realm, so even if Cressida stayed with the unicorn princesses for hours, her mother would think she had been gone only a few minutes.

  “Have a great time,” her mother said.

  Cressida sprinted across her back yard and into the woods. With her sneakers blinking, she ran along the path that led to the magic oak tree. When she got there, she pulled the key from her back pocket, kneeled at the tree’s base, and pushed the key into a tiny hole.

  Suddenly, the woods began to spin into a blur of green leaves, blue sky, and brown tree trunks. Then everything went pitch black, and Cressida had the sensation of falling fast through space. After several seconds, Cressida landed on something soft, and all she could see was a dizzying swirl of silver, white, pink, and purple. Soon the spinning slowed to a stop, and Cressida knew exactly where she was: sitting on a gigantic pink velvet armchair in the front hall of Spiral Palace.

  Light from the sparkling crystal chandeliers reflected on the shiny white marble floors. Pink and purple curtains fluttered in the breeze. All around her were large pink and purple velvet couches and armchairs and silver troughs filled with water and honey. And across the room, all seven unicorn princesses stood in a tight circle, staring at something on the floor.

  From her armchair, Cressida leaned forward, then to her left, and then to her right, trying to catch a glimpse of what Sunbeam, Flash, Bloom, Prism, Breeze, Moon, and Firefly found so fascinating. It was, Cressida could see, a large book.

  For a few seconds, Cressida watched her friends, not wanting to disturb them. After all, she didn’t like it when her mother, her father, or Corey interrupted her when she was reading. But she was also eager to say hello and to find out why the unicorn princesses had invited her to the Rainbow Realm.

  When Cressida felt too excited and curious to wait any longer, she stood up and cleared her throat. None of the unicorns even twitched their ears or cocked their heads. Not wanting to startle her friends, Cressida whispered, “Hello.” The unicorns still didn’t notice her. Finally, in a loud voice, Cressida said, “I’m here!”

  All seven unicorn princesses jumped straight up into the air. They turned toward Cressida. And then they burst out laughing.

  “I’m sorry to surprise you!” Cressida said. “But I’m awfully glad to see you again.”

  “My human girl is back!” Sunbeam sang out as she danced over to Cressida.

  “Welcome!” Flash said, galloping over.

  Bloom and Prism trotted over and said at the same time, “We were hoping you would come!”

  Moon winked and grinned.

  Breeze, who looked like she had been sleeping, yawned and smiled groggily before she ambled toward Cressida.

  “Cressida!” Firefly called out. “I’m thrilled you’re here! We were so interested in this new book about musical instruments that we didn’t even hear you arrive.”

  “Some of us were more interested than others,” Breeze said, sighing. “I think I just fell asleep standing up.” Her face brightened. “But now that Cressida’s here, I’m happy to be awake!”

  Firefly used her mouth and hooves to close the book. “We can finish this one later,” she said to her sisters. She raced over to Cressida and gushed, “Today is the grand opening of the Rainbow Realm’s very first library. And it’s in my domain, the Shimmering Caves. Will you join us for the celebration? It’s going to be a reading party, and all the creatures from the Rainbow Realm are invited!”

  Cressida giggled. She had never seen Firefly so excited. “Absolutely,” she said. “I didn’t even know that unicorns like to read.”

  “Unicorns love to read,” Firefly said, hopping back and forth. “It’s one of our very favorite things to do!”

  Sunbeam, Flash, Bloom, Prism, and Moon nodded in agreement. But Breeze frowned and snorted.

  “My favorite books are about gardening,” Bloom said. “I especially like stories about plants.”

  “I like books about painting and famous artists,” Prism said.

  “I like to read about sports,” Flash said.

  “I like to read about new games to play,” Sunbeam said.

  “I could read fiction all day long,” Moon said. “I especially like books about dragons, phoenixes, and other magical creatures.”

  “But,” Flash explained, “none of us likes to read as much as Firefly. She reads anything and everything. I’ve even caught her reading the dictionary.”

  Firefly beamed with pride. “It’s true. I try to read at least four books every week. And I’ve read the dictionary, cover-to-cover, twice.” She looked at Cressida and asked, “What do you like to read?”

  Cressida grinned, thinking of the shelf of unicorn books at her school library. “I mostly like to read books about unicorns. And right before I came to visit you today, I was writing and illustrating my very own book, all about the Rainbow Realm.”

  “Amazing!” Firefly said, looking surprised and delighted by the idea. “Maybe, when you’re finished, we could keep it in our new library.”

  Cressida grinned. “I would love that!” she said, imagining how much fun it would be to show her book to the unicorn princesses.

  Just then, Cressida heard a loud sighing noise. She turned and saw that Breeze was standing apart from everyone else and staring at her hooves. “What’s wrong?” Cressida asked gently. “Are there kinds of books you like to read, too?”

  “The truth is,” Breeze said, “I don’t like reading as much as my sisters. I like it for a little while, especially if the book is about exploring nature. But after a while, I get bored and fall asleep. Or I need to take a break from reading and do something outside, like flying a kite or going on a hike.”

  “I can completely understand that,” Cressida said. While she was usually happy to curl up with a book, there were definitely times she would rather play tag or dance or climb trees. And if there was one thing she hated, it was sitting still when she felt like moving.

  “I bet you’d like reading more if you just did it more often,” Firefly said. “Reading is a habit you have to get into.”

  “Here they go again,” Sunbeam whispered to Flash.

  Flash nodded and whispered back, “No one is ever going to win this argument.”

  Bloom, Prism, and Moon exchanged worried looks.

  Breeze’s eyes flashed with anger. “Why don’t you ever listen to me when I tell you I just don’t like reading as much as the rest of you?” She stomped her hooves. “You know what?” Breeze continued, looking like she might start crying. “I don’t even want to come to your library’s grand opening party. The last place I want to be is in a room full of books with everyone spending hours and hours reading and talking about how much they love reading. That is not my idea of a fun party.” And with that, she turned and galloped away, disappearing down the hall.

  Firefly�
�s face fell. “I always say the wrong thing to Breeze whenever we talk about books. I try to be encouraging, but I just seem to make her angrier.”

  Sunbeam and Flash nodded in agreement.

  “Bloom and I have even tried reading out loud to her,” Prism said.

  “I lent her my favorite book of stories, but she gave it back after she’d only read the first chapter,” Moon said.

  Firefly frowned. “It will ruin the grand opening party if Breeze isn’t there. I’ve been looking forward to this afternoon for months. And now the whole thing might fall apart.”

  “Don’t worry, Firefly,” Moon said. “I’m pretty sure I can convince Breeze to come to the party. I know she loves putting up decorations. How about if she and I come a little early to help you hang up balloons and streamers? That might put her in a better mood.”

  Firefly took a deep breath. “Thank you,” she said. “That would be amazing.” Then Firefly’s excited grin returned to her face. She looked at Cressida and asked, “Want to come help me put the final touches on the new library? There are a few more books I need to put on the shelves.”

  “Absolutely!” Cressida said.

  Firefly kneeled so Cressida could climb onto her back. But just then, a high, nasal voice that was unmistakably Ernest’s called out, “Wait! Don’t go quite yet!”

  The wizard-lizard sprinted into the room, out of breath. “Just one thing,” he said, panting, “before you go!”

  “Hello, Ernest,” Cressida said, giggling.

  “I’ve got a present for Cressida,” Ernest said. “I’ve been practicing for the past two hours, and I’ve gotten this spell to work perfectly, one hundred percent of the time. Not a single hitch!” He paused and blushed. “Well, maybe a hitch or two. Or even three. But, um, I know I’ll get it right this time.”

  Cressida giggled.