Silverborn?

Chapter 16

CRACK!

The three friends scream. Morrigan pulls Hawthorne and Cadence down to the ground so that they are lying flat on either side of her.
A laugh comes from behind them, loud and twinkling.
Mog turns her head to see Dame Chanda stood behind them, gripping her sides, her head thrown back in laughter.

"You kids are killing me, you should see your faces!" She trills.
"You made that crack?!" Hawthorne cried, staring daggers at Dame Chanda.
"I'm so sorry Hawthorne, it was just too good an opportunity. Miss Cheery told me you might be popping around today."

Mog gives Chanda a disappointed look before turning to Hawthorne.
"What's the clue?" She asks.
"Screams of joy and a wunderous act, where you seek has a secret pact." He reads aloud.
"Wunderous act?" Cadence ponders.
"Jimmity park!" Mog exclaims.
"Ugh! It's so simple! Why didn't I think of that?" Cadence groans.
"We should go. It doesn't matter who came up with what Cade!" Says Hawthorne.
"Cade?? Never call me that again."
Hawthorne squirms under cadences death stare.
"Sorry."

As the trio approach the gates of Jimmity Park, they hear yelps of joy coming from within the confines of the tall, luscious hedges.
"Wicked!" Hawthorne laughs, running up to the gates and rummaging around in the foliage.
"Can you see the clue?" Morrigan asks.
"Yeah! I got it!" Hawthorne says, plucking a folded piece of paper out from behind the plaque.

A sudden flash of blinding light filled the road. Morrigan couldn't see anything.
"Agh!" She cries. "Hawthorne? Cadence?"
The white light is fading fast.
"Morrigan!" Hawthorne calls.

The scene before her hit Morrigan like a wunderground carriage. Her friends were struggling against the of a monster, fear etched into their faces.
No. This can't be happening.
Morrigan could feel her heart beating in her chest. She gasped in short ragged breaths. Her thoughts were spiralling out of control.
How can I save them? Why is he here? This is my fault...
Thoughts were passing at 100mph, her mind was like the brolly rail, constantly moving. It was too much....

Cadence let out a pained yelp, snapping Morrigan back to her senses.
"Let them go!" She shouts. "You foul, dark, evil monster!"
"Tut tut, I'd of thought you'd have learnt by now. Darkness isn't something to fear Miss Crow. It is something to embrace." Ezra Sqaull chided, as her friends struggled to free themselves from his grasp.

A darkness engulfed them, just as quickly as the light had moments before.
"NO!" Morrigan screamed.