Authors: Jasmine Richards

The Book of Wonders (31 page)

Zardi frowned. She wondered if Khalila's recent extensive use of her powers had had anything to do with why the djinni had taken so long to work her magic against the sultan. It seemed ungrateful to ask the question though.

The djinni removed her ring and gave it to Rhidan. “Look after this for me. I'll be inside its realm, so keep it safe.”

Rhidan put the ring on his finger.

They heard the sound of footsteps approach them. They turned to see Mirzani running toward them. “Capt'n Sinbad told me to fetch you. We're about to cast off.”

The three of them got to their feet and followed Mirzani to the shore where the ship had been pulled into the sea. Sloshing through the water, they watched as Mirzani made his way to the
Falcon
and climbed aboard.

Sinbad stood at the prow of the ship and looked down at them. His crew crowded around him. “The time has come, my friends. The end of our journey with you.” There were shouts and waves from the crew. “I hope our paths will cross again one day.”

Zardi smiled as she looked up at them all, the rigged-up multicolored sails of the
Falcon
a riot of color behind them. With Sinbad standing proud at the prow of the ship, she was reminded of the man she'd met three months ago in Taraket. The captain and the storyteller who kept an audience captive with his tales of monsters and magical charmsâ¦ What stories he could tell now!

“Farewell!” Rhidan called.

Zardi's throat felt too tight to utter any words, so she waved as hard as she could instead.

The
Falcon
sailed forward through the waves, weaving through the white rocks that jutted out of the water, throwing up spray as it went. Before long the ship had disappeared over the horizon.

Khalila gave another stretch and yawned once more.

Rhidan took off the ring and placed it in his palm.

“You read my mind,” Khalila said. “Rub if you need me for anything. Otherwise, I'll see you when we get to the Black Isle.” She clasped her hands together and then twisted and turned in front of them before disappearing into the crystal ring. Rhidan slipped it back onto his finger.

“Just us again, then,” Zardi said.

“I like that.” Rhidan grabbed her hand. “Come on, let's get off this island!”

They ran full tilt along the beach, up toward the outcrop where the flying machine stood. Zardi could feel the warmth of the Windrose in her pocket, and she felt something unlock inside her at the thought of their next adventure, a destiny unwritten.

Somewhere out there, the Black Isle was waitingâ¦

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JASMINE RICHARDS
was born in London, grew up in a library, and was the first in her family to go to university. After graduating from Oxford she had a brief stint at New Scotland Yard, then chose a career in publishing over being the next Sherlock Holmes. Today Jasmine is a senior editor at a leading British publishing house and living in Oxfordshire with her husband in an old wool mill.
THE BOOK OF WONDERS
is her first novel, and she would love to know what you think about it. You can visit her online www.jasminerichards.com.

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CREDITS

Cover design by Erin Fitzsimmons

COPYRIGHT

The Book of Wonders

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

www.harpercollinschildrens.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Richards, Jasmine.

The book of wonders / Jasmine Richards. â 1st ed.

p. Â Â cm.

Summary: In a tale loosely based on the Arabian nights, thirteen-year-old Zardi and her best friend, Rhidan, join forces with Captain Sinbad to defeat an evil sultan and restore magic to the world of Arribitha.

ISBN 978-0-06-201007-0

[1. Fantasy. 2. Adventure and adventurersâFiction. 3. Best friendsâFiction. 4. FriendshipâFiction. 5. Sinbad the sailor (Legendary character)âFiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.R3846Boo 2012 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2011009153

[Fic]âdc22

EPub Edition Â© DECEMBER 2011 ISBN: 9780062099181

11 12 13 14 15 CG/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1