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  “Your Majesty!”

  “Is evil threatening Crystal? What shall we do?”

  The townspeople shouted questions at the king and queen as they climbed down from their float.

  “C’mon,” Bella said. She grasped Ivy’s and Clara’s hands as a security guard helped them to the ground. “We have to find out what’s going on.”

  The three girls hurried up to Bella’s parents. “Mom?” Bella asked as she reached her mother’s side. “What’s going on?”

  “Shhh, sweetie,” Queen Katherine said. She placed a hand on her daughter’s head. “Dad’s going to address everyone. The smoke isn’t anything to worry about.”

  “But—,” Bella started, but she was interrupted by the crackle of a bullhorn.

  Silently, Lyssa appeared at Bella’s side. Since she worked at the castle, Lyssa was able to slip through the shield spell. Bella slipped her hand into the older girl’s comforting grasp.

  King Phillip, sword gleaming at his side, was atop the podium in the town’s center.

  “Kind people of Crystal,” King Phillip said. Bella realized her dad was using his deep I’m-king-so-listen voice. She, Clara, and Ivy huddled together next to Queen Katherine.

  “The smoke is merely a misguided birthday message to my daughter,” King Phillip continued. “Neither you nor our fair kingdom is under attack. As a precaution to ensure that everyone continues to enjoy this glorious day, extra guards will patrol Crystal’s boundaries. Please go about your plans and do not let this act of childishness ruin the spirit of Princess Bella’s birthday.”

  “Whew,” Ivy said in a whisper. “Your dad doesn’t seem worried, Bella.”

  “I was scared for a minute,” Clara added.

  “But who’s sending the smoke signal?” Bella asked. “Why would it be a birthday message to me?”

  She met her mother’s eyes. Queen Katherine was worried. “I’m going to speak to your father,” the queen said. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Bella’s mom was gone only moments, but it felt like hours before she returned.

  “You two better say good-bye to your parents before you come to the castle for my party,” Bella told her friends. She managed a smile despite her nerves.

  Ivy and Clara nodded and started into the crowd. Since they were on the inside of the shield spell, they’d be able to cross over. Plus, it was time to drop the shield.

  “Lyssa,” Queen Katherine said as she arrived beside Bella, “please make sure the royal carriage is prepared for our ride home. Thank you.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Lyssa said, bowing her head. She squeezed Bella’s hand before disappearing into the crowd.

  “Mom?” Bella asked. “What’s wrong? What was that?”

  Queen Katherine lowered her hazel eyes to Bella. “It’s nothing. Everything is okay.”

  “I can tell you’re scared,” Bella said, slipping her hand into her mom’s. “Maybe we should cancel my party.”

  “Bella, listen to me,” Queen Katherine said, leaning close to her daughter. “You mustn’t worry. Your father and I will protect you, the castle, and Crystal from anything bad. Today is your eighth birthday. Please let me do any worrying that needs to be done, and promise me you’ll enjoy your party.”

  The queen squeezed Bella’s hand. Bella watched the red smoke billow from the distance and couldn’t help but cringe.

  “Okay, Mom. I won’t worry—promise.”

  Queen Katherine smiled and hugged Bella. “Good girl.”

  Bella hugged her mom and chewed the inside of her cheek, wondering if she could keep that promise.

  8

  What Red Smoke?

  A couple of hours later, the weird red smoke was the last thing on Bella’s mind. She was too full to think of anything but her stomach. Bella, Ivy, and Clara had feasted on delicious roast chicken, mac ’n’ cheese, and all of Bella’s favorite foods.

  After dinner, the chefs brought out an eight-tiered cake—one layer for every year since Bella’s birth. The gorgeous cake had been covered in light-purple buttercream frosting, and each layer was decorated with images of Bella’s favorite things. Unicorns, flowers, and bumblebees floated in the air around the cake and looked real until you swiped a hand through them—and it became clear they were images projected in the air. Bella had almost stopped her dad from cutting the cake, because she loved looking at it so much!

  After cake, the girls had watched a movie, but Bella hadn’t been able to concentrate. She was too busy thinking about the waiting unicorns.

  “I think it’s time for presents!” Queen Katherine said.

  “Yaaay!” Bella cheered. Now it was just Bella, her parents, and Ivy and Clara.

  The first-floor living room overflowed with presents from Bella’s family. The people of Crystal had come to the castle gates after the parade, leaving hundreds of flowers, small gifts, and cards for Bella. Bella had burst into giggles when one of the royal security guards had told her that someone had left a hen with a note explaining how fresh eggs would make Bella a healthy princess.

  “This box is taller than me!” Bella exclaimed. She stood next to a box wrapped in dark-blue paper with glittery white stars. The bow on the box was the size of her head.

  “That’s from Grandma Margie,” said Queen Katherine.

  “Grandma M sends the best presents,” Bella said. She smiled, thinking of her dad’s mom. “I can’t wait to open it.”

  Her eyes were trained on the presents that Clara and Ivy held. Her besties, still in their parade gowns, grinned.

  “Can I open your presents first?” Bella asked her friends. Then she glanced at her mom. “In my room?”

  Ivy and Clara looked to Queen Katherine for a yes or no.

  “That’s entirely up to Ivy and Clara,” Queen Katherine said. “Perhaps they want to make you wait, Bella, until the end of the evening.” There was a teasing tone in the queen’s voice.

  “Hmmm . . . maybe we should make you wait,” Ivy said.

  “Yeah, we could make you wait until you open all of your gifts,” Clara said. “I’m sure you have no interest in opening our presents right now. . . .”

  “Oh, please? You can’t say no to the birthday girl,” Bella said. “I’ll be sad forever.”

  Queen Katherine, Ivy, and Clara laughed.

  “Well, if you’re going to be sad forever, then maybe we should let you open our gifts,” Ivy said with a look at Clara.

  Clara nodded. “If you’d only be sad for a day, okay, but not forever!”

  “Yay! Let’s go!” Bella cheered, dancing in the direction of her room. Ivy and Clara were right behind her.

  The girls ran to Bella’s room, kicked off their shoes, and hopped onto Bella’s enormous bed.

  “You can go first,” Clara said to Ivy.

  Smiling, Ivy handed a small box to Bella. It had been wrapped with paper that kept changing from pink to purple, and there was a card attached to a curly purple bow.

  Bella opened the card and read it aloud. “ ‘Princess Bella, happy birthday! I’m so lucky to have you as my best friend! I hope this is the best day ever! Love, Ivy.” Bella smiled at her friend. “Thank you so much. I’m lucky to have you!”

  Bella ripped open the wrapping paper and found a silver photo frame dotted with colored gems. Inside was a photo of Ivy, Clara, and Bella with their arms slung across each other’s shoulders as they grinned at the camera. The gems in the frame changed from red to blue to green in no particular order.

  “Oh!” Bella said happily. “I love this picture! I remember when your mom took it, Ivy, when we had a sleepover at your house a few months ago. The frame is so perfect! Thank you!”

  She hugged Ivy and got up to place the framed photo on her dresser.

  “My turn!” Clara handed Bella a long, rectangular box. The white box was closed with a turquoise ribbon, and like Ivy’s, there was a card taped to the top.

  Bella took the pink envelope, opened the card covered with adorable unicorns,
and smiled.

  “ ‘Hail Princess Bella! Don’t get used to me calling you ‘princess,’ okay? Only on your BIRTHDAY! You’re an amazing best friend, and I’m so happy this day is finally here! Xoxo, Clara.’ ”

  “So you’re really not going to call me ‘princess’ after this huge birthday?” Bella teased.

  “No!” Ivy and Clara said at the same time. All of the girls burst into giggles.

  Bella slid off the ribbon and lifted the box lid. She removed a sunshine-yellow cloth binder with a clear pocket in the front. She opened it and found pages of clear pockets, thick papers with color and different designs like swirls or rainbows, and some with words in glittery letters, like SMILE!, BFFs, and SLEEPOVER. The stickers flashed on and off so the words disappeared for a second before reappearing in a different color. The borders around the empty frames blinked and shone brightly.

  “Oohhhhh! A friendship scrapbook!” Bella said. “This is perfect for all of us! We can fill the pages with pictures and pass it around.”

  Bella hugged Clara, who had a huge smile on her face. “I’m so happy you like it, Bells!” Clara said. “I thought it would be fun for us to keep memories in here.”

  Ivy climbed off the bed and searched through the CRYSTAL GIRL canvas bag that she carried everywhere. “Aha!” she said, holding up her camera. “There’s no better night to start filling the scrapbook! Say cheese!”

  Bella and Clara said the magic word and grinned into the camera. Ivy left the camera floating in the air and scrambled to join them. The camera clicked and flashed.

  “Print it!” Bella said.

  Ivy plucked the camera out of the air and pressed a button. The photo appeared on Bella’s bed.

  Bella picked up the picture and slid it into the scrapbook. The photo, on repeat, captured the girls a few seconds before and after the photo was taken. Again Bella, Ivy, and Clara readied themselves for the camera, posed, and then giggled.

  SLAM!

  Though her mom was too far away for Bella to hear what she was saying, she heard Queen Katherine yelling downstairs. The voices of at least four or five royal security guards echoed up to Bella’s room.

  “What was that?” Clara and Ivy asked, looking scared.

  “Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back,” Bella said nervously. She was off the bed and out the door before her friends could answer her. An uneasy feeling swirled in her stomach. Bella ran down a spiral staircase, through a long corridor, and skidded to a halt in the foyer.

  “My Princess Bella, happy birthday, darling.”

  9

  Queen of Mean

  Bella stared at the strange woman who stood in the entrance to the castle. She had black hair cascading down her back, and the ends were bright red. Red lipstick stained the woman’s mouth—one that smiled at Bella. But the smile wasn’t real. Bella could see it in her eyes. They were black and without a trace of feeling.

  At that moment Bella took in the guards surrounding the woman, swords drawn. In the middle of the circle, Queen Katherine stood next to her with a furious expression.

  “Bella, go back upstairs,” the queen said, her voice low.

  The scary woman laughed. “Sister, you haven’t changed at all in the years since we last gathered.”

  Sister?!

  Bella took a closer look and realized that the strange woman looked exactly like her mom. Except a lot meaner. And with darker hair.

  If this crazy woman was Queen Katherine’s sister, that also meant she was Bella’s . . . aunt?

  Queen Katherine’s head whipped away from Bella as she faced the woman.

  “Speechless, Katherine? This whole”—the woman waved a pale hand at the guards—“mess could have been avoided had you sent me an invitation to Bella’s eighth birthday. Silly of you and Phillip to think royal guards would keep me from my niece.”

  Bella’s eyes widened when the woman said “niece.”

  “Did you see my birthday message to you, Bella?”

  Bella frowned. Birthday message? “You?” she whispered. “You sent the red smoke?” She shook her head. “That would mean . . . you live in the Dark Forest.”

  The woman laughed. “More like I rule the Dark Forest, darling. I am Queen Fire, after all.”

  Queen Fire? Bella stared at her mom, but Queen Katherine’s eyes were on her sister. Bella clenched her teeth. A cold feeling trickled down her back, and she wanted to scream at the guards to make Queen Fire leave. If this . . . relative . . . ruled the Dark Forest, she was dangerous. Mom told me to go already, Bella thought. But I can’t. Her legs felt rooted to the ground.

  “Darling girl, come give your aunt a hug,” Queen Fire said, her black eyes trained on Bella. “I haven’t had a glimpse of you since your birth.”

  “Mom?” Bella asked. “What is she talking about?”

  Queen Fire’s expression darkened. “You know nothing about me?”

  Bella shook her head.

  “We breathed not a word about you to Bella, Fawn,” Queen Katherine said. “Bella didn’t need to know of your existence.”

  Bella’s mother turned to look at Bella. “Go upstairs now!” Queen Katherine’s voice was sharp.

  Bella hated to disobey her mother, but she wasn’t going to leave her alone with guards and her apparently evil sister. Dad, where are you? Bella thought.

  Queen Fire smiled and clasped her hands. “You were afraid, Katherine. Afraid that Bella might be like me. She certainly has my feisty spirit.”

  “I don’t know you at all,” Bella said, her heart pounding. “But if my parents kept you from me, they had a good reason. My mom doesn’t want you here. And neither do I.”

  Queen Katherine shot Bella a look, but this time it was one of pride. Bella knew she would be grounded later for staying against her mother’s wishes, but she wasn’t going to let anyone upset her mom. Queen Katherine slipped away from her sister, through the circle of guards, and took Bella’s side. Bella felt an instant rush of relief that her mom wasn’t between the guards and Queen Fire.

  Queen Fire took a step toward Bella, her long black dress skimming the floor. The royal guards jumped closer, their swords shining in the light as they pointed at the queen.

  “You’re young, my girl,” Queen Fire said, almost in a trancelike tone. “Tell me you haven’t worried about tonight.”

  Bella’s mouth opened and closed. Suddenly she wished she’d listened to her mom and had left the room. Queen Fire was right—Bella had worried about the Pairing Ceremony, but why would Queen Fire expect her to have worried?

  “I have my answer,” Queen Fire said, a smile curling on her lips. “Bella, do you wish for something different from the life planned for you?”

  “That’s enough!” Queen Katherine exclaimed. “You will leave at once or—”

  “Or what, Katherine?” Queen Fire asked.

  “Or I will have you thrown into prison for trespassing!” King Phillip ran into the room, his sword at his side. His boots thundered on the marble floor. “Remove her immediately,” he barked to the guards. “Make sure she never crosses the castle bridge again.”

  Bella swallowed. She’d never seen her dad so angry. The guards sprang into action, two of them taking Queen Fire by the upper arms.

  “Fawn, if you ever set foot onto my property or speak to my wife or daughter, remember that you have been warned,” King Phillip threatened.

  The way Queen Fire looked at the royal family made Bella shiver.

  “Don’t worry about me, Phillip,” Queen Fire said. “Your concern should be if and when Bella crosses the river and seeks my help.”

  “Out!” King Phillip bellowed.

  “I’ll see myself out,” Queen Fire added. She opened her hands, palms to the sky, and the air crackled and a red cloud of smoke covered her. The guards coughed and scrambled in the smoke. But Queen Fire was gone.

  “Bella.” Queen Katherine placed a hand on her daughter’s arm. “Are you all right?”

  Bella took a few deep br
eaths before she looked up at her mom. “Yes. I’m sorry that I didn’t go to my room. I know there were guards to protect you, but I don’t trust her and—”

  Queen Katherine knelt down in front of Bella. “I understand why you stayed. Thank you for wanting to protect me. I’m more concerned about you. I didn’t want you to learn of Queen Fire this way.”

  “Is she really your sister?” Bella asked.

  Queen Katherine nodded. “Bella, I’ll answer all of your questions. I promise. But you have guests. Would you like to talk after Ivy and Clara have gone?”

  Bella nodded, still shaking from the whole thing.

  “Go upstairs and talk to Ivy and Clara,” Queen Katherine said. She kissed Bella’s cheek, and Bella hurried upstairs.

  She reached her room and found her friends sitting wide-eyed on her bed.

  “Everything is okay,” Bella said immediately.

  The three best friends hugged, then huddled together while Bella told them what had happened downstairs. When she reached the end of the story, Bella didn’t even want to think of the words Queen Fire until she talked to her parents. It was too much, too fast.

  10

  Moonbow + Pairing Time = Good Luck?

  The night air was warm, but Bella shivered. She sat on one of the stone benches outside between Queen Katherine and King Phillip. It was time to talk about Queen Fire before they made their way to the royal stables. Moments ago Bella had said good-bye to Ivy and Clara. Usually the girls would sleep over, but not tonight. Not with the Pairing Ceremony ahead. Both girls had hugged Bella tight and made her promise to call them first thing in the morning to give them all the details about her new unicorn. Thanks to Queen Fire’s interruption, Bella hadn’t had time to open her other gifts yet.

  Bella looked up at the night sky. It twinkled with lights of thousands of stars. The moon, full and round, had given light to a rare moonbow. Usually moonbows were a symbol of good luck. Bella blinked up at the arch of colors that spread from the moon and lit up the sky. I hope my aura is any of the moonbow colors except red, she thought.