Cressida Cowell - Knock Three Times

O nce there were wildwoods.

The Wizards had lived in the wildwoods for as long as anyone could remember, and they were intending to live there forever, along with all the other Magic things.

Until the Warriors came. The Warriors invaded from across the seas, and although they had no Magic, they brought a new weapon that they called IRON and iron was the only thing that Magic would not work on.

From that moment on, Wizards and Warriors were fighting each other to the death in the wildwoods.

Until one day

A young Warrior princess called SYCHORAX fell in love with a young Wizard called ENCANZO. Wizards and Warriors should NEVER fall in love. So Sychorax had taken the Spell of Love Denied to make her love die. And the love had died indeed and Sychorax had married a Warrior, like she was supposed to.

And Encanzo had married a Wizard, just as a Wizard should.

So the danger of a curse ought to have been avoided.

But

Thirteen years ago, Sychorax had a daughter whose name was WISH.

And Wish had a terrible secret. The lingering true loves kiss of the Wizard Encanzo had made Queen Sychoraxs daughter Magic. And Wish had a Magic-that-works-on-iron for the first time in human history.

And thirteen years ago, Encanzo had a son whose name was XAR.

And Xar had a terrible secret. Xar stole some Magic from a Witch, and the stain of the Witch Magic was beginning to control him.

This is the story of how Xar and Wish met, and how they made friends even though they had been brought up to hate each other like poison.

Wish and Xar have run away from their parents, searching for the ingredients for a spell to get rid of Witches. They are outcasts, hunted by Wizards and Warriors alike, and by something far, far worse.

WITCHES.

WITCHES MUST NEVER GET AHOLD OF MAGIC-THAT-WORKS-ON-IRON

But

Twice, Wish and Xar have escaped the talons of the Witches. TWICE, they have cheated death.