סיפור של לחש

***סיפור של לחש*** הוא השלישי בספרי ההֶקְדֵם (Prequel) של סדרת *ארץ האגדות* שנכתב על ידי כריס קולפר. הספר הודפס באנגלית לראשונה ב28/9/2021 על ידי ההוצאה לאור "Little, Brown and Company". בעברית הספר יצא לאור בשנת התשפ"ב (מרץ 2022) על ידי הוצאת אריה־ניר.

## Publisher's Summary & Jacket Interior Summary

Brystal Lynn Evergreen is running out of time. It’s been almost a year since she made a deal with Death to find and destroy the Immortal in exchange for her life. But she still hasn’t found a single clue about who or where the Immortal is. To make matters worse, something dark and malignant has risen from deep within the earth, threatening life as we know it. To stop this new evil, the fairies and witches must work with all the kingdoms and territories, including the Righteous Brotherhood and their Army of the Dead. But is the threat more familiar than they expected? And why are a secretive group of alchemists convinced Xanthous Hayfield is connected to it?

## הקדשות ותודות

### הקדשות:

*לכל ה"מטפלים" שם בחוץ, שנלחמים על כדור הארץ שלנו ועל כל היצורים שחיים בו. תודה לכם.*

### תודות:

*אני רוצה להודות לכל אנשי הצוות שלי, ובמיוחד לרוב וייסבך, לדרק קרוגר, לאלה פלוטקין, לרייצ'ל קרטן ולהתר מנזוטו. אני רוצה להודות גם לאנשים הנפלאים בהוצאת "ליטל בראון בוקס לקוראים צעירים", כולל אלבינה לינג, מייגן טינגלי, סיינה קונסול, סטפני הופמן, שון פוסטר, ג'קי אנגל, אמילי פולסטר, ג'נל דלואיז, האנה קורנר, רקאיה דאוד, ג'ן גרהאם, סשה אילינגוורת, צ'ינג צ'ן, לינדסי וולטר־גריני, אנדריאה קולבין, ג'ייק רגייר, וירג'יניה לותר, צ'נדרה הולבר, רג'ינה קסטילו ורוזאן לאור. אחרונים חביבים, אני רוצה להודות לברנדון דורמן על יצירות האמנות הנפלאות שלו, ולג'רי מייברוק על הדרכתו המעולה בזמן הקלטת ספר השמע.*

## עלילת הפרקים

### פרולוג - יצורי המעמקים

A woman is woken up by the sound of someone knocking, the racking is discovered not to be coming from an entryway but a painting hung on the wall. A mysterious male figure exposes and emerges from the painting and announces to the lady that they've found an unknown place or object referred to as *it*. They rush through a tunnel and see a pair of huge gates. The lady orders various diggers to open the doors.

### פרק 1: אימפריית הצדק

Seven, more widely known as the "Righteous Emperor" has taken possession over the Southern Kingdom and renamed it the Righteous Empire. He is about to execute all of the magic sympathizers, and starts with what he thinks is Brystal's family. However, the Evergreens are acting extremely strange, when Barrie Evergreen, Brystal's brother, is hung, Seven realizes why: the Evergreens are actually the former witch students of Ravencrest School of Witchcraft, including Pip and Lucy; the Evergreen family is safe. The Righteous Brotherhood attacks but just barely fails to kill the Fairy Council, Seven notices Brystal and Lucy have disappeared, he sends members of the Brotherhood to look for them while Brystal and Lucy make their way to the library hoping to find the legendary Book of Sorcery.

### פרק 2: הספירה לאחור

The fairies and witches gather in Brystal's office, which has been repurposed as an investigation center for locating the Immortal and the ancient spell book. Unlike the situations in the previous books, Brystal is not keeping her secrets from her friends and is receiving support and help for her problems. She is also much better at managing the curse on her mind, and even enjoys arguing with it. When the girls realize that the Immortal could be any age, despite the fact that they have only been researching the lives of very old women, Brystal isn't bothered, as she seems to prioritize finding the ancient spell book and even admits to Emerelda that she thinks the looking for the book is a better use of their time. Lucy reminds her that they still haven't contacted Madame Weatherberry about their goals, and after she assigns their old friends various tasks around the world, Brystal agrees to visit her.

### פרק 3: האמת המקפיאה

Lucy and Brystal head to the Northern Mountains to discuss their various issues and tasks with Madame Weatherberry, they tell their former teacher about the past year, and in return she tells them about the Book of Sorcery. Madame Weatherberry also gives Lucy tips on how to find the Immortal, but Brystal isn't listening. she tells Madame Weatherberry she couldn't live with herself if she killed the Immortal, so she's only looking for the Book of Sorcery to find a way to defeat Seven and his brotherhood of three-hundred-thirty-three men.

### פרק 4: ההודעה

Emerelda and Xanthous travel to Ironhand in the Eastern Kingdom in hopes of finding the Book of Sorcery in a local bookstore. While they are there, Xanthous is disturbed when the bookseller is able to easily deduce that he is homosexual and remains in a state of mental turmoil until Emerelda comforts him by saying that he will always be accepted by his friends and will someday find love. That night, Xanthous wakes up to a huge fire in his hotel room, and although he tries to extinguish the flames, he is unable to because they are not coming from his magic.

### פרק 5: האלכימאי

An alchemist by the name of Dr States visits Seven to invite him to a meeting that would be held at the Alchemist Institute.

### פרק 6: התערבות הכרחית

Emerelda returns to the Academy alone and tearfully explains that she and Xanthous were seperated during a devastating fire in the Eastern Kingdom. Following the conclusion of her story, the fairies and witches notice a strange man in Brystal's office, who turns out to be an alchemist named Dr. States. He informs them that the alchemists' job is the protect the planet and that they are planning to hold a conference to discuss the fire and what should be done to prevent similar disasters in the future. Worried about Xanthous's fate, Brystal and Lucy decide to attend the conference and take two guests each.

### פרק 7: המכון לאלכימיה

Brystal, Lucy, and their chosen representatives travel to the Alchemy Institute to attend the Conference of Kings. While waiting for the other world leaders to arrive, the girls receive a tour of the institute and its facilities. When the other leaders arrive, Dr. States leads them to a room in the institute to start the conference, although the leaders all express anger at the Righteous Emperor's presence.

### פרק 8: ועידת המלכים

The Conference of Kings is held at the Alchemy Institute. Dr. States presents the facts of the disaster that occured in the Eastern Kingdom on the previous night, and the representatives agree to sentence Xanthous to death, despite the fairies' and witches' objections. Finally, Dr. States agrees to let Brystal and Lucy, accompanied by delegates from every kingdom and territory in the world, journey to the Temple of Knowledge and retrieve the Book of Sorcery to strip Xanthous of his powers, but warns them that he and the other scientists will be searching for Xanthous in the meantime.

### פרק 9: שים לב איפה אתה דורך

Xanthous wakes up in a windmill as Mrs. Vee, Beebee, Pip, and Skylene contact him from the academy using a magic mirror. Xanthous tells them his story, explaining that the fire only starts when he touches the ground and that he is sure it isn't coming from him because he had traveled to the Northern Kingdom to retrieve his Muter Medal the day before. When the fairies tell him that a conference is currently being held to decide his fate, Xanthous is paranoid and shatters the mirror so that not even his friends will be able to track him; then, he ties stools to his feet and wanders into the forest looking for a hiding place.

### פרק 10: אל צפון־מערב

The delegates leave in a flying carriage and are advised to fly northeast until they reach the Temple of Knowledge. During the several-hour journey, Brystal and Lucy become acquainted with the eccentric delegates. Just as their destination comes into view, the passengers notice a loud ticking sound and realize that the skeleton Seven sent as a delegate is armed with a bomb. They are forced to jump out of the carriage seconds before the bomb goes off.

### פרק 11: נסיך האלפים

Xanthous is running from the fairies, and he hides in a tree. A carriage driven by jackalopes shows up, and it's being steered by the elf prince Elrik. Elrik interrogates Xanthous, and Xanthous halfway lies, but manages to get Elrik to take him to the elf territory.

### פרק 12: המגינים הבלתי־סבירים

Brystal, Lucy, and the other delegates who were on the carriage fall into the ocean and eventually wash up on the beach of a volcanic island. Three knights who were sent as delegates are killed when the bomb goes off, but the others are saved, and they begin to explore their surroundings. The delegates are pursued by thousands of large, aggressive lizards, and one by one they pass out in the sand from the extertion of running. Brystal and Lucy are the last ones conscious, but they both faint upon seeing a man riding a dragon.

### פרק 13: איי הדרקון

Brystal, Lucy, and the other fallen delegates are rescued by a young man named Ryder and healed with the flames of an albino dragon. The first to regain consciousness, Brystal befriends Ryder and accepts a tour of The Dragon Keys, the islands where his family on which his family lives and cares for dragons. Brystal finally reveals to Ryder her plan to retrieve the Book of Sorcery from the Temple of Knowledge and he reluctantly agrees to help, arranging a meeting between Brystal and his mother, the Caretaker Supreme. She refuses to let the delegates enter the temple, but accidentally reveals that she threw the key into the ocean, and Ryder realizes that his pet water dragon probably already found it.

### פרק 14: ארוחת ערב עם אלפים

Xanthous and Elrik reach the Elf Territory. The prince invites Xanthous to dinner, so there he is. Xanthous talks to Princess Elvina about her squirrel Acorn until Elrik comes. King Elvin then arrives and starts dinner. Xanthous, as "Xach Fairchild", talks to King Elvin about the Conference of Kings. Upon hearing that Prince Elron was sent as a delegate, Elrik protests, but the king shuts him down, declaring that his all of his kids have so far been unworthy to lead the Elf Territory. Elrik and Xanthous hold hands under the table.

After dinner, Xanthous and Elrik go out on the balcony, where Xanthous confesses that he lied and that he was the fairy the Alchemists were looking for. He then admits that his real name is Xanthous and he needs to leave, as he is being hunted. Elrik, however, already knew that Xanthous was the fairy being hunted by the alchemists, and tells Xanthous that he has to come with him. Xanthous protests, but Elrik argues with him about why he needs to come along, eventually convincing him. Elrik then kisses Xanthous, therefore making it the first kiss of the series.

### פרק 15: מקדש הידע

The delegates retrieve the key to the Temple of Knowledge and enter it. They are almost killed during the physical challenge, which requires them to climb out of a lava-filled pit while being pelted with boulders, and one delegate, Butternut the troll, does not survive. Gobzella, the delegate representing the Goblin Territory, pulls the others out of the pit and they proceed to the next challenge.

### פרק 16: פיתיון

Xanthous waits for Elrik for several hours and is eventually approached by Elvina, who claims to have been sent by her brother. However, the princess actually leads Xanthous into a trap, holding him above a fireplace to prove to her father that he is in fact the fairy the alchemists are looking for. King Elvin explains that Seven offered to spare his territory in exchange for Xanthous, and members of the emperor's Army of the Dead take him away. However, Seven tells the alchemists that although Xanthous is in his custody, performing his execution in the Righteous Empire and transporting the fairy to the Alchemy Institute would both be irresponsible choices, and he convinces the alchemists to bring their institute to his kingdom.

### פרק 17: חידת ארבע הדלתות

Brystal, Lucy, and the remaining delegates face the Temple of Knowledge's mental challenge, which consists of four doors advertising a "quick path," "short path," "slow path," and "long path" leading to the same destination. When Elron, a prince sent by his father to be the delegate representing the Elf Territory, chooses the "quick path" before the other delegates have finished solving the riddle and is killed, Brystal realizes that the common path the doors lead to is death. Using what she learned in the realm between life and death the previous year, Brystal deduces that life and death can be considered the same thing, and concludes that the "long path" is the right answer because it leads to a long death, or long life. Brystal uses the curse on her mind to confirm that she has made the right choice, and the delegates survive the challenge.

### פרק 18: היעדים של בת האלמוות

Queen Endustria is sick. She tells Princess Proxima the story of Queen Immortalia. Immortalia is the Immortal and has been swapping identities with her relatives. Queen Endustria(who is actually Immortalia disguised as her) poisons Princess Proxima. Endustria (now disguised as Proxima) takes the Book of Sorcery out to take control of the demons. She then kills the only other person who knows her secret by toasting him with poisoned whiskey.

### פרק 19: הברכה שבקללה

The remaining delegates in the Temple of Knowledge move on to the emotional challenge, which they can only survive by confronting their worst fears and insecurities before completely sinking into a patch of quicksand. However, the are initially unable to do this and Brystal, the only one unaffected by the challenge, watches helplessly as her friends sink. Then, the curse on Brystal's mind, in the form of a darker version of herself, appears and explains that Brystal has already faced her and therefore will be the only delegate able to survive; but Brystal realizes that she can use what she learned to help her friends, and with one exception, they are able to save themselves. When Brystal's curse realizes that she has fully come to terms with negativity, fear and doubt, can keep those feelings under control, and even knows how to use them for the good of herself and others, she bids her former host goodbye and fades into white smoke. Brystal manages to get all the delegates and Ryder to safety except for Spanky who died thanks to his in denial toward his mistakes.

### פרק 20: מחול שדים

The fairies look for Xanthous and eventually spot the Alchemy Institute moving through the air. The girls follow it, desperate to stop Xanthous's execution. Seven, meets the alchemists as planned but refuses to hand over Xanthous, and instead orders his army to begin attacking the institute. Meanwhile, Immortalia, using Princess Proxima's appearance, summons the demon species from the center of the earth and orders them to begin burning the world. The fairies and witches panic, desperate for a solution, and because they have no better ideas, the girls agree to Emerelda's plan to release the Snow Queen.

### פרק 21: כספת הקוסמים

In the Temple of Knowledge, the delegates prepare to face the deadliest creature in existence, but they see only water and a mirror. From these clues, Brystal realizes that the deadliest creatures are humans, since they have caused the most damage to themselves, other species, and the environment. Once the delegates face the fact that humans have indeed caused the most damage, they are able to enter the sorcerers' vault, where the inspect the items available. Brystal asks for the Book of Sorcery, but a sorcerer explains that it has already been taken, and the delegates learn that Immortalia, who has been disguising as queens of the Eastern Kingdom, currently possesses the book.

### פרק 22: מלך השדים ומלכת השלג

The demons asked Xanthous to get the Book of Sorcery and recite a text in it to become the Demon King, as they are under Immortalia's control and it is the only way to free them to stop destroying the world. As Xanthous is the only fairy that has a specialty for fire, the Demons believe that only he can help them stop Immortalia controlling them. Meanwhile, the fairies and witches release the Snow Queen to fight the demons, and to their surprise, Madame Weatherberry offers no objection.

### פרק 23: מלחמת אש, קרח ואלכימיה

A battle begins between Seven's Army of the Dead and the alchemists, who gain the upper hand by fighting the dead soldiers with their inventions. However, the war is interrupted when the soldiers and scientists notice the demons running towards the city, causing a huge wildfire. The fairies and witches release the Snow Queen, who immediately starts fighting the demons, while the delegates from the Temple of Knowledge descend from the sky to see what is going on. Xanthous steals the Book of Sorcery from Immortalia and uses it to claim the Demon Throne and bring the demons under his command. Lucy traps the Immortal in a sinkhole and orders Brystal to execute her, but she refuses to and the fairies and witches turn their attention to fighting the Snow Queen.

### פרק 24: פרידה בלהבות

Just as the Army of the Dead begins to win their fight against the alchemists, they are all shocked to see that Brystal and the delegates successfully returned from the Temple of Knowledge and obtained the Book of Sorcery. Brystal uses a spell in the book to destroy the Army of the Dead. The armies work together to fight the Snow Queen, but she is extremely powerful and imprisons Seven, the fairies and witches, and the delegates, except for Brystal and Ryder, who is knocked unconscious. Ryder's dragon, Kitty, tries to kill the Snow Queen, who is trying to freeze Brystal's friends, but Brystal protects her former mentor. Madame Weatherberry begs her to withdraw her defenses and allow the Snow Queen to die. Brystal is devastated at having to kill her teacher, but finally she lowers her wand, and Madame Weatherberry dies in peace. With the Snow Queen gone, the battle ends, and the demons return to the center of the earth, taking Xanthous and Elrik with them. The fairies and witches begin cleaning up Chariot Hills and the Alchemy Institute with help from Ryder.

### פרק 25: מדע זנוח

It's revealed that Seven was captured by the Alchemists in the aftermath of the battle and renamed the 'Hate Virus.' Brystal tells him that Penny Charming, the cousin of Seven, is going to inherit the throne and turn the Empire into the Charming Kingdom. Afterwards, Brystal and Dr. Slates leave the defeated king in the Biology department where Seven grieves alone for the loss of his empire and his army. Brystal gives Dr. Slates the Book of Sorcery and tells him that she wants to change humanity using the Hall of Dreams.