Starfell Willow Moss and the Lost Day (Starfell #1) - Dominique Valente Page 0,19

how it should be. Remember, Willow: practical makes perfect.’ She looked up at the sky and nodded. ‘And, when you think of it, a little rain is essential for uncovering what you might need.’

Willow looked up but there was no rain. Was this really the time for the witch to lose the plot?

Moreg looked at her. Her face was very serious and Willow thought for a moment that now the witch would say something wise, something that explained why she’d decided to abandon their mission and allow herself to be imprisoned by a bunch of crazy, fanatical priests, priests who Willow was sure the witch could fight off if she tried, despite their number – she had made lightning strike!

‘The pantry,’ said Moreg.

Willow’s eyes popped in disbelief. ‘The pantry?’

‘Yes, whenever I feel truly lost I go there. There’s something about it that just brings the answer to light. Perhaps it’s the presence of food, which can be rather soothing. I daresay it may help you too in the end, if you give it a try.’

Willow blinked. The witch truly was mad. How on Starfell was that supposed to help her?

She whirled round, facing the High Master. ‘Where are you taking her?’ she demanded.

For a moment she thought he wouldn’t answer, then he gave her an odd look as if it were obvious and chortled. His plump cheeks pink with pleasure at the idea of taking Moreg Vaine there. ‘Wolkana, of course.’

Willow paled. The hidden monastery of Wolkana was a fortress, the stuff of legend. It was created thousands of years before to safeguard the Brothers from those with magic. People said it had been built by Wol himself so that a person with magic in their veins couldn’t find it, even if they were standing directly across from it. How would she be able to save Moreg from there?

Willow watched in horror as the Brothers and Moreg walked on, growing smaller and smaller as they went past the gates and down the hill and out of sight.

Willow set the carpetbag down on the ground and fought the urge to scream. An hour ago she was on a mission to save the world with the most powerful witch in all of Starfell. Now the witch was gone, and she had no idea how to get into the forbidden city all by herself, and all she had with her was the monster from under the bed for company.

She didn’t even have her new shiny broom, Whisper, as it was stowed away in the witch’s portal pantry, which meant that if by some miracle she did find out where the forgotten teller was, and that seemed like a big if, it wasn’t like the witch had a real plan, aside from looking for clues at an old house. He could be anywhere on Starfell …

She put her head in her hands and groaned. ‘This isn’t tricky, Moreg. It’s impossible.’

Oswin stuck out his green furry head from the hairy carpetbag, blinking his orb-like eyes against the sudden daylight, and asked, ‘Wot house was she going on about?’ Clearly he felt more confident when it was just the two of them. Though as a creature that liked the dark, he preferred to stay inside the carpetbag most of the time.

Willow sighed, then stood up. There was no point in falling apart; it wouldn’t bring the witch back. ‘The Sometimes house, apparently. The old family home of the forgotten teller.’

His shaggy green coat turned from lime to carrot instantly. ‘An’ it’s in there – the city that yew was almost locked up fer entering?’ he said, pointing a fluffy paw at the granite-coloured wall.

‘Yes.’ Willow looked at the StoryPass, which was still in the palm of her hand, the needle pointing to ‘One Might Have Suspected as Such’, and shook her head.

7

Amora Spell

Willow picked up the carpetbag with a sigh. ‘Maybe there is some gap in the city wall that is unguarded?’ she muttered, her eyes scanning the perimeter.

As she inched closer she saw, however, that there were a lot of soldiers milling about overseeing the exodus of witches and wizards. Not to mention the guards keeping an eye out on the ramparts. It was impenetrable.

‘This is bad.’

From within the bag she heard Oswin sympathise. ‘I knows. She never even left you ’er cloak … Wot we gonna nibble now, eh?’

Willow rolled her eyes. She’d meant it was bad that they were doing checks. ‘Thank you, Oswin.’ Clearly the fact that Moreg had taken their access