Starfell Willow Moss and the Lost Day (Starfell #1) - Dominique Valente Page 0,50

around.

Willow picked up a rock and threw it at the window but it barely made a scratch, and even when Calamity tried putting her sizable fist through the glass and then tried kicking the door down with one of her boulder-like feet nothing happened.

Willow took out the StoryPass, which was whirring round as if in confusion. ‘Oswin’s on to something; I think this has been charmed somehow.’

Essential’s eyes widened, and she fished out the hag stone and peered through the hole. ‘Yes, oh my goodness, you’ll never believe it!’ she exclaimed.

‘What is it?’ asked Willow.

Essential handed her the stone so that Willow could see for herself.

She peered through the small hole in the stone and gasped.

It was a golden castle with marble turrets and spires winking high in the sky. Instead of the half-broken doorway they were standing in front of enormous polished doors that were over fifteen feet high – high enough for even the tallest troll to pass through.

Willow passed the stone around for Sometimes, Feathering, Calamity and Oswin to see – even the kobold was impressed before he zipped himself back inside the bag for safety.

Holding the stone, Willow tried the door, which swung open at once, with a loud deafening clatter. Oswin was right – the hag stone worked when you were outside the charm!

‘Come on,’ she said, walking through a long passageway.

On the walls were paintings of curious objects and plants. Nolin Sometimes paused before one of a jam jar with a odd purple flower shaped a bit like a house, and frowned. ‘Oooh, I didn’t know she was into magical botany … I suppose it is Moreg …’

In the corners of the passage were statues, or what looked at first like statues, except that they seemed to be sleeping …

‘Oh!’ exclaimed Essential eyeing them warily. ‘These are enchanted stone figures! Rubix’s specialty. It’s best we get away from them … I had to fight one when I was little. Rubix thought it was good practice …’

‘And was it?’ asked Willow.

‘For getting some impressive bruises – very.’

They shared a grin.

There was a small passageway to the left that led to a set of stone stairs. Willow stopped. ‘Maybe we should go this way …’

They all nodded. As curious as Willow was to see the rest of the castle they needed to get to the kitchen. ‘Come on, we need to find the pantry to get to Moreg.’

The others followed her down the stairs, which led to a basement kitchen. They raced inside, passing a massive wooden table and an old forest-green range.

Through a separate door to the side they found the enormous pantry. ‘Here,’ Willow said as they entered.

It was filled with dozens of shelves and on either side were steps that Willow guessed must lead to a set of cellars. ‘It’ll be one of these,’ said Willow, guessing aloud. ‘Our first night away, while we were camping, she said she’d left something in her other cellar … which means the portal must only work on one side,’ she concluded.

They were about to turn and look at the other cellar when she saw something she recognised.

‘Hang on,’ said Willow seeing a fold-up chair, along with an iron pot, a table and two broomsticks – including Whisper! ‘It must be around here somewhere,’ she said. She placed her hands against the wall, feeling all along the surface. It had to be here – it had to! Then suddenly her fingers pressed straight through the stone until she was touching something soft and silken – like the lining inside a cloak. ‘It’s here!’ She shot her friends a nervous look and said, ‘I’ll go first.’

Sometimes looked a little anxious himself. ‘We’ll be right behind you,’ he reassured her.

Willow took a deep breath, picked up the bag with Oswin inside and then pushed her way through the wall and the fabric.

She found herself tumbling down until she landed in a heap on a stone floor in a dark and dusty room, Oswin protesting loudly.

‘Keep it down,’ Willow hissed, rubbing her head. She glanced up and saw that the cloak had been hanging from a hook above her.

But where was Moreg?

Willow stood up, just as Sometimes fell through the cloak, followed closely by Essential, who landed on top of him, her glasses askew. ‘Ouch!’ they both muttered.

Disentangling himself, Sometimes crossed the room and made a funny noise. Soon Willow and Essential could see why. On the floor one of the Brothers was sprawled on to his back, a purplish