Starfell Willow Moss and the Lost Day (Starfell #1) - Dominique Valente Page 0,55

begrudgingly. ‘That’s why I needed something clever, something to fool a witch. The spell I chose was perfect; it hid the events of last Tuesday, so my father wouldn’t remember my plans, or see them coming. But I knew that I was on borrowed time as the spell would mess with the future – a future the great Moreg Vaine would question. I knew it would most likely bring her here as a result – she wouldn’t trust sending a raven to warn my father a second time, but this time I would be ready for her. It was all rather brilliant, I thought. Felling two birds with one stone.

‘I didn’t know about you, though – I hadn’t factored on a little girl who finds – what is it? Lost things? I suppose she thought you might help her to find the missing day. Perhaps she even believed that you would be able to save her? But, alas, that is not a chance I’m willing to take, you see. I can’t let you live knowing any of this.’ He took a bottle from his robes, one that shimmered with a strange dark liquid. He uncorked it and there was a smell of burnt toast and rubber.

Willow’s eyes widened. Was that what she feared it was? If so, it was highly illegal. Granny had said that only those with pure evil in their souls could make it. From within the hairy carpetbag there was a very faint ‘Oh no.’

‘I see you know this, child – it’s the potion of death. Alas, this doesn’t work as a “potion throw”; the only way for it to have a permanent effect is to swallow it. But the results are instant, so there’s that to look forward to – there should be enough for all of you.’

He snapped his fingers and the rest of the Brothers came forward to seize Willow, Sometimes and Essential.

‘No!’ cried Essential, who raised her hands to freeze him, but it didn’t work. She kept on raising her hands. Nothing happened.

Willow swallowed.

‘It’s almost sweet how you believe that your magic would work on me – as if I hadn’t ensured against that by using a protective spell the minute I allowed Moreg Vaine to step through these doors. Well –’ Silas stroked the box of spells – ‘I must admit that I have enjoyed our time together – it felt good to finally tell the truth; it does release something inside. But enough of this. It is time to say goodbye now …’

Willow opened up the carpetbag as surreptitiously as she could, her hand searching as he spoke … Ybaer had said she’d know when the time was right and Willow did. From inside the carpetbag she grabbed hold of the stealth sprig and instantly disappeared.

‘What on Great Starfell?’ cried Silas.

Willow, realising that he couldn’t see her, made her way slowly and carefully towards him.

She grabbed the potion bottle out of his hand, and flung it against the wall, where it spilled its contents harmlessly, the smell making them wrinkle their noses.

But all too soon she was visible again.

‘Seize her!’ cried Silas and one of the guards ran forward.

Essential raised her hands and froze the guard. Fortunately for them whatever spell Silas had used to protect himself against magic he obviously hadn’t shared with his fellow Brothers.

‘We’ve got maybe a second. Do something!’ shouted Essential as the frozen Brothers stared at them with murder in their eyes.

Willow’s eyes fell on the shaggy carpetbag. She stared at the greenish orange kobold, and thought hard. They said if you insulted a kobold enough … they would explode.

‘Oswin, I have to tell you something before we die. I know that your father was a cat, and your mother wasn’t really a kobold,’ she lied.

‘WOT?!’

He turned a bright pumpkin colour, his tail electrified in fury. His huge orb-like eyes blazing white-hot heat.

Willow spoke fast, choosing words that would upset him most. ‘A common tabby, wasn’t she? And it was really just your grandmother who was a kobold … so you’re not really, technically even a monster.’

‘I AM THE MONSTER FROM UNDER THE BED!’ he roared.

‘NO, you’re just a cat!’

‘CAN A CAT DO THIS?’ he bellowed, just as the Brothers unfroze and raced towards them.

Willow threw the bag straight at them. ‘Duck!’ she told Essential and Sometimes.

There was a giant explosion. Willow’s hairy carpetbag burst apart with a bang, with Oswin glowing in the centre like a fireball. The roof caved in, and the Brothers went