with that.’
Holloway moored the boat in a small stream that ran close to Willow’s village, then gave her a hug.
Willow reached inside her bag for the copper harmonica to return it to the old wizard, thanking him for all he’d done.
‘Keep it, young Willow. That way I know ya can always use it when ya need me.’
She gave him a last hug. ‘I will,’ she promised.
Willow said goodbye to Sometimes, Sprig and Essential, already making plans for when they would next meet, and then she and Moreg got on their brooms and made their way to Willow’s cottage.
There was pandemonium when she arrived.
‘Willow!’ cried her father, standing up so fast he upended his chair. He looked tired and worried, and Willow couldn’t help the stab of guilt she felt at being the cause. Her mother, on the other hand, was furious.
‘Well, what do you call this?’ said Raine. ‘We’ve been out of our minds with worry. We’ve been everywhere! Even to some strange tower in the middle of the Howling Woods, where we heard that you’d been locked up! The tower refused to let us in until Juniper threatened to blow it up. We finally got in, only to discover that there was no witch to be found, and that you had disappeared …’ She broke off when she saw, behind Willow, Moreg Vaine.
She swallowed. ‘Um, Moreg, hello.’
‘Good day?’ said Moreg, observing them with eyes like razors.
‘I – well, we were just explaining to Willow that we were concerned about her. She appeared to have run off – but I see you must have found her!’
‘Actually, Raine, she found me.’
Raine’s eyes popped. ‘Is that true?’
‘Yes,’ Moreg said, glancing from her to Willow’s sisters with a meaningful look.
‘Oh.’
Willow looked at her mother and said, ‘Mum, I know you were just trying to help, but you’d help me a lot more if you would just listen to me.’
‘I do listen,Willow, of course I do. You were unwell, your magic was … behaving rather oddly. We needed to get you help, my dear.’
Moreg raised an eyebrow, looking from Raine to Willow’s father, Hawthorn. ‘I do not wish to get involved in family matters, but I can say this: in future, when your daughter asks for me, please send a raven at once.’
Willow grinned as Raine blinked at Moreg in shock.
Moreg turned to leave, then she stopped and looked back at Juniper and Camille. ‘Oh yes, before I forget. For the record, Willow is not ill, mad or a liar. Tuesday did get lost, and we did, in fact, go and find it.’
‘What?’ said Camille as the witch left.
Willow followed Moreg outside to see her go, and her family trailed in her wake. They watched Moreg’s tall form as she strode up the garden path, then got on to her impressive broom. Its twin engines roared to life, spitting flames as she flew up and away.
Willow looked up at her parents and was shocked when her mother reached forward and hugged her hard. ‘I was so worried about you,’ she said. Then she let her go and met her eyes. ‘I’ll listen more, and try to believe you even if it sounds impossible, all right?’
Willow bit her lip, and then hugged her tight, reaching a hand towards her father who squeezed hers in return.
Juniper and Camille watched Moreg’s broom as it disappeared beyond the horizon.
Camille muttered, ‘You know, they say she’s a bit bonkers herself. Can we really trust what she says? I mean, I heard she lives in the Mists of Mitlaire and has tea parties with the dead …’
Willow sighed.
From within the hairy carpetbag there was a faint harrumphing sound. ‘Wot a cumberworld.’
AN (ABRIDGED) OSWIN TO ENGLISH DICTIONARY
CARBUNCLE: a pimple or unsightly growth. Used as an insult, as in ‘Yew ‘orrid carbuncle.’
CUMBERWORLD: someone who is so useless, they just serve to take up space. (Oswin, for the most part, applies this to every member of the Moss family, apart from Willow and the late ‘Flossy Mistress’.)
EEL: hell, as in ‘what fresh eel is this?’
GIZARD: a very old wizard.
HARPY-HAG: a nagging or highly interfering person.
INFERMEROL: infernal. Many kobolds often hear things incorrectly while hiding in places like beds, or suitcases, or stoves due to their aversion to sunlight and crowds and other scary things, like baths.
LIB-BRAIN: librarian. See infermerol for reasons for likely mispronunciation.
PROBERBELLY: probably. See infermerol for reasons for likely mispronunciation.
SQUIFFLESTICKS: something that has gone more than a bit wrong.
SLEW: slur (an insinuation that is seen to damage someone’s reputation or character).