Untitled Starfell #2 (Starfell #2) - Dominique Valente Page 0,7

surprise, her face blotchy with tears. She’d been sure that he wouldn’t speak to her again. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. ‘Yes. I need to find my friend, and to do that I have to sort out my magic … and get away from here. I’m sorry about the letter, though – and for disturbing you.’

The tree made a windy harrumphing sound. Then its knot eyes softened slightly as it took in the state of Willow’s tear-streaked face. ‘It sounded like you’d been punished enough.’

‘You heard all that?’ she asked, surprised.

‘Trees hear everything,’ he replied, then raised a root from the ground. ‘I reach well under the cottage … I know what’s going on, even when I sleep.’

Willow didn’t know what to feel about that. This whole time they’d had an audience they had never known about. It was a bit creepy when she thought about it.

‘I know it really happened – the missing day,’ said the tree. ‘If that helps. I know you aren’t talking nonsense … well, no more than the rest of them anyway,’ he said, pointing a branch in the direction of the cottage. ‘I felt that something was wrong, that something had disappeared, causing strange effects, even as I slept. And, besides that, trees talk … We know what you helped to do.’

Willow blinked. They did?

There was a loud popping sound from the direction of the cottage, followed by several high-pitched screams. Willow’s heart started to race – her family must have reappeared in the kitchen. At least this still allowed her a bit of a head start. Fighting mounting panic, she picked up the carpetbag with Oswin inside. ‘I’d better go – I can’t afford to waste time hoping that my family will believe me. My friend needs me.’

The old oak tree considered her. ‘I was the youngest in my family before I moved here … An oak needs some space sometimes,’ he said, pointing to the dark woods ahead. ‘I remember how it was – no room to grow. I’ll hold them off while you leave.’

‘You will?’

He nodded, making his leaves rustle. ‘Didn’t much care for that comment about trees to be honest. As if it was ridiculous somehow. Typical of humans to think only they can talk or move or think …’

There was a harrumph of agreement from within the carpetbag at this. ‘Exacterly,’ mumbled Oswin.

As the tree frowned at the bag in some confusion, Willow stared at him. ‘But how will you hold them off?’

There was a windy sort of grunt. ‘I’ll think of something,’ he said, shuffling some acorns in a slightly menacing way that made Willow feel a moment of concern her family, and even guiltier than she already did for running away.

Still, he was giving her the chance she needed. ‘Thank you,’ said Willow.

The tree ignored her thanks as it clomped towards the cottage, muttering to himself, ‘Blooming had to choose a house full of witches, didn’t I? Couldn’t just keep my darn roots out of it …’

Then, as the cottage door opened, despite his grumbling, the oak began pelting her family with acorns rather enthusiastically while they all screeched in shock. Seeing Willow, they shouted at her to come back.

‘Willow, don’t go!’ cried her mother, dodging an acorn. ‘Stop, you horrid tree!’ she snapped as another one bounced off her forehead. ‘Willow, I’ll get Amora Spell to come and look at you – we can do something about this! I believe you about the tree at least …’

But Willow shook her head. It was too late. Besides, Amora Spell, her grandmother’s swindling ex-partner, would definitely not help matters and time was running out. She needed to get to Moreg. It was possible that the witch knew where poor Nolin Sometimes was.

As Camille stepped forward, the tree picked her up and said, ‘Oh no you don’t, missus … I have half a mind to drag you off to the Mists of Mitlaire myself for threatening your sister with that. A person’s soul is no joking matter!’

Willow swallowed down her guilt. ‘I’m sorry, really … but I have to go!’

Then she mounted Whisper and set off towards Moreg’s house, her family’s screeches and Oswin’s loud, panicked cries of ‘Oh nooooooooo, not this flying sticks again!’ heavy in her ears.

Far away, in a strange place where time seemed to have stopped, Nolin Sometimes woke to darkness. It was the kind of dark where you can’t see your own hand in front of your face, where you aren’t