long red carpet shot through the air and lashed around the mantis’ abdomen. In a flash, the force threw Milo off the insect’s thorax and tore Olivia from its grasp. The mantis snapped back under the bush.
‘What was that?’ Olivia gasped.
The visitor leapt forward. It was the biggest frog she’d ever seen. Bits of the mantis clung to its rubbery lips. Its glassy eyes extended out of their sockets and shoved the leftovers down its throat. Then it blinked blankly, gave a satisfied croak, and hopped away.
Leo scrambled out from under the mushroom. ‘Well done,’ he said. ‘I guess we showed that mantis who was boss.’
Ephemia ignored him. ‘Olivia, your pysanka. When the mantis tossed your cloak, it fell out of your pocket. I saw the silver case.’
Leo pricked up his ears. ‘Where did it land?’
‘In those weeds, by the grove of dandelions.’
If ever there was a time to destroy Olivia’s talisman, this was it, and Leo knew it. He imagined the Dream Witch’s treasures pouring down around him; heard the cheers of the court; saw the pride in his father’s eyes. I’ll never be mocked again , he thought. The world will do as I say.
Leo ran to the giant weeds and swung his sword at a sprawl of crabgrass. Olivia and Milo scrambled in his wake. Together they dodged the toppling purple seed heads, pausing only for Leo to sneeze and itch.
Ephemia suffered no such delay. She zipped over and under the jungle of stems. The dandelions were just beyond the next rock.
‘Over here,’ the mouse squeaked. She leapt on the stone. ‘Oh no.’
Leo, Olivia and Milo carved through the undergrowth.
‘What is it?’ Olivia demanded.
‘There, where your pysanka landed . . .’ Ephemia pointed to a hole, six-feet wide, that descended deep into the ground. A few feet below the surface, thick dandelion taproots broke through the earthen side and dangled like vines into the subterranean dark.
Olivia ran to the opening. ‘How are we to get the pysanka out of this hole?’
‘Stay back,’ Ephemia cried. ‘It isn’t an ordinary hole.’
‘What is it then?
‘A mole’s burrow.’
Olivia leapt back. ‘But moles are tiny,’ she gasped.
‘Not in this world.’
25
Down the Burrow
Olivia’s palms went moist; her flesh crawled. She’d first seen a mole when she was three, playing in the castle garden with the servants’ children. The mole had poked its little head out of a hole in the grass and quickly disappeared. Olivia had laughed at the sight of its furry snout, teeny red eyes, and clownish paws.
The royal gardener, a rough-hewn stump of a man, hadn’t been so amused; he’d cursed the pest who’d potted his carefully tended lawn, and thrust his spade into the earth. Olivia’s heart filled with pity that the creature might have been killed, but her pity soon turned to terror. The gardener had unearthed the vermin’s pantry, a tiny cave it had hollowed out and filled with worms and beetles. They all looked dead, but the gardener knew better.
‘These poor things fell into Mr Mole’s burrows. He freezed ’em with a poison in his spit. Then he dragged ’em to his larders to feed on at his pleasure. That’s right, little Princess, he eats ’em alive. Slowly. Bit by bit.’
Olivia pictured a giant mole. What if it does that to us? she wondered.
‘Milo and I can take care of this,’ Leo said gallantly.
Milo gave him a funny look. ‘You want to brave danger?’
‘Indeed,’ Leo said slyly. ‘I need to prove myself worthy of your company.’
‘There’s hope for you yet,’ Ephemia exclaimed.
‘But I should go,’ Olivia insisted. ‘It’s my pysanka.’
‘No. You helped with the mantis. Me, I need to redeem myself,’ Leo said.
‘He’s right,’ Ephemia agreed. ‘You mustn’t deny him. It would be cruel. You and I can help from above. We’ll hide under that dandelion leaf and guard the burrow entrance, in case some creature comes sniffing.’
‘Please?’ Leo wheedled. He put on
‘What was that?’ Olivia gasped.
The visitor leapt forward. It was the biggest frog she’d ever seen. Bits of the mantis clung to its rubbery lips. Its glassy eyes extended out of their sockets and shoved the leftovers down its throat. Then it blinked blankly, gave a satisfied croak, and hopped away.
Leo scrambled out from under the mushroom. ‘Well done,’ he said. ‘I guess we showed that mantis who was boss.’
Ephemia ignored him. ‘Olivia, your pysanka. When the mantis tossed your cloak, it fell out of your pocket. I saw the silver case.’
Leo pricked up his ears. ‘Where did it land?’
‘In those weeds, by the grove of dandelions.’
If ever there was a time to destroy Olivia’s talisman, this was it, and Leo knew it. He imagined the Dream Witch’s treasures pouring down around him; heard the cheers of the court; saw the pride in his father’s eyes. I’ll never be mocked again , he thought. The world will do as I say.
Leo ran to the giant weeds and swung his sword at a sprawl of crabgrass. Olivia and Milo scrambled in his wake. Together they dodged the toppling purple seed heads, pausing only for Leo to sneeze and itch.
Ephemia suffered no such delay. She zipped over and under the jungle of stems. The dandelions were just beyond the next rock.
‘Over here,’ the mouse squeaked. She leapt on the stone. ‘Oh no.’
Leo, Olivia and Milo carved through the undergrowth.
‘What is it?’ Olivia demanded.
‘There, where your pysanka landed . . .’ Ephemia pointed to a hole, six-feet wide, that descended deep into the ground. A few feet below the surface, thick dandelion taproots broke through the earthen side and dangled like vines into the subterranean dark.
Olivia ran to the opening. ‘How are we to get the pysanka out of this hole?’
‘Stay back,’ Ephemia cried. ‘It isn’t an ordinary hole.’
‘What is it then?
‘A mole’s burrow.’
Olivia leapt back. ‘But moles are tiny,’ she gasped.
‘Not in this world.’
25
Down the Burrow
Olivia’s palms went moist; her flesh crawled. She’d first seen a mole when she was three, playing in the castle garden with the servants’ children. The mole had poked its little head out of a hole in the grass and quickly disappeared. Olivia had laughed at the sight of its furry snout, teeny red eyes, and clownish paws.
The royal gardener, a rough-hewn stump of a man, hadn’t been so amused; he’d cursed the pest who’d potted his carefully tended lawn, and thrust his spade into the earth. Olivia’s heart filled with pity that the creature might have been killed, but her pity soon turned to terror. The gardener had unearthed the vermin’s pantry, a tiny cave it had hollowed out and filled with worms and beetles. They all looked dead, but the gardener knew better.
‘These poor things fell into Mr Mole’s burrows. He freezed ’em with a poison in his spit. Then he dragged ’em to his larders to feed on at his pleasure. That’s right, little Princess, he eats ’em alive. Slowly. Bit by bit.’
Olivia pictured a giant mole. What if it does that to us? she wondered.
‘Milo and I can take care of this,’ Leo said gallantly.
Milo gave him a funny look. ‘You want to brave danger?’
‘Indeed,’ Leo said slyly. ‘I need to prove myself worthy of your company.’
‘There’s hope for you yet,’ Ephemia exclaimed.
‘But I should go,’ Olivia insisted. ‘It’s my pysanka.’
‘No. You helped with the mantis. Me, I need to redeem myself,’ Leo said.
‘He’s right,’ Ephemia agreed. ‘You mustn’t deny him. It would be cruel. You and I can help from above. We’ll hide under that dandelion leaf and guard the burrow entrance, in case some creature comes sniffing.’
‘Please?’ Leo wheedled. He put on
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