house?’
Rachel grinned.
‘
Amazing
. You wouldn’t believe how gorgeous the rest of the mansion is. And they have banquets every night. And yesterday I went out with a scouting party and–’
‘That’s great,’ Grace interrupted, ‘but I’ve got some big news. I didn’t want to tell you guys until I’d checked it out, but I know how we can get back home.’
‘How?’ asked Jenny.
‘The Ferryman.’
‘Oh, come one, we’ve talked about this–’
‘It’s easy to get to the boat and we don’t have to sell our souls to get across. The ferry leaves in two days and we just need …’ Grace paused, looking a little less sure, ‘this sapphire rose thing. It’s in the castle.’
‘Where in the castle?’ said Adie.
‘In this big snow globe, in Madame Three’s room.’
‘How will we get that?’
‘We’ll find a way.’
‘When in two days?’ said Una. ‘Morning? Evening?’
‘I don’t know, he didn’t give a time. Morning, I guess. He’s kind of … he’s a bit mysterious, the way he talks.’
‘Did you go and see him?’ Adie looked horrified at Grace having left the castle grounds alone.
‘Yes, and he was exactly where the book said he would be. So you see? It’s definitely the boat home.’
She looked to Jenny who had one eyebrow raised.
‘Definitely?’ said Jenny.
‘Yes!’ A flush was rising in Grace’s cheeks, and Rachel knew she was afraid of losing the argument. ‘It’s all straightforward. We pay him, we get on the ferry, we go home.’
‘So straightforward that he
mysteriously
didn’t give you an actual time of departure? Not exactly catching the boat to France at Rosslare, is it?’
‘He said when three moons have set. That’s two days fromnow … in the morning, probably. It’s … well, we’re on a bloody magical island, it was never gonna be Rosslare!’
There was silence for a few moments, but Una, Adie and Delilah all looked hopeful.
‘I still don’t like the sound of him.’ Jenny had parked herself back in the armchair with folded arms. ‘I think we should find another way out.’
‘Like some epic transportation spell?’ Grace asked. ‘And are you going to do it with that thing around your ankle?’
Jenny scowled and crossed her arms tighter.
‘What is that thing?’ said Rachel.
‘A binding ring,’ Delilah said quietly. ‘It prevents her from doing any magic.’
‘Really?’
Jenny stood up and lifted her arms out to the sides while her feet stayed fixed to the ground.
‘Wanna see me fly? This is it. This is me flying.’
‘I don’t get it.’
‘I can say all the verses I want, and build up the buzz, and mix up a potion, but I’ve got no juice.’
‘She’s juiceless,’ said Una.
‘Victoria Meister is really out to get us,’ said Grace, ‘and she got the Supremes to bind Jenny’s powers. We’re pretty sure we’re out of the Trials too – thought we’re not going to cry over that – but we’ve no idea what else she has in store. We need to get out of here. Now.’
Rachel plucked nervously at the sleeve of her blouse. This was too quick, she needed to think. Just last night she was sure she’d be offered the chance to stay and train with the Hunters. Now Grace was telling her they had to leave it all behind, immediately. She had intended to tell the others about the ghost in the gallery – she had been afraid to mention it to Alinda – but now she didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. The girls would just see it as something else dangerous, another reason to leave.
‘Alright,’ Grace said firmly, ‘who votes to break into Madame Three’s room, steal the sapphire rose, and take the ferry home?’
Rachel’s pulse quickened as, one by one, the hands went in the air. The blood was pounding in her ears before she realised everyone was looking at her.
‘Rach?’
‘Wait, Grace,’ she stammered. ‘If we … are you sure we should leave? Now, I mean?’
‘What?’
‘It’s just that, this is a whole
Rachel grinned.
‘
Amazing
. You wouldn’t believe how gorgeous the rest of the mansion is. And they have banquets every night. And yesterday I went out with a scouting party and–’
‘That’s great,’ Grace interrupted, ‘but I’ve got some big news. I didn’t want to tell you guys until I’d checked it out, but I know how we can get back home.’
‘How?’ asked Jenny.
‘The Ferryman.’
‘Oh, come one, we’ve talked about this–’
‘It’s easy to get to the boat and we don’t have to sell our souls to get across. The ferry leaves in two days and we just need …’ Grace paused, looking a little less sure, ‘this sapphire rose thing. It’s in the castle.’
‘Where in the castle?’ said Adie.
‘In this big snow globe, in Madame Three’s room.’
‘How will we get that?’
‘We’ll find a way.’
‘When in two days?’ said Una. ‘Morning? Evening?’
‘I don’t know, he didn’t give a time. Morning, I guess. He’s kind of … he’s a bit mysterious, the way he talks.’
‘Did you go and see him?’ Adie looked horrified at Grace having left the castle grounds alone.
‘Yes, and he was exactly where the book said he would be. So you see? It’s definitely the boat home.’
She looked to Jenny who had one eyebrow raised.
‘Definitely?’ said Jenny.
‘Yes!’ A flush was rising in Grace’s cheeks, and Rachel knew she was afraid of losing the argument. ‘It’s all straightforward. We pay him, we get on the ferry, we go home.’
‘So straightforward that he
mysteriously
didn’t give you an actual time of departure? Not exactly catching the boat to France at Rosslare, is it?’
‘He said when three moons have set. That’s two days fromnow … in the morning, probably. It’s … well, we’re on a bloody magical island, it was never gonna be Rosslare!’
There was silence for a few moments, but Una, Adie and Delilah all looked hopeful.
‘I still don’t like the sound of him.’ Jenny had parked herself back in the armchair with folded arms. ‘I think we should find another way out.’
‘Like some epic transportation spell?’ Grace asked. ‘And are you going to do it with that thing around your ankle?’
Jenny scowled and crossed her arms tighter.
‘What is that thing?’ said Rachel.
‘A binding ring,’ Delilah said quietly. ‘It prevents her from doing any magic.’
‘Really?’
Jenny stood up and lifted her arms out to the sides while her feet stayed fixed to the ground.
‘Wanna see me fly? This is it. This is me flying.’
‘I don’t get it.’
‘I can say all the verses I want, and build up the buzz, and mix up a potion, but I’ve got no juice.’
‘She’s juiceless,’ said Una.
‘Victoria Meister is really out to get us,’ said Grace, ‘and she got the Supremes to bind Jenny’s powers. We’re pretty sure we’re out of the Trials too – thought we’re not going to cry over that – but we’ve no idea what else she has in store. We need to get out of here. Now.’
Rachel plucked nervously at the sleeve of her blouse. This was too quick, she needed to think. Just last night she was sure she’d be offered the chance to stay and train with the Hunters. Now Grace was telling her they had to leave it all behind, immediately. She had intended to tell the others about the ghost in the gallery – she had been afraid to mention it to Alinda – but now she didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. The girls would just see it as something else dangerous, another reason to leave.
‘Alright,’ Grace said firmly, ‘who votes to break into Madame Three’s room, steal the sapphire rose, and take the ferry home?’
Rachel’s pulse quickened as, one by one, the hands went in the air. The blood was pounding in her ears before she realised everyone was looking at her.
‘Rach?’
‘Wait, Grace,’ she stammered. ‘If we … are you sure we should leave? Now, I mean?’
‘What?’
‘It’s just that, this is a whole
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