‘How on Great Starfell are we meant to get up that?’ cried Sometimes. ‘Will the banshee wails do it?’
Even Holloway looked uncertain.
‘I could try freezing it?’ suggested Essential. ‘That might work!’
They nodded – it might.
Essential closed her eyes and concentrated with all her might. Then she raised her hands and tried to freeze the downward tumble of the shadowy waterfall. At first it didn’t seem to work, then it sort of flickered a little.
Moreg put her hand on Essential’s, and there was something almost like a tiny lightning flash, and the whole waterfall froze, becoming a motionless wall of shadowy water.
The boat steamed ahead, powered by the twin banshee wails. Right before they reached the base of the waterfall, Feathering cried, ‘Hold tight!’ He heaved himself up and launched all his mighty weight against the stern, causing the boat to rock backwards and point its bow up the waterfall.
‘Thank you, dragon!’ yelled Holloway as the power of the banshee wails took over once more. ‘Perfect first-mate work.’ Then he nodded, clung to the wheel and said, ‘That’s right, Sudsfarer – all the way up, past the Mists, to the Knotweed River …’
As they climbed up the waterfall, Willow’s eyes became heavy. She was tired … so tired … Her body felt drained of energy.
Before she knew it, she was falling back into Sprig’s and Essential’s arms, fast asleep.
24
Home
Willow awoke to sunshine and the sound of marsh birds as the Sudsfarer glided up the Knotweed River towards home.
All the colours were bright and bold. The water shone and shimmered. The sky was a brilliant blue, and along the riverbanks Willow could see the marsh grass, knotweed, the butterflies and the bees.
‘Welcome back,’ said Moreg, taking a seat next to her.
Willow had been placed on a mound of cushions on the deck. She sat up, blinking in the afternoon light. Near the stern, she could see Nolin Sometimes leaning against the railing as he chatted to Essential and Oswin, who was looking at the world through the copper spyglass. In the sky above, she could see Feathering keeping pace with the boat.
‘We were worried about you,’ said the witch.
Willow felt a wave of fatigue wash over her as she tried to sit up.
‘Relax, you’ve used a lot of magic – you need to rest.’
Willow nodded. She looked at the witch and frowned, opening then closing her mouth.
‘What is it?’ asked Moreg.
‘Why didn’t you just send me a message to tell me not to come to Netherfell?’ Willow asked finally.
‘I should have – but I couldn’t be sure if you would have listened, knowing that your friend’s life was at stake. I thought it best to try and keep you safe. The problem was I couldn’t rely on my seeing ability – I can’t see what happens in Netherfell, just like Umbellifer can’t see what happens in the world above. That’s why I was unable to predict what Sprig was going to do – his actions were careful, and the fact we were often in different worlds clouded my vision.’
As if he had been waiting for Willow to wake up so that he could speak to them both, Sprig approached them now. He looked unsure of himself. There were deep shadows beneath his eyes, and he bit his lip.
‘I’m so sorry about everything. I didn’t want to betray you,’ he said, looking at Moreg. ‘I believed Umbellifer when she said it was for the best – that we could prevent a war this way. I knew she was going to use your powers, but I never thought she would try to keep anyone in Netherfell for good.’
The witch frowned. She didn’t seem angry, just disappointed perhaps. ‘You of all people should have known better. She’s not someone who plays fairly,’ she said. ‘But there was something else that was motivating you, wasn’t there?’
Sprig looked down at the floor of the boat. ‘Yes,’ he admitted.
Willow thought of the small throne that had appeared next to the queen’s. ‘You wanted to rule with her?’
He shook his head. ‘Not exactly rule, no. I just wanted to belong. I’ve always felt a little lost, with one foot in both worlds. Out here, in this world, there have been many who were afraid of me, my powers … the scent of death. Umbellifer made me a promise that I would find where I belonged.’
He looked at Willow and gave her a small, shy smile. ‘I did find where I belonged … but it wasn’t down there. I hope we can be friends, Willow.’
Willow felt tears prick her eyes. She nodded. ‘I’d like that very much.’
‘Very well, boy,’ said the witch. ‘It was a foolish thing you did, but I can understand why. However, if you cross me again, you will regret it. Leave us for now.’
Sprig swallowed, nodding, then turned to join Essential and Sometimes.
The witch looked at Willow and seemed almost to grin. ‘It’s always useful to send a gentle reminder that a witch is not someone to cross … Remember that,’ she said, tapping her nose, and Willow couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her lips.
Moreg continued. ‘Speaking of witches, we dropped Pimpernell off a little while ago. I’ve had a chat with her, told her that she needs to make some changes, get an assistant – speak to other witches. She means well, I suppose; she just goes about things the wrong way. I think seeing that Holloway had been telling the truth, that he wasn’t going to use his new ability for evil, also opened her eyes. She wouldn’t go so far as to admit guilt for locking up someone for a year – not when she believed she was in the right – but I think she can see that maybe she was getting too extreme. The Enchancil will start to look in on her more. It’s not good for anyone to have nobody to answer to – like Umbellifer in her own way.’ The witch touched Willow’s shoulder. ‘I should have known one thing, though – that should have been obvious.’
‘What’s that?’
‘That if anyone could save us, it would be you.’
Willow didn’t know what to say to that. She felt a blush rise to the roots of her hair. She looked up at the witch. ‘I don’t know about that. Um, actually, about my magic – how my grief made things disappear – do you think that could happen again?’
Moreg frowned. ‘I don’t think it was grief that was making it happen.’
Willow stared and the witch explained.
‘I think the grief was preventing you from using your usual ability. But I have a feeling that something else happened when we were in Wolkana. When you got the spell scroll from Silas, it shouldn’t have worked because he’d used a protective spell.’
Willow blinked. ‘Why did it then?’
‘Because magic wanted you to succeed,’ said Moreg.
‘What?’ breathed Willow. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘The magic of Starfell,’ she said. ‘It knew what was happening. Maybe it even knew what was coming, based on what had gone before, when it was almost ripped out of the world. Perhaps it sensed that you were trying to help. So it took a chance, and decided to break its own rules. It decided to trust you.’