by Liz Kessler
“I just can’t help wondering how it’ll all work out,” I said.
“Me too,” Robyn agreed. “But hey, at least we’ve got each other.”
“And little Tabby,” Daisy added.
Which was when it dawned on me.
Tabby? The cat was a tabby — and now that was its name, too!
The fairy I’d made friends with at ALD — was it her? Could it be? She’d told me she was starting a new job helping people through big life changes! It had to be her!
I stared at the kitten and tickled it under its chin. It looked up and lazily stretched its body into an arc.
Is it you? I asked silently. And I know I could have imagined it, but the kitten seemed to reply! It slowly opened an eye, stared straight at me, and winked.
I laughed out loud and shook my head. Maybe it was her; maybe it wasn’t. It didn’t matter. Suddenly, I didn’t need to know all the answers. Things would unfold however they were meant to.
I looked at my two best friends and smiled. “D’you know what?” I said. “I’ve got the feeling everything is going to work out absolutely fine.”
As if to agree with me, the kitten purred gently and stretched an arm out toward me, its tiny paw resting softly on my arm. And then it snuggled contentedly back down into Daisy’s lap, curled into a fluffy ball, and went to sleep.
“Are you angry?” Alya asked.
“Not at all,” Chara replied. “You?”
Alya shook her head. “Surprised?”
“Not even a tiny bit. As soon as she came back to ATC, I knew she’d find a way to get back to Earth.”
Alya laughed. “Me, too.” Then she wrinkled her forehead. “She will be all right, though, won’t she?”
“Are you serious? She’ll be absolutely fine. It even works out. I mean, without her powers, what could she do here, anyway?”
“Just — I mean, will she stay on Earth forever? Is that it? Is it all over for her as a fairy godmother?”
Chara smiled. As she did so, the light from a star high up in the sky shone down on the earth more brightly than any other. Even though it was the middle of the night, anyone who saw it had to shield their eyes.
“What?” she said. “After she’s just made the kind of sacrifice only the most special fairy godmothers ever make?” She laughed lightly. “Oh, I doubt it.”
This was it. I checked the address again. I definitely had the right place. It had taken weeks to track her down. It wasn’t easy when I was constantly on call and sometimes had to rush back to the portal with a minute’s notice.
But I’d done my research, and after about fifty dead ends, I was sure I had it this time.
I took a few deep breaths. What if she’d forgotten all about me? What if she thought I’d been a figment of her imagination? It had all been such a long time ago, and she’d been so young.
Should I back out?
I took another breath. No. She’d remember me. There was no backing out. I’d made a promise, and now, finally, I was going to keep it.
I waited until the receptionist at the elderly people’s home had her back turned, then I slipped inside the door and whizzed through the foyer. I flew down the first corridor and around a corner. And then I saw it. Room 251. Her door.
My heart was beating even faster than my wings. The door was open. I could hardly breathe, I was so nervous. What if, what if . . .
Just do it.
I flew into the room. The old lady looked up and saw me. For a moment, she looked startled, taken aback. Shocked. And then her face broke out into the biggest, widest smile of recognition and joy that I could ever imagine seeing.
“Hello, Elsie,” I said, smiling back at her. “Remember me?”
Once again, there are people I’m very lucky to have in my life who helped get this book from the idea in my head to the pages in your hands. Special thanks go to:
Linda Chapman, for always knowing what I’m trying to do with my stories and always helping me do it better;
Mary Hoffman, for coming up with the perfect title;
Jen Alexander, for introducing me to some of Cornwall’s most beautiful stone circles;
The Scattered Authors’ Society, for helping me grow as a writer;
Catherine Clarke, for always being there for every kind of support along the way;
Judith Elliott, for still and always being the best, nicest, most fun, and most supportive editor in the world;
Fiona Kennedy and everyone at Orion for being all-around wonderful;
Karen Lotz, Kate Fletcher, Tracy Miracle, and the whole team at Candlewick who have done such great things with my books;
And Laura Tonge, for being the perfect person to share a journey with — whether it’s the journey of a van, a boat, a board, or a book!
LIZ KESSLER is the author of the best-selling series about Emily Windsnap as well as the Philippa Fisher books. She decided she wanted to be a writer at the age of nine, when her first poem was published in the local newspaper. She has also worked as a teacher and a journalist. Liz Kessler lives in Cornwall, England.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Before the Beginning
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
ATC High Command
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
ATC High Command
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
ATC High Command
After the End
Acknowledgments
About the Author
