She ended the call and, taking one last look, she left the clearing.
Her mum and dad were locking up the cottage when Maia got back.
“Hi, there,” her dad called. “Ready to go home?”
Maia nodded, still thinking about the fox with the strange eyes. And what about the voice she had heard? She was sure someone had spoken to her in the clearing.
Her dad scooped up Alfie into his arms. “Come on then, young man. Into my car.”
“Car!” said Alfie in delight, hitting Mr Greene on the head with the plastic car he was holding.
“Yes, car!” Mr Greene said ruefully, rubbing his head.
“I thought I would pop in to see Auntie Mabel on the way home while Dad and Alfie pick up Clio,” Mrs Greene said to Maia. “Would you like to come with me?”
“OK,” said Maia. She liked Auntie Mabel. The old lady had been one of Granny Anne’s closest friends.
They got into the car and drove up the lane to the main road. “Look, there’s Ionie,” said Mrs Greene, spotting Ionie in the garden of her house at the top of the lane. “Do you want to stop and say hi?”
Maia shook her head. “No, just keep going.”
To her relief, her mum didn’t insist.
Auntie Mabel lived in a row of cottages on the main road. She had grey hair and blue eyes that twinkled in her wrinkled face. When she opened the door to her cottage, the smell of baking wafted out.
“Well, this is a lovely surprise!” she said, smiling warmly as she saw Maia and her mum. “I wasn’t expecting visitors today.”
“We just thought we’d stop by and see how you were,” said Mrs Greene.
“All the better for seeing both of you,” said Auntie Mabel. “Come on in. I’ve got some biscuits here that need eating.”
They followed her inside her cosy cottage. There were pictures of woodland animals on the walls and a collection of crystals and polished stones on the dresser in the kitchen. Auntie Mabel put the kettle on and soon they were all eating freshly baked shortbread and talking about the memorial service that had been held for Granny Anne two weeks before.
“The church was packed, wasn’t it?” said Mrs Greene.
“Anne was very well loved,” said Auntie Mabel. “All her life. Right from when we were children. She was always the popular one.”
“Well, she did love helping people,” said Mrs Greene. “And she got involved in so many things here in Westcombe – raising money for charities, making the village more eco-friendly, saving the wildflower meadows.”
“She’s certainly going to be missed,” Auntie Mabel agreed. “Anyway, how are all of you? How’s school, Maia?”
“Oh, OK.” Maia caught sight of a little oil painting of a fox stalking some rabbits and it made her think about the fox in the wood. “A really weird thing happened to me earlier,” she said. She told them about the fox. “He came almost close enough for me to touch.”
Her mum raised her eyebrows. “That’s unusual. Foxes are shy creatures.”
“Your granny used to have a knack with wild animals,” said Auntie Mabel. “Maybe you take after her.”
Maia liked that idea. “I hope I see him again,” she said. “He had strange eyes – they were a really dark blue – like an indigo colour.”
“That can’t be right, Maia,” her mum said. “Foxes don’t have indigo eyes. It must have been a trick of the light.”
Auntie Mabel gave Maia a thoughtful look. “Or maybe it was just a very unusual fox. I’d love to know if you see him again, Maia. He sounds fascinating.”
Maia nodded, glad Auntie Mabel believed her at least. “I’ll tell you if I see him.”
As the conversation moved on, Maia tuned out of the adult talk and thought about the fox. Sita and Lottie were coming round in the morning, but maybe she could go to the clearing again in the afternoon. She could take some bits of ham in case he was there. She pictured him eating from her hands, looking up at her with those strange eyes. They had been indigo. She was sure it hadn’t just been a trick of the light.
Maybe he’s a magic fox. No. That was silly, she told herself. But her heart beat just a little faster at the thought.
The next morning, Maia went to the kitchen and got out everything she thought they might need to prepare for their cake sale – recipe books, baking trays and all the ingredients. The evening before, she’d told her mum and dad, and they thought it was a fantastic idea.
She had just finished getting ready when Clio came into the kitchen in her dressing gown. She looked round at all the baking equipment. “What are you doing?”
“Sita and Lottie are coming over for a practice baking session.”
“Oh, for the cake stall you were talking about yesterday. I’ll make some brownies for you, if you like,” Clio offered.
“Thanks.” Maia smiled. She and Clio were very different – Clio loved make-up, fashion and gossiping about celebrities whereas Maia liked playing outside, baking and making things with her friends. Still, most of the time they got on just fine. Not like Lottie and her little sister, who argued constantly.
“What are you doing today?” Maia asked as Clio made herself some toast.
“Seeing Beth. We’re going shopping.” Her phone buzzed and she checked it. “OMG!” she said. “Did you know Maddie and Jay have split up?”
“Who?” said Maia.
Clio stared at her. “Seriously? Maddie and Jay? You know – the YouTubers?” Maia gave her a blank look. “How can you not know these things? Sometimes I can’t believe we’re sisters. I’ve got to phone Beth!” She hurried out of the kitchen.
Maia shook her head. She just didn’t get her sister’s fascination with celebrities.
At nine o’clock on the dot, Lottie’s mum dropped her friends off.
“I’ll see you at eleven fifteen,” she said to Lottie. “Make sure you’re ready for me and changed into your gymnastics kit.”
“Yes, Mum,” Lottie sighed. Her mum hurried back to the car, where Lottie’s younger sister was waiting to be taken to her tennis lesson.
“You and your sister do so many things,” said Maia as Lottie dumped her bag in the hall.
“Gymnastics, tennis, piano, swimming, maths and French.” Lottie ticked them off on her fingers. “Oh, and now Mum wants us to start trampolining lessons, too.”
“We’ll never see you!” said Sita.
“Sleepovers,” Lottie said decisively. “Even my mum can’t schedule activities in the middle of the night.”
“Sleepovers sound good to me,” said Maia. “How about having one here the night before the cake sale?”
The others nodded enthusiastically.
“So, what cakes are we going to bake?” Lottie said. “We need a plan!”
They sat down with the recipe books.
It didn’t take Maia long to decide. “Chocolate fudge cupcakes for me!”
Lottie turned a few more pages. “I think I’ll do lemon cupcakes.”
“I’m not sure,” said Sita.
Maia and Lottie started measuring out the ingredients they needed for the first batch of cupcakes while Sita kept looking.
“Watch out! Here comes the flour!” cried Maia, tipping the flour from the scales into the mixing bowl with a flourish. A cloud of flour flew up into the air.
“Maia!” exclaimed Lottie, pointing to the recipe book. “It says you’re supposed to sieve the flour into the mixing bowl, not just tip it in.”
“Too late!” Maia grinned, wiping flour from her nose.
“But we should do what the recipe says,” protested Lottie.
“I don’t mind sieving it,” said Sita reaching for the mixing bowl and carefully tipping the flour back into the packet. She was always the peacekeeper. “You two get on with something else.”
“OK. I’ll prepare the cupcake cases on the baking trays,” Maia said.
“So, have you decided what you want to bake, Sita?” Lottie asked as she started chopping butter into cubes.
> “Not yet,” Sita admitted. “I don’t know whether I should do chocolate chip or carrot cupcakes.”
“Chocolate chip,” Maia decided for her.
“But…” began Sita.
“Nope, it’s decided,” said Maia firmly. She knew if she didn’t choose for her, Sita would probably still be trying to make up her mind on the day of the cake sale!
They settled down happily to bake and soon three trays of cupcakes were ready to be cooked. While the cakes were in the oven they started clearing up, but when Sita flicked a dishcloth full of soap suds at Maia it quickly turned into a water and soap fight.
Then they had to clear up the water and soap suds before Maia’s mum came in. At last everywhere was looking clean and tidy and the cakes were cooling on wire racks.
After Lottie was picked up by her mum, Sita and Maia began designing some posters to advertise their cake stall. When the cakes had cooled they iced the tops and decorated them with sprinkles.
“Mmm. Those cakes smell good,” said Maia’s mum, coming into the kitchen with Alfie on her hip.
“Want one!” Alfie exclaimed, wriggling and reaching out for the gooey cupcakes.
“Is he allowed one?” Sita asked Maia’s mum.
“Well, I was about to make lunch but a little taste won’t hurt,” said Mrs Greene.
Maia and Sita cut up one of each type of cupcake for them to try.
“More!” said Alfie, banging the tray of his highchair.
“I feel the same way,” said Mrs Greene. “But we’d better wait until after lunch. You’ve done a great job, girls. I bet you’ll sell lots of these at the Harvest Show. Now, would you like to stay for lunch, Sita?”
“No, thank you. My mum is expecting me home,” said Sita.
Maia and Sita packed two tins with cakes. Sita took one tin for her family and promised to drop off the other at Lottie’s house. “I hope you see that fox again this afternoon,” Sita said to Maia as she left. While they’d been making the posters, Maia had told her about her encounter with the fox and her plans to go back to the clearing that afternoon.
“I hope so, too,” said Maia.
“Phone me if you do,” said Sita.
“I will,” Maia promised with a smile.
After lunch, Mrs Greene drove to Granny Anne’s to collect some more boxes. “I’m going to the clearing, Mum,” Maia said as she got out of the car.
“OK. Don’t be more than fifteen minutes though – I’m just planning on grabbing some things and going. You’ve got your phone, haven’t you?” her mum said.
Maia nodded and then hurried across the lane and on to the overgrown path that led into the woods. Oh, please be here! she thought as she jumped over brambles and pushed aside the cow parsley. As she reached the clearing, a squirrel scampered down a tree trunk and a flock of sparrows chattered in the branches. She looked all around but there was no sign of the strange fox with the blue eyes. Disappointment washed over her. For some reason, she had felt sure he was going to be there. She sat down on a tree stump. Maybe if she waited for a while he’d come back…
She blinked. The fox was there – at the edge of the clearing. It was as though he had appeared out of thin air.
Maia started to reach for the plastic bag with the ham but he was already bounding over. He stopped and stared up at her. As Maia gazed into his dark blue eyes, she heard a voice say, “You came back.”
Maia felt a rush of shock. The fox had just spoken to her, she was sure of it. But he couldn’t have! Animals couldn’t talk. She must be going mad…
The fox continued to stare intently at her. “You can hear me, can’t you? Please say you can.”
Maia swallowed. The fox’s mouth wasn’t moving but she could hear him in her head. It seemed impossible but she knew she could.
“You can … you can talk?” she whispered.
The fox gave an excited yip. “You can hear me!” he said. “As soon as I saw you yesterday, I was sure there was something special about you. I felt it with every hair of my body. You must believe in magic.”
“I-I do,” Maia stammered.
The fox put his paws on her knees and licked her nose. “I’m Bracken. What’s your name?”
“Maia,” she just about managed to say. It was like she was in some sort of strange dream.
Bracken bounded away and then crouched down in a play bow, his bushy tail waving in the air. “Hunter said we’d know! I can feel you’re the right person for me. Will you be my Star Friend, Maia?”
Maia didn’t have a clue what he was talking about but this was amazing – awesome! Magic was real, just like Granny Anne had always said. “Yes! I’ll be your Star Friend,” she said. “But … what is a Star Friend?”
Bracken trotted over. “There’s so much I’ve got to tell you. I come from a place called the Star World. Magic flows between our worlds and I’ve come here to find a Star Friend, someone I can teach how to use magic. Star Animals help their Star Friends to do good deeds and they stay friends together forever.”
Maia’s thoughts spun. “So if I’m your Star Friend, you’ll be with me forever and I’ll learn how to do magic?”
Bracken nodded, his eyes shining. “If you want to.”
“Oh yes!” What would Sita and Lottie say when she told them? A thought struck her. “Bracken!” she exclaimed. “My best friends believe in magic. Could they be Star Friends, too?”
“Maybe,” Bracken said, looking excited. “The other Star Animals haven’t found Star Friends yet. But to be a Star Friend, you have to really believe in magic. Don’t tell anyone about it until we know whether they can be Star Friends, too. The Star World has to stay completely secret. We think there might be other people – bad people – who are using magic to do evil. The less they know about us, the better.”
Maia’s mind raced. “OK. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
“Thank you!” Bracken bounded round her in a circle. “I’m so happy I found you, Maia. We’re going to have so much fun together!”
He took a flying leap into her arms and licked her nose.
Her heart swelled happily. This was incredible! “I’ll ask if Sita and Lottie can come round first thing in the morning. If they can, I’ll bring them here.”
Bracken nuzzled her. “I’ll make sure the other Star Animals are here then, too.”
“I’d better go now,” said Maia. The last thing she wanted to do was leave him, but she didn’t want her mum coming to look for her. “Bye, Bracken, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Maia kissed him one last time on the nose, and then put him down and ran back to the cottage, her thoughts tumbling over and over in her head. She couldn’t believe what had just happened to her. It was magic – real magic! This had to be the best day of her life!
“Mum! Mum!” Maia gasped, bursting into Granny Anne’s cottage. Her mum was kneeling in the hall, putting some old diaries into a box. Maia skidded to a halt. “Please can Sita and Lottie come round tomorrow? I have to see them!”
Her mum smiled. “You can’t be missing them that much. You only saw them this morning.”
“I know, but this is important. I’ve … um … I’ve had an idea for a really good game in the clearing and I want to play it with them. We could cycle down here. You don’t need to give us a lift.”
“OK. That’s fine by me, as long as their mums are happy, too.” Mrs Greene dusted her hands down. “Auntie Mabel’s here. She popped in to see if I needed a hand so we decided to do a bit more sorting out.”
“Hello, Maia,” said Auntie Mabel, appearing in the dining-room doorway. She looked at Mrs Greene. “The china in the dining room is all packed up. I’ll just check the sideboard drawers to make sure they’re empty. Do you want to help me, Maia?”
“OK,” Maia said, following her back into the dining room. She felt like she was going to explode. If only she could tell someone what had just happened to her!
“I was thinking about you this morning, wondering if you’d see that unusual fox
again – the one you were telling me about,” said Auntie Mabel, opening the top sideboard drawer and checking inside.
“I saw him just now,” Maia burst out. She paced around the room, too excited to do something as boring as checking drawers.
“Really? And were his eyes blue?” Auntie Mabel asked curiously.
Maia hesitated, remembering her promise to Bracken. Maybe she shouldn’t say anything more. “I didn’t get close enough to see,” she lied.
“Maybe they are … and maybe he’s a magic fox.” Auntie Mabel winked at her over her shoulder.
Maia stared. What did that wink mean? Could Auntie Mabel possibly know about Star Animals?
Just then Maia’s mum came in with two cups of tea and a glass of juice on a tray. “Time for a break, I think. Thanks for helping, Mabel.”
“It’s my pleasure, dear,” said Auntie Mabel, checking the final drawer in the sideboard. “All these drawers are empty now. Oh, wait a minute. What’s this?” She pulled something out from the very back of the drawer. It was a slim, round silver make-up compact with a pink enameled lid.
“That’s pretty,” said Mrs Greene, taking it and opening it up. There was a mirror on one side and a pressed circle of make-up powder on the other.
“It is, isn’t it?” said Auntie Mabel, taking a sip of her tea.
“Would you like it?” Mrs Greene offered the compact to her. “It’s not been used.”
“Oh no, I’ve no use for make-up on my old face,” Auntie Mabel said with a chuckle. “Why doesn’t Maia have it?”
“OK.” Maia put down her glass and took the compact. She had no use for the face powder either, but the case was pretty and she liked the fact that it had belonged to Granny Anne. She slipped it into her pocket. “Can I ring Sita and Lottie now and see if they’re free to come tomorrow?”
“Sure,” her mum said.
Maia went out to the front of the cottage where the phone signal was better. Lottie was at swimming so she left a message. Sita answered though.
“So we’re to bring our bikes?” Sita said, when Maia explained what she wanted.
“Yes. We’re going to cycle to the woods near Granny Anne’s,” said Maia.
Star Friends – Mirror Magic Page 2
