until her paws bled.
‘I can’t do any spells in here,’ Lily murmured miserably, stroking the injured paw. ‘I can’t heal it.’
Georgie passed her a fine lace-edged handkerchief – which she hadn’t needed to, as Lily could have used a torn-off frill from the petticoat to bind up the bleeding pad. But she knew why Georgie had done it. Her sister hadn’t always got on with Henrietta. It was a gesture.
Henrietta dabbed Georgie’s hand with her nose gratefully. ‘You’re a good girl.’
Then she yelped and snapped, as Lily tried to wrap up her paw. ‘Let me do it! Ugh.’ She tugged at the handkerchief with her teeth. ‘That will do, for the moment.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t suppose either of you managed to be imprisoned with any food?’
The carriage stopped twice more to change horses, but the girls were not allowed out again. Georgie had dozed fitfully, slumped in the corner of the carriage, but Lily hadn’t felt like sleeping. The spell that had knocked her out had left her weary, but too scared to rest. She had never felt magic like it. It had been so strong.
‘What sort of magic was that?’ she asked Henrietta.
The pug sniffed. ‘I don’t know. It affected me too. I’m not a magician, of course, but I suppose you used a spell to bring me out of that painting. So a spell designed to work against other magic caught me as well. I had to have a little rest under your uncle’s desk.’
Lily laughed. Far from just needing a rest, the spell had made her feel as though she’d died, but was somehow still there to see what was happening afterwards. Then, as she struggled and tore at the suffocating magic, it had taken her over completely – until she’d woken up. Even now she felt as though her magic had gone away, somewhere just out of reach. She couldn’t tell if that was because of the original spell, or if it was just the dampening effect of whatever spells were on the carriage. Hopefully, once they got out, Lily would be able to get hold of her magic again. She missed it so much it hurt.
At least she had magic, though. She had some hope of fighting back. What had happened to Peter, when these same people had taken him? She bit her lip. There would have been no point in hurting him. So why would they? He would be at Fell Hall, safe. They just had to get him out again.
And themselves.
‘It’s very strange, this countryside,’ Lily muttered. She supposed she didn’t really know enough to say that sort of thing, her whole experience being one small island, and a train journey to London, but the Derbyshire hills felt completely unfamiliar. Peering at them from the small window of the coach, in the dawn light, Lily was almost sure they were the great velvet backs of some sleeping animals. Perhaps an enormous sleeping dragon, undulating across the landscape. The road wove between the crags, and here and there piles of rocks overhung them, teetering, just not quite enough to see.
‘Do you think that’s it?’ Henrietta asked curiously. Lily was holding her up against the window, and she had the better view – Lily suspected that for the next few days, anything she asked Henrietta for would be greeted with a downturned muzzle, and a helpless wave of bandaged paw. The next few days… She shivered. Who knew what would happen, when they reached Fell Hall?
She could see it now too. A pale house, surrounded by trees. It was very beautiful, from the swift glimpse she got as the road curled round another hill, but it didn’t look welcoming. The white stone marked the green landscape like a scar.
The carriage jolted as they moved from the stone road to a gravelled drive, shaded by enormous trees, and Georgie woke up with a start.
‘Are we there?’ she gasped.
Lily nodded. ‘Almost.’
Henrietta wriggled down from her lap, and nosed about the floor of the carriage, limping mournfully. ‘Aha. I thought so. There’s a foot-warmer – I’ll hide behind it when we stop, and then I can
‘I can’t do any spells in here,’ Lily murmured miserably, stroking the injured paw. ‘I can’t heal it.’
Georgie passed her a fine lace-edged handkerchief – which she hadn’t needed to, as Lily could have used a torn-off frill from the petticoat to bind up the bleeding pad. But she knew why Georgie had done it. Her sister hadn’t always got on with Henrietta. It was a gesture.
Henrietta dabbed Georgie’s hand with her nose gratefully. ‘You’re a good girl.’
Then she yelped and snapped, as Lily tried to wrap up her paw. ‘Let me do it! Ugh.’ She tugged at the handkerchief with her teeth. ‘That will do, for the moment.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t suppose either of you managed to be imprisoned with any food?’
The carriage stopped twice more to change horses, but the girls were not allowed out again. Georgie had dozed fitfully, slumped in the corner of the carriage, but Lily hadn’t felt like sleeping. The spell that had knocked her out had left her weary, but too scared to rest. She had never felt magic like it. It had been so strong.
‘What sort of magic was that?’ she asked Henrietta.
The pug sniffed. ‘I don’t know. It affected me too. I’m not a magician, of course, but I suppose you used a spell to bring me out of that painting. So a spell designed to work against other magic caught me as well. I had to have a little rest under your uncle’s desk.’
Lily laughed. Far from just needing a rest, the spell had made her feel as though she’d died, but was somehow still there to see what was happening afterwards. Then, as she struggled and tore at the suffocating magic, it had taken her over completely – until she’d woken up. Even now she felt as though her magic had gone away, somewhere just out of reach. She couldn’t tell if that was because of the original spell, or if it was just the dampening effect of whatever spells were on the carriage. Hopefully, once they got out, Lily would be able to get hold of her magic again. She missed it so much it hurt.
At least she had magic, though. She had some hope of fighting back. What had happened to Peter, when these same people had taken him? She bit her lip. There would have been no point in hurting him. So why would they? He would be at Fell Hall, safe. They just had to get him out again.
And themselves.
‘It’s very strange, this countryside,’ Lily muttered. She supposed she didn’t really know enough to say that sort of thing, her whole experience being one small island, and a train journey to London, but the Derbyshire hills felt completely unfamiliar. Peering at them from the small window of the coach, in the dawn light, Lily was almost sure they were the great velvet backs of some sleeping animals. Perhaps an enormous sleeping dragon, undulating across the landscape. The road wove between the crags, and here and there piles of rocks overhung them, teetering, just not quite enough to see.
‘Do you think that’s it?’ Henrietta asked curiously. Lily was holding her up against the window, and she had the better view – Lily suspected that for the next few days, anything she asked Henrietta for would be greeted with a downturned muzzle, and a helpless wave of bandaged paw. The next few days… She shivered. Who knew what would happen, when they reached Fell Hall?
She could see it now too. A pale house, surrounded by trees. It was very beautiful, from the swift glimpse she got as the road curled round another hill, but it didn’t look welcoming. The white stone marked the green landscape like a scar.
The carriage jolted as they moved from the stone road to a gravelled drive, shaded by enormous trees, and Georgie woke up with a start.
‘Are we there?’ she gasped.
Lily nodded. ‘Almost.’
Henrietta wriggled down from her lap, and nosed about the floor of the carriage, limping mournfully. ‘Aha. I thought so. There’s a foot-warmer – I’ll hide behind it when we stop, and then I can
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