‘That’ll do it!’ Peg claps his hands. ‘Yes, Stella!’

I don’t really know whether it was me, or Teacake, or some kind of team effort, but the shadow is gone, and hopefully with it, any secrets it might have learned.

I turn and head back into the kitchen with Teacake tucked under one arm, and Peg perched on the other, and we drink warm milk huddled together on the old settee, staring into the still-glowing embers of the fire for a bit. It’s warm, and they keep close, and there is so much to think about, but I am restless, because I did it. I sent a shadow away, and if I can do that to one, I should be able to do it to many.

I should be able to do it in Winterspell.

School is weird the next day. From the moment I get in, the sense of everything is different. The magical kids look at me suspiciously, and without Yanny, it feels far less friendly.

‘You’re causing trouble,’ says Tash, as soon as I sit down. ‘I can’t believe you let a human up here. Haven’t you read the contract?’

‘I have, thank you. And if you have, you’ll know there are exceptions. Besides, you were the one who left the door open!’

She freezes, as everyone turns to watch us.

‘So, I don’t think anyone else has a problem with her coming in,’ I continue. ‘She’s our friend, so she stayed to help Yanny. She looked after him better than you have.’

‘What would you know about that?’

‘Well, where were you? When he was struggling with his glamour, I didn’t see you hanging about to help!’

‘I have my own glamouring to see to,’ she says. ‘I haven’t got enough for anybody else. You’re lucky you don’t need to do it. What are you, exactly?’

‘I’m a sprite,’ I say sharply, staring at her. She’s a moon sprite herself – I remember Yanny saying. Perhaps that accounts for her silver eyes and the night-dark hair that spirals around her face.

‘I thought you looked a bit crinkly about the hairline!’ says a small, round-limbed girl called Wren, coming over to sit next to me. She has tiny, beautiful horns at the top of her forehead. ‘Look – your ears are just the tiniest bit pointed, like mine.’ She pulls back her shining brown hair to reveal her own pointed ears, and grins. ‘Welcome, Stella – sprite girl.’

‘Thank you, Wren,’ I say, looking between her and Tash. ‘I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just wanted to come to school. I didn’t realize there would be fae here.’

‘And you live in that funny old house?’ Wren asks, while Tash glowers at us both. ‘Who with?’

‘My nan, and Peg, and Teacake.’

‘What’s a peg? Who’s Teacake?’

‘Teacake is a cat. And Peg’s an imp.’

‘An imp! Your family must be important for him to stick around. They don’t like staying in one place much.’