‘Come,’ said the Pooka. ‘We wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun.’

The magpie cawed and took to the air and the Pooka set off after him. They wheeled once around the bonfire then flew westward toward the edge of town.

The stars were beginning to emerge and there was a smell of smoke in the air. Somewhere close by, the Pooka knew the fairy musicians were tuning up their instruments and the first plates of food were being laid out in the Green Rath’s Great Hall. Yes indeed, tonight would be a night for the ages. The Pooka tore through the sky, feeling the wind in his feathers and the thrill of chaos in his heart.

Chapter Eleven

The Coachman

It was a cold, clear night and the stars stuck out against the ink-black sky like jewels. The moon was almost full, with just a sliver of darkness cutting away at the edge, and the earthy smell of turf smoke filled the air. Granny had warned Cat the veil between worlds was thinner on Halloween, but up until that moment she hadn’t fully grasped what that meant. Now that she was outside in the chill October air, Cat felt like whole night was charged with electricity. With magic.

The trick-or-treaters were out in full force, ringing doorbells and chasing each other down the street with shrieks of delight. Cat pulled the hood of her coat up high enough to cover her face and Shane quickly followed suit. They slipped out of the estate unnoticed, but when Shane made to turn left in the direction of the school, Cat grabbed him by the arm and shook her head. If they went that way, they would have to pass by both Ebele’s and the twins’ houses and she couldn’t risk bumping into any of them. By now they were probably wondering where she was. She had thought about calling them and giving some excuse as to why she couldn’t make it, but she didn’t want to lie, especially to her friends. It wasn’t as though she could tell them the truth either – knowing her friends, they’d insist on helping her and whatever else happened, Cat wouldn’t let another person get hurt tonight. For better or worse, she was in this alone.

Well … not exactly alone. Shane was with her. Of all the strange and unlikely things that had happened to her today, she almost thought having Shane by her side was the strangest of all. Much as she hated to admit it, she was glad of his company. Especially tonight when everything was upside down.

‘This way,’ she said, starting down a different path toward Main Street and the road out of town.

Main Street was just that – Clonbridge’s main street, where all the pubs, shops, and takeaway restaurants were located. There weren’t many houses in this part of town, so it was mostly free of children, but there was a long queue of people lining up at Luigi’s for their fish and chips and a group of surly-looking teenagers were hanging around outside Gaffney’s shop. Cat and Shane kept their heads down and passed by swiftly, keeping quiet to avoid attention.