The fairy reached out a hand and for just a moment Cat considered taking it, but then she spotted Shane, forging his way through the crowd and came to her senses.

‘Um, no thank you,’ she said, pulling away from the fairy-woman, ignoring her pleas to stay with her just a little while longer. She stumbled after Shane, fending off more fairies who smiled and tried to engage her in conversation. By the time they reached the stage, the two of them looked dazed.

‘No sign of Jenny or Mikey anywhere,’ said Shane. Cat could hear the tension in his voice. He was worried now.

‘Come on,’ she said. ‘We haven’t checked out the far side of the room yet.’

They let the force of the crowd jostle them toward the edge of the banquet hall where groups of fairies swarmed around the tables of food, helping themselves to heaped platefuls. It really was quite a display. Warm breads were stacked high in piles that never seemed to diminish. Ripe autumn fruits were abundant as well as roast suckling pig, bowls of steaming stew, mounds of fluffy potatoes, and cheeses studded with walnuts and hazelnuts. Cat felt her stomach rumble. When had she last eaten? It must have been hours ago.

A dark-skinned fairy boy appeared before her, holding a plate with the most perfect slice of apple tart Cat had ever seen. He grasped a spoon and topped the tart with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream. She felt her mouth begin to water and, as though he read her mind, the fairy turned to her and held the plate out encouragingly.

‘Here, try some,’ he said. ‘You’ll never taste anything better.’

‘No, thank you,’ said Cat trying to tear her gaze away from the sweet treat. ‘I really shouldn’t …’

‘Go on,’ said the fairy, ‘Where’s the harm in a little bite?’

The spicy-sweet smell wafted toward her and suddenly, Cat wanted nothing more in the entire world than to taste it. Before she could think twice, she stretched out her hand and, just as her fingertips grazed against the plate, something crashed into her and sent her tumbling to the floor.

‘I’m so sorry!’ said her assailant, who turned out turned out to be a young girl, almost the same age as Cat herself. ‘I’m such a clumsy dancer,’ she said. ‘Here, let me help you up.’

Before Cat could say she was perfectly capable of getting up herself thank-you-very-much, the girl bent down and grasped her by the arm. She realised with a jolt of surprise that the girl was human.

‘Don’t eat their food!’ she hissed quietly and hauled Cat back to her feet. Then, without another word, the girl turned on her heels and stalked across the room.

‘Mortals,’ said the fairy man with an exaggerated eyeroll. ‘So graceless. I don’t know why the queen keeps that one around. Now, where were we?’

He was still holding the tart out and looking at her with expectant eyes. Cat shook herself. She couldn’t believe she had almost been so stupid. What had she told Shane? Never. Eat. The. Food. The number one rule in all fairy tales and she had almost broken it.