‘What do you see, Cat-of-the-Fairies?’ sneered the queen.

Cat flashed a quick look at Shane. She hoped he was ready.

‘I’ll tell you what I see,’ she said, buying for time while Shane slipped his phone from his pocket. ‘I see the dawn right … NOW!’

All through the clearing, the crowing of a rooster rang out.

The fairies pressed their hands to their ears in distress and began to screech and wail.

‘Stop! Stop it, you fools!’ cried the queen, ‘It’s a trick, an illusion.’ But it was no use. The Sídhe Court had descended into chaos and there was no stopping it.

They weren’t playing Pirate Astronauts from Jupiter and it wasn’t the Fifth Martian Interplanetary Fleet she was facing, but Cat summoned her inner captain anyway and with all the authority she could muster, she faced the queen and roared, ‘I am Caitriona Donnelly and I have powers you can’t imagine. Go away and leave us alone forever!’

As one, the fairy horses reared back and the entire host turned and fled back through the trees in search of the Green Rath. The queen cast a panicked look around, but found she stood alone. She snarled at Cat.

‘We do not forgive, Cat-of-the-Fairies, and we certainly do not forget. We will return again one day, and we will make you pay for this.’

With a flick of the reins, she urged the white stallion to a gallop and they tore off after the rest of the Sídhe.

Cat waited until the last of the fairies disappeared into the trees before she finally sagged into the damp mud. They had gotten away with it.

‘It’s over,’ said Shane with a shaky laugh. ‘We’re safe!’

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a cold wind picked up and a shrill cry pierced the air.

‘You had to go and jinx us, didn’t you?’ Cat groaned.

‘What do we do?’ Shane said, his eyes wide with terror as they heard the unmistakeable sound of hooves picking up speed. Cat didn’t know what to say. She really thought the plan had worked. She didn’t know what else they could do. She stared dumbly at the tangle of bushes for half a heartbeat before they crashed apart. She expected to see the fairy host returning to finish them off, but the reality was worse – it was the Dullahan whipping on his ink-black steed. Upon seeing them, the horse reared backwards and let out a triumphant roar.

‘I told you we would meet again,’ said the Dullahan, holding his pale, rotted head up high. ‘But this time you are without your chain of gold so now your soul will be mine.’

‘You’re too late!’ said Shane still holding his phone high. ‘Do you hear that? It’s morning time so off you trot.’

The Dullahan swiped the phone out of Shane’s hand and his horse crushed it beneath its hoof. Shane stared down at it in dismay.

‘I will not be fooled by smoke and mirrors. I am the Dullahan, Lord of Death, and I demand what is rightfully mine.’