They fled across the lawn towards the jaunty lights. When they got to the gate she gasped because all the iron horseshoes and protective plants had been torn down and flung by spiteful hands all over the path.

Tomos pushed ahead of her. ‘They are in my house, and it’s my fault!’

He raced down the path.

‘Silly boy.’ The Crow sighed. ‘After him, quickly!’

Tomos was already at the house. The door was wide open and light and music were streaming out. They saw him disappear inside.

‘Wait, Tomos!’ Seren yelled. She ran into the hall, up the stairs and burst through the wide doors of the ballroom.

She crashed into a dancer.

‘Excuse me!’ she gasped.

The dancer was tall and silver-haired.

‘That’s quite all right,’ he said gravely, but as they waltzed away he laughed, and his partner, in a gold mask and dress, gave a mocking giggle.

Seren took a breath.

She looked down the long length of the room.

It was bewildering. In one corner the local musicians were playing, a harp and a fiddle and a crwth, but the music was all strange, and the musicians seemed sweaty and tired and baffled, as if they couldn’t stop or even understand the sounds their instruments were making.

And the dancers!

Farmers and dairymaids, young girls from the village, local squires and their ladies, they whirled in a dream of strangeness, because among them and around them the Tylwyth Teg danced, too, tall and thin in their silver clothes, their hair glimmering, their eyes long, their mouths in wild laughter.

Could the mortals see Them?

Seren had no idea.

But surely they couldn’t, because there was Denzil all tied up to a chair, and They were all around him, mocking and laughing and poking at him. His face was like thunder. Then he saw Tomos.

‘No boy!’ he snarled, ‘Get out! GO!’

Tomos took no notice. He barged through the crowd with Seren after him. ‘Leave him alone! Let him go!’

The Fair Family drew back. Amused, They let them through.

Tomos took out his penknife and tried to slash through the silvery bonds around Denzil’s wrists and waist.

‘That’s no use,’ the small man hissed.

‘I’m going to get you free. I…’ Then Tomos stopped. And turned.

Seren turned too. All around the strange tall silvery people were pressing close. Their masks were fox faces and swan eyes, they wore the ears of hares and the muzzles of wolves. Some were small and ugly. Some were winged like butterflies.

‘It’s time, little Star,’ they whispered.

‘Time to come.’

‘Time to join us.’

‘As you promised.’

‘Yes, you promised.’

Tomos looked at Seren. ‘What do they mean? You couldn’t have promised to go with Them.’

‘Yes, she did.’

‘Yes, she did.’

‘In return for the Egg.’

‘She did.’

Behind her, the Crow groaned. ‘Oh, you silly girl!’

13. A circle of friends

13

A circle of friends