“Perhaps you should rest, Luella,” said Prue. Then a tiny spark of light caught Prue’s eye in the grass. Then another, and another.

“Here they come. Give them a moment; we don’t want to scare them off,” Lavender called out.

“Nonsense. Let’s go!” said Liddy, leaping after them.

“Quick, Luella!” said Prue, tearing off after Liddy. Luella took flight beside her.

Lights were now flickering all over the lawn, like a star-spangled sky turned upside down. Prue darted around, with Luella laughing in her ear.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in many moons! Hurry! To the right, there’s one!”

They dashed about catching the lights, filling the jars and laughing until Prue’s legs felt like jelly and she slumped on the floor. Then Prue had an idea. “Luella?”

“Yes, dear?”

“I wonder if you would mind helping me with a little project.”

“Of course, although I’m not sure what use I can possibly be?”

“It’s nothing difficult. I’ll call for you before lessons tomorrow.”

Luella stretched out her wings. “I shouldn’t think I’ll have anything else to do, I’m hardly in demand.”

“Then I’ll see you then,” Prue said quickly as Edwin and Agapantha bounded over.

“Lavender, Liddy and the apprentices are heading back,” said Edwin.

“I’d best be getting back to the tower. I’ll see you all later,” Luella said, taking flight.

Agapantha stood beside Prue. “Lavender said there’ll be hot cocoa waiting for us at the house.”

“If there’s one thing I wish I could try, I think it’d be that,” said Edwin.

“It’s a hug in a mug,” said Prue. “I hope there are cookies too.” Her stomach growled at the thought and she made exaggerated groans of hunger.

“Come on,” Agapantha said, glancing towards the transport hut. “Everyone’s gone back now.”

But Prue’s eye was caught by a flash of light at the forest tree line. “Look! There’s one more!” She grabbed her net. “It’s mine.”

“Not if I catch it first!” said Edwin leaping after her.

“We really should go,” said Agapantha.

Without moonlight, the forest was a complete and dense black, apart from the spirit light which brightly illuminated the immediate area at the edge. It flitted through the ferns like a gleaming dragonfly, with Prue, Agapantha and Edwin leaping after it.

*