‘It’s a secret,’ Miss Jones whispered. ‘You know how much Mrs Smith and the other harpies hate the mistmakers. I was the only one fascinated by the little creatures. Your parents supported me and kept it a secret. The importance of the mistmakers has always been something your parents and Mrs Smith argued over. It’s one of the things that led her to seize power – that and the fact that she hates humans. Mrs Smith doesn’t believe the mistmakers are keeping our island alive. To Mrs Smith, the harpies are all that this island needs.’
‘But Odge said she searched the palace files and the address for the mistmaker master was Vienna Central Station,’ Ben said.
‘Well, yes – that was me. When the harpy takeover happened, Mrs Smith and all of us stormed your palace home and ransacked the place. Your parents have information about me in the palace vaults – filed under M for mistmaker master. I was terrified Mrs Smith would find out; she’d see it as such a betrayal and against what we harpies should be standing for. So I switched the information in the file, changed the address to Vienna Central Station so the kind ghost pigeons there could deliver the letters to me. I planned to escape through the Vienna gump and head for the mountains – I wanted no part of this. Odge was very brave to go to the palace vaults for you.’
‘She was,’ Ben said with a sentimental nod. ‘She’s always doing daring things like that for me.’
‘But you didn’t meet Odge,’ Netty said to Miss Jones. ‘She met a human girl instead, with a weird backpack.’
‘Unfortunately,’ Miss Jones said, ‘I also received the letter from Ben’s parents that day, asking to meet me at the exact same time. I couldn’t turn down the royals. I sneakily travelled back to the Island – all the harpies were too busy rounding up magical creatures to notice me. I went through the platform thirteen gump and to the school to meet your parents. Afterwards, I rushed back to the Island, through the Vienna hotel gump, and to the station – but Odge was gone. And so I decided to return to the Island and find you, Ben, as your parents wished. I saw Odge in the gump waiting room, but it was too dangerous to talk there.’
‘Well, you can talk now,’ Ben said eagerly. ‘If we can’t stop Mrs Smith, what can we do to help the mistmakers?’
‘The mistmakers have always provided the mist that hides the Island. And, more than that, it protects it. You’ve probably noticed the strange weather? Mistmakers control so much of our island without us even knowing it. But with the harpies in charge they have given up hope – they no longer want to hide and protect the Island, because they don’t believe it’s worth protecting any more. If the gump closes in a few hours, and they are trapped on this island with no hope for nine more years, they will almost certainly die –’ Miss Jones bowed her head sadly – ‘and so will this island.’
Ben looked out of the window and down the mountains to what remained of his old palace home.
‘If only Odge was here,’ he said, just as they heard Mrs Smith scream outside.
‘THEY’RE HERE! ODGE AND THE HIDEOUS LITTLE HUMAN ARE HERE!’
‘FINALLY!’ Netty roared, leaping up and down and banging her fists on the wall.
‘What’s going on in there?’ came Miss Green’s voice from beyond the door. She had been tasked with guarding the prisoners, which was interrupting her getting ready for the gump-closing party.
‘Quick,’ Miss Jones said. ‘Hide me!’
Netty instinctively sat on her.
The door creaked open, and in strutted Miss Green. She was in a small, fluffy robe and had hair rollers in her hair, in preparation for the evening’s festivities.
‘What’s going on in here?’ she snapped.
‘I think you mean, what’s going on out there,’ Netty said, pointing to the window.
Miss Green flew over and stuck her head through the bars. She recoiled in shock, knocking a hair roller off.
‘You dropped your—’ Ben began, but Netty slapped a hand on his mouth to stop him.
‘Odge and the human are back!’ Miss Green seethed as she tore out of the room to the sounds of fighting below. The door locked behind her.
‘We need to get down there!’ Ben cried. ‘I think it’s Lina and Odge!’ He tried to squeeze his head through and look down, but it was no good. The thick walls of the tower meant only a harpy’s neck was long enough to stick right out to see what was below.
Netty pulled Miss Jones out from under her – she looked furious – and picked up the hair roller and kissed it.
‘Netty …’ Ben said warily. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Getting us out of here,’ she said, reaching a finger inside and pulling on a little string, like a Christmas cracker. The roller began wobbling, and she set it down quickly at the foot of the door.
And then everything went black.
There was a click, and the lights came back on. Ben only had a split second to take in their surroundings: the prison, the tower, the whole troll mansion had vanished!
The three of them fell fast, somersaulting through the clouds, which helped to slow them, but not enough. Miss Jones desperately clung on to them and flapped her wings. Though she wasn’t strong enough to hold them up for long, it was just enough to break their fall. Ben rolled down the hill and came to a stop next to Netty.
‘I booby-trapped the harpies’ hair rollers with Lost Laces,’ Netty squealed with delight, seemingly unfazed by the near-death experience. ‘So that when they pulled them out of their hair, they’d pull on the laces inside and activate them – making them disappear.’
‘And with Lost Laces, they are invisible to you, and you are invisible to them,’ Miss Jones said. ‘Still, I don’t see how that would’ve helped. Not the best plan, Netty.’
‘Then I was going to try to catch them somehow … even though they were invisible,’ Netty said. ‘It was more of a half-plan, really.’
‘And,’ Ben said, ‘by leaving the Lost Laces on the floor, rather than holding them, you made the building disappear!’
‘Again,’ Miss Jones said. ‘Not the best plan, Netty.’
Mrs Smith turned to the blank space where her stolen house had just been. ‘WHERE, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME, IS MY MANSION?’
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE DROP
Back on the good side, Lina stared into the deep crack in the rock as Odge dropped to her knees and screamed, ‘AUNT MAUREEN!’
But Aunt Maureen didn’t shout back.
The King and Queen ran over to comfort her.
‘Why must you do this?’ the Queen shouted across to Mrs Smith, but the harpy was distracted by the invisible mansion.
‘Wait a second!’ a swamp fairy shouted. ‘I’m BALD!’
Squeaks and screams spread through the cluster of swamp and flower fairies, as each realized Aunt Maureen had blanket-balded them on the way down.
‘IT TOOK ME OVER A YEAR TO GROW THAT MOUSTACHE!’ one of the flower fairies roared.
United in their plight, and as if they’d never had any differences to begin with, the fairies began to fly off back home to fix their hair. That’s the thing about fairies – they are very fond of their hair, especially the facial hair.
‘MY BEARD IS NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME AGAIN, YOU RATBAG!’ another fairy roared, waving her fist at Mrs Smith.
At first, Mrs Smith looked miffed – after all, the swamp fairies were her new army. But then, like this was just another exciting challenge, she whistled, and a troop of harpies emerged from the mansions behind her. Her back-up army. A flock descended on Netty and Ben, completely surrounding them. Miss Jones joined them, hoping to go unnoticed.
‘Where are Miss Witherspoon and Miss Brown?’ Mrs Smith snapped, but all the other harpies just shrugged. Miss Green hovered near the front next to Mrs Smith. As one of the most important harpies, it was only proper – even if she was in a robe and hair rollers and facing backwards.
‘Well,’ Mrs Smith said, directing her attention towards Odge. ‘What are you going to do now?’
Odge
furiously wiped away tears and stood up. ‘I’m going to keep going until we stop you!’
‘Please,’ Lina begged, but Mrs Smith raised a hand to shush her.
‘Sorry, human. You’re too small and unimportant – I can’t hear you.’
Lina growled then remembered something. She marched over to her backpack and reached inside, avoiding the harpy talons.
‘Sorry,’ she whispered to Miss Witherspoon and Miss Brown. ‘I just need … to … get … this.’ She wrenched the little microphone out of the bag.
‘CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?’ she shouted.
Mrs Smith groaned and rolled her eyes. ‘No, you’re holding it upside down.’
‘Oh,’ Lina said, flipping it round and taking a deep breath. ‘THIS WAS A PLACE FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDED IT!’ her voice boomed. ‘WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE WHO GETS TO LIVE HERE AND WHO DOESN’T?’
Mrs Smith flew fast towards Lina and snatched something from the ground.
It took Lina a moment to realize what it was, but when she did, she turned cold.
‘Ray!’ she cried, racing towards the horrible harpy.
Mrs Smith hovered, dangling Ray above the huge crack in the rocks, swaying menacingly and cackling. ‘I’m a harpy, you fool. Harpies once ruled this land, and now we do again! Back to the good old days! It hasn’t always been filled with all these horrible humans and inferior creatures.’
Lina was furious. ‘Who built the mountain mansions you now live in? It wasn’t harpies. Who created the potions and cauldrons full of magic? It wasn’t harpies. Who made this island and the magical little mistmakers who live on it? It wasn’t harpies! This isn’t a pair of shoes, or a handbag, or a house – it’s an island, and it’s no one’s, not really. It is bigger and older than any of us. Magical creatures came to this island because it was somewhere to be safe, somewhere to belong. I can’t think of a more magical island than that.’
Odge gave Lina a proud nod.
Ben and Netty cheered and clapped from the other side.
‘Oh, all right,’ Mrs Smith said, moving closer. ‘Your speech changed me – you can have your little mistmaker back.’
For a magical moment, Lina believed her speech had got through to Mrs Smith! She reached forward and grabbed hold of Ray’s soft fur. He was shaking with fear.
‘You’re going to be all right,’ Lina said. ‘I promise.’
In one cruel move, Mrs Smith snatched him away, leaving Lina teetering on the edge of the drop.
‘How’s your balance?’ the harpy hissed.
Lina stumbled, tipping forward. She frantically moved her arms like propellers, trying to will her body back, but it was no good – she tipped forward and fell into the crack.
‘NO!’ Odge screamed, racing to catch her, but it was too late.
Mrs Smith flashed Odge a wicked grin.
‘Oh all right, human – you can have him,’ she called down, throwing Ray into the abyss after Lina.
Odge and the King and Queen stood frozen in shocked silence. Netty and Ben came running down the rocky path from the troll mansions, but stopped dead in their tracks when they realized what had just happened.
‘Have we all had enough now?’ Mrs Smith said with a smirk. ‘Or should I continue to pick you all off like old boils?’
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE AUNTS
The fall seemed to go on forever, but it did end – and, when it did, it wasn’t what Lina expected at all.
She landed with a thud on an ogre-sized wooden table wedged between the rocks. It was dark down there, with only the odd dull streaks of exhausted light able to reach through. The table groaned under her weight.
‘Isn’t it funny,’ came a familiar voice from the darkness. ‘To be stuck in this drop atop a pile of giant furniture? This is not how I thought my day would go when I woke up this morning!’
‘Aunt Maureen!’ Lina cried, leaning over to see the hag settled on a large footstool below her, and in her arms Lina was thrilled to see Ray.
‘They’ve obviously been renovating the troll mansions,’ Aunt Maureen said. ‘I did hear they were getting the hags to throw everything out – they must’ve thrown it all down here.’
Lina looked up to the thin strip of light above. The problem was now how to get back up, or else they would be stuck here, stranded forever.
‘How’s it going up there?’ Aunt Maureen asked hopefully. ‘Good?’
A cluster of ghosts materialized in front of Lina.
‘Oh dear, look at her,’ one said, pulling a frown.
‘So sad and helpless!’ another said.
‘This is quite the pickle,’ said the third.
‘You look stuck,’ the fourth one said.
‘Who … who are you?’ Lina whispered.
‘We’re the aunts,’ they said in unison. ‘And if you’re stuck then we’re here to help.’
‘Oh good,’ Lina said, collapsing on the table. ‘You could lift me up and Aunt Maureen down there too.’
‘No can do,’ said the first one. ‘You’re too heavy.’
‘We’re old aunts,’ the fourth one said.
‘But, please, I need your help,’ Lina begged. ‘I’m stuck like the furniture.’
They all smiled. ‘Just look around. It’s not just troll furniture that’s been left down here.’ And with that they were gone!
Lina shakily got to her feet, and the table groaned again.
‘Careful,’ Aunt Maureen said. ‘We don’t want you falling further.’
‘We need to get back up. There must be a way.’
‘Sometimes, there isn’t a way,’ Aunt Maureen said. ‘That’s just the way of it.’
Lina spotted something. It was small and had she not been desperately hoping for something like it she may never have noticed it. But there it was, shimmering slightly in the light – a small, perfectly round stone. She waved her hand close to it.
‘What are you doing up there?’ Aunt Maureen asked, shifting on the stool to get a better look.
Lina grinned and pushed the stone, cracking the surface of it. She watched in amazement as a glistening liquid dribbled out of it and down into the depths below.
‘Cor’s enchantments,’ Lina whispered with a smile. ‘I hope this one is more useful than the mood cloud Odge found.’
‘What was that?’ Aunt Maureen said, squinting to see. ‘Sounded like a boil being popped.’
There was a rumble. The furniture began to shake.
‘COR BLIMEY!’ Lina cried as out of the depths burst the most magnificent bagworm, its body bigger than a train carriage, and its skin more gilded than a palace ballroom. It slithered up and around them, scooping them up.
‘Fairies nostril hair, will you look at that!’ Aunt Maureen cried, grabbing hold of Ray.
‘Odge and Ben told me that a wizard called Cor had left his magic scattered across the Island,’ Lina said. ‘And am I glad he did!’
Aunt Maureen nodded approvingly. ‘Well, well – a bagworm from Cor. What are we waiting for? Let’s go and get them.’
Bagworms are incredibly rare, and very few magical creatures on Mist have ever seen one. So it made for an excellent entrance.
The bagworm shot out of the deep hole between the rocks, startling Mrs Smith. She tumbled backwards, close enough for Aunt Maureen to bald her instantly. The other harpies fell to the ground with a thud too, their featherless bodies rolling around.
Lina steered the bagworm, and let it flop down, creating a bridge for the others to cross. They flooded over to the other side – Odge, the King, the Queen, even Gurkie, who had heard the commotion and shown up with her motionless beetroots, in case they might be of use. They joined Ben and Netty and quickly gathered the harpies.
Mrs Smith clawed her way across the ground, grabbing fistfuls of dirt and throwing them at anyone who came close. Lina and Odge followed slowly behind her.
‘YOU CAN’T DEFEAT ME!’ she roared. ‘I’M UNSTOPPABLE! IT’S IMPOSSIBLE!’
Odge kneeled dow
n next to Mrs Smith. ‘Nothing’s impossible, I’m afraid.’
Mrs Smith tried to grab her with a talon, but Odge was too quick.
‘I knew you were planning something with that human-looking girl!’ Mrs Smith growled. ‘What is she really? A witch? A demon? A WHAT?’
‘She’s just a human,’ Odge said with a smile.
Lina nodded proudly. ‘With a very handy backpack.’
‘Take them away,’ the Queen commanded as Gurkie gently tied up Mrs Smith, placing a beetroot on her head for good vibes.
The King rushed over to Ben, scooping him into his arms.
Netty punched the air in victory. ‘MIST IS BACK!’ Her eyelashes flashed orange, and streaks of lightning split the sky.
Odge hugged Lina tightly then flopped on to the ground, completely exhausted.
And for the first time in nine long days, Mist was peaceful.
‘THE TIME!’ Odge roared. ‘I completely forgot! We need to get Lina to the gump!’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE TIME!
Netty bit her boily lip. ‘I don’t think we can make it … The Vienna gump is way down by Central Mist.’
Lina stared down the mountain. The moon was rising in the sky, and mist from the happy mistmakers curled up and around the trees as if reclaiming the Island once more. She looked past Thwompburg and the flower fields and traced her finger down the half-moon-shaped cove to the town square. Under it lay the tunnels – the tunnel to her gump.
There was a cough.
Lina spun round to see Miss Jones the harpy standing there.
‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to volunteer myself to help, and so would my reformed friend Miss Green.’
Miss Green walked backwards towards them and nodded.
‘If your aunt could unbald us, Odge, we could fly the girl to the gump. We’re the strongest – and the fastest. I don’t mean to brag. That’s just a fact.’
Odge and the others exchanged sceptical glances.
‘She has always been on our side,’ Ben interjected. ‘Miss Jones can be trusted.’
Beyond Platform 13 Page 12