Shadow Magic Page 6

  Finally she shrugged. “Never mind,” she muttered under her breath. “I’ll text Chrissy once I’m on my way.” She headed for the desk again, with Maddy following anxiously. What now?

  “Her shoelaces!” hissed Nibs.

  Of course! As Chloe paused to put her phone in her bag, Maddy quickly ducked down and knotted her laces together.

  “Dad, can I go for a—Oh!” Chloe cried out as she tripped over her own feet. She went sprawling to the floor.

  “Are you OK?” called Uncle Greg.

  Chloe had gone very pale, gawping at her tied-together shoes. “I – I don’t understand,” she whispered.

  She shook her head hard. “I’m going mad!” Hurriedly she tied her laces correctly and then jumped up, grabbing her bag.

  “I’m fine, Dad!” she said. She went to the study doorway, looking flustered. “Um – can I go for a walk?”

  Uncle Greg nodded, his attention back on the game. “Yes, OK. Don’t be long.”

  “I won’t!” Holding her bag to her chest, Chloe hurried through the lounge.

  No! Invisibly, Maddy raced after her. Without thinking, she launched herself at her cousin like a rugby player, tackling her to the ground just as she reached the front hallway.

  “Argh!” screamed Chloe. Her bag went tumbling across the carpet.

  Jumping up, Maddy grabbed it and shook it upside-down. Chloe’s eyes bulged as her bag floated in the air, spilling clothes and books. “No, I’ve got to be dreaming this!” she gasped.

  “Chloe, was that you?” called Aunt Lily’s voice.

  Just as Maddy dropped the bag, her aunt came rushing in from the kitchen, with Mum just behind her. At the same moment Dad and Uncle Greg appeared in the other doorway.

  There was a stunned pause as the four adults stared down at the pile of clothes on the floor. Nibs had leaped clear as Maddy lunged, and now the tiny cat invisibly twitched a bus timetable into view.

  Scooping Nibs up in her hand, Maddy slipped halfway up the stairs and became visible again, as though she were just coming down from her room. No one noticed her; all eyes were on her cousin.

  Uncle Greg helped Chloe up. His face was more serious than Maddy had ever seen it. “Where were you going?”

  Chloe shrugged. “Nowhere,” she muttered.

  Aunt Lily spotted the bus timetable and gasped. “Chloe! You – you were running away, weren’t you?”

  Chloe’s face turned bright red. For a moment Maddy thought her cousin wouldn’t answer. “Yes!” she exploded suddenly. “Yes, because I hate moving all the time! I never get to make any friends, never, and then I finally had one and we had to move!” Kicking her bag, she burst into tears.

  Aunt Lily put her arms around her, looking shaken. “Oh, Chloe … I knew you were unhappy, but I had no idea it was this bad. You should have told us!”

  “I tried!” sobbed Chloe. “But you and Dad just kept saying I’d get used to it. So I was going to go home, and Chrissy was going to hide me – we had it all planned out!”

  Uncle Greg looked torn between anger and sympathy. “Chloe, you daft girl,” he said, stroking her hair. “Don’t you realize how dangerous that would have been?”

  Chloe lifted her head from Aunt Lily’s shoulder. “I don’t care,” she sniffed. “Dad, you don’t know what it’s like – it’s so hard for me to make friends—”

  “No, it’s not! What about Gemma?” Maddy burst out.

  Every head in the room turned to look at her. “Gemma?” echoed Chloe, her eyes wide. “How do you know about Gemma?”

  Maddy winced, realizing her mistake. “Um … I don’t know. Didn’t you mention her the other day?”

  Chloe shook her head, looking baffled. “Why would I? I hardly even know her.”

  Just then there was a knock at the back door. “Who could that be?” muttered Dad, disappearing towards the kitchen. Maddy held her breath in hope.

  Aunt Lily sighed as she wiped her daughter’s tears away. “Sweetie, I know it can be hard to make friends sometimes, but no matter how unhappy you are, you always have to come to us.”

  Uncle Greg nodded. “This is very serious, Chloe,” he told her. “Running away is—”

  He broke off as Dad reappeared, followed by a girl with a chestnut-brown ponytail. “Well … speak of the devil,” he said with a confused glance at Maddy. “This is Gemma. She says Chloe invited her over.”

  “Hi, Chloe,” said Gemma. Her brown eyes were bright and friendly.

  “Thanks for your text. Mum said I could come over until dinner time.”

  There was a startled pause. Chloe’s jaw dropped. Before she could say anything, Maddy caught her eye, nodding her head wildly.

  Chloe slowly closed her mouth again. “Um – yeah,” she said. “That’s great. If … if that’s OK?” She looked at her parents.

  Aunt Lily and Uncle Greg exchanged a glance. Finally Uncle Greg nodded. “All right. But, Chloe, we’re going to have to have a very serious talk later.”

  “I know,” said Chloe, her cheeks reddening. Squatting down, she quickly scooped her things back into her bag, and then stood up, facing Gemma. “Um, would you like to … watch a DVD on the computer or something?”

  Gemma nodded. “Or else we could just talk,” she added cheerfully as they headed towards the study. “You could tell me about your old school.”

  “Which one?” asked Chloe with a sudden giggle. All at once she darted back into the hallway again, and gave both her parents a fierce hug. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Really. I won’t do it again.”

  Aunt Lily blinked as the two girls disappeared into the study. “You know … I’m not actually sure what’s just happened here,” she said.

  “Join the club,” said Mum, rubbing her temples. She gazed at Maddy, started to say something, and then shook her head instead.

  Maddy shrugged, and tried to smile. “Just a lucky guess,” she said.

  When Maddy went upstairs after dinner that night, Nibs wasn’t in the Barbie house. After a quick search, Maddy spotted the open window and smiled despite herself. Settling down on her bed, she picked up her book and started to read.

  There was a knock on the door, and Chloe poked her head in. “Hi,” she said. “Can I come in?”

  Maddy looked up in surprise. “Sure.”

  Chloe sat down next to her, tracing a pattern on the duvet. “This is, um … a pretty colour,” she said finally.

  Maddy couldn’t resist asking, “Aren’t you too grown up for pink now?”

  Chloe cringed. “Oh, Maddy, I’m really sorry!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been acting like such a jerk. I was just so homesick! I thought I was going to burst into tears all the time, and the only way I could stop it was to act like I didn’t care about anything.”

  Relief rushed through Maddy like a sparkling brook. “You mean … you don’t think you’re too grown up to be friends with me now?” she asked shyly.

  Chloe shook her head so hard that her blonde hair flew about her face. “No way! Maddy, I didn’t want to share your room with you because I was afraid you’d find out what I was planning, that’s all. Plus … plus I was still crying myself to sleep every night.” She looked down.

  Oh, poor Chloe! Maddy squeezed her cousin’s arm tightly. “It must be really hard, moving around so much,” she said. “I’d hate it too.”

  Chloe cleared her throat. “But, Maddy, guess what? Dad says that he’s going to talk to them at work about making this job a permanent one. So who knows – maybe I’ll get to stay here for a while.”

  “Chloe! That’s brilliant!” Maddy bounced excitedly up onto her knees.

  Her cousin’s eyes were shining. “Yeah, it’s not bad, is it? Especially now that I’m friends with Gemma. She’s really great, Maddy – we talked for hours! She wants me to sit with her and her friends on Monday. She thinks we’ll all get on really well.”

  Maddy’s own smile felt like it was stretching right across her face. “So … you don’t want to run away any more?�
��

  Chloe gave an embarrassed grimace. “No … I guess it was a pretty stupid idea! I’ve promised Mum and Dad that I’ll never even think of it again.” She sighed. “I’ll still really miss Chrissy, but Mum says I can visit her over the holidays.”

  Maddy nodded sympathetically. She knew how much she’d miss Rachel if she ever had to leave her, even if she was lucky enough to make new friends.

  There was a pause, and then Chloe gave her a sideways glance. “Um, Maddy,” she said. “I know this is a stupid question, but a lot of really weird things have been happening lately, and … well, did you have anything to do with them?”

  Maddy widened her eyes, not daring to look at the pink doll’s house with Nibs’s bed in it. “Who, me?” she asked.

  Chloe’s sceptical look was tinged with confusion. “I guess I was just imagining things,” she said finally. She stood up to leave. “Hey, I almost forgot! Do you still have that welcome sign you made for me?”

  A huge grin burst across Maddy’s face. Hopping down from her bed, she pulled the brightly coloured sign out from underneath and presented it to her cousin with a flourish. “Here.”

  Chloe smiled as she gazed down at the flowers and rainbows. “Thanks, cuz,” she murmured.

  “It’s beautiful!” She glanced at Maddy.

  “Do you think … I mean, would you still like me to share your room with you while we’re here? ’Cause I’d really, really like to!”

  “Yes!” cried Maddy, bouncing on her toes.

  “Great!” said Chloe happily. “I’ll tell Aunt Jenny tomorrow. I can hardly wait!”

  Maddy felt like singing as Chloe headed back downstairs. She and Nibs had done it; they’d really done it. They had helped her cousin – and, even better, now she and Chloe were friends again!

  Then Maddy’s smile faded as she realized something. The problem had been solved … and that meant it was time for Nibs to leave.

  About half an hour later, Nibs appeared on the windowsill with a faint thump. “Isn’t it a lovely night?” she said. She strolled along the wooden pathway like a tiny panther. “I just went for one last prowl.”

  Maddy jumped out of bed. “I guessed you had,” she said, going over to the window.

  She put her hand out and Nibs stepped onto it, purring. Her glossy black fur felt cool from the night air as Maddy stroked it with a finger. She sat cuddling the little cat for some time, scratching her under the chin the way Nibs loved.

  Finally Nibs sighed. “It’s time, Maddy.”

  Maddy’s throat felt tight. “Oh, Nibs,” she said, cupping the little cat against her cheek. “I don’t want to say goodbye just yet!”

  Nibs’s forest-green eyes gleamed up at her. “Nor me. But soon it will be my turn again.” She gave a feline chuckle. “This was a first for me, you know – being trapped in a handkerchief before even saying hello! But you’ve done well, Maddy. Thank you.”

  Maddy couldn’t help it; she wiped a tear away. Why on earth had she wanted Nibs to be like Greykin at first? She already had a Greykin. But Nibs – the midnight-black huntress with the dry sense of humour, so aloof until you got to know her, and so lovely once you did – was one of a kind, and Maddy knew she was going to miss her terribly.

  “Goodbye for now, dear one,” said Nibs. Stretching up on Maddy’s palm, she touched her tiny nose to Maddy’s, soft as a butterfly’s kiss. “Don’t be sad.”

  “Goodbye, Nibs,” whispered Maddy. Giving the sleek black fur one last stroke, she took the little cat over to the desk and set her down gently.

  Nibs sauntered over to the other two cats, waving her slim tail. Settling down beside Greykin and the tabby, she arranged herself so that her paws and tail were entwined with theirs.

  “Bye,” mouthed Maddy, wiggling her fingers in a sad wave.

  Nibs’s fur shimmered as she slowly became ceramic once more. Just before she did, she winked at Maddy – and then she was gone, smooth and stiff once more.

  Maddy swallowed hard. It was wonderful having the cats, but it hurt so much when they had to leave! Still, even with the pain of parting, she knew she’d never choose not to have them. Maybe the cost of magic was a little sadness now and then.

  Maddy’s gaze fell on the last of the trio: the long-haired tabby with white chest and paws. She picked him up, looking into his bright golden eyes. Though only painted, they seemed to sparkle.

  “I’m really looking forward to meeting you,” Maddy told him. And next time, she decided, she wouldn’t expect this cat to be like either Greykin or Nibs – instead she’d wait and see what he was like, and get to know him for himself!

  “I hope it’s soon.” Maddy smiled as she touched the cat’s smooth white nose. “Because I can hardly wait!”

  THE END

  Don’t miss

  Pocket Cats: Paw Power

  When Maddy buys three tiny ceramic cats at an antique market, she knows they’re special. But it’s not until she gets them home that she realizes just how special they are—when one of them comes to life! Greykin explains that the Pocket Cats are there to help Maddy, and she and Greykin have a tricky problem to solve: there’s a new girl in school who’s being picked on by the class bully. Will a little bit of magic and a lot of courage be enough to stop the scariest girl in school?

  Don’t miss

  Pocket Cats: Feline Charm

  Ollie’s tingling whiskers tell him that Maddy’s best friend is about to give up on ballet, even though she loves it. So Maddy uses her new magic power to boost Rachel’s confidence. But when Rachel lands the star part in the ballet school’s big show, Maddy is desperately jealous.

  On opening night, when Rachel needs the cat magic more than ever, will Maddy be strong enough to put her best friend first?