Jade and the Surprise Party (4 page)

The White Cat laid a soft paw on Jade’s shoulder. “No, she’s not been seen for ages. We’ll just pass quite near to her castle, that’s all.”

Jade nodded. Her friend didn’t look bothered, so there was no need for her to worry.

They set off again, at a gentler pace, and the White Cat pointed out the sights – the Enchanted Wood, Beauty and the Beast’s castle, and way over in the distance, the tips of the fir trees in the Land of Snow.

The colour of the sky was subtly changing from blue to a soft silvery green colour, when someone approached them from a little side road.

“Oh, it’s Bettina!” said Jade, as the lady drew closer.

“Bettina?” The White Cat looked baffled. “I thought I knew everyone in Enchantia, and yet here’s someone I’ve never met before!” He threw a questioning glance at Jade. “When did
you
meet her?”

But Bettina had come right up to them by then, and was shaking the White Cat’s paw.

“Hello, there!” she said in a friendly but business-like voice. “I’m a photographer and I’m building up a collection of animal images. I wonder if you’d mind posing for me.” She threw a quick smile at Jade, and Jade grinned back. She obviously wanted another shot
of the White Cat for the special collage. It was so clever of Bettina to invent a story about animal photos. “Perhaps the two of you would be good enough to stand over here by this tree,” Bettina said, lining up her camera.

“Well, I’m not sure…” the White Cat began to say. Jade was surprised that he sounded so wary. And he didn’t look himself, either. He seemed agitated, jumping from foot to foot and frowning deeply.

“It’s all right,” she said in a whisper. “I met Bettina earlier when I was with the Lilac Fairy.”

But the White Cat stayed put and Jade felt a little embarrassed that he wasn’t helping.

“Are you from round these parts?” he called out to Bettina.

She waved her hand towards Swan Lake. “Yes, my house is over there. I don’t get out much though. I’ve been rather… ill.”

“Oh dear,” said Jade loudly, when the White Cat didn’t reply. “I’m sorry to hear that, Bettina.” Jade turned to her friend and spoke in a hiss. “Whatever’s the matter, White Cat?”

“Something doesn’t add up,” he
whispered. “If you met her when you were with Lila, how has she managed to get all the way back here
before
us?”

Jade had to agree it was odd, but it didn’t really matter, did it?

“She only wants to take our picture then we can move on.”

The White Cat grunted and got into position by the tree trunk, but Jade couldn’t help noticing that he wasn’t smiling.

“Say cheese!” Bettina instructed in a sing-song voice. And a second later there was a flash.

Suddenly Jade couldn’t move. Oh no! The White Cat had been right to be suspicious. She and the White Cat had been turned into statues!

With a nasty cackle Bettina whirled around in a storm of black sparks. Then she transformed into an ugly old hag wearing a ragged grey dress.

Jade might not have been able to move, but she could still see and hear. Her heart
felt as though it was banging against her ribs as she realised who must be standing before her. It was none other than the Wicked Fairy herself.

“Ha! That’ll teach the lot of you!” the Wicked Fairy snapped in a scratchy voice. “It is very rude to organise big parties and leave certain people off the guest list.”

Jade felt sorry for the White Cat. The Wicked Fairy’s words must have made no sense to him. After all, as far as
he
knew, he was only going to a small tea party.

The fairy raised her wand. “I shall release you from my spell once midnight
passes and this
special birthday…”
she snarled at the White Cat, “… is no more!”
She waved the wand, closed her eyes and chanted:

“With a wham, a gazzam and a crash, take them to the tower!

With a wham, a gazzam and a flash, until the darkest hour!”

Then there was a sound like a mighty cymbal crashing, and a flash like lighting.

Jade found herself sitting beside her friend in a tall, dark tower room, with her back against a cold wall. Thank goodness they weren’t statues any more. But being imprisoned seemed almost as bad.

“White Cat…” she said slowly as she turned her head.

The White Cat reached out a paw and held Jade’s hand. “You didn’t get to see the swans,” he said sadly.

“And you didn’t get to show me where you were born,” Jade added with a sigh. Then she turned to her friend, her eyes
round and sorrowful. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have encouraged Bett… I mean the Wicked Fairy to take the photo. It’s my fault that we’re prisoners, and you’re going to miss your…” Jade stopped mid-sentence. Somehow it seemed wrong to spill the beans about the wonderful surprise party, even though her friend wouldn’t be able to go to it now.

The two of them sat there in their own little worlds. Jade’s brain was racing. If only there was a way to escape. She glanced up at the window at the very top of the tower, but it was too high up for them to think about getting out that way.

The White Cat must have followed her gaze. “If you stand on my shoulders,” he said thoughtfully after a moment, “at least you’d be able to see Swan Lake.”

“Well, that’s something,” said Jade.

A moment later she was peeping out of the window. The most beautiful lake lay in the distance. “Oh wow!” she breathed.

“It’s so calm and I can see the swans too — lots of them, snowy white and as graceful as ballerinas! And…” Jade broke
off her excited chatter when a ball of green smoke came billowing up and blocked her view.

“What’s going on?” coughed the White Cat. “Is there a fire?”

Jade didn’t reply. She just stared down.

The smoke was clearing to reveal the Wicked Fairy climbing into a black carriage. Two rats were tied to the front of the carriage.

“Get going, you pathetic beasts!” yelled the Wicked Fairy as she lashed the reins then waved her wand, her voice rising to a screech.