One Wish by Michelle Harrison Page B

revealing wicked little teeth.
    ‘She wants to touch it,’ Ratty said.
    ‘Er . . . all right,’ said Tanya. She did not really like the idea of that at all, but, since it was the first nice thing Turpin had said or done towards her, she felt she should allow it. Perhaps she could make a friend of her after all.
    The words had barely left her lips before Turpin scampered up her arm and burrowed her face into Tanya’s shoulder. Tanya froze, stiff as a poker, as Turpin ran her fingers through the long, chestnut-coloured hair.
    ‘Now you remember what I said earlier, about teeth, and never letting a fairy have them?’ Ratty said.
    ‘Yes,’ Tanya said. She was distracted now, for Turpin was giving her hair a good sniff. She hoped the fairy wasn’t about to start chewing on it the way she did Ratty’s.
    ‘Well, it’s the same with hair,’ Ratty continued. ‘Hair, teeth, fingernails. They’re part of you and can be used in magic. Powerful magic. Putting tangles in your hair or making it stand up on end is easy if they’ve stolen a bit of it.’
    ‘But Turpin can’t use magic any more, right?’
    ‘Right.’ Ratty twisted the envelope between his fingers, turning it over and over, but not opening it. He seemed troubled.
    In the next instant, there was a sharp pain on the back of Tanya’s neck, so piercing it felt almost like a bite. Turpin leaped back to Ratty, cackling.
    ‘Ouch!’ Tanya yelped. She rubbed at the tender spot. ‘She pinched me! Why did she do that?’
    ‘Turps!’ Ratty exclaimed. ‘That was a nasty trick. Say you’re sorry.’
    Turpin buried her face in Ratty’s shoulder, her body shaking with silent laughter. ‘Shan’t!’ she said, her voice muffled.
    Ratty gave Tanya another apologetic look, then his expression became serious. He was still turning the envelope over in his hands, unopened. Tanya got the feeling he was waiting until he was alone to read it and sensed she had outstayed her welcome. She glanced at her watch. She had been out for hours now and her mother was probably starting to worry. She got to her feet.
    ‘I should be going,’ she said. ‘Thank you for telling me about fairies. I’m sure it’ll be useful.’ She hesitated. ‘Goodbye, Turpin.’
    Turpin stuck out her tongue.
    ‘Don’t take too much notice of her,’ said Ratty. ‘She’s rotten to everyone, even Pa sometimes.’ He scratched his messy, black hair and started to get up. ‘I’ll walk you back.’
    Tanya shook her head. ‘I can go by myself. I remember the way.’
    The sun was still warm when she stepped outside the van. She collected Oberon, then shielded her eyes from the dazzling light coming through the trees. Ratty watched her silently, the red envelope poking out of his shirt pocket.
    ‘Will I see you again tomorrow?’ she asked.
    ‘I’m sure you will,’ Ratty answered, but again there was something about his voice that was odd. A tinge of sadness almost. ‘I’ll be around. By the castle or on the pier somewhere.’
    ‘I’ll look for you,’ said Tanya.
    She set off, heading towards the sun. She passed the stables in the distance and soon reached the river. She crossed the bridge quickly, wanting Nessie Needleteeth safely behind her. All the while she pondered the strange afternoon spent with Ratty, and wondered what the red envelope contained. She thought of Turpin and the trick she had played, pretending to like Tanya’s hair just so she could be spiteful and pinch her.
    Her temper flared at the memory and she found herself stamping heavily over the grass, even kicking a few dandelions when she saw them. It made her feel better. Very soon, though, the anger ebbed away and, by the time she had reached the road leading back to the holiday cottage, Tanya was finding it hard to remember what she had been angry about at all.

6
    The Telltale Twitch
    ‘R ATTY?’ SAID HER MOTHER, ONE EYEBROW raised. ‘What kind of a name is Ratty?’
    ‘A nickname.’ Tanya ate another forkful of