Shadow Wrack by Kim Thompson Page A

gleefully. “In the meantime, I’m going to round up some weapons.”
    â€œWhat? Why?”
    â€œSomething to do, that’s all,” he reassured her. “Weapons are my hobby, you know. Like collecting stamps.” He was pulling on his coat and heading for the door.
    Willa smiled. “I’ll leave Horace a note in case he comes back.”
    â€œ Right-o . Just pull the door shut behind you,” Tengu called back over his shoulder as he hurried off. Willa looked around for some paper. She pulled on an old envelope sticking out of a stack of books, and a pen rolled off the table onto the floor.
    As she knelt to pick it up, Willa’s eye caught something in the corner of the room. A black spot.

    Willa strode along the street, her eyes fixed on the ground. She couldn’t shake the fear that was creeping through her. Two black spots meant there could be others. The most likely location would be in Eldritch Manor, or what was left of Eldritch Manor. She had to find Horace; she was desperate for his advice.
    â€œHaven’t seen him in days,” reported Robert. Everything seemed under control at the house. The truce was holding. The dwarves were working out of sight in the basement, and fairies flitted happily through the woods. Willa told Robert about the black spots; he said he hadn’t seen any but would keep his eyes open.
    Willa saw Sarah fly by. “Sarah! Where’s Mab? I need to speak with her.”
    Sarah consulted her clipboard. “Her Gloriousness is in a meeting. Would you like to make an appointment? She’s got half an hour open next Thursday at two thirty. Shall I pencil you in?”
    â€œI need to talk to her right now. About …” Willa dropped her voice, “… the time talisman. The knitting. She’s still knitting, right?”
    â€œAffirmative.”
    â€œI’m worried about keeping it secure. Has she got it in a safe place?”
    Sarah smiled proudly. “She’s appointed me in charge of security, and I found the perfect hiding place for it!”
    Willa waited a moment. “You’re not going to tell me where it is, are you?”
    â€œNope!” Sarah chirped merrily. “Now, did you want to make that appointment for Thursday?”
    â€œWhere is she?” snapped Willa, and Sarah jumped a little.
    â€œUm, Her Enchanting Eminence is … resting.”
    â€œI thought you said she was in a meeting.” Willa strode past her. “Is she in her tree? Mab! Maaab!”
    Sarah scooted in front of her. “No. She’s not here.”
    Frowning, Willa leaned in very close to the little fairy and hissed, “Where is she?”
    Sarah didn’t like being stared down. Her voice shook. “Her Utmost Perfection is resting in the fancy house.”
    This took Willa aback. “Fancy house? What’s that? Where on earth has she found a fancy house?” She stared steadily at Sarah until the fairy looked away, casting a quick glance toward … the house next door.
    Willa smacked her forehead. “The Hackers’. You have got to be kidding.”

    The best way to sneak up on the Hackers’ house was from the back. The fence was a little bit lower in the back corner of the lot, and there was a large hedge on the other side to block it from view. Willa climbed the fence and dropped in between it and the hedge, shuffling along sideways until she came to the end of the bushes. Peeking out, she could see both Hackers in the kitchen. Mrs. was stirring something on the stove, and Mr. was sitting reading the paper. Willa felt a tickle by her ear. Sarah was peeking out at the house too.
    â€œWhat room is she in?” whispered Willa.
    â€œFront room,” squeaked Sarah nervously. “They never go in there.”
    Willa nodded. She knew that room from being in the house once or twice, when they’d called her in to listen to their complaints. It was a very formal parlour, so