As soon as Margery arrived back at the palace, she made her way straight to her husband’s bedchamber. As far as anyone knew, Cinders’s father, the king’s favourite builder, had been terribly ill ever since they’d arrived at the palace, hardly even opening his eyes. The king reckoned he was faking it to avoid answering some difficult questions about his wayward daughter. The queen thought a nice long nap sounded very appealing. But Margery was the only one who really knew the truth …

‘Time to wake up, dear,’ she said, settling down at her husband’s side and gently shaking him awake.

He rubbed his eyes and blinked. The room was very dark and very small compared to Margery’s. In fact, it was the smallest and darkest room in the palace and also the furthest away from the king and queen. Margery had insisted it was the best place for her husband to recover, and no one dared argue with Margery.

‘Is that you, Cinders?’ he asked weakly.

‘No, no,’ she replied. ‘That little madam is still missing. How do you feel?’

‘I’m fine,’ insisted the old man as he attempted to sit up straight. ‘Just a little tired. Perhaps you could open the curtains and let some light in? I have to go out and find Cinders. There’s something she needs to know.’

‘Yes, yes, all in good time,’ Margery said, popping the cork on the witch’s sleeping potion and pouring it into the cup at the side of her husband’s bed. ‘Are you thirsty? I’ve brought you something delicious to drink …’

She held the cup up to his lips and tipped it back until he had drunk every last drop.

‘Have you heard from Prince Joderick?’ he asked. ‘I do worry about him out there with all those munklepoops and gadzoozles.’

‘Not to mention the fairies,’ Margery added, a very worried look on her face. If there was one thing they could agree on, it was that they both wanted Prince Joderick home as soon as possible. Even if they wanted him home for slightly different reasons.

‘We needn’t worry about the fairies,’ Cinders’s father muttered. ‘The fairies are good. The fairies won’t hurt their own.’

Margery looked confused. ‘But Prince Joderick isn’t a fairy.’

Her husband shook his head, his eyes already drooping from the effects of the sleeping potion.

‘Not Joderick,’ he whispered. ‘Cinders …’

And then his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

*

Sparks had looked everywhere for the goblin. He’d looked high, he’d looked low, he’d looked far and he’d looked wide, but he hadn’t been able to spot that short man with the long grey beard and big, tall hat anywhere.

‘Maybe we should go back to the house,’ he said to Mouse who nodded in agreement. ‘Perhaps Hansel or Cinders have discovered his name by now and are ready to leave for Fairyland.’

This time Mouse didn’t look quite so sure. True, he was only a horse who used to be a mouse, but he wasn’t stupid. Hansel was a nice boy, but Mouse couldn’t quite see him tricking a very cunning goblin into telling him his name.

Mouse didn’t know how right he was.

The sun was already starting to dip behind the mountain and the last thing Sparks wanted was to be stuck in this market after dark. Who knew what shenanigans went on here at night-time? And he couldn’t leave Cinders alone with the goblin in that house. Even if he had to sit outside the front door all night long, that’s what he would do.

The big red talking dog and the horse that used to be a mouse were just about to turn round and head back the way they came when what did they see coming round the corner but a short man with a long grey beard and a very, very tall, pointed hat.

‘Mouse!’ Sparks gasped. ‘Do you think that’s him?’

Mouse squeaked back and rolled his eyes.

‘Let’s follow him,’ Sparks suggested. ‘If we can learn his name and give it to Cinders, we’ll find out one way or another.’

Mouse snuffled his nose and wiggled his whiskers. It was as good a plan as any.

Slowly, they crept after the goblin, stopping when he stopped, turning when he turned. They followed him through the market, over a bridge and all the way to the other side of the town, right to the foot of the mountain until they came to a building that had no windows, and a door at the front. Above the door was a sign that said CROONERS. The goblin stopped outside, took off his hat, smoothed down his hair and said hello to the rather large bear that was standing in front of the door. The goblin gave him a gold coin, popped his hat back on and went inside.

‘Well, I’ll be a giddy aunt,’ Sparks muttered. ‘He’s going to do karaoke.’

It’s a little known fact that goblins love karaoke, and it was this particular goblin’s favourite thing in the whole wide world. He’d had a very good day, he reasoned as he hopped up on a stool inside Crooners and ordered himself a pumpkin juice. He’d captured a magical halfling, got himself a new FunStation and an excellent hat. It was definitely time to unwind with a tune or two.

Outside the karaoke bar, Sparks was at a bit of a loss. How were they supposed to sneak past the bear?

‘If we can get in, we’ll definitely be able to find out the goblin’s name,’ he told Mouse, his bushy red tail swishing back and forth while he concentrated. ‘But I don’t have any gold left to pay the bear on the door – Hansel has it all. What are we going to do? Perhaps, if I talk to him, I can explain what’s happening and he’ll help us out. Or maybe there’s a back entrance I can creep through? Or we could dress up as health inspectors that have come to check how clean the place is.’

Or, thought Mouse, I could knock over all these rubbish bins and run away.

Since Sparks couldn’t read his mind, Mouse decided his plan was just as good as any and trotted over to the bins, crouched down on his front legs and kicked as hard as he could with his back legs.

‘Oi!’ the bear shouted. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

Mouse winked at Sparks and kicked again, sending the bins and the rubbish flying all over the place.

‘You are so gonna get a knuckle sandwich!’ the bear shouted, stepping towards Mouse. But, before he could so much as raise a paw, Mouse was off like a shot, running away down the street. And, just as he’d predicted, the bear chased after him.

‘I hope he doesn’t catch you, Mouse!’ Sparks gasped as he bounded into Crooners just in time to see a lady goblin wearing a very sparkly purple dress and holding a microphone take the stage.

‘Next up we have one of our regulars,’ she announced. ‘Everyone put your hands together for …

Sparks gasped as the little man in the tall hat hopped off his stool and climbed up on to the stage.

The goblin was just about to open his mouth and begin his song when he saw a very bushy red tail swoosh out of the front door and disappear. It was the dog he’d seen with Cinders!

‘Blummin’ blumkins!’ he growled, tossing the microphone back to the lady in the purple dress and leaping from the stage. He had to catch that dog. There was no way he was going to lose his little goldmine!