‘I can’t believe we’re about to go home,’ said Molly.
Emily nodded. ‘I know.’ It seemed impossible that very soon their time at skating school would be over. She still almost couldn’t believe she had got to be the Ice Princess, but she knew that the memory of dancing for the dragon would live with her forever.
‘I’m going to miss everyone so much,’ sighed Hannah.
A massive party had been laid on for them in the hall when they got back. The table was piled high with food, and the frost fairies had hung streamers around the room. Everyone had a great time and, after all the food was eaten, the teachers gave them each silver charm bracelets from which hung a pair of white enamel skates. Anyone who had won a pair of coloured skates also had tiny skates of the same colour.
Emily had four charms – more than anyone else. ‘I wish that we could take the real skates back,’ she said, touching the charms.
‘They’d be a bit hard to explain!’ said Hannah.
‘Maybe you should have made that your wish,’ said Molly. She looked at Emily curiously. ‘So, what did you wish for?’
Emily shook her head. ‘I’ll tell you later.’ She wanted to hold on to her secret for a little longer. She went to the window and looked out at the gardens. It had been such an amazing six weeks.
Two frost fairies fluttered over and landed on her shoulders. They touched her cheeks with their tiny hands and chattered softly. ‘I’ll miss you,’ Emily told them. ‘I’ll miss everything here – the dragons, you, the teachers, the classes. Everything.’ But now she had made her wish, her heart didn’t feel quite so heavy.
Madame Letsworth clapped her hands. ‘I’m afraid it is time for you to leave for home now, girls.’
There was a chorus of gasps.
‘Not now!’
‘Can’t we stay just a little longer?’
‘Just one more night?’
Madame Letsworth shook her head. ‘No, I’m afraid not. Your time here is over. You must return to your family and friends. Take the lessons you have learnt and your memories with you, but remember, do not speak of anything that has happened here to anyone who does not know of this land or your memories will fade and then you will never come back.’
‘You mean we might come back?’ said Molly eagerly.
‘Maybe.’ Madame Letsworth’s eyes met Emily’s and she smiled. ‘Now, say your goodbyes and get into a circle.’
The girls quickly started hugging each other. ‘Bye!’ Amanda and Heather cried to Emily.
‘Bye!’ gasped Emily. Turning, she came face to face with Camilla.
‘See you,’ Camilla said and for a moment her mouth flickered into a smile. ‘It’s been fun.’
Emily smiled back. ‘Yes. It has.’
She was swept away into a whirl of saying goodbye to Tilda and Alice and the others, and then Hannah and Molly grabbed her hands.
‘I can’t believe this is it! Friends forever?’ said Molly. ‘Wherever we are.’
Hannah and Emily both nodded.
‘And we will come back. Don’t worry,’ Emily said quickly. ‘It’ll be OK.’
Molly frowned. ‘Was that your wish?’
Emily nodded. ‘Yes, I said –’ But before she could say any more, Madame Letsworth was giving them instructions.
‘On the count of three, take hold of the white skates on your charm bracelets, girls. One, two…’
‘See you soon!’ Emily whispered frantically to Hannah and Molly. ‘I promise.’
‘… Three!’
Emily’s fingers closed around the white charm on the bracelet and the next second she felt herself spinning round and round as if she was on the ice. Faster and faster she went until the world blurred into a sparkling cloud around her. Then suddenly her feet landed with a bump.
Even before Emily opened her eyes she knew she wasn’t standing in the school any more. There was grass beneath her feet, birds calling and the faint sound of a radio. She opened her eyes. She was back in the garden of her house! The charms on the bracelet jingled slightly together.
I’m home, Emily thought.
Happiness and sadness swept over her at the same time. She looked around the garden and imagined her friends all arriving back in their own lives too.
But we’ll see each other again, she thought quickly.
The words of her wish echoed back to her: I wish that everyone who wants to can come back to stay at the school next year.
Yes. They would go back. The magic would make it happen.
The back door opened. ‘Mum!’ cried Emily, her heart doing a double flip. She ran over and threw her arms around her mum. It seemed forever since she had last seen her, even though she knew that to her mum it would only have been five minutes ago. ‘I love you!’
Laughing at her enthusiasm, her mum hugged her back. ‘I love you too, sweetheart. And guess what? I’ve got some good news. Dad just phoned. He’s going to be home from his work trip early so that means I’ll be able to take you skating at the weekend after all. I thought we could go out on Saturday, just you and me. We could go skating and then have lunch.’
Emily imagined going to the local rink. What would her mum say when she saw how well she could skate now? She’d have to be careful not to be too good or her mum would completely freak!
‘So, what do you think?’ Mrs Walker asked eagerly.
Emily grinned. ‘I think you’re the best mum in the world!’
She hugged her mum more tightly. She’d had an amazing time in the Land of Ice and Winter, but it was lovely to be home, particularly knowing that, although her adventures in the land were over for now, they weren’t over forever. One day, she would go back to the Magic Ice-skating Academy and see all her friends. One day, the magic would whisk her away again.
One day, Emily thought with a smile.