21

Back in the woods, something rustles high above my head. I look up. See a flash of red and white between the branches. It’s Flo. Thank goodness.

‘There you are!’ I shout up to her. ‘Where’ve you been? I’ve been looking for you!’

‘I’m here now,’ she says, ‘so stop fussing.’

‘I’m not fussing!’

She’s clearly not cross with me because her face is one big grin. I grin back. I’m just relieved I’ve found her.

Flo moves down the tree like most people climb stairs. She stops about halfway and sits on a branch.

I look up, shielding my eyes so I can see her better. ‘The tree surgeon’s coming on Tuesday to start work, Flo. And I’ve been thinking, you’re right – these woods are amazing. We need to do what we can to save them.’

Flo shuffles further down the tree. I see her properly now, and she’s gone a bit pale.

‘Tuesday’s the day?’ she says, no longer grinning.

‘Yes. So we need a plan. I can speak to Nell, though I’m not exactly in her good books,’ I say, ticking it off on my fingers. ‘And perhaps you could …’

Flo interrupts. ‘What happened between you and Nell?’

‘We had a fight. I went off to London to see my brother without telling anyone and I shouldn’t have done. Anyway, so on Tuesday …’

‘I told you there’d be trouble,’ Flo cuts in again. ‘It’s what happens when the little people aren’t happy.’

‘You think the fairies made me fall out with Nell?’

‘Yes. And the other problems she’s been having.’

‘Mr Giles didn’t make it because of the bad weather,’ I say, but then think of the fence that was somehow put back up again.

She’s right, isn’t she? This is happening.

‘So,’ says Flo. ‘We need a plan, do we?’

I nod. Whatever may or may not be going on with fairies, I need to be practical. ‘There’s lots we could do – make banners, put up posters, stuff like that. We could put locks on the gates to the wood, and …’ Seeing Flo’s face, I stop. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘You haven’t listened, have you?’ says Flo.

‘We’re back to fairies again, aren’t we?’ I say with a sigh.

‘I’ve told you, Alice. The fairies will fight for Darkling Wood but they need you to believe in them to give their magic more strength.’

I fold my arms. ‘And I’ve told you – you can’t make me believe in something that’s not real.’

‘It would be easier if you stopped looking at me like I’m completely loopy,’ she says. ‘You know what the fairies want you to do.’

This is stupid.

‘All right.’ I throw my arms out wide and yell at the top of my voice, ‘Hey everyone! I believe in fairies! I really really do!’

There’s rustling in the bushes. A terrified blackbird swoops past.

I look up at Flo. ‘There. Happy now?’

‘Don’t be silly,’ she says, sounding cross again. ‘You have to actually mean it. The fairies are very sensitive; they’ll know you’re lying. When you finally do believe, you’ll be able to see them. That’s why you saw nothing the other day when you looked through the fairy door.’

It was just a hole in a tree, I think, that’s why I didn’t see anything. But there is … I don’t know … something about Darkling Wood.

‘Okay, I admit these woods are pretty special,’ I say. ‘The way they make you feel at peace, it is sort of magical.’

Flo looks pleased. ‘That’s better.’

This is mad. She’s mad. But it’s not like my ideas are works of genius. And we’re running out of time.

‘Trust me, Alice,’ she says. ‘This is urgent. We need to work on getting you to believe in fairies.’

‘How, exactly?’

‘Trust me,’ she says again.

I groan.

‘Tell me about your father,’ she says.

Bam. Just like that. It throws me completely. ‘What’s that got to do with fairies?’

The corners of Flo’s mouth twitch. I think she’s going to laugh.

‘Stop being so … practical for a moment, and tell me.’

Near Flo’s feet I catch sight of the fairy door where she left that stupid note, the one she thought would help. Turned out my idea to visit Theo didn’t help much either. I suppose that makes us quits.

I tuck my hair behind my ears. ‘Okay, but there’s not much to tell. Dad got his dream job in Devon designing houses made of wood. But it wasn’t a dream for Mum, so we stayed behind and they split up. We saw Dad some weekends and holidays. Then Theo got sick and bit by bit we saw even less of him. Dad lives with Lara now – she’s his girlfriend, and they’ve got a baby called Poppy. That’s it. My dad in a nutshell.’

Flo looks horrified.

‘Your father stopped seeing you when your brother got sick?’ she says. ‘How could he do that?’

My heart sinks a bit. She’s right. How could he?

‘I don’t know.’

‘Have you seen him since?’ Flo asks.

‘I saw him at the hospital the other day. He brought me back here afterwards – well, he dropped me outside.’

‘Nell is his mother, isn’t she? Didn’t he want to pay her a visit?’

Flo has these funny little phrases. ‘No, he didn’t want to pay her a visit.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know. He doesn’t come here. He never brought us here when we were little or anything.’

Flo goes quiet.

I shoot her a look. ‘What?’

‘Does he know about the trees being cut down?’ Flo says.

‘Who?’

She sighs. ‘Your father, Alice, wakey wakey!’

‘What d’you mean?’

‘Your grandmother is fixated on the trees, and your father never comes here. Maybe there’s a connection.’

‘All I know is he’s scared about Theo. He freaked out at the hospital – so did I.’

Flo frowns. ‘That doesn’t explain why he wouldn’t visit his own mother.’

I don’t know what to think.

Certainly Nell doesn’t want Dad to come here. It might be because Mr Giles is about to start cutting down the trees. But then it might not. I also don’t know why Nell was crying last night or what it was in that little room she didn’t want me to touch. Maybe these things aren’t connected.

Or maybe they are.

All this talking has made me more confused than ever. Yet one thing is clear: we have to save the wood. I still don’t believe in fairies, not really, but I can’t shake off the dread I feel when Flo mentions revenge. In my head it’s all mixed up, so it almost seems like the woods and Theo are linked and if we save one then we’ll be saving the other. It’s mad. But I can’t help thinking it.

‘Alice! Alice! Are you there?’

I go still. Someone’s calling me. It’s coming from over by the gate. There it is again. It’s Nell.

My stomach drops.

Theo.

‘I’ll have to go,’ I say to Flo.

Nell’s voice is clearer now. ‘Alice! Quickly! Your mother’s on the phone!’

I run.

And as I do, just for a second, something pale green like a butterfly flits alongside me though the trees.