Not all of the storm went down into the mountain.

She-Who-Will-Call-The-Tempest and His-Fury-Is-The-Blizzard had to eat some of it, to fool the witch.

So they snapped at the edges of it. They bit the echo instead of the thunder. They swallowed the flash instead of the lightning.

But they did it with such roaring, with such prancing and leaping, that anyone watching would have thought they had eaten the whole thing.

The Lady waited until they were done. Then she grabbed for their power.

And even though they had only eaten the echo and the flash, it was enough to make her stronger.

She raised her hands, ready to steal the magic from the trees of Minchfold.

One by one.

Deep inside the mountain, the cell was quiet. The whole cavern was quiet. All the thunder and lightning was inside the pup, and he was ablaze with it.

With trembling hands, Flax unfastened the buckle of her satchel. She took out the last tiny thread of magic.

She tied the most complicated knot she could think of. Then she untied it again. She leaned against the pup and held up the teaspoon, which was now a key.

She swallowed the thread.

‘Whoa,’ cried the key, twitching in her hand. ‘This is different. Where’s the collar? Let me at it. Got anything else you want unlocked? A secret? A treasure chest? A closed heart?’

Uncle Edwin knelt before Flax. ‘Minch-wiggin,’ he said quietly. ‘Free me, and everything I have is yours.’

His collar was still too far away for Flax to reach. So Rose picked her up.

Flax slipped the key into the little padlock.

‘Yay,’ cried the key. ‘I can do this. Mouldy horse droppings, see if I care. Turn me. Go on, turn me!’

Flax didn’t move. I’m letting loose a dragon, she thought. Not a friendly dragon like Rose. An unknown dragon. The sort I’m supposed to destroy.

She swallowed. She turned the key.