Otherland by Louie Stowell

Author:Louie Stowell [Stowell, Louie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Published: 2021-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

The fairy queen Gloriana received them in her throne glade with all the warmth of an arctic winter in an ice age on a particularly snowy day.

“Ah. The fairy godmother and her mortal hangers-on.” She curled her perfect green lip in disgust, then held out a sharp-nailed hand, palm up. “Give me the scarab,” she added.

Myra shuffled forward nervously, holding out the necklace. Rohan was watching the queen closely, as though she might leap forward and eat them.

She probably wouldn’t do that. Would she?

The queen snatched the offering from Myra’s hand and popped the scarab out, throwing the rest of the necklace away into the bushes. The bushes rustled, and there was a crunching sound. Myra decided not to think too much about that. She also decided not to go too close to those bushes.

The queen licked the scarab. “Hmm … this appears to be the real thing.” She peered at Myra. “Did you cheat?”

“No!” said Myra. “I just reached into a painting and pulled it out.” She didn’t mention that she had also helped herself to a shiny dagger. Long experience with adults had taught her that you should never share more information than they ask for. It only ever led to detention.

Gloriana turned her gaze on Rohan. “You’re very quiet. I don’t like quiet people. They’re usually plotting something.”

“Rohan’s never plotting anything,” said Myra. “He’s a good boy.”

Rohan gave her a fierce look. “A good boy? Do you know how patronising that sounds?”

“Oh, only about as patronising as you sound every time you talk to me,” said Myra.

“Great, yes, let’s definitely fight, that didn’t nearly lead to me getting EATEN last time!”

Myra felt a stomach lurch at that. “That wasn’t my fault!”

“You were the one that went off the path!”

“Only because you were being so annoying!” Myra shot back.

“Wanna see annoying? You should look in the mirror!” yelled Rohan.

A peal of tinkly laughter, like glass smashing on diamonds, filled the glade, louder than laughter should be. It was the queen. “Discord! Oh sweet discord! Children, you bring me great joy! I’d forgotten how much petty hate mortals carry with them. I should invite more of them here!”

“You didn’t invite us here. You stole my sister so we had to come,” said Rohan.

“Some invitations are written on paper. Others are sent using more creative methods,” said Gloriana. She reached behind her throne and pulled something into her lap.

Someone.

Or … no, maybe something was right.

It was Shilpa. Only not the Shilpa that Myra had known since she was a tiny baby. The plump, brown child with the shining black eyes was gone. Her eyes were completely green, shining with an eerie light.

All dressed in fluorescent green and yellow, this new Shilpa sat like a doll on the queen’s lap. Her skin was greenish and her once-fat cheeks were sunken. Only her black curls were the same. She was laughing, but not in the cooing burble Myra was used to. It sounded … cruel.

Rohan gasped. “Oh!” His voice was like a sad shadow.

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