The Crystal Mirror by Paula Harrison Read Free Book Online Page B

swept on past her ear and flew off with a tinkle of laughter. Then they came round for a second time, flying right between the two women.
    “Oh dear, it’s getting a bit windy, isn’t it?” said Mrs Mottle, oblivious to the tiny pale things dancing past her nose. “I hope there isn’t going to be another storm.”
    As Laney went past, Mrs Hughes whispered something and Mrs Mottle nodded. She replied in a low murmur that Laney could still hear. “My Craig told me that she broke a water fountain at school yesterday. She’s turning into quite a little troublemaker.”
    Laney sped up, scared that any second she might make it rain on them – or something worse. She hurried down Oldwing Rise and her stomach turned over when she reached her house. The effect was quite faint, but it was definitely there – a dappled blue light played across the walls as if the whole house was underwater. Maybe becoming a Mist faerie had changed her house too.
    Kim’s car was gone, which probably meant that she and Toby had gone shopping. Her dad would be out with his work mate, Simon, fixing somebody’s water pipes. She let herself in, went to the fridge and poured some juice. Her head was still pounding. She gulped some of the drink and tried to calm down.
    The back door slammed. “Laney?” her dad called.
    “I’m in the kitchen,” said Laney. He must have been out in the back garden.
    “Where have you been? I was looking for you.” He stopped in the doorway. “I need to talk to you.”
    Oh great. He was still cross about the candles yesterday, which meant he’d want a long serious talk. She felt as if it was written on her forehead:
I have a huge
secret. I’m a Mist faerie.
But of course he couldn’t know.
    “I went out for a walk,” Laney said, and her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t even had any breakfast yet.
    “You shouldn’t have asked Kim to borrow those candles yesterday. You know I don’t like them.” Her dad leaned against the door frame, his face hidden in shadow.
    Laney’s shoulders tensed. “I would have been careful with them.” She knew she shouldn’t bother arguing. He wouldn’t understand.
    She glanced at him and then lowered her glass. She still couldn’t see him properly because the sun was shining into her eyes. But there was something about the way he was standing. He was so still he hardly even seemed to be breathing.
    “What’s the matter?” Laney’s heart thumped. Claudia had told her humans couldn’t see the change in her eyes.
    “When did this happen?” Her dad’s voice was hoarse.
    “What do you mean?” She was playing for time now. The glass slipped a little between her fingers, so she gripped it tighter.
    Her dad stepped forwards out of the shadows and looked at her with bright, gold-ringed eyes. “When did you become a faerie?”

Laney’s mind whirled. “You’re one of them! You knew about all of it!”
    “Laney,” said her dad. “Answer my question. When did this happen?”
    “Last night.” Her face grew red. “And you’ve been keeping it all a secret – pretending that everything’s normal. Why didn’t you tell me?”
    And now the pieces began to slot together like a jigsaw puzzle. The power of the tribes ran in families. Claudia and her brother were both Greytails, probably their parents were too. Fletcher and his family were Thorns. And her home already looked like a house that belonged to a Mist faerie.
    Of course he was one of them. After all, he fixed water pipes and stuff for his job. He was probably using his power over water all the time.
    “Why didn’t you tell me this was going to happen to me – tell me I was going to get these powers one day? I broke the water fountain in school yesterday. I touched the tap and it just exploded everywhere.” She couldn’t help staring at him and hating the look of his golden eyes. She’d always thought he had blue eyes, just like hers. Now that was just a lie too.
    “I’m sorry. I began to