Chapter 3

Chapter THREE We had to fly quite a long way to the place where the midsummer dance was to be held. By the time we got there it was dusk and I was hungry but I still couldn't help gasping as Mum, Wilbur, and I circled above the party on our broomsticks. A big fire had been lit in the middle of a clearing in a huge forest and all around it

multicoloured fairy lights had been strung through the trees. There were tables upon tables of delicious fairy food: strawberry cakes, butterscotch biscuits and flower petal sandwiches. My tummy started to rumble. Fairy food is the best!

'Look!' said Dad, pointing. 'There's my sister Cordelia and your Uncle Bartholomew too!' He flew down towards a crowd of fairies and we all followed. I was excited to see my cousin Isadora Moon! Isadora is half fairy like me except her dad, Bartholomew, is a vampire which makes her a vampire fairy. 'Oh good,' said Mum, 'we won't be the only odd ones out tonight!' 'Isadora!' I yelled, landing on the ground with a skid and

giving her a big hug. 'Mirabelle!' said Isadora. She looked pleased to see me and her little bat wings fluttered with excitement. Pink Rabbit bounced up and down beside her and I gave his head a pat. Pink Rabbit used to be Isadora's favourite cuddly toy but her mum magicked him alive with her fairy wand. I always feel a little bit jealous of Pink Rabbit actually. I wish I had my own special pet. Mum has a black cat but he's not very nice. He always hisses at me. 'Let's go and eat some food!' I said. 'Have you seen all the cakes?'

'Yes!' said Isadora. 'But I was waiting for you!' We started to push through the crowd towards the food tables, leaving our parents to chat about boring things. 'Look at those!' said Isadora, pointing to a table that was full of pink spun-sugar clouds, glinting with tiny sugar diamonds. 'Fairyfloss!' I said. 'I love fairyfloss!' 'Me too,' said Isadora. We each took one and then wandered towards the big fire, both happily munching and talking at the same time. Then we saw a group of young fairies about the same age as us clustered on the grass. They were busy making flower garlands for their hair.

'Let's make one!' said Isadora, so we sat down together and began to twist flowers and leaves into crown shapes. Mine just wouldn't go right. I kept snapping the stems by mistake and the petals kept falling off my flowers. In the end I sighed and threw it down on the grass.