Summer in Enchantia. Darcey Bussell

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      “Oh, cool!” Glancing up, she saw that Nutmeg looked exactly the same except that she had a blue scarf on her head. Her wings were hidden inside her shirt.

      “We look just like cabin boys,” Nutmeg said, looking pleased. “Well, apart from our ballet shoes. We can’t really wear them. Hmmm …” Nutmeg waved her wand again and suddenly they each had a small leather bag attached to their belt.

      “We can put our shoes in these,” Nutmeg said, patting hers. “Then no one will see them, but we won’t have to leave them behind.”

      Rosa felt relieved. She never liked being parted from her ballet shoes. They always made her feel safe. Untying the ribbons, she slipped her shoes off and put them in her bag.

      “Now to get aboard the ship,” said Nutmeg.

      Rosa ran over and took hold of the fairy’s hand as she raised her wand. “Are you ready?” Nutmeg said.

      Rosa took a deep breath and nodded. “Pirate ship, here we come!”

      

      A cloud of silver sparkles swirled around Rosa and Nutmeg. The magic lifted them into the air and whisked them over the water. Rosa grinned. She loved travelling by fairy magic! But then, just as they got closer to the ship, it was as if they had hit the wall of a bouncy castle. Rosa and Nutmeg both rebounded backwards.

      Suddenly they were no longer spinning; they were falling down and down …

       SPLASH!

      Rosa gasped and spluttered as she plunged feet-first into the sea! Kicking her way to the surface, she saw Nutmeg’s head popping out of the water at the same time. “What … what happened?” Rosa cried.

      Nutmeg swam over, looking dismayed. “There must be some spells protecting the ship. My magic has taken us as far as it can. We can’t get on board.”

      Rosa saw that the ship was just a little way off. Luckily the pirates seemed so busy partying, they hadn’t noticed Nutmeg and Rosa landing in the sea nearby. Another cannon boomed into the air and there was a great cheer from the deck. Rosa glanced behind them. The beach looked very far away. “What are we going to do?” she said in alarm.

      “Get out of the sea as quickly as possible!” Nutmeg replied. “These waters aren’t safe for swimming. There’s a hungry sea serpent living in the depths. I’ll use my magic to take us back.”

      Rosa grabbed Nutmeg’s hand and the fairy waved her wand in the air. The magic whisked them out of the water and they landed back on the beach by the trees.

      “I’m soaked through!” said Rosa, shaking water droplets out of her hair.

      “Let’s get dry,” Nutmeg said, magicking up two large towels. The girls quickly rubbed away the water. Luckily the sun was shining and their clothes soon started to dry out.

      “So someone’s put spells on the ship,” said Rosa, looking out to sea. “How are we going to get on board then?”

      Nutmeg looked thoughtful. “Maybe I could conjure up a small boat and we could row over?”

      “The pirates would be bound to see us coming,” Rosa pointed out. She wracked her brains. They couldn’t swim or row to the ship, or use magic to get there. If only they could get the ship to come to them! Her thought gave her an idea.

      “Could you magic up a treasure chest, Nutmeg?” asked Rosa. “A really big one the pirates will see from the ship?”

      “Yes, I could. But why?”

      Rosa grinned. “Because if the pirates see it they’re bound to come over in their rowing boats – the ship would run aground if they brought it any closer. And then maybe we can pretend to be in their crew and get on to the ship that way.”