Read Online Magicalamity by Kate Saunders - Free Book Online

with one leg in a rubbish bin, and there was a lot of muttered swearing as she wrestled herself free.
    “We’re still invisible,” Iris said. “We’ll stay invisibleuntil we spot Dahlia—if she sees us first, she might try to give us the slip.”
    “I wouldn’t put it past her.” Lorna stowed her wings back in their plastic bag and peeled off an ice cream wrapper that was sticking to her jumpsuit. “You’d better lead the way, Iris—I don’t know anything about posh shops.”
    “You astonish me,” Iris said sarcastically.
    Tom was glad he couldn’t be seen as he walked into Harrods. Everything in the shop, including the customers, was gleaming and smart and expensive. He felt like a total scruff in his dusty T-shirt and crumpled jeans. They were walking through the perfume and makeup department. Every few minutes they were assaulted with another brand of perfume, until Tom—who hadn’t eaten for hours—felt slightly giddy. Sticking close to Lorna, he dodged through the crowds of shoppers.
    “Blimey, all these lipsticks!” exclaimed Lorna. “If they were different colors I could understand it—but they all look exactly the same!”
    “There!” Iris hissed, halting in front of a counter that said CHANEL .
    Tom saw a very thin, very elegant lady holding a tiny Chihuahua on one arm and browsing among the anti-wrinkle creams. Her hair was smooth and platinum blond. She wore very high heels and very red lipstick,and her fingers sparkled with diamonds. Every now and then she halted and sniffed the air curiously.
    “Good grief—Dahlia Pease-Blossom!” whispered Lorna.
    “She’s holding up very well,” Iris whispered. “I know for a fact she’s two years older than me.”
    “What d’you reckon she’s had done?”
    “Ha! What hasn’t she had done? There’s enough Botox in there to paralyze a herd of buffalo!”
    Both fairy godmothers tittered quietly—being snide about Dahlia had finally brought them together.
    Dahlia Pease-Blossom was alone at the Chanel counter, so Lorna and Iris quietly went over and stood on either side of her. At the same moment their invisibility ran out.
    “Hello, Dahlia,” Lorna said.
    “Oh my g—” Dahlia was so shocked that the Chihuahua on her arm suddenly yelped and changed into a poodle. “Lorna Mustard—Iris Thingy! I thought I smelled magic!”
    “MOTH!” Iris snapped furiously.
    “Yes, of course—what on earth are you doing here?” Dahlia had recovered her glossy smile. “I know—you’re arranging a college reunion!”
    “Not quite,” Lorna said. “This is about the godmother-summons—don’t pretend you didn’t get it. Jonas Harding is wanted by the Falconers, and they’re hunting forhis son.” She pulled Tom forward. “This is Tom, our godson.”
    “Tom, darling!” Dahlia bent over to kiss him, wrapping him in a cloud of perfume. “Lovely to meet you! I see you got my handsome-token.”
    “Hi,” Tom said politely.
    “I’m sorry I missed the summons—I never take much notice of stuff from the Realm because it’s mostly junk mail these days. And I have been frightfully busy.”
    “Don’t tell me,” Iris said. “You were having your nails done.”
    Dahlia arched her perfect eyebrows. “If you must know, I was at my husband’s funeral.”
    “Oh.”
    “We didn’t have long together,” Dahlia sighed, “but we were blissfully happy until that coffee machine exploded! And after the funeral I had a lot of meetings with the poor darling’s bankers; then I had to sell his fleet of planes and the Impressionist paintings.…”
    Lorna whistled. “Trust you to marry money!”
    “Darling, I ALWAYS marry money.” She glanced at her gold watch. “Well, what do you want me to do for this handsome godson of ours?”
    “Your duty,” said Lorna.
    “You mean”—Dahlia looked into all their faces, one by one—“godmother duty?”
    Tom’s spirits sank. Here was another godmother whodidn’t want to help him. Were all fairies except