Dedication

      for Lizzie (my April Fool)

      Cast of Characters

      Willa Fuller — Twelve years old, or to be specific, almost, almost thirteen. An “ordinary” girl who discovered this extraordinary house quite by chance. Clever, brave, and responsible. Has recently discovered mental powers she never knew she had: she can communicate telepathically and sense other people’s emotions.

      Willa’s Family

      Belle (full name: Mirabelle) — Cranky old mermaid in a wheelchair. Self-centred and blunt. Willa recently learned that Belle is her long-lost grandmother. Long ago, Belle assumed human form to marry a handsome fisherman. She grew dissatisfied with life on land and returned to the ocean, abandoning her husband and young daughter, Maris.

      Grandpa (George Godwin) — Willa’s grandfather, a fisherman who singlehandedly raised Willa’s mother after Belle left. Jovial and full of life. Also gentle, kind, and forgiving. Doesn’t like to dredge up the past.

      Maris Fuller (née Godwin) — Willa’s mom. A bit of a control freak, stern and strict. Dearly loves her family, with the exception of Belle, against whom she holds a gigantic grudge, even after all these years. She’s got her own secrets, and she keeps them well.

      Marvin Fuller — Willa’s dad. Shy and retiring. There’s no drama in his past, and he’d rather avoid the drama in his wife’s family altogether, thank you very much.

      Inhabitants of Eldritch Manor

      Baz — Short, stout old lady who loves to take catnaps. Her past is a mystery, but it has become apparent that she is more cat than human, despite her appearance. Has a special interest in charms and magic.

      Horace — A bookish and mild-mannered old gentleman. Thousands of years old. Prefers birthday cakes without the candles, for fire safety reasons. He also happens to be an androsphinx. This means he is able to assume the form of a lion, though he prefers his boring human shape. Recently, his memory has begun to fail him, with nearly disastrous results.

      Tengu — An elderly, pint-sized martial arts master with a very big heart. Human in form, his age is advanced but indeterminate. Always cheerful and full of childlike enthusiasm. Has an unhealthy obsession with lethal weaponry.

      Mab — Queen of the fairies. Keeper of dreams, mistress of enchantments, Mab is a dainty spitfire and imperious ruler of all the fairies of the backyard. She is combative and stubborn, and her past is about to catch up with her.

      Sarah — A young, lively fairy, Sarah is the plucky personal assistant to Mab. When she began this job she was devoted and dutiful, but over time has become less impressed with her royal taskmaster. Not the greatest knitter around.

      Robert — Irascible old fellow with a quick temper. He is a centaur, human from the waist up, with the body and legs of a horse. Cannot change shape, which makes it pretty difficult for him to blend into a crowd.

      Miss Trang — Stern middle-aged lady who is supposed to be caretaker-manager of Eldritch Manor, though Willa is left in charge whenever she wanders off. Miss Trang occasionally turns into a massive fire-breathing dragon.

      Roshni — A phoenix, descendent of an ancient line. A bird of prey, she is the size of a large hawk and has recently been living in the wild. Quietly devoted to Willa.

      The dwarves — Nine capable workmen hired by Miss Trang to rebuild Eldritch Manor. Though sometimes inscrutable, the dwarves have hearts of gold and are artists and engineers of incredible skill. Mjodvitnir is the leader, Fjalarr his right-hand dwarf. The others are Radsvidr, Vindálfr, Svíurr, Aurvangr, Dólgthrasir, Hlévangr, and Eikinskjaldi.

      Chapter One

      In which everyone is surprisingly cheerful

      “It’s a good time to be Zen,” observed Tengu one crisp November day as he flung razor-sharp ninja stars into the stable wall. THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

      “Absolutely.” Willa stood under a tree, holding a shoebox as the little fairy Sarah flitted back and forth from a hole in the trunk, bringing out Mab’s belongings and packing them in the box. The fairy queen herself was reclining on a branch nearby, looking bored.

      “Meditation and solitude,” continued Tengu, prying the stars out of the wood. “My inner peace has been seriously disrupted by recent events.”

      Willa nodded. It was now two weeks since the terrific battle of Hallowe’en night, and things had finally settled back to normal around town. Rumours of a fierce lion roaming Hanlan’s Park had died down, and even Mr. Hacker had decided it must have been some kind of trick-or-treat prank. And if anyone had managed to catch a glimpse through the fog of an immense bird with massive claws and the back legs of a lion battling a fire-breathing dragon … well, they weren’t talking. It was all over now, and Willa was ready for a blissfully uneventful winter.

      Tengu continued pitching ninja stars into the wall. THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

      “How exactly does that help your ‘inner peace’?” asked Willa with a smile.

      The old man looked at her in surprise. “I derive much joy and satisfaction from handling weapons. Don’t you?”

      “Not really,” answered Willa as Sarah dropped a load of clothing into the box.

      Mab sat up suddenly. “Roll the scarves or they’ll wrinkle!”

      “Yes, Your Royal Weariness,” Sarah sighed.

      “What was that?” Mab snapped.

      “Royal Fairyness. I said, ‘Yes, Your Royal Fairyness.” Sarah winked at Willa as she pulled filmy bits of spiderweb scarf from the shoebox and rolled them up. Willa hastened to change the topic.

      “Are you sure you want to move into the house, Mab? The other fairies are staying out here in the woods.”

      Mab sniffed. “Trees are summer homes. I am far too delicate to stay out here in the cold.”

      “But we don’t have a dollhouse for you yet.”

      “Mimsy and Cowslip found a home for me,” answered Mab, perking up. “It’s a little rustic but highly portable. I can hang it anywhere I like. Here it is now.”

      Willa turned to see four fairies fly up carrying a dusty grey ball between them.

      “A wasp nest? Is it … empty?”

      Mab smiled. “The wasps were persuaded to find other accommodations. Don’t you love the design? Very modern. Just like the Guggenheim.”

      The fairies brought it closer, and Willa gingerly put her eye to the round hole that served as a door. The inside had been emptied out, leaving a simple, papery orb with walls thin enough for the light to glow through. “Very nice,” she admitted.

      Just then Robert came trotting through the trees. “The dwarves are ready,” he announced. “It is time for the unveiling of the first floor!”

      Sarah flew out with a final armful of tiny shoes and dumped them into the box. “That’s everything!”

      Willa shut the lid as Sarah and Mab flitted off, accompanied by the fairies with the wasp nest. Willa followed slowly, enjoying the crackle of leaves under her feet and the autumn sunshine slanting through the trees. Everything was quiet and still.

      Willa rounded the house and joined the others in the front yard. She was glad the tall construction fence hid them from the street, because they were certainly a bizarre-looking group. Robert the centaur clip-clopped around with pint-sized Tengu at his side, hopping up and down with excitement. Horace stood behind Belle in her wheelchair, her mermaid tail glistening