Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Sneak Peek at Forever Fairies #4

  Also by Maddy Mara

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  It was the middle of the night, and the stars of the Magic Forest twinkled in the dark velvety sky. Coco was snuggled in her bed. Suddenly, her nose twitched. Coco could smell something delicious. Somewhere, someone was baking!

  She smiled and sat up. It was still so exciting to remember where she was: in the Sprout Wings branch of the Forever Tree!

  Coco looked over at the other three beds in the branch. Lulu, Nova, and Zali, who had sprouted on the same day as Coco, were fast asleep. The four Sprout Wings were quite different, but they had hit it off immediately. Coco just knew that they would be forever friends.

  A strange noise filled the room. Coco tilted her head. Was that thunder? An animal prowling outside? She grinned. It was Zali, the smallest fairy, snoring!

  Maybe that’s what woke me up? But Coco was used to Zali’s snoring.

  No, it was definitely the smell of baking that had pulled her out of a deep sleep. Coco liked every inch of the Forever Tree, but the tree’s kitchens were her very favorite. She loved the bustle and excitement. She loved the interesting ingredients. And, of course, she loved the tasty things that were created there.

  Quietly, Coco hopped out of bed and grabbed her wand. The Sprouties had been given their wands only a few days ago. But Coco’s already felt like it was a part of her.

  Sprout Wings were not supposed to leave their branch during the night. But Coco just HAD to find out what that smell was!

  The door creaked as she opened it. Coco froze. Hovering near the ceiling was a glow bee, casting a soft, comforting light. It might tell her to go back to bed—but just like Zali, the bee gave a buzzy snore.

  Coco crept into the trunk of the tree. The delicious smell grew stronger. But where was it coming from, exactly? Coco didn’t think it was the main kitchen, where most fairy meals were made.

  I’ll let my nose lead the way, she decided.

  The tree’s curved walls were lined with stairs. Coco tiptoed down, each step emitting a musical note as she descended.

  Coco followed the scent for a while, then along a long, narrow branch. The smell was almost like a hand, beckoning her closer. Finally, she stopped at a little door the color of gingerbread. It was etched with silver-white swirls. In the middle of the swirls was a silver question mark. Coco stared. What did that mean?

  Opening the door, she found herself in a kitchen. She’d seen the main kitchen a few times. It was always full of fairies from the Twinklestar pod, chatting as they baked and rolled and stirred and sprinkled. Coco loved the way their shiny silver-and-gold outfits were protected by crisp silver aprons.

  This kitchen was small and completely silent—except for a low, bubbling sound coming from a brass pot simmering gently on the stove. That must be the source of the delicious smell!

  “Hello? Anyone here?” Coco called, fluttering over to the pot.

  Inside was a thick mixture of swirling colors. Up close it smelled even yummier—irresistible! Coco reached to dip in her finger . . .

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  Coco spun around to see a green-faced creature. A troll! Coco and her friends had met a few trolls, but this one was unfamiliar. He had bright green eyes and wavy green hair escaping from a bandanna. A tool belt was slung around his waist, dangling with kitchen implements.

  “This is the test kitchen,” the troll explained. “Fairies try all kinds of new recipes in here. I wouldn’t taste that without knowing what it is. Anything could happen.”

  Coco grinned. “Really? Anything?”

  He nodded. “Not so long ago, I became the first ever blue troll after doing what you were about to do.”

  Coco clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh no!”

  “Oh yes,” said the troll. “The Twinklestars were experimenting with too-blue-berries. I took one sip of the syrup, and I still have a blue tongue.”

  He stuck out his tongue. It really was blue.

  Coco tried hard not to giggle—but it was impossible. “You poor thing!”

  The troll shrugged. “It was tasty. I’m Pix, by the way.”

  “I’m Coco,” said Coco, shaking hands. Her hand was half the size of the troll’s. “I have a lot of questions. Like, how did you get in here? And even more importantly, why are you in here?”

  Pix patted a curl of rope attached to his belt. “If we have rope, trolls can get just about anywhere,” he said proudly. “As for your second question, I’m here for the same reason you are: tasty things to eat. How about we whip up a snack?”

  Coco’s wand seemed to shiver with excitement. But she hesitated, looking at the swirling mixture again. “What if we get caught? Surely a fairy will come to check on that pot soon.”

  “That looks like an overnight recipe to me,” Pix said with a shrug. “C’mon, this is a test kitchen. We’re meant to experiment.”

  Coco considered this. “We might make something really awful.”

  “We might,” Pix agreed, his eyes shining mischievously. “Or we might make the most delicious thing in the whole Magic Forest. Won’t know until we try.”

  This was sounding better and better to Coco. She was itching to cook! She’d often watched the Twinklestars at work as they expertly peeled and sliced and chopped. They kneaded dough and poured batter into tins, ready for the oven. Best of all, the Twinklestars got to sample every tasty thing they made.

  “Let’s do it!” she said.

  Pix began gathering ingredients and placing them on the big wooden table.

  “Look, butterfly milk butter,” he said, scooping something purple into a bowl. “I’ve always wanted to try it.”

  “Ooh! Let’s add glow honey!” Coco grabbed a jar and tipped the sparkling liquid into the bowl.

  Pix unhooked a strange wooden spoon from his tool belt. It had two scoopy bits instead of one! “I carved it myself,” he explained. “Stirs twice as fast. Hey, this smells good already! See what else you can find.”

  Coco zoomed around the kitchen, adding a pinch of this and a dollop of that. It was so fun! Every time Pix stirred, the mixture changed color.

  “Are you trying out for the Twinklestar pod?” Pix asked as they worked.

  “Yes, that’s next,” said Coco.

  So far, she and the other Sprouties had completed two pod tryouts—for Flutterfly and Shimmerbud. The Flutterflies were super fast and agile, and the Shimmerbuds were amazing healers.

  Coco had really enjoyed both tryouts. And she’d done well in both. But she wasn’t as fast as Lulu, and she wasn’t as good at healing as Nova.

  Coco helped stir as she told Pix, “My friend Lulu is amazing at flying. She’ll make a perfect Flutterfly. And Nova loves caring for sick and injured creatures. She already feels like a Shimmerbud.”

  Coco was happy for her friends, she really was. She only wished it was clearer for herself. “The problem is, I’m a mix of things.”

  Pix looked at her. “That doesn’t sound like a problem. The best recipes are a mix of things.”

  “But I’m a fairy, not a cake!” Coco laughed.

  All the same, it was a nice thing for Pix to say. Maybe being a mix was a good thing?

  Coco noticed some dried flowers hanging from the ceiling. “I think we need one last ingredient. Maybe some of those?”

  “Caramel blooms,” Pix said. “Great idea.”

  Coco flew up to pluck two blooms. As soon as she touched them, they broke into sweet-smelling crumbs. Coco sprinkled them into the bowl.

  Soon, the mixture frothed and turned a rich yellow.

  “Want to try it?” Pix asked. “I don’t think it will turn your tongue blue.”

  But before Coco could answer, the door swung open and in walked a whistling Twinklestar fairy. It was Timi, the pod’s Alpha Wing. She was tying on an apron, but then she looked up.

  Timi gasped. “Coco! What are you doing here?”

  Coco was thrilled that the bigger fairy knew her name. “Hi, Timi! We were testing a recipe. I promise we’ll clean up.”

  “We?” Timi looked around the kitchen. “Are the other Sprouties here?”

  “No, it’s just me and—”

  But Pix had vanished. A nearby window was slightly ajar.

  Timi shook her head. “Let me guess: Pix was here again? I don’t really mind—but some mornings we come in and there isn’t a single drop of overnight test mixture left! Trolls have excellent taste when it comes to food, so it’s a compliment. I thought our too-blue-berry jelly might scare him away, though.”

  “You did that on purpose?” Coco’s eyes were wide.

  Timi winked. “Trolls aren’t the only ones in this forest who play tricks. Now, I’m on breakfast duty for you Sprouties. I want to make something extra special. How do you feel about giving me a hand?”

  Coco felt very good about it!

  “Bowls, please come here,” Timi said, beckoning with her wand.

  Four large bowls rose from a side bench and floated over. Peeking in, Coco saw they were full of colorful gooey-looking stuff.

  She breathed in

deeply. “What are we making?”

  “A fairy favorite—guessnuts,” Timi explained. “The batter is in this pot, and in these bowls are the different fillings. Guessnuts are fiddly to make, but it’s worth it. They are so fun to eat. You only know once you’ve taken a bite what flavor it is!”

  Coco couldn’t wait!

  Timi handed Coco a big shiny ladle. “Scoop up some of the batter, then fling it as high as you can.”

  Coco loved the sound of this. But she wanted to make sure she had heard right! “Fling it? Won’t that make a terrible mess?”

  Timi laughed. “That’s always a risk. But hopefully my air-frying skills are good enough. Ready?”

  Coco plunged the ladle into the mixture and, on the count of three, tossed the batter into the air. Timi drew several quick loops with her wand. There was a burst of light and the batter began to fall—now a perfectly cooked donut!

  Timi held out a bowl and caught the donut before it hit the floor. “Well done! Let’s make more.”

  Coco’s wand twitched and Timi laughed. “Your wand likes cooking as much as mine does. Some wands hate it.”

  Together, the two fairies worked until the bowl was full of fresh, warm donuts.

  “Can we try one?” begged Coco. “Just to test that they’re okay?”

  “Not yet,” said Timi. “They’re missing the best part . . . the filling. Watch!”

  Timi took a donut and placed it on the table. Next, she tapped her wand against the side of one of the filling bowls, then drew a squiggly path in the air. A thin cord of goo rose out of the bowl and began wiggling through the air, following her wand toward the donut. When it was directly overhead, it dove into the dough and disappeared.

  “Wow!” Coco was impressed. “You would never know there’s anything inside.”

  “That’s the fun of guessnuts.” Timi grinned. “Here, I’ll teach you the filling spell.”

  Coco loved learning how to send the gooey mixtures through the air and into the dough. Her wand loved it, too. Soon, there were only a few unfilled donuts left.

  “What about these?” Coco asked. “We’re out of filling.”

  “How annoying.” Timi sighed. “There isn’t time to make more. But hold on—what’s in that bowl?”

  “That’s the mixture Pix and I were making,” Coco said. “It’s got all kinds of things in it. Butterfly milk butter, caramel flowers, glow honey.”

  “Sounds delicious.” Timi looked impressed. “Let’s use it.”

  “But you haven’t tasted it,” Coco said, thrilled but a little surprised.

  “I know it will be yummy. And if it’s not”—Timi shrugged as she did the filling spell—“well, that’s all part of the fun.”

  Once all the donuts were magically filled, a large silver tray floated over, already holding a teapot, cups, and sliced fruit. Timi tapped the guessnuts.

  Obediently, they bounced onto the platter, which glided toward the door.

  “Coco, follow that tray!” Timi cried.

  Nova was reading in bed when Coco and Timi arrived. Lulu and Zali were still sleeping.

  Nova looked up. “Coco! Where have you been?”

  Coco grinned. “Timi and I have been making breakfast. Hungry?”

  Lulu sat up. “I am!” She bounded out of bed. “You know me, always starving.”

  The silver tray floated over to the little table in the center of the room.

  “It all looks so elegant!” Zali sighed, stretching. “Look at the gold trim on those cups.”

  “And rosebuds on the plates!” Nova added. “I bet food tastes even better when it’s eaten off fancy plates.”

  Timi laughed. “You are the most enthusiastic Sprouties anyone in the Forever Tree can remember. Now, who wants to try a guessnut?”

  Coco offered them around before taking a big bite of her own. Honeyed cream, with a hint of lavender, filled her mouth. It was possibly the best thing she’d ever eaten!

  She turned to her friends. “What do you think?”

  “They’re great!” said Lulu. “This red berry filling tastes like magic.”

  Nova looked surprised. “Berry? Mine is chocolate—and it’s very, very yummy.”

  “Really? Mine is sort of caramelly and buttery,” said Zali. Her eyes were enormous. “It’s amazing.”

  “I invented that filling,” Coco said proudly. “With the help of a troll called Pix.”

  Once they realized there were multiple mystery flavors, everyone had to try more. But the Sprouties agreed that Coco and Pix’s caramel filling was the best.

  “And I was right,” Nova declared. “Food does taste even better on pretty plates.”

  Timi smiled. “I have a feeling you four are going to enjoy the Twinklestar tryout.”

  Of course, the Sprouties had questions about that!

  “Do we get to cook something?”

  “Is it tomorrow?”

  “Will we learn some new spells?”

  “Do we get new costumes?”

  “So many questions! The answer to the first three is yes.” Timi waved her wand, and with a pop, four parcels appeared in her lap. “And here’s the answer to that last one.” She handed a parcel to each fairy.

  Excitedly, they ripped them open. Inside each was a silver dress, shaped like a bell; a gold sash; and matching aprons.

  “These are your Twinklestar costumes,” said Timi. “They’ll adjust to fit you, of course. And feel free to add your own touches to the aprons. Twinklestars love to personalize things.”

  Zali’s face lit up. The little fairy was excellent at crafts. Coco could tell she was already thinking of ways to make her apron unique.

  “Can you tell us anything about the tryout?” begged Lulu.

  Timi smiled mysteriously. “Later. But for now, let’s just say you’ll need to aim very high.”

  Coco had no idea what that meant, but she had a feeling the Twinklestar tryout was going to be the best one yet!

  Timi swished her wand. A whirl of stars streamed through the air, and in an instant, the breakfast dishes were sparklingly clean! With another swish, the plates were neatly stacked on the hovering silver tray. Coco felt her own wand shiver, like it wanted to try out those spells—and she knew how it felt! For Coco, learning spells was one of the best things about being a fairy.

  “Right,” said Timi. “It’s time to visit the Twinklestar branch for a magic lesson!”

  As they made their way up the stairs of the Forever Tree, Timi said, “For this tryout, you will be in charge of putting on a high tea.”

  “What’s a high tea?” Zali asked.

  “It’s very fancy,” Timi said. “There are little cakes and scones and tiny sandwiches and tea served in delicate cups. Twinklestars love cooking elaborate things. And our high teas usually have a special twist to them.”

  “A special twist?” repeated all four Sprouties.

  “Well, we always have our high teas in the ballroom,” Timi explained. “Up near the chandelier.”

  “Hold on,” said Zali. “There’s a ballroom in the Forever Tree? With a chandelier?”

  Timi laughed. “Where else would we hold all the fairy balls?”

  “Do you mean that everyone flies up to the ceiling with their plates and cups?” asked Lulu.

  Timi shook her head. “That would be too easy. No, we make everything float. The tables, the chairs, the teapots, the food. Everything! A high tea tastes even better when you eat it up high.”

  “So, we have to make everything float up to the judges?” asked Zali. She sounded nervous.

  “Not just the judges,” Timi said cheerfully. “Everyone in the tree will be there! And because fairies love to dress up, most guests put on their flounce wear. Even the Flutterflies sometimes get out of their flying suits.”

  Coco knew that the Flutterflies, the fastest fairies, generally didn’t like wearing anything that might slow them down. Clearly, a high tea was a big deal.

  “So,” said Nova in her careful, methodical way, “this tryout is about two things: How our food tastes, and how well we keep everything in the air?”

  “Correct!” said Timi. “I know it sounds like a lot, but don’t worry. The Twinklestars will handle the sandwiches and scones and puff cakes. All you need to make is the centerpiece cake. This morning you’re going to learn a whole bunch of spells. You’ll use them for cooking, of course, but also for the kitchen equipment. And after your lesson, I’ll show you how to prepare ingredients for perfectly floaty baking.”

 

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