Amelia Fang and the Unicorn Lords. Laura Ellen Anderson

the long grass, Amelia caught sight of the piece of glittery parchment the king had kept hold of since Fairyweather’s disappearance. She picked it up and tucked it safely behind one of her wings.

      ‘I don’t know right now, but when we find your mum, I’m sure she’ll know what to do.’ Amelia smiled.

      Tangine nodded and took a deep breath.

      ‘We can’t carry on with this quest without the king!’ said Grimaldi.

      ‘We can, and we will,’ said Amelia. ‘We have each other and we have to work together .’

      ‘NO FANKS TO THIS BIG PILE OF STONES.’ Florence kicked at the side of the well.

      Suddenly a huge SPLOSH of water drenched her from head to toe, knocking off her unicorn horn. Amelia gasped as the horn went tumbling down, down, down into the depths of the well.

      ‘Noooooooooooo! ’ she squealed. ‘The map is in the horn!’

      But it was gone.

      ‘I AM GOING TO DISMANTLE YOU STONE BY STONE,’ said Florence, trying to climb into the well.

      ‘No king and no map!’ Grimaldi wailed. ‘We’re lost and helpless and oooooooh this is the ennnnnnd—’

      Suddenly a spurt of water came flying out of the well, followed by Florence’s unicorn horn.

      ‘I am not a rubbish bin,’ said the well. And then it sprinkled Grimaldi with water. ‘And you are way too dramatic.’

      ‘THE MAP!’ Florence and Amelia cried. Amelia scooped up the dripping wet horn and pulled out the soaking map. It was now a big smudged mess.

      ‘OH DEAR . . .’ said Florence taking the map from Amelia. ‘I’M SURE WE CAN FIX IT.’ She wiped her paw across the sheet of parchment, making the smudge worse. It was no good. The map was ruined.

      Grimaldi was breathing fast. ‘We really should go back . . .’

      Amelia stared at the ruined map, then screwed up her face. ‘No!’ she said firmly. ‘We got this far. And we’re here to find Tangine’s mum. And work out how to turn his dad back into a vampire. We must keep going, map or no map!’

      ‘Please . . . leave . . .’ said the well.

      ‘BEFORE WE GO, I JUST NEED TO DO ONE THING,’ said Florence.

      The friends watched as Florence picked up Squashy and held him above the opening of the well. Amelia’s heart leapt.

      ‘Florence, what are you—’

      Florence tickled Squashy’s tummy and then – PARP.

      He released a smelly little pumpkin poo, which fell into the depths of the well like a murky snowflake.

      ‘MY WORK ’ERE IS DONE.’ Florence grinned.