she warned Drusilla.
«Of course, Mistress,» Drusilla shook off the strange green dust that was everywhere. Sometimes the dust clouds took the shape of moaning or hissing faces.
«I’ve got to go!» Flora hurried away before Drusilla realized and bewitched her. «Good night!»
«When are witches’ nights ever goodnight!» Drusilla snorted, and Blackie wagged her tail happily at Flora. The cat was clearly relieved that her guest was leaving.
«Who did think I was the witch!» Flora wondered as she walked down the corridor. The door behind her had already disappeared. The fire rose glowed in the candelabra like a star. Flora decided it was best not to leave the magical object in front of everyone and took the rose to her bedroom. At least no one would see it there.
«That’s right!» This time the mask supported her. «Traces of magic should be hidden from people.»
«I’m human, too,» Flora muttered.
«Are you sure about that?» The mask’s words were tinged with sarcasm.
«Yes!» Flora looked at herself in the wall mirror. «I’m human!»
Her own reflection suddenly winked at her, and Flora recoiled from the mirror. Better not look in mirrors at night anymore. Flora had heard from someone that evil spirits could appear in mirrors at midnight. Or maybe it was the clever Drusilla who put a spell on all the mirrors in the castle.
«The spirits of the looking-glasses are joking with you,» consoled the mask.
«That’s all! And I thought I was turning into a wicked witch. By the way, do you know who Drusilla has confused me with?»
The mask must have known, but it didn’t say a word, only laughed deafeningly in response. Her laughter rang out over the night castle.
The dragon’s advice
There was a note waiting for Flora in the morning, scribbled on an autumn leaf. Some tiny elf riding a kingfisher had slipped it through the crack of an opened window. The event felt more like a dream, so Flora wiped her eyes.
«I think the tiny elves are called pixies,» she mumbled in her sleep.
«They are,» sang the mask on the bedside table.
«Ouch!» Flora woke up immediately and completely. If the living mask was not a dream, then the elf on the kingfisher was not a dream either.
The kingfisher and the elf flew away as soon as Flora picked up the note, that is, the bright orange maple leaf.
«Is it already fall? Or do elves know how to color leaves?»
«It’s from the regions of fall,» the mask determined. Apparently it didn’t need sleep, as it didn’t look sleepy.
«Where are these regions of fall?»
«They are in the Empire of Magic, of course.»
«Do I have any acquaintances there?»
Flora unfolded the sheet. The letters were scratched on it as if with claws, but the calligraphic handwriting gave away Edwin’s hand.
«Yes, it looks like I know someone there now,» Flora said, but as soon as she began to read, the note was not from Edwin. There was only one sentence written in it:
«Don’t attend any more fairy masquerades!»
And a signature:
Dragon’s Advice
Wow! Edwin has an intelligent dragon! Who would have thought?
«I wonder if this dragon can talk. He wasn’t very talkative with me last night.»
The mask laughed snidely. Flora didn’t pay any attention to her. Who would understand these magic items! Maybe the mask is crazy for laughing at something all the time. Flora couldn’t even figure out what it was laughing at.
«I guessed it!» Flora guessed. «Edwin was too shy to write me the note himself, so he decided to sign it with a dragon. After all, a dragon is only a beast, albeit a magical one. He won’t be accused of courting a lady.»
«Do you think Edwin is so shy?» The mask squinted sneeringly.
«He’s young. All young boys are shy.»
«He just looks young, and he’s a wizard. Do you know how many different magical offenses he’s had on his conscience? He once put an entire kingdom to sleep with magic, and his dragon burned down so many cities!»
«You’re lying!» Flora straightened the ball gown she had slept in without undressing and fixed her hair. Now she could go out into the garden to see if there were any traces of the fairies.
There was a surprise waiting for her in the garden – another note from the dragon. This time the inscription was scorched by fire on the trunk of a centuries-old oak tree.
«Do not be frivolous! Do not follow in the footsteps of the fairies!
Your dragon.»
«And that’s being impertinent!» Flora took offense. The letters were still hot and sparkling. So they had been scorched recently. Did the gardeners see the dragon? They definitely didn’t see any fairies last night because they were asleep. The servants go to bed early to save candles. None of them reacted to the fairies laughing at midnight, but not seeing a whole dragon in the morning was incredible.
«He’s only giving you a warning,» the mask squeaked.
«Are you protecting him?» Flora shook her so-called friend in her hands. «I don’t need dragon advice. I’m smart myself!»
«So smart that yesterday you almost died in the claws of the fairies!» parried the mask.
She’s right! Flora lost all her aplomb.
«Why did I study fine arts, geography, and even philosophy if I’m not smart enough? You should deduct it from the governesses’ salaries. Their lessons were wasted on me.»
«I only respect magic lessons,» the mask snorted. «I could give you a couple.»
«No, thank you.»
«Are you afraid of getting more stupid?»
«I’m afraid you’ll cast a spell on me.»
«I’ll do it!» The mask took offense. «I treat you with all my heart, and all you do is hurt me!»
«Do magic masks have souls?»
«It’s just a figure of speech.»
«You’re hard to understand.»
«Unlike you, I don’t make dangerous friendships with dragons.»
«I’m not friends with dragons either,» Flora said, catching herself in a lie. If she didn’t make friends with a dragon, how could she explain the dragon’s insolent behavior? He was bossy, leaving inscriptions with fire in the garden. In one bed, the petunias have been trampled and a large dragon claw has been left in the loosened earth. The maids would be horrified when they saw it. Flora rushed to fix it. Raking the ground with her hands to hide the monstrous mark was not possible. Flora began to vigorously trample the flowerbed to layer her footprints over the dragon’s trail. That way it would be hidden.
«What are you doing? Dancing in the flowerbed?«A surprised cry was from the garden gate.
«Raphael!» Flora only now noticed her brother. How foolishly things had turned out! Stomping on the flowerbed, she looked like a witch with disheveled hair dancing on the bare earth among the plucked flowers.
«Mama loved those petunias,» Rafael reminded her resentfully.
«She also loved orchids, tulips, daffodils, camellias, chrysanthemums, geraniums, and many other flowers I can’t even remember the names of.»
«That’s