Hex had walked for miles through the Whispering Woods. He'd needed time to think and devise a plan. If he was to rescue Rose from The Castle of Jewels, he'd have to outsmart that devious witch, Agnes, and her horrid son, Prince Horace. Which wouldn't be as easy as it sounded.

Behind him, Chester struggled to keep up and puffed breathlessly.

"Err... Hex." Chester gasped, hopping under a branch. "If it isn't too much trouble, could we rest? My skin is chafing, and I'm rather thirsty."

In annoyance, Hex turned to face the toad, only to be greeted by Chester's frighteningly hideous grin.

This irritated Hex even more.

"What are you so happy about?"

"I'm not. Far from it."

"Then why are you grinning like a deranged fool?"

"Because my mouth is as dry as a desert, and my lips have stuck to my gums."

Hex bent down to inspect closer. "Hmm... You do look a little peaky. I suppose it won't hurt to rest for a while."

"Oh, thank you, thank you. Now all I need is a nice sludgy puddle." Chester carefully peeled his lips from his gums and looked around.

Unfortunately for the parched toad, it hadn't rained for days and there wasn't a puddle in sight.

"Ah... Hex, I hate to bother you, but I don't suppose you could help?" Chester stared up at the sorcerer.

Hex scratched his chin as he considered the toad's request.

"Very well, I'll help you. This time. But only because I need you alive. Not because I like you."

Hex threw back his cloak and rolled up his sleeves. He raised his arms and summoned his magic.

"I command you!" Hex yelled, pointing to the sky above Chester.

Chester looked up. If he could've gulped, he would've.

Wispy shadows swirled above his head, and, with a roll of thunder, a single storm cloud gathered.

Suddenly, raindrops pelted his skin, soaking the ground. A large, muddy puddle swelled beneath him.

Hex stood well clear of the storm cloud and watched the toad dance happily in the rain. Despite himself, he smiled—Until Chester flopped onto his back with his legs sprawled most ungraciously.

"Must you do that?" Hex said, trying not to look.

"Yes, I must. This is divine." Chester kicked his feet and flicked muddy water everywhere. "Care to join me?"

Hex jumped back. "Absolutely not!"

"Spoilsport." Chester giggled to himself.

"Keep on, and I'll transform you into a slug." Hex turned and stalked into the trees.

*

Hex sat on a tree stump, staring into the dark.

"I know you're there." He waited.

A branch cracked, and the leaves rustled.

"Must we always play these games?"

Another crack, this time much nearer.

"Hello, Hex," said a dark silhouette dressed in a long black coat and black boots. As he stepped closer, he shapeshifted between swirling smoke and a solid figure. There, but not there. Visible, but invisible. The perfect spy.

"How long have you been following me?" Hex asked.

"Since you escaped from the king's prison."

The sound of splashing and fits of giggles drifted from behind Hex.

"I see you have a travelling companion. Interesting chap."

"He's an imbecile. But he has his uses." Hex flinched as Chester sang an out-of-key operatic number at the top of his voice.

The fully formed shadow sat next to Hex.

"I doubt that very much."

"Why are you following me? Haven't you anything better to do?"

"I came to warn you."

"Of what?"

"King Julius has placed a rather hefty bounty on your head."

Hex chuckled. "Enlighten me. How much?"

"One million Fairy Marks to the creature who captures Hex."

"Impressive," Hex said. Although he was worth at least five million.

"Dead or Alive," the shadow added with a shrug.

"I really have offended Julius."

The shadow grinned, showing his ever-so-white teeth. "I'd say so."

Hex looked behind him. Chester had fallen silent.

"Come out, toad, and meet Shadow."

Chester hopped out from behind a tree, covered from head to toe in mud.

"Chester, how good to see you again," Shadow said, sarcastically. "You have a speck of cheek on your mud."

Chester stared at Shadow in confusion before wiping his face with the back of his hand. Not that it made a difference.

"You know each other?" Hex asked. His gaze drifted from Chester to Shadow.

"He's a criminal," Chester said, keeping his distance. "Nothing but a dirty, rotten spy."

"Spy? Yes. Criminal? No. You, however, are a thief. And a lucky thief at that. Why Prince Horace spared you is a mystery."

"Lucky! What's so lucky about being turned into a toad?" Chester's bulbous eyes watered as he began his tale of woe. "No longer do I dine on food fit for royalty. Now I dine on flies. No longer do I sleep in soft cotton sheets with feather pillows, but I sleep on damp soil and mushy leaves. It's horrible..."

"Be quiet!" Hex snapped. "You had a great time in that puddle."

Chester sniffed indignantly. "I was making the best of an unpleasant situation."

"So, I assume you know about Rose?" Shadow asked. His attention shifted from Chester to Hex.

"Yes. I saw your letter, the mysterious S." Hex smirked. "And that's where Chester comes in handy."

"I'm showing Hex how to get inside the Castle of Jewels," Chester said and puffed up his chest.

Shadow leaned closer to Hex and whispered, "Do you think it's a good idea? He's hardly the most trustworthy of creatures."

"I'm right here," Chester said with a huff.

"I'm aware of my ugly companions' misdeeds but if he betrays me, being turned into a toad will seem like a gift compared to what I'll do."

"Still, right here!"

Shadow and Hex both glared at the toad.

Chester squirmed and muttered to himself, "One mistake! I made one teeny-weeny mistake..."

Clearing his throat, Shadow said, "There's something else you should know."

"Oh?"

"Cathy's back. And the king has arrested her."

"What! She can't be. Why would she?" An icy chill slithered down Hex's spine and with a shiver, he said, "It's not safe for her here."

"Also, she hasn't returned alone."

Hex struggled to hear Shadow's words. His mind was racing.

"Hex, she brought her brother back with her."

Everything snapped back into focus. "Cathy has a brother?"

"Didn't she tell you?" Shadow asked.

"No. Not once did she mention a brother?"

"She probably thought you'd kidnap him, too." Shadow shrugged.

"I didn't kidnap Cathy. It was a terrible mistake."

"Yeah, right," Chester piped up. "The great Hex made a mistake."

"Watch it, toad!" Hex said, rising to his feet.

Chester squealed with fright and hid behind a tree. "No offence meant," he said, cringing.

Hex rubbed his temples and paced back and forth.

"What should I do?" he asked Shadow. "I can either rescue Rose or go back and save Cathy?"

Shadow sighed. "It's a tough one... But what if..."

Chester peered around the tree and listened intently.

"What if I break Cathy and her brother out of prison, and you rescue Rose? Then I'll meet you at the Troll Village. All being well."

"You'd do that for me?" Hex asked.

"No, of course not. I'm doing it for me. It sounds exciting."

Hex pondered Shadow's suggestion.

"Agreed." Hex reached into the pocket of his cloak and pulled out his magic skeleton key and the vial of Agnes' sleeping potion. "If you're going to rescue Cathy, you'll need these."

Shadow stared at the items. "Is that a magic key?"

"Yes, and I want it back." Hex handed the key to Shadow.

"Of course." Shadow could hardly believe his luck. He'd dreamed of owning such a thing, but they were incredibly rare. "What's in the vial?"

"A sleeping potion. Apparently, it's extremely potent. Possibly irreversible."

"Apparently? Don't you know?" Shadow frowned as he studied the green liquid inside the vial.

"It isn't my spell. A witch created it."

"So how do you know if it works?"

"I just do, and you'll have to trust me."

"How do I avoid its effects? I'll be no use to Cathy and the boy if I'm taking a never-ending nap."

"I suggest, after you smash the vial, you run like the wind." Hex had no other words of advice. Agnes hadn't given him the antidote.

"That's not very reassuring." Shadow slipped the items into his coat pocket.

"How will you return to the prison? Do you need my help?"

Shadow shook his head. "I am not entirely without magic."

"No, you are not."

Shadow stood and with a grin, he said, "Safe travels, Hex."

Hex nodded. "And to you."

"You're both insane," Chester said from behind the tree.