Fifteen
“Raven!” I stand on tiptoe and wave as Raven turns around, her deep brown and magenta hair sliding over her shoulder. She peers through the throng of people filling the main lane of the Creepy Hollow Shoppers’ Clearing. I shout her name again. When she spots me, she smiles and waves. I hurry past open stalls, shop fronts built into trees, and busy faeries getting their shopping done. “Hey, thanks for waiting.”
“Sure.” She greets me with a hug. “I don’t often see you here. Shouldn’t you be hitting a punching bag or practicing backflips or something?”
“I’ve handed in my final report. My training is officially finished.”
“Congratulations!” Raven gives me another hug, then pulls me to the side of the path where we’re out of the way. “You must be bored out of your mind now.”
Ha, sh
