Astrid's POV

Oh my God… I've gotta fix this now! I frantically flick through the Codex Mortis, willing myself to find a banishing spell.

Jasper the little troll gives a squeal and runs off into the darkness. 

"Stay away from my daughter, you monster!" Daddy tells the evil spirit that looms above us. Daddy will always be protective of me, even though I'm the one with all the power…

My witchy instincts tell me I've found the spell. It has to be good enough. I scream an incantation, giving it all my energy. I strike the spectre with a bolt of green lightning, tearing a great rent in his smoke-like form. Like I'm possessed, I yell, "You'll never be back as long as I'm standing, evil spook."

The bad spirit hisses. "I will get to sample the delights of your flavour yet, young witch… I'll get you and then I'll be able to summon the entire platoon…" But then it's like it dissolves into the night and the evil voice fades away.

I stagger and Daddy catches me. My energy's drained, like I've just run a marathon, and my head's spinning.

Again – what have I done?

"Come, dearest. We have to get you home." Daddy's voice is tender.

"T- The evil ghost will be back…" I know that the ghost's not gone for good. Witchy instinct again, I guess.

"Not as long as you can still fight. We can deal with it together."

Daddy's as light as a cobweb now, but it's his presence that inspires me to stand on my own two feet, so we can walk arm in arm back to the house. We're at the front door. "Listen Daddy, Mum doesn't really know Lottie and I are witches, so this will be a big surprise-"

"Lottie a witch?" says Daddy. "I don't know if she should have that much power. I know of course, that you cannot be corrupted."

Could the power corrupt Lottie? I dunno… we've got bigger problems than that at the moment, what with the terrible ghost coming back…

Mum's not back yet. I hear my sisters talking in Gabi's room and run up the stairs, Daddy gliding behind me. I burst in. Lottie is sitting on Gabi's bed, her arms around our little sister. The lamplight glints off their golden hair and shines of Lottie's green nose and cheeks. They look up when I throw open the door. Lottie gives a start and her blue eyes widen. "Daddy? But – How? What? Astrid?"

She stands up and Daddy glides over to her. "Good to see you again, Lottie. And little Gabi, haven't you grown?"

Lottie hugs Dad quickly.

"What? What d'ya mean? Why ya talking about Daddy?" Gabi's genuinely puzzled. I get a sinking feeling. Can only witches see ghosts?

Lottie sits back on the bed and puts an arm around Gabi. She seems to have guessed. "Can't you see him, sweetie?"

Instinctively I take Daddy's hand. I've a feeling this will be hard on him. Gabi is staring up with wide blue eyes, but looking right through him.

"I wanna see him. I do. I'm forgetting what he's like," says Gabi. I feel my insides twisting in a knot. This is so hard…

I force a smile for their benefit. "I brought Daddy back with some magic, but only witches can see him right now. We have to find more magic to make you see him, Gabi."

"Well that can't involve making her a witch as well," says Lottie with a sniff. "Gabi shouldn't go through life looking like a frog princess."

"None of my girls look like frog princesses," says Daddy sternly.

"You don't have to go to school looking like this, Daddy," says Lottie, pouting and touching her green cheek.

"Lottie, don't be cheeky," I tell her, putting my hands on my hips. "Daddy always knows best."

"Thank you, Astrid," says Daddy.

Lottie sticks out her dark green tongue at me. "You always want to remind us that you're Daddy's favourite girl."

Gabi's staring with wide, blue eyes. "It's like you two are screaming at thin air."

Oops. How could I forget? Gabi can't see Daddy. I deserve to blush, but my green face cannot. I hold up my garishly coloured hands in a placating gesture. "Listen, Daddy, if you tell Gabi what you want to say, we can say it for you."

Lottie makes a space on the bed and Daddy sits down between her and Gabi.

"H-He's sitting beside you," I tell Gabi. My voice trembles with emotion. I think I wanna cry.

"Oh Gabi, I'm so close, but I've never been so far," says Daddy.

Lottie brushes her yellow hair away from her green face. "Wait, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

I plump down on the bed too. "Don't be so dumb, Lottie. It's not that hard to understand. Daddy's sad because he is here now, but Gabi can't see him."

"It's like he's in between worlds. Like us," says Lottie glumly. "Do we belong anywhere at all?"

Gabi wrinkles her freckled nose. "I don't like this."

Oh dear… think hard, Astrid. Stop Daddy's homecoming getting really awkward.

"Perhaps Daddy should tell us what it was like … on the other side?"

Dad nods. "I ascended to the sphere of the Moon. Everything is bathed in an ethereal light. But I had unfinished business back on Earth. I believe the sphere above is not my ultimate destination. I knew I would have to help my daughters against a dire peril. I felt great sadness looking down and only able to watch the three of you grow up without me."

"Daddy says he went to the Moon, but it was lonely without us," I say.

Gabi pats Daddy's arm, her hand going right through him. "Aw, sorry to hear that Daddy. Love ya."

I have to tell them what else happened. "Something bad got loose tonight."

Daddy continues for me. "The shade of an evil man, from the black pits of the dark Netherworld. Astrid blasted him with magic, but ghouls of that kind are resilient and he will regenerate."

Lottie glares at me. "Wait, this is because of your stupid necromancy, isn't it Astrid?"

"What's done is done, there's no point in the blame game," admonishes Daddy.

Lottie sniffs and sticks her shiny green nose up. "Take her side, as always."

00O00

Mum can't see Dad either, so he can't introduce himself. I'll have to work on that, but right now I'm just so glad Daddy's here to comfort me again… I feel really bad. Daddy holds me in his arms and rocks me, just like he always did when I was really upset. I've been studying a spell for making magical darts. It's simple enough that I can get the hang of it quickly. I really hope it'll be of some use against ghosts, though I'm not sure… the book says the darts are physical. The spectral banishment spells will take a lot more work to get the hang of. I'm so tired…

My dreams are troubled. I see a scorched wasteland and the terrible shadow of the evil spirit looms over it. He makes an awful slurping sound. "I'm s-sending my friends round to your place for dinner, young witch. I am Clay Fingers. I bring the touch of the grave to the mortal world. I will defeat yer, witch and then I'll be back." He holds a rusty knife in his long fingers and strokes the blade. "The feeling of rust against the fingers is exquisite," he moans. Then he stabs himself in the hand and blood gushes out... "I do like it when the red water comes out..." he rambles.

Then an ethereal light surrounds me and I feel Daddy's presence. Clay Fingers hisses, showing discoloured carnivore's fangs. "Crawl back into your hole, evil-doer," says Daddy. "You have no power here."

Clay Fingers retreats into the shadows, wiggling his unnaturally long fingers at me. "Expect your f-first guest in time for Halloween, witch. She'll beat yer, so I can come back."

I have a real bad feeling about this…

00O00

Lottie's POV

Daddy's ghost will follow Astrid around at school today. I suppose you could say he'll be with her in spirit. That's what Astrid wants. She was always the apple of his eye. And she's gotta feel pretty bad if she really has unleased that ghoul or a vampire or whatever it is with her necromancy. Daddy will know how to comfort her, he always did.

I looked ahead in our spellbook last night. The only new spell I've learned is one that makes iron rust fast. It's called 'iron rot.' Yeah. I've been reading more about love spells, and there are ones that make people more sensitive. More aware of people around them who love them. I don't see how there's any harm in that. But it looks complicated.

Cheerleading squad meets up today. There's a soccer match on Halloween. I'm head cheerleader. The squad is named after the school – Shady Acres Angels, or just the Angels. But when I step into the gym hall for practice, the girls look round, some looking awkward, others sneering.

Erica steps forward. "Ah, Lottie… We thought I should tell you. Our squad is the Angels and to be brutally honest…" She bites her lip and flicks her blond ponytail. "Um… well you look like a witch or something. Not an angel. You see why you can't be an Angel anymore."

I stand stock still. I don't know what to say. Is everyone really so shallow?

"Hope you get well soon," calls Steph. "You were the most beautiful girl in school, we all thought so."

Sarah's looking at the floor, her cheeks flushing pink.

I don't trust myself to speak without crying, so I rush out of the hall, furiously blinking back the tears. Roy from Biology class starts walking alongside me in the corridor.

He pushes his lank, sandy hair away from his grey eyes. "You Okay, Lottie?"

I sniff. "Not really, Roy. I've been kicked off the cheerleading squad because I don't look like an Angel anymore."

"Aw. Shame. I think you rock green skin." He gives his silly grin. It's sweet that he actually thinks that his words are comforting. He touches my arm. "Listen, do you think I have a chance with Erica? I mean if I wore my coolest clothes, would she go out with me?"

"Um… you like Erica? She's not a very kind girl."

"Yeah, but she's totally hot."

Boys can be so silly about these things. "I wouldn't want your feelings to be hurt."

"I take things in stride. I do."

Actually… maybe we can help each other. "I have to give it some thought. Please get some sea slugs for me? The entire jar will do."

Roy can swipe a jar better. All eyes are on me and my shiny green face yet again, but no one notices if he does silly things. Sea slug juice is an important ingredient in the spell of sensitivity I want to brew. Perhaps Roy and I can use it. At least I can make Jason realise I'm in love with him without my having to say it. And Erica can realise what Roy feels for her, though I can't say how she'll react…

00O00

Astrid's POV

Halloween night. Lottie's lost her position on the cheerleading squad. When she tells Dad and I, tears begin to stream down her green cheeks.

We both hug her.

"It was just a cheerleading squad. No loss," says Daddy soothingly.

Lottie glares. "Just a cheerleading squad? I am a cheerleader. That's what I should be. Not a green witch."

"Not true," I say, patting her arm. "All that silly prancing around and chanting is beneath you. You'll see you're better off without it."

We have to take Gabi trick and treating tonight. Even Lottie perks up as we walk down the street with everyone else in costume. For one night of the year, Lottie and I can just be ourselves. Daddy can too, although no one can see him. He's a real ghost. He glides alongside us. A lady dressed as a witch waves at us. "Great costumes. Love the makeup!" She points at Lottie. "You really are a beautiful witch."

Gabi's dressed as a Princess. Anna from Frozen, I think. She tugs Lottie's arm. "See? You're still the coolest big sis."

But Lottie's distracted by something up ahead. "What's that?" She points at it. Now I see huge, shambling figures… like massive scarecrows with pumpkin heads. Glowing pumpkin heads with leering faces. Glowing with a ghostly blue fire…

Daddy points at the scary glowing things. A great evil approaches! See the Jack-o'-lanterns? Those are its minions. An evil spirit directs them. I haven't got a body. There's nothing I can do to help, but see how they're glowing with a blue light?"

The Jack-o'-lanterns come at us quickly, with jerking, insect-like movements. Lottie instinctively takes Gabi in her arms, ready to take off.

Think fast, Astrid. Of course! The magic dart spell I was studying last night. I've got some twigs to work the magic on. I take one out of my satchel. "Adika!"

I fling it at the Jack-o'-lanterns and it hits one in its pumpkin head. The head explodes with a screaming sound and blue sparks fly upwards. The scarecrow body collapses.

"Yeah! You got that squash-head good!" Says Lottie. Gabi whimpers, her face pressed against Lottie's chest.

"That's my brave girl," says Daddy. "But stand firm… there are others lurching this way."

I fling more darts and squash-heads explode in blue sparks. That's cleared the monsters away. But I've run out of twigs. I need more.

Suddenly we hear a scream. There are more of those horrible squash-heads, and they're carrying a struggling blond girl away.

"Steph!" cried Lottie. I think I remember the name… from Lottie's old cheerleading squad.

I point and yell. "After them! And we've gotta stick together!"

We follow the squash-heads to a hill beyond the graveyard. The hill now has a wide cave entrance… how? There's a ghostly light emanating from it. The squash-heads carry the struggling Steph in, so we follow them into a narrow, earth tunnel. It reeks of damp earth and decay in here… Lottie makes a disgusted sound. "There are centipedes and cockroaches here…"

But that's not all. The tunnel opens into a cavern. There's a massive fireplace in one wall, with a fireplace in the shape of a massive, Jack-o'-lantern face and a ghostly, blue fire roaring in the grate. The squash-heads stand in one corner, still holding the screaming Steph.

But again, that's not all… My hearts really thumping and Lottie's breath is coming in ragged gasps. Gabi's whimpering. Daddy holds my hand firmly. A hideous vampire woman stands by the fireplace, the livid lights playing over her ghastly face. She looks so, so old and … twisted. She leers at us, baring rotting fangs.

"Greetings. You trespass in my lair, so you can be sacrifices as well. My name is Urtha. My confederate, Clay Fingers, cannot be here tonight. A struggle with a young witch weakened him too much, but he showed me the path he trod, from the Netherworld, back to the mortal realm. On this night, Halloween Night, I am at liberty to return without having to defeat the witch you made herself the conduit between worlds. Years ago, when I was but a vampire, another witch killed me with a stake…"

She pulls back her jerkin to reveal a disgusting black hole where her chest should be. "But now I am resurrected with earth-fire. I am beyond un-death. I am greater than a vampire. I am a wamphyre! And now I shall dine on you all…"