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Her classmates whooped excitedly and Alex had to shush them before they were noticed. The last thing she needed was for General Drock to find her outside the compound when she should be safely back in Tryllin.

“Let’s get down from this tree and see what we have to do next,” Declan said, passing Alex’s backpack to her.

When they were all on the ground, they ripped open the envelope. The first thing they withdrew was a set of identification tags, each printed with their individual photo. Kaiden, Jordan and Blink’s tags were all given the status of ‘Waiter’ while Tom’s tag labelled him a ‘Musician’. Declan, Pipsqueak, Skyla and Alex’s were marked as ‘Invited Guest’. Their photos were correct, but their names were not. Alex raised her eyebrows when she read that she was supposed to be ‘Ally Jones

“What do you suppose this is all about?” Jordan asked.

“Oh, hey, Ilikethis task,” Skyla said, having found their instructions. She handed the little slip of paper around for them all to read.

You are cordially invited to attend

Sir Oswald Graham’s dinner party.

Your identities can be found within this envelope, along

with the roles you will each adopt for the evening.

Costumes are waiting on the other side of the Bubbledoor.

Your task is simple:

Retrieve the performer from his accommodation and

escort him back to his home.

“That’s it?” Tom said, turning the paper over.

“Maybe there’ll be more information with our costumes,” Declan said.

“I sure hope so,” Pipsqueak grumbled, and she upended the envelope to allow the final item to fall out. It was another one of Hunter’s feathered arrows—only a miniature version. At least he was consistent.

“Here goes nothing,” Tom said, and he reached out for the pre-programmed Bubbledoor.

One by one they were transported to the top of a tree-covered hill. Their view looked straight down to a small town at the edge of which stood a huge, brightly lit mansion. People dressed in formal party attire were Bubbling into the landscaped garden near the front door, their clothes glittering in the light of the impressive residence.

“We need to hurry,” Kaiden said. “If we’re supposed to be waiters, we should probably be down there already. And you too, Tom, as the musician.”

“You’re right,” Tom agreed. “We need to find our costumes.”

They shuffled around in the rapidly fading light until Skyla called out that she’d found something. Sure enough, there were eight outfits dangling from a tree, attached by labelled arrows to the branch above them. The boys each had a tuxedo, with the waiters’ suits completely black and Tom’s musician outfit thereverse in white. Declan’s guest attire was a dark jacket with a white shirt and silver bowtie.

The girls’ outfits were just as dressy, with three formal evening gowns hanging from the tree. Skyla’s was pale yellow, Pipsqueak’s was bright teal and Alex’s was deep midnight blue. All three gowns were absolutely stunning, but…

“Those heels are ridiculous,” Alex murmured, pointing to the lethal-looking stilettos on the ground below her dress. “I’m going to break my neck.”

“Everyone, find a place and get changed,” Tom said, ignoring Alex’s comment. “Quickly now, before it’s too dark to see.”

Only when Alex began to undress did she hear the rustling sound of paper and remember the envelope with her name on it. She pulled it out and opened it, frowning as she read the words.

Alex, this task is more dangerous for you

than any of the others.

Stay on your guard.

And don’t forget the backpack items.

PS. Ally’s mother, Larissa, has many friends.