Spelled Read online

  “Hey, where are you going?” Kato flew up next to me. “What happened to the flowers? Why are they squished?”

  Squished? I hadn’t noticed, but he was right. Petals lay broken and folded on the ground. Stems were bent low at odd angles. And the path wasn’t straight. It curved, almost like a footprint. But that’s ridiculous. Even trolls didn’t have feet that big.

  I figured it out at the same moment I saw the tin leg.

  “Hide!” I yelled in my most whispery voice.

  Kato disappeared into the unbroken flower stalks while Rexi and I hid under a fallen bluebell. The ground shook beneath us with each step the Tinman took. Small tremors at first; then the impacts made the ground tremble harder. He was getting closer. I didn’t hear any creaking though. Someone must have oiled his joints.

  A shadow moved in front of the light filtering in through the petal.

  “Look harder! She was here. I know it. I saw her.”

  I knew that voice. It was the one that had haunted my night. Griz had found us.

  The Tinman spoke to Griz, I think. It sounded like grinding gears.

  “Yes. I’m sure.”

  Grind.

  “Because the runt bears my mark, that’s why.”

  Grind.

  “I don’t care how. Just find her.”

  Griz’s shadow passed our flower as she continued her search.

  How did she know where we were? Then it hit me like a ton of gingerbread cookies. The nightmare. Had it been more than just a dream? My insides grew cold again at the thought.

  “It’s gonna happen, just like I saw it.” Rexi let go of the book and put her hands over her ears, mouthing, no, no, no. Her rocking back and forth made the flower twitch every time she accidentally brushed it.

  Her level of fear was extreme. She needed to calm down or the big gray wolf would come over and blow our petaled house down.

  I gathered Rexi onto my lap and smoothed her hair. “Shhh…shhh. We’ll be fine. Nothing bad can happen to us.” I spoke so softly into her ear that I could barely hear my own voice.

  “Yes, it can. There are no Storymakers,” she sobbed quietly.

  “Storymakers or not, the bad guy never wins. It’s in the rules,” I said in my softest reassuring voice.

  Instead of having the calming effect I had intended, Rexi’s body shook harder with her silent screams. I took her head between my hands and turned her face to me. Her eyes were huge circles. Her lips stopped quivering just long enough to mouth, You broke the rules.

  “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

  —Gretel from Candy Kills: A True Story

  24

  Welcome to the Land of Ozmosis

  With nothing left to reassure her with, I protected her with the only thing I had—my body. I draped myself over Rexi, using my weight to push her into the grass. Once I’d had seen a mama unicorn do something similar to her colt—push him against the fencing, the pressure grounding the frightened foal. It worked with my frightened filly. Rexi stilled; her breathing evened out.

  Lying down, I noticed that my hair wasn’t as bright as it had been. Barely the slightest burning green sparked along the tips. They flickered to the time of my heartbeat. Since I was trying to force Rexi to be calm, I had slowed my own heart rate. Breathing deeper, I tried to bring it down even more. Sure enough, the ends died down to merely embers. That was a useful skill. The last thing I wanted was for my hair to light up like a signal flare and give away our hiding spot.

  “Dot…” a whisper.

  The voice came from outside the flower.

  “Where are you?”

  It could be a trap. Did the Gray Witch have a talent for imitation? Because I would bet that voice belonged to Kato. But was I willing to bet my life? I lifted the bluebell an inch and looked for the telltale paws. A wet nose slid under the gap and flipped the flower over.

  My hair flared to life as my heart rate tripled. Kato shielded his eyes with his paw.

  “Don’t do that!” I hissed. “You scared the fairy dust out of me.”

  “Sorry,” he said, still squinting. “I think she’s gone. We need to move, in case she comes back.”

  I reached out my hand to Rexi, who was still lying prone on the ground. She took it and pulled herself up.

  “What’s her—ow!” Kato lifted and licked the paw I had accidentally stepped on.

  We weaved through the stalks as delicately as we could. If we brushed one, it would wave a great big hello to Griz on a fly by. She was still out there. And the acid burns among the flowers made me think she had her puppies with her too.

  I heard a buzzing sound.

  Rexi squeezed my hand in a panic. “She doesn’t have killer bees does she?”

  “I don’t think so.” I looked around but didn’t see anything.

  We all looked up in time to see a basket fly by.

  “What in Grimm’s name was that?” I asked.

  “Don’t know. The question is, do we want to find out?” Kato answered.

  Rexi spoke, her voice stronger than it had been. “It’s probably better to know what’s after you than to be surprised by it.”

  We made our way to the edge of the flower forest, so we could get a clear view of the sky. It wasn’t a basket but more like a gondola suspended by ropes. The ropes hung from a golden bicycle contraption that, in turn, hung from a balloon. On the bicycle was a man wearing a flight helmet with goggles. His pedaling made the oars—in the place of wheels—move, directing the balloon. The pedaling was also the source of the buzzing noise.

  With a soft thump, the gondola set down in the open. “If you’re coming, you’d better hurry. The witch has probably seen me by now.”

  As if to confirm this, lightning split the sky, along with Griz’s scream. “What are you doing? You can’t have them, Mick. They’re mine!” Her puppies howled and flew toward us from their varied locations. They were closing in from all sides.

  The wizard! We didn’t have the book open yet, but we also didn’t have another choice. Rexi and I piled into the gondola, but there was no way that Kato, who had grown even more since yesterday, would fit.

  “What about our friend?” I called.

  He started pedaling and hollered down. “He has wings doesn’t he? Make the beast fly!”

  As the balloon rose, I called out to Kato, afraid he still couldn’t fly. His massive feathered wings stretched out. The wingspan surpassed that of the pegasi back home. He flapped his wings, and the resulting wind blew my hair in every direction. I didn’t need to worry; he had it under control.

  The man yelled down to me again. “Tell the beast to follow us and stay over the water. The witch won’t cross it.”

  I didn’t bother yelling back that the beast could understand him just fine. “Why can’t she cross the water?” Last time she had chased us, she’d stopped at the cliff’s edge too.

  “Afraid she’ll fall in. She’s allergic to water; plus all the lightning and such would electrocute her.” He adjusted his glasses and leaned in to the handle bars. “Now hold on and make sure to duck.”

  At that precise moment, a lightning bolt sailed between the ropes holding the gondola.

  “I won’t miss next time,” Griz shouted. “Last chance to give them to me.”

  The man spoke in a most gentlemanly voice. “Thank you for your offer, but I’m afraid I must decline.” Then he pedaled faster, and the balloon lurched.

  True to his prediction, Griz pulled up short—right at the edge of the lake. The Tinman stopped as well, probably afraid he’d get rusted.

  Griz threw stormballs and lightning bolts at us furiously. Kato had more maneuverability and dodged them effortlessly. It’s much harder to maneuver a flying balloon bicycle. One of the balls took out our left oar. The uneven rowing had a rolling effect, making our flight seem more like a ride on ocean waves. But soon Griz’s stormballs landed harmlessly in the water. We had gone past her throwing distance.

  “Where ar
e you taking us?” I called to our rescuer.

  “To my home, the Ivory Tower over there.” He pointed to the horizon, but all I saw was more water. What I had thought was a lake was merely an inlet to a sea.

  Rexi raised a hand over her brow and squinted, searching for the tower as well. “I don’t see it.”

  “That’s because it’s invisible, you buffoon. What good is having a magnificent secret island tower if everyone knows where it is?”

  “Ohh,” I yelled up. “The Emerald Sorceress’s main specialty was creating big barriers. So is the disappear-reappear thing your main magic as the Wizard of Oz?”

  “I’m afraid you’ve got my name wrong again, darling. It’s the Wizard of Is, my dear. Not Oz.”

  Pretty sure I heard Oz. But I had been coming down from pixie dust, so it’s possible I misheard.

  “Oz is not a person or place,” he continued, correcting me. “It’s another name for the nonsensical and disorderly magic that disappeared from the world of story many years ago. Although, if I’m not mistaken, your wish has started the process of ozmosis.”

  “Ozmosis?”

  “What I call all this magic running amok. All the very reliable rules and order are becoming chaotic and unpredictable, and it’s only going to get worse.” When he paused, I could feel his disapproval even if I couldn’t see it. “Very inconvenient, if I do say so myself. And of course had you not wandered off at the ball, we would have been able to avoid the situation entirely. I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

  Well, he’d certainly reminded me of why I’d “wandered off” in the first place.

  “I’ve learned quite a bit actually, including something that might be able to help. A Book of Making. But it’s sealed shut.” I poked Rexi to lift it up so the wizard could see.

  The air bike wobbled as he leaned over and gasped. He quickly corrected the dip. “That,” he squeaked then started again in a normal tone. “That is most certainly a rare find. We will go to my workshop right away and see if we can’t crack the spine.”

  We slowed down and Kato flew past. The wizard waved his hand in front of him, like wiping a windshield. “Abra cabis, the Ivory Tower of the Wizard of Is.”

  Suddenly, the tower blinked in front of us. One minute it wasn’t there; the next minute Kato flew right into it.

  Rexi winced and puckered her lips. “Oohhh, that had to hurt.”

  The wizard set the balloon down, but I was out of the gondola before it touched ground, running over to Kato. “Are you okay?”

  “That’s a dumb question. I ran into a wall. Of course I’m not okay,” he snapped at me grumpily. I let it slide because I would be grumpy too if I had just flown face-first into a wall.

  The Wizard of Is perched atop his bicycle seat and pulled off his riding gloves. “I think his horns have damaged my tower.” He climbed off his bike and took off his helmet and goggles, peering up at the impacted section. Sure enough, there was a Kato head-sized hole in the wall.

  I winced and forced a smile. “It’s a good place for a window, don’t you think?”

  “Perhaps.” His disapproving frown transformed quickly into a sparkling smile. “Maybe I will leave it if it would make you happy.” He walked away and gave orders to a servant who was trying to tie up the balloon.

  We both stared at the wizard while he showed his servant what he wanted done. He was still as gorgeous as I’d remembered him. Even his hair had the perfect wave rather than what should have been a tragic case of helmet head. And his clothes were divine and clearly magically tailored to accentuate each and every muscle.

  “You were right. What a hunk.” Rexi sidled up beside me and elbowed me in the ribs.

  “You’re drooling, Rexi,” Kato said drily.

  Rexi blushed up to her hairline. “So are you. And you smell like wet dog.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it; it was funny. Kato didn’t think so. He sniffed and stalked off.

  A hand brushed against my back, and the sandalwood and rose scent filled my nose. “Anything I should know about?” The wizard gave me a winning smile again.

  “Have we ever met? I feel like I’ve seen you before,” Rexi said, her face perplexed.

  It was probably just my imagination, but I thought I saw his thousand-watt, dimpled smile slip just a little before answering. “Perhaps at the ball. Or I must just have one of those faces. Let’s go inside and take a look at what you’ve brought me.” He led us around the side, to a gilded door.

  Inside, everything within sight was cream colored with sharp angles. There were prismatic ivory spindles on the winding staircase, and the floor was marble with gold inlays. As far as towers go, it was grand and opulent but not what you’d call warm and inviting. The wizard was guiding me up the stairs when I heard Kato growling behind me. Several guards barred the doorway into the foyer, forcing him to stay outside.

  “It’s okay; he’s with us,” I said, ducking under the wizard’s arm.

  By the time I walked back to the door, the guards still hadn’t budged.

  The click-clacking of the wizard’s shoes echoed off the marble. “I’m sorry, Princess. This tower simply was not built with such a…magnificent chimera in mind. I think he’d be better off with the other animals, don’t you agree?”

  Okay, the wizard was starting to sound like a used carriage salesmen.

  I slid away from his attempt to put his arm around me again. “No, I don’t agree. Kato’s not an animal; he just looks like one temporarily.”

  The wizard covered his tracks and made a broad gesture with his hand, like he hadn’t intended to touch me at all. “Yes, you’re right of course, but think of his comfort. His claws would slip all over the tile, and there’s no room to stretch his wings.” He walked over to a window and pointed outside. “There’s a lovely courtyard in the rear where he could stay. You could visit him whenever you wish. But for now, I would think you’d be anxious to examine that book of spells and see if we can’t find a way to bring back your parents.”

  And those were the magic words—it was what we had left chimera mountain to do in the first place. It was also probably the only thing that would make me leave Kato, aside from the promise of a bath. I no longer had to kneel to look directly into Kato’s eyes. He was now as tall as me. “Will you be all right?”

  “Yes, but be careful. Don’t eat or drink anything,” Kato whispered so our host couldn’t hear.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not about to get dusted again,” I whispered back and gave his mane a ruffle.

  The wizard clapped his hands. “Nikko!” My favorite gorilla butler in his trademark golden fez came out of the side room. “Escort our esteemed furry guest to the courtyard,” the wizard ordered dismissively.

  Nikko bowed low to me, then shooed away the guards and led Kato outside, shutting the gilded door behind him. The thud hammered at me. My hair popped and cracked with my unease at being apart from Kato. But knowing that he had Nikko to look after him helped—assuming Kato didn’t try to eat him.

  The wizard coughed into his hand, drawing my attention. “My workshop is just up the stairs on the fifth floor, past the room with the spinning wheels. I’ll be right behind you. Just have a quick snippet of business to take care of.” The wizard click-clacked into the side room Nikko had come out of.

  Rexi and I climbed the stairs. There were a lot of them. Somewhere around the third floor, Rexi snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it!”

  “Got what?”

  She looked at me and rolled her eyes, exasperated that I wasn’t following her random topic change. “I figured out where I’ve seen him before.”

  “At the palace during the party?”

  “I was too busy being a frog to notice.” She nodded knowingly. “He was on the cover of one of Verte’s magazines. Ummm…Sorcery Illustrated, I think.”

  My jaw dropped. I was shocked Verte would have that kind of magazine. And that Rexi would look at them—and probably add them to her souvenirs.

&nbs
p; “What?” Rexi responded to my look with a sheepish one of her own. “You’re not the only one I had to stock snacks for. They were under her bed, which made them fair game.” I was still staring, and Rexi shifted uncomfortably. “It’s not like they were my magazines,” she muttered.

  “I’m sure she only read them for the potion recipes,” I grumbled, trudging up the stairs again.

  When we reached the fifth floor, the wizard was already waiting for us on the landing. Creepy.

  He held his arm out to the side, indicating a door on the right. “Your place is through there. Please have a seat.”

  I walked in, but the wizard stopped Rexi at the door. “Just the princess and the book, if you don’t mind. I have some news she should hear alone.”

  Rexi stepped back awkwardly from the wizard’s palm facing her chest. “Um, sure, here,” she said and reluctantly parted with the book. “I’ll just wait—”

  “Right there is fine. Nikko will fetch you momentarily.” He shut the door in her face.

  My earlier relief was turning into worry. He was snooty and treated everyone around him as inferior. Except me. He treated me with deference because I reminded him of that girl he used to love. Or because he knew about my power. I caught him eyeing my hair.

  “Please take a seat in the chair.” He plucked a brass tray off the desk and offered it to me. “Refreshment?”

  I sat in the plush chair next to a giant bouquet of poppies. I politely refused the tea and crumpets. “So what did you want to tell me that Rexi shouldn’t hear?”

  The wizard gave a little frown, like he was disappointed that I was cutting to the chase. “I thought you should know that I’ve found the Emerald Sorceress.”

  “Alive?” I moved to the edge of my seat.

  “Yes, actually, that’s what my business was downstairs, contacting her to let her know you are all right.” The wizard walked closer to me. “Don’t these flowers have just the loveliest fragrance?” He pushed the bouquet in my face so that the pollen went up my nose. The smell actually made me sick, like the wizard’s cologne, but one hundred times stronger.