The Wishbreaker

by Tyler Whitesides

  “Because,” I said, “Aces are wild.”

  “Anything you wish against me will come with a steep consequence to you!” shouted Chasm.

  “That’s what I’m banking on,” I replied. “Consequences are part of making choices. Part of being human. You’ll see.” It was time to finish this. I knew I was doing the right thing, even though my heart ached a little at the thought of it. “Now I wish for no more wishes.”

  “What?” Chasm cried. “What a foolish idea! And the consequence . . . It’s completely unknown.”

  “Not to me,” I said. “Samuel Sylvester Stansworth and I know exactly what will happen. Bazang!”

  Chasm jolted, his man-purse slipping from his shoulder and spilling open. His red ceramic genie jar rolled out, the open top venting crimson smoke.

  The dark plume swirled around my waist, pulling at me. Now that I had my memories back, I remembered seeing this same thing happen to Sam when he accepted the Unknown Consequence. He’d been sucked into my salsa jar on the floor of that diner bathroom.

  I was now standing far enough from Chasm that the glowing string was taut between us. A blast of magic carved through the air, and we were suddenly trading places. It was like snapping the tether, except instead of returning us both to one central location, this simply shot us past each other. The string came untied from our wrists, falling limply to the floor as Chasm was whipped off the end and sent tumbling.

  The smoke was all around me now, and my feet never even touched down. I cast one last glance across the room. Then I was pulled headfirst into the red ceramic jar.

  It was dark and quiet.

  I couldn’t tell if I was floating or falling. It was actually very relaxing in there, and I felt myself getting very sleepy.

  Hopefully I had set everything right. Tina would be free, since Chasm was no longer the Wishbreaker. Vale and Ridge were free. My friend could take up his old life as Samuel and finally return to his family.

  By making that fateful wish, I had made the last decision I would ever make: to become a genie again. I certainly wasn’t happy about becoming a simple middleman to the Universe, whose only real responsibility was listening to the choices of a Wishmaker—but I had to take one for the team.

  I sure would miss being a human. My ability to choose. My freedom.

  My friends.

  BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. . . .

  I emerged from the jar in a puff of smoke.

  This was going to be my first new assignment. Another cave? Seriously? Well, I guess it was time to meet whatever unfortunate kid had become my Wishmaker while on some spelunking adventure.

  I turned around and came face-to-face with Thackary Anderthon.

  “You?!” I shrieked. “What?” He was the only other person in the cavern, and he was holding a jar. The man was definitely my new Wishmaker. But how was that possible?

  “Ha-ha!” Thackary cried. “It worked! After all this time!”

  His voice! Something was different. Thackary Anderthon no longer talked like a pirate. Since he was now tethered to me, all the consequences he had carried from his youth were finally erased.

  “How did you break the rules?” I demanded. “Adults aren’t supposed to be able to open a genie jar.”

  “But you’re not just a regular genie, Ace!” Thackary said. “You took Chasm’s place! You’re the Wishbreaker!”

  I got chills. I had swapped places with Chasm; I had been sucked into his jar. I wasn’t bound by the regular rules of the Universe. But this also meant I was stuck with Thackary . . . forever.

  “Where are we?” I asked. “How did you find my jar? Where are the others?”

  Thackary held up a hand. “It’s a long story,” he said.

  “How long have I been gone?”

  “One week.”

  Really? A whole week? It felt like I had barely dozed off!

  Thackary’s face broke into a broad smile. There was something less despicable about his appearance. “That was a brave thing you did, kid.”

  “It worked?”

  “Chasm turned into a pathetic weakling without his powers,” answered Thackary. “Ms. Gomez punched him in the nose and he ran off crying. Taught him to mess with an angry mama. Although she is a good deal shorter than she used to be, since Jathon used the dagger to cut all those strings.”

  “And Tina?” I asked.

  “Safe,” said Thackary. “Although she still carries those terrible consequences from her time with Chasm. I suspect you’ll see her shortly. She’s waiting just outside the cave.”

  “What?” I cried.

  “They’re all out there,” explained Thackary. “Jathon and Vale, who is quite enjoying her human freedoms, thanks to you.”

  “What about Ridge?”

  “He’s with them,” Thackary said. “But he actually goes by Sam these days.”

  My friends were just outside? “Why didn’t they come in?”

  “They wanted to, but the four of them are currently tied up.”

  “More bad guys?” I asked. “Who got them?”

  “I did,” answered Thackary.

  I clenched my fists at him, but he held up his hands defensively. “It was the only way,” he explained. “Tina and her mom have been using trinkets to try to locate you, with Sam, Jathon, and Vale helping where they could. I followed the group here and took them by surprise before they could enter the cave. I knew it would make them hate me, but that’s the only reason I was able to do it.”

  “Ugh. You’re a terrible person,” I muttered.

  “You’re right. I was. For so many years,” he answered. “But that’s not who I am anymore.”

  “What do you mean?” I said. “You don’t just turn into a nice guy overnight.”

  “Not overnight,” said Thackary. “For me, it happened in the blink of an eye.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Haven’t you ever wondered why I was so mean?” he asked. “Why I named my own son something that would encourage other kids to make fun of him?”

  “There’s a reason?” I asked.

  “I was fifteen years old when I first became a Wishmaker,” Thackary explained. “That’s about as old as they come. Ms. Gomez and I crossed paths while pursuing our separate quests. I finished early, but I stuck around with my genie to help Maria.”

  I raised a suspicious eyebrow. It was hard to imagine Thackary helping anyone.

  “She introduced me to her best friend, Lisa,” Thackary continued. “For me, it was love at first sight.”

  “Wait a minute,” I cut in. “Is this a romantic story?”

  “That night, Lisa was hit by a car.”

  “Yikes,” I said. “Now it’s a tragedy.”

  “She was taken to the hospital, but the doctors said she wouldn’t survive,” continued Thackary. “I only had a few moments left with my genie, and I wished to save her life.”

  “I’m guessing that had a pretty steep consequence?” I said.

  “By saving Lisa’s life,” said Thackary, “I was doomed to spend the rest of mine doing things to make everyone else hate me.”

  I felt the heaviness of the conversation settle on me. Thackary’s behavior suddenly made a lot of sense. All his life, the Universe’s consequence had forced him into doing cruel things.

  “Lisa made an instant recovery, and I was waiting by her side,” continued Thackary. “Eventually, years later, we got married. But she was the only person I was ever allowed to be kind to. I became a monster to everyone else. Including my own son.”

  “What happened to Jathon’s mom?” I asked.

  “Lisa passed away six years ago,” said Thackary. “And everyone still thinks I’m a monster.” He suddenly looked up, his eyes glimmering with hope. “But now I don’t have to be the villain anymore! I can finally be the father that Jathon deserves.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him?” I asked. “Why didn’t you just explain that being mean wasn’t your fault?”

  “I couldn’t,” h
e said. “The consequence wouldn’t allow me to explain it, because that would be a contradiction. Knowing the truth would make Jathon hate me less, so I’ve had to keep it in all these years.”

  “What about Ms. Gomez,” I said. “Did she know about your consequence?”

  “Yes,” said Thackary. “She was there when I made the wish to save Lisa’s life. But before she could tell anyone the truth, I wished that Maria Gomez would never be able to share my secret. It has made her mad at me all these years, but that was exactly why I had to do it.”

  “I’m sorry, Thackary.” I never thought I’d have reason to say those words.

  “No, I’m sorry,” the man replied. “I’ve done terrible things in my life, and it’s time to set everything right. I get one free wish, don’t I?”

  “I . . .” I didn’t know what to say. As the Wishbreaker, I could grant it. “Yeah. I guess.”

  “I’d like to set you free,” he said. “I’d like to do for you what you did for all the other genies.”

  I shook my head as the Universe told me that couldn’t happen. “I’m afraid it doesn’t quite work like that. I’m the Wishbreaker. My powers can’t be wished away.” Just like Chasm had said.

  Thackary shrugged. “Well, it was worth asking.” He rubbed his hands together in thought. “Guess I’ll have to use my backup plan.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small item. As my eyes focused on it, I realized it was a familiar piece of string, tightly coiled.

  “Where did you get that?” I asked.

  “It was left behind when you and Chasm switched places,” Thackary said. “It untied from your wrists without any damage, so I gathered it up, figuring it could come in handy.”

  Next, Thackary reached behind him, his hand reappearing with the weathered dagger that Jathon had used to cut Chasm’s Wishmakers loose.

  He stooped, setting the two items on the stone floor in front of him. “These are for Tina,” Thackary said. “She can use them to get a fresh start.”

  Then he stood up tall. “As for my one freebie, I wish that my genie jar will go straight to my son, Jathon Anderthon.”

  “Your genie jar?” I asked. “You’re a mortal. You don’t . . .”

  “Bazang!” Thackary shouted. “Now I guess it’s time for consequences.” He looked me right in the eye. “Here’s a little something I learned from a wise kid. I wish for no more wishes.” Thackary didn’t even pause for me to explain. “Bazang!”

  The red smoke came curling out of the ceramic jar, but this time, it flowed around Thackary. Next came the surge of magic, blazing brightly between us. We swung sharply through the air, and I was deposited right where he had been standing.

  As for Thackary Anderthon, my sworn enemy, he was sucked into the ceramic jar in his hand. It fell to the stone floor, but didn’t shatter. I watched a red lid appear out of the smoke, sealing over the jar’s opening.

  Then, without a sound, the genie jar disappeared.

  I looked around the empty cavern. I was completely alone. Human again, thanks to the sacrifice of Thackary Anderthon.

  The sound of shoes scuffing on rock caused me to whirl to the cave’s opening.

  Tina. Jathon. Vale. Ridge (or Sam, I guess). My friends sprinted toward me, nearly tackling me in a giant group hug. Jathon still sported a few lingering consequences from his time with Vale, but it was nothing compared to Tina’s sad state.

  “Where’s my dad?” Jathon asked, the first one to pull away.

  “He’s . . .” I began. “Well . . . he should be here any second.”

  “Big jerk,” Sam muttered.

  “Actually,” I said, “I think he’s kind of a hero in his own way.”

  “My dad?” Jathon said.

  “Yeah, right,” said Vale.

  “You’ll see,” I said.

  “What do you mean, I’ll see?” Jathon asked.

  “Your dad traded places with me,” I explained. “He used my same trick and got sucked into Chasm’s old jar.”

  Jathon looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. “Seriously? My dad’s a genie?”

  “Not just a regular genie,” I said.

  “A pirate genie!” Sam said.

  “Thackary Anderthon is the all-powerful Wishbreaker now,” I reminded him. “Your dad had one free wish before he got sucked into the jar. He’s coming for you, Jathon. And when you open that jar, the two of you will be tethered together forever.”

  Jathon looked panicked. “I don’t think I’m going to like that.”

  I thought about telling him of Thackary’s sudden change, but the jar would be here soon. It would be better for Jathon to hear it directly from his dad.

  “Trust me,” I said. “Everything’s going to be okay.” I reached down and picked up the old dagger and coiled length of string. “These should get rid of your consequences,” I said to Tina. “Once Thackary shows up, you can tie onto him and then cut yourself free.”

  She accepted the items with her sock-covered hand and a hopeful look on her face. “I never should have opened Chasm’s jar,” Tina whispered.

  “You saved the world three times over, Tina,” I said. “There is no reason to be ashamed of the choices you made. You were very brave.”

  “And you were very clever,” Vale said to me, grinning. “Setting all the genies free like that . . .”

  “I hope it was the right choice,” I said. “I couldn’t ask all the genies. I don’t even know how many of you there were.”

  “Trust me,” replied Vale. “I’m sure none of us are sad about not being genies anymore. Being human is way better.”

  “I think everyone is forgetting about how brave I was, too,” Sam chimed in. “After all, I was the one who had to eat that sandwich Ace made.”

  I turned to him. “All this time, you were Samuel Sylvester Stansworth. . . .”

  He sighed. “Sorry about what happened at the diner three years ago.”

  “I should probably thank you,” I said. “If you hadn’t made that wish, I never would have been able to experience what it was like to be a real human. I would have been stuck as a genie forever.”

  “Being a genie wasn’t all bad,” Sam said.

  “But there are some real perks to being a regular mortal kid,” said Vale.

  “Like being able to choose where you want to go and what you want to do,” I said.

  “Like having people that care about you,” said Sam.

  “I cared about you,” I said. “Even when you were a genie.”

  “I was talking about having a family,” he replied. “But thanks.”

  “Speaking of family,” I said, “have you been back to find your mom and dad?”

  “Yeah,” Sam said. “They’re actually much nicer than they were when you met them. By the way, wasn’t it obvious that they were my parents and not yours?”

  “It would have been a real giveaway, if I had been able to see their faces,” I said. “But I guess the Universe needed me to figure it out a different way.”

  After all that had happened, it did make me a little sad. I’d never had a family, and I never would.

  “Well, we’d better get going,” Sam said. “My parents told me to be home by dinnertime and we’re still halfway across the country.”

  Vale pulled a bouncy ball from her back pocket. “This ought to get us there.”

  It had to be a trinket, although I had no idea what it did. “What about me?” I asked. “Where am I supposed to go?”

  “You’re coming home with me,” said Sam. “Mom and Dad want to meet you.”

  “That sounds nice,” I said. “I’d like to look your parents in the face and have a chance to explain why I acted so weirdly that day.”

  “They’re used to having weird kids,” Sam said. “One time, my sister and I had a competition to see who could act like an animal the longest. I was an Australian emu. My sister was a cat. She got a dry spot from licking her own arm.”

  “Eww.”

  Sam nodd
ed. “Like I said. Weird kids. You’ll fit right in.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Face it, Ace. You’re not the most normal kid.”

  “That’s not what I’m asking,” I said, shaking my head. “What did you mean, I’ll fit right in?”

  “Oh,” Sam said. “I thought that was obvious. I’m going to adopt you.”

  “You can’t adopt me. You’re just a kid.”

  “Fine. My parents will adopt you,” he said. “I’ll ask them very nicely.”

  “What if they say no?”

  “You’ll have to impress them.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “Well,” Sam said, “I wouldn’t start by making them a peanut butter sandwich. . . .”

  About the Author

  Photo by Jamie Younker

  TYLER WHITESIDES always wished to be an author. Somehow, he accomplished it without the help of a genie and wrote the acclaimed Janitors series and The Wishmakers. When he’s not writing, Tyler loves eating good food, playing drums, and fishing. He lives in northern Utah with his wife and son. You can visit him online at www.tylerwhitesides.com.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  Books by Tyler Whitesides

  The Wishmakers

  The Janitors series

  Back Ad

  Copyright

  THE WISHBREAKER. Text copyright © 2019 by Tyler Whitesides. Illustrations by Jessica Warrick. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  www.harpercollinschildrens.com

  Cover art © 2018 by Jessica Warrick

  Cover design by Jessie Gang

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018947989