His eyes were steady flames, even as he frowned. “My memory is a little fuzzy. I don’t remember everything that happened when Joey turned me into Vesuvius. It’s kind of like he temporarily erased me and my thoughts and personality. So how’d you break me free?”
In all the chaos, she’d forgotten that this moment was coming. There’d been so many things to discuss after Joey’s disappearance. She’d set aside what had happened right before their victory, when she’d been staring into the eyes of a mind-controlled dragon that she just so happened to have a huge crush on. Phoenix hadn’t mentioned anything about the speech she’d given. She’d thought he was embarrassed, but now it was clear he’d forgotten it all.
“You really don’t remember?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Joey was controlling me. I know that much. And we flew around the city looking…for you. I remember that. I remember trying to fight against him, but there wasn’t anything I could do. And then…” He frowned, looking down at his own hands. “I remember you were there and suddenly I was standing in the canal. Looking up at you.”
His eyes found hers. She took a deep breath to keep her voice from trembling. It was terrifying because she didn’t actually know what would happen. She liked Phoenix. She’d been certain—staring up at him in his dragon form—that their story was only just beginning.
But her gut feeling didn’t change the fact that their team was returning with negative scores on their Hero’s Journey. Brainstorm Underglass had mentioned they’d be assessing Indira’s connection with Phoenix, not to mention his own abilities. Had he done enough to earn a place in her story? Even if Indira felt certain they were a good fit, that didn’t guarantee his spot. She couldn’t bear the idea of making a promise only to break it later. Better to tell him the truth she could control.
“I said that I had a crush on you.” Indira blushed.
The sparks in his eyes became flames. Phoenix was looking at her like she was speaking a different language. He smiled after a second. “Even though I’m part dragon?”
“Even then,” she answered. “I like you because you’re…well…you’re just you! I don’t know! You’re always trying to do the right thing. You bring out the best in people, like you did with Squalls. I’ve liked you since the very first day we met. When you were just a weird kid in a robe with no last name.”
The sudden confession made her blush. She looked away, watching the hills rise and fall around them. It took a few seconds for her to find the bravery to look back. She smiled.
“But, yeah, the dragon part definitely doesn’t hurt.”
An awkward moment passed. Indira did not know what to say or what to do, and the awkwardness was only made worse when Maxi spoke.
“If you’re going to kiss, at least let me move.”
Indira blushed a rather violent shade of red. Phoenix looked ready to transform into smoke so that he could escape through the cracked window.
“We’re not going to kiss,” she said quickly.
Phoenix shook his head just as quickly. “I wasn’t—we weren’t—come on, Maxi!”
The girl grinned a little before snuggling deeper in between them. Indira was both thankful and slightly annoyed. She didn’t know the first thing about kissing. But it was a relief when Phoenix reached across to set his hand next to hers. She slipped her fingers over his, and the two sat there in a comfortable silence, pretending a whole new world hadn’t just formed for both of them.
Phoenix broke that quiet nearly half an hour later and asked the one question she was dreading. “How is that supposed to work?” he whispered. “If we’re not in the same story, even though we like each other? Could we ever have a happy ending?”
Indira tried to sound confident. “I think we’ll find out soon enough. Until then…”
She laced her fingers through his and closed her eyes.
“Until then,” he whispered back.
“Ready?”
Indira stood at the front of the group. They’d paused briefly outside Brainstorm Underglass’s office. Everyone had taken a second to smooth collars and tuck in shirts. Gadget double-checked to make sure her devices wouldn’t go off in the middle of the meeting.
None of them knew what to expect. The urgent message that they’d failed and should report back immediately was still glowing in each tutor device. Indira took a final look at the crew. “I’m proud of each of you,” she said. “Keep your heads high.”
She knocked. A voice called back, asking them to wait a moment. Indira looked around at the others, feeling more nervous than she was letting on, when the door opened. Maxi exited the room first. She’d spent the last thirty minutes inside, arguing their case to Underglass.
Behind her, three familiar sisters exited as well. End graced them with a smile. Middle smirked as she passed. Beginning was far more emotional. The young girl gave each of them a hug, except Gadget, who she briefly bumped knuckles with. “Thank you,” she said, over and over. “For saving Plot. For being heroes! Remember that every end is just a new beginning.”
As she said those words, the three figures merged back into one, striding down the hall and away from them. Indira thought she saw the emissary of Plot grin back before vanishing around a corner. Indira swallowed once—unsure how to interpret their presence—before glancing in Maxi’s direction. “Well?”
Maxi’s sunglasses hid her expression. “I did my best. Time to face the music.”
Underglass called for them to enter.
Indira gulped again and led the crew inside. As always, the brainstorm’s office was immaculately clean: every piece of furniture, every single folder, in precise order. Underglass looked up as they marched inside, an unreadable expression on her face. Indira stood front and center. The rest of the crew fanned out on either side. Maxi hovered in the background.
“Indira,” Underglass said in her crisp voice. “Welcome back.”
Indira cleared her throat. “We’ve prepared a full report.”
Minerva moved across the room. She set an unnecessarily large binder on the desk. She and Gadget had worked well into the morning hours preparing every detail, supplemented with saved footage from the tutor devices. Underglass turned to the first page with a sigh.
“I’ve learned much of what happened from the Plot sisters and from Maxi,” Underglass explained. “However, the facts still remain. You did not complete the assigned mission. What is worse, your points combine into the lowest total of any group we’ve ever sent on the Hero’s Journey.”
Indira’s heart sank. Was that really what mattered? After all they’d been through, they were going to be measured by some useless scale? The brainstorm continued.
“Indira, you struggled with teamwork at the beginning. Gadget, you were so distracted by the devices that you missed your first few scenes. Phoenix and Allen, you did well together at the start. But, Allen, you kept getting distracted, and Phoenix ended up being a little headstrong. At the end of the day, every one of you ignored your directions, even going so far as hacking into your devices and changing them! While you did accidentally accomplish some of the Hero’s Journey, none of you hit your target goals, you left an entire rebellion out of the scenario, and you never even faced the Howling King!”
Their speechless crew stared at Brainstorm Underglass. The Plot sisters had surely explained everything that had happened. Maxi must have argued in their favor too. Who cared about the Howling King? Indira was trying to figure out how to respond when Underglass continued on mercilessly.
“You also took the assigned antagonist and made him into one of your teammates. You ignored several crucial steps. And you did all of this…”
Her gaze swept across the whole group, sharp as a knife.
“To save the rest of us. For the second time.”
A smile carved its way across those serious features. Ma
xi burst out laughing behind them, clearly in on the joke. The others looked around in confusion. Indira pointed at the brainstorm. “That was mean,” she said. “Seriously? After all we went through?”
Underglass smiled. “Maxi suggested it. I couldn’t resist. And, frankly, I could not be more proud of each of you. Trust me. There’s plenty of good news to go around. I do hope you know that our hands were tied. We were limited to the same waiting period as the Editors. Ultimately, we were relying on your talents, your teamwork, and your ingenuity to see us through. You performed beyond all expectations. Indira is familiar, I think, with what happens when you act heroically in the world of Imagination. Accomplishments such as these tend to find their way back to the Real World. The Authors always take note when someone performs admirably.”
The brainstorm cleared her throat. Now her voice took on a different tone.
“Gadget, step forward.”
Their teammate obeyed, her rocket-shaped earrings swaying with the movement.
“One of our chief desires for this mission was working on distraction. It was your old habit that started this whole mess. We monitored your progress after that, however, and were delighted to see you using your talents to push the story forward. Not only that, but you focused on using your ability with machines to help people. I loved seeing you make a plan and take action. All of these represent serious improvement. I am so proud.”
Underglass reached beneath her desk and pressed a button. On the far right side of the blackboard behind her, slanted handwriting appeared: The Tinker’s Daughter.
“How long have you been with us, dear?”
Gadget did not answer at first. Indira looked over to see that the girl was crying. She wiped away the tears before nodding. “Four years.”
“A long time,” Underglass confirmed. “The wait is over. Your story has arrived.”
Gadget wiped more tears away before turning around to rejoin the group, but not before offering each of them a quick fist bump. She whispered a brief but sincere thank-you to each of them before taking her spot at the end of the line. Indira couldn’t resist leaning over to whisper. “What are the odds of that?”
Gadget grinned at her as Brainstorm Underglass’s attention swept to the other end of the gathering. “Minerva Deacon,” she announced. “Step forward.”
Indira’s surprise was mirrored on the face of her pretend mother, who’d only come to Fable as moral support for them. All along, however, Indira had thought Minerva a brilliant actress. Her final effort playing the role of Joey’s mother had been award-worthy.
“After what happened with Brainstorm Ketty, we’ve made a habit of keeping better track of the unfinished characters who play such vital roles in the world of Imagination. We’ve also made a better effort to monitor which connections might still be viable.”
A second story title appeared on the screen: Mother’s Magic.
“You will train in our graduate program,” Underglass informed her. “The story is still in its developmental stage, but it seems as if your Author has not forgotten you quite yet. If you’re willing to put in the work…”
“Of course,” Minerva said quickly. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
There was nothing playacted about the giddy look that she shot back at the rest of them. It was the perfect surprise, and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person.
“Allen Squalls, step forward.” The young wizard stumbled to the front. “This school owes you a great debt. We were ashamed that one of our own targeted you last year. It was a relief when you chose to join this Hero’s Journey tutorial, and even more of a relief to see you perform so admirably. We hadn’t considered before just how…funny you are. It wasn’t one of the talents you displayed at your auditions. But with magic like yours, and a clear knack for gallows humor, I’ve no doubt there’s a story waiting for you. Would you consider enrolling at Protagonist Preparatory again?”
It wasn’t lost on Indira how closely Allen’s life was tied to hers. She’d ended up in the very story that Allen might have starred in. Indira watched the nervous boy who’d dreamed up a thousand deaths stand tall, his voice brimming with confidence now.
“I’m ready. I want to try again.”
Underglass looked like a proud mother as Squalls returned to his place in the line. Phoenix threw an arm around him, whispering quiet encouragements. Gadget held out a hand to bump knuckles. The room fell silent again, however, as Underglass stood.
“I’m afraid I only have one more story to announce.”
Indira felt her stomach tighten. Her eyes darted over to Phoenix. He was looking at her with a surprising amount of fear. She hated the idea of leaving him behind again. Both of them turned to nervously watch Underglass press a final button. The bold-faced font appeared on the board:
Indira Story and the Infernal Sun
The words struck her like a blow to the chest. All the excitement she’d felt when she’d seen her first title swung in the opposite direction. A glance showed that Phoenix’s face had fallen. His fiery eyes were pinned to a tile on the floor. He was going to be left behind again.
“The good news is you’ll both head out immediately,” Underglass said casually, like it wasn’t the biggest news in the world. “The Author already started on the first scene. I believe it involves a certain someone transforming into a dragon during math class.”
Phoenix’s eyes lifted. The smile that flashed across his face was so bright that Indira thought he might burst into flames. His eyes swung to her. “Did you know?”
She shook her head. “I knew you had a chance, but I didn’t want to make any promises I couldn’t keep. That’s actually what I told you to break Joey’s spell. That we were destined to end up in a story together. I can’t believe it actually came true.”
Underglass nodded. “Your performance in the tutorial confirmed what we already suspected. You’ll join Indira’s series and play a prominent role. As I told Indira the first time around, I could not be more proud. You are worthy of this, Phoenix. You always have been.”
Maxi rushed forward and put an arm around each of them.
“Best. Day. Ever!”
It would have been enough, Indira knew, that they had saved the world. These rewards were extras, cherries on the top of an already delicious sundae. Once it was clear Underglass was finished, the crew turned to each other, hugging or smiling as they finally tasted the fullness of their victory. Before they could leave, however, Underglass cleared her throat.
“Indira,” she said. “Wait a moment.”
The others slid out into the hallway, led by Maxi’s bright encouragements. Indira promised she’d catch up with them before closing the door and facing Underglass.
“I figured it couldn’t all be good news,” she said.
Underglass lifted an eyebrow. “It’s not bad news, exactly. Phoenix earned his spot, but he did not earn it at the expense of your other potential romantic interest.”
“But I thought…”
“So did we,” Underglass confirmed. “One or the other. That was our expectation. But it appears the Author plans to include both of them. I wanted to give you a head start, time to think about it. I know Phoenix is fond of you, and that you are fond of him. I thought the two of you performed wonderfully. However, the reality is that you will also have another character assigned to your story who likes you just as much as he does.”
Indira swallowed. It had been hard enough figuring out how to hold Phoenix’s hand without making her palms sweat. The idea of some other boy smiling at her was just too much to handle. Underglass gestured up to the board. There was a shiver of light, and her title adjusted slightly, adding a plural s to the final word:
Indira Story and the Infernal Suns
“As I said, not bad news. For now, I’d like you to enjoy your victory.” The
brainstorm made a shooing gesture. “I’ve sent for David as well. Why don’t you all head over to the Talespin? I’m sure the crew could use a few celebratory white mochas.”
Indira thanked the brainstorm before ducking outside. The others were waiting farther down the hallway, discussing their new roles excitedly. Indira started walking that way before noticing that someone else was waiting outside Brainstorm Underglass’s office.
“Cavern?”
The antagonist looked wildly out of place, but that did not stop him from grinning.
“Indira! Weird seeing you here. Weird.”
She nodded, a little confused. “I didn’t realize you’d have to report to Underglass.”
He shook his head. “We don’t usually.”
It took Indira a minute to notice what he was holding. There were a bunch of forms attached to a wooden clipboard. “Wait a minute. Are you…transferring?”
He looked around nervously. “Keep your voice down. I…maybe. We’ll see.”
She laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Before he could reply, Underglass called his name. He straightened like a soldier, adjusting his collar slightly. Indira caught his eye before he walked inside.
“You know, I think you’ll be pretty good at being good.”
He rolled his eyes. “Pretty good? I did not enter the darkspring for seven years so that I could be pretty good at anything. You good guys always think you’re the best….”
Indira kept smiling long after he’d vanished into the office. Up ahead, David had joined up with the others. Her brother looked taller and sharper than when she’d left him. Training had suited him well. He let out a laugh at the sight of her. Ducking past the others, he wrapped her in a huge hug. “Baby sister. It’s felt like ages.”
Indira laughed at that. “You have no idea. How was training?”
It looked as if he’d grown a few inches, carved muscles onto his slender frame. There was also something in the way he stood, like he’d practiced being confident long enough that he actually was confident now. David smiled at her appraising glance.
Escaping Ordinary Page 21
