A Fiery Friendship

by Lisa Fiedler

  This was a mission of great darkness and immense cruelty, and the young monkey knew it. But her Magic had given him wings and made him immune to caring.

  To North, West, East! He would deliver her message.

  And she, alone in the ruins, surrounded by the echoes of Goodness and of her own ancient attack, would wait.

  With her eyes on the sky.

  44

  YELLOW BRICKS

  Tilda gave Glinda’s hand a squeeze. Then she let go. “Glinda, my darling, I cannot come home. Not now.”

  Glinda lowered her brows. “Yes, you can. Of course you can.”

  “No,” said Tilda, shaking her head. “I can’t.”

  “But Mother . . .” A tightness swelled in Glinda’s chest. “I worked so hard!”

  “And I could not be more thankful or more proud. You’ve found loyal and capable friends to assist you, and you have taken my cause—the cause of the Foursworn—into your heart as your own. You found out for yourself that the only path worth following is the path to Truth Above All. But I must leave you here. Not forever, just for now. You have a very specific path to follow now. As do I.”

  Glinda threw her arms around her mother’s waist and held her tight. She knew it was a childish action, but she did not care; she would allow herself this brief moment of childishness, since she doubted the chance to be childlike would ever come again.

  “Where will you go?” she whispered into Tilda’s shoulder.

  “I will follow the Road of Yellow Brick,” she whispered back. “It is the road of discovery, and that is what my first task must be—to discover the identity of the fifth Witch. She is the most vile and dangerous of them all.”

  Glinda knew her mother was right. There was no question in her mind that the evil of this elusive being transcended the Wickedness of the other four combined.

  “Nick Chopper,” said Tilda. “You seem to be a lad with much still to discover. I invite you to join me on the yellow road. It will require great daring and fortitude.” Her eyes sparkled as she studied him. “Do you think you have the heart for it?”

  “Oh, I most certainly do!” said Nick, hoisting his ax onto his shoulder and giving it a twirl. “Heart is the thing I have most.”

  Pulling back from the hug to look up into her mother’s serene face, Glinda tamped down the ache in her own heart to ask, “What am I to do while you are gone?”

  “You will ensure that the momentum we’ve gained is not lost,” said Tilda, bending to press a kiss to Glinda’s forehead, then kissing Shade, Ben, and finally Locasta on their foreheads as well.

  Absently, Locasta reached up and touched the kiss, plucking the tingle of it from her skin, and slipping its memory into the pocket of her knee breeches.

  “From affection, comes protection,” Tilda said. “Don’t despair, Locasta. You’ll master it, soon enough.”

  Locasta all but glowed under the Grand Adept’s praise.

  “Glinda, my darling,” Tilda went on, “you have done beautifully thus far. You have answered the questions. Now it is time to question the answers, to learn beyond what you have learned and lead the way. Be as brave as you’ve been, and as wise as you are. Though our plan has been thrust into action far sooner than we had anticipated, there is still every chance that it can succeed. And so, to that end, I must tell you about—”

  A sudden, panicked look flashed across Tilda’s face, and she tilted her ear to the sky. With a gasp, she turned frantic eyes back to Glinda. “You must find Mythra!”

  At this command, Gage looked shocked.

  “Mythra?” Glinda echoed. “The ancient Priestess? From the statue? Mother, I don’t—”

  “I’m sorry,” said Tilda. “There is no time to explain further.” Again she listened to the sky.

  “I hear it too,” said Shade. “Hurry! Go!”

  Without another word, Tilda took off toward the boundary of the Woebegone Wilderness. Nick dashed along beside her, his tin limbs clanking. When they reached the shadowy edge of the forest, Tilda turned to give Glinda a wave. Then the two travelers slipped into the thick cover of the trees and were gone.

  Glinda was staring so intently at the woods that the sensation of a huge paw against her back came as a complete shock. The shove from Clumsy Bear sent her stumbling forward onto the red road. He did the same to Locasta.

  “Quickly!” Gage commanded, herding Shade and Ben toward the cobblestones. “Everyone on the road. Now!”

  “Why?” asked Glinda.

  The answer came from the sky, which was suddenly filled with the sound of snapping jaws, blaring horns, and a deafening drone.

  “Because,” cried Gage, “the Witches are coming!”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A Royal Adventurer requires an extensive network of support, and it is with the most heartfelt gratitude that I, Gabriel Gale, hereby acknowledge my compatriots in this quest to chronicle the Ages of Oz:

  The first and most emphatic thanks must go to Lisa Fiedler, whose gift for words is matched only by the majestic truths told in Glinda’s Book of Records.

  Ruta Rimas and the team at McElderry Books, our Publishers and friends at Simon & Schuster, and Sebastian Giacobino and Craig Howell have made this book a joy to create and a pride to share with the world. This book series would not have happened without the guidance and magical matchmaking of Judith B. Bass, Esq., and Susan Cohen along with the team at Writers House.

  Royal Historians of Oz George Makrinos and John Bush have contributed tireless research in uncovering the myths and truths of Lurlia and Oz. As Royal Cartographer and Architect, George has charted the course and laid the groundwork for many adventures to come. John, as Royal Bard and Headmaster of Fireside Institute, has lyrically immortalized facts long forgotten and turned history into poetry.

  Royal Artist Arthur Jedrzejczak has captured the forms of the most elusive magical creatures both Good and Wicked. Sylwia Filipowicz, Eugene Jedrzejczak, Sebastian and Michael Khorched, Kevin Hamilton, Karina Chu, and Ronnie Debbs have come to his aid in that thrilling and most dangerous endeavor.

  Royal Trustees Ralph, Joanna, and Karina Succar guard the hallowed Royal Vaults of Emerald City. With their help, the riches of the Magical world can now be shared with this mortal one.

  Thanks also go to the noble Lord Greg Angelides and the illustrious Lord Anthony Lolli, who are ever willing to provide mentorship, friendship, wisdom, and advice, and to the brightest members of their respective Courts, Lady Matti Angelides and Lady Love Lolli, who are both surely bound for the stars.

  Regents and Viceroys Vincent Aparo, Brian Hathaway, Chris Zias, David Schwartz, Charles Capetanakis, John Lignos, and Michael Zoumas have opened their doors and guided my course.

  Grand Masters of the Oz High Council John Fricke and Willard Carroll are incomparable in their knowledge of Oz. The wisdom they gave me early on continues to reap rewards.

  And thanks to Royal Adventurer-in-Training Liam Dempster and Royal Gamer Corey Tettonis, honorary Princess Isabella Anderson, Emerald City Chef Angelique Tettonis, Emerald City racing champ Baxter Johnson, and the youngest Minstrels of Oz, Noah and Joseph Hochman. And to Royal Builder Vasili, Royal Politico Kosta, and Royal Keeper of Records Dean Tettonis, I continue to be proud of your accomplishments.

  Thank you to the schools and people that helped prepare me for my adventures in Oz: The Dimitrios and Georgia Kaloidis Parochial School, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Columbia University, PS/IS104, Hellenic Classical Charter School, Fort Hamilton High School’s Dr. Alice B. Farkouh and David Whitebook, and Royal Educator Christina Tettonis gave this adventurer his love for cartography and math, opening his eyes to boundless Magical realms.

  The extended families that offered their hospitality during my travels: Stamatis and Irene Makrinos, Succar, Tettonis, Tsatsis, Karavolos, Poniros, and Luccioni.

  My deepest thanks go to Rene and Dean Makrinos, who help this adventurer when he strays too far from the safe and narrow. I am forever i
ndebted to you for your love and protection.

  And finally, it is through the kindness and generosity of Queen Ozma of Oz, Glinda the Good, and our dearest Princess Dorothy Gale, that we are able to share their story with new generations around the world. I offer my sincere hope that we have made their most legendary Royal Historian, L. Frank Baum, proud with this endeavor.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  GABRIEL GALE is a science and history buff and a thrill-seeking adventurer, attributes that serve him well as a royal historian of Oz. He lives in the borough of Brooklyn, New York, where he tries to stay out of trouble—although he claims (like a certain noteworthy ancestor of his) to have been transported to the magical Land of Oz on several occasions. When he isn’t fighting rogue Sorcerers, Wizards, and Witches, Gabe is a writer, an artist, an explorer, and above all, a relentless defender of the Good.

  LISA FIEDLER is the author of many novels for children and young adults. She currently divides her time between Connecticut and the Rhode Island seashore, where she lives happily with her very patient husband, her brilliant and beloved daughter, and their two incredibly spoiled golden retrievers.

  Learn more at AgesofOz.com!

  MARGARET K. MCELDERRY BOOKS

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  Text and logo copyright © 2017 by Polymorph LLC

  Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Sebastian Giacobino

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  Book design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover and Irene Metaxatos

  Jacket design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover

  Jacket illustrations copyright © 2017 by Sebastian Giacobino

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  The text for this book was set in Sabon LT Std.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Fiedler, Lisa, author. | Giacobino, Sebastian, illustrator.

  Title: A fiery friendship / Lisa Fiedler ; illustrated by Sebastian Giacobino ; Gabriel Gale, creator.

  Description: First edition. | New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, [2017] | Series: Ages of Oz | Summary: When her mother is imprisoned for practicing forbidden Magic, thirteen-year-old Glinda must save the future of Oz from the four Wicked Witches.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016032878 | ISBN 9781481469715 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781481469739 (eBook)

  Subjects: CYAC: Fantasy.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.F457 Fi 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016032878