by Ahmet Zappa
“I’m more worried than I was before,” Cassie said with a shake of her head. “I just don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Well, I’ll tell you,” Scarlet said heatedly. “Nothing has changed. Lady Stella is evil. And things are getting worse even after Clover brought back all that wish energy.”
Suddenly, Astra gasped, pointing at the holo-photos. “Oh, my stars. I just saw the woman who’s been plotting with Lady Stella!”
“What are you talking about?” Sage asked. “Show us!” She rewound the pictures with a flick of her wrist.
“Stop!” Astra ordered. “There she is! That’s the woman who’s been meeting with Lady Stella. They’ve been working together for stars know how long!”
The holo-photo showed a woman in a purple cloak standing next to a laboratory table.
Sage stared at the picture, shaking her head wordlessly.
“What’s wrong?” Cassie cried.
“We’ve made a big mistake,” Sage said dully. “Lady Stella can’t possibly be evil. I know that woman really well.” She raised her head, and her lavender eyes glittered.
“She’s my mother.”
Afterglow: The Starling afterlife. When Starlings die, it is said that they have “begun their afterglow.”
Age of Fulfillment: The age at which a Starling is considered mature enough to begin to study wish granting.
Astromuffin: A delicious baked breakfast treat.
Bad Wish Orbs: Orbs that are the result of bad or selfish wishes made on Wishworld. These grow dark and warped and are quickly sent to the Negative Energy Facility.
Big Dipper Dormitory: Where third- and fourth-year students live.
Bot-Bot: A Starland robot. There are Bot-Bot guards, waiters, deliverers, and guides on Starland.
Bright Day: The date a Starling is born, celebrated each year like a Wishling birthday.
Celestial Café: Starling Academy’s outstanding cafeteria.
Chatterburst: An orange flower that turns to face whoever is near to capture attention.
Cloud candy: A fluffy, sticky, sweet treat on a stick, similar to Wishworld cotton candy.
Cosmic Transporter: The moving sidewalk system that transports students through dorms and across the Starling Academy campus.
Countdown Clock: A timing device on a Starling’s Star-Zap. It lets them know how much time is left on a Wish Mission, which coincides with when the Wish Orb will fade.
Crystal Mountains: The most beautiful mountains on Starland. They are located across the lake from Starling Academy.
Cycle of Life: A Starling’s life span. When Starlings die, they are said to have “completed their Cycle of Life.”
Dododay: The second starday of the school week. The days in order are Sweetday, Shineday, Dododay, Yumday, Lunaday, Bopday, Reliquaday, and Babsday. (Starlandians have a three-day weekend every starweek.)
Floozel: The Starland equivalent of a Wishworld mile.
Flutterfocus: A Starland creature similar to a Wishworld butterfly but with illuminated wings.
Frisbeam: A disc-shaped piece of sporting equipment that flies through the air when thrown, like a Wishworld Frisbee.
Galliope: A sparkly Starland creature similar to a Wishworld horse.
Garble greens: A Starland vegetable similar to spinach.
Glion: A gentle Starland creature similar in appearance to a Wishworld lion but with a multicolored glowing mane.
Glitterbees: Blue-and-orange-striped bugs that pollinate Starland flowers and produce a sweet substance called delicata.
Glorange: A glowing orange fruit. Its juice is often enjoyed at breakfast time.
Glowfur: A small furry Starland creature with gossamer wings that eats flowers and glows.
Glowzen: A number equating to a Wishworld dozen.
Good Wish Orbs: Orbs that are the result of positive wishes made on Wishworld. They are planted in Wish-Houses.
Googlehorn: A brass musical instrument that resembles a Wishworld trumpet.
Halo Hall: The building where Starling Academy classes are held.
Holo-text: A message received on a Star-Zap and projected into the air. There are also holo-albums, holo-billboards, holo-books, holo-cards, holo-communications, holo-diaries, holo-flyers, holo-letters, holo-papers, holo-pictures, and holo–place cards. Anything that would be made of paper or contain writing or images on Wishworld is a hologram on Starland.
Hydrong: The Starland equivalent of a Wishworld hundred.
Illumination Library: The impressive library at Starling Academy.
Impossible Wish Orbs: Orbs that are the result of wishes made on Wishworld that are beyond the power of Starlings to grant.
Keytar: A musical instrument that looks like a cross between a guitar and a keyboard.
Lightning Lounge: A place on the Starling Academy campus where students relax and socialize.
Little Dipper Dormitory: Where first- and second-year students live.
Luminous Lake: A serene and lovely lake next to the Starling Academy campus.
Mirror Mantra: A saying specific to each Star Darling that when recited gives her (and her Wisher) reassurance and strength. When a Starling recites her Mirror Mantra while looking in a mirror, she will see her true appearance reflected.
Moonberries: Sweet berries that grow on Starland. They are both Tessa’s and Lady Stella’s favorite snack.
Moonium: An amount similar to a Wishworld million.
Old Prism: A medium-sized historical city about an hour from Starling Academy.
Ozziefruit: Sweet plum-sized indigo fruit that grows on pink-leaved trees and is usually eaten raw or cooked in pies.
Panthera: Clover’s Power Crystal—a cone-shaped jewel with magenta and mauve swirls and a bright purple orb dangling from the bottom.
Plantannas: A curved tubelike fruit encased in a glowing yellow peel, somewhat like a cross between Wishworld bananas and plantains.
Power Crystal: The powerful stone each Star Darling receives once she has granted her first wish.
Purple piphany: Clover’s Wish Blossom—the petals of this flower are surrounded by five rings of pale purple light.
Radiant Recreation Center: The building at Starling Academy where students take Physical Energy, health, and fitness classes. The rec center has a large gymnasium for exercising, a running track, areas for games, and a sparkling star-pool.
Shooting stars: Speeding stars that Starlings can latch on to and ride to Wishworld.
Sparkle shower: An energy shower Starlings take every day to get clean and refresh their sparkling glow.
Star ball: An intramural sport that shares similarities with soccer on Wishworld, but star ball players use energy manipulation to control the ball.
Starcar: The primary mode of transportation for most Starlings. These ultrasafe vehicles drive themselves on cushions of wish energy.
Star Caves: The caverns underneath Starling Academy, where the Star Darlings’ secret Wish Cavern is located.
Starclone: A conical windstorm that can pick up objects and deposit them elsewhere.
Starf!: A Starling expression of dismay.
Star Kindness Day: A special Starland holiday that celebrates spreading kindness, compliments, and good cheer.
Starland City: The largest city on Starland, also its capital.
Starlings: The glowing beings with sparkly skin who live on Starland.
Star Quad: The center of the Starling Academy campus. The dancing fountain, band shell, and hedge maze are located there.
Star salutations: The Starling way to say “thank you.”
Starwire: A cable stretched between two high points that circus performers walk across, like a Wishworld tightrope.
Staryear: The Starland equivalent of a Wishworld year.
Star-Zap: The ultimate smartphone, which Starlings use for all communications. It has myriad features.
Stellation: The point of a star. Halo Hall has five stellations, each housing a different department.
Supernova: A stellar explosion. Also used colloquially, meaning “really angry,” as in “She went supernova when she found out the bad news.”
Time of Letting Go: One of the four seasons on Starland. It falls between the warmest season and the coldest, similar to fall on Wishworld.
Time of Lumiere: The warmest season on Starland, similar to summer on Wishworld.
Time of New Beginnings: Similar to spring on Wishworld, this is the season that follows the coldest time of year; it’s when plants and trees come into bloom.
Time of Shadows: The coldest season of the year on Starland, similar to winter on Wishworld.
Toothlight: A high-tech gadget Starlings use to clean their teeth.
Wish Blossom: The bloom that appears from a Wish Orb after its wish is granted.
Wish energy: The positive energy that is released when a wish is granted. Wish energy powers everything on Starland.
Wisher: The Wishling who has made the wish that is being granted.
Wish-Granters: Starlings whose job is to travel down to Wishworld to help make wishes come true and collect wish energy.
Wish-House: The place where Wish Orbs are planted and cared for until they sparkle. Once the orb’s wish is granted, it becomes a Wish Blossom.
Wishlings: The inhabitants of Wishworld.
Wish Mission: The task a Starling undertakes when she travels to Wishworld to help grant a wish.
Wish Orb: The form a wish takes on Wishworld before traveling to Starland. There it will grow and sparkle when it’s time to grant the wish.
Wish Pendant: A gadget that absorbs and transports wish energy, helps Starlings locate their Wishers, and changes a Starling’s appearance. Each Wish Pendant holds a different special power for its Star Darling.
Wishworld: The planet Starland relies on for wish energy. The beings on Wishworld know it by another name—Earth.
Wishworld Outfit Selector: A program on each Star-Zap that accesses Wishworld fashions for Starlings to wear to blend in on their Wish Missions.
Wishworld Surveillance Deck: A platform located high above the campus where Starling Academy students go to observe Wishlings through high-powered telescopes.
Zing: A traditional Starling breakfast drink. It can be enjoyed hot or iced.
It is impossible to list all of our gratitude, but we will try.
Our most precious gift and greatest teacher, Halo; we love you more than there are stars in the sky…punashaku. To the rest of our crazy, awesome, unique tribe—thank you for teaching us to go for our dreams. Integrity. Strength. Love. Foundation. Family. Grateful. Mimi Muldoon—from your star doodling to naming our Star Darlings, your artistry, unconditional love, and inspiration is infinite. Didi Muldoon—your belief and support in us is only matched by your fierce protection and massive-hearted guidance. Gail. Queen G. Your business sense and witchy wisdom are legendary. Frank—you are missed and we know you are watching over us all. Along with Tutu, Nana, and Deda, who are always present, gently guiding us in spirit. To our colorful, totally genius, and bananas siblings—Patrick, Moon, Diva, and Dweezil—there is more creativity and humor in those four names than most people experience in a lifetime. Blessed. To our magical nieces—Mathilda, Zola, Ceylon, and Mia—the Star Darlings adore you and so do we. Our witchy cuzzie fairy godmothers—Ane and Gina. Our fairy fashion godfather, Paris. Our sweet Panay. Teeta and Freddy—we love you all so much. And our four-legged fur babies—Sandwich, Luna, Figgy, and Pinky Star.
The incredible Barry Waldo, our SD partner. Sent to us from above in perfect timing. Your expertise and friendship are beyond words. We love you and Gary to the moon and back. Long live the manifestation room!
Catherine Daly—the stars shined brightly upon us the day we aligned with you. Your talent and inspiration are otherworldly; our appreciation cannot be expressed in words. Many heartfelt hugs for you and the adorable Oonagh.
To our beloved Disney family. Thank you for believing in us. Wendy Lefkon, our master guide and friend through this entire journey. Stephanie Lurie, for being the first to believe in Star Darlings. Suzanne Murphy, who helped every step of the way. Jeanne Mosure, we fell in love with you the first time we met, and Star Darlings wouldn’t be what it is without you. Andrew Sugerman, thank you so much for all your support.
Our team…Devon (pony pants) and our Monsterfoot crew—so grateful. Richard Scheltinga—our angel and protector. Chris Abramson—thank you! Special appreciation to Richard Thompson, John LaViolette, Swanna, Mario, and Sam.
To our friends old and new—we are so grateful to be on this rad journey that is life with you all. Fay. Jorja. Chandra. Sananda. Sandy. Kathryn. Louise. What wisdom and strength you share. Ruth, Mike, and the rest of our magical Wagon Wheel bunch—how lucky we are. How inspiring you are. We love you.
Last—we have immeasurable gratitude for every person we’ve met along our journey, for all the good and the bad; it is all a gift. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for touching our lives.
Keep reading for a sneak peek at Star Darlings: Gemma and the Ultimate Standoff!
Gemma frowned and narrowed her eyes at her Star-Zap’s screen, trying to use the sheer force of her will to make it chime and flash with an incoming message from Lady Stella. When she looked up, the rest of the Star Darlings were looking back at her quite oddly. Must be nerves, she thought. Everyone was on edge, waiting for the headmistress’s response.
“Any starmin now,” Gemma said encouragingly. “Any starmin now I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Lady Stella. Actually, she’s probably holo-typing like mad right now, writing to let us know that there are no hard feelings! She’s an intelligent, reasonable woman. She’s got to understand that all the evidence was clearly pointing at her. We actually had no choice but to believe she was the culprit.” She caught her breath and thought for a moment. “Although, come to think of it, she actually could be quite angry with us. We did falsely accuse her of sabotaging us. And at the very least, she’s most likely disappointed in us for not trusting her. I mean, she was our headmistress. What were we thinking! But…it’s quite likely she’s simply relieved that we came around to believing in her. I mean, she just disappeared in a puff of smoke as soon as we started talking. What were we supposed to think? She could have explained, convinced us we were wrong. Instead, she vanished! Well, hopefully she’s forgiven us and she’ll have an idea about how we’re supposed to save Starland that she’ll share with us. We certainly haven’t been able to figure that out on our own! Oh, my stars, I just hope she’s not mad at us for doubting her. The truth of the matter is that we really should have—”
“Gemma!” said Adora in a warning tone.
“Yes?” said Gemma, turning toward the tall, slender girl with the sky-blue aura. Gemma had just been getting warmed up and, frankly, resented the interruption.
Adora’s response was to put both index fingers to her temples in the classic Starlandian “zip it” signal. Gemma gave the girl a “What in the stars do you mean?” look. Cool, calm Adora might not need Gemma’s words of comfort, but clearly the rest of the group did. Although Piper had just begun to meditate, her long green ponytail draped over her shoulder like a lovely ripple of seawater, her eyes kept popping open. Cassie was taking off her immaculate star-shaped glasses and unnecessarily polishing them on the hem of her gauzy silver sweater for what was at least the fourth time. And upside-down Astra, who could effortlessly walk on her hands through an obstacle course with her eyes closed, had just clumsily bumped into Clover. That caused the girl to drop the three ozziefruits she was juggling to the floor. Tessa, Gemma’s big sister, absentmindedly picked one up and took a big bite. “Tessa!” snapped the usually starmazingly patient Clover. Tessa turned to her, her lips darkened with the indigo juice. “Sorry,” she said. “I get even hungrier when I’m worried.” Clover looked like she was going to say something else, then picked up a substitute glorange from a bowl on the table. But instead of returning to juggling, she sighed and sat dow
n next to Leona, who was fiddling around with her portable microphone.
Clearly her friends needed a pep talk. With a quick glance at Adora, Gemma opened her mouth, about to launch into some pleasant chatter, sure to calm the group. Yes, Gemma knew she was a talker. A chirpy, cheerful chatterbox. Gaps in conversation seemed empty and were uncomfortable for her. Why stand there in uneasy silence when she could fill it with a joke, an interesting observation, or just some friendly chitchat? She had a lot to say about everything—and anything—under the suns, and she always had the confidence to state what was on her mind. It puzzled her to no end that this ability of hers could occasionally irritate those around her. (She noted that those who did not appreciate her ability generally either had a lot less to say or were lacking the confidence to speak up.) But she knew that her talkativeness could be quite handy for her fellow classmates. She had come to Cassie’s aid more than once when the quiet girl had been called on unexpectedly in class, blushing a stunning shade of silver as she tried to gather her thoughts. And during those awkward lulls in conversation among acquaintances, when everyone was standing around, looking at their feet, searching for something to talk about, Gemma always knew exactly what to say. If she didn’t, she made something up.
“You have the gift of gab, my starshine,” her grandmother used to tell her. That was exactly how Gemma saw it, as a great gift. And now it was time to bestow that gift on her fellow Star Darlings. With everyone about to go supernova with edginess, she felt in her heart of hearts that it was her job to make them all feel at ease. Plus, she felt like she was going to burst if she didn’t say something—about anything—soon. The silence seemed even heavier and more oppressive to her that day.
Gemma felt a slight tremble in her fingers as a message arrived in her Star-Zap’s in-box. Her pulse quickened. This was it! As the phone began to chime and flash, there was a collective sharp intake of breath. Gemma squeezed her eyes shut for a split starsec, then opened them and read the words on-screen aloud: “‘Holo-message failure: Star recipient not found.’”
