Oz Has Spoken: A Reverse Harem Academy Romance (Emerald City Academy Book 3)

by JB Trepagnier

  I finally looked up when I heard Dorothy giggle. “I see why the men in this relationship get along. You all eat like hogs at our farm back in Kansas.”

  “Hey!” Idris said with a mouthful of yellow split pea dip. “I eat like a healthy Flying Monkey.”

  Oprix also had a mouthful of cheese dip. “Farm work is hard. I need a lot of calories.”

  Frankie just laughed. “They all eat like big, beefy men.”

  “Daxar eats like a civilized man,” Ozma pointed out.

  Daxar winked at her. “That’s because Francesca hasn’t brought out her mother’s lemon cakes yet. If the rest of the meal is as good as these appetizers, I’m sure I’ll be eating like these three.”

  Dorothy eyed me over the rim of her wine goblet. “What else do you like besides food, Galen?”

  I shrugged. “There wasn’t time for hobbies living with the Fisher King. I trained so I could run away and try to beat him. I had trouble sleeping living with him because I was always afraid he’d have a bad night and wake me up to beat me. When I couldn’t sleep, I liked to draw.”

  “Is there anything good about our parents?”

  “Just us. I think we are the only good thing our parents did.”

  “Why do you think they sent me all the way to Kansas and put that spell on me?”

  “Locasta probably didn’t want to look after two children.”

  “You’re still assuming there are three of you?” Ozma asked. “I haven’t been a girl very long, but even I know that’s not something you can control.”

  I just shrugged. They needed to know. “Dorothy wouldn’t be alive unless there were three. Three is his sacred number. If he had two babies, Dorothy would be dead, not sent away.”

  “What if your mother decided to save Dorothy and send her away?” Ozma said, challenging me.

  I shook my head. Why was everyone so convinced there was a shred of goodness left in her? I was there when she cast the spell with Locasta against the Sentinels. I was there when she laughed when Locasta reported Frankie and Saffron’s mothers were dead. She thought it was hilarious that it was Dorothy too. Now that I knew Dorothy was my sister, it was just so fucked up. It was making me a little angry, and I worked so hard at controlling my temper.

  “Why are you all so willing to kill Locasta for taking up with the Fisher King, but you want to save my mother?”

  Frankie gave me a grim look. “I want revenge for my mother, but not at the cost of your mother, Galen. We all know this wouldn’t have happened if someone had relieved her instead of leaving her with him.”

  “Yes, but none of you grew up with her. You didn’t hear or see the things she did. Some things that happened here in Oz were because she manipulated the Fisher King into doing them.”

  “Let’s have a pleasant dinner without talking about the Fisher King, shall we?” Daxar said. “I’m hungry. Should we start dinner?”

  I shot Daxar a grateful look. We were getting into dangerous territory with me. I normally tried to keep a calm exterior about everything, but every time someone said anything about trying to redeem my mother, I just wanted to stand on a rooftop and scream every single plot she launched with my father, every mishap that happened in Oz that she found hilarious, and every death she relished in.

  The problem was, what the fuck was I supposed to talk to my sister about if it wasn’t our parents? I was sure she had questions, and the answers were all awful. It surprised me when Dorothy took a seat across from me at the table so we could look each other in the eye while we ate. What the fuck did we talk about now that we were together?

  “Dorothy, what is Kansas like?” Daxar asked.

  I liked Daxar, and I was glad Frankie invited him. I didn’t want to talk about where I came from, but Dorothy probably had pleasanter memories than I did and I wanted to know more about her past. Did she still just want to go home?

  “Kansas is Kansas. It’s very flat and farm work is hard. You have things here in Oz that we don’t have back home, but we have things like cars and trains that you don’t have here. Auntie Em and Uncle Henry can’t afford a car. Only a few people I know have one. I’ve never ridden in a car or train before, just a horse-drawn cart, but I hear you can get to places faster than a cart in one.”

  “What’s a car?” Frankie said, wrinkling her nose.

  “It’s like a cart, but it’s big and made of metal. It’s not drawn by a horse. It runs by steam.”

  “I thought you said people didn’t practice magic in the open in Kans-ass,” Saffron asked. “You can make a metal cart run from steam there?”

  Dorothy started giggling. “That’s not magic, it’s science. It was invented through hard work. We also have gas lighting instead of using candles and I hear some houses are being built with toilets inside that don’t stink up the house. We have an outhouse on our farm, but we do have gas lighting.”

  Frankie had her fork half way to her mouth and was just gaping at Dorothy. “What kind of sorcery is gas lighting? You can light a room without a candle?”

  Dorothy was finding this entire conversation hilarious, but it was confusing me too. The Fisher King talked about his home sometimes too. He didn’t come from Kansas, but he always talked about how aside from the magic, England was by far superior to Oz. According to the Fisher King, the food, music, art, and people in England were much more civilized than Oz.

  But when he talked about his home, he never mentioned toilets that didn’t stink or lights that worked without lighting a candle. If that had been a thing before he left, he would have been complaining about it constantly. Kansas might not have the same magic as Oz, but it had things going for it that Oz hadn’t discovered yet.

  Dorothy was trying so hard not to laugh. “We might not have witches and sorcerers in Oz, but we do have inventors. They use science and engineering to make things, patent them, then eventually make their way into our homes when we can afford them.”

  “Wait, wait. Seriously, exchanging paper and coins for goods is really a thing where you come from? We thought the Wizard just made that up because he was crazy. What about that tax thing he made everyone do?” Frankie asked.

  “Yes, back home, you won’t get anything unless you can pay for it. Most people won’t take a trade for something like in Oz. They want money. And yes, taxes are a real thing. The money people pay in taxes goes to build roads, schools, and government buildings.”

  “Yeah, the Wizard didn’t do that with the taxes he made everyone pay,” Saffron said. “The Munchkins were so angry about them because they had to pay them, but no one could see what they were being used for. The Wizard only ever built things to make his life more comfortable, and if something broke in Oz, everyone came together to fix it like we always did.”

  Dorothy just shrugged. “I miss some things about Kansas, but not having money pretty much sucks. Our farm was small and kept us fed, but it didn’t make a lot of money. I like the barter system in Oz better. When I came here the first time, a very nice Munchkin named Boq put me up for the night and fed me. It’s not like that back home. Most people don’t let strangers sleep in their house.”

  “So, the hard question of the night, Dorothy,” Frankie said.

  I already knew what she would ask. I was desperate for that answer, but did we need to go there when everyone was having a pleasant conversation and we were laughing? Everyone in the room knew what she would ask, including Dorothy.

  Dorothy didn’t get upset. She grabbed Ozma’s hand and squeezed it. “I decided before I knew I was born in Oz. I love Ozma and I want to stay here with her. She will use the Nome King’s belt to wish me home to say goodbye to my Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, and then she will wish me back so I can live here with her. I’ll be able to tell them I didn’t run away and that I’ll be somewhere I’m happy.”

  I think we were all grinning at the two of them like total idiots. I would have been happy for Dorothy even if she wasn’t my sister. I was happy for Ozma too. They were adorable together, an
d once they both learned to use their inherent magic, they would be quite the power couple.

  I think we were all getting a little drunk off that Munchkin wine, and the food was excellent. Even Daxar was a little drunk.

  “The Fisher King will shit his pants when he realizes one of his offspring is alive and with a Sentinel, and the other has been released from her curse and with the Queen of Oz,” Daxar said, raising his wine glass.

  “What about Locasta’s maid? If she’s our missing sister, do you think she’ll find happiness too?” Dorothy asked.

  Frankie raised her glass. “I think she’ll be giddy just to get out of the fucking North.”

  Chapter 7

  Frankie

  D

  inner went well as long as we avoided the topic of Galen’s mother. He got this look on his face every time we brought her up, but I still didn’t know what to do with her. I didn’t know if she was a manipulated, abused woman, or if she was bitter like Galen said that no one had brought her gifts and tributes and was using the Fisher King just as much as he was using her.

  We had a good dinner if we just focused on our relationships and Dorothy’s home. It was nice to laugh over good food and forget about the Fisher King for a little while, even if I was technically eating with two of his children.

  I still needed to be there for Galen. After everyone left, I pulled my mirror out and contacted Gugu. His mice were supposed to contact Locasta’s maid tonight. We didn’t even know her name yet. My mirror shimmered, and I saw Gugu sprawled on his bed.

  “Little Sentinel, contact has been made. The girl wants to leave, but getting her out will be difficult. Locasta won’t let her leave her side, and she sleeps on a pallet in Locasta’s room. The mice had to approach her when Locasta’s back was turned and they didn’t get to talk long.”

  “Did you get her name?” Galen asked.

  “Her name is Esiro. She’s scared to run because she’s tried before. Locasta caught her and had her beaten in that jail. If we do this, we have to do it carefully.”

  “Before you break her out, have her take off any jewelry,” I said. “If Locasta caught her running away before, she’s probably given her a tracking totem and given her a story, so she never takes it off.”

  “How do you intend to get her out if Locasta won’t let her out of her sight?” Galen asked.

  Gugu just chuckled. “My mice are excellent spies. They watched her all day and all night before they approached. Locasta makes her sleep on a pallet in her room and keeps her close all day, but around two in the morning every night, she teleports out of her bedroom. She’s most likely meeting with the Fisher King, and she thinks she’s safe leaving Esiro sleeping. I have a plan for the guards outside her door.”

  “Care to share?”

  What plan could Gugu possibly have that would keep attention off his people, Emerald City, and the South since the attack on the jail. I knew we had to get Esiro out, and we only had one shot. Locasta had no idea we were onto her. If Esiro was caught so soon after Glinda, the Fisher King would know we were getting information from someone and the only person we could get it from would be Galen. I wanted the Fisher King careless and making his move before he was at full power, but I had to keep Galen, and now Dorothy safe.

  “Simple. Arrogance is the hubris of evil. Locasta thinks her little late-night teleportation trips are secret, but Esiro knows about them. The night we intend to break her out, she will wait until Locasta has teleported out her bedroom. She will pretend to wake up and notice her gone. She will alert the guard at the door that someone teleported in and kidnapped Locasta from her bed. She will escape the castle in the chaos and meet with my people who will teleport her out. No suspicion will be put on the rest of Oz because Locasta always teleports back in an hour. She’ll clear up the mess she’s been kidnapped and just assume Esiro is a stupid young girl. She’ll send her men on a new search, but Esiro will be deep into my forest by then.”

  “That’s genius, but if I’ve learned anything about going to the North, things can go wrong.”

  Gugu started laughing again, and I wasn’t sure what he found so funny. Shit turning into a disaster in the North wasn’t the least bit funny. We nearly got ambushed in Mombi’s shack and Galen got shot with a poisoned arrow.

  “Little Sentinel, I would say life has become somewhat chaotic for Locasta since you planted that hex bag in her bedroom. She still hasn’t found it, but she has found herself in a bit of a spell of bad luck. She’s avoiding the public because her face has broken out like a teenage Munchkin and she’s finding her little plots and raids aren’t going as smoothly as they used to.”

  I grabbed Galen and squeezed him. “Thank you for that bit of magic. You may save some people in the North. We’ll save your sister.”

  “When are you making your move?” I asked Gugu.

  “If everything goes as planned, Esiro will be in the Forest of Gugu in a few hours. We’re breaking her out when Locasta teleports out in the middle of the night tonight.”

  “Does Esiro know? This seems so fast.”

  Gugu chuffed. “To use a phrase you enjoy, The Forest of Gugu doesn’t fuck around.”

  “What is my sister like?” Galen asked.

  Gugu smiled. “She has various plots and subplots to kill Locasta, but she hasn’t settled on the right one yet. Even if she ends up not being your sister, she will be an asset to your fight and can give you intel on Locasta.”

  “When will she be arriving in Emerald City?”

  “After she’s slept and had a proper meal. She’s not a hostage anymore and we have to tell her who she really is. We have to convince her she will be safe with you. I don’t know how long that will take, but I won’t teleport her to you if she has doubts in her mind or I suspect she’s a danger. She has been close to Locasta her entire life.”

  I saw Galen get angry and run his fingers through his hair. We didn’t know for sure Esiro was his sister, but Galen seemed convinced. He had all his hopes set on it. He would be heartbroken if Esiro got here and she was just some Gillikin girl Locasta tortured.

  “Thank you, Gugu. Keep us posted.”

  I decided to just do it. It was the wrong time, but with everything going on, it would never be right. I grabbed Galen and just kissed him. He stiffened up for a minute, then his hands tangled in my braids and he kissed me back. Galen was a good kisser considering I was sure this was his first kiss.

  I didn’t want to break it, but this couldn’t go further. I needed to take baby steps with Galen and I needed to talk to Idris and Oprix. I had totally forgotten they were both in the room with us because I had been wrapped up in my conversation with Gugu trying to get Esiro to safety.

  Idris reminded me in the most Idris way possible. He started hooting and hollering when I broke the kiss.

  “Damn, Frankie. I was wondering when you would finally kiss him. Oprix and I know you are into each other, but aside from sleeping, you never touch each other. You can cut the fucking tension when the two of you are in the same room, but neither of you would make the first move.”

  “Don’t be a pig, Idris,” Oprix groaned.

  “You aren’t mad?” Galen asked.

  He was still worried Idris would fight him when we all shared a bed?

  Idris just kicked his feet up on the table with this smug look on his face like he hadn’t done all this huffing and puffing when he first met Galen.

  “Frankie likes you, man. It pissed me off when you got here because I knew you were into her too. I’m over it now and you’re one of us. If the two of you are holding back because of me, don’t.”

  Idris was blustering and doing his big male thing, but we all knew if I fell in love with Galen, he would find something good about him to like. The only person in the room who didn’t know that was Galen. Galen needed to know Idris was okay with it and I guess he needed to know he had my permission.

  “Galen, I—”

  Maybe Galen didn’t need my reassurance. He gra
bbed me and gave me a passionate kiss.

  Chapter 8

  Frankie

  I

  t seemed silly to go to class when Gugu was arranging a rescue in the North, but I couldn’t just think about myself and Galen. Oprix needed magic class to learn to fly and Dorothy and Ozma were coming to fight training, even if Glinda was their private tutor for magic. Glinda could admit fighting wasn’t her forte and fighting would be best taught by someone else.

  Idris was training Dorothy with her new staff and I was working with Ozma and Oprix with their scythes. Saffron was working with the rest of the class with the staff. Galen would help, but he was still healing from his shoulder wound. It was healing as it should, but those things take time and I couldn’t magically make it better. I could just give him tonics for the pain and put poultices on it so it wouldn’t get infected.

  We had started meeting in the throne room after classes. Galen and I were working on Esiro and Ozma was still hunting moles. All the midwives Glinda had spoken to were spooked and not talking. The one that treated her was missing and so was her husband. It was like the entire family just up and disappeared, but they weren’t in the jail in the North when we broke everyone out.

  We were all sitting around the table again. I was hoping Elore and Khuzin would be there, but I was learning Glinda called these meetings during their nap times so she could get away. I still hadn’t gotten my playdate with Elore and I just wanted to cuddle Khuzin and read to him.

  Ozma had locked in on the midwife and she wasn’t letting that go. “Could she have been bribed? She and her husband could have taken the money and retired in the South. My men reported no signs of a struggle at the house or her shop.”

  Glinda shook her head. “I suppose it’s possible, but I trusted her and she wasn’t lying to me when she was telling me her story. I think something bad has happened to them. How do you know there was no sign of a struggle because it was staged to look that way?”