by Mari Mancusi
But it wasn’t how it was. And that hurt.
She felt a weight in her stomach as her mind involuntarily rehashed the previous scene. Stu and Ashley hiding in the bathroom, laughing and joking—thick as thieves. And as they came out, sheepish smiles on their faces, something rotten had risen in her chest. Something that felt a lot like jealousy.
A horrifying thought struck her. Did Stu like Ashley? Like, like her like her? Was that why he was acting so weird? He clearly wanted to tell Sophie something. Something he seemed to think would make her mad. This would certainly qualify.
Her gut churned. Not that she would mind if Stu found a girlfriend in general. It was certainly going to happen eventually—he was an awesome guy, even if no one in school noticed but her. But still! Ashley Jones? Of all the girls in the world not worthy of her awesome best friend? Ashley Jones pretty much topped the very long list.
“Is everything okay, Sophie?” Merlin asked, dropping back to check on her. Up ahead, Ashley and Stu were talking and laughing and playing hide-and-seek with the dragon under Ashley’s jacket. Like they were best friends. Or something more…?
“Tell them they need to keep the dragon under wraps!” she snapped. “This isn’t some kind of game. If someone sees him…”
Merlin gave her a pitying look. As if he could read her mind. He patted her on the shoulder. “It’s going to be okay,” he said in the kindest voice, which made Sophie want to burst into frustrated tears. Then he nodded at Stu and Ashley. “Leave those two knuckleheads to me.”
He ran to catch up with them and a moment later she heard his scolding voice. Stu turned around and gave her a guilty look. But he didn’t come back to talk to her. More frustration rose inside her.
After the show, she swore. I am getting you alone and you are going to tell me everything.
When they arrived at the auditorium, there was already a long line. They waited patiently until it was their turn, then handed over their tickets and found their seats. Once they were settled in, Merlin leaned on their shared table. “All right,” he said. “Someone will be over to serve you dinner shortly. And when the show is over, I’ll come and collect you.” He glanced over his shoulder at two nearby security guards who were eyeing him suspiciously. “In the meantime, I’ve, uh, got a potion to finish.”
And with that, he dashed back up the steps, making a hasty retreat to the exit.
Ashley looked down at her place setting. “Where’s the silverware?” she asked, lifting up her plate.
“There was no silverware in medieval times,” Stu told her. “They all ate with their hands. It was super messy, too. If I wasn’t worried about changing history, I totally would have invented the fork while I was there.”
“No worries. I think I might have one in my bag.” Ashley started digging into her bottomless pink backpack, which clearly did contain everything.
Stu turned to Sophie, poking her in the side. “This place is amazing, huh?” he cried. “Way bigger than Medieval Manor back home. Look at all the weapons they have lined up on the side. Do you think they use all those in every show? ’Cause that spiked mace is way cool.”
He was talking a mile a minute. Pretending nothing was wrong. Sophie suddenly wanted to strangle him.
“Congratulations,” she spit out. “Guess you got your Vegas adventure after all. Despite the best efforts of the fun police.”
Stu’s face fell. He sat back in his seat, looking stunned. Sophie immediately felt bad. “Look,” she said. “I just—”
He waved her off. “I have to go to the bathroom,” he said, ducking under the table before she could protest. “Don’t worry. I promise not to have any fun while I’m gone.”
“Stu…”
But he just shook his head, pushing his way down the aisle, past the arriving tourists, and up the stairs. Sophie sank back in her seat, squirming with misery. Awesome. This was getting better and better.
“Dude, what is your problem?”
And…even better.
Sophie turned to find Ashley watching her. Eyes flashing with displeasure. “What?” she asked tiredly.
“I mean, no offense? But you’re acting like a total jerk.”
“Excuse me?” Sophie sat up in her seat, anger igniting inside her. How dare Ashley pass judgment on her? She wasn’t even supposed to be here!
Ashley sniffed. “I think you heard me just fine.”
“Oh, I heard you all right,” Sophie shot back. “Because for some random reason, you’re still here.”
“What?”
“Come on, Ashley,” she said. “You’ve got your stupid glitter. Why are you still hanging around? Wouldn’t you rather go home and update your precious Pinterest board? Get fitted for a foofy dress?” She narrowed her eyes, shooting daggers in Ashley’s direction. “Or are you trying to stick around for Stu?”
For a moment, Ashley said nothing. Then she burst out laughing. “For Stu?” she spluttered. “Oh my gosh, you don’t think…”
Confusion flared through Sophie. Had she been wrong? Was there nothing going on between them after all? Her face flushed bright red. “I just thought—”
“Please. I have a boyfriend back home. Not that you’d ever pay five seconds of attention to me to notice,” Ashley huffed. “I am so not interested in Stu.”
“Oh.” Sophie’s entire body was now on fire with embarrassment. She stared down into the arena. A few men were sweeping the dirt, filling in the potholes, getting ready for the show as all the spectators took their seats. Could she crawl into one of those holes and die of embarrassment alone?
“Then I don’t understand,” she said instead, forcing herself to turn her attention back to her almost stepsister. “Why are you here?”
“Clearly because I’m an idiot,” Ashley muttered, turning away from her to stare out into the crowd.
“What?”
For a moment, Ashley was silent, watching the men place flags in each corner of the jousting pit. “I just thought…” She wrinkled her nose. “I thought we could do something together. You know. Something…sister-like before the wedding. Something you were into—since you’re clearly too cool for bridesmaid dresses and Pinterest projects.”
Sophie’s stomach dropped. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. You made it quite clear. My poor mom thinks you hate her.”
“What? I don’t hate her!” Sophie protested. “I just…I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I just don’t want my dad to get remarried, okay?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “Not to your mom. Not to anyone!”
“Oh.” Ashley sank back into her seat. “Okay…”
“I mean, come on!” Sophie cried, now on a roll and unable to stop. “Do you really want your mom to get remarried? Do you want to move into my house?”
Ashley’s forehead creased. She stared down into the arena. The workers had finished sweeping and a few men on horseback were galloping up and down the field, checking it over. She watched them for a moment. Then she turned to back to Sophie, her expression oddly serious.
“Yes,” she said. “I mean—I don’t want to move, really. I like our house. I like my room. But my mom? Well, she’s been so unhappy for so long. My dad…” She chewed on her bottom lip. “He wasn’t always a nice guy. And your dad? Well, he’s pretty great. In fact, I’ve never seen her so happy.”
Sophie stared down at her hands, guilt flooding her inside. Her dad had been sad for a long time, too. And who could blame him? His wife had up and disappeared, without ever saying good-bye. And though she had good reason—and little choice—he didn’t know that. It had been rough for him, and he had been lonely all those years since. And Cammy? She brought a new sparkle to his eyes. For the first time in forever, he talked about the future as if it was a good thing. Something he was looking forward to.
And all he wanted was his daughter to understand…like Ashley seemed to understand her mom. Sophie had always thought Ashley was
so shallow and full of herself. Had she misjudged her completely?
“Anyway, you don’t have to worry,” Ashley added quietly. “I’m not going to crash your Fairyland party. I’ll give you the skin cream—you can send me home. I’ll get the avocados done before you get back.” She shrugged and averted her eyes, pretending to be interested in the line of horses prancing out onto the field below. “I know you never wanted to decorate them anyway.”
Her voice was soft on the last part, and Sophie felt a second round of guilt bearing down on her. While Ashley wasn’t completely wrong about her lack of interest in glittering avocados, she could tell it meant something to her future stepsister—a chance for them to bond—and Sophie had basically laughed at her for it.
It was amazing Ashley even wanted her to be her stepsister at this point.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, placing a hand on Ashley’s shoulder. “You can come to Fairyland. You’re part of the team now. You’ve saved our butts a ton already. We can’t do this without you.”
Ashley’s face flashed with hope before she could hide it. “Are you sure?” she asked. “’Cause you and Stu—”
“I’m sure,” Sophie cut her off. Mostly because she wasn’t sure at all—but it seemed the right thing to say. “I want you to come. And I’m sure Stu does, too.” She glanced off in the direction of the bathroom. What was taking him so long?
“About Stu…” Ashley added hesitantly.
“What?”
“Just…don’t be too hard on him, okay? He’s…going through a lot, and…well, I’m not sure he really knows how to tell you about it.”
Sophie shrank back, Ashley’s words like a knife to the gut. So there was something going on with Stu. She knew it!
Except…she didn’t know it. But Ashley did? How would Ashley know? She and Stu weren’t even friends!
She sat up in her seat. “What did he say to you?” she demanded. It took everything inside her to ask the question. To admit she didn’t have the first clue as to what was going on with her best friend.
But Ashley only shook her head. “You’re going to have to ask him yourself,” she said. “Just…try to be nice, okay?”
Before Sophie could say anything else, a waiter dressed in a tunic and tights, and with a floppy hat on his head, arrived at their row, asking what they’d like to drink.
“I’ll take a Diet Coke,” Ashley declared. “No ice.”
“Um…” the man said, squinting at Ashley, looking puzzled.
“They probably don’t have Diet Coke,” Sophie whispered, trying to save her. “Just like they don’t have silverware.”
“Oh. We have Diet Coke,” the man corrected. “It’s just…are you okay, miss? There’s something…moving…in your shirt.”
Ashley’s eyes widened. She looked down at her jacket, which was, indeed, wiggling. Uh-oh. Spike must have woken up. Sophie’s heart beat faster in her chest. Please don’t poke your head out! she silently begged the dragon.
Ashley leaped up from her seat, shaking her entire body. “I’m just excited!” she cried. “And I just can’t hide it! I’m a cheerleader, you know! We really like to root for our team!” She raised a hand in the air. “Go, team…?”
“Dragon,” Sophie suggested, trying not to laugh.
“Go, Team Dragon!” Ashley whooped. The man gave her a weird look and retreated quickly.
Ashley smirked, dropping back down to her seat. Sophie shook her head, impressed. “Wow,” she said. “That was some quick thinking.”
“I know, right?” Ashley agreed. She stole a peek down her shirt. “The last thing we need is for this little guy to show his face again. After all, he’s only just stopped trending on Twitter.”
Sophie laughed. “Well, I appreciate you taking care of him. I know he’s not your favorite accessory.”
“Eh, he’s not so bad,” Ashley said with a small smile, reaching under her jacket to give the dragon a little pat on the back. “In fact, he’s kind of cute.”
At that moment a trumpet echoed through the arena. The lights flickered, indicating the start of the show. Stu returned to his seat—just in time. But not in time to talk. Sophie wondered, for a moment, if this was intentional.
She turned her attention to the pit. The guy they’d met earlier—real Merlin’s nemesis—had stepped out into the middle. His beard had been fixed, thankfully, and his robes looked freshly washed—which was very unrealistic, when it came to real Merlin. On his head he wore a pointy sorcerer’s hat and he carried a large, ornate gold staff.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” he declared, the microphone amplifying his voice. “Welcome to Camelot!”
As the crowd went wild, Sophie leaned back in her seat, stealing a glance over at Stu. Seeing Merlin down there—even a fake one—had brought back that moment in medieval times when Stu had pulled the sword from the stone. She remembered how nervous he had been about filling in for Arthur. And how she’d used her magic to help him—without even realizing she’d done it. She remembered the look on his face as he held the sword high above his head while the crowd cheered him on and bowed before him. And as his gaze swung to her, they’d shared a smile, knowing it had been a team effort. They’d done it together.
But now? Stu was still here. Yet she felt more alone than ever.
The horse gave an uneasy whinny, swishing its tail from side to side as Morgana snuck up behind it. She peered around its hind flank, trying to catch a glimpse of something—anything—to give her a clue as to the Grail’s whereabouts. It had to be here somewhere. All signs pointed to this castle—to this tournament—starring none other than Merlin himself.
She chuckled to herself. It had been almost too easy. Those ridiculous children had given her all she needed to know about the Grail’s whereabouts with their casual conversation by the fire. They may have outwitted her in the end and stolen her horse, but that was of little consequence. She could always get a new horse. But the Grail? This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
And she planned to make the most of it.
It had been simple after that. Travel to Merlin’s Crystal Cave and cast the spell to activate the waters of the wizard’s Well of Dreams. And soon she found herself on her second trip forward in time, to a land of dazzling lights and colors and sounds. At first she’d been, admittedly, a bit lost—and rather overwhelmed by all the people and buildings rising high to the sky. But a simple tracking spell showed the way. To the castle Excalibur. To this very show.
The Grail was here. In this building. She was certain of it. She just had to find it.
“Places, everyone! The show starts in three minutes!” a man to her left, carrying an armful of swords, barked at the crew.
She watched as the knights around her fastened their armor and secured their swords while ladies donned colorful skirts and applied thick paint to their faces. This was evidently going to be quite a tournament. Her eyes lifted to the throne, sitting high on a platform above. There sat a bearded man—the king, she assumed—drinking a cup of bubbly brown liquid and eating some kind of chicken.
They were all eating chicken, she suddenly realized with dismay. Everyone in the entire arena. Oh dear. What if someone accidentally ate the Holy Grail?
No. Merlin would not let that happen.
Where was Merlin, anyway? And did he have the Grail? The wizard was always messing with things that were none of his business. Morgana would never forget the day he broke into her family’s castle when she was just a child. She had been playing with her little brother, Arthur, when Merlin ripped the baby from her arms.
It was then Morgana had learned the truth. That Arthur was the son of High King Uther Pendragon and the destined heir to the throne of the kingdom of Camelot. And Merlin was determined to raise him to reflect his own twisted image, making Arthur his puppet before putting him on the throne. Turning her own brother into her worst enemy.
She started to move forward, to continue her search. But a voice stopped her dead in her tra
cks. “I am Merlin,” the man called. “Wizard of Camelot. Welcome to the Tournament of Kings.”
Morgana’s ears pricked up. Speak of the wizard. She peeked out into the tilt yard, where, sure enough, a man with long silver hair sat astride a tall horse. He had flashing blue robes and seemed to be holding something. She squinted, unable to see him very well with his back to her. But there could be no mistaking it. She had found Merlin at last!
Merlin continued. “Tonight you will see feats of bravery and daring stunts, performed in the name of chivalry,” he went on. “All to win this prize. The Holy Grail itself!”
Morgana’s eyes lit up as he lifted the silver cup to the sky. For a moment, it seemed to shine with an otherworldly glow, before settling back to silver. The crowd roared its enthusiasm.
“Hey! What are you doing back here? No one’s allowed backstage besides the performers.”
She whirled around, seeing a knight approaching her. Great. She’d been spotted. For a moment, she wondered if she should tell him she was part of the court. But as he came closer she saw the sword hanging at his side. Not worth risking it. She raised a hand, summoning a brief wind. It struck him hard in the chest, knocking him backward.
“What are you doing?” he cried. A little too loudly. Suddenly all eyes were on him. Then her.
Time to make her move.
She leaped onto the horse, urging it forward, galloping into the main arena. As she emerged from the tunnel, she was blinded for a moment by all the lights. But she gritted her teeth and dug her heels into the horse’s flanks, increasing her speed, eyes locked on Merlin and his cup.
“Merlin!” she cried. “Give me the Grail. Now!”
The wizard turned. His jaw dropped as he caught sight of her. She frowned, for the first time getting a good glimpse of his face.
It wasn’t Merlin at all.
At least not the Merlin. This imposter’s beard wasn’t even real. And the cup he held in his hand?