Yellow Brick War (10 page)

Toto is so cute today. I am teching him to fetch but he only wants to play!

“Holy
shit
,” I breathed. This was it. It had to be. There was only one kid in Kansas who'd had an aunt named Em and a dog named Toto: Dorothy Gale, the little girl who'd gone to Oz. I turned the pages, skimming Dorothy's diary entries. More about her chickens, her dog, her farm chores. And then: two blank pages, and after that, in a bolder, more jagged handwriting:

NO ONE BELEVES ME. BUT I WENT. THEY'LL BE SORRY ONE DAY EVERY ONE THAT SAID I LYED.

That was it. The journal ended there. The rest of the pages were blank. Nothing about her shoes, her return to Kansas, or anything that had happened in Oz. If there was any more writing hidden there, Mombi's spell hadn't revealed it. I sighed and closed the diary. All I'd discovered was that Dorothy was real—which I really, definitely already knew—and that someone had wanted to hide that fact. Someone with a lot of power. Someone who I was pretty sure wasn't on my side. I hid Dorothy's journal under my mattress and closed my eyes. I'd figure something else out in the morning. But for now, I was exhausted.

I tossed and turned for a while on my narrow bed, and when I finally fell asleep, I dreamed terrible dreams, reliving some of the worst moments I'd had in Oz. The spell I'd used to permanently separate Pete and Ozma while Ozma screamed in pain. Beheading the Lion, the fountain of his blood spurting all over me. Polychrome's broken body. And in the background, Dorothy cackled away, mocking my inability to defeat her, her red shoes pulsing with that awful light.

Everything else faded away, and then I faced her alone on an open, dusty plain that looked strangely familiar. Gray-green lightning struck the barren earth around us, and thunder boomed in the distance. Dorothy's eyes were crazy, and a hot wind whipped her checked dress and blew dust in my eyes until I could barely see. I reached deep within myself to find the magic
to fight her, but there was nothing there. She laughed as she watched me struggle, and then snapped her fingers. Helpless, I watched swirling darkness gather itself over her open palm. She raised one hand to fling it toward me, and I threw up my arms as if that would somehow protect me. I could hear someone shouting my name, but faintly, as if he was far away. Someone familiar. Someone who could protect me. Dorothy advanced toward me, shrieking with laughter, and I knew she was about to kill me.

“But you're just a girl,” I said, and her face creased in confusion. “You're just a girl from Kansas. Just like me.”

“No!” she screamed, raising her hand. “I'm not like you! I'll never be that little girl again!”

“Amy!” shouted the faraway voice. “Amy, no!” Suddenly, I knew who he was.

“Nox!” I screamed his name into my dark room, sitting bolt upright with my heart pounding. Seconds later, my mom flung open the door to my room and came running in.

“Amy? Amy, are you okay? What on earth is happening?”

It took me a long time to remember where I was. “I had a bad dream,” I whispered. My mom made a sympathetic noise, and put her arms around me, humming a snatch of a song she used to sing me to sleep with when I wasn't much more than a baby.

“It's okay,” she said gently. “I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.” If I
was
going back to Oz, I couldn't let myself get weak. Nobody sings you lullabies in the middle of a war.

“I'm fine,” I said gruffly. “Just go back to sleep.”

“Okay, honey,” she said softly, and turned to go, closing the door behind her. It took all the willpower I had not to call her back. I just wanted someone to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay. But that would have been a lie. Nothing was going to be okay again as long as Dorothy was alive.

As I fell asleep, I thought one last time about Nox. The dream had felt so real—I could have sworn I'd really heard him, as if he really was trying to help me. But I had no idea where he was, or if he wanted to help me even if he could. Mombi was gone and I had no way of contacting her. I had no idea how to get back to Oz, and no clue what to do next. This time, I was completely on my own. I felt tears dampening my pillow as I slid back into a dark and mercifully dreamless sleep.

Jake was gone the next morning, but my mom was up before I was and had made me scrambled eggs and toast. Really, really burned toast. I took a couple of triangles to be polite, and she sighed. “I'm still getting the hang of this domestic thing,” she admitted. “You don't have to eat them.”

“The blackened part is good for you,” I reassured her, but when her back was turned I tossed my toast into the garbage.

She pressed another bag lunch into my hand as I headed for the door. “See you tonight!” she called. “I won't be home late from work.” She paused for just a second as I opened the door. “Love you, Amy,” she said softly. I hesitated, and the door swung closed on her anxious face.

“You too,” I murmured as I walked away.

Dustin and Madison were waiting for me when I got to school. There was some part of me that almost longed for this halfway normal new life with a mom who cared about taking care of me
and actual friends who weren't Munchkins or talking monkeys. I hadn't realized how much I had wanted this kind of normal life until I had it (sort of). But then I remembered that Dustin and Madison were only being nice to me and my mom had only gotten her act together because I'd vanished for a month. If I'd stayed in Kansas, my normal life would have kept on the same as ever: one long, crappy day after another. It was too strange to think about, and so I decided not to.

“Ready for day two of detention?” Dustin asked me as we walked toward first period. I'd left Dorothy's journal at home, figuring it was safe under my mattress. “Maybe we'll find something else in the library.” I was about to tell him I didn't think that was likely when it hit me. If Baum had interviewed the real Dorothy, maybe the secret to her shoes was somewhere in his books. At the very least, I could look up the Nome King. Baum had used the real Dorothy's memories to write his stories, even though he'd probably thought she was making everything up. If he'd described the Nome King, I might find out something that could help.

We were just passing the dusty old Dorothy diorama when Dustin stopped short. “Here comes trouble,” he said under his breath. “Mad, maybe you should get out of here.” Assistant Principal Strachan was heading straight for us, and he looked
really
pissed.

“I'm not going to abandon you guys,” Madison protested. Dustin Jr. started to cry.

“Miss Gumm, Mr. Cheever,” Assistant Principal Strachan
said icily as he descended on us. “I have a few questions for you about the cleaning job you did yesterday afternoon.” He stressed the word
cleaning
with unmistakable sarcasm. “Miss Pendleton, you may go to class.”

“But—” Madison protested as the first bell rang.

“Is there a
problem
, Miss Pendleton?”

Madison stared him down, and for a second I thought she was actually going to fight him. When Madison's scariness was on my side, it was pretty awesome. Even Assistant Principal Strachan looked a little intimidated. But after a tense pause, she shrugged. “Not today,
sir
,” she drawled, bouncing the still-crying Dustin Jr. in his baby wrap. “See you guys around,” she added, giving Dustin Sr. an ostentatious kiss on the mouth with a satisfied smack before she turned around and sauntered away, her pink-velour-clad butt swishing saucily. I had to hand it to the girl. She had attitude.

The hallway had cleared, and it was just me, Dustin, and Assistant Principal Strachan standing in front of the dusty old glass case. I cleared my throat. “Did you need something from us, sir?”

Assistant Principal Strachan's eyes narrowed. “I have questions for you, Amy,” he hissed. “Perhaps they are better answered in my office.” There was a strange, silvery glint in his eyes. Next to me, Dustin stiffened. I could sense it, too. Something wasn't right. Assistant Principal Strachan had never called me by my first name. And there was something weird about his voice. It almost seemed to echo inside my head. Like the Nome King in
the library. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, Assistant Principal Strachan smiled.

“Very like indeed, Amy Gumm,” he snarled. I hadn't said anything out loud.

“Amy?” Dustin asked, a note of fear creeping into his voice.

“Dustin, get out of here,” I said in a low voice.
“Now.”
But it was too late. Assistant Principal Strachan's face was stretching in front of me, his features melting away and dripping down his chest to reveal the twisted, cruel face of the creature that had confronted me in the library. His shapeless old suit peeled away from his body. Bones snapped and popped as he grew taller. And this time, Dustin could definitely see it.

“Amy, what's happening?” he asked as the husk that had been Assistant Principal Strachan crumpled to the ground and the Nome King took a step toward us.

“Be silent, little boy,” the Nome King hissed, flicking his fingers. I felt his magic as it moved through the air like a shock wave—straight toward Dustin.

“Get down!” I yelled, throwing myself at him and bringing us both to the ground. The Nome King's magic zap missed us by inches and slammed into the wall behind us with a huge, echoing boom. The building shuddered and ceiling tiles crashed down around us.

“Little Dorothy's grip on Oz is weakening,” the Nome King said, his voice eerily calm. “Soon the magic of Oz will have sapped her strength entirely and she will be no good to me whatsoever. But you, my dear Miss Gumm, are made of stronger
stuff. I think you might be very useful indeed.”

Absurdly, I thought of those old episodes of
Scooby-Doo
where a character that everyone thought was friendly is revealed to be the villain in disguise. “I could have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!” he snaps as he's taken away. It's always hard to tell if it's supposed to be scary or funny.

But this situation wasn't at all funny. Without my magic, I had no way to defend myself—and I was on my own. I had to get us out of here before the Nome King killed Dustin and grabbed me, and I had no idea how I was going to do it.

“What do you mean, useful? What did you do with the real Assistant Principal Strachan?” If I couldn't fight him, maybe I could distract him long enough for Dustin to get away. His eyes flicked involuntarily toward the Dorothy diorama, and for the first time I noticed an extra figurine—the spitting image of Assistant Principal Strachan, down to the frumpy suit and scuffed shoes. I shivered. I'd never liked the guy, but I wouldn't have wished
that
for him. And then I noticed something else. Miniature Dorothy was wearing a miniature pair of shoes that glinted under a layer of dust. Silver shoes.

Once you learn how to recognize it, magic is unmistakable. You just need to know what to look for. It's like this talent my mom has for spotting the one shirt on the rack with a tiny hole in it, so she can get a discount. And the silver shoes in the diorama were magic as hell. They were so magic that just standing this close to them was giving me a tingly feeling in my stomach.

I'd found them. I had no idea how they'd gotten there, but the
shoes had been right in front of me the whole time.

The Nome King smiled. “Indeed,” he said. “Hidden in plain sight all this time. I thought they might come in useful someday. I have no trouble moving between worlds, dear Miss Gumm, but not everyone is so lucky. If you are to be the next ruler of Oz, you will need a way to get back. Might I offer you a new pair of footwear?”

The next ruler of Oz? What was he talking about? If the Nome King wanted control of Oz himself, what possible use could I be? Had he been the one behind Dorothy's return to Oz—and if so, why?

“Maybe we can reach an agreement,” I said carefully, giving Dustin a shove. As confused as he was, he got the message. While I slowly got to my feet, staring down the Nome King, Dustin scooted away on his hands and knees.

The Nome King laughed. “An agreement? I don't think you're in a position to bargain, Amy Gumm.”

“She's not,” said a familiar voice behind me. “But I might be.”

The Nome King's smile widened, his toothy grin even scarier than his regular expression. “How thrilling,” he said. “Welcome to the party, little wizard.”

“Nox,” I hissed. “What are you doing here?”

“You can't use magic, Amy. There's no way you can fight the Nome King by yourself.”

“Did Mombi send you?” He didn't answer, his eyes on the Nome King, which made me think he had come here on his own. I had no idea what the consequences were for a witch who disobeyed Quadrant orders, but I was guessing Gert, Glamora, and Mombi wouldn't be too happy with Nox's solo mission.

The Nome King was obviously enjoying the moment. “Do you really think you can protect her against
me
, little boy?
Your
magic barely works here. You're weak and far from home. I urge you to let the matter rest. I have no wish to do harm to your
friend
.” The way he stressed the word clearly indicated that he guessed Nox and I had feelings for each other—and that he found it funny.

“This isn't a game,” Nox said in a low voice. I knew what Nox
was doing. After all, he'd trained me. He was testing the Nome King's defenses, looking for a weakness. But the Nome King had already said his magic didn't work like ours.

“Amy, who are those people? What—what happened to Assistant Principal Strachan?” Shit. I'd forgotten about Dustin. He was still in the hallway.

“Dustin, I mean it! Get out of here!” I hissed.

“I'm not going to just leave you!”

“I can take care of myself!” He didn't budge. “Go call the police!” I yelled. There was nothing a Kansas cop could do to stop a creature like the Nome King, but at least that would get Dustin out of harm's way.

“I'm not leaving you!” he repeated.

“Just
do
it!”

The Nome King lunged forward, reaching out his long thin fingers for me.

“Amy!” Nox shouted.

“I see!” I ducked under the Nome King's arms, my own training kicking in as I somersaulted across the hallway and landed in a crouch next to the display case. But the Nome King hadn't been coming for me at all: he'd been going for Nox, who threw up a quick shield that the Nome King batted away as if it was made of cobwebs.

“This matter does not concern you, child,” he said evenly. “If you wish to leave, you will leave us now.”

“I'm not a child,” Nox said grimly. He raised glowing hands, tendrils of fire licking along his fingers and condensing into a
ball of flame in his palms. The Nome King laughed—that same awful, sinister laughter that slid into my skull like a knife blade. I howled with pain, clapping my hands to my ears. Nox was doubled over, too, tongues of fire dripping harmlessly off his fingers. I had to get us out of here. We couldn't possibly fight off the Nome King if I didn't have magic. I had no doubt he'd kill Nox if he got in the way of whatever the king wanted with me.

Could be worse,
I thought.
At least he's not into glitter.

The silver shoes were the only chance I had for Nox and me to escape. But the Nome King wanted me to take them. What was I getting myself into if I was accidentally obeying him while I tried to save Nox's life? The Nome King advanced toward Nox, grinning, the long spidery fingers of each hand lengthening and turning silver like the Tin Woodman's knife-fingered minions. If I didn't act now, Nox was toast. I pulled off my sweatshirt, wrapped it twice around my arm, and brought my elbow down on the glass diorama case with all my strength. Pain blazed up my arm, and for a second I thought I'd been dumb enough to break my arm instead of the glass. But a long, satisfying crack had appeared on the glass case. One more blow, and the case shattered. Behind me, Nox and the Nome King were circling each other, the Nome King moving easily and Nox's movements tight with anxiety. The Nome King was toying with him like a cat batting a mouse around before she kills it. But at least his sick little game was keeping Nox alive for the moment.

“Amy!” Nox gasped. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to save your life I'm sure,” said the Nome King,
sounding bored. “I can't imagine why she'd bother.”

“You don't really seem like a guy who knows much about friends,” I snarled, grabbing the Dorothy figurine out of the shards of broken glass. As soon as I touched the shoes, I could feel the magic running through them like an electric current. They began to glow with a gentle, warm light that filled the hallway. Dustin, Nox, and the Nome King froze. The shoes grew in my hands like one of those little sponge animals you soak in water until they looked exactly the right size for my feet. I kicked off my sneakers and slipped the shoes over my feet.

“Very good, Amy,” the Nome King purred at the exact moment Dustin yelled, “Amy, no! It has to be a trap!”

I wasn't an idiot. The possibility had already occurred to me. But I didn't know what other choice we had. I had to get Nox and Dustin to safety before the Nome King killed them both.

But something incredible was happening. As soon as I put the shoes on, they began to change. The soles thickened and the thin silk fabric, covered with dozens of hand-sewn sequins, crept up my ankles. Silver laces threaded themselves through polished silver grommets.

Dorothy's magic shoes had turned into a pair of diamond-studded leather combat boots—and they fit me better than any shoe I'd ever owned. I couldn't describe the feeling of wearing them. It was like being hugged by an old, dear friend.
Everything's going to be just fine
, the shoes seemed to sigh. Their gentle presence filled me from my toes to the top of my head. I held my hands up and saw that they glowed with the same beautiful silver
light that had come from the shoes. I could feel magic flowing through my body as though I was a hollow log in a clear stream. I was calm, calmer than I'd ever been. Nothing mattered anymore. I felt a thousand miles away from the chaos in the hallway. I knew if I asked them the shoes would take me anywhere I wanted. And I knew where I wanted to go: back to Oz. I closed my eyes and prepared to summon the power to go home.

“Amy!” Nox cried, and my eyes flew open again. How had I forgotten him? What was I doing? I stared down at my glowing feet. If the shoes were part of the Nome King's plan, how could I possibly trust their magic?

I didn't have time to worry about that. The Nome King clapped his hands in delight when he saw the shoes on my feet. Nox lunged forward, trying to knock the Nome King off his feet, just as Dustin leapt into the fray. His eyes were huge with fear but his face was set in determination. He would get himself killed fighting for me—even though he had no idea what he was up against.

“Dustin, stop!” I yelled, but it was too late. The Nome King whipped a fireball at him so fast I didn't even see his hands move.

“No!” I yelled, reaching for it with my free hand. My boots blazed with light and power and, at last, I could feel the answering pull of my own magic as a web of dull, flickering strands of light spun out of my fingertips. It wasn't enough to deflect the Nome King's fireball, but my net sucked some of the force of his weapon away before it smacked Dustin squarely in the chest. His mouth dropped open into a round
O
of surprise as he stared
down at the blackened crater spreading across his chest, and then he let out a low moan and toppled slowly backward. “Dustin!” I screamed. I heard pounding and shouts in the hallway and a siren in the distance.

A handful of teachers rounded the corner at a run. The Nome King raised his hands, and another shock wave sent them flying backward. Nox, abandoning magic, barreled into the Nome King's stomach, but the Nome King kicked him away easily. The Nome King reached upward and pulled a mass of long, thin strands of darkness out of the air that began to swirl and expand, whirling faster and faster.

“My dear Miss Gumm,” he said lightly, his slithering voice sending chills down my spine. “I'm afraid it's time to bid adieu to your little beau. I'm taking you back to Oz now, where you belong.” The swirling mass of darkness ballooned upward, tearing tiles off the floor and sending them spinning through the shattered windows. Suddenly, I knew what he was doing. He'd summoned a tornado. I had Dorothy's shoes and I knew the Nome King wanted to send me back to Oz. And I knew he wasn't just going to leave Nox behind—he couldn't risk leaving one of the Quadrant. He was going to kill him.

We didn't have much time. In fact, we didn't have any. I wanted to help Dustin. I wanted to tell Madison how much I hoped she got out of Flat Hill someday. I wanted to say good-bye to my mom for the last time. But I didn't have a choice. It was either return to Oz, or watch Nox die in this hallway.

“Nox!” I screamed. “Come on!” He took in my shoes with a
single glance and darted away from the Nome King, wrapping his arms around me. “Take us home!” I yelled above the furious howl of the tornado. The shoes shot out rays of white light, and we floated up—
into
the eye of the storm.

Standing in the middle of the ruined hallway, surrounded by shattered glass, blood, and rubble, the Nome King watched us go. A huge, terrifying smile spread slowly across his face.
I'll see you very soon, Miss Gumm,
his awful voice sliced into my head
.
And then the tornado had us, and everything went dark.