Free Dorothy Must Die Novella #7 by Danielle Paige

bitterly. “They don’t care about her . Just what she found out.”
    â€œDo you think she’s . . .” Lanadel couldn’t bring herself to say it.
    â€œProbably. Wouldn’t be the first friend I’ve lost here.” Melindra smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s easier with the ones like Holly and Larkin. I don’t miss them as much. But as for where they want to send you, I don’t know.”
    â€œDo you think they meant the Wizard?”
    Melindra shook her head. “No way. Not if they were talking about centuries of power. I’ve heard that time moves differently in the Other Place, where the Wizard is from, but he wasn’t in Oz for that long. I don’t know who they mean, but I don’t like it.”
    â€œNox seemed like he really cares about you,” Lanadel said. “Or at least . . .” She didn’t know what to say. Nox and Melindra’s relationship was so complicated. She wished there was something she could do to help her friend. But she couldn’t make Nox into a different person. The real Nox, the one that Melindra saw when it was just the two of them. She couldn’t even be herself around Melindra. She didn’t know how. She felt sometimes as though she was just wearing a dozen different masks, depending on the time of day. That must have been what Gert meant about her making a good spy. But spy for what?
    â€œIf he’s trying to make decisions for me behind my back, that’s not caring,” Melindra said, her voice hard.
    â€œIt didn’t seem like that. It seemed like he was trying to—to protect you,” Lanadel said.
    â€œThat’s even worse.” Suddenly Melindra looked away. “Can you—do you mind leaving me alone for a while?”
    Lanadel stared. Was Melindra crying ?
    â€œI don’t know what to tell you about what you heard,” Melindra said, her voice muffled. “I just need to think right now. Can we talk in the morning? Please?”
    â€œOf course,” Lanadel said quickly, jumping to her feet. She wanted to reach out to Melindra. To comfort her. But she had no idea how. She backed silently out of Melindra’s room, but not fast enough to miss a single, heartrending sob.
    Back in her own sleeping cave, she stared up at the ceiling. Even Melindra had no idea what Gert and Nox had meant about sending her somewhere else. And why was Melindra so ready to risk her life on a mission that had already probably killed another member of the Order?
    Nothing made any sense, and it was clear she wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. As she lay there, she remembered the feeling of incredible peace that she’d felt as she looked out across the beautiful, shimmering landscape of Oz, when she’d used her own power to bring them back to the top of Mount Gillikin the first day Mombi had taught her magic. She didn’t need Mombi or Melindra around. She was strong enough now to use her power on her own. If she wasn’t going to sleep, she might as well enjoy the view.
    She closed her eyes, feeling power surging through her likea huge, wild current. She knew what she was doing was dangerous—not to mention stupid. If she couldn’t control the river, she’d be washed away. Mombi had told her explicitly not to so much as move a pebble without supervision. That her anger could take control—and that would be the end of her. But the thought of trying out her new strength was too tempting. Take me to the top of the mountain, she thought.
    The energy pulsed through her as though every cell in her body was coming alive in a whole new way. And then she wasn’t in her stuffy, tiny sleeping chamber anymore. She was outside, breathing in the clean, lavender-scented air. Overhead, the dazzling stars sparkled and turned. She was so high up she could see the slender silver threads from which they hung. Pale wisps of moonlit clouds blew across a