Scarlet Discovers True Strength (18 page)

“Well, there you are, Bitty!”
Cassie cooed as her pet glowfur landed on her shoulder and gave her pale cheek a nuzzle. Bitty's soft fur tickled her face and made the girl giggle. Cassie finished twisting her long, glimmering pinkish-white hair into a second pigtail bun, fastened it in place with a starpin, and reached over to give the creature a quick pat. She was rewarded with Bitty's Song of Contentment, and Cassie, who had heard it many times before, hummed along.

“That's really pretty,” someone said. Cassie turned around to find her roommate smiling at her. Sage was freshly gleaming from her sparkle shower, wrapped in a soft lavender towel that matched her hair and eyes.

Cassie nodded in agreement. “Did you know that glowfurs have twenty-six distinct songs?” she asked. “And that each glowfur has her own version of each tune? This is one of my favorites. After the Song of Joy and Song of Enchantment, of course.”

“I can't believe it,” said Sage. Then she laughed. “Actually, I'm pretty sure you've told me that before.”

Not letting go of her towel, Sage opened her closet door with her wish energy manipulation skills and quickly got dressed behind it. Cassie, who was a private person herself, was grateful to have a similarly modest roommate. When Sage emerged, she was wearing a loosely woven, shimmery sweater over a long sleeveless dress that flickered and changed color as she moved—exhibiting more shades of purple than Cassie knew even existed.

Sage shook her head in mock seriousness. “Actually, what I really can't believe is you still haven't gotten caught with that thing,” she said with a laugh.

Bitty gave a squeak of indignation and Cassie said, “She's just kidding, Bitty.” To Sage she said, “This
thing
is my pride and joy.” Bitty gave another squeak, this time of approval. Cassie knew Sage was just teasing. She was actually quite fond of Bitty, and even smuggled dessert leftovers out of the Celestial Café with the intent to entice the little creature to eat out of her hand. Plus, of course, she willingly kept Cassie's secret to herself.

“That's because Bitty and I are very careful,” said Cassie, smoothing her silver tunic with the ruffled hem. Bitty took off from Cassie's shoulder and circled the room, still singing her song. Cassie smiled at Sage. “And because I have a very discreet roommate.”

Sage nodded as she crouched to buckle her sandals. “I
am
discreet, aren't I?”

“You are,” said Cassie. She had read the Starling Academy Student Manual from cover to cover and knew quite well that pets were expressly forbidden in the student dormitories. She told herself that she had taken Bitty to school with her because the creature would have been lonely back at her uncle's mansion. He was away on book tours more often than he was home. But the truth was that Cassie simply couldn't part with her pet, who had once belonged to her dear departed mother. When Bitty sang her evening song, Cassie knew that her mother had fallen asleep to the very same tune many staryears before. It wasn't much, in the grand scheme of things, but it brought her great comfort. So Cassie had packed up Bitty and a case of green globules and successfully smuggled her past the Bot-Bot guards on the first day of school.

Sage stood and walked over to the door, her lavender braids gleaming.

“Ready to start the starday?” she asked Cassie.

“Ready!” said Cassie. Bitty zoomed in for a kiss on her furry head and began her good-bye song, but it was the shortened version, not the one she'd sing if Cassie ever left her behind to go on a long voyage. She knew Cassie would be back in mere starhours.

Cassie hurried to the door. “Oh, let me,” she begged, so Sage stepped aside. Cassie concentrated on opening the door with her wish energy manipulation skills and the door began to tremble, almost imperceptibly, as if it were trying to decide whether it wanted to be opened or stay closed. A starmin or so later, after Cassie's pale face got quite pink from the effort, the door slid open fluidly.

Cassie grinned and turned to Sage. “You're like my good luck charm, Sage,” she said. “I wish I was as good in Wishful Thinking class as I am in our room.” She shrugged. “I guess I get stage fright or something.”

Sage nodded and for a starsec Cassie thought she caught a flicker of a smile on her roommate's face. But it disappeared as they stepped into the hallway and onto the Cosmic Transporter, and soon the observation slipped from Cassie's mind.

Cassie's stomach grumbled. “I wonder what to order for break—”

“Stop right there!” someone barked.

Cassie rolled her eyes and shook her head. They were standing on the Cosmic Transporter and couldn't stop even if they wanted to, for stars' sake.

But Sage laughed merrily. “Hurry up, Mojo!” she cried.

The Bot-Bot guard zoomed after them eagerly. His official name was MO-J4, but Sage thought that was too formal and had settled on the nickname, which he had embraced wholeheartedly. Mojo had taken an instant starshine to Sage during her orientation tour and had been delighted by everything Sage did and said ever since. Cassie later discovered that Bot-Bots generally acted by the holo-book, with a preset vocabulary and a limited range of programmed reactions. But Mojo was special. He had a personality that was silly and fun, and he often greeted Sage with special jokes and occasionally left a gift on her doorstep.

Cassie couldn't help feeling a small stab of jealousy as Mojo excitedly told Sage about the morning's star-rise and showed her the holo-video he had taken just for her. Sometimes Cassie wished that she and Bitty could talk like Sage and Mojo did. Though she wasn't quite sure what Bitty would say. Most likely, “More green globules, please.” Or maybe, “Rub my glowbelly for another starhour if you don't mind.” The only present (besides the gift of music) that Bitty had ever given Cassie was a half-eaten green globule, left in the toe of her silver slipper. And by the time Cassie had found it, it was as hard as a meteorite. Cassie had tossed it into the vanishing garbage can. She knew exactly what green globules tasted like, even at the peak of freshness. Horrible.

Still, she wouldn't trade Bitty for all the wish energy on Starland. She half-listened to Sage and Mojo chat away. She smiled, remembering that Sage had initially confided in her that she found MO-J4's slavish devotion a bit annoying. But then the silvery creature had started to grow on her. Sage was used to small annoying creatures, she had told Cassie, who laughed, knowing she was referring to her younger twin brothers, who could be quite a handful. As an only child, and an orphaned one at that, Cassie had nodded along in apparent sympathy. But Cassie would have liked nothing more than an annoying sibling (or two or even three) to liven things up around her uncle's quiet home. That's why she liked it there at Starling Academy so much, she realized. It was lively and there was always something going on to keep her entertained. Like that time when Astra had bet everyone that she could do a triple flip off the starbounce—while eating a half-moon pie. It had looked like she was going to win the wager, too, when Leona had—

Just then she realized Sage was trying to get her attention. “Cassie!” she was saying, snapping her fingers in Cassie's face. Cassie blinked. “We haven't even discussed Scarlet's return yet! I mean, that was so unexpected. So what do you think about—”

Cassie held up her hand. She turned to MO-J4. “I'm going to shut off your hearing,” she told the Bot-Bot. Even though he was extremely devoted to Sage, the Star Darlings couldn't take any chances with anyone—or anything—learning about their secret missions.

MO-J4's eyes flashed as if he was annoyed by the request, but he politely acquiesced. “Certainly, Cassie,” he said smoothly.

Sage nodded her thanks. “Though I'm sure he wouldn't say a word,” she hurriedly said.

“I know,” said Cassie. “But as loyal as he is, we really can't take any chances. Lady Stella would want it this way.”

Sage nodded solemnly. “So what do you think about Scarlet's return?” she asked. “What does it mean?”