A Wish for You

Chapter seventeen: the plan

In the night later, King Magnifico was still looking at wishes, absorbing them in his body. As he looked at five more wishes, quivering above him.

The king raised his hand, summoned them downward. "You have the most ambitious wishes." he said in a menacing voice. "You know what that means."

He waved his sharp staff, swirling the wishes round and round, then he poked at them one by one.

"You will never be granted." Said the king, when he poked the first bubble, it shrank back. "You will never be granted." He continued, prodding another. "You will never be granted...so I figure, no point in wasting your energy when you can be of use to me."

As Magnifico pointed his staff at another wish, Amaya and Alzir came down the stairs. "Mi rey! Asha and the boystar have been spotted in the forest!" She announced, trying to sound cheery, the king had to believe that she still supported him.

The king turned, his eyes glowing green. "Is that so?" He said. "How fortunate."

"Shall we gather the citizens so they can see you captive them?" Asked Amaya.

"Oh, we've been gathering them a lot lately, don't you think?" Countering Magnifico, he tapped the sharp tip of his staff thoughtfully.

"I um..." Amaya struggled for words. Once the Wishes were freed, the citizens of Rosas had to be present to reclaim them. It was part of Asha's plan!

"I'm kidding!" Said the king. He shoved the staff towards her playfully. "Sound the trumpets, Amaya! I'll bring back the girl and the star!"

King Magnifico rushed past Amaya, his cape billowing behind him. As soon as he was gone, Amaya tiptoed up the stairs to the study, she peeled out from the staircase to make sure the coast was clear and then hurried toward the dumbwaiter.

"Okay, we must work quickly." She whispered as she slid open the door, Valentino and the teens were all crammed inside.

"And quietly!" Valentino belated loudly. He dropped his voice back down to a whisper. "Sorry, Goats have poor volume control."

Then he scrambled out, ready to put Asha's into action.

From the forest's edge, Asha heard trumpets calling the citizens of Rosas together, she knew that at any moment, Magnifico would begin making his way through the woods to find her and Astra.

Asha's stomach ached at the thought of happening to Astra. "Okay." She said to Astra. "I'm going to keep him far away from you, as soon as Magnifico leaves the castle, you're safe to join the others, once the wishes are free, return to the people and then..." she fought back the emotion rising in her chest. "You must return to the sky."

"What." Astra said. "but I..."

"I know." Said Asha. "But it's the only way."

Then they heard the castle gate opening in the distance. "That's the gate, Astra." She said, "Astra."

But his usually bright face was clouded with worry.

"It'll be okay." Asha promised. "He won't harm me as long as he thinks I'm the only way he can get to you."

But Astra didn't look convinced, and began searching the forest for something–anything—that might help Asha defend herself. Finally, Astra grabbed a stick from the ground and sprinkled dust on its tip.

Astra handed Asha the stick and gestured for her to point and flick it, like a wand. When she did, she accidentally cast a spell on a nearby apple tree! A Red apple swelled to the size of a hat bale and plunked to the ground.