Of Sorcery and Snow by Shelby Bach Page A

no—hopefully not the dance . Without a ball tomorrow night, Mom would never let me go back to EAS.
    â€œThe quest ,” Chase said. “She cancelled Miriam’s quest. She said it’s too dangerous.”
    For a second, shock made me stupid. “But you can’t just cancel a quest. It’s Miriam’s Tale .”
    Lena’s head popped up over Chase’s shoulder. “That’s basically what Miriam’s saying.”
    â€œShe’s pitching a fit,” Chase told me.
    â€œWell, to be fair, everyone is,” Lena said loyally. She knew Miriam better than Chase and I did. “A quest has never been cancelled before.”
    Obviously, this news blew mine completely out of the water.
    â€œWhat did the Director say exactly ?” I asked. “I mean, most quests are dangerous, right? Why couldn’t she just give Miriam and her Companions rings of return like everybody else?”
    Lena’s voice sounded tinny, like it always does when she recited something from memory. “‘The quest cannot take place. This Tale would mean certain death for its bearer, and I can’t ingood conscience allow her to go.’” Then she added, in her regular voice, “That’s all. Miriam said that Rumpel was reading her Tale in the current volume, and he flipped out . Then the Director made that announcement.”
    â€œWho is she sending in Miriam’s place? The twelfth graders? Your dad?” I asked Chase.
    â€œThat’s just it,” Lena said, sounding kind of helpless. “She’s not sending anyone .”
    â€œThe Director’s just going to leave those kids up there,” Chase said.
    Then the feeling came back, even stronger. I saw it so clearly: the portal to the Arctic Circle, the trail of footprints in the ice . . .
    But that was insane. You couldn’t just hijack someone else’s Tale—that was worse than cancelling it.
    On the other hand, this was the Snow Queen. And if we were right about my destiny, then I was meant to stop her. “We should go. We should find her and go on the quest anyway.”
    Chase nodded. “It would be a big mission. Who knows what kind of security Searcaster set up around the Snow Queen’s old fortress? If the Canon sent all the high-schoolers, that should be enough—”
    â€œNo.” I lowered my voice. “I meant we should go. The three of us.”
    And for some reason, my two best friends looked at me like I’d said I should stop by the Glass Mountain and invite the Snow Queen to the ball.
    â€œThat’s an interesting thought,” Melodie said. I couldn’t see her, but I could hear her. She must have been in the bag on Lena’s shoulder.
    â€œI don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lena said.
    â€œCan you think of anyone better for the job?” I hoped Chasewould side with me, but his face was blank—not a good sign.
    â€œNo,” Lena said, “but Rory, rescue missions don’t usually go out without the Canon’s support. Missions like that, they need supplies, maps, Rumpel’s research. They need help , and if Characters don’t have it . . .”
    I could see where this was going. “They die?”
    Lena nodded, biting her lip.
    â€œThe grown-ups have told us that maybe a million times,” I reminded her. “I’m beginning to think that they say that just to stop us from what we want to do.”
    â€œTheir names were Greg, Simon, Cassie, and Shira,” Chase said. “They were in the year above George. Shira’s sister was stolen by Vasilica the Deathless, and they went after her before the Canon could meet and decide what to do. All five of them died. Their names are engraved on the Wall of Failed Tales. I can show you, if you don’t believe me.”
    â€œTechnically, it was just Shira’s sister’s Tale, but the Director made an exception. They’re all