He grins like a crocodile. "Plenty of space if you know where to look for it," he replies, avoiding a direct answer.
An uneasy pit forms in my stomach. Have I returned to Oz in time?
"If I win this election, I’ll make more money than you could possibly dream of.” He gestures wildly, his voice rising in intensity. “More money than the entire Boncharme empire combined."
My mind flashes back to my childhood, when he sat me in this very spot and made me listen to his drunken rants for hours as he extolled the virtues of stepping on other people's backs to get what you want.
My father gulps the rest of his drink and turns to the cart for a refill. "If I'm going to win this campaign, I need as much money as I can get. Tomorrow night, your job is to convince the people to pay up."
Although I keep my face neutral, my mind races with the potential outcome of his plan, the amount of destruction it will cause to the Land of Oz.
Contrary to Grandfather Ozella's belief about my father’s incompetence, he’s erected gaudy statues and gauche buildings emblazoned with the Ozella name and destroyed several influential people in the business world. Gigi—who attends every awards ceremony to check in on her daughter—is fond of warning her son-in-law that "Fools' names and fools' faces always end up in public places."
If the shoe fits.
I've heard the rumors about my father since I was old enough to see him for who he really was: a complete fraud. He’s a prolific womanizer, an abusive boss, and terrible at managing money.
But my father’s biggest flaw is a secret: he has about as much magic power as a toddler wizard, yet he's convinced the people of Oz that he's a force to be reckoned with.
I stand quickly, needing air and a chance to think away from the oppressive confines of my father's house. "I'll be there tomorrow with bells on, Father. But now I'm going for a ride."
The next words out of his mouth stop me in my tracks. "Your mother ran into Griselda Westing at a luncheon the other day."
To an outsider, my father's tone would appear casual, but years under his authority allow me to hear the cold calculation that others might overlook.
I look at my mom, bending to drop a kiss on her cheek. "I hope it was a pleasant meeting, Mother."
She turns her head slowly toward me. "She's perfect for you, darling."
I clench my jaw, staring at her for a long moment before lifting my eyes to my father.
Time to go.
I stride purposefully toward the door, but his loud voice once again stops me.
"You've had your fun, Maddox. We've put up with your tantrum and your fucking asinine exploration of the non-magical world. But you have responsibilities to this family. You will be engaged within the next two weeks."
"Weeks?" I scoff.
He narrows his eyes at me. "Either you pick someone, boy, or I will."
My fury is so potent that my blood turns icy, and it takes everything in me not to level him with a pummeling spell. I don't trust myself to speak, so I give him a tight nod and shut the door behind me.
Over my dead body. Or his.
Chapter three
Dottie
Istare through my windshield, gazing at the tidy path leading to the home of my three adopted brothers. Walking into that house cements my decision to be here. Anticipation, exhilaration, and trepidation flow through me in equal measure. But I committed to Toto. I want to help her, and I’ve missed my brothers immensely.
Granger is good about returning my messages, and I can usually get through to Nick every couple of months. But Leo, the tech genius and inventor, can be harder to pin down.
Auntie Em and Uncle Henry had no idea what they were sending me into all those years ago. Fable Forest is like no other place on earth. When a tornado hit our house in Kansas, leveling the farm and destroying the only home I'd ever known, Granger, Nick, and Leo offered to take me in via some distant connection. Though none of us are related, I think of them as my brothers because it was like finding family from the second we met. I've never heard the full story, but Granger refers to the three of them as orphans of Fable Forest. He claims they wandered into the Land of Oz and never left.
I moved here in the summer before my senior year of high school. It's a hard age to be new anywhere, but holy shit. I walked intoEmerald City Preparatory Schoolon my first day, and it was like being thrown into a viper pit. I also met Toto. This place holds some of the best and worst memories of my young adulthood.
Now, I’ve returned, and I'm not sure what I'm walking into this time.
