“Sure,” said Noah.
Em cleared his throat. “I was thinking we’d insert it midway through the series—so that finding out he’s a crale-hunting fire-weaving prince will have more of an impact.”
“I like that,” said Noah.Of course you do, prick.
They turned onto the footpath encircling the lagoon. As his shoes made contact with the pebbles, Em felt some tenderness in his knees but said nothing, determined to keep pace with Noah.
Because Rho was from the future, his world required more of…everything. So this episode would be shot once the strike ended. Em was thrilled about this because it meant he would get to use some of his designs for the original reboot. Now,thatwould have been a show.
“I was thinking we’d start it on Rho’s home world—film somewheresunny and dry. Maybe Arizona. Do a banishment scene, you know,How can you think you’re worthy to succeed your father as king? Don’t bother coming home until you kill the last water weaver.”
“Andfulfill the prophecy,” Noah added.
Em looked up in surprise. “Exactly,” he said, feeling slightly mollified. Noah had obviously done the reading.
The Book of Rhohad been the longest in Em’s bible, the tale of the crown prince of the Firelands. Rho was burdened by family legacy but gifted with unique talents and unbreakable tenacity…not unlike Em, who had gutted out his first years in Hollywood under his dad, a producer of theworstcheesy sitcoms. He’d had to suffer, but eventually Em had broken free withHaunted High.
Rho’s forebears, meanwhile, had hunted water weavers to the point of extinction, but for one last newborn: Alara. The prophecy foretold that Rho would be the one to find her. Which he had, only to have Alara’s parents jettison her into a wormhole. Unable to face dishonor, Rho had followed. His journey had lasted minutes, but by the time he emerged, Alara was fully grown.
Time travel was a cruel mistress.
“Have you spoken to AJ yet or…” Noah asked the question nonchalantly, but Em could tell that he was being careful.
“I wanted to talk to you first,” said Em. “How are you feeling about your scenes together?”
Almost imperceptibly, Noah picked up the pace.
“I think they’re working,” he said with perfect evenness. “What do you think?”
“They are,” Em had to admit. But he also had a reputation to uphold—and a network to please—and AJ Graves couldn’t touch Anjalee’s star power. They’d all but announced AJ as Alara while filming the sleep episode—but it wasn’t official yet.
“I just want to make sure she’s really who you want,” said Em. “After this point, there won’t be any going back.”
Noah stopped abruptly and faced him. Surprised, Em stumbled. For a moment, Noah seemed more beast than man.
“Do you have some objection to her?” he asked.
Em regarded him, both of them breathing heavily. “None in particular,” he said. He shrugged. “It’s just that she’s not…the obvious choice. Next to Anjalee, I mean.”
Noah nodded, placing his hands on his hips. He stared at the ground, then back at Em with eyes like cold fire.
“Anjalee is the obvious choice,” he said, and Em had never felt more like a hack. Like his father. “AJ is—” Noah looked down again and took a deep breath. When he lifted his gaze, his expression was neutral. “AJ will work.”
“Right,” said Em. “Absolutely.”
Noah nodded once. They jogged back up the hill toward the guest terrace in silence.
The way Noah had just spoken to Em would not sit. As if Noah had seen something in AJ Graves that Em had missed. That was absolutely unacceptable. Noah might have selected her as his scene partner, but that wouldn’t have happened without Em’s sign-off.Hehad given AJ a part, after all.
As the lower courtyard came back into view, Em recalled that he’d seen something in AJ Graves from the start.
Todd’s Coverage, Episode 6:“Mating Season”
Gilamede drops her crew on Endora IV, a peaceful moon colony, to go mate with a nearby crale. But this paradise is not what it seems.
It happened in theTime Pagoda, just after the morning briefing. As the rest of the cast dispersed to get mic’d, Ian and Em pulled AJ aside and told her that Ana was officially Alara.
“But she’s a plant,” was all AJ could say.
