May Bird Among the Stars by Peter Ferguson, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Sammy Yuen Jr., Christopher Grassi Page B

feeling dread to the bottom of her soul.
    â€œWe’ve got to get north,” she whispered to Kitty, placing him on the ground and letting him point the way back to Risk Falls.
    That night Ellen Bird stood on her wide front lawn and looked at the stars.
    Days had passed since she’d found the briars in May’s overalls. And every day it seemed as if the woods were inviting her in, whispering that the briars, somehow, knew where May had gone. But something kept Ellen from venturing into the trees. Something that sent shivers down her spine.
    Sighing, she wished upon one of the millions of stars above. One that seemed to flicker a little more dimly than the rest, like a patron
star of lost causes. She wished that she would find what she was looking for.
    Tomorrow, she promised herself she would look for it beyond the endless briars.
    On a rise that drooped slowly toward the moat surrounding Risk Falls, a tiny figure stalked into view It was fluffy and round and wore a diamond collar that glinted in the starlight.
    â€œPuuuurrrrrrrrr,” Commander Berzerko said, sniffing the air, her keen slitted eyes scanning the trees for any sign of life beyond them. But it was no matter: The scent of the girl and her cat were so strong, so close, that the commander could have found them in the dark. She pawed the ground eagerly, making muffins in the dirt, sharpening her claws. This would be easy.
    She sauntered a few steps forward, then began to run.

Part Two
Into the Far North

Chapter Eleven
Two Cats
    I think I’m allergic to something,” Bea said tightly, pulling a hanky from her pocket and dabbing at her eyes gently.
    The group of travelers stood near the big straw basket of the giraffe-shaped hot air balloon, saying their good-byes. Pumpkin snuffled loudly every few seconds as tears ran out of his droopy eyes.
    â€œI have made a poem for good-bye,” Fabbio said, standing up straight. Everyone braced themselves.
    â€œTortellini, pizza pie
I have something in my eye
Is a teardrop, big and blue
Because we saying toodle-loo”
    On these last words, Fabbio’s voice became choked and he touched his fingers to his lips, bowing his head and closing his eyes.
    Zero grinned. “Listen, May Bird. Your escape from the hunters was truly spectacular.” He stuck his hands in the pockets of his long shorts. “And it’s so cool that you’re alive. What’s more risky than that in the Afterlife?”
    May blushed. To her amazement, when she and Kitty had returned to Risk Falls, she had been set upon by cheering spirits. No one had expressed a moment’s concern about what had been revealed back at the Wild Hunt. In fact, like Zero, everyone had been quite thrilled to have a living girl in their midst. In the fray, May had not told anyone about the Eternal Restaurant or the stranger she had met there. Oddly enough, she felt it was an event that belonged only to her, like a deep dark secret.
    Somber Kitty sat beside her on the ground, guarding the basket like a lion and staring southeast into the highlands. Occasionally, he let out a tiny growl and wove between May’s legs impatiently. May scratched the backs of her knees, flattered and horribly embarrassed. “Zero, you heard what I said. About Bo Cleevil. Risk Falls could be next. You’ll … do something, won’t you?”
    Zero eyed her seriously for a moment, then gave her a punch on the shoulder and a careless grin. “No worries, dude. Everything’s cool here.”
    May bit her lip and looked at Beatrice, who frowned with worry. Clearly, the inhabitants of this place, like so much of the Ever After, weren’t as worried as they should be. May climbed into the basket, which was laden with sleeping bags, camping supplies, and other gifts from the spirits of Risk Falls.
    â€œQueen Bea,” Zero said, taking Beatrice’s hand gently in his. Bea looked up to the sky as if she saw something very