Cassie Comes Through (20 page)

Leona barged into the room first and let out a gasp.

“What's wrong?” Cassie shouted, pushing her way inside. She looked around, bewildered. Ophelia was gone. The room was empty. There was not a thing in it. It was as if no one had ever lived there.

But on the wall, in hastily scribbled yellow letters, were the words
I'M SORRY
.

“This is terrible,” Gemma said.

“You can say that again,” said Cassie.

“This is terrible,” Gemma repeated.

And then nobody said anything else, because they were plunged into a sudden and total darkness. For the first time in Starland history, the lights had gone out.

Aeropuff:
A Starland dessert.

Afterglow:
The Starling afterlife. When Starlings die, it is said that they have “begun their afterglow.”

Age of Fulfillment:
The age when a Starling is considered mature enough to begin to study wish granting.

Bad Wish Orbs:
Orbs that are the result of bad or selfish wishes made on Wishworld. These grow dark and warped and are quickly sent to the Negative Energy Facility.

Ballum blossom tree:
A Starland tree with cherry blossom–like flowers that light up at night.

Big Dipper Dormitory:
Where third- and fourth-year students live.

Boingtree gum:
Starland chewing gum.

Bot-Bot:
A Starland robot. There are Bot-Bot guards, waiters, deliverers, and guides on Starland.

Bright Day:
The date a Starling is born, celebrated each year like a Wishling birthday.

Celestial Café:
Starling Academy's outstanding cafeteria.

Cloudcandy:
Name for various Starland confections.

Cocomoon:
A sweet and creamy fruit with an iridescent glow.

Comet Prep:
A rival of Starling Academy in star ball.

Cosmic Transporter:
The moving sidewalk system that transports students through dorms and across the Starling Academy campus.

Countdown Clock:
A timing device on a Starling's Star-Zap. It lets them know how much time is left on a Wish Mission, which coincides with when the Wish Orb will fade.

Crystal Mountains:
The most beautiful mountains on Starland. They are located across the lake from Starling Academy.

Cycle of Life:
A Starling's life span. When Starlings die, they are said to have “completed their Cycle of Life.”

Drifting moonbug:
A storytelling device meant to mislead the reader. Starland's version of a red herring.

Druderwomp:
An edible barrel-like bush capable of pulling up its own roots and rolling like a tumbleweed, then planting itself again.

Featherwhisper:
A Starland dessert.

Floating Wisp:
A Starland dessert.

Flutterfocus:
A Starland creature similar to a Wishworld butterfly but with illuminated wings.

Galliope:
A sparkly Starland creature similar to a Wishworld horse.

Garble greens:
A Starland vegetable similar to spinach.

Glitterberries:
A sweet Starland fruit.

Globerbeem:
Large, friendly lightning bug–type insects that are sparkly and lay eggs.

Glorange:
A glowing orange fruit. Its juice is often enjoyed at breakfast time.

Glowfur:
A small, furry Starland creature with gossamer wings that eats flowers and glows.

Good Wish Orbs:
Orbs that are the result of positive wishes made on Wishworld. They are planted in Wish-Houses.

Gossamerwisp:
A Starland dessert.

Green Globules:
Green pellets that are fed to pet glowfurs. They don't taste very good to Starlings.

Half-moon pie:
A Starland dessert.

Halo Hall:
The building where Starling Academy classes are held.

Holo-dice:
A holographic version of dice.

Holo-text:
A message received on a Star-Zap and projected into the air. There are also holo-albums, holo-billboards, holo-books, holo-cards, holo-communications, holo-diaries, holo-flyers, holo-letters, holo-papers, holo-pictures, and holo–place cards. Anything that would be made of paper or contain writing or images on Wishworld is a hologram on Starland.

Hydrong:
The equivalent of a Wishworld hundred.

Illuminated Manuscript Technology:
Also known as IMT, a new technology allowing a reader to view the action in a holo-book as the book is read aloud.

Impossible Wish Orbs:
Orbs that are the result of wishes made on Wishworld that are beyond the power of Starlings to grant.

Isle of Misera:
A barren rocky island off the coast of New Prism.

Lightning Lounge:
A place on the Starling Academy campus where students relax and socialize.

Little Dipper Dormitory:
Where first- and second-year students live.

Luminous Lake:
A serene and lovely lake next to the Starling Academy campus.

Luminous Library:
The impressive library at Starling Academy.

Meepletile:
A Starland creature closest in nature to a Wishworld reptile. It frequently sheds its skin.

Mirror Mantra:
A saying specific to each Star Darling that when recited gives her (and her Wisher) reassurance and strength. When a Starling recites her Mirror Mantra while looking in a mirror, she will see her true appearance reflected.

Moonium:
An amount similar to a Wishworld million.

Old Prism:
A medium-sized historical city about an hour from Starling Academy.

Power Crystal:
The powerful stone that each Star Darling receives once she has granted her first wish.

Purple piphany:
A Starland flower with a distinctive fragrance.

Shooting stars:
Speeding stars that Starlings can latch on to and ride to Wishworld.

Silverbella:
An orb-shaped Starland flower with tiny pink and white petals that radiate from its center.

Silver Blossom:
The final manifestation of a Good Wish Orb. This glimmering metallic bloom is placed in the Hall of Granted Wishes.

Solar Springs:
A hilly small town in the countryside where Tessa and Gemma are from.

Sparkle shower:
An energy shower Starlings take every day to get clean and refresh their sparkling glow.

Star ball:
An intramural sport that shares similarities with soccer on Wishworld. But star ball players use energy manipulation to control the ball.

Starbounce:
Starland's version of a trampoline.

Starcar:
The primary mode of transportation for most Starlings. These ultrasafe vehicles drive themselves on cushions of wish energy.

Star Caves:
The caverns underneath Starling Academy where the Star Darlings' secret Wish-Cavern is located.

Starf!:
A Starling expression of dismay.

Star flash:
News bulletin, often used starcastically.

Starland City:
The largest city on Starland, also its capital.

Starlicious:
Tasty, delicious.

Starlings:
The glowing beings with sparkly skin who live on Starland.

Starmarble:
An attractive stone used for surfaces in Starland architecture.

Starpillows:
A Starland dessert.

Star Quad:
The center of the Starling Academy campus. The dancing fountain, band shell, and hedge maze are located here.

Star salutations:
The Starling way to say “thank you.”

Staryear:
A period of 365 days on Starland, the equivalent of a Wishworld year.

Star-Zap:
The ultimate smartphone that Starlings use for all communications. It has myriad features.

Stellar School:
A rival of Starling Academy in star ball.

Stellation:
The point of a star. Halo Hall has five stellations, each housing a different department.

Supernova:
A stellar explosion. Also used colloquially, meaning “really angry,” as in “She went supernova when she found out the bad news.”

Time of Letting Go:
One of the four seasons on Starland. It falls between the warmest season and the coldest, similar to fall on Wishworld.

Time of Lumiere:
The warmest season on Starland, similar to summer on Wishworld.

Time of New Beginnings:
Similar to spring on Wishworld, this is the season that follows the coldest time of year; it's when plants and trees come into bloom.

Time of Shadows:
The coldest season of the year on Starland, similar to winter on Wishworld.

Toothlight:
A high-tech gadget that Starlings use to clean their teeth.

Wish Blossom:
The bloom that appears from a Wish Orb after its wish is granted.

Wish energy:
The positive energy that is released when a wish is granted. Wish energy powers everything on Starland.

Wisher:
The Wishling who has made the wish that is being granted.

Wish-Granters:
Starlings whose job is to travel down to Wishworld to help make wishes come true and collect wish energy.

Wish-House:
The place where Wish Orbs are planted and cared for until they sparkle. Once the orb's wish is granted, it becomes a Wish Blossom.

Wishlings:
The inhabitants of Wishworld.

Wish Mission:
The task a Starling undertakes when she travels to Wishworld to help grant a wish.

Wish Orb:
The form a wish takes on Wishworld before traveling to Starland. There it will grow and sparkle when it's time to grant the wish.

Wish Pendant:
A gadget that absorbs and transports wish energy, helps Starlings locate their Wishers, and changes a Starling's appearance. Each Wish Pendant holds a different special power for its Star Darling.

Wishworld:
The planet Starland relies on for wish energy. The beings on Wishworld know it by another name—Earth.

Wishworld Outfit Selector:
A program on each Star-Zap that accesses Wishworld fashions for Starlings to wear to blend in on their Wish Missions.

Wishworld Surveillance Deck:
Located high above the campus, it is where Starling Academy students go to observe Wishlings through high-powered telescopes.

Zing:
A traditional Starling breakfast drink. It can be enjoyed hot or iced.

It is impossible
to list all of our gratitude, but we will try.

Our most precious gift and greatest teacher, Halo; we love you more than there are stars in the sky…punashaku. To the rest of our crazy, awesome, unique tribe—thank you for teaching us to go for our dreams. Integrity. Strength. Love. Foundation. Family. Grateful. Mimi Muldoon—from your star doodling to naming our Star Darlings, your artistry, unconditional love, and inspiration is infinite. Didi Muldoon—your belief and support in us is only matched by your fierce protection and massive-hearted guidance. Gail. Queen G. Your business sense and witchy wisdom are legendary. Frank—you are missed and we know you are watching over us all. Along with Tutu, Nana, and Deda, who are always present, gently guiding us in spirit. To our colorful, totally genius, and bananas siblings—Patrick, Moon, Diva, and Dweezil—there is more creativity and humor in those four names than most people experience in a lifetime. Blessed. To our magical nieces—Mathilda, Zola, Ceylon, and Mia—the Star Darlings adore you and so do we. Our witchy cuzzie fairy godmothers—Ane and Gina. Our fairy fashion godfather, Paris. Our sweet Panay. Teeta and Freddy—we love you all so much. And our four-legged fur babies—Sandwich, Luna, Figgy, and Pinky Star.