Page 72 of Myths and Manuscripts
“Oh, we definitely want.” I put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to kiss her temple. “You deserve all the praise we can give you.”
She put her hand around mine, leaning against me as we settled in for the reading of her final chapter, narrated by the holy sword that had once wanted to end my life. It was all so surreal, going from being a villain just because the author wanted me to be all the way to trying to be a hero because I thought that’s what Willow wanted.
But everythingIwanted was right here in this room.
I wanted to be with Willow, to be surrounded by friends, and to be comfortable in a way I never thought I could be back when I was alone in my castle. I wanted this moment to last a lifetime and to always appreciate the little things in life.
It felt like I’d grown beyond the character from my book and become a real person finally. The Misty Mountain Library hadgiven me a body, but Willow? Willow had given me my heart.
Chapter 31
Willow
A week after we’d finished the book and submitted it to the competition, tickets to a festival celebrating the series were delivered to the library. No news on who won the competition, just four golden tickets with our names on them. I clutched mine, trying not to let my nerves take over as we stood in line. There hadn’t been any buildup for this festival, no news, no excited fans, no nothing. It’s like they just came up with the idea a few days ago.
But even with only a few days, the place was crowded.
Thorne’s arm brushed against mine. “Everything okay?”
“I honestly don’t know.” I stared at Leo decked out in his most brilliant armor, at Dain who looked torn between curiosity and annoyance, and at all the other people in line behind us. “It’s just so weird. Events like this are usually planned months, even a year in advance. I’d understand if they wanted to do a big reveal to build hype, but why wouldn’t they wait for the book to be published? Something’s going on...”
“Then we’ll be ready for whatever comes.” His gaze swept over the crowd as if seeing it for the first time before coming back to me. “We can handle this.”
“Even if we don’t know whatthisis?”
He smiled. “Even then.”
“Okay, enough flirting,” Leo said, practically vibrating with excitement. “We’re almost there! Get your tickets out!”
His excitement bled over to me just enough for a smile. Being in line with them reminded me of all the times Grandpa and I had waited for new releases together. There was a bond formed in lines like this that only true fans would ever understand, and I should be focusing on that instead of my own insecurities. It didn’t matter if our book won or lost, what mattered was that these wonderful people had supported me all the way. I might even be brave enough to write another book of my own after this.
Maybe.
The ideas had been flowing, that’s for sure. I’d probably need a new notebook soon. Maybe I could get a custom one here.
We finally made it to the front of the line and handed our tickets to the ticket taker. His eyebrows rose as he glanced from us back to the tickets. “Welcome! Please give me just a moment.” He turned back to grab an envelope with my name on it. “Here you go, Willow. Please head inside and find the authors’ corner. The others are waiting there too.”
“The author’s corner?” My heart raced. Did that mean they’d chosen me to write the last book?? No, he’d said there were others... “How many authors are here?”
“The top five contestants were invited for this special event. It’s all in the envelope.”
I moved off to the side to open it. The first page was a note from the author’s family apologizing for not being able to choose a winner. Apparently a few of the books were so good that the choice was too hard to make so they wanted to let the fans decide instead. This event was going to be a reveal of all the best story concepts. Authors were free to meet and greet with fans to talk more about their ideas, but in the end, the fans would decide our fate by voting for the story they liked best.
My stomach sank. “The fans are going to decide who wins now.”
“What?” Thorne leaned over my shoulder to read along with me.
Leo wedged himself between us to do the same. “Ohhh, that could work in our favor! Once everyone sees how awesome we are, they’re sure to pick your book. Trust me.” He grinned, tapping his chest. “I’m the hero, we won’t fail.”
A passerby laughed. “If he’s the hero, I’m the King. Look at those horns! No way is he going to win that look-a-like competition.”
“You’re no King, sir!” Leo puffed up his chest, but his frown ruined the whole image. “What’s a look-a-like competition?”
I bit my lip as I sorted through the paperwork, handing him a pamphlet for the event. “It’s like a cosplay contest where everyone tries to be you.”
“But I’m me.”
Thorne clasped him on the shoulder. “Exactly. So go be the best you you can be and put that annoying cheerfulness to work, okay?”
