kissed him.
“Ugh!” Zack exclaimed, fleeing.
“Fake,” the peeve muttered. “He really liked it.”
“He doesn't want to get razzed,” Kalt confided.
“I wonder,” Azalea said. “Is there a girl called Lotus here?”
“Sure,” Frosteind said. “Why do you want her?”
“She's my twin sister.”
“I thought you looked familiar! You have the same flowery features.” Frosteind lifted her voice and called again. “Lotus! Your sister's here!”
And just like that, Lotus came forging through the throng. “Azalea!” she cried, hugging her almost as hard and tearfully as Azalea was hugging her.
“Ugh,” Ted said. “Can't you cut out the mush?”
“Mush is fun,” Monica said. “All you need is some nice girl to give you a big slobbery kiss.”
“I do not!” But as with Zach, his protest lacked conviction.
“Like that Lotus,” Monica continued teasingly. “A flower nymph. You'd float up to the ceiling.”
“I would not!” he said, flustered.
The joy of their reunion soon faded into awareness of their predicament. “I came to rescue you,” Azalea said. “But I got caught myself.”
“That's the way it is,” Lotus agreed.
“Ted wants you to kiss him,” Monica said wickedly.
“Oh, really?” Lotus looked at Ted.
Ted opened his mouth to protest, but was too stunned by Monica's betrayal to get a word out. Lotus leaned down and kissed him. He floated toward the ceiling.
“Which reminds me,” Lotus said to Azalea. “You must meet my boyfriend Wade. His talent is to wade through water knee-deep, no matter how deep the water really is. He helps me with my water flowers.” She turned, lifting an eyebrow.
A handsome boy of about sixteen appeared. “You found your sister!” he exclaimed, seeing Azalea. His gaze was so sincere that for half an instant she was sorry Lotus had found him first.
“Yes. This is Azalea, who can talk to land flowers. Tell her about Ray.”
“He's my brother,” Wade said. “He can make a ray of sunshine, so flowers in shade can grow better. He must be out looking for me now. He'd really like you, as I like Lotus, if only for your nymphly fi—”
Lotus kicked his shin.
“Nymphly fire,” he finished hastily. “That alert response. Those sparkling eyes. That wonderful talent.”
Azalea liked Ray already, and it didn't really bother her that Wade had noticed her figure. “But he mustn't come down here.”
“We've got to get out,” Wade agreed. “Somehow.”
Azalea cudgeled her brain, but nothing came out. “Can't anyone figure out a way to escape?”
“We've all been trying,” Kalt said. “But we're stuck.”
“But with all the talents the kids here have, there must be something.”
“Maybe we just need someone smart enough to figure it out.”
And obviously there had not been someone. It seemed that had become her responsibility, because she had to get the children out of this soul-destroying prison. Somehow.
She cudgeled her brain some more. Her brain didn't like that, and threatened to start a headache. Then give me a good idea! she told it.
Her brain capitulated. It focused and heated. Suddenly a light bulb flashed, illuminating her face. She had the idea!
“That was some flash,” Wade remarked.
“Zach's talent,” she said. “Making drinks from water.”
“From any liquid,” Frosteind said.
“I need to talk to him.”
“He won't come again for me.”
“I'll find him. Children, wait here.” She plowed into the throng, looking for Zach.
Soon she found him. “No kissing,” he said defensively.
“None,” she agreed innocently. “Zach, how much water can you convert to a drink?”
“I'm not sure. Just about any amount, I guess, if I focus hard enough.”
“How about a whole pool?”
“What pool?”
“The Death Pool.”
He was taken aback. “That's big.”
“But you could do it?”
“I guess. Depends on what I had to change it to. Tsoda pop is easy; Eye Scream shake is hard, because of the
“Ugh!” Zack exclaimed, fleeing.
“Fake,” the peeve muttered. “He really liked it.”
“He doesn't want to get razzed,” Kalt confided.
“I wonder,” Azalea said. “Is there a girl called Lotus here?”
“Sure,” Frosteind said. “Why do you want her?”
“She's my twin sister.”
“I thought you looked familiar! You have the same flowery features.” Frosteind lifted her voice and called again. “Lotus! Your sister's here!”
And just like that, Lotus came forging through the throng. “Azalea!” she cried, hugging her almost as hard and tearfully as Azalea was hugging her.
“Ugh,” Ted said. “Can't you cut out the mush?”
“Mush is fun,” Monica said. “All you need is some nice girl to give you a big slobbery kiss.”
“I do not!” But as with Zach, his protest lacked conviction.
“Like that Lotus,” Monica continued teasingly. “A flower nymph. You'd float up to the ceiling.”
“I would not!” he said, flustered.
The joy of their reunion soon faded into awareness of their predicament. “I came to rescue you,” Azalea said. “But I got caught myself.”
“That's the way it is,” Lotus agreed.
“Ted wants you to kiss him,” Monica said wickedly.
“Oh, really?” Lotus looked at Ted.
Ted opened his mouth to protest, but was too stunned by Monica's betrayal to get a word out. Lotus leaned down and kissed him. He floated toward the ceiling.
“Which reminds me,” Lotus said to Azalea. “You must meet my boyfriend Wade. His talent is to wade through water knee-deep, no matter how deep the water really is. He helps me with my water flowers.” She turned, lifting an eyebrow.
A handsome boy of about sixteen appeared. “You found your sister!” he exclaimed, seeing Azalea. His gaze was so sincere that for half an instant she was sorry Lotus had found him first.
“Yes. This is Azalea, who can talk to land flowers. Tell her about Ray.”
“He's my brother,” Wade said. “He can make a ray of sunshine, so flowers in shade can grow better. He must be out looking for me now. He'd really like you, as I like Lotus, if only for your nymphly fi—”
Lotus kicked his shin.
“Nymphly fire,” he finished hastily. “That alert response. Those sparkling eyes. That wonderful talent.”
Azalea liked Ray already, and it didn't really bother her that Wade had noticed her figure. “But he mustn't come down here.”
“We've got to get out,” Wade agreed. “Somehow.”
Azalea cudgeled her brain, but nothing came out. “Can't anyone figure out a way to escape?”
“We've all been trying,” Kalt said. “But we're stuck.”
“But with all the talents the kids here have, there must be something.”
“Maybe we just need someone smart enough to figure it out.”
And obviously there had not been someone. It seemed that had become her responsibility, because she had to get the children out of this soul-destroying prison. Somehow.
She cudgeled her brain some more. Her brain didn't like that, and threatened to start a headache. Then give me a good idea! she told it.
Her brain capitulated. It focused and heated. Suddenly a light bulb flashed, illuminating her face. She had the idea!
“That was some flash,” Wade remarked.
“Zach's talent,” she said. “Making drinks from water.”
“From any liquid,” Frosteind said.
“I need to talk to him.”
“He won't come again for me.”
“I'll find him. Children, wait here.” She plowed into the throng, looking for Zach.
Soon she found him. “No kissing,” he said defensively.
“None,” she agreed innocently. “Zach, how much water can you convert to a drink?”
“I'm not sure. Just about any amount, I guess, if I focus hard enough.”
“How about a whole pool?”
“What pool?”
“The Death Pool.”
He was taken aback. “That's big.”
“But you could do it?”
“I guess. Depends on what I had to change it to. Tsoda pop is easy; Eye Scream shake is hard, because of the