Chapter 1
The princess was in trouble.
Those words had played in Mihi’s mind on repeat ever since yesterday, when she’d stepped back through the refrigerator portal. It had echo-echo-echoed through the rest of the day: through library period, when Ms. Lavender raised a single curious eyebrow in her direction; through her multiplication quiz, when she could not for the life of her focus on 4 × 7; and now, the next morning before school, as she frantically rummaged through her dresser drawers.
Before Mihi, Reese, and Savannah had left the Rainbow Realm, Bertha had stopped them to ask for help. The magic of the realm was fading, and in an attempt to save it, Princess Pat had boarded a train into the other realms. She thought she could take magic from elsewhere and bring some home. But, as Bertha told them, the journey was a dangerous one—one Pat might not survive on her own.
The princess was in trouble.
Mihi, Reese, and Savannah were the only ones who could save her.
And … Bertha was on their side?
Mihi couldn’t quite work out that last one. The princess’s head lady-in-waiting had tried to dispose of Mihi and her friends the first time they entered the Rainbow Realm. That was evil behavior, no doubt about it. So why did Mihi feel doubt?
Back then, they’d overheard Bertha tell Houdini she’d disposed of the girls. But … had she actually tried? The girls hadn’t stuck around for an answer.
Mihi shook her head and set the thoughts aside. What mattered now was that their friend Pat was in trouble. And before returning to the magical world, Mihi needed to find an item from home, something with a strong memory attached to it. According to Bertha, that would be her ticket into other realms.
“MIII-HIIIII.” Her brother’s voice bounced down the hall, followed by the patter of tiny, excitable footsteps.
He burst into her room, grinning wide. His shirt was on backward. Her little brother was brilliant … but he was still little. “I’m so! Excited for! School today!”
Mihi lifted a hand to shoo him away. She had important item-searching to do! But when she looked up at his eager face, his bright eyes, and the gap between his two front teeth, her heart crumbled. In less than an hour, she’d be at school, and she and her friends would go through the refrigerator into unknown dangers. What if she never saw her brother again?
“What are you doing in school today, Jihu?” Her voice cracked over his name.
He didn’t notice the emotion in her words. “Story game!” Mihi knew what he meant, but he went on anyway. “One person says a line. Then the next person says a line. Then I say a line. Then the next person says a line…” He went on and on like this, and a bubble of feeling grew in Mihi’s chest.
She’d never actually liked the story game he was talking about. Stories always became chaotic and unfamiliar when so many people contributed to them. Mihi preferred the familiarity of a comforting fairy tale.
But still, she was glad her brother enjoyed it.
Her mother appeared in the doorway and ruff led Jihu’s hair. “Okay, my little love. Why don’t you find your dad and finish getting ready?”
Jihu beamed up at her before sprinting out of the room.
Their mom lingered in the doorway. “And my big love…” she said, quieter. “Are you ready?”
“Um, yeah.” Mihi’s heart pounded. She absolutely was not ready.
She’d spent all of last night searching for a memorable item, but nothing seemed quite right. Tucked away in the back of her closet, she’d found a soccer jersey from the single season she played. Wrinkled on her desk, she’d found some spelling tests from last month. She’d been so proud to get ADVENTURE right. (Of course, she’d misspelled TWILIGHT and IMPULSIVE, but still.)
And the paperbacks lining her bookshelf? All those held memories. But—
Text copyright © 2024 by Tae Keller. Illustrations copyright © 2024 by
