The Magic Misfits - Neil Patrick Harris Page 0,42
you what is real. And what is a trick.”
“What do you want from us?” Theo asked.
“I want you to convince Dante Vernon to join my new… club. If he were to come over to my side, he would bring all of the talent of his own Magic Circle with him.”
“Those were the names he had hidden in his ledger. The names you tried to get Sandra Santos to steal for you,” said Leila.
Kalagan shrugged, as if the attempted theft had been no big deal. “Together, we shall do wonders. We will all live as we were meant to. You, Dante, me. And every magician who cares to join us. We will be unstoppable.”
Ridley glanced at her friends. Each of them looked exhausted. There was something appealing about the idea of surrender. Wasn’t there? To be part of a group that wasn’t fighting all the time? To have a charismatic leader, who had a clear vision of what he imagined was best for everyone? Ridley saw a bit of herself in Kalagan’s argument. She often thought that she was right. And she wanted her friends to fall in line behind her.
But…
She also knew that that bit of herself was one of the pieces she most wanted to change. No one likes being told what to do all the time. Especially not by a single person with a very loud voice.
“No,” Ridley heard herself say.
“Excuse me?” asked Kalagan, raising his hand to the brim of his hat.
“No,” Leila answered this time.
“No,” said Carter and Theo and Olly and Izzy.
“No,” Kalagan echoed, his voice distorted by the cave’s acoustics. He nodded slowly as he brought his hand away from his top hat. A black wand with white tips appeared at his fingers. He wiggled it at them, and it seemed to glint, transforming into a blade briefly before changing back into a wand. “I must admit, Misfits, that I’m disappointed. But I see now that Vernon reached you earlier than I ever could have. He’s gotten inside your heads. Mesmerized you into following him.”
“That’s your deal, Kalagan,” said Ridley. “Not Mr. Vernon’s.”
“Of course you’d believe that,” he whispered, sounding disappointed. Kalagan held his wand over his hat and then flicked it slightly toward them. The large man and woman who had accompanied him down the path from the woods stepped forward. “Thankfully, I came prepared with a backup plan. You all shall come with me now. And if Dante wants you back, he’ll turn over the names of the Magic Circle, whether he likes it or not.” Kalagan pointed his wand at the group and whispered, “Get them.”
“Help!” Leila called out. “Dad! Poppa! Somebody!”
The goons came forward, completely blocking the mouth of the cave. Ridley knew the trio wouldn’t be able to catch hold of all of her friends, but if they managed to grab only one, that would be enough.
She shot back to the magic box. The other Misfits steadied themselves, raising their magical weapons. Ridley turned a crank near the bottom of the box, and it began to tilt rapidly backward toward the track. As the box slammed down, its wheels connected with the rails.
Carter dashed in front of Kalagan, zipping his slippery cards at the man’s feet, but Kalagan hopped over them easily. Leila flung a loop of rope at one of the burly goons, but he ducked out of the way.
Ridley pulled a cord at the side of the box, and the lid dropped off and clattered to the ground. Now the magic box looked like a railway car or a mine cart, open at the top with just enough room for the Misfits to fit inside.
“Stop her!” Kalagan shouted.
The Misfits finally noticed what Ridley was doing, and they gaped for a moment at the magic box’s transformation.
“Careful!” Ridley called out as Kalagan’s goons flanked Olly and Izzy. The twins backflipped across a boulder and landed near Ridley’s cart. “Get in,” she told them, and they cartwheeled up and over the edge.
The goons caught sight of Leila and bolted toward her instead. Leila ran toward the edge of the cave and pressed her back against the rock. When the goons got close, Leila ducked down and slid between them. When they tried to turn, they found that their shoelaces were tied in a loose bow, which was enough to bring them down. Leila skipped toward the magic box and scooted in behind Olly and Izzy.
“Stand up, you fools!” Kalagan shouted at the goons, who were now rolling on the