Jordan groaned. “Is stealing really all you can think about?”
“Hey, you can take the guy out of the isle, but you can’t take the isle out of the guy.”
“Charming,” Jordan mumbled.
“Let’s just try it!” Lonnie screeched. “We’re running out of time.”
Jordan sighed and pulled the hoops out of her ears. She gave one to Lonnie, and they both went to work on the air vent.
“It fits!” Lonnie exclaimed, wedging the hoop into the screw and twisting. “They’re coming out!”
Less than thirty seconds later, Lonnie and Jordan had managed to get the plate off the air vent, leaving a rectangular hole in the wall just big enough for Jay to shove the lamp through.
Lonnie caught it and quickly rubbed the side.
“Now, Lonnie,” Jordan said in a warning tone, “remember what I said before. Wishes are very complex things. The key is specificity. You should think very carefully before you—”
“Get us out of here!” Lonnie cried hastily.
Jordan pursed her lips. “Or you can just go with that.”
Lonnie closed her eyes and felt the shimmery pink smoke billow around her. Hurry, she willed it with her mind. She could feel its silky heat against her skin and taste its smoky aroma in her mouth. When she opened her eyes again, she and Jordan were on the other side of the door, standing next to a scowling Jay.
“Really?” Jay asked in disbelief. “That’s what you wished for?”
“What?” Lonnie asked, confused.
“You could have wished to take us to the arena. It’s all the way across town.”
Lonnie’s gaze dropped to the lamp in her hands. “Oh. Whoops.”
“I told you. Be specific!” Jordan said, taking the lamp back from Lonnie and storing it in her purse for safekeeping.
“I’m sorry!” Lonnie said defensively. “I was kind of in a hurry.”
“Don’t worry,” Jordan said. “I’ll order another Majestic Ride.” She turned on her phone. “Finally! Signal!” Then she navigated to the Majestic Rides app, but a moment later scowled at the screen. “Dang it. There are no cars in the area. They must all be at the arena. It says it’ll take thirty-five minutes to get one.”
“We’ll have to go by foot,” Jay said.
Lonnie nodded and tried to psych herself up. She was a warrior, after all. She would not let a little transportation problem get her down.
“It’s okay,” she said confidently. “I grew up in this city. I know a few shortcuts. Follow me.”
Even with all the shortcuts I know, the arena is pretty far away, and we’re running out of time.
As they ran through the Imperial City, over footbridges and through outdoor marketplaces, Lonnie continued to check the time on her phone, quickly coming to the conclusion that they weren’t going to make it.
“We need to find a ride,” Lonnie said, stopping to catch her breath. Jay and Jordan stopped behind her, each one seeming grateful for the break.
Lonnie glanced around. Parked across the street was a small red van with a white sign on the side that read “Dim Sum Delights.” It was sitting just outside a restaurant with the same name. She watched as a young man carrying four large paper bags walked out of the restaurant. Each bag had a white piece of paper stapled to the front. The man placed all four bags in the back of the delivery van.
“Hey,” Lonnie said, an idea forming in her mind. “Check out that van, you guys.”
“Good eye!” Jay said, walking toward the vehicle. “We’ll hotwire it.”
Lonnie groaned and grabbed Jay by the arm. “No. I have a better idea.”
She waited until the deliveryman finished loading the bags into the back of the van and closed the door. “C’mon, follow me!” she told Jordan and Jay, and dashed across the street. As the driver got into the van, Lonnie quietly eased open the back door and hopped in. Jay and Jordan followed, and Lonnie closed the door behind them carefully, trying to keep it from slamming.
The back of the van had no windows, so it was pretty dark inside. Lonnie used the flashlight on her phone to study the white pieces of paper stapled to the brown paper bags.
“What exactly are we doing?” Jordan asked.
“We used to order from this place all the time when I was a kid,” Lonnie said. “They have the best dumplings.”
Jay and Jordan exchanged glances. “Um,” Jordan said warily, “I’m pretty hungry, too, Lonnie. But now’s not exactly the time to be thinking about food.”
Lonnie rolled her eyes. “I’m not stealing the food. I’m reading the addresses on the delivery receipts.” She pointed to one of the bags. “This one is definitely closest to the arena. It’s only a block away. There’s a major intersection right before the address. Once he stops there, we can hop out and run the rest of the way.”
Jay nodded approvingly. “Nice thinking. But what if he stops at one of the other addresses first?” He gestured toward the other three bags. “We don’t exactly have time for pit stops. Plus, don’t you think he’ll find it a little strange opening up his van to discover three stowaways?”
Lonnie twisted her mouth to the side. Jay had a good point. She quickly reexamined the addresses on the three other receipts, trying to picture the map of the city in her mind. She’d lived here most of her life, but it had been a while since she’d had to make her way around the Imperial City.
The van began to rumble as the driver started the engine and pulled away from the curb. Lonnie closed her eyes and tried to focus on the movement of the vehicle. It went straight, then turned left, then right; then she felt a familiar bumpy sensation beneath them. Bum-di-di-bump-bump. And Lonnie felt her hopes soar.
“I know where he’s going!” she shouted.
Jay looked impressed. “You do?”
“He just crossed the railroad tracks. And now he’s turning left. I know exactly which route he’s taking. There’s no way he’ll stop at the other addresses first. We just have to make sure we jump out—”
Just then the van screeched to a halt, and Lonnie, Jay, and Jordan lurched across the back. Lonnie reached out her hand to stop herself from flying into the wall. “Now!” she called. “This is the intersection!” She crawled toward the back of the van and twisted the handle, and all three of them jumped out and started racing down the block toward the front entrance of the arena.
As soon as they burst through the doors, Lonnie could hear the voice of Ari, the host, over the loudspeaker, welcoming everyone again to the annual Auradon Warrior Challenge. The opening ceremonies had already begun. She ran faster.
Just before they reached the competitors’ entrance, Jordan pulled Lonnie to a stop. “Wait. Just a second.”
Lonnie bounced on her heels. She was already so late! They were about to introduce the finalists! “What is it?” she asked impatiently.
Jordan pulled the lamp out of her purse and thrust it into Lonnie’s hands. “Take this with you. Just in case you need to use your third wish.”
Lonnie’s eyebrows furrowed. “But the third wish is for you.”
“I know,” Jordan said, “but you’ve come so far. I’d hate for you to lose your sword.”
Lonnie shook her head and pushed the lamp back to Jordan. “No. As soon as I win this thing, I’m using that third wish for you. Besides, I don’t want to win the sword that way. I don’t want to cheat my way to a victory. That would make me no better than Chen.”
“Fine,” Jordan said, but she still thrust the lamp back to Lonnie. “Then take it for luck. So you’ll have a piece of me with you when you’re out there.”
Lonnie smiled tenderly at her friend and slipped the lamp inside her black jacket. It was bulky, but Lonnie was glad to have it with her. “Okay,” she said. “For luck.”
“And now it’s time to meet our finalists!” Ari was saying.
Jordan gave Lonnie a gentle push. “Go. Win this thing!”
Lonnie gave her a thumbs up and took off toward the competitors’ entrance. As soon as she
entered the center of the arena, she saw the spectacle that lay in front of her. It was even wilder than the previous day’s event! The bleachers were crammed full of people. Every single seat was taken. There were also hundreds of cameras and crew members set up around the various parts of the arena. In the center, the obstacle course had been replaced by another mysterious structure that was, once again, hidden from view by a massive white sheet. Lonnie remembered what Jay had told her about the final round. You could never prepare for it. You could never predict it. It was always a surprise.
She felt her stomach clench with anxiety. What was under that sheet?
Lonnie touched her wig to make sure her disguise was still in place. Thank goodness Jordan had reapplied her makeup the night before. Even though she’d slept in it, it was mostly intact.
“And our tenth and final competitor is Li!” Ari announced, eliciting wild cheers from the crowd.
Up ahead, where Ari and the rest of the competitors were standing, Lonnie saw Chen smugly walk up to Ari and whisper something into his ear.
Lonnie bowed her head and ran faster around the arena.
“Oh,” Ari said with disappointment. “Unfortunately, it looks like Li was unable to make it to the final round this morning, and therefore—”
“I’m here! I’m here!” Lonnie shouted, rounding the bend. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“I am misinformed!” Ari exclaimed. “It appears our bright new star, Li, has arrived just in time.”
As Lonnie walked down the row of competitors to take her spot at the end, she could feel Chen’s glare on her. “How did you get out?” he hissed under his breath as she passed by.
Lonnie grinned back at him. “The same way you got me in. With a little help from friends.”
Chen looked so angry he seemed to be having trouble breathing.
“Shall we see what our competitors will be battling today?” Ari announced, sending the crowd into a tizzy. Lonnie’s heart began to gallop in her chest.
“Unveil the final warrior challenge!”
This is it. It’s time to prove I can beat that cheater Chen, and that I’m the most skilled warrior here.
The white sheet floated gracefully up into the air, revealing a sight unlike anything Lonnie had ever seen in her life. It was a giant structure made out of tall steel beams and a series of planks that hung from ropes, like wooden swings. They were only a few feet wide and not very long. They were located at various heights across the structure, some almost touching the ground, others high in the air. Lonnie’s eyes traveled all the way to the top, to the highest platform that swung gently from its ropes, her stomach clenching at the sight of it.
What was she supposed to do with that?
Ari’s voice came back over the speaker system just then. “Welcome,” he said in an ominous voice, “to the Mountain of the Blazing Suns!”
The crowd let out a simultaneous “ooh!” while the competitors just stared speechlessly at the structure, waiting for Ari to explain what they would have to do.
“This final-round challenge will test not only the competitors’ balance and reflexes, but also their skills with a sword.”
Sword? Lonnie thought, hope rising in her chest. Did he say sword?
Just then, one of the show’s producers appeared, pushing a giant wheelbarrow that was filled with ten gleaming metal swords. He handed one to each of the competitors. When Lonnie felt the weight of the weapon in her hand, she was immediately reminded of why she was here—the sword of Shan-Yu, waiting for her in the Hall of Wisdom—and she felt her resolve strengthen.
“Each competitor will have sixty seconds on the mountain,” Ari went on, “during which they must destroy as many blazing suns as possible.”
Titters of curiosity traveled through the rows of spectators. All of them were anxious to know what that meant. Lonnie included.
“This,” Ari said dramatically, “is a blazing sun!”
And just then, something bright and glowing shot into the air and flew toward the giant structure in the center of the arena. It looked like a ball made of red-hot flames. It sailed in a perfect arc as though fired from a cannon. The crowd let out another gasp of excitement as the ball—or rather, blazing sun—landed on one of the wooden platforms, disintegrating almost instantly in a spark of light.
Lonnie was reminded of the dragon cannon balls that players had to duck on the tourney field. Jay had made her practice dodging them a few times. But this was different. She wasn’t supposed to avoid them; she was evidently supposed to destroy them with her sword, while balancing on those swinging platforms.
This was going to be hard. Very hard.
“The competitor who destroys the most suns,” Ari continued, “will win the title of Auradon Warrior Challenge Champion, as well as the official championship medal and the grand cash prize!”
Cash prize?
Lonnie had forgotten there even was a cash prize. Not that it mattered. She didn’t really need the money, nor did she care about the medal. All she wanted was to be able to march up to that Imperial Council and demand her birthright.
“First up!” Ari announced. “Our reigning champion, Chen!”
Chen leaped into action, pumping his fists and waving at the crowd. They returned the salutation with a roar of applause. Apparently, he was not only the reigning champion, but also the crowd favorite.
Lonnie felt her temper flare while she watched him approach the structure. She was still angry at him for locking them inside that building, and also angry at herself for falling for his trap. But she remembered Jay’s advice about not letting her emotions fuel her. She took deep breaths in an attempt to keep her temper in check.
Chen strode confidently toward the “mountain” and climbed onto the lowest plank. It swung under his weight and he had to hold on to the ropes with one hand to keep from falling off, while the other raised his sword in the air, ready for action.
A loud bell rang out across the dome and the clock on the wall started counting down from sixty seconds. The first blazing sun came swiftly. Chen jumped to the next-highest plank and easily sliced through the sun with his sword. The remnants of the once-glowing ball of light fell to the ground in an impressive shower of sparks and embers, like the tail end of a firecracker after it’s exploded.
The next ball was fired shortly after, and Chen had to leap up two of the planks to reach it, but he easily destroyed that one as well.
Lonnie turned her attention toward the clock, which showed forty-five seconds remaining. Next to the clock was a counter displaying the number of blazing suns Chen had already conquered—two. Now three. Now four.
Lonnie’s gaze swiveled constantly between Chen and the counter on the wall, which seemed to rise faster with each passing second. Chen leaped agilely around the structure, swinging his sword with certainty, precision, and grace.
By the time the clock ran out and a buzzer sounded, Chen had managed to rack up twenty-two suns.
Lonnie glanced down the row at her fellow competitors. They all looked defeated before they’d even had a chance to compete.
Twenty-two was definitely the number to beat.
Except no one seemed to be able to come close. One by one, the competitors climbed onto the structure with their swords poised and ready, and one by one they failed to top Chen’s feat.
The closest anyone else came was seventeen!
Lonnie was beginning to lose hope. She glanced down at the sword in her hand, knowing she’d need to destroy twenty-three blazing suns if she ever wanted a shot at earning her own sword.
It seemed impossible.
It seemed like it couldn’t be done.
“And now, for our final competitor,” Ari called out over the speaker. “She’s new to the challenge this year, and she certainly impressed us yesterday in the elimination round. Please give it up for Li!”
The crowd erupted in cheers and shouts and clapping. Lonnie stood and slowly made her way toward the massive structure in fro
nt of her. As she walked, it felt as though her legs were made of heavy steel. She had to drag one foot after another. Her mind was screaming for her to go back, turn back, run straight back to Auradon Prep!
You’ll fail! a voice inside her head shouted. You’ll never beat him! You’re not old enough. Not fast enough. Not strong enough. And then what will everyone think?
She slowed to a stop, contemplating the words zooming around her mind.
Was the voice inside of her right? Was she foolish to even try when it seemed so undoable? So impossible? So humiliating should she lose?
She searched the crowd for a familiar face, but she couldn’t find Jay or Jordan anywhere. That’s when she felt the heavy object still tucked inside her jacket. Jordan’s genie lamp. And suddenly she remembered what she had told Jordan the previous night when they were trapped in that creepy nightclub.
If you give up now, don’t you automatically fail? Isn’t trying and failing better than not trying at all?
She’d meant the words for Jordan, but in this moment, staring out into the sea of faces all waiting for her to tackle this final challenge, Lonnie realized those words were meant for her, too. She needed to hear them just as much as Jordan had. All this time, Lonnie had been hiding her true self, afraid of failing in front of everyone. Afraid that if they knew who her mother was, they would judge her more harshly.
But what she’d said to Jordan was true. Trying and failing was better than not trying at all. And even though she’d made it this far in the competition, she hadn’t done it as herself. She hadn’t done it as Lonnie, daughter of Mulan.
“Is everything all right, Li?” Ari asked over the loudspeaker, clearly urging her to get on with it. She had no idea how long she’d just been standing there, staring into the crowd.
“No!” Lonnie shouted at the top of her lungs, causing everyone in the stands to fall silent.
Lonnie glanced around at her fellow competitors. At the spectators in the stands. At the team of crew and producers from the show who were all gaping at her, wondering what she was going to do next.
“Everything is not all right!” she yelled. She reached up and touched the blond wig on her head. It felt safe. It felt just as protective as the golden warrior’s helmet.