Shimmer Page 12

  The one undeniable thing that required no verbal explanation as it was right there, smack-dab in the front and center, visible for all to see.

  I had my glow on.

  Actually, scratch that. It wasn’t just my usual glow. It was far more impressive than that.

  As a reward for all I’d accomplished back in St. John, my glow had significantly deepened. Going from what started out as a barely there, pale green shimmer straight into a … well … a somewhat deeper green shimmer.

  Okay, maybe the change wasn’t all that drastic, but the thing is, what it lacked in drama it made up for in … er … substance.

  Let’s just say that it couldn’t be missed.

  After all, I’d seen it.

  Bodhi had seen it.

  Even Buttercup had looked right at me and barked a few times as he wagged his tail and spun around.

  All of which I took as a pretty good sign that the Council would see it too. From what I knew of them, they didn’t miss much of anything.

  So I relaxed. Pushing my hair off my face as I thought, How bad can it be when my glow is so clearly minty green?

  But then, just after that, I remembered what Bodhi had said right after he’d found me at the Viewing Room and made me come here.

  Something about consequences and actions.

  Something about the Council’s ability to give and take at will.

  Something about the fact that because of what I’d done, because of my failure to follow his orders, it was really quite possible that by the time we left here, neither of us would ever glow again.

  Knowing I had to act fast, knowing I had to do whatever it took to get them to see my side of things, I charged ahead. Whatever Bodhi was up to, I was sure it wouldn’t work in my favor. He’d let me know, on plenty of occasions, just how much of a burden he found me.

  I had no time for trouble. No time to waste. I’d just learned something extraordinary, had just heard about some mysterious dimension where all the dreams take place—and I was determined to find it.

  Bodhi couldn’t be trusted. And when it came right down to it, it was every man, er, make that ghost, for himself. So I squeezed him right out and took center stage.

  He gasped in astonishment, tried to push me away, but he was too late and I was too fast, and before he could do anything more, I was already standing smack-dab in front of the Council.

  I was ready to tell them my side of things.

  My story. My way.

  And I was just about to begin when I noticed how Aurora’s aura grew dimmer, and then dimmer still, as the rest of the Council’s followed suit. Darkening in a way that made my mouth grow so dry and my throat go so lumpy the words wouldn’t come.

  Leaving me to stand there, shaky, mute, and completely abandoned by Bodhi, my guide, the one person whose job it was to help me.

  His eyes meeting mine, he shook his head and smirked, leaving no doubt in my mind just how much he’d enjoy watching me burn.

  acknowledgments

  Once again, great thanks are owed to Jean Feiwel, Matthew Shear, Rose Hilliard, Anne Marie Tallberg, Jennifer Doerr, Katy Hershberger, Brittney Kleinfelter, and Angela Goddard—just a few of the awesome, hardworking people who help bring my books to life; to Bill Contardi, for the wisdom and laughs; to Jeanette Harvey, who is, without a doubt, the best assistant I could ever imagine; to Sandy, for sharing the magic that is Oobleck; and of course, to my amazingly awesome readers—your enthusiasm and support mean the world to me!

  Questions for the Author

  In what ways are you similar (or different) to Riley Bloom?

  Actually, Riley and I share a lot in common. I know what it’s like to be the baby of the family, and though I hate to admit it, I’ve also been known to hog the microphone while playing Rock Band on the Wii!

  How do you come up with your characters?

  Honestly, I’m not really sure! The story idea usually comes first, and then as I’m busy working on all the ins and outs of the new world I’m creating, the cast just sort of appears.

  What was your inspiration for the Here & Now, the magical realm where Riley lives?

  Back when I first started working on the Immortals series, I did quite a bit of research on metaphysics, quantum physics, ghosts, spirits, and the afterlife, etc, all of which sort of fed into the concept of the Here & Now. I guess, in a way, it’s how I hope the afterlife will be.

  Do you believe in ghosts?

  In a word—yes. I’ve definitely experienced enough unexplainable phenomena to ever rule it out.

  Did you grow up with an older sister the way Riley did? How many brothers and sisters do you have?

  I have two older sisters, both of whom I completely idolized. There’s a bit of an age gap between us, one is ten years older, and the other five years older, and trust me when I say that I did my best to emulate them. I listened to their music, watched their TV shows, and read their books—all of which was way more appealing than my own, more age-appropriate stuff. And like Riley, I used to try on their clothes and makeup when they were out with their friends, though I suspect that revelation will come as no surprise to them!

  Where do you write your books?

  I have a home office where I put in very, very long hours seven days a week—but I have the best job in the world, so I’m not complaining!

  Have you always wanted to be a writer?

  Well, first, I wanted to be a mermaid, and then a princess, but ever since sixth grade when I finished reading my first Judy Blume book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, I decided I’d rather write instead. I’d always been an avid reader, but Judy Blume’s books were some of the first that I could directly relate to, and I knew then that someday I wanted to try to write like that too.

  What would you do if you ever stopped writing?

  Oh, I shudder to even think about it. I truly can’t imagine a life without writing. Though I suppose I’d probably start traveling more. I’ve traveled a good bit already, both when I was working as a flight attendant and just on my own, but there are still so many places left to explore. Oh, and I’d probably enroll in some art classes too—painting, jewelry making, crafty stuff like that.

  What would your readers be most surprised to learn about you?

  Not long ago, every time I finished writing a book I would celebrate by cleaning my house, which, I have to say, was sorely in need of it by then. But recently, I’ve come to realize just how very sad and pathetic that is, so now I get a pedicure instead (and save the housecleaning for another day)!

  A SQUARE FISH BOOK

  An Imprint of Macmillan

  SHIMMER. Copyright © 2011 by Alyson Noël, LLC. All rights reserved. For information, address Square Fish, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  Square Fish and the Square Fish logo are trademarks of Macmillan and are used by St. Martin’s Press under license from Macmillan.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

  ISBN 978-0-312-64825-1

  First Edition: March 2011

  Square Fish logo designed by Filomena Tuosto

  mackids.com

  eISBN 978-1-4299-9327-2

  First Square Fish eBook Edition: March 2011