Brynna

Brynna saw Phoebe's face in the background of the camera shot and a thrill went through her. The camera tipped down, just slightly, and sure enough, there was Soot and there was the dragon's prank. The presenter's leap – he had to have practiced that, right? – looked like something out of a comic book, and Brynna didn't need a laugh track to imagine the kids at home watching this rolling on the floor.

It was the perfect way to end the segment, and she'd been right to suggest it, and to put in the hours of work it had taken to reach the show's producer. Phoebe lit up with anything that involved entertaining children. Maybe dragons were a bit like children, Soot certainly seemed to be.

Getting to her feet and stretching, Brynna walked from her table to the small kitchen and back again. Her sunflower curtains, drawn back, and the birch finish on the kitchen cupboard doors brightened the city daylight and she let herself relish it for a moment. Thessaly would be finished with her vocal coach soon and on her way over, it was almost time to start making dinner. She had to remember to show the mermaid Phoebe's appearance, Thessaly would love it.

Stolen story; please report.

Before starting on the meal, she sat back down at her laptop for one last check of her various email accounts. Her heart did a flip at the topmost new arrival.

Hi Brynna,

Thanks for reaching out, Tam was stoked to hear Thessaly's interested in joining the set. Are you staying on-site for the fest? It'd be great if we could touch base before soundcheck to sort out the details.

Best, Ira

She stared at the screen for a long minute. She'd organised collaborations between Thessaly and other idols several times now, and it was always a long, complicated process of negotiation, fanatical attention to detail and pissy territorialism. There would be phone calls, video calls, icebreaker meetups, group rehearsals, costume consultations and more besides.

When she'd learned that Tam Duffy was heading the bill of day one of one of the summer's last big festivals – the same day Thessaly was performing in the afternoon on a side stage – she'd nagged and begged at the promoters to put her in touch with the rock star's management. Getting a response at all, and a positive one at that, was a small miracle. But did they really want to just throw together the performance morning-of?

On the TV, the kiddie show had ended and the news was starting up. The headline was another gang murder. Brynna shut the TV off. She had a growing, nagging suspicion that she was closer to the epicentre of the gang war than anyone had yet let on to her, but there was no reason to spoil Thessaly's mood with bad news among the good when she arrived.