Charmed Page 12

  “They haven’t broken into the school, Headmistress,” Miri says, and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard the normally steady mirror sound shaky. “It’s Enchantasia…” The words seem stuck to her mouth like glue. “The ogres, the gargoyles…Alva. They’ve…burned half the village to the ground.”

  Happily Ever After Scrolls

  Brought to you by FairyWeb—magically appearing on scrolls throughout Enchantasia for the past ten years!

  Breaking News: Enchantasia Village in Ruins

  by Beatrice Beez

  The Enchantasia Dwarf Police Squad is ordering all residents who still have their homes, teakettles, and boots to stay indoors while the police investigate the village for ogres and gargoyles on the run after today’s devastating attack. This reporter has toured the village with police protection and has noted that three blocks of boots, several teakettles, and storefronts including Mother Goose’s Nursery School—as well as the famed Three Little Pigs’ homes—were destroyed in the attacks.

  Thankfully, the quick thinking of Jack and Jill, who were headed up the hill to fetch a pail of water, alerted the village to the incoming ogres, and villagers were able to get everyone to safety. In the village square a new magical scroll with an ominous message was found: “A regime change is coming. Join me or perish. The royal court can’t save you.”

  Following the attacks, dozens of villagers fled the scene to join Alva’s army. Rumor has it that students at FTRS have gone missing as well. “No one knows how they’re contacting Alva, but we suspect there is a traitor in our midst who is helping them do so,” says Pete, the Dwarf Police Squad Chief.

  Rapunzel was visiting the village right before the attacks occurred, but thankfully left early for a hair-care ad luncheon. Meanwhile, the royal court is said to be scrambling to make a statement about the attacks, but they’ve already been beaten to the punch by one of their own. Despite imminent danger, Princess Rose signed her Royal Ladies-in-Waiting Club out of Fairy Tale Reform School to distribute fresh water, blankets, and food to magical creatures in need. Headmistress Flora was rumored to be against this idea, but as she is under questioning about her school’s magical protection that left it untouched, she was unable to stop the princess.

  “While my fellow princesses figure out the right words to comfort a village, my Royal Ladies and I choose to get on the ground and help those in need,” said Princess Rose when we caught up with her at the Mulberry Bush shelter where she was giving out honorary Royal Ladies-in-Waiting sashes to eager children. “I, for one, won’t stand and wait to see my kingdom repeatedly pillaged in this manner. It’s time we take back the power.

  “I’ve already told my fellow princesses that we will be meeting to discuss Enchantasia’s welfare at a dinner my RLWs and I are organizing at Royal Manor this Friday. While commoners are usually not invited to give their opinion in such matters, I feel it is important that we hear everyone’s thoughts on how to save our kingdom. One of my newest RLWs, Gillian Cobbler, is sure to have many ideas.”

  The village shoemaker’s daughter and her friends are the ones who thwarted Alva’s previous attack on FTRS. Inviting RLWs to a royal discussion is a bold move by Princess Rose, who has always let the other princesses make decisions on her behalf. “I am no longer willing to sit back and let things be decided for me. I’m a charming princess, yes, but I also have the power to help those in need.”

  Check your scrolls often throughout the day for updates on Enchantasia village and the search for Alva!

  CHAPTER 14

  A Pirate’s Life for Me

  Tap! Tap! Tap!

  At first the sound is so light that I think I’m imagining it, so I roll over and go back to sleep. But the sound is persistent. It interrupts my sugarplum dreams.

  Kayla throws back her covers. “For the love of fairies, what is that noise?”

  The sun is not even close to gracing us with its presence, but someone is outside our turret window—and we live fourteen stories up. I rush over, open the stained glass window, and look out at the boy in pajamas sitting atop my favorite Pegasus, Macho. “Jax?”

  “Hi,” he says, sounding completely calm for someone who is breaking half a dozen FTRS rules by being outside, in the air, in the middle of the night, and stealing a Pegasus. After yesterday’s attack on the village, Flora forbade us from even going outside. Macho’s bright-white coat gleams almost silver in the moonlight, accentuating his majestic purple wings. “We need to powwow pronto. Ollie and Maxine think they’ve got something. Can you come outside?”

  I look down, down, down at the ground so far below. The grounds are lit faintly by torches and an eerie silver glow that we suspect is Rumpelstiltskin’s protection charm. “You want me to jump from my window onto Macho?” He nods like it’s as easy as teaching one of the Three Blind Mice to swordfight (which Blackbeard is doing, by the way).

  “Macho will hold steady, won’t you?” Jax asks, and Macho neighs in response.

  Pegasi can understand human thoughts and words, which I still find pretty cool.

  “But he can’t get closer.” I stare at his large wingspan. “I’ll have to jump.”

  Kayla nudges me out of the way and flies out the window, landing right behind Jax. She smiles smugly. “That was easy.”

  “Says the fairy with wings.” I grab my boots, slipping them onto my bare feet. Then I hold up my nightgown, climb onto the small window ledge, and don’t look down. Jax flies around again, getting as close as possible, which isn’t all that close. I’m going to have to jump at least two to three feet.

  “One, two, three,” Jax coaxes me as Kayla clings to his back.

  The air feels cool and it’s breezier than I’d expected, but I take a deep breath and jump. Jax and Kayla have their hands out to catch me, and my hands are ready to meet theirs. Whoosh! A gust blows my nightgown up, and instinctively I pull it back down when I should be grabbing my friends’ hands.

  “Gilly!” Kayla screeches as I fall past Macho and plummet downward. I throw my hands out again, and at the last second they wind around Macho’s loose reins. He gives a neigh in protest. “Would you rather I fall?” I ask him.

  Jax grins. “We wouldn’t have let you, thief. Macho clocks in at thirty miles an hour. We could have booked down and caught you before you went splat in the moat.”

  “Reassuring.” I climb behind Kayla and hang on tight as Macho takes off, flying around the rooftop of the castle, which I’ve only seen once before. “So can you tell me what’s so important that I needed to jump out a window?”

  Jax’s hair whips around his face as Macho flies, but his face darkens as a cloud blocks the moonlight. “Maxine received a new message on her scroll.”

  I yawn. “And she couldn’t show it to us in the morning?”

  “I forgot we haven’t gotten you up to speed,” Jax explains. “We’re pretty sure the mole is one of the princesses.”

  “What?” I say and almost fall off Macho. His wing pushes me back on behind Kayla.

  “The note Maxine got while you were off learning how to fold napkins said as much,” says Kayla.

  “And Maxine said this note is even more urgent,” Jax explains, pulling Macho’s reins tighter. The Pegasus soars to new heights. “We have to act now.”

  It’s strange to see the castle bathed in darkness, the moat reflecting moonlight below while the occupants of FTRS are fast asleep. From high above, Fairy Tale Reform School looks peaceful. But we are anything but safe. Alva’s army is growing. Two dozen students went missing after yesterday’s attacks and many villagers as well. Alva’s not going to stop ’til she has us all.

  At least my family is safe. When we heard about the attack on the village, we feared the worst about Han and Hamish. Thankfully, Mother received word via magic carpet that the children at Mother Goose Nursery got to safety before the school was destroyed and our boot is still standing. “For now,” Father said grimly. His words still echo in my head, along with the message on the threatenin
g note he received. Tell Gillian to be a charming girl and do what she’s told. I rub my arms to keep warm. If I want to end this, I may have to take the fall for all of us just like Harlow said. And if I do that, what will happen to my family?

  Macho swoops down, going around the gardens and the observatory before he heads toward the lake. The sails of Blackbeard’s ship billow in the breeze as Jax lands Macho on a freshly swabbed deck that gleams.

  We’ve barely loosened our grips when scrappy-looking pirates come from every corner of the deck with swords drawn and shouting variations on “Aargh!” and “Avast! Intruders!” Jax is attempting to take off again when we hear someone yell, “Stop!”

  Ollie runs across the deck, dressed like one of the crew in a bandana, billowy T-shirt, and ripped pantaloons. Maxine is with him. “They’re with me, mates.” The pirates seem disappointed as they put their swords back in their scabbards and go back to cleaning.

  “Ollie, don’t you think you’re taking this pirate fantasy a bit far?” Kayla asks. “What are we doing here?”

  “Once a pirate, always a pirate,” says Ollie.

  Blackbeard appears, putting an arm around Ollie. “This matey may not have sailed the seven seas with a pirate as fearsome as me, but I said I’d still invoke the pirate code and let ye meet on me decks.” Blackbeard elbows Maxine. “I love this lad’s tricks. Have you seen him make a dove appear under his hat? Bloody brilliant!” The other pirates applaud as Ollie bows. “Ye take all the time ye need, lad. I won’t tell a soul.”

  Ollie and Blackbeard do a strange handshake and laugh before Blackbeard heads back to his quarters.

  “Come and see the ship!” Ollie tells us excitedly, lifting a hatch in the deck to reveal steps that lead to the quarters below. “We’re safe from prying eyes here so it’s the perfect place to talk before the sun comes up.” He pauses. “As long as Gilly has her rose pin and sash off.”

  I point to my blue nightgown. “I’m good. But why the need to meet outside the castle?”

  Ollie leads the way down. “We’re trying to keep tabs on you! The girls told us what you overheard yesterday.”

  “We figured news like that would probably make you do something rash and thiefy on your own,” Jax adds.

  “I’ve learned my lesson about working alone,” I say, exhaling at the thought of it all. “We’re only going to be able to stop Alva if we work as a team, even if she is only after me.”

  Jax stops near a room filled with snoring pirates in hammocks. “We won’t let her take you. We can stop her together. All of us.” Jax opens a door where Jocelyn is waiting.

  CHAPTER 15

  Riddle Me This

  “She’s helping us?” I flip out. “You just said you heard her sister wants to hand me over to Alva!”

  “She didn’t actually say that,” Jocelyn scoffs. “But it’s true that sometimes sacrifices have to be made.” Jax holds me back while Kayla blocks Jocelyn.

  “Have you all lost your minds?” I hiss. “Harlow is working with Flora and Alva, which means Blackbeard probably is too. You’re trusting villains, and villains can’t be trusted. Jocelyn included!”

  Jocelyn crosses her arms, showing off the intricate pattern of her black lace sleeves. “She’s as pigheaded as the Three Little Pigs. She’ll never listen to anything I have to say. You deserve to have your boot blown down!”

  Jax steps between us. “Enough! Alva’s taking students and villagers, and Enchantasia and FTRS will be next. Do you want that to happen?” He looks from me to Jocelyn. We’re both quiet. “Now, there’s no one better to decipher villainous clues than the sister of the Evil Queen. Jocelyn’s figured out how to work the manifestos on her own, and she’s willing to help us sort through these clues, so we’re going to let her.”

  I’ve never heard Jax so fired up before. I rub my sore arm and glare at Jocelyn. “I have one question first: Why do you want to help us?”

  Jocelyn purses her purplish lips. “I think my sister is innocent.” I snort. “I think Harlow left with Alva because she’s secretly helping FTRS. Maybe she’s even the one clever enough to send these notes. Did you ever think of that?”

  I snicker. “Yeah. And poison apples aren’t really poisonous.”

  The wind picks up in the room, and Jocelyn begins to mumble what I suspect is a spell. I lunge for her. The two of us hit a sack of what must be gold coins—it’s that hard—and both wince. “Ow! Ow!” we both exclaim.

  Ollie and Jax send us to opposite sides of the room. “You two are not allowed to talk to each other,” Jax says wearily. “Let’s fill Gilly in on what we know. Jocelyn?”

  Jocelyn huffs, then finally looks at me. “All those fools who joined Alva yesterday? They did it by touching the manifesto.”

  “Those scrolls are protected,” I snap. “You can’t pull one down or touch it.” Jax gives me a warning look. I back down with a sigh. “Can you?”

  “You can if you’re questionable,” Jocelyn insists. “I’ve been hanging around the manifesto to see if anyone tries to use it. After yesterday’s attack, students flocked to it.”

  “Traitors,” Ollie grumbles.

  “Most of them got nowhere,” Jocelyn explains with an eye roll. “They were too reformed, I guess, but then that weasel Ronald Gertrude, who keeps trying to sneak off with Pegasi on school grounds, went up to it, and the scroll changed color.”

  “Ronald?” Maxine’s eye starts to spin. “What a boy who cried wolf! His mother has been trying to spring him from FTRS early!”

  “That little troll walked up to the manifesto with two friends, stuck a meaty hand on it, and begged to join Alva.” Jocelyn snickers. “New words appeared but I was too far away to read them. When Ronald escaped through the castle wall, I went over to try the scroll myself.” She shrugs. “If you’re still evil enough, it reveals itself.” She holds out her hand, and the purple smoke I’m used to seeing with her magic reveals words. The handwriting matches Alva’s manifesto.

  Meet at the Hollow Woods at dawn. Our Royal Manor battle is imminent.

  Dawn? I look through the nearest porthole and see the sky is already turning pink. “Fiddlesticks! We’re too late to stop them!”

  “We may not be able to keep them from joining Alva, but we can figure out which princess is aiding her.” Jax holds out a scribbled note. “This was what Maxine’s last note said: ‘The traitor is of royal blood, for sure, but the question remains, which tiara is tarnished?’”

  I listen to the snoring in the other room to steady myself. I’ve never been a royal fan, and I certainly don’t like how they’ve abandoned FTRS, but I never thought a princess would stoop so low as to work with Alva. “Who do you think would betray Enchantasia?”

  “We don’t know.” Maxine pulls out her mini magical scroll. “But tonight I got this.” We all gather around to look. “It glowed so brightly that it woke me up. It says ‘Urgent.’”

  HEAR MY CRY! THE TIME HAS COME! YOU MUST WORK FAST! THE ROYAL SPY IS ALMOST FREE AT LAST. HER HAIR IS FAIR, HER SKIN IS WHITE. SADLY, I KNOW SHE IS NOT SNOW WHITE.

  “Well, that rules out one princess, but we still have three more,” Jax says. He spreads the notes and Maxine’s mini magical scroll out in front of us on the messy pirate table, pushing aside maps and gold telescopes. “Any ideas when they’re all blond?”

  “Ella would never do such a thing,” says Maxine fiercely. “She’s always speaking out on evil. I just can’t imagine her trying to hurt the kingdom.”

  “Well, it can’t be Rose either,” I insist. “She’s working at FTRS! She believes in reform and helping the kingdom. She’s always complaining the court doesn’t do more to help bring power to the people.”

  “I’m with Gilly,” says Maxine. “Princess Rose officially made me an RLW yesterday! She said if Gilly wants me in the club, then I’m in the club. I was so thankful that I tried to bring her my secret stash of gingerroot flowers.”

  “You have gingerroot?” We all freak, and I hear the pirates in the
next cabin stir.

  Ollie is aghast. “That flower is a hotter commodity than radishes for dealing with beasties. Why would you just give it away?”

  Maxine’s left side of her face starts to droop. “I still have it. Princess Rose took one look at it and started backing away.”

  “Duh!” Jocelyn says. “She was surrounded by gingerroot during her Sleeping Beauty phase.”

  I pat Maxine on the back. “I’m sure she appreciated the effort. But that means if it’s not Snow, Ella, or Rose…” We all look at Jax.

  His violet eyes nearly bulge out of his head. “You think it’s Rapunzel? She would never try to hurt Enchantasia!”

  “And you know that how?” Jocelyn asks, examining a nail. “From the way Kayla tells it, Prince, you haven’t seen your sis in years, going incognito and all.”

  Kayla blushes. “I had to bring her up to speed.”

  “You said Rapunzel was there when the gargoyles attacked Royal Manor,” Ollie says quietly. “And HEAS says she was in the village right before the attacks yesterday too.”

  “Not to mention the extra-long blond hair I found on a threatening note Father received at Cobbler Shoes,” I add gently.

  “What?” Kayla gasps.

  I stare at a gold telescope on the cluttered table. “It basically said if I didn’t do as I was told—whatever that means—Father’s business could be taken away.” I look at the others. “But Father’s right. I can’t just worry about my family. I have to think of all of us, and my gut tells me that Rapunzel is the mole.”

  Jax sits down, dumbfounded. “You guys really think the traitor is my sister? Father sent me undercover at FTRS, and the whole time the mole was my own sister? I just don’t believe it.”

  And yet, I think he does. It makes the most sense out of the three princesses. The boat sways gently, and we all grab a chair as we look at each other in fear.

  “Maybe she’s planning to steal the crown from the other princesses and Alva and keep it all to herself,” Jocelyn guesses, and we look at her. “That’s what I would do.”