The Curse of the Forgotten Queen

11- Secret of Keravine Forest

3 1/2 Weeks Later (Wednesday, January 6th):

Delphora Principal's Office - Valerie P.O.V.

I watch my students trudge back on campus to get ready for the spring term and the resumption of the school year. The craziness of the holiday break resulted in several of my students getting hurt but it was unavoidable considering what was at stake. Even now, I'm shuffling through a new wave of job requests deciding which ones to post on the bulletin boards in each of the dorms. I'm amazed that some of the jobs now request certain people. "I'm going to have to amend the rules about these jobs," I think to myself watching security footage of my students returning from their homes to begin the spring term.

Marlene enters my office all smiles. "Those kids are something else. They were incredible in Dublin and now I'm sure each of them are getting their own specific job requests - right?"

"Yeah," I admit sifting through the numerous requests before sending copies of the group jobs to the other schools. "But I'm going to let the kids get settled in before we restart handing out jobs but once the term begins next week, it's fair game."

"True. The flying archery season is almost over yet I know for sure Amelia has interest in cross-country and track along with Meghan a few others from the other fall teams."

I lean back in my chair thinking about how this term is going to go. "We can be sure of one thing: it's going to be a fun term to see what happens as these kids continue to grow."

"Yeah." I lean back hoping for the best for this term. "I'm going to announce changes to the rules for these jobs now that specific people are being requested."

"These kids are something."

"That they are."

Meanwhile:

Angel Dorm Common Room - Amelia P.O.V.

I'm glad to be back at school although I already miss the palace and it's bumming me out. Misty, Em, Damon, and I explain everything that happened in the Tomb of Time to those wanting to know why Damon and I look like hell ran us over. I have stitches across my lower chest while Damon has a concussion. Emily tells the dorm the story of what went down while those intent on listening hanging on her every word. " . . . and that's what went down in the mountains," she finishes her 'dramatic' retelling of what happened; she embellished a few details but this is Misty's best friend.

"I can't believe I missed all that," Albert leans back on the sofa in disgust. "At least the chamber is in one piece."

"We think so. From what I know, the tomb was transported somewhere by the Solarium group who's now a part of Amelia's group."

"Whatever," this one boy scoffs at our story like a fool, "those creeps weren't that scary when we fought them here."

That alone makes me mad; I know what those people can do because they almost did it to me. "Are you serious?" I snap at this dude scaring him a bit but he deserves it. I raise my shirt showing my stitches to the room. "One of them did this to me," I point to my stitches, "and I have thirty of them, it hurts like hell, and I can't twist my body until they come out."

"She's telling the truth," Damon's voice gets my attention. Turning around, he walks up with a bag in his hand saying he just got here. "Those fools were no joke and as Amelia said, they got us pretty good and I should know because I have a concussion."

"She's right, Todd," Misty speaks to this fourth-year big mouth named Todd Blackburn. "You have no idea what's it's like when your life is on the line."