One True Queen (School for Good and Evil Book 2)

Chapter 13

When it came time to land, the Igraine didn't have a port to dock in and its captain was below deck, so the ship made its own decision and thumped down in front of Nottingham Prison, crushing a statue of a fat, bearded Sheriff beneath its hull.

A few pigeons scattered.

No sounds came from the jail.

"Daddy won't be happy," said Dot, blinking over the rail.

Hester took in the deserted scene. "Where is everyone? You'd think flying ships land here every day."

"Jail's pretty empty," Dot explained. "Daddy and his men are so focused looking for Robin Hood that anyone else they put in there usually escapes."

"Good Sheriff," said Anadil, her rats snickering.

"He's caught Robin before. He'll catch him again," Dot defended. "When he caught Robin, Dad was so happy. He told me I was pretty, bought me cakes and dresses, and didn't have a care in the world. But then when Robin escaped . . ."

Her eyes clouded over.

"But how did Robin escape?" Anadil pushed.

"Oh, look! Bertie!" Dot said, waving over the rail. "Hi, Bertie!"

She beamed down at a filthy old man who'd rushed out the door of the jail to check on the commotion. He had no shirt, his pants were falling down, and he was sucking on a lit cigar.

"Any Robin sightings lately?" Dot asked cheerily.

The old man cursed at her and went back inside.

Dot smiled. "He's such a good friend."

A few minutes later, the crew gathered before their captain on sandy dirt, the Igraine in shadow behind them. A soft rain fell, the cloudy glow over Nottingham draining fast. Still, they could see downhill to the quiet village below, bounded on the north side by the rich greenery of Sherwood Forest.

"Tedros and Lancelot are heading towards Sherwood Forest to meet the Lion," said Agatha. "According to the Quest Map, Tedros will soon reach Nottingham on his way there. But scims were spotted here in Nottingham last night. Surely it's because the Snake sees a chance to attack Tedros before he gets to Sherwood Forest, where the Snake can't follow him inside. I'll use the Quest Map to find Tedros before the Snake does.

"The rest of you search Nottingham for scims," Agatha continued. "If the Sheriff spotted those eels last night, that means the Snake is here somewhere. If you find him, cast your glow into the sky as a signal. Don't try to fight him on your own." Agatha scanned the group. "Understood?"

The questers dispersed. Ravan's team went with Vex's to explore the hill around the jail. Beatrix, Reena, and Kiko teamed up to search the area bordering Sherwood Forest. Bogden and Willam took the Nottingham school, Hort headed towards the outer cottages, and Hester and Anadil followed Dot into the center of town.

"Daddy will know where the scims were. We have to get to my house," said Dot as they passed a billboard with a flattering painting of the beefy Sheriff chasing an ogrish-looking Robin Hood, about to snare him in a big, gray sack. The sign read: "WELCOME TO NOTTINGHAM, LAND OF LAW AND ORDER."

"Can't wait for you to meet Daddy. I've told him all about you."

"Since when are you so chipper about 'Daddy'?" Anadil scorned. "The way you talk about him, calling you a failure and a loser, he sounds like a demeaning, belittling mope. And that's coming from me."

"Well, he appreciates me more now," said Dot cryptically.

Hester tuned out whenever Dot talked about her dysfunctional relationship with her father. (She had no patience for parental issues, which she thought most kids used as an excuse for mediocrity and avoiding real responsibility). Instead, she was unnerved by how dead this town was as she took in the square's empty streets, stagnant fountain, and closed shopfronts.