Fire Princess

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Sophie looked down at a class of almost forty Evers and Nevers in black-and-green uniforms crammed into seats—Beatrix, Reena, Chaddick, Nicholas, Mona, Arachne, Ravan, Vex, Millicent, Brone among them—all wearing the same putrid scowls.

“Oh hello there, um . . . c-c-class,” Sophie sputtered, startled by both their expressions and the sheer number of students. “It’s been a w-w-while, hasn’t it?”

The student’s scowls intensified. Someone coughed and Sophie whirled her head to see Phoenix sitting with Kiko, behind Ravan. Sophie swore the fire princess hadn’t been there before.

“Phoenix.” She smiled in relief. “I’m thankful to see you’re doing better. The wound didn’t scar, did it?”

Phoenix raised her eyebrows and spoke coolly. “I almost died about two months ago. You’re a bit late on that count.”

Sophie was taken aback by Phoenix’s attitude. The girl had been so friendly the past two years…but now she was…kind of mean.

“But we’re a family now, aren’t we?” Sophie fawned, trying a new tactic. “And look at you all, so smart in black! Never used to like black, but Lady Lesso said this dress belonged to Rumpelstiltskin’s niece, who used to teach this very same class. Small-boned woman—not surprising since her uncle was a dwarf—so no one’s been able to fit into it until me.”

The students looked positively hateful now.

“Um, Lady Lesso said Pollux has been teaching in my absence,” she puttered, “so perhaps we should wait for him to—”

Vex let out an angry fart. Sophie held her breath, appalled.

Find the spy, she refocused. When Rafal had taken her to meet the Deans of Evil, Lesso and Aric, Lady Lesso had told her that someone was helping a resistance outside of the gate. Someone didn’t want this future. Someone wanted Agatha and Tedros to win. So Someone in this room was on Good’s side, trying to help kill the boy she loved…

And yet, with their matching scowls, all the students in the room looked equally capable of betraying Evil, Evers and Nevers alike. That is, except for Kiko in a black babushka and veil, sniffling at the back of the room. Sophie glimpsed the small pink ribbon pinned to her uniform: R.I.P Tristan.

Kiko saw Sophie looking at her and gave her the same horrible glare as everyone else.

“Did someone put frownies in the school gruel this morning?” Sophie simpered, trying to keep her cool.

A spit-ball hit her in the eye.

Sophie exploded red, not even bothering to look for who shot it. “Look, it’s obvious why you’re all upset, okay? When I first came to this place, you were vile to me, even though I was nothing but nice to each of you, whether greeting you in hallways, enduring your odious hygiene, or educating you about the evils of white flour. And now you’re mad because the most handsome boy in the world gave me his ring, which makes me queen of the school, sitting up here with all the power, while you’re down there, with no power at all. But you know what? Tough tooties. I’ve been alone my whole life, trying to find someone who loves me who won’t leave me, someone who actually likes me for who I am, warts and all. And now I found him! I don’t care if he’s a sorcerer. I don’t care if he’s the most Evil boy in the world! He’s mine and he loves me, even if I’m emotional and complicated and brutally misunderstood. So pout and be mad all you like, but after all I’ve endured in my life, I deserve to have true love, whether you like it or not, and the least you could do is be happy for me!”

Silence.

“That’s not why we’re mad,” snapped Beatrix.

“No one gives a hog’s behind if you have a boyfriend,” Mona stabbed.