Fire Princess

Chapter Forty-Nine

Phoenix's head was pounding from the screams. From the very first day, Evers and Nevers alike were tortured by undead villains. An ogre chased Reena with an axe during Weapons, a witch burned a hole in Vex's thigh during Spells, Jack's giant threw Chaddick down the stairs in Talents, and Red Riding Hood's wolf ate half-feathered Kiko before Phoenix sucker punched him in the stomach and Pollux made him choke her out. Meanwhile, Aric's Hand-to-Hand Combat sessions produced so many gashes and concussions and broken bones that the fairies set up a makeshift infirmary in the foyer, supervised by Beatrix, who scurried about in a panic, dispensing healing elixirs and spells out of old library books, and Phoenix, who stocked up a number of vials filled with phoenix tears throughout the years. She glowered as Sophie waltzed past the door, seemingly pleased with all the tortured screams.

"I remember when she wanted to be a princess so bad." Phoenix said to Beatrix before consoling a sobbing Giselle, dripping tears onto the gash across her back.

Millicent stumbled into the infirmary, her arm at the wrong angle. She still had deer antlers protruding from her hair, but all Mogrification turning had been put on pause until the end of the war.

"We can't do anything now she's Evil's Queen." Beatrix scowled, running to assist her friend.

The only class anyone looked forward to was Lady Lesso's. Every lesson she'd lock her door and Merlin would appear from a cupboard, or under her desk, and put the guards to sleep. He'd then teach the students useful counter-spells and what was going on outside. Phoenix was even more wary of using her fire within Lady Lesso's classroom, as she didn't want to draw attention to the classroom, as Lady Lesso was another of Merlin's spies within the castle.

Then there was the first death. Phoenix and Beatrix gasped from where they were in the infirmary when they saw the student fly past the window. Phoenix tried to control her fear, as that was the classroom where Kiko and Ravan were situated. Beatrix fled the room, tears streaming down her face just as the lunch bell rang. Phoenix ran after her, trembling like a leaf. The two girls stopped Sophie in her tracks, Beatrix practically screaming.

"Saw it from our window—it was an ogre...threw someone off the belfry...into the bay—" Beatrix gasped.

"It's what happens when you don't fight back," said Sophie, without stopping. Her voice had become steelier and her skin more pale since she had come back.

Beatrix grabbed her arm. "But aren't you going to see whose body it is? It must have come from Castor's class—"

"There won't be a body if it was thrown into the bay. Slime would eat it right up," said Sophie airily. "I suppose it erases the need for a funeral."

Beatrix gaped at her, trembling. "All you ever wanted was to be Good. And now...you're as bad as him."

Sophie pulled Beatrix's hand off her arm and walked away. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Phoenix took Beatrix's hand as the two watched Sophie stride away, both in shock.

It turned out the student thrown off the belfry wasn't a student at all, but Beezle, who'd been cheering for an ogre in his fight against Ravan, only to stumble into the middle of the ogre's charge and end up head butted over the railing. (Castor led a short memorial before first session the next day in which no one shed a tear.) But the next lesson with Lady Lesso, Beatrix stormed in with a stack of books and dark magic. Lady Lesso raised and eyebrow but Beatrix whirled to the class.

"It's about time we're on equal footing if we're to survive." Beatrix looked each of her classmate's in the eye. "Sophie's well and truly on the School Master's side now. That's why we have to learn quickly so we can join Agatha, Tedros, and the League of Thirteen in their war!"