Fire Princess

Chapter Fifty-Three

Ravan wandered down School for Evil's halls. It was a little unnerving how unchanged the castle was now, after everything that had happened. He was back in the original dumpy black Never uniform, relieved to feel the familiar fabric after almost two years.

The School Master's death had restored the School for Good and Evil to balance, even though both the lake and moat sides of Halfway Bay continued to belch with noxious green fog. Merlin insisted the condition would resolve on its own, once Evers and Nevers resumed their classes and the magical wave responsible for sorting students began its rounds.

It had taken the wizard and Tinkerbell most of the night to fly the School Master's tower from the Blue Forest back to its rightful place between the halves of the bay. For one thing, Tink's aging fairy dust moved the structure slower than a snail would; for another, Tink was still adjusting to the new wing Merlin had made for her out of a blue butterfly he'd found in the Dean's office.

The wizard had yet to remand the Nevers to Evil's castle, preferring they all stay together for the night in the comforts of the Good dormitories. Once the Good and Evil teachers were freed, the faculty spent most of the evening treating injured students and heroes, while the rest of the Evers and Nevers had a full supper of turkey meatballs, carrot-ginger soup, green herb salad, and raspberry pie, catered by Merlin's hat. If any of the Evil teachers resented the loss of their School Master or having been sealed in their rooms during the war, none of them showed it—perhaps because they saw the extent of the wounds suffered in battle, or more likely because Lady Lesso's death meant one of them would be chosen the new Dean of Evil. With the School Master gone and Lady Lesso unable to choose a successor, it was soon widely presumed that Professor Manley would take her place. (He'd already spent the night redecorating her office.)

Ravan looked out on the grounds and saw Blitz run toward two younger boys, one wearing glasses, and one much smaller than the other two. Ravan watched the brothers reunite, all smiles, until Blitz had to break the bad news. The smallest immediately burst into tears while the brunette boy looked shell-shocked. Ravan grimaced, Firebirch would have to wait a few more years until Blitz was eighteen to have a ruler once more.

Something brushed against his skin and he looked down to the phoenix feather still hung around his neck. It almost felt cold, but he reasoned it was just the winter chill settling over the grounds. He wrapped a hand around it and Phoenix's words came back to him.

"If you ever need me, just wish me through the feather and I'll be there for you."

Though he knew it was a lost cause, he still wished. Wished that her death was a mistake. Wished that she'd come back.

But the feather remained cold. He slumped, a familiar scowl settling on his face. It had been a stupid Ever hope. And he wasn't an Ever. Stupid Phoenix had made him think more like an Ever.

The funerals for Cinderella and Lady Lesso took place in the Blue Forest, which was already coming back to life by the time the nymphs began laying out chairs in the Tulip Garden.

All the Nevers wore their saggy black uniforms and sat on the left side of the grass, while all the Evers sat on the right, with the girls in their usual pink pinafores and the boys in sky-blue shirts, navy jackets, and knotted slim ties. Many of the students had bruises, bandages, and casts, which they showed off to classmates with furtive whispers and the utmost pride. Indeed, there were no dirty looks across the aisle nor any of the usual rancour between the Good and Evil schools...but instead a silent gratitude that the other school was present at all. Blitz greeted Ravan warmly and introduced him to his brothers. Though Jay and Burn seemed a little intimidated to start with, they warmed to Ravan quickly. Kiko even offered Ravan a nod, fiddling with her own phoenix feather.