Academy of Legends

Chapter 26: Rapunzel (Easy)

It was a hubbub of activity. Tied up back to back with my almost-boyfriend, I really found myself wishing I had some kind of knife to untie myself with. Or even to take off the ridiculous gag, so I could keep swearing at them, which I really wanted to be doing.

Behind me, Will squirmed around. There was little doubt in my mind that the Merry Man wanted some serious revenge on his uncle's murderers, but at the moment, the odds were greater that he was going to end up getting killed long before he had the opportunity. Another added discomfort was that his squirming was pressing my thickly braided hair right into my back, which was definitely causing some grumbles from me.

As time wore on, and the sun began to make its descent in the sky, I woke up from beginning to doze off. There was significantly less people in the room now, which made me kind of nervous. Will was still squirming, and through my gag, I muttered at him, huffing impatiently. He was making this captivity increasingly uncomfortable.

There were only like three people left in the room now. One of them was my own mother—well, technically foster mother, especially if she was one of the people pulling this crazy stunt. The woman came and crouched down in front of Will, smiling and showing off the yellow teeth/fangs that I'd really come to despise. "Little Willy," she said in a jeering tone. "Are you ready to die by execution, boy?"

"By execution—like you executed my uncle?" Will answered. I wished I hadn't been quite so vocal. I really would've liked to give Mother Gothel a piece of my mind.

"Of course," Gothel answered with a cackle. At least when she was in my tower with me, she'd used her magic to take on a less disgusting appearance, and when she taught here at the Academy. Now she just looked—and kind of smelled—gross.

Will nodded a few times. I really had no idea how he kept so calm. Then, without warning, the ropes fell away from around us, and Will was moving, bringing a hidden knife plunging into the witch's chest. She collapsed soundlessly, and Will grabbed my hand, dragging to my feet, despite my legs lacking any sort of circulation. "Well, that was easy!" Will said. I'm pretty sure he had now gone from "almost-boyfriend" to "super-close-to-being-a-boyfriend". "Come on, Rapunzel. Also, I hope you didn't like her too much."

"I didn't," I said. "Here, this way, let's go!"

The last two people in the room started yelling an alarm and chased after us, but they were too late. Will slammed the door shut behind us and ran off with me in tow. He really was right about something.

That was easy.