Starshine, Sky, and the Power of Rock

A Princess and a Vampire Walk into a Closet

Gossamer and I shove through the principal's office door at the same time.

"I am not camping with her!" we both say, pointing at each other.

Sunshine casually stirs a spoonful of honey into a dainty little teacup, not looking up. "What makes you say that?"

I try to get the first word in but Gossamer steps in front of me to say, "Your Majesty, with all due respect, do you honestly trust a vampire left alone in the middle of the forest with a defenseless student to not try anything?"

"I'd hardly call you defenseless when you have your Soul Player, Ms. Glade" Sunshine says. "We'll go over how to use them this week so you'll be ready come Saturday."

Gossamer whimpers, not wanting to go too far in front of a queen. "Okay, scratch the 'defenseless' part, but my point still stands."

Sunshine finally looks up, her expression more inquisitive than anything. "What has Ms. Acdalur done to make you feel unsafe around her?"

"Well, for one, she-"

"Nothing," I say. "I have done nothing to her. Or anyone."

Gossamer scoffs. "Tell that to the princess you put in mortal danger."

"You know I didn't mean to get her in trouble. Plus that was, like, a month ago. How are you not past that?"

"Well, sorry if almost getting people killed is normal for monsters, but here in civilized society-"

"Why does everything come back to monsters with you?"

"It's a little hard to ignore when I have to go to bed every night hoping I won't wake up the next day with half my blood gone."

"As if I want your blood-"

"Cupcake or cinnamon roll?" Sunshine interrupts.

Gossamer and I exchange puzzled looks. "What?" we say.

Sunshine rolls her desk chair over to a keyboard set up against the wall. She plays a short tune and a tray materializes on her desk, vanilla cupcakes topped with yellow frosting butterflies on one side and fresh cinnamon rolls dripping with icing on the other. Our mouths water despite our confusion.

"Both of you, sit down," Sunshine says. "Ms. Acdalur, choose a pastry."

"How come she gets one?" Gossamer whines but Sunshine puts up a silencing hand before prompting me to pick one. I take a cinnamon roll and sit myself down in one of her big, squishy chairs.

"Ms. Acdalur, you are going to eat silently while Ms. Glade explains herself. We'll reverse things once it's your turn to speak."

I'm a little less interested in the cinnamon roll now that I know it's a glorified pacifier but the warm, sugary smell draws me back in. Next thing I know my mouth is full of soft, cinnamon goodness and Gossamer's is full of bile.

"Your Majesty, if you want proof that Skylar isn't to be trusted, you need only remember what she is," Gossamer starts. "Now, I've done my fair share of research on monsters. Vampires in particular, actually, and I know them to be morally bankrupt. Cunning, but soulless. They're just animated corpses that put on a very convincing act. They draw you in until you think they're your friend, and then they strike."

"Is that what your daddy told you?" I can't help saying through a mouthful of pastry.

Sunshine gives me a warning look. "And you think this will happen on your retreat?" she asks.

Gossamer nods. "Precisely."

"Interesting," Sunshine says, pretending to consider this. "But surely that can't be said about all vampires, right? What if assumptions were thrown at you over something you can't control?"