We’re not supposed to be here.
This area of the castle was forbidden before Alva’s gargoyles blew a hole in it and destroyed the kitchen storage closet. (When you go to school with hungry ogres, locking up food is essential.) But today the bombed-out wall of the castle is cordoned off by glowing Dwarf Police Squad caution tape.
Please. Like yellow tape is going to keep a bunch of reform-school students from reading a villain’s manifesto.
The large, yellowed scroll hangs on a crumbling piece of wall by magic rather than a nail. That explains why the Dwarf Police Squad’s Pete and Olaf made ineffective, and comical, attempts to remove the scroll. Alva obviously bewitched her credo so that it can’t come down. Despite our teachers’ lecture yesterday afternoon about Alva and what a danger she is to not only FTRS, but Enchantasia, every kid I know still wants to hear what she has to say…including me.
I inch closer to the wall to read Alva’s warning. I’m not usually so nervous, but I guess I have a lot more to lose these days. In my brother Felix’s last Pegasus Post, he told me that thanks to Father making glass slippers again, my siblings are all eating three meals a day. They also have new clothes and warm blankets for their joint bed. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. And yet, I’m still sneaking over to read the manifesto. We crowd around the glowing, golden scroll to read the large, loopy, red scrolled handwriting.
Students of Fairy Tale Reform School
You’ve been warned: Enchantasia will be no more!
Soon the Evil Queen and I will rule this kingdom! Whose side will you be on when that day comes?
If you’re in FTRS, then you know how to be wicked, and being wicked is smart in this day and age.
Interested? Just make your intentions known, children, and we’ll hear your pleas. We’ll be back to claim you before you know it, and I promise that measly reward of 10,000 gold pieces for my capture is nothing compared to the fortune you’ll get with me.
Alva
“You have to admit, posting a call to evil at Fairy Tale Reform School is brilliant,” I say as we jostle for position around the scroll. It’s hard when students are pushing and conjuring small spells to move others out of the way. “If you need to build a wicked army, what better place to find one than here?”
“No wonder Flora seemed so wound up.” Jax plants his legs wide to keep from being knocked down and losing his place in front of the scroll. “She was so busy getting ready for the school lecture on evil that she barely reprimanded you and Jocelyn about taking off after Alva.”
I elbow the ogre behind me for kneeing me in the back. “Maybe, but that didn’t stop her from repeating her classic line, ‘I’d hate for you to add more time to your sentence here at FTRS.’ And instead of detention with Madame Cleo, she said something about Jocelyn and I having to duel in Blackbeard’s class today. She can’t mean a real duel, can she?”
“Yes!” Jax nudges me, probably by accident since we’re being pushed around. “Flora might be the only one around here not impressed by your new hero title.”
“Hero?” I sputter. I’ve never heard Jax use that word about me before. Sure, Happily Ever After Scrolls and unnamed sources keep calling me one, but never my friends. Wouldn’t anyone do what I did to stay alive and help their school? I’d hope so, but if being a hero is what keeps my family well fed, then I’m not going to argue. “Anyone would do what we did.”
Jax frowns as his finger traces Alva’s loopy letter A. “Not everyone would stick their necks out for a royal,” he teases, and I make a face. Jax is the only royal I like, and he knows it. “Too bad we didn’t catch Alva though. She’s not going to stop until she controls Enchantasia.”
I stare at the manifesto again. “What do you think she means by ‘make your intentions known and we’ll hear your plea’?”
Jax pushes his floppy curls out of his eyes. “I don’t know.” He pulls me away from the scroll, and kids quickly press into the empty spot. “What if she means the mole and that mole is at Fairy Tale Reform School?”
The whole reason Jax is undercover at FTRS is to find the mole that is trying to tear apart the royal court. His dad thought Jax would have luck getting the scoop at a school where the kids know every dirty trick in Evildoing for Dummies. So far though, we’ve had no luck. This mole, whoever he may be, is still feeding villains info on the princesses and now seems close enough to get into our school. I feel a shiver race through me.