“What if the mole is helping Alva because he or she hates the royal court and wants power?” I wonder. A group of pixies fly by our heads and I pause. They whisper and point when they see me. “The kids in here could help Alva a lot. They’re likely to be the next big-time villains if they don’t reform. And a lot of them have magic!”
“We’ll hear your plea.” Jax repeats a line from the scroll. “The mole must be at FTRS. How else could Alva reach the students or know Blackbeard was coming, giving her time to break out Harlow?” We step over crumbling bricks to exit the kitchen storage room and walk onto the lawn outside the school. Jax’s brow is wrinkled in concentration. “This doesn’t add up. Wouldn’t Flora have worried about Harlow as soon as she saw Alva? Instead, she ignored you when you tried to warn her.”
Warning bells go off in my head. I’ve thought the worst of our school headmistress before. Once a villain, always part villain, I’ve heard Wolfington say. Could it be true? Could Flora have helped Harlow break out? Why? And if she did, how do we stop Flora and this mole from striking again?
A shadow crosses over Jax’s face and we both look up. A group of magic carpets flies by with student drivers. The carpets are an array of bright purples, blues, pinks, and brilliant oranges, with tassels hanging so low that one brushes my head. The patterns are as varied as the colors. In your first magic carpet class, you actually get to design your own carpet: color, pattern, aerodynamics, and special effects. A shower of glitter rains down on Jax and me like snow.
“Miss Hobby, we are not glittering the castle today!” Monsieur Lavine scolds. “It’s not a holiday! Helmut, we fly behind one other, not one on top of the other.” Our teacher looks down and spots us. He removes his silver turban and tosses it to Jax. “A little late to class, are we, Mr. Jax? Meet us at the Pegasi stables, and as punishment, you must wear my turban for the rest of the day.” His classmates laugh as Jax places the large, oversized silver hat on his head. The jewels hanging off it make it hard for him to see.
“Great,” Jax grumbles, and the jewels in front of his eyes sway. “As if Ollie wasn’t already giving me grief about being a royal, now I’m a royal wearing noble headgear. I’ve got to go. Talk later?”
He looks so glum that I resist the urge to poke fun at his royalness. The ground shakes and I look up. Maxine is bounding toward me.
“Hey! Why was Jax in a turban?” she asks breathlessly. “No matter. Did you guys read the manifesto? Scary, huh? Alva’s trying to take over our school!” She clutches one of the dozens of pearl necklaces stretched around her thick neck. “My scroll sent me another message about it this morning.”
I sigh. “Maxine, mini magical scrolls don’t send messages. You must just—”
Maxine thrusts her scroll into my face. “Look! At the bottom. That’s not Happily Ever After Scrolls’s writing. It says ‘She’ll be back. She’s gaining numbers. Watch that those around you don’t fall for her thunder.’” Her one eye rolls quickly in its socket.
“I…” I stare closer. The handwriting is different and the writing glows blue, while the rest of the HEAS message is in black. But it can’t be. Not to be rude, but why would someone use Maxine to stop Alva? “Let me know if this happens again, okay?”
Maxine nods. “There’s more. Mama sent a Pegasus Post this morning, and she said if the break-ins continue, she might talk to Headmistress Flora about pulling me out of school.” Her large hand clasps mine. “Is it weird that I don’t want to go home yet?” she whispers. “I kind of like it here. I finally have friends.”
I smile. A group of Pegasi neigh as they fly by us with more student riders. Out on the lawn, I see a bunch of kids in full armor starting dragon training against a mechanical dragon that shoots real fire. I miss my family, but there are things at Fairy Tale Reform School that I’d never get to do in the real world. I squeeze Maxine’s large hand. “I know what you mean. Don’t worry about it right now. Let’s get to class.” We step back inside the crumbling kitchen storage room just as the closest mirror begins to glow orange, purple, then turquoise green.
“This area of the castle is off-limits!” Miri announces, and her decree is followed by groans. “Students seen in this area in the next two minutes will spend the next three days in detention with Madame Cleo or Blackbeard. I should warn you that he’s teaching duels.” Kids disperse immediately, and Maxine and I jump into a new hallway appearing to our left. Kayla is waiting.
“Hey,” she says when she sees us. “Why weren’t you in our room this morning?” I watch her wings pop in and out over and over, which only happens when she’s nervous. “You didn’t want to have breakfast together?”