“What? If Gilly just stays out of things, they’ll leave us alone,” Anna rants. She looks at me. “Let someone else fight Alva.”
“But I’m getting closer. I can feel it,” I protest. “I can do this on my own. Imagine the reward the royal court will give us then. Princess Rose really likes me! If I could find the mole in the castle, they might be so amazed by me that they’ll give us a bigger boot or land or—”
“Do you hear yourself?” Anna throws her hands up. “Since when do you care about a bigger boot or more money? You sound just like the wicked stepsisters!” I gasp. “Can’t you be happy with what you already have? Family and friends who like you? This note obviously means you’re supposed to do your time here quietly and get out.” I try to talk over her. “Oh, I forgot! You never listen, do you? You always have to be the hero.”
My stomach is sloshing so much that I can barely stand. I feel suddenly very ill. “Anna!” I go to grab her hand, but she pulls away and storms off.
“Anna’s right,” Father says quietly. “This is a fight you can’t win alone, Gillian.”
“But I work just fine alone,” I protest. “Why do I need help? Sometimes you have to do your own thing so others don’t get hurt.”
“Working alone is how you do get hurt,” he reminds me. “You beat Alva last time because you had a team. Sometimes being a hero means being brave. Other times it means knowing when you need help.”
“You’re right,” I say, and Father looks as surprised as I feel that we’re agreeing. I think of what Jocelyn said. I have been selfish, and I haven’t been a very good friend. I can’t screw things up for my family, but I can’t let the kingdom just fall apart either. I feel completely stuck. For a moment, all I want is to be small and on my father’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t been thinking straight,” I admit. “But if me being part of all this hurts your business, I couldn’t bear it. Everyone looks happier than I’ve seen them in ages.”
Father looks at me. “I don’t want you to worry about my business. We’ll be fine whether I make glass slippers or not.” I bite my lip. “You do whatever you have to do to help end this reign of terror with Alva with the help of others. Then we’ll all be home together. Deal?”
“Deal.” I’m not sure how I’m going to pull this off though. “I should find Anna before she gets lost.” I hear the sound of a piano and frown. I think I’m missing the Royal Ladies-in-Waiting pledge. Tessa will be furious. I was supposed to chime the triangle.
Father nods to the door. “You go find Anna. I can distract them while you’re gone. I’ll say you had a sash emergency.” He chuckles to himself.
I give Father a peck on the cheek—another unusual thing for me—and dash down the hall. Anna could be anywhere. Rumor had it they were going to shut the magical hallways for visitation day, but they haven’t. I tiptoe past the lecture hall where I can hear Blackbeard speaking (“Like the sea, lads and lasses have mighty tempers! Dealing with them takes a plank—or a plan…”).
A sudden left sends me past the choir room where students are singing “The Gingerbread Man” to a rapt crowd. On the other side of the hall, I can hear Madame Cleo leading a group of parents and students in the Fire Step. Miri appears in a mirror a few yards away to scold two fairies who’ve flown out of Wolfington’s reading of Enchantasia through the Magical Years.
I duck into a hallway to my right to avoid being seen and come face to face with the entrance to the vegetable garden. There’s no way Anna’s out here. I try to turn around and trip over a watermelon, landing on my face and smashing the watermelon with my fall. The melon juice drips down my arm and my chin. I hear someone roar with laughter.
“Well, if it isn’t the newest RLW!” Jocelyn say in a self-satisfied voice. She’s sitting on a picnic blanket with Kayla, who grimaces at the sight of me. “Shouldn’t you be more graceful, Cobbler? Oh, I forgot. You skipped that part of your training and went straight to being a backstabbing royal wannabe and a lousy friend.”
I cannot stand this witch. I pull on Jocelyn’s skirt and take her down with me. She lands in watermelon juice. Then I take a piece of watermelon and chuck it at her.
“Stop it, Gilly!” Kayla says, rushing over and helping Jocelyn up. Not me! “Just leave us alone and go back to the RLWs and your family. They’re who you want to be with anyway.”
“Leave us alone?” I question. “You would rather hang out with Jocelyn than me?”
“Yes.” Kayla holds her head up defiantly.
“Ha!” Jocelyn says.