“Miss Gillian and Miss Jocelyn, get back here!” Flora yells.
My eyes are on Harlow’s little sister, who obviously knew I was right. She’s running the same way for a different reason—to help her big sister, I’m sure. We’re both so close to the castle that I know if I don’t do something to slow Jocelyn down, she’ll reach Harlow first.
I pull Jax’s pocket watch that I pinched out of my pocket. That’s right, I still got it. “Houratiempo!” I shout, remembering the strange word I’ve heard Jax utter before. A light bursts from the watch and sends Jocelyn flying backward. I run toward her, knowing the power of that pocket watch means she can still talk but she can’t move for the next few minutes. I slide into her side and tie her hands with the long, purple gingerroot flower stems Maxine plucked for a rainy day.
Found near the edge of the Hollow Woods, the rare electric-blue flower with the purple stems has the power to freeze people temporarily and also to bind them from using magic when the stem is wrapped around their wrists. Ever since Alva threatened me, Maxine has insisted that I have gingerroot in my pocket at all times. It came in handy today.
“Gilly, let go!” Jocelyn screams. Since I only tied the roots around her wrists, her lungs still work.
“You’re not escaping with Harlow,” I say. “You—”
BOOM! Pieces of the castle wall explode in the air, sending rocks and debris raining down on us. I can’t hear anything but ringing. My right leg is pinned under a piece of wall. Jocelyn is stuck under a fallen wooden door. When the smoke clears, I see two figures approaching. One slaps a long, hand-written scroll that glows on a crumbling wall before walking my way. A sinister smile plays on the woman’s ruby-red lips.
“Gillian Cobbler,” Alva purrs. “Always trying to be the hero. For that you’ll pay dearly.” I see her lift her hand.
“No!” Harlow shouts. “Leave the brats! We must go!” Harlow pulls Alva away.
“Harlow, listen!” Jocelyn screams, but the Evil Queen doesn’t stop.
For a brief moment, the two of us lock eyes. Then Harlow and Alva disappear in a cloud of smoke.
Happily Ever After Scrolls
Brought to you by FairyWeb—magically appearing on scrolls throughout Enchantasia for the past ten years!
BREAKING NEWS:
Alva at FTRS! Breaks Evil Queen Out of Dungeon! Releases Villainous Call to Arms!
by Beatrice Beez
Yesterday afternoon, Enchantasia’s most-wanted villain appeared on Fairy Tale Reform School grounds where she broke the Evil Queen out of captivity and the two escaped under the noses of FTRS teachers. To make matters worse, HEAS has learned that Alva left a villainous manifesto at the school. The call to arms supposedly promises greater riches than the 10,000 gold pieces the Dwarf Police Squad is offering as a reward for Alva’s capture and encourages students to join Alva and Harlow in taking over Enchantasia and destroying the royal court of Princesses Ella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and our Sleeping Beauty, Rose.
Miri the FTRS spokesmirror would not allow HEAS to see the manifesto, which is being examined by the Dwarf Police Squad. “Our teachers will not indulge Alva’s deluded request by sharing it with the public,” says Miri. “Headmistress Flora has addressed the students about Alva’s message and used the scroll to reinforce the school motto—being bad brings about no good. We will not lose our students to villainy. Our goal remains the same: to help our students reform and follow the straight and narrow path.”
Parents of students at FTRS are still understandably concerned. What did Alva’s message actually say, and could it sway their children to join the dark side? “How long can we allow our children to remain in FTRS’s care when these former villains obviously can’t keep them safe?” asks Millicent Gertrude, the mother of Ronald Gertrude, who is in FTRS for six months for the illegal trading of Pegasi. “Constant break-ins, castle explosions, calls to villainy—what is going on there? I want visitation day moved up so I can see for myself if my Porridge Bottom is safe.”
“We take our school’s security very seriously,” says Miri. “At this time, we are looking at our schedule to see whether visitation day can be moved up. But parents should know all the students in our care are safe.” For now FTRS plans to host its semiannual parent visitation in a few weeks. Many villagers are excited to meet Princess Rose, who has taken on a consulting gig with the school to shepherd their famed Royal Ladies-in-Waiting Club. “I love the idea of helping the next generation of girls put their best glass slipper forward,” said Rose when reached for comment.
Keep checking HEAS for updates on the search for the wicked fairy and the Evil Queen and their villainous manifesto!
CHAPTER 3
Cordially Invited