Molly hadn’t really had time to grasp all of it, but she nodded anyway.
Bea stood and walked over to Molly. “There’s a good chance not everyone will come back, and that includes you.”
Molly had to let that sink in. Initially, she had been brought to Everly Academy under false pretenses and kept against her will. Now she was volunteering to risk her life. This was not what she had expected when she’d decided to enter the teaching field.
She weighed her options. If she went, she could surely die and never be heard from again. Her family would have no idea what really happened to her. If she didn’t go, Ms. Halifax would have to accompany the girls. If something were to happen to the old woman or the girls, Molly would have never been able to forgive herself.
“I’ll go,” she said a lot more confidently than she felt inside. The room was silent for a moment until Ms. Halifax stood. “I’ll gather the girls in the great study. This should be discussed with them.”
Molly took a deep breath. She and Ms. Bea met each other’s gazes. They both knew there was about to be a huge fight about who was to go and who was to stay behind. Molly had no idea how they would decide.
21
“Maybe we can pull straws or names out of a hat,” Molly offered as she and Bea walked side by side to the great study.
“I guess that could be an option if it comes to that, but I’m hoping they will be able to decide on their own.”
Once everyone was gathered in the great study, Bea explained to the girls what was happening. After a loud murmur and a chorus of “I’m definitely going” or “There’s no way I’m staying behind,” Bea clapped her hands for silence.
“Why can’t we all go?” Isleen whined after everyone had quieted down.
“No more than five,” Bea repeated, “and I am not budging on that. Marina, obviously, you are out of the running.”
Molly hadn’t thought about it until then, but Bea was right. They’d be gone too long for her to be able to hydrate properly, and what were the chances of finding salt water in a forest?
Isleen straightened her shoulders. “Well, I’m definitely going. You wouldn’t even know where to go if it weren’t for me, so you can write my name on that list right now. And if I’m going, so is Tress.”
Scarlett folded her arms over her chest. “Why do you get to just claim a spot? We all want to go.”
The room exploded into a shouting match. This was exactly what Bea and Molly hadn’t wanted to happen. Molly stood and held up her hands. “Ladies, let’s try to figure this out in a civilized manner. Obviously, everyone can’t go. Let’s discuss it and come up with a solution everyone can agree on, or we’ll have to randomly choose names or pull straws.”
Lily took the floor. “Let’s not pretend that there aren’t alliances here. We’re all aware of them, and we’re all a part of one. I think people from both alliances should be able to go.”
“I agree,” Marina said. “But unfortunately, five is an uneven number.”
“Let’s do this,” Bea said. “Write down the names of the five people who you think should go, and the five people with the most votes will go regardless of their alliance.”
Molly found slips of paper on the desk in the corner of the room. She handed one to each girl, who skidded off to separate corners of the room. Once they were done, Bea, Molly, and Ms. Halifax sat and tabulated the scores. Ms. Bea stared at the paper long and hard before clearing her throat. “Okay. We have the votes for the top five, and here’s who’ll be going through the portal. Scarlett, Drusilla, Lily, Jolie, and Tress.”
Isleen hopped to her feet. “What? That’s bull. Total bull!”
“Isleen,” Ms. Halifax warned, but Izzy kept going.
“I demand to see those slips myself.” She pointed her finger at Bea accusingly. “You hate me. That’s why you made sure I wasn’t on the list.”
Gretchen huffed. “Oh, pipe down. There’s three princesses in the bunch so stop complaining. The numbers are on your side.”
Isleen sneered at Lily. “Lily only pretends to be a part of the princess alliance. I know that. Her allegiance really lies with Allison more than anyone.”
Lily narrowed her eyes at Isleen. “I don’t know why you expected votes when no one can stand you. Why would anyone want to be in an alliance with you anyway? You don’t care about anyone but yourself. Tress is the only one too naive to see it.”
“I’m not naive,” Tress retorted, but she didn’t sound convincing at all.
“No, you’re not, Tress,” Molly reassured her. “Also, there’s no argument to be had here. The girls were chosen fair and square.”
There was a moment of silence before Dru asked, “Ms. Bea, you’ll be going with us, right?”
Bea shook her head and looked at Molly. “No, dear. I cannot be away from the estate for that long. It’s too risky. Of course, I won’t be sending you out alone, though. Ms. Dillinger will be going with you.”
She turned to Molly. “Are you absolutely sure? I don’t have any magic to give you to help you protect yourself. I have just enough to create the portal.”
Molly swallowed hard and nodded.
Bea squeezed Molly’s shoulder reassuringly. “I do have a sword that you can take. Any of the girls can show you how to use it.”
“Yeah,” Lily agreed. “Don’t worry, Ms. Dillinger. We have our weapons. We’ll protect you.”
Molly remembered seeing the girls in action and her nerves calmed down, but just a little.
Bea stared into Molly’s eyes long and hard as if she were waiting for her to change her mind, then she clasped her hands together. “So, it’s all settled then. You will leave tomorrow night. I suggest that until then, you get plenty of rest and get plenty to eat. You are going to need it.”
22
Classes were cancelled the next day so that Molly and the girls could prepare for their journey to the Dead Forest. Molly didn’t have to wake up early because she had never fallen asleep. She’d spent the whole night wide-awake, staring at her beautifully decorated ceiling.
She thought about her parents and brother and how they would feel if she never returned. She thought about her ex and her best friend living happily ever after while she might never get that chance. She tried to imagine what it would be like to travel through the magical portal and what would happen when they came upon the first villain. What kind of magic did the wolf have? How strong was it? How would their weapons match up to its power?
At 7 a.m. she took her regular jog around the estate. She discovered the very person she wanted to see on the front lawn preparing to mow the grass. Molly stopped running and caught her breath.
“Morning, gorgeous.”
Molly’s cheeks warmed. She knew she was red, sweaty, and far from gorgeous. “Morning, handsome.”
“I’m going to join you for a run one of these mornings,” he said, but Molly knew he didn’t really mean it. Although Owen was in great shape, he didn’t appear to be the running type.
“Um, well, you might have just missed your last chance.” Molly regretted the words as soon as they’d left her mouth.
Owen lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of trying to run away again. You know—”
“No, I’m not running away, but I’m going on a mission tomorrow with some of the girls to defeat the first villain. We’re going somewhere called the Dead Forest.”
Owen’s face was blank, and he was quiet for a long time. She wished she could read him. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked finally.
No, she wasn’t. “Yes. We don’t really have any other options. Do you want to be stuck here forever?”
“No, but . . .”
“You think I’m not cut out for this.”
Owen pressed his lips together, but he didn’t disagree with the comment. “We’re not talking about running a marathon here. We’re talking about going through some magical portal, fighting and defeating a dangerous monster, and then making it b
ack through the portal. I couldn’t even do that.”
“Well, I’m not you,” Molly said. “We’re going to go and come back just fine with one of those elixirs.”
Owen still looked unsure, but there was no use in arguing with Molly about it. “Good luck then. Be careful. When you get back I owe you a nice, home-cooked candlelit dinner.”
Molly stared into Owen’s hazel eyes. “Okay. I look forward to it. I should keep running.” Owen nodded, and Molly set off again, knowing full well that he was watching her very closely. Feeling self-conscious, she prayed that she looked graceful.
Molly was just gearing up to begin her second lap when she spotted Lily and Scarlett nearing the edge of the forest. She jogged in place until they had disappeared into the trees. She hurried over to see what they were doing. Scarlett rested her back against the trunk of a tree and removed a tattered book from her leather satchel. She opened the book and removed a pencil from behind her ear. Molly thought the book looked like a journal.
Lily was a few feet away from her, lying in the grass, watching two swallows chase each other through the branches above her. Molly cleared her throat to make her presence known. “Girls, I thought no one was supposed to enter the woods except for Scarlett and Oriana at night.”
Both girls stopped what they were doing and turned to Molly. Scarlett closed her journal. “We’re not, but sometimes we just need a break. The walls of that house start to feel like they’re closing in on you after a while.”
“Yeah,” Lily agreed. “You’re not going to tell on us, are you? We’re careful. We always make sure to stay close to the edge. Besides, I can’t commune with nature by being cooped up in that house.”
Molly thought for a moment. It would be irresponsible of her to give the girls permission to break the rules. But on the other hand, she understood why they needed the escape. Visiting the forest was clearly something they had been doing for a while, and no harm had seemed to come from it. “Okay. As long as you promise not to go too far in.”
Both girls smiled and went back to what they had been doing. Molly lifted her head, amazed at the height of the towering trees. They almost made her dizzy. She had to admit that the soft scent of pine and the chirping of birds were already making her feel more at ease. She took a seat in the grass a few feet away from Scarlett.
“Scarlett, I would like to ask you something.”
Scarlett looked up, hugging her book to her chest. “What is it?”
“Once you had your hands on one of the elixirs, why did you give it away? It was very noble of you, but why didn’t you save yourself?”
Scarlett closed her book and twirled her pencil in her fingers. “Ella had someone, and I didn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“My grandmother had died, and I was all alone. Ella had a boy that she loved, and he loved her back. If her curse was broken they would be able to have a real life and grow old together. He needed her. There was nobody who needed me. At least not until I got here.”
Molly couldn’t help but smile at her selflessness. “What took you so long to get here?”
Scarlett opened her journal again and began to sketch something. “I’m a Wolvenblood, and so was my grandmother. We don’t age like humans. We can live for hundreds of years. Even though the rest of my family has been dead and gone for a while, I still had my grandmother. When Ms. Bea first made her offer for me to come to the academy, I wasn’t willing to leave her behind. But after that damn witch killed her, there was no point in staying on my own. I was never going to break my curse that way.”
Molly pulled at a blade of grass. “I’m sorry about your grandmother.”
Scarlett stopped sketching, staring straight ahead with a fierceness Molly had never seen in her eyes. “Thank you. I’m going to avenge her death if it’s the last thing I do.”
The three of them sat quietly, enjoying the cool morning breeze and the forest tranquility. After a long while, Lily took in a deep breath. “They’re all worried.”
“Excuse me?” Molly asked.
“They’re all worried,” Lily repeated. “The trees, the animals, even the wind. They’re jittery and anxious.”
Shuddering at that thought, Molly looked to Scarlett, who raised and lowered her eyebrows then looked at her friend.
Lily answered the question that both Molly and Scarlett were about to ask. “That means something bad is coming.”
Molly swallowed hard. “Like a storm or something?”
Lily shook her head. “No. Like death.”
That was the last thing Molly needed to hear the day before they were to venture into the Dead Forest.
Dinner was quiet that night. Everyone appeared to be lost in her own thoughts about the upcoming journey. Isleen, of course, did not let the peaceful silence last for too long. She cleared her throat much louder than necessary. “So, since no one else wants to ask, I will. What happens if none of them come back? What will we do then?”
Scarlett glowered at her. “We’re coming back. We’re all coming back.”
Isleen glared back as if she were about to argue but then shrugged. “Let’s say the beastie is right and they do come back with one of the elixirs. Who gets it? How are we going to decide that?”
The room was silent once again. Molly thought it was a good question. Something she had wondered before but was afraid to ask. All eyes went to Bea. Even Ms. Halifax watched her expectantly. Clearly this was something that had been weighing on everyone’s mind. Bea looked at each of them and then took a dainty spoonful of her soup. “I don’t believe in lying to you girls, so the truth is I don’t know. Somehow, we will have to make a decision. It won’t be fair, and people are bound to be upset, but there is nothing to be done about that.”
After a moment, everyone went back to their meals. Although she was sure it was perfectly cooked, Molly’s roast beef tasted dry, and the macaroni and cheese wasn’t as flavorful as it usually was. She was worried about failing Bea and the girls. What if something happened to any of them under her watch? Even though they were much older and powerful, and had magical abilities, she was their teacher, and she was responsible for them.
After dessert was served and eaten, Bea asked Molly to join her in her study. Closing the door behind them, Bea took Molly’s hands in her own. Her eyes brimmed with tears. “These girls are everything to me. Everything. I’ve kept them safe for this long, and I don’t want to fail them now.”
Molly had never seen so much fear in Bea’s eyes. “I will do everything in my power to make sure they all make it back.” That was the truth, and that was all she could promise.
Bea squeezed her hands. “I believe you.”
Bea reached for her neck and removed the gold necklace with the moon charm she always wore. “I want you to wear this. It’s a protection charm that was given to me when I was younger. I don’t know how much help it will give you, but it’s something.”
Molly nodded gratefully, slipping the necklace over her head. “Thank you.”
They stood quietly for a while longer before heading to the War Room, where Bea would create the travel portal. All the girls were already gathered there. The ones who were staying behind gave the others goodbye hugs and good luck wishes. Each of the girls embraced Molly.
Ms. Halifax handed each one of them a backpack filled with supplies, and Molly her sword. “Good luck,” she said tightly.
“Thanks,” Molly replied, but she couldn’t help but to think that Ms. Halifax wouldn’t care if she came back or not. Molly knew she wasn’t fond of her, and she had done nothing to change her opinion.
Bea stood before the west wall. “Everyone, stand back.” She extended her arm and made circular motions. A small, swirling circle formed in the middle of the wall. It glowed purple and grew bigger and bigger. Once it stopped growing, Bea turned to Molly and the girls. “You have twelve hours. You must come back through the portal by then. It’s very important that you remember that, because once it closes, I c
an’t reopen it.”
Molly glanced at her watch and marked the time. She would definitely have to keep an eye on that. “Got it.” She stood before the portal. Even though she was terrified, she should be the one to step through first. As she prepared to take her first step, so many thoughts flashed through her mind. She wondered if her life was going to end at twenty-three. She wondered what her family would think. She wondered if she would ever be able to take Owen up on his offer for dinner.
As she stepped through, a tingling sensation raced through her body. Molly gasped as the bronze walls of the War Room disappeared only to be replaced by towering, leafless trees with gnarled branches reaching for her like bony, ravenous arms.
The others joined her on the other side. As soon as the last girl had stepped through, the portal shrank down to the size of a quarter and then disappeared completely. Molly swallowed hard at the finality of it. Their way back had disappeared. She wondered when it would resurface.
“Uh, was that supposed to happen?” Tress asked, staring wide-eyed at the spot where the portal had been.
Jolie shrugged. “Maybe it will open back up once we defeat the wolf.”
None of them really knew how a travel portal worked so only time would tell.
Drusilla took a fallen branch and dug into the ground, forming an X. “This is where we need to come to go back through the portal.”
Lily held her fiery bow down at her side. “Now what?”
“We need to be on our guard,” Scarlett said. “The wolf knows we’re here.”
They moved forward cautiously. Molly shivered at the sudden drop in temperature. The sky was dark, but the moon and sparkling stars gave them enough light to see where they were going. Dry grass crunched under Molly’s boots. Crow caws broke through the silent air. A chilly wind whipped around them, prompting the girls to huddle closer together.
Lily aimed her bow in any direction she heard a sound. Jolie squeezed her mirror tightly in her hand. Scarlett led the pack. Her senses were heightened, and she would transform at any moment. Molly walked at the center of the group, clutching the handle of her sword so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Drusilla and Tress stayed behind. The girls had formed a protective circle around her.
Everly Academy Page 20
