Everly Academy

by V. B. Marlowe

  Thinking of Phillip, my stomach twisted in a knot. “I haven’t found the right one.”

  The queen smiled slyly. “And you think my son will be the one.”

  “I hope so. I hear he is an amazing man.”

  Queen Rhea nodded. “Prince Tyre has far exceeded our expectations. His father and I are very proud. Drusilla—”

  “You can call me Dru.”

  “Dru, forgive me for changing the subject, but your father and the other kings, they did an incredible job ridding the kingdoms of witches, didn’t they?”

  I relaxed, allowing myself to sink into the seat, but remembered my posture. “Yes, they did.” I was elated when the kings and the witch hunters had been successful. Those days had been very dark. The witches had gotten out of control and become a huge burden to everyone. There wasn’t a kingdom that hadn’t been touched by death or destruction by the witches’ hands.

  Queen Rhea gripped the arms of the chair. Her knuckles had turned white. “We were all so relieved once that nasty business was all over. Now the kingdoms can be at peace.”

  “Yes,” I agreed. “But Father says a small coven managed to escape capture. Hopefully after seeing what happened to the others, they will stay hidden and not bother anyone.”

  “Yes. Hopefully.” The queen leaned forward, eyeing me strangely. “Dru, what do you like best about yourself?”

  “Pardon?”

  “You are a beautiful girl, no doubt, with many lovely features. Which do you love best?”

  I looked down at myself. No one had ever asked me that question before. I let the question roll through my mind. What did I like? Was it my ebony curls? My large chestnut eyes? I looked down at my hands, and I knew the answer. “My skin. My skin is my favorite feature.”

  The queen pursed her lips for a moment and then smiled slyly. “I don’t blame you. Your skin is very alluring.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  After a long awkward pause, Queen Rhea rose to her feet and smoothed out her dress. “I will leave you to eat your breakfast in peace. Do try the tea. My cook makes the best I’ve ever tasted. In the afternoon, I’ll arrange a meeting between you and the prince. He is very eager to meet you.”

  “I’m eager to meet him too,” I said, not knowing if that were entirely true. At this point I didn’t have much of a choice. I would have to marry Prince Tyre whether I liked him or not. As Mother so often pointed out, how I felt about someone had nothing to do with whether or not I would marry them.

  The queen took me by surprise when she reached out and pulled me into a hug. As beautiful as she was, much like the castle, she reeked of mildew. “I’m glad you’re here. See you in a bit,” she called as she waltzed to the door. I noted how graceful her movements were. I would have to work on being more like that.

  “Your Majesty,” I said before she headed out. “May I have my lady-in-waiting sent to my room?”

  At first her expression was blank, then she gave me a tight smile. “Of course. I’ll tell Esther to send her up.”

  “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” she said before closing the door behind her.

  I settled back into the chair and waited. Although I wasn’t very hungry, I took a peek under the silver dome the queen had left for me. I nibbled on a piece of toast and drank two cups of tea. Queen Rhea was right. The tea was delicious. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I knew it had been too long. Milda should have been there by then. What was holding her? She had nothing else to do but to take care of me.

  Tired of waiting, I decided to find out myself. I tried to open the door, but it seemed to be locked from the outside. What was going on? I wasn’t a prisoner. Banging on the door with the ball of my hand, I waited for someone to come and let me out. After ten minutes of no one answering, I was beginning to panic. I banged harder and screamed louder.

  Finally the door opened. It opened so quickly that I had to jump back to keep it from hitting me in the face. Esther hurried in wide-eyed, closing the door behind her. She put her finger to her lips. “Shhhhh. You mustn’t do that.”

  “Why am I locked in this room? Where’s Milda?”

  Esther grabbed me by my elbow and pulled me over to the bathroom. She shut the door and pressed me against the wall. Her eyes looked around the room wildly. “You shouldn’t be here. That’s what I wanted to tell you last night, but I couldn’t. I shouldn’t be telling you this now.”

  “Telling me what? What’s happening?”

  Esther took several deep breaths. “There is no king. There is no prince. There’s just her.”

  “What does that mean? Sure, there’s a king. My father has met him.”

  Esther shook her head so furiously that her messy bun came loose. “No. There was a king. There was a prince, but she got rid of them.”

  I shuddered. “She got rid of them.”

  Esther paled. “One morning they were just gone. She told everyone that they’d gone on a last-minute trip and didn’t say when they’d be back, but that doesn’t make any sense. They’d never do that. It’s been two months since anyone has seen them.”

  Something was definitely up with the queen. Why would she tell me I would meet the prince that afternoon if he wasn’t there?

  Esther went on. “We can’t prove anything, but we are sure that this woman has possessed the queen’s body. About a month ago she started acting completely different, and then the king and prince disappeared. Anyone who questions her or voices any concerns disappears. Our staff used to be five times this size, but we’re all that’s left.”

  I closed my eyes, trying to comprehend. Possessed the queen’s body? That would make her a witch. I remembered the conversation we’d had earlier when she had spoken of the witch hunt. “But why would she do this? What does she want?”

  A tear traveled down Esther’s cheek. “She lures princesses and young women in high standing to the castle with invitations to meet the prince. When they get here, they never leave.” She pointed to the wardrobe. “All those dresses have been worn by other girls. When the girls’ families and servants come looking for them, the queen tells them that the girl and the prince hadn’t gotten along and that she had left days before.”

  Esther had just given me too much information. “Are you telling me that a witch has possessed the queen’s body, and she killed the king, prince, and a bunch of servants and girls like me?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Princess Drusilla, you have to get out of here. This witch has to be stopped. Please, leave here now and go get us help. Tell someone what is happening. She’s dangerous, and I think she and the remaining witches are planning something big.”

  Whatever was going on in that castle, I knew I didn’t want to be there any longer. “Okay. Will you take me to Milda and the others?”

  She nodded. “Yes, yes. Please follow me.” She opened the bathroom door, and I followed her out. Esther stopped dead in her tracks, causing me to bump into her. Queen Rhea stood in the middle of the bedroom wearing a grim expression on her beautiful face.

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Esther, leave us please.”

  Esther hesitated for a moment, watching me. I glanced at the door, telling her that it would be okay. She shuffled slowly until the queen glared at her, and then she practically ran. The door slammed behind her.

  Queen Rhea raised an eyebrow. “What were you two doing in there?”

  “Where’s the prince?”

  “He’s out hunting. He will be back in a couple of hours. Now answer my question.”

  I wasn’t going to say anything that would get Esther in any more trouble than she was already in. “This isn’t going to work out. I’d like to leave.”

  The corners of her pretty mouth turned downward. “Aw. But you haven’t even met my son. I am sure the two of you will hit it off.”

  “I don’t want to meet him. I want to leave.”

  The queen stepped toward me. “I’m sorry, dear. That wo
n’t be possible. At least not yet.”

  “Where’s my help?” I asked.

  “I sent them back to your home. You won’t be needing them anymore.”

  I eyed the door, wondering if I could move fast enough to get there before she caught me. “You can’t keep me here. You won’t keep me here.”

  Queen Rhea cackled. “It should start working soon.”

  “What should be working?”

  “Your curse. You drank the tea, no?”

  I grabbed my throat as it tightened. “What?”

  “The curse I’ve cast on you. You can thank your father and the rest of the bastards who had anything to do with the slaughtering of my sisters. The blood of a thousand witches runs down the hills, and the children of our murderers must pay the price.”

  As she said the words, my skin hardened as if I were turning into a statue. I ran my fingers along my arm, resulting in a shooting pain. “Ow! What have you done?”

  The queen took another step toward me. “Your skin has been your greatest feature, but now it should be your curse. Anything that touches your skin will cause you the most intense pain. Even when you lay down to sleep. Your skin will forever keep you from getting a peaceful night of rest.”

  I had to make a run for it then. I darted past her and reached the door before she could catch me. I grabbed the knob and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. “Let me out of here,” I demanded between clenched teeth.

  The witch was unfazed. She grabbed me hard by my shoulders, causing me to shriek in agony. She tossed me to the floor. Feeling like my skin had been set ablaze, I was so blinded by the pain all I could see was a bright, white light.

  I lay there for a few seconds wondering how this could have been happening. I was trapped in a room, and who knew what the witch had done to my people. I knew that if my parents hadn’t heard from me by a certain time that they would come looking, but the witch would lie and tell them I had left.

  Finally I sat up and forced myself to my feet. I lowered myself onto the edge of the bed, which hurt my bottom immensely. I shot back up. How was I supposed to sit, lay, or touch anything without hurting?

  Feeling rather sorry for myself, I hurried over to the window. I tried to pull it up, even as my fingers cried in discomfort, but it wouldn’t budge. There were no other windows in the room, no other way out.

  I banged on the door for as long as my hands could stand, but it was no use. There was no one to save me. Even if someone wanted to, the witch wouldn’t allow it.

  I tried to stand for as long as I could, but my body was taken over by exhaustion. I had never gotten the chance to fully recover from the long journey to the castle. Despite my pain, I lay my body across the bed as gently as possible. I rolled to my left side so that the right side of my body could at least feel some relief.

  I was awakened from my light sleep by a soft knocking at the door. Hopping off the bed, I prepared myself for a fight, but then I quickly realized that if it were the witch, she wouldn’t have knocked.

  I approached the door. “Who is it?” I called in a loud whisper.

  “It’s me, Esther.”

  I opened the door, and Esther squeezed herself inside and shut the door behind her. “The witch is outside in the east garden. She’s doing some type of moon ritual. You can make a run for it now.”

  That was all I needed to hear. I didn’t know where I would go or how I was going to get there, but I had to go. I flung the door open, and Esther followed me into the hallway. We crept quietly down the long, dark corridor. There was no one else in sight, and everything was deathly silent.

  “Where’s Milda and the rest of my people?” My voice cracked as I was afraid to hear the answer.

  Esther’s shoulders lifted and dropped in the darkness. “She says she sent them back home. She told them she would send you back safely with our guards and ladies-in-waiting in a week because you wanted to spend more time with the prince.”

  That didn’t sit right with me at all. I knew Milda and Raphael very well, and they would never neglect their duties and leave unless it was a direct order of my father. “Do you believe her?” I asked. “Do you think she really sent them away?”

  “It’s possible. They could have gone back against their will. She can make people do things.”

  For now, I needed to believe that, and my priority was getting out of there. We turned a corner and raced down the winding staircase.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” A voice asked from somewhere in front of us. In the darkness, I could just make out a dark, willowy shape standing before the large double doors that led outside.

  Esther grabbed my hand. Hers was moist and slippery.

  “Please. I’m sorry about your sisters,” I lied. “You’ve gotten your revenge. Please, just let us leave.”

  Just then, several candles lit by themselves, casting a dull glow on the room. The witch cocked her head to the side, glancing back and forth between Esther and I. “Esther may leave, but you, Princess, I have plans for you. You must stay.” She waved a hand, and the front doors flew open.

  Esther looked at me, shaking her head. I pushed her forward. I widened my eyes, giving her a look that said, “Go and get help before she changes her mind.”

  She paused for another moment, then she tore toward the open doors. Halfway there, the queen stretched her arm out. Esther froze. I watched in terror as the witch lifted her hand and Esther’s body rose from the ground. Then with one quick motion, the witch flung her hand. Esther went sailing into the stone wall. Cringing from the impact, my breath caught in my throat as she sank to the ground like a paper doll.

  “No!” I tried to move forward, but the witch pointed her hand to me. I couldn’t move, as if my feet had been cemented to the steps.

  The doors banged closed behind her. “Don’t fret, my dear. I can’t kill you like the others. There’s a protection spell over you thanks to that wretched fairy.

  “It’s just as well. I will make sure every moment of your life is pure torture. Your father will have to watch and not be able to do a thing about it. He will know how I felt watching the men of the seven kingdoms destroy my sisters.”

  Just then the doors burst open and a blast of cold wind rushed in. I shivered. The witch jumped as a short, plump woman stormed in. I had never seen anything like her. She wore a baby-pink gown that ended at her calves and flowed out at her waist like the top of a cupcake. Her silver shimmering hair was brushed up into a perfect bun. She had an ethereal glow around her like a firefly. I knew right away that this woman wasn’t like other people.

  She glared at the witch. “I told you,” she said evenly. “These girls are under my protection, and I will not let you harm them.”

  What did she mean by “these girls”?

  The witch brought her hand toward the woman in the pink dress, but the woman said something foreign that sounded like gibberish to me. The witch reached for her throat as her body convulsed. She fell to the ground gasping for air. The crown she wore rolled beside her. After a few moments she stopped moving—her lifeless eyes staring up into nothing.

  The strange woman grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. “We must hurry. She won’t be out for long.”

  As I entered the deep, dark night, a stagecoach appeared. It was gold and maroon and probably the most magnificent one I had ever seen. The door was already open, but I paused before getting inside. I knew we needed to get away from that castle, but I had no idea who this woman was, and too many strange things had happened for me to just ride off with a stranger.

  “Who are you?” I asked.

  She smiled lovingly and touched my cheek. “My name is Beatrix. I’m your guardian fairy, and it’s my duty to protect you.”

  From birth I had been told stories of fairies—particularly fairies who existed solely to protect princesses like me. When I was a little girl I believed, but I no longer thought fairies existed. Something about the woman challenged my disbelief, though. I’d seen
her magic with my own eyes. She saved me from the witch’s grasp.

  “Drusilla, I need you to understand,” she explained, “that you can’t go home just yet. I have to take you to a secluded place where the witches can never reach you. Your parents have granted their permission. They know it must be done to keep you safe.”

  She stepped into the stagecoach and offered me her hand. Though there were many hesitations running through my mind, I took it. I sat beside Beatrix, settling down on the soft, cushiony seat.

  This was a lot to take in. “Where are we going?”

  “A place in North America. You’ll have everything you’ll need there, and I promise to take very good care of you. It’s a special school protected by magic, created by me. A school called Everly Academy.”

  THE END

  EVERLY ACADEMY 2: CROWNS AND CURSES

  WILL BE AVAILABLE MARCH 2019

  Join my VIP Reader list to stay up to date on new releases and special sales:

  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/q9n8t5

  IF YOU ENJOYED EVERLY ACADEMY, PLEASE CONSIDER LEAVING A REVIEW. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!