by Laurie McKay
“A better gamble. A hedged bet.” He took a deep breath and hoped he was reading her properly, that she cared about herself only and not about power or returning to the Greater Realm. “Tell me what I want to know, and, if Rath Dunn fails, if the school returns to Ms. Primrose and no barriers are broken, I’ll convince Jasan and her to pardon you, to leave you be. I’m gifted in speech; I can do it. Then whoever wins the game, you survive. That’s what you want, right? To survive.”
Mrs. Grady looked up at him with interest now. “I’ve always enjoyed playing both sides.”
“Rath Dunn deserves to get played.” When he said it, Mrs. Grady’s lips turned up in a tight grin. He could tell she liked the idea. Caden continued. “And if we fail to stop him, our deal will forever be buried. Never will I tell a soul.” He considered. “Point of fact, I’ll likely be dead.”
“How do I know I can trust you if you don’t die?”
Caden straightened his posture; he raised his chin. “I am a future Elite Paladin, a prince of Razzon. My word is my bond. I will not break it. Not now. Not ever.”
She leaned back against the whiteboard and looked up at him. “All right,” she said, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “You’ve got my attention. What is it you want to know?”
Caden met Brynne in the hall, and they hurried to the lunchroom. As they walked, he whispered, “Downtown, on a side street, away from most onlookers.”
“Are you certain?”
Caden handed her a piece of paper. “That’s the address. Rath Dunn is calling it a teachers’ appreciation dinner.”
Since the halls were empty, Caden pulled out his phone and called Jasan. His brother didn’t answer. Caden tramped down his worry and left a message. Certainly, Jasan would be impressed that he’d found out the location of the spell.
They passed by the science room just as Mrs. Belle, the science teacher, came out. Her shirt was wrinkled but clean; her long hair was set in a messy bun. Her nails, as usual, shone like elvish rubies. There wasn’t a chip or dull spot on them. She was one of the teachers against Rath Dunn.
Although a villain, although undependable, Caden felt safe with her, and she was nice to him in class. “Hello, Mrs. Belle,” Caden said.
Mrs. Belle smiled. “Good afternoon, Caden,” she said, and locked her door. “Brynne.”
Brynne nodded at her coolly. “Mrs. Belle.” She’d never warmed to Mrs. Belle. Caden suspected it was because Mrs. Belle had given her a B on her first quiz. No matter. Spellcasters were known for magic, not manners.
Caden, however, liked Mrs. Belle. Suddenly, he knew he had to warn her. She was a potential sacrifice. He checked to make sure no other students were in hearing range and spoke carefully. “Stay away from downtown tonight.”
Mrs. Belle’s smile became forced. “There’s a dinner tonight. I’m expected to attend.”
“Rath Dunn is going to sacrifice someone tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
Brynne shrugged. “If you don’t believe us, feel free to go and find out.”
Caden shot her a glare. “Avoid it if you can. Or wait until after dusk to arrive. Rath Dunn needs to sacrifice someone who works at the school.” The fewer possible sacrifices, the better. “Warn as many others as you can, especially those you think aren’t allied with Rath Dunn, but tell no one we told you.”
“I stay indoors after dark anyway,” she said. “I don’t like to be out so close to nightfall.”
Brynne eyed her suspiciously. “Why not?”
“Ladies must have their secrets,” Mrs. Belle said. She turned back to Caden. “I’ll stay away. No one will know you warned me. You can trust me.”
Caden’s third-born brother, Lucian, was gifted in stealth. He scouted and spied more than any of Caden’s other brothers. Once, he’d told Caden never to trust those who offered it easily. Caden frowned. “I don’t trust you,” he said, “but I don’t want you hurt.”
“And I don’t want you hurt.” Mrs. Belle reached into her pocket and pulled out a sheet of her dead-looking yellow smiley face stickers. “Rath Dunn will never know you warned me. He has no right to rule over Ms. Primrose. She is something greater.”
“Why would you say that?” Caden said.
“This school shouldn’t be run by a mere human,” Mrs. Belle said. Then she raised her red-painted nails to her mouth like she’d said too much. “Oh my, never mind that. Here. For you, for helping me.” She gave Caden a sticker, then laughed too loud and too fast as she walked toward the cafeteria. It was a strange, inhuman sound.
Caden stared at the sticker. It wasn’t much of a gift.
“Why didn’t I get one?” Brynne said, so Caden stuck it on her back on their way to the lunchroom.
As they entered the cafeteria, Caden asked, “Why don’t you like Mrs. Belle?”
“I just don’t,” Brynne said.
Caden grinned at her. “Perhaps you are jealous because she likes me more than you?”
“If you must know, she’s creepy,” Brynne said. “And not everyone likes you.”
“Most people do,” Caden said. “You know, sorceress, a girl left notes of affection in my locker last year,” Caden said. He felt his cheeks heat. Why was he saying this now?
Brynne pretended not to care. “Is that so?”
“It is so. Tito told her I liked someone else.”
“Why should I care?”
That wasn’t a statement that she didn’t care. “I suspect you might, that’s all,” Caden said.
Brynne fidgeted. She looked down. When she looked back up, she also wore a challenging smile. With Brynne, even an awkward conversation could turn into a competition. “I’ve had notes in my locker. I’ve had boys tell me they like me before.”
If Caden made her feel more uncomfortable than himself, it would be like winning. “I understand that,” he said. “Because sometimes you’re likable.”
“Am I, prince?”
“Sometimes,” Caden said as they sat down at the middle table. “Not often, though.”
Jane placed a tray of braided rolls, roasted squash, and chicken on the table. She would throw it away at the end of lunch, untouched. Such was part of her war with Ms. Jackson. She glanced at Brynne and Caden and seemed thoughtful.
Tito plopped a similar tray beside her. He would eat his food. “What are you two doing?” he said as he sat down.
Caden straightened his posture and ignored the flush he felt reddening his cheeks. “Waiting for you,” he said.
“Sure,” Tito said.
Caden cleared his throat. “We need to get downtown tonight. Officer Levine is an honorable and noble sort,” Caden said. “I’ll ask for his help.”
“And,” Tito said, “as soon as he finds out there is a freaky spell that involves human sacrifice, he’ll lock us all in Rosa’s attic. Bro, what are you thinking? It’s great he believes you, but that means he’s not going to want you near any of the villains.”
“I think Tito’s right, Caden,” Jane said. “He thinks we’re children.”
“Then how will we get downtown?” Brynne said.
“Easy,” Tito said. “We’ll take the bus.”
“Or,” Caden said, “we could take Sir Horace.”
“Your horse is great and all,” Tito said. “But he’s going to stand out downtown during rush hour. Let’s take the bus this time. Trust me.”
Caden wanted to ride Sir Horace. However, “I do trust you.”
Brynne laughed, but it sounded a bit hollow. She twirled a strand of her short hair around a fingertip as if willing her hair to grow longer. The fate of her magical locks was also at stake. She saw Caden had noticed and let go. “Tonight, then,” she said. “Let us stop a spell.”
“And a witch,” Jane said, and rubbed her eyes.
This camaraderie Caden could get behind. He grinned and set his fist on the table. “And a tyrant.”
After school, Caden sat on Rosa’s porch. He listened to the metal sculptures go clink, clink i
n the autumn breeze and tried to call Jasan. Again, Jasan didn’t answer. He tried calling Ward, too, as Jasan lived in the town house next door to Ward and his parents, Manglor and Desirae.
“Haven’t seen him,” Ward said. “Pa’s not been home all afternoon either.”
“Call me when either returns.”
Both Jasan and Manglor were missing. Had his message gotten to Jasan? Did he know where the spell was going to be cast? If he’d been able to follow Ms. Jackson, maybe he and Manglor planned to stop her before tonight. With Jasan not answering his phone, however, Caden worried.
Jane stood by the railing. The wind blew her hair away from her ears. She tried to pat it back down but soon gave up. “Rosa’s starting dinner,” Jane said. “If we’re going to go, we should go soon.”
Brynne sat down. “First we need a plan.”
Tito plopped down beside him. “What Brynne said.”
Clouds of three shades of dark gray hung low near the mountain, and while the day was still bright, it wouldn’t be for long. “Then let’s make one. And let’s go.”
Feigning they were going to run the mountain, Caden and the others instead ran through the woods to a mapped-out bus stop. There Jane paid for passage. They rumbled into the downtown just before sunset.
The clouds turned a spectacular orange. The rectangular buildings cast long autumn shadows down the alleyway. The cafés were full of people eating vegan food under umbrellas and awnings. A group of old men played guitars and sang bluegrass songs near the craft store. Everything looked and sounded like evening, all looked and sounded like it should.
“Sir Horace would’ve been much faster,” Caden said as they hurried away from the bus.
“We know, bro,” Tito said. “Faster, better smelling, and more comfortable. We heard you the first five times.”
“Next time he comes with us,” Caden said, and scanned the road. He saw no sign of Rath Dunn or Ms. Jackson. Nor did he see Jasan, Manglor, or any of the teachers. “Where are they?”
Tito fiddled with a map on his phone. “Down the block and left on the side street.”
When they got to the end of the block, they stopped and moved more slowly, more furtively. Caden spied many of the teachers down the side street. They lounged at sidewalk tables. Red umbrellas shaded them from the fading rays of daylight. Only a few people were missing from the group: Mrs. Belle, who was supposed to have warned the others not to come; Jasan, who was supposed to be stopping the spell; and Manglor, who was allied with Jasan.
“Do you see anyone?” Jane squinted toward the villain assembly. “All I see is a red blur.”
“Those are umbrellas,” Brynne said, and worry creased her brow. “Your eyes seem worse, Lady Jane.”
“All the more reason to stop this spell and make the villains pay,” Jane said.
Stout Mrs. Grady hovered near the edge of the group. As did the large school nurse; the sixth-grade gifted teacher, Mr. Limon, with the strange brow; and the lanky sixth-grade English teacher, Mr. Frye. They seemed ready to escape if things went bad. Mr. Wist, the banshee, had his mouth open. He looked as if he was sucking in the winds. Mr. Bellows fidgeted at a table near the front. There was a large, heavy-looking bag at his feet. Ms. Levers, the wraith, sat near the back with Mr. Faunt, who scraped his razor-sharp nails on the wood, the same nails that had helped hold Scribe Trevor in place the last day of summer session. Ms. Jackson and Rath Dunn stood off to the side seeming much in control of the others.
On the street in front of the café, cars puttered by, many with their headlights shining. Where was Jasan? Manglor? They should be here stopping the spell. They weren’t here, however. But Caden, Brynne, Tito, and Jane were here, so they would have to be the ones to stop it.
“We need to be quick and efficient,” Caden said. “Otherwise, someone will die at dusk.”
Quickly, they formed a plan. While Caden and Brynne distracted the teachers, Jane and Tito would steal Ms. Jackson’s vial. No vial, no spell ingredient. No spell ingredient, no spell. And Jane and Tito were locals. Rath Dunn couldn’t sacrifice either of them. That didn’t mean they couldn’t get hurt, though.
“Sir Tito, Lady Jane.” Caden made sure his voice was firm, his manner commanding. “Be careful.”
“We will,” Jane said.
“Yeah, you and Brynne be careful, too, your bossiness,” Tito said.
Jane and Tito went to loop back around the block. They would approach from the opposite direction. Brynne and Caden walked down the street. It was time to confuse a tyrant, a witch, and a pack of villainous teachers.
Ms. Jackson noticed Caden and Brynne first. She pointed up the street and said something to Rath Dunn, who chuckled and waved. Caden, ever polite, waved back. The winds had started to pick up, and an orange oak leaf soared past Caden’s cheek.
A blue car passed them on the small street. Its lights were too bright. Bright lights, as Tito called them. As it rolled by, the headlights illuminated symbols on the road, on the buildings, on the sidewalk. The bricks were aglow with runes. The asphalt looked like a long gray scroll painted in magical ink. Caden felt as if they had walked into a book, and an evil book at that.
Then the car turned and the symbols disappeared.
“Did you see that?” Caden said.
“Ritual magic runes,” Brynne said angrily. “Everywhere. I’ve had enough. It’s time.”
She reached out her hand. There was no better distraction than magic, and she was set to use her telekinesis spell. Oh, how Caden hoped she didn’t topple one of the rune-covered buildings. Suddenly, there was a buzz of sorcery in the air. It felt like electricity and heat. Then Brynne pushed forward with her palms, and all that energy surged toward the teachers and tables.
The tables flew up and clattered into the café windows. One went tumbling down the road. The red umbrellas hit the ground. Mr. Faunt toppled out of his chair. Mr. Bellows grabbed for his heavy-looking bag. The banshee opened his mouth as if to scream. Mrs. Grady slinked away from the others. Rath Dunn stumbled but stayed on his feet. As for Ms. Jackson, she remained standing.
In some ways, magic was like other fighting disciplines. Some people could defend against it better than others, and practice improved anyone’s defense. It was no surprise the witch was least affected. Caden took some satisfaction that Rath Dunn had at least stumbled.
As Rath Dunn returned to his feet, he caught Caden’s gaze and called, “Come here, boy! Now. Bring the little sorceress with you.”
Orders. He was still testing Caden. Caden wasn’t bound by them yet, but he took a step forward. Hopefully, Rath Dunn would be confused. “Distract them more,” Caden said. “Send something else flying.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Brynne said with a bright grin. “I’m going to light something on fire.”
Brynne’s control of pyrokinesis, of fire magic, wasn’t so great. Her firewall had been more contained than the time she lit a mountain ablaze, but only a little bit. Caden snapped his attention to her. “Telekinesis was the plan,” he said. “There are too many people here for fire magic—”
But Brynne already waved her hands, and they glowed with power. Her brow was wet with sweat; her concentration seemed intense. The last standing umbrella burst into flame. An impressive, controlled burn. Rath Dunn stepped back, raising a hand to shield himself from the heat. Ms. Jackson cocked her head as if considering the fire. Mr. Faunt stood and pointed. The others gawked.
“I practice magic as much as you do swordplay,” she said. “Give me some credit, prince.”
Behind the spectacle, Caden saw Tito and Jane creep up behind Ms. Jackson. All they had to do was find the vial and grab it. She’d had the previous green one on her. Likely, the same would be true of this one. Still, Jane and Tito needed to hurry. The burning umbrella would only distract for so long.
Tito, however, seemed distracted. Something caught his attention under the table to his right. He whispered something to Jane and scooted in that direction. She crept
closer to Ms. Jackson. What were they doing? The plan was to stay together, grab the vial, and run.
Whatever Tito and Jane were doing, Brynne and Caden had to keep the villains’ attention, and Brynne couldn’t risk another spell with Tito and Jane in the midst of the spell area. Magic was only one form of distraction. Words were another.
“Let’s get closer,” Caden said. He ran down the street, Brynne running fast behind him. Time to warn the villains; time to cause dissent in the ranks. “He’s going to sacrifice one of you! As he did Mr. McDonald!”
The villains chuckled and pointed, seemingly amused by Brynne’s magic after the shock of it had worn off. Didn’t they understand that Rath Dunn couldn’t be trusted?
Caden tried again. “Run!” He put all the urgency he felt into his words. “Run away!”
His words seemed to make several of them nervous—Mr. Limon rubbed his brow, Mr. Frye shifted in his seat, the nurse clenched her giant fist—but only Mrs. Grady slunk away. Then Ms. Jackson reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial. The liquid inside was black and sparkling like a night with a thousand stars. She smiled and held it up.
Jane was near enough to touch her, to grab the vial. Firefox fast, using fighting form seven, Jane knocked Ms. Jackson back and snatched it. Ms. Jackson’s expression darkened as she stepped Jane’s way. Jane needed to make haste and get away.
But where was Tito? Caden scanned the area. Then he saw him. Tito pulled a large cage from under the table. What was Tito doing? Before Caden could figure that out, Rath Dunn turned toward Tito. As did Mr. Faunt.
One of Caden’s friends was too near a witch, one too near a tyrant and a banshee. “Run,” Caden yelled again, this time to Jane and Tito. “Run now!”
They bolted. Jane made it away, but Mr. Faunt lurched from where he stood and used his long, sharp nails to latch onto the cage Tito had nabbed. The two of them tugged it back and forth. Why was Tito fighting Mr. Faunt over a cage?
Neither Ms. Jackson nor Rath Dunn ran after Jane. “Why aren’t they chasing Jane?” Caden said.
Brynne stood beside him. Then she inhaled sharply. “Because she’s got another vial, Caden.” Her words got faster. “Of course they’d have more than one. With the amount they stole of each ingredient, we should have known there would be backup vials.” She clenched her fist. “I’ll stop her,” she said, and sprinted into the fray.
