‘Huh?’ Trudy said.
‘Two daughters of Darkmoons haven’t much to say about necromancers, Trudy,’ Cragscales replied. ‘Oh, I suppose that’d be long before your time.’
‘Come on, old man. Spill the gossip before I get Jesse to be winsome at you.’
Jesse blushed as the old grey laughed. ‘Can’t be having that,’ he said. ‘It’d be… the winter of seven sixty-three. I’d have been about five hundred and sixty then… Yes. All through the midwinter festival there were things walking the streets. Zombies, dust demons… Nasty stuff. They finally tracked it all down to the necromancer causing it, and his name was Lorenzo Darkmoon.’
‘Seriously?’ Trudy asked, her eyebrows rising.
‘Oh, he wasn’t working alone, but they couldn’t get the names of his conspirators out of him. His sister, Brigetta, was another matter. In exchange for being kept from the rope herself, she gave up every last one of them. Turned out it was some sort of conspiracy to destroy the royal families, though I’ve no idea how zombies in the streets does that. Lorenzo Darkmoon was hung and his body thrown onto a fire, and the ashes were cast into the sea. And the family paid to have his spirit banned from entry into Necrodracona. They still had to live under the shadow of having a necromancer in the family, and everyone knew that Brigetta Darkmoon only escaped because she gave up the rest of the group.’
‘I’m surprised they let her get away with it, even after that,’ Krystal said, frowning. ‘Dust demons?’ Cragscales nodded. ‘That is very nasty necromancy. And not easy. He must have been quite powerful.’
‘That I couldn’t say. Rumour at the time was that he had powerful backing and a true grimoire to help him with the spells. They never caught his teacher, but he’s long dead by now and so is Lorenzo Darkmoon. The family still exists, however, and those two girls come down the line from Brigetta.’
‘Well, it’s ammunition if we really need it,’ Trudy said.
‘Yes,’ Krystal agreed, ‘but I’m not sure what we’d gain by throwing around accusations about what Felicia’s father’s family did a couple of centuries ago. I don’t really think fighting fire with fire works.’
‘It does when it’s a forest fire,’ Jesse replied, ‘but you have to know exactly what you’re doing. Otherwise, all you get is ashes.’
3rd Day of Harvest.
‘Anyone else think Felicia was looking a bit… off today?’ Krystal asked. It was not study club day, but everyone had ended up in Krystal and Trudy’s room anyway.
‘There’s always something off with Felicia,’ Charlotte replied.
‘I think you may have a bit of a grudge clouding your judgement.’
‘I will admit to that, but don’t you?’
Krystal shrugged. ‘Yes, but it’s more because she’s messed with you and Jesse. It’s often easier to take something bad happening to yourself than it is when it happens to your friends.’ She glanced at Charlotte. ‘For me anyway.’
‘That’s because you’re sweet and innocent and raised by nuns,’ Trudy said.
‘Why that be so nice of you t’ say, Mistress Trudy Black,’ Krystal said in her docks accent. Trudy growled at her.
‘Say what now?’ Charlotte asked.
‘Long story,’ Krystal replied, switching back to her normal accent. ‘The point was that I thought Felicia looked distracted. And she seemed to be arguing with Charity about something.’
‘Dissent among the ranks? I can’t think of a better person for it to happen to.’
5th Day of Harvest.
‘Now I know something’s up,’ Krystal said over dinner. ‘Felicia’s been missing all day.’
‘Since yesterday afternoon,’ Charlotte said, nodding.
‘She was pulled out of lectures at about three,’ Jesse said.
Krystal frowned. ‘She was. And, thinking about it, she never came back, but I just figured she’d been held up until the end of the day, but she hasn’t been about all day today either. You don’t think one of her parents has died?’
Charlotte deflated a little at that. ‘That would take some of the shine off the moment.’
‘It’s not that,’ Trudy said. ‘If the head of magical security at the palace was dead, or a prominent Goldring for that matter, everyone would know about it. It’s not that.’
‘Then what?’ Krystal asked.
‘No idea, but Charity’s been busy. I’m not positive, but I think she’s mounting a coup.’
‘I don’t think Felicia ran some kind of dictatorship.’ Krystal raised an eyebrow at the look Trudy gave her. ‘I mean, they’re just a group of friends who look to Felicia for what to do and what to say, and what to, um, wear, and– Okay, so Charity’s deposing Felicia. Somehow I think Felicia won’t be pleased about that when she does get back.’
‘Oh, agreed,’ Trudy said, smirking. ‘I just hope it rains so they end up fighting outside Nightsky Hall in the mud. Maybe I could bribe someone in the Weather Bureau.’
‘Wouldn’t work,’ Jesse said. ‘The grass outside the halls is far too well tended for some rain and two fighting girls to tear it up. You’d just about have to dig a pit for them to fight in.’ She looked around at Trudy. ‘Don’t you dare.’
‘Don’t worry, Jesse. Digging a hole for them is a little more work than I had in mind.’ Trudy looked across at the indigos. ‘Besides, I think they’re digging a plenty big hole themselves.’
6th Day of Harvest.
Theodore Marin entered the lecture theatre and looked around at the assembled students, as he did at the start of every lecture. His gaze paused when it came to one girl sitting alone and wearing dark glasses. Then he passed on to the front of the theatre.
‘Let’s settle down, ladies,’ Marin said. ‘We have a lot to get through this morning.’
Krystal ignored the comment, even if she did prepare her notepad and pen. Marin always had a lot to get through in the mornings. And in the afternoons. He always told them that as well. Krystal had noticed the girl in the dark glasses too, and she was wondering what it meant, because the girl in the dark glasses was Felicia.
‘Something’s definitely wrong with her,’ Krystal said under her breath. Marin did not take well to people talking in his lectures.
‘She looks upset,’ Jesse replied.
‘Yes, she does, but what about?’
‘I’m sure we’ll find out, but right now we need to shut up before Theodore Marin is sarcastic at us.’
Krystal turned her attention to the man at the front of the theatre, but she was still wondering what could have separated Felicia from her gang of cohorts and reduced her to wearing sunglasses indoors.
~~~
Charlotte knocked once on the door of the dean’s office and then pushed it open. Dean Scintilla Rainshadow looked up from her paperwork and gave Charlotte a weary-looking smile.
‘Come in, Charlotte Cloudborn,’ Rainshadow said. ‘Take a seat.’
Charlotte entered and started for one of the chairs. ‘Is there something wrong, Dean Scintilla Rainshadow? Are my parents–’
‘Nothing is wrong,’ the dean said quickly. ‘How are you feeling? After recent events… Well, there is something I must ask of you and I hope that you’ve recovered from the cremation and such.’
‘I felt better after the ritual. Knowing I helped make that possible helped. My friends have helped. Uh, something happened recently which didn’t exactly help, but it did take my mind off Glinda a little.’
Rainshadow grimaced. ‘The aerobatics team?’ Charlotte nodded, a little surprised that the dean knew about it. ‘That is going to make this harder…’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I have received a request from another student to move rooms. The only free rooms we have are on your floor and I would rather not place someone with Jesse Oakleaf or Xanthe Wild.’
Charlotte could see where this was going, but she mustered a smile. ‘Jesse’s plants have taken over the second bed in her room.’
‘And given what happened with th
e gardening club, I would prefer not to deprive her. Xanthe Wild has a need for time on her own. I think we all do, but hers was noted in the reports we received from her school. And that leaves your room. I would have preferred to have given you space, but…’
‘If this other girl is in need, Dean Scintilla Rainshadow, I’m sure I can handle a new roommate. Some company might help me get back on my feet.’
‘Somehow, I do not think that will be the case. I wish to make it clear, Charlotte Cloudborn, that I am not doing this lightly and I am ready to make alternate arrangements if this turns out badly. The… reasons for the move will likely become apparent to all quite soon. They are yet to be fully resolved and it’s not impossible that your new roommate may have to leave the school before this is done.’ Rainshadow sighed. ‘We’ll just have to see how this all plays out.’
Charlotte frowned. The dean seemed to be trying quite hard not to say who the new roommate was and it was starting to worry Charlotte. ‘Uh, Dean Scintilla Rainshadow, who is this girl you want me to share my room with?’
The long breath Rainshadow pulled in before speaking was not encouraging. ‘Felicia Goldring,’ Rainshadow said.
~~~
‘The scandal broke the day before yesterday,’ Trudy said, ‘in the afternoon papers. They kept it off the front page, but it was a fairly meaty article from what I’ve heard, plastered all over the gossip pages. They even had a cropped picture and the article said that more, and far more incriminating, photographs had been doing the rounds. Someone decided to ruin them, all of them.’
The misfits were standing in the corridor outside Charlotte’s room, watching as a couple of school porters carried boxes in. The boxes belonged to Felicia, but there was no sign of the indigo yet.
‘How does her mother being photographed at some sort of orgy damage Felicia’s reputation?’ Krystal asked. ‘You said it wasn’t uncommon for high-status dragons to take lovers.’
‘It isn’t. And no one cares so long as everyone’s discreet about it. This… Well, this is about as indiscreet as you can get.’
Charlotte nodded. ‘Even in Spinyard, something like this would destroy someone’s career, or life. Lidia Goldring is never going to be able to show her face in public ever again.’
‘Anders Darkmoon resigned his position at the palace this morning,’ Trudy went on. ‘Dorian Dusklight has already been named as the new head of magical security.’
‘Felicia’s father moves down,’ Krystal said, ‘and Charity’s father moves up, and we get the same reflected with the daughters here.’
‘Basically, yes. I’ve no idea what’ll happen with her parents, but Felicia can forget a good marriage. No one in her own class is going to look twice at her and anyone further up the tree wouldn’t waste the energy to spit on her. Socially, she’s done for.’
~~~
Felicia walked up the stairs to the top step with her head down and the glasses she had been wearing all day perched on the end of her nose where she could look over them. The lighting in the stairwell was not that good and the darkened glass made it impossible to see, but she had to be ready to conceal her eyes at any moment.
Reaching the top, she pushed her glasses up her nose, straightened her back, and pulled in a deep breath…
‘Basically, yes. I’ve no idea what’ll happen with her parents, but Felicia can forget a good marriage. No one in her own class is going to look twice at her and anyone further up the tree wouldn’t waste the energy to spit on her. Socially, she’s done for.’
Felicia flinched at the succinct summary of her current position. She had not paid enough attention to the girls who hung around with Krystal Ward to know who had spoken. Not Krystal Ward, nor the cute little green who acted so sweet and innocent with that silly stammer…
‘I’m not going to lose sleep over Felicia Goldring’s fate in a century or so when she’s of marriageable age. And I wouldn’t waste the energy to spit on her either.’
That had sounded like the blue, the athletic one. And it was that one, Charlotte Cloudborn, that Felicia was supposed to be sharing a room with. Felicia’s shoulders slumped again, but she could hear boots heading toward the stairwell’s door: the porters were on their way back and she would not allow them to see her like this. She pulled herself upright again, lifted her head, and stepped out into the corridor. Her steps, as she walked toward the group of girls, had their usual strut. She was all confidence and superiority, though the effect was a little diminished by hiding her eyes behind sunglasses.
Charlotte stepped in front of her before Felicia could march into the room they were to share. Charlotte raised a hand and jabbed a finger into Felicia’s face. ‘Dean Scintilla Rainshadow put you in here because there’s basically nowhere else for you to go,’ Charlotte said. ‘After what you’ve done to half the people on this floor, to me personally, she basically apologised for having to move you in here. But let’s be clear about this, I don’t like you. I don’t want you here. No one wants you here.’
There was a tiny pause, nothing anyone would notice under normal circumstances, but the lack of an immediate comeback was noticeable when it was Felicia having to think before responding. ‘Thank you for the warm and well-mannered welcome, Charlotte Cloudborn. I have no desire to be here either, but this is where Dean Scintilla Rainshadow has decided to place me. I suggest we both make the best of the situation. Might I enter? I should like to begin unpacking.’
Charlotte eyed Felicia for a second and then stepped aside, and Felicia continued her entrance. The girl who had so succinctly set out Felicia’s problems had to have been the grey. Felicia racked her brain and came up with Trudy Black. Neither the cute green nor the yellow they hung with was evident. Krystal Ward had remained silent, Felicia noticed, but there had been a look on her face which was hard to define: something between annoyance and pity, perhaps a mix of the two. Annoyance was something Felicia could deal with, but pity… Stooping, she opened the first of her boxes: her clothes, roughly stuffed in and probably badly creased.
‘There’s space in the wardrobe,’ Charlotte called out from the corridor, ‘and the bottom two drawers in the dresser are empty. Though Glinda would hate the fact that you’re using her space.’
‘Charley,’ Krystal hissed, ‘go a little easy on her, will you?’
‘Why?’
‘She’s probably been through some really bad times the last couple of days. You know exactly what that’s like.’
Felicia hung up a couple of dresses which, given her change in circumstances, she would not be able to afford to buy now and tried to ignore the voices outside.
‘So? She’s responsible for piling trouble on top of heartache. She hasn’t had her dreams dashed after losing her best friend.’
‘Well, she kind of has,’ Trudy said, sounding a lot like the last thing she wanted to do was to defend Felicia. ‘If she had dreams, they’re gone, and she’s probably never going to be allowed to see her mother again after this. It’s not quite the same–’
‘It’s nothing like the same!’ Charlotte snapped. ‘It’s–’ There was a slight pause, and when Charlotte continued, her tone was maudlin. ‘I suppose it’s a little the same. Still, her stupid rumours are why I have no chance with the aerobatics team. And being nice to her now isn’t going to change that, is it? Any influence she had is gone.’
Felicia flinched, happy to be out of sight. She hung up another couple of dresses and returned for more.
‘Agreed,’ Krystal said, ‘but you are going to be the better person.’
‘Why?’
‘Because no matter what Felicia has done, she can’t take the sky from you and you know you love that more than some stuffy sports hall filled with stuffy students. Because, at least for now, you’re going to have to live with her and being angry all the time will just harm you. But mostly, because you are a better person, Charley Cloudborn.’
Felicia managed to get another dress and a pair of jeans into the wardrobe, but when she retu
rned to the box, her legs felt weak and she sat down on the edge of her new bed, hoping it would look like she was just sorting things.
‘I suppose wanting to maim her all the time would be tiring,’ Charlotte said. ‘And you’re right about the flying.’
‘And?’ Krystal asked.
‘And I’m not sure I’m a better person, but I suppose if you say I am, it would be rude to prove you wrong so fast.’
‘Very rude indeed. Now, go in there and say hello properly. Maybe she needs some help unpacking. She seemed to have most of a house with her.’
‘Huh.’ Charlotte walked into the room and looked around for Felicia. ‘Ancestors save me!’
‘What?’ Trudy and Krystal said in unison, hurrying in after Charlotte. They looked around to find Felicia doubled over on the bed, crying as silently as she could. Now that she had clearly been discovered, she wiped furiously at her eyes and tried to straighten her back and put her glasses back on as fast as possible, but she was not fast enough by a long way: Charlotte stepped forward and pulled the glasses away and Felicia looked up at them through bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes.
‘Don’t look at me!’ Felicia wailed. ‘I don’t need your p-pity!’
‘Sorry,’ Krystal said. ‘I’m an orphan raised by nuns so I’ve got a lot of pity to go around, and I don’t like you enough to pretend I don’t.’
‘Ancestor, yes,’ Trudy said. ‘I’m a grey and even I think you look like a pitiful wretch.’
Sniffing, Felicia pulled herself upright and totally failed to pull off a haughty look of disdain. ‘Thank you for such glowing compliments. I have never looked pitiful in my life.’
‘But you’re fine with “wretch?”’
Felicia’s shoulders sagged a little, but she retained some of her composure. ‘It’s an accurate description, isn’t it? You’ve a good idea of my situation, Trudy Black. I was a little surprised that a grey would know so much about high society, but I am, essentially, done for.’
‘Gossiping about what the upper crust get up to is about all us gutter trash have to do,’ Trudy replied, crossing her arms under her breasts and fixing Felicia with a cool look.
Misfit Magic (Misfits Book 1) Page 15
