by Chris Colfer
“May I have some more water?” Xanthous asked, after stuffing his face with a third helping of blueberry pie.
“I can help you with that,” Skylene said.
She leaned over the table and stuck her hand in the boy’s glass. A stream of water poured out of her index finger and filled his glass to the brim. Brystal and Emerelda were impressed by Skylene’s trick but Xanthous was disturbed by the liquid coming out of her body.
“Is there any other water?” he asked.
Of all seven people around the table, Tangerina seemed to be enjoying herself the least. She grunted at everything the newcomers said and rolled her eyes at every question they asked. She found their curiosity about magic to be incredibly irritating, like they should have been more prepared before arriving.
“So what do you do?” she asked.
“Sorry?” Brystal said.
“Well, I know you’re all here because you can do magic, but what are your specialties?” Tangerina asked.
“What’s a specialty?” Brystal asked.
Tangerina and Skylene were shocked by her ignorance.
“A specialty is your strongest magical talent,” Tangerina explained. “It’s usually the trait that reveals your magic and separates you from the rest of the world. Bees are my specialty, water is Skylene’s, and based on his room upstairs, I’m guessing Xanthous’s specialty has something to do with fire.”
“Ooooooh, that’s why his room is made of metal,” Skylene said. “I was hoping it had something to do with barbecue. How disappointing.”
Tangerina ignored her friend. “As I was saying,” she went on. “Xanthous’s was easy to figure out, but I’m still not sure about you two.”
Emerelda was a little annoyed by Tangerina’s need to categorize them. She closed her eyes, placed an open palm on the stone table, and transformed the whole thing into a giant amethyst.
“That’s what I do,” she said blankly.
Despite their best attempts to conceal it, Tangerina and Skylene were awestruck by Emerelda’s demonstration.
“What about you, Brystal?” Skylene asked. “What’s your specialty?”
“Oh, I’m not sure that I have one of those,” she said. “I’ve never done magic without the help of a spell.”
“All fairies have specialties,” Tangerina said, and crossed her arms. “Unless your specialty is that you’re not special at all.”
“Tangerina, please keep your stinger to yourself,” Madame Weatherberry reprimanded. “So far, Brystal has shown a talent for manifestation, and she had one of the brightest stars on my Map of Magic. Just because her specialty hasn’t revealed itself yet doesn’t mean it won’t do so very soon.”
Madame Weatherberry gave Brystal an encouraging wink, but it didn’t make Tangerina’s comments any less hurtful. Without an obvious specialty, Brystal felt inferior to the other students and she started wondering if she even belonged at the academy. The embarrassment made her blush and she counted down the seconds until dinner was over.
“Well, I know one thing for sure,” Mrs. Vee said. “My specialty has always been food, and if anyone disagrees after that meal, they can go catch a gryphon! HA-HA!”
After dinner, Madame Weatherberry excused the students from the table and they went to their rooms to get ready for bed. Brystal was still feeling crummy from Tangerina’s remarks, but fortunately, she knew the perfect remedy to take her mind off it. She selected The Tales of Tidbit Twitch, Volume Two from her shelf, chose a fresh pair of reading glasses, and crawled into her soft bed.
While Brystal read the sequel to her favorite book, an abrupt storm blew in from the ocean and soaked the academy grounds. Brystal was startled by the booming thunder and the flashes of lightning outside her window, but she wasn’t going to let the weather disturb her first night at the castle. Her floormates, however, weren’t so brave.
A few minutes into the storm there was a soft knock on Brystal’s door.
“Come in,” she called.
The door swung open and Emerelda peeked inside with large, fearful eyes.
“Sorry to bother you, Brystal,” Emerelda said.
“Is everything all right with your room?” Brystal asked.
“No, everything is fine,” she said. “I’m just not used to thunder. That’s one of the best parts about living in an underground mine—you don’t have to worry about the weather. If you wouldn’t mind, I was wondering… well, I was wondering…”
“You’re more than welcome to sleep here if the thunder is scaring you,” Brystal said.
Emerelda sighed with relief. “Gee, thanks!” she said. “What are you reading?”
“The Tales of Tidbit Twitch, Volume Two,” Brystal said. “It’s the sequel to my favorite book of all time. Have you heard of it?”
Emerelda thought about it and shook her head. “Papa used to read me stories before bed, but I don’t remember that one.”
“Would you sleep better if I read the first one to you?” Brystal asked.
“Really?” Emerelda said. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all,” she said. “It’s on the shelf to your left.”
Emerelda retrieved The Tales of Tidbit Twitch and joined Brystal in bed. Brystal opened the book to the very first page, but before she started reading, both girls jumped at the growling thunder outside. It was followed by the sound of feet frantically running down the corridor. Xanthous appeared in the doorway, just as startled by the weather as Emerelda had been.
“Hi, girls,” Xanthous peeped. “Crazy storm, huh?”
“It’s wild,” Brystal said. “How are you holding up?”
“Me? Oh, I’m doing great,” Xanthous said, but his panicked face told otherwise. “I just came to check on you two.”
“We’re fine,” Brystal said. “Actually, Emerelda and I were just about to start a book, if you’re interested in hearing a story.”
Another crack of thunder influenced Xanthous’s decision and he leaped into the bed with the girls. Brystal and Emerelda were tickled by his reaction and they made room. Brystal cleared her throat in preparation for reading aloud, but just as she started the first sentence, Tangerina and Skylene burst into her room and shut the door behind them, as if the terrible storm had been chasing them.
“Hello, ladies,” Brystal said. “What seems to be the problem?”
Tangerina and Skylene were too embarrassed to admit they were scared. They looked to each other, hoping the other would come up with a good excuse.
“Umm… I wet the bed?” Skylene said.
Tangerina rolled her eyes. “Skylene, your bed is always wet,” she whispered.
“Oh yeah,” she mumbled back.
“We just heard noises coming from your room and wanted to make sure the three of you weren’t causing any trouble,” Tangerina said.
“Well, as you can see, we’re very well-behaved,” Brystal said. “We’re just about to read a book to calm our nerves.”
“Good, I’m glad you’re not up to any mischief,” Tangerina said. “Now that we’ve seen you’re acting appropriately, we’ll head back to our rooms.”
Although she said they were leaving, neither Tangerina nor Skylene moved a muscle.
“You know, just because apprentices are more advanced than students doesn’t mean they enjoy stories any less,” Brystal said. “You’re both welcome to stay with us if the storm is making you uneasy.”
Before Tangerina or Skylene could respond, the thunder roared louder than before. The girls shrieked and dived into bed with the others.
“I suppose we could stick around for a few minutes,” Tangerina said. “What are you reading?”
“The Tales of Tidbit Twitch by Tomfree Taylor,” Brystal said.
“What’s it about?” Skylene asked.
Emerelda grunted and eyed the others threateningly.
“If everyone would just shut up and stop interrupting her, we might find out,” she scolded.
All the classmates w
ent quiet so Brystal could start the book.
“‘Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of mice,’” she read. “‘And of all the mice in the kingdom, none was braver than a young mouse named Tidbit Twitch.…’”
Brystal read the book for hours and she was delighted by what a captivated audience her floormates were. Eventually, all the students and apprentices began to fall asleep, and she marked their last page so they could continue the story later.
They all slept in a pile on Brystal’s bed while they waited for the weather to die down. It was only their first night at the castle, but thanks to a thunderstorm and a good story, the children at Madame Weatherberry’s Academy of Magic were already acting like the chosen family their instructor hoped they’d become.
CHAPTER TEN
THE MUSICIANS’ DAUGHTER
The following morning, the students and apprentices gathered around the dining room table and laughed about their impromptu sleepover while they enjoyed breakfast. Even Tangerina admitted she had fun listening to Brystal read The Tales of Tidbit Twitch. Madame Weatherberry was delighted her pupils were getting along so well, but naturally, she reminded them how important it was to get rest on nights before their lessons, and asked them to save future sleepovers for special occasions.
Halfway through breakfast, Mrs. Vee entered the dining room and presented Madame Weatherberry with a black envelope.
“This just arrived for you, Madame,” Mrs. Vee said.
The envelope immediately caught Brystal’s attention because it was scaled like a reptile’s skin and sealed with wax the color of dried blood. Madame Weatherberry went pale the minute she noticed the envelope’s strange texture. She opened it with a butter knife and quickly unfolded the message written inside.
“The post delivers all the way out here?” Xanthous asked.
Tangerina rolled her eyes. “It’s not from the human post, it’s from the magic post,” she explained. “When you place your envelope in a magic mailbox, and close the lid behind it, the letter is instantly transported to the mailbox it’s addressed to.”
“It works with other small objects, too,” Skylene said, and slumped in her chair. “I’m still waiting for my gerbil to be sent back.”
“Wow, instant mail,” Xanthous said. “What a concept.”
While the others talked about the magic post, Brystal’s eyes never left Madame Weatherberry. She assumed the black envelope contained bad news because the fairy’s posture became stiff as she read it. Once she finished reading the note, Madame Weatherberry folded it and put it back into the envelope. Her eyes filled with concern and she stared off into space.
“Madame Weatherberry, is something wrong?” Brystal asked.
“Oh, not at all,” Madame Weatherberry said, but she didn’t elaborate further.
“Who wrote to you?” Brystal asked.
“Just an old friend,” she said. “Unfortunately, our mutual acquaintance has been battling a terrible illness, and my friend was writing to update me on her progress. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to write her back before we begin today’s lessons. I’ll meet you outside in just a few minutes.”
Madame Weatherberry held the black envelope by the corner and a burst of violet flames incinerated the message. The fairy excused herself from the dining table and headed to her office on the second floor. Although Madame Weatherberry had said there wasn’t a problem, Brystal knew their instructor wasn’t being honest with them. Madame Weatherberry left with the same intensity she had expressed after Brystal mentioned the Northern Kingdom the day before.
“I’m glad you asked her that,” Skylene told Brystal. “I’ve always wondered who sends Madame Weatherberry those letters, but I never wanted to pry.”
“You mean, they’re sent frequently?” Brystal asked.
“Almost every day,” Skylene said. “But if you ask me, I don’t think they’re actually updates on her sick friend.”
“What do you think they are?” Brystal asked.
Skylene grinned. “I think Madame Weatherberry has a secret admirer.”
Everyone around the dining table laughed at Skylene’s theory except for Brystal. She didn’t think Madame Weatherberry had an admirer, but the fairy definitely had a secret.
“The last time I had a secret admirer, dragons roamed the earth! HA-HA!” Mrs. Vee quipped. “Get it? Because I’m old.”
Even with an explanation, her young audience didn’t crack a smile.
“Sorry, if all my jokes were good I certainly wouldn’t have this job! HA-HA!”
The housekeeper cleared the dining table and stepped into the kitchen. Once she was gone, Emerelda turned to Tangerina and Skylene with a sharp look.
“Are any of her jokes good?” she asked.
Tangerina and Skylene slowly shook their heads in agony, like they had been victims of Mrs. Vee’s insufferable humor for too long.
“No…” Tangerina groaned. “Not a single one…”
After they finished breakfast, the children waited for Madame Weatherberry outside on the castle’s front steps. It was taking their instructor much longer to respond to the letter than she had estimated, and Brystal became even more suspicious.
Just when they were about to check on their teacher, the students and apprentices heard a peculiar noise coming from a distance. It was a compilation of horns, drums, and cymbals that played the same quirky tune over and over again. They all looked toward the edge of the property, and a colorful caravan emerged from the hedge barrier. It was bright blue with red wheels and a yellow roof. Instead of the caravan being pulled by horses, a man and a woman sitting in the driver’s seat propelled the contraption forward by moving pedals with their feet.
The strangers wore makeup and flamboyant clothing. The man had a mustache, a gold earring in his right ear, and a tall top hat with a large red feather. The woman wore a scarf over her head, several beaded necklaces, and a long flowing dress. As they pedaled toward the castle, the gears triggered instruments attached to the vehicle, and the repetitive tune was played. Identical signs on both sides of the caravan said:
THE GOOSE TROUPE
The couple steered their vehicle to the front steps of the castle and then pulled the brakes. When the caravan came to a complete stop, the music finally stopped as well. The visitors seemed relieved to see the children outside, but the students stared at the extravagant wagon with wide, curious eyes.
“Hello there,” the man said, and tipped his top hat. “Is this Madame Weatherberry’s School for the Magically Inclined?”
“It’s just Madame Weatherberry’s Academy of Magic now,” Tangerina said.
“She decided less was more,” Skylene added.
“Oh, that’s terrific,” the woman said, and then called into the caravan behind her. “Lucy, get your things! We’re here!”
The vehicle’s back door was aggressively kicked open and a girl about thirteen years old jumped down from inside. She was small and plump, her hair was short and curly, and she had a round rosy face. The girl wore a black bowler hat, an oversize black jumpsuit, big black boots, and a bottle-cap necklace. She carried a small suitcase made from a taxidermy porcupine, and a canteen made from a beaver skull was draped over her shoulder. The odd girl scowled at the majestic castle in front of her, like she was greatly underwhelmed by it.
“Well, this place is obnoxiously cheerful,” she said.
“Excuse me, but who are you?” Tangerina asked.
The girl turned to the students on the front steps. She glared at them with a raised eyebrow, like they were just as disappointing as the castle.
“The name’s Lucy,” she said. “You don’t recognize me?”
“Recognize you from what?” Skylene asked.
“I happen to be a famous tambourine player,” Lucy said, and pointed to the sign on the caravan. “Perhaps you’ve heard of my family’s band?”
“Wait a second,” Tangerina said with a patronizing laugh. “Your name is Lucy Goose?”
&n
bsp; The young tambourine player turned bright red and sent Tangerina a scathing look.
“It’s pronounced Goo-say,” Lucy said. “But you would know that if you had any class. So why don’t you just shut your mouth and mind all that beeswax? Someone wearing honeycomb has no right to be that high-and-mighty. Ever.”
Brystal, Xanthous, and Emerelda laughed at Lucy’s remarks before they could stop themselves. Tangerina was agitated and her bumblebees buzzed aggressively.
“Don’t listen to her, Tangerina,” Skylene whispered. “She’s dressed like she just came from a funeral.”
“I’m sorry, did the walking puddle just insult my clothes?” Lucy asked. “I’ll have you know I won this hat after arm-wrestling a goblin! And I removed the caps on my necklace from bottles with my bare teeth! And then I drank them with a tribe of trolls! What’s the coolest thing you’ve done lately? Evaporate?”
The children were floored by Lucy’s comments. The girl’s parents shook their heads and sighed at their daughter’s rudeness.
“Please forgive Lucy, she’s just a little nervous,” Mrs. Goose said. “Lucy, you promised us you were going to be nice! This is no way to make friends at your new school!”
“They started it,” Lucy mumbled.
“Hold on,” Tangerina exclaimed. “She’s staying here?”
Mr. and Mrs. Goose glanced at each other with uncertainty.
“Actually, that’s what we’re here to speak with Madame Weatherberry about,” Mr. Goose said. “Is she around?”
“She’s in her office on the second floor,” Brystal said. “I can take you there if you’d like.”
“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Mr. Goose said.
Brystal escorted the Goose family up the front steps of the castle. Lucy shot Tangerina one last dirty look before stepping inside.
“Don’t worry, honeypot,” she said. “Madame Weatherberry doesn’t want someone like me at her school. I’ll be out of your sticky hair before you know it.”
The Gooses followed Brystal into the entrance hall and up the floating stairs to the second floor. As they went, Lucy winced at everything she saw, like the castle was so ugly it hurt her eyes. Brystal knocked on Madame Weatherberry’s door and peeked inside. The fairy was pacing in front of her bubbling fireplace, obviously troubled by something.
