Where was he? Was he still as wicked without the Shadow? What would become of him?
I’d spoken to Arthur before we’d left Camelot. The Boar’s Mouth took a piece of soul from every knight that it granted its quest blessing to. But the conditions for returning each knight’s missing fragment were different. While my mission had been completed and soul returned by Peter sitting on Camelot’s throne, who knew what Alex had agreed to, and whether or not his soul fragment was still missing from failure to complete the task.
Sigh.
So like I said, I had way bigger, weirder topics than my classmates’ opinions and gossip to devote attention to. And yet, despite all that, I was still stuck here for the immediate future and I wanted to make the best of the situation. Time would tell if I could have any kind of normal life at school again, but a girl could certainly hope.
lue, Kai, and I sat with Girtha, Marie, and Divya at the base of one of the fifteen-foot-tall candelabras at the back of our school’s massive library. The candelabras were golden and each arm extended to a comfy purple seat modeled after a birdcage chair, which could be reached by the spiral stairs that went up the candelabra’s stem. The shadows of the candelabra’s arms enclosed our huddled group as we shared secrets and stories.
The six of us had come here straight after dinner. Originally, I had only planned on telling Girtha the truth about our exploits, but after some reconsideration with Blue and Kai, I decided to invite Divya and Marie along too. They were our friends and I trusted them. Moreover, with the growing number of people rooting against us, it was time we started expanding the circle of people we could count on. These girls weren’t the general public. They would not panic from learning the full scope of what was going on; they would listen and support us. I felt sure of it.
After getting Daniel and Jason’s approval via Mark Two, Blue, Kai, and I told them the whole story. It took a long time, and it made me wish I’d packed a bottle of water, but eventually we got through it.
“So, that’s everything,” I finished.
Divya nodded. In the low lighting of this part of the library, her cat-like eyes were mesmerizing. “That is a lot to process,” she said. “But thank you for trusting us.”
“You’re welcome,” Blue said.
“You know, I understand that revealing the antagonist threat could spread fear,” Marie stated. “But maybe you all should reconsider breaking the news anyway. The people need to know.”
Blue blew a tuft of dark blonde hair out of her eyes. “They do, Marie. But as much of a hater as Lenore is, her instinct about holding this info back for now makes sense. If we had more answers about Mauvrey, or a clearer idea of how to stop the antagonists, or the commons rebellion were more contained, I’d say let’s blow this truth can wide open. But as it stands there are too many uncontrolled variables for any good to come out of pure honesty. We need to preserve a little order while we handle things on our own. It’s for the realm’s own good.”
A weird chill went up my spine. Blue’s logic was sound. What bothered me was how much it sounded like Lenore’s logic. I still thought she was the worst, but I definitely understood her perspective better lately. My friends appeared to be in the same boat.
“Past that,” I tagged in, “keeping certain things a secret is what gave us the leverage to force Lady Agnue and Lord Channing to cushion our welcome, help Kai, and keep Lenore from creating more fear toward me in the public forum. I think the best plan is to win my trial fairly at the Summit. If we can get the majority of the realm’s ambassadors to see me and all of us as allies, we can get them to work with us in the fight against the antagonists and take on the threat as a united front.”
“That’s a good point,” said Girtha. “But it still sucks that you’re in the doghouse like this, Crisa. No amount of speeches from either of the headmasters is going to eliminate the fear and prejudice people have formed toward you.”
“I’ve done all I can do.” I shrugged. “If people accept me, fine. If they don’t, that’s fine too. Just call me princess non grata.”
“You guys do not have to worry about that kind of judgment from us,” Divya asserted. “We are on your team. If you go on another epic adventure in the future, know that you can count on us and we shall—”
“The library is closing, young ladies!”
Our school librarian Mrs. Fofferman abruptly appeared from behind one of the stacks. We all jumped. Mrs. Fofferman had hair like a Labradoodle and glasses as thick as telescope lenses. She was also a big lady and pretty intense. I wasn’t sure if her mass translated to muscle, but I’d once seen her carrying a pile of fifteen textbooks in one hand like it was a slice of cake.
“Yes, Mrs. Fofferman,” we all said in unison, scurrying out.
As we exited the library, we walked past Russell and Nick, the two Guardgoyles stationed on granite pillars on either side of the main doors. Guardgoyles were a form of alarm system throughout the school, but these two were pretty easygoing; they loved to chat and could easily be bribed with bacon.
“Have a nice meeting, ladies?” Nick asked. “Talk about anything juicy? I’ve been hearin’ a lot of rumors lately.”
Guardgoyles were made of stone. They had the bodies and tails of lions, the heads of Doberman Pinschers, and the wings of dragons. They could move their wings, heads, and tails, but everything else remained glued in place.
“Yep,” Blue said to Nick. “It was super juicy—not that it’s any of your business.”
“Ah, Blue, don’t be like that,” Nick said. “You’re one of the library’s most frequent visitors. I thought we had a better relationship.”
“Maybe Crisa will spill the beans,” Russell suggested. “We’re magic. She’s magic. It’s like we’re three peas in a pod.”
“Yeah, not today,” I replied.
“Don’t you guys have guarding to do?” Girtha said. “You spend way too much time gossiping.”
“We’re multitaskers,” Russell replied. “Another skill we have is spreading gossip, so if you ever have anything you’d like to pass along, we’re always happy to help . . .”
Divya pivoted away from the Guardgoyles and addressed the five of us. “That is not a half bad idea, you know. These guys tell anyone within listening distance what the latest word is. Russell even told me the bonus questions to our last Damsels in Distress midterm a week before the exam.”
Marie gasped. “You cheated?”
“Obviously not,” Divya replied, rolling her eyes. “I told Madame Lisbon so she would change the questions. The point is, I get the whole ‘wait for the trial to clear your name’ play, but if there are any smaller things that you want the student body to know, Nick and Russell make an excellent knowledge dissemination system.”
“She’s not wrong.” Girtha shrugged.
Blue’s eyebrows pinched together as she came up with an idea. “All right, fine. Let’s give this a try. Hey, Nick and Russell—spread the word. You two and Crisa aren’t the only magical peas in this pod. Kai and I have magic too. It’s normal magic, not Pure Magic like Crisa’s, but we’ve got our own powers now and are planning on developing them. Chew on that.” She gestured to the rest of us. “Let’s go, ladies.”
Nick and Russell could not have been more delighted to hear this news and instantly started gabbing about it. Kai, however, looked displeased.
“Are you sure that was a good idea?” she asked.
It was one of the few times she’d spoken all evening. I knew she was adjusting to protagonist school, but I had a suspicion that some of her reluctance about speaking openly had to do with me. During dinner and in the library during our retelling, she’d occasionally shot me a cold look. It kind of reminded me of how Daniel used to look at me before I knew all his secrets and he understood my flaws. Like there was a wall between us.
I hoped I could knock down this wall, but I also knew there was more than simple distrust at play here. She’d been upset with me since Century City. Her anger seemed to
have dissipated in the last couple of days what with everything else going on. But we needed to have an open discussion. I was familiar enough with resentment to detect it when someone bore it toward me. And I knew bad things happened if those kinds of feelings got suppressed for too long.
“That was absolutely a good idea,” Blue said to Kai as we walked to the foyer. “Crisa already said she would help us train our magic. I’d rather not do it perpetually hiding in the barn like when we used to train with her wand. This gives us some freedom. We just gotta wait about a week for word to get around.”
We reached the foyer and headed to our rooms. Divya left us on the third floor and Marie on the fourth. When we arrived at the fifth floor where Girtha resided, Blue stopped with her.
“I’ll meet you guys in a bit,” she said to Kai and me. “Over dinner, Girtha was telling me about a couple of Pegasi flight tactic books she found over spring break. She’s going to let me borrow them so I can read up before my team’s Twenty-Three Skidd practice tomorrow.”
“That’s pretty generous,” I commented. “We’re all on opposing teams.”
“Yeah, well, what can I say, friendship is growing on me,” Girtha said. She cocked a bushy eyebrow at Blue. “And anyway, it’s not like a few books are going to help your team beat mine.”
“Oh, we’ll see about that, Gigantore.” Blue smirked.
“Blue—” I started.
“Relax, I meant that with affection,” Blue said. She turned to Girtha. “You got that, right?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Cuz I like joshing around with my friends and don’t do overly sensitive.”
“Ditto on both counts, Baby Blue,” Girtha replied with a smirk.
The two of them continued down the hall. I smiled, watching them gab as they walked. It didn’t seem like that long ago that the girls were mortal enemies. Girtha used to be a total bully and jerk, and Blue used to despise her with a passion. I liked this change a lot.
Kai and I proceeded wordlessly to our room. When I closed the door behind us, I realized this was my chance to clear the air with her. I didn’t just want to; I had to. Sharing a room with someone who I felt uncomfortable around was not an option. I was already on my toes outside these pale mauve, gold-edged walls. I didn’t want to feel awkward in here too.
“Can we talk?” I asked Kai. I sat on the comforter on my bed and patted the spot beside me.
Kai gave me a skeptical look but came over and sat down. “Okay.”
“I know things haven’t been right with you and me since Century City,” I began. “We bonded in Camelot, but after I brought that dragon to life and you got mad, I felt a shift between us. Are you still angry with me for saving your life? Because I get why you would be.”
“Do you?” Kai asked a little too icily, narrowing her eyebrows.
“Of course I do. I mean, I know that Century City is your home and not mine, but I’ve watched my own castle burn, Kai, so I can relate to how you feel. The destruction of the capital is on me and I don’t take that lightly. I’m the one who used my magic to bring the dragon to life. I’m the one who unleashed that devastation.”
“Yes. You are,” Kai replied bluntly. “You used your magic recklessly, Crisa. And while I really hope that you do overcome Pure Magic Disease, that moment in Century City is when I first realized that I’m not sure you can.”
She got up from the bed and looked down at me with a serious expression. “I’ve kept my mouth shut about this so far, but I have my doubts about you, Crisa. It takes darkness to willingly subject a city of thousands of innocent people to that kind of terror. That wasn’t just crossing the Malice Line; it was trampling over it. I meant what I said on the steps of the Capitol. You should have let me die. Someone with such great power should be more responsible.” She paused and crossed her arms. “Someone with a good heart should have known more mercy.”
Her verbal blow stung more than many of the actual combat-based ones I’d received in the last few days. I stood up as well.
“Kai, no offense, but you don’t know anything about what it’s like to hold great power. I made a call. A call to save you. Do I regret it? In a way, yes. Because I am never going to be able to get the sounds of those people screaming or the sight of that chaos out of my head. But I made a decision and I stand by it because people with good hearts don’t let the people they care about get hurt. It might be a riskier option, but they play a more difficult card in the hopes of bringing everyone home. I know I can’t save everyone, but I chose to save you. Be grateful for it. And don’t look down on me for having the courage to make a tough decision. You haven’t been in that position before, so you don’t get to judge me for it.”
The tension between us had grown so thick it was nearly palpable. She was mad at me for what I’d done and I was mad at her for not seeing things the way I did. I supposed I couldn’t blame her for that though. She was like me when we’d first embarked on our quest to find Paige—naïve and overly righteous. Since then I’d learned a lot about the uses of power, one’s ability to save others, and a hero’s responsibility. I’d learned all that through trial, error, and choice. Kai didn’t have that life experience. She couldn’t understand and I shouldn’t expect her to.
I sighed and softened. Kai was not a hero. Not yet, anyway, not in the way that my friends and I were because of the sacrifice, challenges, and true tests of character we’d already endured. I couldn’t judge her for having her own take on things. Moreover, as much as I had been offended by Kai’s comments, I truly wanted to clear the air between us. We’d become friends at the start of this journey and I wanted to keep it that way.
“Look,” I sighed after a beat. “Can we drop it, please? I’m sorry you don’t agree with what I did. And I’m sorry you see me that way. But the lot of us make a good team, and I like you and me better as friends. So can we just move on? What happened has happened. We need to concentrate on the obstacles that are still ahead and let go of the mistakes of the past. Can you do that?”
Kai kept her eyes locked with mine, but after a moment, her expression softened a bit too and her shoulders dropped. “I can move on,” she said a little sadly. “But, Crisa, I am not the type of person who can just forget the past. I agree that we work better as friends, so that’s what we’ll be and I won’t harbor any more resentment toward you. But going forward, know that we’re only going to be friends because we have to be.”
“Kai—”
“Let me finish,” she said. “From what I’ve seen, you’re basically Daniel’s best friend, which means as his girlfriend, I have to get along with you. Beyond that, I’m a part of this story now and I want to help defend our realm. However, if I were given a choice, I wouldn’t want to be friends with you, Crisa. It’s your fault my city was destroyed. You were too weak to do what needed to be done, and I don’t think you deserve the god-like power you’ve been given.”
I clenched my fists a tad tighter, but remained calm. Kai’s words may have pulled at my fears and anxieties, but I didn’t have anything to prove to her. The only person I had to prove anything to was myself. If she wanted to insult and look down on me, have at it.
“Did you get everything off your chest?” I asked.
Kai released a deep breath. “Yes.”
“Good,” I said. Then I extended a hand and resolved to take what I could get. “Friends out of necessity then?”
Kai took my hand and we shook.
“Friends out of necessity.”
y week went better than expected.
That was saying something given the circumstances. Lady Agnue’s announcements may have lessend some of the fallout, but as suspected they didn’t make the stigma against me disappear. I was aware of the whispering, the odd looks, the way people moved out of my way in the halls.
But you know what? Whatever. Like I’d told Girtha, if our fellow protagonists couldn’t accept me, I was okay with that. My friends knew the truth. Everyone else could just deal.
>
For years my classmates had treated me like I was an out-of-place princess who didn’t fit her archetype. Then for the first few months of this semester, I’d become popular—the cool hero-princess that everyone wanted to be like. Now I was the Pure Magic princess that people were vaguely afraid of. It was crazy, and I wasn’t going to worry about getting whiplash following the latest word about me in the hallway. The pertinent information was out there, and my classmates had to decide for themselves how they were going to react. I’d done my part and Lady Agnue and Lord Channing had done theirs.
Returning to classes themselves proved to be pretty anticlimactic. There were reading assignments, lots of notes, teachers calling on students—the usual. I had a plethora of homework, but not having magic training with Liza while I recuperated from near Magic Burn Out, and not being in the mood for normal weapons training with Blue, gave me the free time I needed to get through it and Madame Alexanders’s papers.
The latter was slow, brutally boring work, but I whittled away at the stack one page at a time. I was determined to finish by Saturday like my professor had requested. I had made a deal with her and—ill-conceived on my part as it was—I would earn that A in her class.
Things with Kai were better after our talk. True to her word, she did not display any outward resentment toward me and we got along just fine. If I weren’t fully aware of how she felt about me, I would honestly believe that we were good friends. It made me wonder if, in time, she might change her mind and we could eventually be actual friends.
Speaking of friends, after agreeing we needed more allies, Blue, Kai, and I advised Daniel and Jason to expand our circle at Lord Channing’s the way we had at Lady Agnue’s with Girtha, Divya, and Marie.
Following a lengthy Mark Two discussion, we decided to let three guys in on the truth. First there was Javier and Gordon. I liked and trusted them, and off the practice fields they were good friends with Jason and Daniel, so that was an easy conclusion. The third guy, however, was not.
Crisanta Knight: The Lost King Page 45
