Crowns and Curses

by V. B. Marlowe

  “What?” Scarlett said. “Are you saying that Ms. Bea is a villain? Because that’s who you’re talking about.”

  Isleen huffed and turned to Ms. Dillinger. “I thought no one was allowed to interrupt when someone was giving a speech.”

  Ms. Dillinger nodded, but she frowned like she was trying to figure out where Isleen was going with this. She went on. "Think about it. She brought us all here and trapped us for centuries. Not only us but the innocent men and women who work in the kitchen and clean the house. Then there’s the Glam Squad. Dr. Meyer. Sure, the witches got to him, but he would have never been here if Ms. Bea hadn’t brought him. Now he’s locked away in the attic where they feed him three times a day like a gerbil in a cage.”

  The girls were shooting her dirty looks, but they said nothing. What could they say? Everything coming from her mouth was the truth. She kept going. "Owen and his father. Even old Ms. Halifax. But the most recent and probably the most tragic is poor Ms. Dillinger here. Ms. Beatrix lied to get you here, did she not? When you came here, you had no idea what this place was or that as soon as you entered, you would never be able to leave. She snatched you during your prime. You should be finding the love of your life and being free. Instead, you're locked up here and just like Ms. Pruitt, you'll grow old and withered and not be able to bear children or get married or to create your own life. What about your family? She doesn't even care about them. They have to be worried sick about you. Not knowing where you are is torturing them. Think of your dear mother. She probably thinks you’re dead. Can you imagine how much pain she must be in every single day and this is all because of Bea.”

  Ms. Dillinger looked as if she were about to cry, but she turned her head toward the darkened window. Isleen should have probably felt sorry about that, but she didn't. "I know some of you may be thinking she's only doing this for our protection. As I've pointed out time and time again, the only girls who have earned elixirs have been the ones out there in the real world. Still, she won't even give us a chance to save ourselves. She keeps up cooped up in here like sitting ducks. If we want to go out there and take our chances against the Moonhaven Coven, we should be able to do that. These are our lives after all, not hers. Bottom line—Bea had ruined all of our lives, and the best part of her villainy is that's she managed to convince us that she's the hero. She's made us think she was doing this for our own good instead of for—well, I don't know why she's doing this, but it's definitely not for us."

  “Time’s up,” Ms. Dillinger said softly.

  “In closing, this hero is holding almost fifty of us here against our will, and no one besides me seems to find anything wrong with it."

  Isleen took her seat as the room remained in complete silence.

  “You proud of yourself?” Lily asked.

  Isleen shrugged. She was proud. She’d always wanted to get that off her chest and she’d finally done it. That was the only reason she’d suggested the assignment in the first place.

  The girls would be mad at her, but she didn’t care. They were always mad at her no matter what she did. The important thing was that she’d sowed the seeds. Whether they agreed with her or not, they were most definitely thinking about what she’d said.

  Although the girls were angry, Ms. Dillinger was a different story. She hadn't been subjected to two hundred years of brainwashing like the rest of them had been. Isleen studied her closely. Ms. Dillinger was distracted, looking at her hands. She didn't even have them complete the debate or declare a winner. Ms. Dillinger was definitely taking Isleen's words into consideration.

  Isleen was glad because she had meant every word she said. She wasn't sure why she was the only one who saw it, but Ms. Bea was no hero. She had single-handedly ruined every one of their lives, and Isleen was going to make sure that everyone at Everly realized that sooner than later.

  Everything was working out perfectly.

  Part Two

  11

  Jolie

  JOLIE SAT IN DRU’S old laboratory with three Petri dishes before her. She and Gretchen had been plugging away trying a find a poison strong enough to kill the beanstalks that kept them imprisoned. Although it was a smart suggestion by Ms. Dillinger, Jolie had to admit that the project put a lot of pressure on her. Everyone in the house depended on them to come through.

  They hadn’t found a combination strong enough yet, but they were close. Jolie had just sucked up a few drops of the yellow liquid into her medicine dropper when there was a light knock on the door.

  “Come in,” she called. Although it wasn’t the best time for an interruption, she was happy for some company. She had been alone in Dru’s lab for days while Gretchen was working in the kitchen.

  The door swung open, and Izzy stepped inside. Izzy was the last person Jolie expected to see. She never really talked to Jolie unless she wanted something. "Hey," Jolie said. "What's up?"

  Izzy let the door fall closed behind her and looked around. "Wow. I never came to this room. I had no idea Dru had so much going on down here."

  “Yeah,” Jolie said, “It has really come in handy.”

  Izzy took a seat at the table across from Jolie and adjusted her tiara. “So, how’s this project going? Do you think you’re close to figuring it out?”

  Jolie set the petri dish down. “What do you want, Izzy?”

  Izzy smiled slyly. "We haven't talked in a while. I just wanted to see what was up with my friend, Jolie. So, what's up, JoJo? Can I call you that?"

  “Absolutely not.” Jolie folded her arms over her chest. “Let’s not play games. Why are you here?”

  Izzy shrugged. "I thought JoJo was cute but okay. Anyway, I appreciate your bluntness. I find that's the best way to be. Just get to the point."

  Jolie gave her a look to let her know that she was just a moment away from getting kicked out.

  Izzy sighed. “Fine, fine. I’ll get to the point. Now that Dru’s gone, we need someone else in our alliance. I wanted to offer you a chance to join the winning team.”

  Jolie scoffed. “What makes you think you have the winning team?”

  "Think about it. There's me. I am the only one who can tell you where the next location is. Tress has the power to predict things with her magic tiles, and Marina is a freaking mermaid who spits killer seaweed. We're all we need to find the pens and get to those elixirs."

  Jolie frowned and turned her attention back to the petri dish, but she was definitely still listening. "This is true, but two animal shifters are nothing to sneeze at, and Allison is the one who can tell else who has the next pen."

  Izzy nodded. “What if I told you I was close to getting Allison to my side?”

  Jolie chuckled to herself. “I seriously doubt that. She’s more attached to Lily than anyone.”

  “Perhaps,” Izzy replied, “But she’s also close to Marina and don’t forget that I saved her life the other day. Your precious Lily was nowhere to be found. She was probably somewhere pining away for Peter Pan. Allison kind of owes me.”

  Jolie said nothing to that, so Izzy continued. "Listen, this isn't a hundred years ago. We're getting closer and closer to the last blood moon, and it's time to get selfish. Not everyone is going to make it out of this alive, and not everyone is going to break their curse." Isleen rounded the table and sat on the stool beside Jolie. "Imagine what your life could be like outside of this place. What was it that you told Ms. Dillinger? That you wanted to open a flower shop? You could get out of here and totally do that. I picture you owning a quaint little store with an adorable name and growing every type of plant and flower there is. Unlike here, people will actually pay you money for your talent."

  Jolie pretended not to be paying attention, but she was indeed listening and picturing an adorable shop with a big sign that read ‘Jolie’s Blossoms’ in bright yellow letters with tiny pink roses all around it.

  “You don’t have to lie to me,” Izzy continued. “I know you imagine it. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all think about what our f
utures would be like outside of this place. It’s only natural.”

  Izzy was quiet for a minute. Jolie hoped that meant she would go away, but she started talking again. “Most importantly, you can finally find true love. You will no longer have to worry about turning into a hideous beast at night. You are the most beautiful girl in this house, Jolie. Imagine being able to stay that way twenty-four-seven.”

  Jolie finally made eye contact with Izzy. She couldn’t help it. She’d given up on love a long time ago for two reasons—the first being that there was no one at Everly Academy for her and two—who could love someone who transformed into a hideous beast every night? That would be a lot to ask of anyone. She swallowed hard. “What you’re saying sounds great and everything, but I’ve made a commitment to my alliance. I have to be loyal to them. And now that the final blood moon is drawing closer and closer, that loyalty is even more important.”

  Izzy stuck her finger down her throat, making a gagging sound. “Loyalty, shmoyalty. Think about the numbers. There are only four elixirs left. There are how many people in your alliance?”

  Jolie sighed. "Six." Jolie wasn't stupid. This was something she thought about all the time, but she had never brought it up. It seemed smarter to just focus on getting the elixirs in the first place, or there wouldn't be any tough decisions to make.

  “Riiiight,” Izzy said, making circles on the table with her forefinger. “That means two of you will be royally screwed. How do you know one of those two people won’t be you?”

  Jolie opened her mouth to defend her alliance, but the words wouldn’t come out, probably because Izzy was right.

  Izzy chuckled. "See, this is the problem with your alliance. No one wants to be honest and look at the bigger picture. Everyone wants to be nice and friendly and diplomatic. Lily is clearly calling the shots. There's no argument there. You can bet your bottom dollar that in her eyes one of those elixirs belongs to her. Another belongs to Allison. That only leaves two more. If it comes down to a vote, you know that Ori and Scarlett will have each other's backs. They're besties, and they spend the most time together. That leaves you and Gretch . . ." her voice trailed off.

  Jolie let those words sink in, but then she challenged Izzy. "So, how is your alliance going to be any better?"

  Izzy took one of the Petri dishes, sniffed it, and then made a face. "For one, it's simply the numbers. There's only me, Tress, and Marina. If you're smart enough to join us, we'll be four. That's an elixir for each of us. No girl gets left behind in this alliance."

  Jolie went back to looking at her Petri dishes. "I'm not a princess, so I'll be the lowest girl on the totem pole and if the other alliance has the numbers, which they do, what makes you think the elixirs will go to any of you?"

  Isleen pressed her pretty pink lips together. “I’m going to let you in on something. That’s how much I want you to be a part of us. I’m going to tell you a secret that I expect to never leave this room.”

  Jolie nodded. “Okay. What is it?”

  Izzy leaned closer to her. “We’re not going to wait for some stupid vote or for Ms. Bea and Ms. Dillinger to make the decision for us. We’re just going to take what we want.”

  Jolie looked doubtful. “How?”

  "Who's going to stop us? Ms. Bea's magic is weakening, Ms. Dillinger and Ms. Halifax have no magic, and we could totally take those other girls. They're nothing to be afraid of."

  Jolie closed her eyes, ashamed that she was even considering taking Izzy up on her offer. "But they're my friends, forget friends, more like my sisters. I can't go against them. Those girls have been better to me than my blood sisters in my old life. They trust me, and I trust them."

  Izzy groaned. “You’d better start looking out for yourself, girl. When someone gets an elixir, they’re going to be free. They’re going to leave this place and never look back. I promise you they’re not going to be thinking about their good friend Jolie or anyone else. They’re going to go on with their lives and forget all about this place.”

  Jolie stared at Izzy wide-eyed. She didn’t want to believe that. You don’t bond with people for over two hundred years just to leave them behind and not think about them.

  It was as if Izzy could read her mind. “Look at Dru. Dru was our friend, wasn’t she? Have we heard from her since she left? Do you think she’s out there in the real world wondering about us or thinking about how she can help us get out of here? No, she’s not. Dru is out there living her best life and enjoying her freedom. Jolie, I know it’s hard because Ms. Bea has been jamming her Kum-Bay-Yah nonsense into our heads for decades, but the truth is, it’s every woman for herself at the end of the day.”

  Jolie let the blunt words settle in her mind. It was true that Dru had left them and not looked back. It was also true that Jolie wanted a chance at a normal life in the real world. She was tired of turning into a hideous beast every night, and she wanted a shot at finding true love. Most of all she didn't want her life to end at the hands of the Moonhaven Coven. They'd already taken enough from her. Although Jolie loved her friends dearly, at some point they would all have to look out for themselves. She bit her lower lip and shut her eyes tight as Izzy headed for the door. "Izzy, wait," she said.

  Izzy turned, her eyebrows raised expectantly. “Yes?”

  “I’m in.”

  12

  Lily

  “Bringing up the rear, the place of greatest danger, comes Tigerlily, proudly erect, a princess in her own right. She was the most beautiful of Dusky Dianas.”

  James Barrie, Peter Pan

  LILY CALLED A MEETING of the Midnight Society later that night. Normally it wasn’t too difficult for them to move around after room check, but things had gotten a little more complicated. Since the night Scarlett had escaped, they had been under strict orders to remain in their locked bedrooms after sundown.

  Lily made it to the storage room first. She lit the three candles placed at the center of the table before taking her seat at the end. Gretchen entered the room next, complaining about her massive stomachache as usual. Lily patted her shoulder as Gretchen dropped into her seat. Allison had been sleeping soundly, and Lily hadn't wanted to wake her so she wouldn't be coming. Since Scarlett and Oriana shifted at night, they were never expected for the meetings. The girls would fill them in the next day on whatever was discussed. That only left Jolie.

  After a few minutes, Gretchen groaned. “Maybe she forgot. She’s always on time if not early.”

  That was true, Lily thought, but Jolie never forgot about a meeting. They had been scheduled at the same time and day for years. How could anyone forget? “Let’s give her a few more minutes,” Lily said, but something wasn’t sitting right with her.

  “Fine,” Gretchen said, “but she was acting weird today.”

  Lily knew that Gretchen and Jolie had been working together to find a solution to the overgrown beanstalks. “What do you mean acting weird?”

  "She was really quiet. When I asked her a question, she gave me short one-answer responses and would barely look at me. Jolie never acts like that."

  Lily bit her bottom lip, thinking. “No, she doesn’t. I wouldn’t read too much into it though. She probably just has a lot on her mind like everyone else. These beanstalks are making everyone a little bit crazy.”

  Gretchen drummed her fingers on the table impatiently. “So, what’s up with Allison and Izzy, or are we just going to pretend that isn’t happening?”

  Lily felt a flutter in her stomach. The whole Izzy-Allison situation made Lily nervous, and she never got nervous. Gretchen was right, though. There was no point in pretending it wasn't happening. "Yes. Izzy clearly needs more people in her alliance, especially now that we've lost Dru, so she's trying to cling onto Allison. I'm not going to let that happen, and Allison is a lot more in tune to what's going on than what people think."

  Just then Lily had a horrible thought. Since Izzy was trying to sink her claws into Allison, it was entirely possible she would be trying to do
the same with Jolie. Had Izzy somehow gotten to Jolie? That would explain her strange behavior earlier with Gretchen and also why she was absent from the meeting.

  Gretchen doubled over, making a moaning sound. “Lily, I really have to eat. Are we going to have this meeting or what?”

  Lily thought for a moment. There was a lot they needed to talk about, but she also needed to know where Jolie’s head was. That was her priority. “Go ahead and eat, Gretch. I call this meeting adjourned. We’ll try again another night.”

  “Thank you,” Gretchen said as she bolted from her seat, no doubt heading for the kitchen. Lily blew out the candles, grabbed her lantern, and left the storage room.

  Once she was back on the second floor, she snuffed out her lantern. Standing before Jolie’s door, she wondered if she should knock. Jolie never let anyone see her at night when she was in beast form so there was a huge chance she wouldn’t even answer. Still, Lily had to try. She knocked lightly on the door, afraid that Ms. Dillinger or Ms. Halifax might hear.

  “Who is it?” A voice asked from the other side.

  “It’s Lily.”

  There was a pause. “What do you want?”

  “We need to talk. It’s very important. I know you don’t like anyone to see you at night, but it’s dark. You can face away from me. I’ll cover my eyes and not look at you. I promise.”

  There was another long pause. Lily could hear things being moved around.

  “Why can’t this wait until the morning?”

  “Because it’s important and I need to talk to you now.”

  There was a click from the other side of the door. “Don’t open it until I tell you to.”

  Lily leaned her head against the cool wood of the door. “Okay.”

  A moment later Jolie told her to come in, so she let herself in, closing the door gently behind her. Inside, she found Jolie wearing a hooded robe and sitting in an armchair facing away from her. "What is it?"