Flunked (9 page)

“Being headmistress means she has to make sure all her students are out before she leaves,” Jax says. “You realize that, right?”

“Yes, but it still seems fishy,” I say. “I want to see what she's up to for myself. If you have a problem with that, you can just go. But don't tell anyone you saw me.” I point a finger at him. “You still owe me for the other day.”

Jax looks down the hallway. “Fine. I'll stick with you.” He motions for me to walk. “After you, my lady.”

I don't like his mocking tone, but I let it slip and head down one of the two hallways still open. We cross to another classroom (Wand training! Who knew?), head out a secret panel in the back, and then walk down another empty hallway. Halfway through, the hallway in front of us disappears.

Instead of being annoyed, Jax breaks into a small smile. “Even better,” I hear him say as he pulls me down the new hallway and through a small door behind a staircase leading to the boys' dormitories. The new passageway we're in clearly doesn't see much foot traffic. Cobwebs brush past my face as we move swiftly downward where the air is much cooler. It's creepy in here. I don't like this.

“You want to spy on Flora? Then I know the best way to see her office without actually being seen,” Jax says. “We're going to come up right underneath it.”

“How'd you find this route?” I ask as Jax covers the only mirror in the hallway so far with his jacket to block Miri.

“Our teachers are former villains,” Jax says. “Don't think you're the first person who wanted to check out Flora. I've done it too and have never found a thing.”

“There's always a first time,” I say, unconvinced. Down, down, down we descend to where the walls are mossy and there is a faint odor that my nose is not loving. When we reach the end of a hallway, I see a grate. Jax removes it and hands it to me.

“Come on,” he whispers, and his voice echoes in the narrow duct. “We're just a few feet away from her office, so be
quiet
.”

I'm fairly petite, but I hear the narrow passageway creak as I shimmy. It's hot and I'm starting to feel claustrophobic. I've done a lot of things to pull a job before. Crawling through an air vent is not one of them. I'm about to whisper just that when Jax stops near a large shaft of light above his head. He puts his finger to his lips and motions me over. I look up and see a familiar desk and standing lamp. We're underneath Flora's office.

“I don't see anyone up there,” Jax says. “Happy?”

I peer through the grate, trying to get a closer look. The room does look empty. Darn. “I guess.” I turn away quickly and the lone brass ring in my pocket bounces out and hits the bottom of the air vent. Jax and I look at each other. He starts to laugh.

“You kept a drape clip?” He holds his stomach.

“It's brass!” I say, and that's when I hear a high-pitched squawk. “What was that?”

“Harlow's pesty crow?” Jax suggests, but his face says he's not convinced. He looks through the bars again. “Kind of loud for Aldo though, isn't it?”

A shadow flies across the grate so quickly that we barely have a second to react. I hear a loud thud and see claws stretching through the bars. Jax quickly removes his hands.

SCREECH!

The sound is so loud my ears are ringing. That is definitely not Aldo.

The screeching only gets louder, and then the grate above us starts to move. Jax begins to pull me back just as a hairy claw pulls the grate clear off and a face peers down inside.

“What the—?” Jax starts to say as two glowing red eyes stare back at us.

The shape of the eyes, the claws…it's so familiar. “Gargoyles,” I say almost to myself, and then I hear the ear-piercing sound again.

“Gargoyles aren't real,” Jax tells me.

That's the last thing I hear him say before one flies through the grate after us.

Jax pushes me forward. “
Run!
”

I don't have to be told twice. With one hand I scoop up the brass ring, and with the other I pull my body forward through the grate, moving as fast as my hands and knees will take me. I hear more thuds echoing through the duct. More than one of those beasts is after us.

Gargoyles
are
real. Gargoyles are real. I
knew
I
saw
one
move!

Their high-pitched wails are so loud that Jax and I are actually forced to stop for a second to cover our ears. Out of the corner of my eye, I see them. They're wrinkly and dark gray with red eyes and long wings they fold under themselves, but the long, sharp claws on their hands and feet frighten me the most. One lets out a long wail when he sees us and Jax shoves me forward again, shaking me from my trace.

My heart is pounding and I can hear their nails tapping at the grate as I fly forward, seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I throw myself out of it. I am relieved to see Jax right behind me. I run for the grate, prepared to put it back in place the minute Jax is clear to hold off the gargoyles. It seems like a good plan until I see Jax's face twist in pain and he begins sliding backward into the tunnel.

“Gilly!” he yells.

I drop the grate and grab Jax's hands, pulling as hard as I can, and get nowhere. It's like we're locked in a tug of war and Jax is the rope. The screeching makes it almost impossible to hear, but I see Jax's lips moving.

“My shirt pocket!” he yells, and I let go of one of his hands to reach inside his shirt. I pull out a vintage pocket watch that looks like it cost a fortune. What's this got to do with anything? I think as another wail from the gargoyles makes me wince. “Open it and aim it at them.
Them!
Not me!” he yells.

I open the watch and hear Jax yell a word I don't understand. Then I am momentarily blinded as a bolt shoots from the watch and hits the gargoyles. Their screams are deafening, but their hold on Jax relaxes. I yank Jax so hard that the two of us go crashing to the floor.

“Give me that,” Jax says, pulling the watch from my hand. “I think you singed my pants!” Sure enough, his pants are smoking. The hems are shredded where the gargoyles grabbed him. Tiny drops of blood drip down his calves.

“You could say thank you!” I bark as I try to stand up, but my legs are quivering.

“For almost getting us killed?” Jax yells back. “You just
had
to spy on Flora.”

Then a wail stops us both in our tracks. We look at each other, and I know we're both thinking the same thing. Those gargoyles are not dead.

“Shoot the watch thing again!” I say, scrambling to my feet and grabbing his arm to run.

“I can't! It only works once an hour.” Jax takes the lead, pulling me along.

The shrieking intensifies as the gargoyles fly out of the duct and after us down the hall, picking up speed. “
Duck!
” I yell as one dives at Jax's head. The exit is just ahead of us. Just a few more feet. A few more… “
No!
” I scream as my shirt takes flight—and me along with it.

“Kick!” Jax yells, pulling on my leg. “Kick harder!”

The gargoyle's face is so close I can smell its rancid breath. Its claws rip through my shirt and sink into my back. I scream and immediately my mind takes me to my siblings. I'm not going out like this. They need me. I kick harder, wiggling like a worm until my leg hits the gargoyle hard in the stomach.

The gargoyle wails and drops me. Jax breaks my fall, half catching me, half stumbling to the door, which he throws us both through. We slam it shut and lean against it as the gargoyles screech madly.

“I can't hold it,” Jax yells, gritting his teeth as he pushes against the door.

“Me either,” I say, breathing heavily. My back is burning from the gargoyle's scratches. “What are we going to do?”

I hear sparks and look up. An enraged Flora is holding a mirror with a stunning mermaid inside. “Move!” she commands us.

We don't have to be told twice. A long bolt of light flies out of the mirror and zaps the door we were just holding shut. The door behind us flashes purple, and then the shrieking and pushing stops. The hall is eerily quiet.

“You two are lucky you knocked the jacket off the mirror in the hallway.” Flora sounds out of breath. “Or you would have been gargoyle food! What were you thinking—sneaking off instead of going to your evacuation stations?” she thunders.

“I thought I knew a shortcut,” Jax says quickly. “Then we ran into those living statues.” Jax gives me a look. I kind of think it says, “Now you owe me.”

“How were we supposed to know the gargoyle statues were real creatures?” I ask Flora.

“No one knew they were real until half an hour ago!” Flora says, sounding exasperated. “That's why we had the evacuation—so the staff could stop them and students could get to safety, not use the time to sneak around school!” Headmistress Flora purses her lips. “I'm disappointed in you, Miss Gillian. I thought you wanted these three months to go as smoothly as possible.” Her face gets a little too close for comfort and I smell roses, which always remind me of a funeral. “Go looking for trouble inside these walls, and trouble will find you. Now, both of you thank Madame Cleo for saving your lives.”

“Thank you,” we mumble.

“My pleasure, darlings,” Cleo sings. “Pretty but foolish little darlings that you are. Who planted those things here, Flora?”

“I don't know, but I want every last statue removed until we figure that out.” Flora smiles thinly. “As for you two, there is to be no talk of gargoyle statues coming alive and trying to rip students to shreds. I'd have to schedule extra therapy classes to deal with the reaction.” She holds her head. “You'll both spend the next two
weeks
with Madame Cleo in detention for almost getting yourselves killed.” Her eyes narrow. “And if you ever sneak off during a drill like that again, next time I'll make it four weeks—if you live to tell the tale.”

“Yes, Headmistress Flora,” Jax and I say dejectedly.

I thought gargoyles were tough. Detention with a sea siren might be worse.

Headmistress Flora feels the need to hand-deliver me to Madame Cleo's detention the next day after classes, and I soon find myself standing in front of an oversized metal double door. I read the large plaque near the entrance: Warning! If doors are locked, do not magically open. Tank may be refilling or flooding!

“Where are we? The aquarium?” I joke.

“You
could
call it that,” Flora says, “but I wouldn't. This is the entrance to Madame Cleo's home, and she's gracious enough to invite you in for detention.”

I look down at my plaid jumper and navy vest. “I'm not dressed for a swim.”

“A swimsuit won't be necessary,” the Wicked Stepmother says cryptically. “You'll start etiquette classes here later this week as well. You'll see we keep students busy. It keeps you from getting bored and, shall we say, interested in less savory extracurricular activities.” She gives me a long, hard glance.

She means things like thieving, brawling with gargoyles, and spying on villains.

Flora turns on her heels and walks away. “Enjoy your afternoon, Miss Gillian.”

I pull on the double doors to see if they're locked due to a water leak. Unfortunately, they open. When I slip inside, I feel the temperature drop significantly, along with the lighting. The spacious but dimly lit room has a two-story ceiling but no windows.
Slurp!
I hear the doors lock and seal behind me, and I wonder if I've been led into some sort of trap.

I look for another exit, and that's when I see a giant fish tank shimmering in the darkness. Fish of every size and color swim by, dodging between bright coral and sea plants, and hiding among the giant rocks nestled inside. I put my face near the glass and peer into the tank, which seems to go back for miles. Aren't we inside a castle?

The torches flicker and then the doors open. Several students run—or fly—inside. It's mass chaos to get in before the final bell. When it tolls, the doors shut behind us, and with another
slurp
, I hear them seal shut again.

“Hey, sticky fingers.” Jax smiles. “How are you feeling?” He's changed out of his uniform and is wearing an FTRS T-shirt and gym shorts that show his bandaged legs.

“Okay,” I say. I have no dirt on Flora that could spring me early, and I can't tell anyone that the gargoyle statues around school came alive and attacked Jax and me. I am just super. “Yesterday was…weird, huh?”

Jax's face is filled with shadows in the low light. “That's one way to put it.”

“What do you think those things wanted?” I whisper. “Where'd they come from?”

“I don't know and I don't care,” Jax says, twirling his book bag's strap in his hands. “Look, we almost became gargoyle stew yesterday. You need to think like a thief. Stop worrying about what Flora's doing, and worry more about yourself.”

Think
like
a
thief.
I always have…and now I'm stuck here unable to help my siblings. Is anyone making sure Hamish doesn't eat glue and Felix doesn't stay up all night by candlelight to read? Are they getting enough to eat?

A light in the aquarium grinds our conversation to a halt. I turn toward the tank and watch as a blur shoots toward the glass. Once the water stops moving, I see Madame Cleo, who until yesterday I'd only seen in that mirror frying up gargoyles. She is the most beautiful mermaid I've ever seen. Her purple hair is decorated with sea flowers and shells that match her shell top. Her skin and long, dark green fishtail shimmer brightly.

“Hello, darlings!” Madame Cleo's voice echoes through the room. How does she do that? Other mermaids have to hold up cue cards in class to talk. I guess being the ultimate sea siren makes for powerful magic.

“Good afternoon, Madame Cleo,” we say in unison and either bow or curtsy.

Since I have little use for curtsies, mine is rusty. I bang into the girl next to me.

“Watch your step, clumsy.” The girl turns toward me, and I stare into the eyes of someone who is definitely half cat. Or maybe werewolf? Who can tell?

“She didn't mean it, Gayle.” Jax wastes no time in moving us to a less hostile place on the floor.

Madame Cleo's voice is like a song. “I'm disappointed you're in detention, but if you're here, you might as well learn something that will enhance your lives.” She claps her hands and a sparkly disco ball descends from the ceiling as music begins to play. “Today we will be concentrating on the dance of love. The Fire Step.”

The Fire Step is a complicated dance that is usually done at weddings. When Mother and Father thought they were getting an invite to Ella's wedding (they didn't, FYI), they practiced for a month and still couldn't figure it out. I've never attempted it.

“First, let me take attendance for our headmistress.” Madame Cleo swims around the tank, playing with her pearl necklace. She looks right at Jax. “Jackson! Lovely to see you again.”

I snort. “Jackson?”

Jax's face colors. “Not a word,” he says through gritted teeth.

“And Gillian.” Cleo smiles. “We meet again. Now where is Jocelyn?” Cleo asks and immediately people start to squirm. Helmut tries to squish himself behind a rock jutting out of the wall. “Jocey?” Madame's voice goes up an octave. “Don't be shy. You can't get more detention
in
detention.”

There is a poof of purple smoke and Jocelyn materializes in the middle of the room. Dressed all in black from head to toe, she looks a lot like Harlow. “Good afternoon, Madame Cleo!” Jocelyn does a perfect curtsy. “Sorry I'm late. I was with my sister.”

Madame Cleo laughs, and her hair slowly turns from purple to turquoise. “I know when Harlow starts talking, it's hard to get her to stop! Thank you both for the lovely coral arrangement for my birthday.”

“Of course!” Jocelyn says. “Harlow and I would never miss your special day. And I would never skip detention, especially when there are so many interesting people in here having such fascinating conversations.” She looks directly at me and Jax and grins.

Did she hear us talking about the gargoyles? How?

“It's a pity you're even here, Jocey, but since so many students saw you cast that spell on Maxine yesterday afternoon, I had no choice.”

I'd heard the news from Kayla this morning. At her evacuation station, Jocelyn got bored and cast a spell on Maxine that made her right ear as big as her head. She was in the infirmary recovering. I visited Maxine at lunch to check on her. “It's okay,” she'd said when I asked what happened. “I'm used to Jocelyn picking on me.”

Well, I still don't like it—and I don't like Jocelyn either.

“It's not true. I have no idea how that happened to Maxine.” Jocelyn shakes her head. “But like my sis, I take my lumps with dignity.”

“A proper lady!” Madame Cleo marvels. “Well then, shall we… Oh hi, class! When did you all get here?”

“Memory-loss spell,” Jax whispers. “Sometimes she forgets what she's doing. Last week detention was only thirty minutes because she forgot what time we came in.”

“You were teaching the Fire Step, Madame Cleo,” Helmut says. Within seconds, his head snaps back. “Ouch! Who hit me?” I see Jocelyn smirk.

“The Fire Step! Yes, that's right!” she says. The sound of a fast instrumental song floats through the room. Madame Cleo closes her eyes and sways back and forth. The fish around her do the same. “Done properly, the Fire Step can make all the difference between catching a prince and a prince's footman. You don't have many afternoons to master this dance. Royal Day is just days away.”

“Lucky us,” I mumble.

Jax looks amused. “What did the royals do to you? Steal your glass slipper?”

“Kind of.” Jax looks intrigued. “My dad's a shoemaker, and the orders for the glass slippers he was making were handed over to Ella's fairy godmother so she could conjure them up herself. That's made a real dent in a family business that was barely making ends meet to begin with.” I sigh. “And yet my sister still idolizes those girls.”

“They took my father's farm to build a summer castle for themselves,” Jax says. “I haven't liked the royals since.”

“Typical.” I shake my head.

Cleo claps her hands and the sound echoes through the room. “Partner up!”

Jax holds out his hand. “Shall we?”

“I'm not a Fire Step kind of girl.” I stumble over my words. I've never danced with someone who isn't my brother. And having your brothers dance on your feet doesn't count.

“Gillian, darling,” Madame Cleo sings, but there is a hard tone to her voice. “Everyone must participate.”

My cheeks flush slightly. “Fine, but don't step on my toes,” I tell Jax. “Do you even know how to—whoa.” Jax takes my hands and whirls me around the room. The whirling part I could do blindfolded, but the rest is a mystery.

“Just watch what I do,” he tells me as he double claps, then does a crisscross motion with his feet and changes direction all in a matter of seconds. He's really good. When we get to the part in the dance where we switch partners, then switch back, Jax manages to take two, then return to me before I even do my first spin around.

“I didn't realize you had use for the Fire Step on the farm,” I say over the music.

“There wasn't,” Jax says. His violet eyes are practically purple in this light. “A lot of time in detention has made me an excellent dancer.”

“So I see.” I double clap, but on the wrong beat. Oops.

People glide around the room, switching directions. There's a lot of clapping and slapping one's heel and snapping of fingers at just the right moment, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't master this dance even with a year's worth of detention.

The only one partnerless is Jocelyn, not that she seems concerned. With a quick poof, a shadow appears in front of her, taking the outline of a boy. Madame Cleo looks over at Jocelyn curiously but doesn't say anything. I guess being the Evil Queen's sister means you can get away with a lot. Jocelyn takes the shadow's nonexistent hands and begins to dance around the room. She bangs into me on her way by and I fall into Jax.

“Don't let her rattle you,” Jax says.

Before I can say anything, we have to switch partners again and I'm with Helmut.

“You're the new girl, right?” says Helmut, who looks more terrified than impressed. “I got caught breaking into the Enchantasia Market one too many times. I have a thing for the baker's cinnamon rolls.” He blushes. “What are you in for?”

“Kind of the same thing,” I say, wincing as Helmut steps on both my feet. “Family's got to eat, you know. I took what I needed to survive.”

“I thought cobblers just ate shoe leather,” Jocelyn says as she and her shadow dance by us.

I've had enough of this one. “I never have, but if you want to try eating leather, I'm happy to shove some down your throat.” Helmut gulps loudly.

Jocelyn smiles eerily. “Students who shoot their mouth off to me don't last long.”

I stop dancing. “Are you threatening me?” Helmut slowly backs away. “I thought FTRS was all about reforming yourself.”

Jocelyn smiles evilly. “It is, but who's to say who we're reforming ourselves into next? Stop snooping around this school or believe me, thief, you'll regret it.” I feel a chill go down my spine. “I have powers you can't even dream of.”

“I'm not scared,” I say as Jax tugs on my arm to steer me away.

Jocelyn's eyes narrow. “You will be when you see what I can do. Watch.” Her lips begin to move and a glow emits from her eyes. Jax shoves me out of the way, but he needn't bother. I'm not the one Jocelyn is toying with. Gayle lets out an ear-piercing scream and her troll partner flies backward, hitting one of the torches on the wall, which falls and causes a small fire that short-circuits the music. Students see Jocelyn chanting and run for cover, but Helmut begins to wail and falls to the floor. Within seconds, most of my classmates are low to the ground, covering their ears. Her spell has affected everyone but Jax and me.

“Stop it!” I say, but Jocelyn ignores me. I turn to Jax. “We have to do something!” As I say the words, I can hear Jax's earlier advice in my head.
Just
take
care
of
yourself.
But I can't just stand here and watch others suffer because Jocelyn wants to teach me a lesson

“What is that sound?” Cleo cries, holding her ears. “Jocelyn, help me!”

The Sea Siren is seemingly blind to the fact Jocelyn is the one causing the noise. Kayla told me Cleo can't handle loud sounds and it must be true. I watch as Cleo's hair flashes pink, then purple, then green before she begins to scream so loudly that bubbles take over the tank and the floor actually begins to quake. Soon Cleo's gentle demeanor is gone, and for a second I can see a flash of the sea siren she must have been. It's pretty terrifying. And that's before the tank begins to crack.

“She'll drown us all!” an ogre says, pushing his way to the exit.

Jax beats him to it and I fear he's abandoning us. Instead, he pulls out his pocket watch and zaps the lock. Students stream out of the room, Helmut helping Gayle to the door. In terror, a pixie flies by me and bangs into a wall. Jax scoops her up. All the while, Jocelyn continues to chant, a smug smile on her face.

When I look back, Madame Cleo has passed out and is floating in the middle of the tank. Enough is enough. I jump on Jocelyn's back and try to knock her to the ground.

“Get off me!” Jocelyn yells, spinning around so fast I should fly off, but I have a great grip. (Father's delivery horse, Lion's Mane, is as wild as they come.) Jocelyn twists and bucks but I hang on. At least I've gotten her to stop chanting.