Chapter Text
Griselda woke us up mere hours later and summoned us to her office. The six of us stood, exhausted and still in our pajamas, while she lectured us again about safety and maintaining the reputation of the school.
She paced in front of us like a drill sergeant, “Your intrusion into Cloud Tower Castle was extremely rude, young ladies. You exposed yourselves to great danger, that's the reason why your powers have been revoked. It is sufficient punishment. For me, however, sufficient is not enough. Now, just so you remember this lesson, you will spend the entire day at school, and you will clean the castle from top to bottom.”
“Um, the whole castle?” Flora gulped.
“No, just the stairs, corridors, and classrooms.”
“Oh, well that’s okay! I thought it would be worse, honestly.” Stella quipped.
“Stella!” I hissed, jabbing her in the ribs.
She glared at me, but kept her mouth shut. Bloom barely stifled her giggles.
“Well, if that’s too easy for you, you can also clean the great hall.” Griselda glared over her glasses.
We groaned collectively.
“And since you do not have access to your magic for the moment,” she clapped her hands, summoning buckets full of cleaning supplies, “These are your work tools.”
She shoved a bucket into Stella’s hands, making her stumble back and scoff indignantly.
“What an interesting object,” Tecna picked a scrub brush out of the bucket and scanned it with her wristband computer.
Griselda pressed the power button, “No techno-gadgets, either. You must complete your task with your own two hands.”
“Now this worries me.” Tecna frowned down at her bracelet.
“Yeah, how will we ever figure out how to use a scrub brush without an internet tutorial?” Musa joked.
Tecna nodded like this was a very real concern she was having.
Flora picked up her own bucket of supplies, “Don’t worry. I can teach you, it’s not difficult to use. My mother prefers brooms and mops to cleaning charms, she says it gives the house a more authentic clean—”
“Young ladies!” Griselda harrumphed, “Tomorrow, I’ll conduct an inspection. Now go!”
We left her office as quickly as we could, hurrying back to our apartment to drop off our supplies and change into appropriate clothing.
“We should get something to eat first, I don’t want to clean on an empty stomach.” Bloom proposed.
“Good idea! Let's get something quick, though. I don’t want to waste any time. Who knows how long this could take?” I glanced apprehensively at the pile of supplies.
“Sandwiches sound good to everyone?” Flora asked, “I’ll grab them from the dining hall, then we can get straight to work.”
Musa nodded, “I’ll come with you!”
“The rest of us can devise a plan for how we can clean the castle most efficiently.” Tecna suggested.
“Do you have a floor plan of the castle?” I asked.
Stella marched into the bathroom, “You do that, I still have to get ready for the day.”
“Suit yourself!” Musa called as she and Flora walked out the door.
Tecna pulled up a rotating holographic projection of Alfea on her phone and set it on the coffee table.
Bloom groaned, “That’s a whole lot of ground to cover.”
“It’s not all that much,” Tecna tapped on the hologram in a few places, turning the walls more transparent, “Griselda only said we have to clean the stairs, corridors, classrooms, and great hall.”
She separated the floors so that each one was visible, then swiped the top two floors away.
“Those are just residential floors. I assume we will still have to sweep the hallways there, but we can ignore them for now. That leaves us with this.”
Tecna tapped a few more sections, leaving only the areas we had to clean.
“That seems more manageable.” I examined the hologram more closely.
Bloom added, “Why don’t we split into two groups. One group can start with the great hall, and the other can do the main stairs. Once that’s done, we can divide up the classrooms!”
“I like it. How about Flora, Tecna, and I do the stairs, and you, Musa, and Stella can do the great hall?” I proposed.
“This is a good plan.” Tecna nodded.
Bloom held up her hand, “Go team!”
We high-fived each other, and Tecna closed the projection. Flora and Musa came back with lunch a few minutes later, and we recounted the plan over food. I changed into some of my favorite workout clothes, a dark blue halter top and matching shorts, tied my hair into a loose bun, and we left to complete our respective chores.
I stared up at the expansive grand staircase.
“You know, this seemed easier in theory.”
“Well, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish!” Flora hopped up the stairs and immediately set to work sweeping down each step.
Tecna shouldered her own broom and followed her up. I chose to start sweeping the staircase on the opposite side, so we would meet in the middle on the way back down. I copied Flora’s movements, hoping I was using the broom properly.
Sweep the corners, brush it onto the next step. Sweep the corners, brush it onto the next step.
Flora’s voice cut through my concentration, “I’d be happy to show you how to use a broom, you know.”
I looked up to see Flora suppressing a giggle as Tecna used her broom to dust a painting that was just out of arm’s reach.
“I can handle the situation, Flora.” Tecna swept the painting with vigor, causing it to wobble precariously on its hooks.
“Are you sure you don’t need any… help?” Flora winced as the painting slipped off its hooks.
Tecna managed to catch it in time, slamming her hands against the wall to keep it from hitting the ground. She lowered it the last couple of inches to the floor.
“I think I may have done something wrong.”
I stifled my own laugh as I went to help her, “Need a hand lifting that back up?”
We each lifted a corner of the painting, but neither of us was tall enough to reach the hooks. I upturned a bucket and stood on it, but it only made me a few inches taller than Tecna, nowhere near tall enough to reach.
“Do you think you can lift me?” I wondered.
Flora stepped back nervously, “Why don’t I go find a stepladder?”
“I should be able to support your weight. Are you confident in your ability to balance while holding the painting?”
“If I can keep holding it against the wall, it should be fine.”
“Really, it would be much safer if I just—” Flora gestured hopelessly in the general direction of a storage closet.
I took off my shoes and stepped into Tecna’s cupped hands. She easily posted me up, one hand under my foot and the other wrapped around my calf. I half-consciously bent my other leg into a coupé, straightening my spine and squaring my hips like I was back at the gym preparing for a floor routine.
“Flora, can you pass me the painting?”
She moaned, but reversed her retreat, “Oh, if I must…”
She pushed the painting up the wall until I could reach it. I took it from her, sliding it up until it hooked into place.
“See, easy as a breeze!” I hopped out of Tecna’s hold.
Flora let out a breath of relief.
Tecna picked up her broom, “Perhaps I will take your offer of help after all.”
I left them to finish their side of the stairs. We finished within the hour and left to rejoin the other girls in the great hall.
Flora gasped, “What happened here, a hurricane?”
Stella, Musa, and Bloom were collapsed on the floor, covered head to toe in water and soap suds. Bubbles coated the ground around them, and cleaning tools were scattered every which way.
“A tough battle’s just ended, and I won by a landslide!” Stella crowed.
Bloom scooped up a handful of stray bubbles and slung them towards her, “Liar!”
“I won!” Musa harrumphed.
I stepped around a soapy puddle, trying not to slip, “I don’t think this qualifies as ‘clean.’”
“We’ll never finish this part!” Tecna groaned.
“I dare say not!”
All six of us gasped, the girls still on the floor scrambling to their feet. Griselda loomed in the doorway.
“I’m here to let you know that we are all leaving for the Kayla Smith concert at the Magix Auditorium.”
“Great! I almost forgot that was tonight!” Stella pumped her fists.
Griselda stopped her in her tracks with a glare, “However, you six will have to miss it. You haven’t finished cleaning yet.”
“Oh no, I love Kayla Smith!” Musa groaned.
“Now get back to work!” Griselda stormed away.
Bloom picked up a mop and sighed, “You heard her, let’s get this over with.”
We made quick work of the floor, mopping up all the soapy water and leaving it sparkling clean.
I looked out the window to where everyone was loading into buses, “Look, even all the teachers are going!”
Each teacher held a checklist and stood in front of their respective bus, checking off students as they filed in. They were all dressed up for the concert, Wizgiz in a flashy silver suit and matching hat, Madame duFour in a respectable cocktail dress, and even Miss Faragonda traded in her usual peacoat for a shimmering version.
The last of the students made it onto the buses, and they all departed, leaving a mournful silence behind.
“Well, they’ve all gone.” Bloom sighed.
Musa leaned against the window, “I always feel sad when the school is empty.”
“Hey, what do you say we ask the boys to join us!” Stella piped up.
I squeaked, “Like, the specialists?”
She nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah, why not?” Flora threw her hands up, “Then, when we get caught, we can be grounded to infinity!”
Bloom turned back to the group, eyes just a little bit dreamy, “I think it’s a great idea!”
“What are we going to do with them, make them clean the school with us?” I argued.
Tecna nodded, “I don’t think this is in the spirit of Griselda’s rules.”
“She said no magic and no techno-gadgets, she didn’t say no flesh-and-blood help.” Bloom shrugged.
Musa cheered, “It’s a wonderful idea, we’ll have our own concert!”
Bloom and Musa high-fived and spun each other around.
“I’ll call Sky!” Stella sing-songed.
Flora turned to me, “Want to do the hallways in the meantime?”
“Good idea, might as well make progress while we still can.” I grabbed my broom from against the wall.
We left for the classroom wing, each of us sweeping either side of the corridor.
“So, what’s it like on Lynphea?” I asked, “I’ve never seen more than the inside of the palace.”
“Warmer, I think, than Callisto. Our rainy season is much shorter than yours. Is it true that there are trees taller than the castle there?”
I nodded, grinning at her astonishment, “You’re welcome to come sometime. We’re in the same solar system after all, it’s hardly out of the way!”
“I’ll have to take my sister, she’d love it! She’s only just come into her powers, but I think she might specialize in trees once she’s old enough to.” She smiled fondly.
“Oh yeah? How old is she?”
“She’s, uh, ten.” Flora’s expression shuttered. “We always got strange looks in primary school when we told people we were sisters.”
“Don’t worry, you won’t get any weird judgment from me. My sister and I didn’t exactly make a lot of friends at parties after people found out that we weren’t actually twins. We’re a year and a half apart.” I raised a sardonic eyebrow.
“Oh my, I can’t imagine!”
Perceptions about raising multiple children varied between planets, but generally, those with more magic, and therefore longer lifespans, viewed children born within a decade of each other as a product of irresponsibility at best.
We kept sweeping in companionable silence until headlights flashed through a nearby window.
I set my broom down and peered out into the courtyard, “They certainly didn’t waste any time getting here.”
The specialists had arrived on their hoverbikes, parking them just in front of the main entrance. Stella rushed outside to greet them, throwing her arms around Sky as he raked out his helmet hair.
“They sure didn’t!” Flora stared out next to me.
The four other figures removed their helmets, revealing Brandon, Timmy, Riven, and Sorscha. My focus zeroed in on her as she ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing up her deep brown waves to rest around her shoulders.
I cleared my throat and turned my head away, “Let’s finish the hallway before we join them, I wouldn’t want to leave and forget about it later.”
“Why don’t we just finish all of the hallways?” Flora fidgeted with her broom, “Partying can wait, right?”
I pointed an accusing finger at her, “You’re trying to avoid them, too!”
“Too? That means you don’t want to see them either!” She pointed back at me.
“Well, I don’t not want to be with them, they’re my friends!”
“But there is something?”
I sighed, slumping against the wall, “I’ve never had… friends, before this, you know? It’s always just been me and my sister, and maybe sometimes the other girls on the gymnastics team would try to include me so I wouldn’t be the odd one out. I’m… intimidated. People are intimidating.”
“I know how you feel. It seems like everyone else has already paired up. Stella and Sky already knew each other, Tecna and Timmy have so much in common, Bloom and Brandon, Musa and Riven, even you and Sorscha! It makes me feel a little left out, is all.”
“Me and Sorscha? You really think—” I shook my head violently, dislodging the notion and my bun at the same time.
I pulled the rest of my hair out of its hold, retying it into a tighter bun.
“No way. She’s, like, an actual badass, and I’ve been nothing but clumsy around her. I think I even insulted her by accident during that mission in the Black Mud swamp. It’s hard to remember, that whole day is… kind of a blur.”
Flora leaned next to me on the wall, “That’s a day I’ll not soon forget.”
“What about that fairy you always try to sit next to in class? What’s their name… Juniper, Jordan…”
“Jian.” The corner of her lips tilted up.
“They’re the one you danced with at the Welcome Ball, right?”
She hummed a yes, cheeks reddening.
“See! You should invite them to join us at lunch or something. If you don’t, I’ll ask Stella to do it!” I elbowed her teasingly.
Flora grabbed my arm, “You wouldn’t dare!”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t. But think about it, yeah?”
“Oh, I guess. I’m not so sure I want to deal with the whole ‘dating’ thing right now, but it’s nice to imagine it, right?”
I snorted lightly, “Yeah, we’ve kind of got a lot going on. I’m in no hurry to add something else to my plate. But have you ever, you know, dated someone before?”
“Nothing serious,” her expression grew nostalgic, “But I’ve had a few people ask me to be their date to school dances and such. What about you?”
“There was this one girl. She was the daughter of a lord from one of the other provinces, and she was staying at the castle to work on her studies. She was my first kiss, actually. But she ended up getting pretty badly sick and had to go home. She’s okay now, but we haven’t talked since.”
“Oh.” Flora’s eyebrows raised.
I flung a hand over my forehead, “I’m quite the tragic romance story.”
She giggled, and I smiled broadly.
“I’m sure we’ll both find love someday.”
“Someday.” I pushed off the wall and stretched my arms.
She grabbed her broom, “Shall we finish the hallway?”
“Let’s do it!”
Musa came to find us a while later, just as we were sweeping the last of the dirt into our dustpans.
“There you are! We just finished cleaning the last of the rooms, so we’re gonna have a dance party in the apartment!”
I dusted my hands off on my shorts, “Does that mean that you actually got the boys to help you clean?”
Musa shrugged, “Yeah, actually, they were super helpful. Riven and Sky even turned it into a competition.”
“I’m impressed, I didn’t think they would agree to it.” Flora dumped the contents of her dustpan into the trash.
“Now, come on, everyone’s waiting for you two!” Musa turned and walked away without even checking that we were following.
“It seems we have no choice,” I said with a smile.
Flora returned my smile, “Let’s go have a party!”
Musa wasted no time setting up the music. Bloom and Stella had just returned from the kitchens with a wide assortment of snacks and drinks, and everyone was chatting merrily.
“It’s the Phases Tour mix, you know, since we’re missing the Kayla Smith concert,” Musa gestured to her speakers.
Flora clasped her hands in delight, “What’s your favorite phase? Mine is Fablemoor, I just love her lyricism!”
Musa tapped a finger on her lip, “Definitely Notoriety, it’s one of the most iconic albums of her time! What about you, Mira?”
“I can’t say I’ve thought about it much. Maybe Scarlet? It’s the first album of hers I’d ever listened to.”
“Ooh, I like that one!” Flora agreed.
Musa nodded, “I’ll listen to any song she makes.”
I stretched my arms over my head, trailing my eyes across the room. My eyes locked with Riven’s cold stare. He deliberately raked his eyes up and down my body, smirking like a shark scenting blood. My skin prickled and I curled my hands into fists.
“I’m going to go change.” I muttered to my friends, shooting Riven a glare before marching into my room.
I shut the door forcefully, just short of actually slamming it shut. I shook out my fists, trying to quell my anger before it turned into anything dangerous.
“What an asshole!” I growled to myself.
I paced, practicing intentional breathing, ready to reel in any stray magic. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a cardigan I stole from Kiara a while back. I threw them on over the exercise wear I already had on, good as any armor against Riven’s leering. I flopped on my bed, pressing the heels of my palms onto my eyes, forcing my emotions into submission.
Wait a minute.
I laughed softly to myself. I had no magic now, I didn’t have to worry about it being out of control. I turned and punched my pillow as hard as I could. It didn’t make me feel much better, but the fact that I could do it without magical side effects had a smile ghosting over my lips.
After a quick fix of my bun, I felt ready to rejoin the party.
I sat in the empty armchair next to Timmy and Tecna on the couch. I immediately grabbed a handful of chips from the bowl on the coffee table, stuffing one in my mouth to avoid joining the conversation. Tucking my legs underneath me, I let the tingling heat of the spiceflower seasoning zip across my tongue. I absently twirled a chip through my fingers, staring at the side with a dried spiceflower pressed into it, its six thin petals creating a star shape, then flipping it to the blank side, then back again.
“So, how have you been lately?”
I choked on the chip in my mouth. I grabbed the nearest unclaimed beverage and took a drink, scattering my handful of chips all over the table. The soda I had grabbed compounded with the spice already in my mouth, causing an unpleasant burning sensation in my nose. I swallowed heavily, pressing the back of my hand to my mouth, and finally turned to confront my would-be accidental murderer.
Sorscha leaned over me, a casual arm slung over the back of my chair. My thoughts scattered as I caught sight of her. Her hair framed her shoulders in a soft halo, and her eyes were lined in olive green, accentuating her already cat-like features. I set my drink back down, using that time to think of something to say.
“You have makeup on.”
Is that really the best I could come up with?
She smiled, “I’ve been trying it out. Do you like it?”
I tucked my legs tighter underneath me, searching for an appropriate amount of enthusiasm.
Beautiful? Too much. Fine? Not enough. Cool?!
“It’s— nice.”
I grabbed my soda and took a huge drink before I faced her again. Sorscha seemed unperturbed, luckily. Storms, she reminded me so much of a cat. The way she smiled more with her eyes than with her mouth, the way she observed her surroundings, the way she melded right into your personal space—
“Stella gave us the whole story about how you ended up in detention. Was it the same witches who attacked that troll?”
Flashes of icicles sped through my mind, and I gripped my drink tighter, “Yeah, we think so. But we don’t have any way to prove it. It’s not like we have any real evidence to show.”
Sorscha slipped her hand down to give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, “The body was taken to Law Enforcement for autopsy and analysis, and uh— you don’t need the gory details, but I’m sure they’ll find something.”
“Thanks,” I swallowed back my nausea, “I don’t think they’re going to be a problem anymore. They got what they wanted, Stella’s sword ring, and we found it clearly discarded in their room at Cloud Tower. So there’s no reason to bother us anymore, right?”
“That makes sense.” she nodded thoughtfully.
I gathered up my stray chips, stacking them into a neat tower on the table.
“Anyway, how have you been? You know, classes and things.” Sorscha perched herself on the armrest of my chair.
I leaned into the opposite armrest to face her. I was close enough to see that she had mesmerizing little flecks of green dotting her irises, contrasting the rich brown of the rest of her eyes. A callous on my hand needed my immediate attention, so I shifted my gaze away from her to pick at it instead.
“Nothing too interesting. I only take afternoon classes, usually, but there’s a big storm at home, so I’m stuck here for the week. There’s a quiz in Basic Studies coming up, on applied algebra. It’s only a morning class, so I’m a little behind, but I’m getting the hang of it. What classes do you take at Red Fountain?”
“Well, we also do Basic Studies,” she ticked them off on her fingers, “Hand-to-Hand, Ranged Weapons, Strategy, Ground Vehicle Training, and Piloting Ships.”
“That sounds tiring. Now I’m glad we only have Exercise and Defense once a week!”
Before she could respond, the room rumbled ominously, knocking over my chip tower and spilling several of the drinks. Stella cried out as juice sloshed over the side of the pitcher she was holding, staining her shirt pale pink. Sorscha lost her balance, catching herself right before she could topple into me.
I clutched the arms of the chair, “I didn’t know there were earthquakes in Magix.”
“There aren’t.” she frowned.
Musa slammed into the speakers, shutting them off, “What in the hells was that?”
“It’s coming from inside!” Flora quailed.
Stella shrugged, “Maybe one of our classmates left the TV on too loud. See, it stopped!”
The room had indeed stilled, but the ominous feeling remained. Bloom ran to the bathroom to get a towel to clean up the spilled drinks, while Stella, Riven, Musa, and Timmy went to the balcony to see what caused the quake.
Flora rubbed her temples, “I can’t stand being without my powers like this. It feels like one of my senses is gone.”
“Tell me about it. I didn’t realize how much I had been relying on it until now!” I agreed, avoiding a glance back at Sorscha.
A loud crash echoed from the other side of the school, making all of us jump in surprise. Everyone still in the room crowded on the balcony.
“It came from over there!” Musa pointed to a shattered window on the other side of the school.
The specialists each tapped a command into the devices strapped to their wrists. The hoverbikes sprang to life from their parking spots on the ground, floating up to the edge of the balcony where the specialists hopped on. They zoomed off in formation to the site of the wreckage. I threw a leg over the railing to follow when a hand gripped my arm.
“You do not have a safe path of descent. Especially without any magic to support you.” Tecna said, pulling me back from the edge.
“Ah… Right. Danger.”
Stella gestured impatiently, “Come on, this way!”
We followed her out of the dorm and down the stairs, catching up with the boys just as they had finished their sweep of the surrounding area. Each of them now carried a weapon, all different types of swords except for Timmy’s gun.
“Did you find anything?” Bloom asked.
Brandon shook his head, “Not yet, there’s no sign of whatever caused the broken window in the courtyard. It must have come from inside.”
“Take a look at this, it looks like a wild animal tore through here!” Sorscha pointed a blade at the inside of the classroom, where the remnants of the back wall lay scattered through to the hallway.
I groaned, “We just swept all of that!”
“So what kind of creature could do this kind of damage?” Timmy held up a flashlight to the rubble.
Tecna stepped into the room, picking her way over to investigate, “A big, heavy creature.”
“Oh Dragon, I never would have guessed.” Riven mocked.
She shot him a derisive glare, “It’s three and a half meters tall, and weighs close to a ton. It has a predominantly light brown bristled coat, at least one set of horns, and is bipedal with two sets of clawed arms. It also has a musky odor. Is that better?”
“Way to go, Tec!” Stella laughed in delight.
A crash echoed from further inside the school, putting an end to her celebration.
Brandon raised his shield defensively, “Okay, that must be it.”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Sky strode off in the direction of the crash, his dimly glowing broadsword the only light.
“Wait for us, we’re coming too!” Bloom bravely rolled her shoulders back.
Riven scoffed, “Stay where you are, fairies. This isn’t a job for you.”
“Says who?” Musa barged past him, knocking into his shoulder on the way past.
Riven’s lip curled, and he rubbed his arm. I hoped she hit him hard enough to bruise.
Sorscha turned back to regard us, a worried tilt to her mouth, “You know how much I hate to agree with Riven, but maybe you should sit this one out. Without your magic, you’re at too much of a risk.”
“We can take care of ourselves.” Bloom crossed her arms.
“Yeah, we’re not totally defenseless.” I piped in.
Brandon shared Sorscha’s frown, “At least promise us that you’ll run to safety if it gets too dangerous.”
“Alright,” Flora shrugged as we turned to her in surprise, “I prefer being alive to being brave.”
“Fair enough. Timmy, would you mind giving us some more light?” Brandon asked.
“Sure thing!” Timmy adjusted a dial on his gun, shooting up pulses of light that floated in the air above us.
The light orbs hovered just in front of us as we made our way through the hall. We stopped at the entrance to one of the larger classrooms made for spellcasting. Sky halted us with a fist, then made a series of gestures that the other specialists followed, fanning out along the edges of the room. Timmy sent up another pulse, illuminating the high ceiling. Weapons at the ready, they cleared the room, deeming it free of deadly creatures. Sky examined a long scrape that ran along the wall, at about the height a three and a half meter tall beast with horns would leave.
“It’s definitely been through here, look at the size of this!”
I turned to Tecna, keeping my voice low, “How’s your large beast knowledge? Any idea what this creature is?”
She matched my tone, placing a knuckle against her chin in thought, “I admit, I’m not sure. Chimera or manticore seems unlikely, and I can’t rule out minotaur without further inspection. Do you have any guesses?”
“You said it had horns and two sets of arms? Are you positive about that?”
She nodded.
“That certainly narrows it down. Minotaur is possible, but I don’t think they have four arms. Oh, fuck!” I pressed my fist over my mouth, a sudden realization catching me off guard.
Tecna made an out with it! gesture, and I exhaled heavily.
“A Whip. It could be a Whip. It matches your description, but— how?”
Tecna’s jaw slackened as she considered it. Whips were native to Eraklyon, and all but extinct due to trophy hunting. They were known for their prized horns and, above all, their ability to kill.
“I’m afraid you might be right. We should warn the others.”
“Alright,” I cleared my throat, raising my voice to carry across the room, “Hey, Prince Sky?”
Sky and Brandon both looked up from the area they were inspecting. I gripped my hands together to stop myself from fidgeting.
“No need for formalities, just Sky is fine. What’s up?”
“You’re from Eraklyon, right? Brandon, too?” I squeezed my hand tighter, feeling my bones grind together.
“Yeah, so is Sorscha. We used to play together as kids,” Brandon nodded over to her, and they shared a nostalgic grin, “Why do you ask?”
“Have you ever heard of a Whip?”
Any hint of a smile drained off their faces. Sky turned back to the scratch mark, rubbing a hand over his mouth in thought.
“No… You don’t think—” Brandon turned back to Sorscha.
Sorscha tilted her head to one side, “The last two Whips were put into captivity last year, how would that even be possible?”
Tecna shrugged, “The evidence points to it.”
“I believe you. We just can’t know for sure until we find it,” Sky turned and clapped, gathering everyone’s attention, “Alright, squad, circle up! Good news, we may get to see a rare creature today. Bad news, it’ll kill you without a second thought. How many of you know what a Whip is?”
At the looks of confusion from the rest of the group, Sorscha went into a brief explanation of the beast.
“Most importantly, we need to try and take it in alive. I’ll call a retrieval squad, but in the meantime, we need to locate it. Do not approach, do not attack, and whatever you do, do not try and capture it on your own. Girls, I know you want to help, but this goes beyond a simple loose animal in the school. You should go back to your dorm and barricade yourselves inside until it’s contained.” She looked at each of us in turn.
“I don’t know about you girls, but I feel like my life has been at risk enough for one school year,” Bloom said.
Stella rubbed her arms, “I second that!”
“Thirded,” I touched the phantom scar across my throat.
Musa pouted slightly but nodded, as did Tecna and Flora.
“Tecna, do you have your phone on you?” Timmy asked.
She nodded and held up the device.
“Text me when you get back to your rooms. I’ll keep you updated, too. Uh, all of you, I mean.” He glanced around us.
Tecna repocketed her phone, “Will do.”
“Let’s head back, then.” Flora announced.
Stella gave Sky a quick hug, and we left the classroom.
Once out of earshot, Musa skipped to the front and started walking backwards to face us.
“We’re not really giving up that easily, are we?”
I raised my hand, “Personally, I enjoy not being clawed to pieces.”
Musa huffed, continuing her backwards march.
“What if it’s not a Whip after all? Maybe it’s just a scared animal,” Flora suggested.
Musa wiggled her fingers conspiratorially, “Or one of Professor Wizgiz’s experiments that got loose!”
“I’d say it’s a dirty laundry hamper creature,” Stella laughed.
Musa bumped into a shadowed object, letting out an oof! of surprise. Tecna took out her phone and activated the flashlight feature.
“Hey! There never used to be a wall here,” she held her hands out to feel the unknown thing.
Tecna’s flashlight beam rose up, and up, and up, until it rested on a monstrous bovine face, complete with a massive set of horns longer than my arm span. Momentarily blinded by the light, it roared, spittle flying from its mouth onto us.
Stella gagged, flicking strings of saliva off her face, “This is totally disgusting! You are so gonna get it!”
She marched forward, crossing her fingers in preparation to transform. Luckily, the beast was still pawing the light out of its eyes.
“Stella, we have no powers!” Bloom screeched.
“Right,” she backed away slowly, “Nice monster…”
I grabbed her arm, “To the stairs! The stairwell is narrower, it might not fit through!”
We all turned and ran. The staircase was all the way on the other side of the hall, and we dashed up it, barely slowing down enough to keep our footing on the steps. Tecna had just made it into the safety of the corridor as the Whip slammed itself into the doorframe. She tripped and scrambled up a few steps before Flora and I pulled her up by the shoulders.
“What now?” Flora panted.
I looked around, hoping to catch my bearings. I was still hopelessly lost, especially in the crushing darkness all around us. We seemed to still be in the classroom wing, but other than that, I had no idea. The Whip kept battering the stairwell, roaring in fury as it tried to force its way up.
“We shouldn’t just stand here waiting for it to find a way up here, we have to keep running!” Tecna groaned, rubbing at a spot on her leg where she must have hit it on the stairs.
Bloom leaned heavily into the wall, “We can’t go back to the dorm, it’ll just bust through the door!”
“Potion lab?” I suggested, “Maybe Palladium has a… shield potion or something. I don’t know!”
“I don’t have any better ideas,” Musa shrugged helplessly.
“Well then come on, I know the way!” Stella pushed herself off the wall and broke into a run.
“Try not to explode it this time, okay?” Musa quipped.
I threw my hand out in confusion, “What are you talking about?”
“It was an accident!” Stella huffed.
She took us all the way around the building, aiming for the grand staircase. The sounds of growling and crumbling plaster grew fainter the further we ran, until we couldn’t hear the beast at all.
The staircase was just within our sights when the windows behind us shattered, knocking me off balance onto one knee. Flora shrieked, and I turned back to see her clutching her bleeding arm to her chest. The Whip had caught up, and it charged full speed towards us. My throat hollowed out, and I could have sworn I felt my magic trying to claw its way out. The other girls scattered out of the line of attack, and I scrambled to my feet.
I dove out of the way in the nick of time, tucking and rolling like I had a thousand times before. Glass shards dug into my back, and I screamed. I shut my eyes against the burning pain, falling limp as a rag doll. I heard the Whip roar, but I was frozen in agony. I hoped my death would come quickly.
“Look at him, he’s struggling and sweating!” Stella mocked.
I squinted my eyes open, lolling my head slightly towards the sound of her voice. Stella stood, hands on her hips, in front of the beast. It was indeed struggling, trying to pull its massive horns out of the wall.
“Mira! Holy shit, are you okay? Can you stand?” Bloom hazed into my vision, sporting a fair share of cuts across her face and arms.
I groaned but nodded slightly, and she took my hands. My vision blackened at the edges, and the tang of copper filled my mouth, but I managed to stand on my own. Bloom stepped behind me and carefully picked out some of the shards.
“Is it bad?” I cringed.
Bloom paused and removed another piece, “I don’t think so, your sweater stopped a lot of them— Oh no. There’s one, it’s kinda big. I shouldn’t take it out, right? In Health class, they told us you’re not supposed to take out something that impales you so you don’t bleed out.”
“Yeah, I—” My stomach roiled at the word impales, “Let’s worry about it if we survive the next five minutes.”
I returned my attention to the Whip and Stella, who appeared to be taunting it.
“He really stinks! This should help a little.” She whipped a perfume bottle out of her skirt pocket.
Tecna threw out an arm to stop her, “Stella, no!”
But she was too slow. Stella spritzed the beast right in the eyes, making it let out the loudest roar yet. It punched clean through the wall, but its horn remained stuck fast, at least for the moment.
“Ha, I think I blinded it!” She reached out to spray it again.
This time, luckily, Tecna had reached her, stopping her from angering it further.
“Down the stairs!” Tecna yelled, pulling Stella behind her.
Bloom tucked an arm around me, careful to keep her arm off my back, “Can you make it down?”
“Do I have a choice?”
I looked back to see Musa finish tying her armband around Flora’s bicep, the fabric turning from blue to a sickening mauve. They hurried down the stairs, and we followed suit. Adrenaline flooded through me, dulling the pain and strengthening my shaking legs. We made it halfway across the entry hall when the Whip broke free and jumped over the railing. It landed in a crouch, twitching its nose and scenting the fresh blood. It stalked around us, almost playing with us before it went in for the kill. It breathed deeply when it reached Flora, rising back up to its full height.
“No!” Musa shouted with her arms outstretched, blocking Flora with her own body.
The Whip flicked her away without a second thought, sending her sailing into a darkened hallway. I was too shocked to scream, my mind unwilling to process any more.
“That’s it, you’ve asked for it!” a familiar voice called from behind the beast.
Riven stepped into the moonlight, carrying Musa’s prone form. He set her down shockingly gently, checking her pulse and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before activating his rapier and facing the beast. The other specialists ran in after him, immediately taking up defensive positions in a wide semicircle.
“Now this is my kind of party!” Riven spun his sword before charging in to catch the Whip’s attention.
“Timmy, Brandon, defense! Sorscha, take flank!” Sky commanded.
Sorscha took up position on the left, while Sky jogged to the right, taking away any escape routes. Brandon and Timmy rushed around to us. Brandon kept his eyes and shield front, while Timmy turned to assess us, face blanching at all the blood.
“So, I guess you never made it back to the dorm, huh?” Brandon joked half-heartedly.
“Yeah, what happened?” Timmy asked.
“Running. Broken glass. More running.” Stella deadpanned.
Brandon turned his head to us, “The retrieval squad should be here any minute. We should get you girls somewhere safer until then.”
“What about the headmistress’s office?” Bloom suggested, “She must have some kind of defense in there.”
Timmy nodded, “Good thinking.”
I turned my eyes back to the fight just in time to see Riven get flung backwards. Sky stepped in seamlessly, taking attention away from him as he got back to his feet.
“We’re retreating, get Musa out of there!” Brandon yelled to Riven.
For once, he did not object. He just scooped Musa into his arms and joined our group.
“Hey, look what I found!”
I whipped around to see Stella armed with buckets full of soapy water. I hadn’t even seen her slip away, I had no idea when she had time to grab them.
“I’ve got one stun round in here,” Timmy called to the other specialists, “It might only work for a few seconds, but it should be enough!”
Sorscha nodded and put an extra couple of feet between herself and the beast.
“On three!” Sky bellowed, still locked in combat, “One, two, three!”
Sky twisted out of the way, ducking into a crouch. Timmy stepped towards the Whip, shooting a blast directly into its face. A faint cast of orange light spread over its wiry coat, and it froze completely.
“Go, go, go!” Sky yelled.
We sprinted down the hallway. Flora stumbled, dizzy from blood loss, and Sky lifted her into his arms without missing a beat. Stella had divided up the buckets between herself, Tecna, and Bloom, and once we had all made it into the hall, they dumped the soapy contents all across the slick tile floor.
“I’d like to see that beast chase us across that!” Stella crowed.
I kept running, forcing my breath even like I did when Airen made me run laps around the gym back at home. I could feel the shard of glass in my back acutely now, slicing deeper into my lower back with every landing of my left foot. I was sure I was limping ridiculously by now. All I had to do was keep running a little bit longer.
Just a little bit longer.
I swallowed a shriek as a misstep nearly sent me faceplanting. My vision hazed, and I scrubbed away a stray tear before anyone could see.
Just. Keep. Going.
“Are you alright?” Sorscha ran next to me, glancing towards my back.
“Fine.” I swallowed back the thickening taste of blood.
“You don’t have to keep running.”
“Giant scary monster? I kind of do.”
Black spots danced in front of me, and it took all my concentration not to trip again. I was in a truly nauseating amount of pain by now.
“I— one of us can carry you, you know.”
“What? I don’t need someone to carry me.” I gasped out.
I lost consciousness.
I woke to the sound of someone shouting, but I was too groggy to understand the words. I curled deeper into what I was lying on. It was warm, and smelled of lavender and cedar. A hand stroked my hair, shushing me softly and lulling me back to sleep.
“...Wholly unacceptable! I have never seen such total lack of respect in all my years of teaching. I trust you will be disciplined accordingly.”
The fear of being lectured shot me into awareness. Awareness of not only my injuries, but also where I happened to be sitting. My head was tucked into Sorscha’s shoulder, and her thumb stroked my hair. Her other hand rested… very low on my hips.
I shifted and a whimper slipped out before I could stop it, pain lighting up my back at the slight movement. Her hands slid off me, one coming to rest on my bicep to support me.
“Sorry about, um, that. I didn’t want to risk touching your back in the state it’s in.”
I couldn’t tell who was blushing harder, me or her. Definitely me, because was that drool on my face?
I tried to subtly wipe it away with the back of my hand, but Sorscha tracked my movements.
“Mira, is that blood?”
I froze, looking down at my hand. I let out a garbled curse at the red smear on the back of my hand.
“You shouldn’t have been able to stand with injuries like that. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Giant scary monster,” I echoed my words from earlier.
A tiny, tiny smile crinkled the corners of her eyes, “Fair enough.”
At the sound of a spell being cast, I turned to the rest of the room. Faragonda stood facing a closing portal, Griselda at her side. I counted each of the girls and the specialists, all of them half out of various hiding spots around the room.
“I will not reprimand you, girls. You have clearly been through enough tonight, and I suspect that none of this was your fault to begin with. Griselda, would you mind alerting the nurse?”
“Right away, Faragonda,” Griselda nodded and bustled out of the office.
What happened to ‘such total lack of respect?’
Faragonda strode to her desk, stacking up a few scattered papers, “The Whip is contained and will be returned to Eraklyon shortly. It has suffered no lasting damage, and for that I commend you, specialists.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Riven grunted.
“Indeed not,” she shot him a look, “Now, come. We should get you all to the infirmary.”
I uncurled my legs from beneath me and made to stand. My head swam, but I powered through it. Sorscha rose quickly, steadying me with a hand on each of my elbows.
“You really don’t have to—”
“I can walk.” I said stubbornly, my words slurring at the edges.
“Don’t, child. The time for being brave is over.” Faragonda laid a hand on my shoulder, her eyes boring a hole through me.
Sorscha nodded, “Seriously, you look like shit. Um, excuse me, Headmistress.”
She looked guiltily at the headmistress, but Faragonda just smiled.
“Can you carry her? The infirmary is only a few doors down.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“I can still walk,” I protested feebly.
Sorscha scooped me up like a baby, one hand under my legs, the other supporting my neck. The movement had me biting my lip against another scream, but the relief from taking the weight off my leg was worth it.
“Too bad.”
“I’ll get blood on your clothes.”
“You already did when I carried you the first time.”
“Then your arms must be tired.”
“Hardly. Carrying you is like carrying a feather.”
“That’s insulting. I have so much muscles.”
“So much.” she agreed readily. “Feather.”
She had already carried me through the door of the infirmary by the time I realized how futile my protests were.
“Stars above! Set her down here, I’ll be right over. Take her sweater off, if you can. Careful now, there are scissors on the side table, there.” The nurse pointed to an empty cot across from Flora.
I whimpered slightly as Sorscha set me down, “Please don’t cut my sweater off, it’s my sister’s.”
“It’s not exactly salvageable at this point,” Sorscha raised an eyebrow at me.
I ignored her and wriggled out of the sleeves, letting her peel it off my back where the blood had dried. She set it down next to me, and I stared blankly at the saturated fabric.
Is there even still blood left in my body?
“I do not have enough hands for this. Have you boys— ah, and you,” she nodded to Sorscha.
Sorscha shrugged, “I’m boys too.”
“Sure. Have you boys done your first aid training yet?”
“Yeah, we all know the basics. What do you want us to do?” Sky asked.
The nurse finished cleaning Flora’s gash, “Put pressure on that, it’ll need stitches, but not until I check the others. You three, anything worse than scrapes? Good, clean them out, then help yourselves to salve and bandages in that cabinet behind the blond one. Is she at risk of bleeding out in the next minute?”
Sorscha leaned back to assess me, “No, but she’s still got glass stuck in her back. Some pretty big, too.”
“Head injury takes precedence, then. One moment.”
She knelt in front of Musa, flashing a series of lights in front of her eyes.
“Just a concussion, you’ll be fine. Can one of you grab me the potion for that? It’s labelled, it’ll be in the drawer just behind you. Have her drink the whole thing and keep her conscious, okay?” she pointed to Riven, who was leaning against the cabinet in question.
“This one?” Riven pulled out a swirling purple jar.
“If it’s labelled ‘concussion,’ then yes. Grab a candy from that bowl while you’re at it, it has a nasty aftertaste.” She turned her attention to me, “Lie down for me, will you? This is not going to be fun. You, Ginger, grab me the potions labelled ‘pain.’ Yes, the milky-looking ones. Two of those, and give the clearer ones to any of the girls who want them. The clear ones are less potent, but they should do the trick. The other two are for her and her.”
She pointed to Flora and me.
“The concussion potion should dull the pain on its own, mixing in another potion is a recipe for disaster. You’ll just have to wait for it to kick in, I’m afraid.”
Timmy handed me the bottle, and I took it eagerly, downing the small bottle in two gulps. The effect was instantaneous. A warm tingling spread from my throat down to my toes, dulling the pain and leaving me with a slight floral aftertaste on my tongue, replacing the metallic blood.
“Now, I will need to cut off your shirt,” the nurse warned, “It’s too tight-fitting to pull off, and I can already see a piece of glass going right through it.”
Stella walked over to us, very carefully not looking at the blood, “I can fix it, I think. Even in this… state.”
I smiled weakly up at her. I settled my hands under my chin as a pillow, and resigned to the fact that my favorite exercise shirt was about to be sliced off of me. The nurse grabbed the scissors off the side table and cut straight down the back of my shirt.
“Will you grab me the tweezers and a bowl?”
Sorscha stood and grabbed them out of a labelled drawer, then sat back down in the same spot in front of me.
I am technically topless, and Sorscha is staring at me, my woozy brain supplied.
“You’re lucky none of these hit your spine.” the nurse remarked, pulling out a shard with a slight pinch.
“She was bleeding from her mouth earlier, should we be worried?”
She snorted, dropping another shard into the bowl, “Honey, this whole thing is something to be worried about. But no, not unless it keeps happening. I’ll check for internal bleeding once I get these out.”
Sorscha frowned but nodded.
She handed her a square of gauze, “I’m pulling out the big one now, get ready to put pressure on it.”
Sorscha nodded again and moved her hand to hover over my back. The nurse dislodged the glass, and I groaned at the aching sensation in my lower back.
“You’re okay, just breathe.” Sorscha pressed the gauze into the wound, the pressure somehow comforting.
She held up the shard of glass for me to see, “Not so bad after all. It went in less than an inch. It may have cut through the muscle, but that’s nothing a round of potions can’t fix.”
“Oh. Ouch.” I mumbled incoherently.
“Let me stitch up your friend first, then I’ll get to yours. You can tape up the smaller cuts if you’re feeling up to it. Just don’t forget to keep pressure on that one.”
“Yeah, I can do that.” Sorscha reached for the stack of bandages Stella left on the side table.
I closed my eyes, giving in to the drowsiness of the pain potion. My mind drifted, lulled into a state of half-sleep by Sorscha’s ministrations. She applied salve across my shoulder blades with a feather-light touch. The pungent scent of sterile herbs invaded my nose, and I tucked my face into the crook of my elbow, fighting off a sneeze.
“I can’t believe it was the witches who summoned that creature. What were they thinking?” Stella’s voice cut through my cloud of sleep.
“Yeah, I thought they were done with us after the ring business!” Bloom agreed.
“Maybe they wanted revenge after we broke into their rooms.” Tecna wondered.
“That’s the only explanation I can think of.” Flora’s voice was thin.
I opened an eye to see her being stitched up. The nurse had already bandaged up her bicep and had moved on to the long gash down her thigh. Flora kept her eyes averted, staring at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the room.
“The Trix were here?” I groaned.
Bloom nodded, “Yeah, you and Musa must have missed the whole thing! We went to hide in Faragonda’s office, and the Trix came in right after. Luckily, Faragonda came back just in time to send them back to Cloud Tower.”
Musa muttered something too quietly for me to hear, and Riven snorted in reply. The nurse tied off the final stitch, bandaged Flora’s leg, and switched to fresh gloves.
“All done, dear. That’s 19 stitches in total, almost an Alfea record! And don’t fret about the scarring, if you treat it right, you shouldn’t even be able to see it in a month or two.”
Flora nodded, glancing tentatively back down at her arm.
“Now, for you. Let’s see if you can beat your friend here.” She grabbed a fresh set of needles and sutures.
“Yay.” I snarked heatlessly.
Sorscha left my side with a pat on my arm, going to stand beside the other specialists. The nurse set to work on my stitches. The pain potion had set in fully by now; the only sensation I could feel was a slight pinch as she sealed my cuts closed.
A couple of minutes later, she sealed off the last stitch and began the process of bandaging each of the cuts. The boys had said their goodbyes, stating their need to return to Red Fountain before curfew. Bloom, Tecna, and Stella had also left, promising to return with fresh pajamas for the three of us who needed to stay in the infirmary overnight.
The nurse flashed a spell through my abdomen, “Looks like you’re safe from internal bleeding. The three of you will just need to rest, so try and stay out of trouble for the night, okay?”
Each of us nodded.
“You, concussion, I’m afraid you can’t sleep just yet. I’ll come back and check on you in a few hours, and if all is well, you can rest then. TV’s over there, or I can grab you a book before I go. Do you want anything to eat?”
“Maybe just some tea?” Flora asked.
The nurse smiled softly, “Sure, I’ll ask the kitchen staff to bring some up. I’ll be back around midnight to check on you all.”
She left with a wave, only to be replaced by Stella, Bloom, and Tecna, each carrying a blanket and nightclothes for us.
“We decided we’re having a sleepover.” Bloom declared.
I sat up, crossing my arms to keep the bottom of my shirt in place.
Musa grinned, “Wanna watch something? I’m not allowed to sleep yet.”
Stella clapped in delight, “Ooh, how about Spy Princess? I haven’t watched that movie in ages!”
“What’s Spy Princess?” Bloom asked.
“You’re probably the only person in the magic dimension who hasn’t seen it,” I joked.
“I’ve never seen it!” Flora protested.
Tecna handed Musa her pajamas, “You’ve been missing out.”
“See, even Tecna has seen it! Now, Mira, I wasn’t sure what you wanted to wear, so I brought you a few options,” Stella dumped a heap of fabric onto the unbloodied side of my cot, “Oversized tee, shorts, tank top, sweatpants, and I brought one of my nightdresses if you wanted to borrow it. I wasn’t sure if the waistbands would bother you or not.”
“Thanks, Stella. That’s really thoughtful.” I opted for the tee and shorts.
Stella smiled and shut the privacy screen around me. I changed as fast as my body would let me, shoving my soiled clothing into a plastic bag and tucking it under the bed. When I emerged, I found Tecna and Bloom shoving together three of the beds in front of the TV. Musa was cueing up the movie, and Stella was bringing in a tea tray that one of the cooks had just brought up. Flora stepped out from behind her own changing screen a moment later, and we all huddled up on the beds to watch the movie. It took me a few tries to find a comfortable position, and I eventually just gave up and lay across Bloom and Musa’s laps with my legs tucked underneath me.
The nurse came back to check on us midway through Spy Princess 2, Electric Burglary, and deemed Musa safe to sleep. She left us with more pain potions and instructions to call her or the day nurse if anything changed. The movie marathon continued well into the night, and I finally fell asleep somewhere in the middle of one of the spinoff movies.