Potions and Pageants

by R K Dreaming

  The moments ticked by. Percy considered screaming, ‘To hell with it!’ and stalking out of the office.

  But she needed the damn contact details for the conclave of magic. She had promised Nan that she would sort this. So she told Glory what she wanted and why, keeping all mention of Nan out of it.

  “I knew it!” said the headmistress angrily. She began to pace. “Horns! I knew I couldn’t trust him even for five minutes! This calls for—”

  “No!” said Percy quickly. “He hasn’t done anything yet. Now are you going to get in touch with the conclave or not?”

  “No,” said the headmistress.

  “But you’re the one that told me to keep Lucifer out of trouble! You’re the one that said that the worse things got, the stronger he would get.”

  “Yes,” said Headmistress Glory silkily. “And the stronger he gets, the worse things will get. That’s why you need to stop him.”

  “I’m trying to. I don’t want anyone else to die! And do you really want him to eat a murderer’s soul? What affect do you think it’ll have on him?”

  “You will not involve the Conclave of Magic,” the headmistress said firmly.

  “Big help you are!” snapped Percy. “Thanks for nothing!”

  “Do you really want people with magic, active wand-magic and inquisitive minds, taking an interest in Lucifer Darkwing?” said Glory. “Do you think they will find he is a human who is not quite a human. A man who still has the taint of Hell upon him? Who do you think is most likely to notice such a man if not the best witches and wizards of their kind, skilled dark magic hunters from the conclave?”

  Percy groaned. “But I wasn’t going to point them towards Lucy!”

  “You expect that meddlesome, irresponsible man to not point them towards himself?”

  “I suppose,” muttered Percy. “But how else am I supposed to fix this? This is murder we are talking about! I’m just some kid who nobody listens to.”

  “Then make them listen.”

  “Why should I? It’s not even my problem.”

  “Then why are you trying so hard? You’re the only one who cares about your father, Demonling. He’s been given this new start, but he is intent on destroying it. And you are the only one who can save him.”

  “I’m trying,” said Percy in frustration. “You’re not helping!”

  “I told you to fix it because you’re the only one who can make him listen. And as your father’s daughter, maybe you are the only one who can see the things that might go wrong before they do.”

  Percy thought of the black cloud of doom. Was that why she had been seeing it?

  “You’re wrong,” she said. “I can’t make him listen.”

  “Then think of something else,” said Glory. “I trust you care enough about your father to do that. Now get out, and never come into my office uninvited again.”

  19. Steal My Glory

  Percy emerged from the headmistress’s office to find Lucifer still waiting for her.

  Mrs Preem looked flabbergasted to see Percy come out of the door, but Lucifer said, “Percy, did you get what you needed from Madam Glory?”

  “Yes,” Percy said with an easy smile. “She was very helpful.”

  Mrs Preem looked slightly less alarmed.

  Lucifer practically hustled Percy all the way back to the library, where he ushered out the two students who had wondered in during his absence with shouts of, “Break time is over, you bookish pansies. Get outside! Out! Out!” and then locked the door firmly behind them.

  “Well?” he said breathlessly “Where is it?”

  He held out his hand expectantly.

  “Where is what?” she said irritably.

  “Bella, the murderess’s, home address of course!”

  She glared at him. “I didn’t get it. Glory was waiting for me inside the office. You think she ever gives me what I want?”

  Lucifer stomped into his office and sank into his chair morosely. After a few seconds of seething he said, “Well, I shall just have to follow her home from school, shan’t I?”

  “No you shall not! You sound like a maniac!”

  “I am a maniac!”

  “A stupid maniac! We don’t even know if Bella is the murderer. Do you really want to go munching on an innocent soul? What do you think that is going to do to your horned status? Perhaps it’ll make you into a damned unicorn!”

  He glared at her. “Of course it is this Bella. You as good as said it was.”

  “I did not. You believed what you wanted to believe as usual.”

  He was beginning to look dangerously petulant again. There was a hint of rebellion in the way he had stuffed his arms into his pockets and was refusing to look at her.

  She added quickly, “But if you give me a little more time, I assure you that I will find out who the murderer really is, just like we agreed.”

  He said nothing.

  “Yes or no?!” she yelled.

  “Fine, fine. But hurry up about it, will you?”

  “And you’ll stay away from Bella until then?”

  “How long do I have to wait?” he sulked. “I’ll only give you until tomorrow.”

  “The talent show final is tomorrow. I’ll have to find the murderer by then anyway.”

  “Fine. I’ll give you until the show final, but then I’m eating that girl’s soul whether you like it or not. She is no innocent.”

  Giving him one last furious look, Percy stormed out of his office.

  She did not know whether to laugh or scream. Her mind was still boggling from the ridiculous conversation she’d just had.

  The problem was that he meant it. He really was going to do it.

  And she was out of options.

  Except one. The one she had not wanted to take.

  Why couldn’t her hell-parents just act like parents for once? Did they even care about her? In fact, she now realized that neither of her so-called parents had bothered to show any concern about her black eyes.

  Muttering viciously under her breath about how she would be far better off without them, Percy stormed to her next lesson.

  As she approached her classroom, she saw Felix disappearing into one down the corridor.

  Felix Fiori the abominable sentinel.

  She grabbed one of the pieces of the headmistress’s notepaper from her pocket and scribbled a note on it. Then she marched after Felix into his class and handed the note to the teacher.

  “The headmistress wants to see Felix Fiori, sir,” she said.

  Felix was sitting next to Octavia, who gave Percy a narrow eyed glare. She looked like she wanted to protest. Like she knew that Percy was lying.

  But the teacher had scanned the note, seen the headmistress’s letterhead, and was already nodding for Felix to hurry on his way, which Felix did reluctantly.

  Felix looked very worried as he followed her out of the classroom. “Do you know what it is about?” he said.

  Percy walked all the way down the corridor and waited for him to catch up. The moment he was near enough, she dragged him into the girl’s toilets.

  Felix looked around himself in horror. He tried to walk back out but she said, “You walk out of that door and I’ll tell everyone what you are.”

  That stopped him in his tracks.

  Though it was lesson time and it was doubtful anyone would be in the cubicles, she checked them all anyway to make certain they were empty.

  Felix was still standing awkwardly by the door as if the possibility that someone might walk in on them both at any moment was traumatizing.

  There was something about the pained look on his face that lightened her mood immensely.

  “You’re such a niminy-piminy”

  “A what?” He looked like he didn’t know whether to be offended or not.

  Percy laughed. It was one of Jeeves’s words. She didn’t bother to explain.

  “Relax,” she said with a cheeky smile. “What’s the worse they could think if they catch us in here?
”

  “What do you want, Prince?” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Prince, now is it?” she mocked.

  “Are you going to tell me or am I going to leave?”

  “I need you to put me in touch with the dastardly Councilor Strickt again. Immediately. It is urgent.”

  “Urgent like it was last time?” he said with a frown.

  Percy rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, we all know the last meeting did not go well.”

  “I believe the outcome was that you got up on stage in front of everyone and announced that an accidental death was murder with no proof at all.”

  “You missed several steps.”

  “Like the part where you had a premonition of foul play because you’d developed an ability to see ominous black clouds of doom?”

  “I’ll tell you what I can see. You being a jackass.”

  “Judge Emma’s death was a tragic accident.”

  “And yet Councilor Strickt agreed that he would investigate just in case he had missed something,” Percy reminded him.

  “Only to make sure everyone felt safe.”

  Percy glared. “Did he take it seriously or didn’t he?” she said, feeling a hint of panic. He had to have taken it seriously. He had the rest of the tainted green juice. The only proof left.

  Just then the bathroom door crashed open and Octavia came in, sending Felix, who was standing in front of it, stumbling forwards.

  “Sorry Felix,” she said to him.

  Then she rounded on Percy. “I knew there wasn’t a message from the headmistress. What are you up to, Prince?”

  “I was just asking Felix what results you two and Councilor Strickt have had with investigating Judge Emma’s death,” Percy said accusingly.

  “Nothing at all, you stupid interfering busybody. We found nothing, because it was an accident. There was nothing to find.”

  “Ha!” said Percy. “There was something to find and I found it.”

  “Oh really? Then what is it?” said Octavia disbelievingly.

  “I’m not telling you,” said Percy

  “Because you’ve got nothing,” said Octavia triumphantly. She looked at Felix. “Felix, why are you tolerating this little idiot?”

  Felix shrugged. “It’s good to keep an open mind, isn’t it?”

  “Your mind isn’t open enough,” Percy snapped. “I have as good as told you where to look, and you all didn’t even bother. I did. And I know what happened to Emma Waters. I know exactly what killed her.”

  “What a bunch of crap,” said Octavia, reaching for the door handle. “I’m not going to let you waste any more of our time with your stupid lies and trickery. Are you coming, Felix?”

  “He is not,” snapped Percy. “He’s going to call Councilor Strickt. I know you two have his number. I’ll tell Councilor Strickt what I found out.”

  Octavia laughed. “Felix isn’t calling anyone. Do you think you’re going to make us look stupid in front of Councilor Strickt twice? Do you think I don’t know you’re trying to get us into trouble with him? You are so petty. You just want to ruin the relationship between the Sentinel Alliance and the Eldritch Council. Well, it is too important to me, and I will not let you do it.”

  Percy crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Felix expectantly.

  “Where’s your open mind, Felix? Are you going to call Councilor Strickt or not? Or are you afraid of the truth?”

  Felix gave Octavia an apologetic look. He got out his phone and started dialing, despite Octavia’s furious glare.

  When Councilor Strickt answered, Felix told him that Percy had something important to speak to him about, and handed the phone over.

  Percy did not waste any time. “Remember I asked you to investigate Judge Emma’s belongings?” she said. “Including her handbag?”

  “Yes,” Councilor Strickt said in a bored voice.

  “There was a bottle of green juice inside the handbag. It was poisoned with a potion. Felix and Octavia tell me you haven’t found this out yourselves yet, so I recommend you test the juice for it. Judge Emma’s death was murder, not an accident.”

  There was a tense silence on the other end of the phone, then Councilor Strickt said in that stiff voice of his, “How do you know that the green juice was poisoned, Miss Prince?”

  “Are you going to test it or not?” she asked.

  “You are wasting the time of the Eldritch Council,” he said tersely. “I gave you the opportunity to prove a level of responsibility and instead you are running around concocting a wild scheme. I am not impressed.”

  “If you don’t test that green juice then you’ll be letting a murderer get away with it,” said Percy desperately.

  “The only way you could possibly know whether that green juice was poisoned is if you poisoned it yourself, or if you saw somebody do it, or if you had it tested, which means you were tampering with evidence.”

  “How can it be tampering with evidence if you won’t believe that it was even murder?” demanded Percy. “And why would I tell you that it was poisoned if I had poisoned it myself? And if I had seen someone put the poison in, obviously I would tell you who it was!”

  “Then are you telling me that you had the green juice tested yourself?” he said coldly. “In which case I must ask what it was that you found, and who it was that tested this for you.”

  Percy went cold. He did not trust her one bit. This was a trap to see who had helped her. And there was no way she was going to tell him about Mr Bramble and Mr Bramble’s hegwitch friend.

  Her heart sank. He didn’t care about the truth.

  “I’ve done my duty and informed the Eldritch Council of my suspicions,” she said to him. “If you don’t act on it, and someone else dies, then it is on you.”

  She hung up the phone. She felt terrible. She had put her hopes into him, and he wasn’t going to do anything.

  And despite what she had said, another death would not be on him. It would be on Lucifer, when he ate Bella’s soul.

  And what would that do to him? What would he turn into?

  “Ha!” said Octavia triumphantly. “You’re unbelievable. A pathetic attention seeker. You’re so jealous of us that you’re trying to steal our Glory. Councilor Strickt doesn’t need you. He already has me and Felix. Why would you think that a nobody like you could do what we do?”

  Percy looked hard at Felix. “Is that what you think too? That I’m making up a bunch of lies?”

  Felix sighed. “I think you’ve got an idea into your head and you think it’s real. What happened to Judge Emma is distressing, and people react to stuff like that in unpredictable ways. The school counsellor is really great. You should—”

  Percy flung his phone back at him to shut him up.

  “What’s the point of you?” she said. “A spy who won’t even listen when someone tells you something to your face? You’ll see I was right. But then it’ll be too late!”

  20. Percy The Crackpot

  By Thursday Nan seemed to have lost the heart to work all hours on the pageant. Ever since Percy had told her about her conversations with Glory and with Councilor Strickt, her initial alarm seemed to have faded to a quiet anxiety that made her listless in lessons.

  “You need a break,” said Percy.

  So after school, she persuaded Nan to leave the last minute preparations up to various students who had been assisting her, and come to Percy’s house for dinner.

  To her surprise, Nan agreed.

  They got home to find that Jeeves had made them a fresh pizza, dripping in four different cheeses and loaded with mushrooms and sweetcorn, Percy’s favorite.

  They carried their plates through to the private lounge where Jeeves could not eavesdrop on them.

  Nan lit a small fire in the grate using her wand. This was particularly cozy as the day had turned slightly chilly.

  Nan made Percy tell her again in detail about the various conversations she had had with Glory, Lucifer and Councilor Str
ickt.

  Even after dinner was long finished, the girls had still not come up with a solution for who the murderer could be.

  Nan had spent all of her breaks that day and some time after school talking to all of the girls she had invited to her house the previous week. Under the pretense of catching up on gossip, she had discreetly questioned them to see if anyone might be a likely suspect.

  “Everybody just seemed normal,” she said. “Some of them don’t even care about winning. They think one of the Three Bees will win. They just want to get through the whole thing without embarrassing themselves.”

  Percy had not helped Nan with the questioning because most of the girls were now suspicious about Percy, the general rumor being that Percy was a jealous attention seeker and sore loser. They would not have been forthcoming in her presence.

  “I searched the internet for everything I could find on Head Judge Alice,” said Percy. “She started out her career as a model and then was contestant on a hugely popular TV dating show. Did you know that?”

  “Vaguely. She was the runner up, I think. Didn’t win.”

  “But the girl who did suddenly faded from the spotlight afterwards and Alice went on to become the famous one,” said Percy.

  “She didn’t die?” said Nan, her eyes going wide.

  Percy shook her head. “Nope. Still alive. But Alice Evangelista is mean and fame-hungry and lots of people don’t like her. She’s trampled over a lot of people to get to where she is now. But there were no rumors about anyone dying before, and not a hint of anything to do with magic. Not that there would be on the internet.”

  Their biggest worry was whether something might happen at the pageant tomorrow. Percy knew Nan was also worried about her pageant falling apart, but Nan didn’t say it out loud.

  “If something does happen tomorrow,” said Percy, “it could be our last chance to catch the murderer.”

  “Or saboteur,” said Nan, “because what if they never meant to murder anyone?”

  “Yeah, that does seem likely if it was a contestant,” Percy mused. “Unless…” Her eyes widened.