“How can you be sure?” He pulled his arm away.
“She’s—”
“I did not kill Jack, and I lived to regret it. He befriended Cendrilla and fooled her into believing he was a harmless victim of ogre tyranny. By the time she realized the treacherous person behind the mask of helplessness, he had already betrayed her to alchemists who had taken over the United Kingdom of Seven.”
My insides writhed and twisted. Jack might have been all these things. He was evil and a liar. He’d befriended me under the guise of Ivan for the sole purpose of demanding the Bluebeard fortune and sending Father my dead body as revenge. But Father was wrong about Evolene. She had no illusions about Jack. He had beaten and abused her, forced her to participate in his crimes. She was much happier without him and deserved a fulfilling life.
I stared into Father’s cold, blue eyes. “She’s different. Would Jack or Belt Galloway have risked their lives to save Mount Fornax from slavery?”
Father raised a shoulder. “Jack tagged along with Cendrilla on her travels. He helped wherever he could to ingratiate himself, but he was a burden.”
“Evolene’s a powerful witch. She’s saved my life countless times.”
“Her ogre side is a Noble House who plotted against the Crown,” he snarled.
“But she doesn’t know them!”
Father narrowed his eyes. “I doubt you will listen to my warning, but hear this: if that girl comes near me, I will cut her down. The Galloways will not strike thrice.”
I gasped. “She would nev—”
He slammed his fist on the table, making me jump. “You cannot make guarantees for a Galloway!”
“All right.” I stood, trying to ignore the dread rumbling through my belly. Even though he made a compelling argument, he was wrong. Evolene wanted to atone for her crimes, and she would never get the chance to do it if I left her to the mercies of the Magical Militia.
“What does that mean?” he snarled.
“I understand why you want her to be punished, and I won’t ask you to intervene… But you won’t stop me from helping Evolene!”
Chapter 7
I stormed out of the observation gallery, disgusted with Father for wanting to leave Evolene to her fate and disgusted with myself for failing Evolene. Father didn’t even call after me, which I took to mean he didn’t think I had a chance of saving my friend.
Clenching my fists, I stormed down the hallway, my angry footsteps echoing off its walls.
“Bluford,” said a voice from behind.
“What?” I turned, locked gazes with Niger, and sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”
“It did not go well.”
Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I muttered, “Father said no.”
We continued along the curved hallway to the stairs. Niger remained silent, giving me time to gather my thoughts. Father wasn’t a bad person. Not compared to the ogres who had opposed Aunt Cendrilla’s human protection laws, and I supposed he had a point. If someone had killed my parents, I would be reluctant to save their child, especially when murdering my relatives had become their family trait.
I shook my head. It was unreasonable of me to expect him to rush to Evolene’s defense, considering the first time they had met was when she had been arrested for my abduction. “He has his reasons. Her family has a terrible history, and Father isn’t inclined to let it repeat itself.”
We reached the entrance to the royal box. I raised my fist and knocked on the door.
“What are you doing?” asked Niger.
“I want to see Evolene.” Nobody replied, so I knocked harder. “She has to know we haven’t forgotten about her.”
“You are a good friend,” he murmured.
A moment later, Madam Maritimus opened the door. She wore her white hair loose today, making her features less stern. “Cadet Bluford? If you’re looking for the Prince Regent, he went to the observation gallery.”
“Can I speak to Evolene, please?”
Her brows drew together. “She’s gone.”
All the breath left my lungs on one rush, and blood drained from my face. “What?”
“After the events of this morning, the Witch General ordered her taken to the Magical Militia.”
“When’s her trial?” It took all my self control not to wail. With Evolene gone, so were any chances of stealing her away.
“Trial?” Madam Maritimus tilted her head to the side. “That happened weeks ago in the Magical Militia, after her arrest.”
“Sorry.” I shook the cobwebs of confusion out of my head. “When’s the sentencing?”
“It won’t take place until the Witch General finishes here. She’s having lunch right now. Would you like to leave a message?”
I nodded. “Could you tell her we need to visit Evolene, please? We’re the closest thing she has to family, so it’s our right.”
Madam Maritimus inclined her head and shut the door.
I turned to Niger. “What am I going to tell Stafford?”
He wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me down the stairs. “We will have to think of something.”
By the time we reached our seats, Stafford had already left, and he didn’t return for the rest of the day. He didn’t miss much, as the alchemists’ evidence consisted of revelations that would only interest someone involved in politics or alchemical sciences. The crowds thinned out, and most of the dragons flew away for more exciting distractions. Fyrian and I only stayed behind to see if King Magnar would ever raise his head from his pillory.
The next morning, Stafford didn’t answer my insistent knocks on his door, so I went to breakfast with Rufus and Gobi, who was still elated by Father’s heartfelt welcome into the family. No servers stood outside the mess hall to redirect us, so we stepped inside and took our usual table in the back. The morning meal was a simple dish of mutton ribs, served on barley gruel, but there was an alternative for those who wanted a lighter breakfast.
“Has Stafford run away?” Gobi took a massive bite out of his rack of ribs.
I picked at a bowl filled with Eyepatch’s cloudberry porridge. “Why would you ask that?”
“Evolene is not here. Did he leave to rescue her?”
I groaned. “Hope not.”
“Do you want me to fly out to the Magical Militia and check on him?” asked Fyrian.
“You can’t leave the wards without a rider, remember?” I placed a spoonful in my mouth. The cloudberries were tangy but sweet, a nice contrast to the milky porridge.
“What will happen to Evolene?” asked Rufus.
“Nothing until the Witch General returns to the Magical Militia,” I replied. “She’s going to stay until the end of King Magnar’s trial.”
“She might return early to execute Evolene,” said Gobi.
“Nobody’s going to execute her for a misunderstanding,” I snapped. “It’s not like she killed anyone. They’ll probably give her a flogging or exact a medium restriction on her magic.”
Gobi narrowed his eyes. “How do you know so much about witch business? Are you courting someone from the Militia?”
I groaned. Perhaps I should have rephrased that last comment. I’d almost sounded like an insider. “We asked around as soon as they arrested Evolene.”
Rufus placed the last of his rib bones on an empty platter in the middle of the table. “We had better get to class.”
“History of Dragons?” I asked.
Rufus grunted. “Although I do not know who will teach it. Master Roopal is busy with the trials.”
“Good morning, class.” Phoenix stood at the front of the lecture theater. “I’m filling in for Master Roopal today. Apparently, you’re all behind on the curriculum due to recent events.”
I bit down on my lip and pulled my writing materials from my knapsack. A loyalty elixir-addled Master Roopal had wasted an entire lesson delivering a lecture on the heroic deeds of King Magnar.
Phoenix walked to the blackboard and folded his arms.
“After the fall of the Forgotten King, the fairies didn’t know what to do with the dragons. They had been bred in captivity, subjected to experiments, and altered to be made magically resilient. It was clear to the Queen of the Fairies that the dragons wanted no part in their creator’s schemes and were actually relieved at his downfall.”
A healer cadet raised his hand. “How many dragons did the King make?”
“At that time there were twenty-eight. Four of each color,” replied Phoenix.
“What did the fairies do?”
“They tried to find a home for the first dragons, but most countries were occupied, and they feared that mixing humans and dragons would lead to confl—”
Loud banging on the door interrupted the lecture. Madam Maritimus stepped into the class, her face a mask of fury. Behind her, a witch levitated a dazed and unmoving Stafford.
I clapped my hand over my mouth to suppress a gasp.
“What is the meaning of this?” asked Phoenix.
The white-haired witch placed her hands on her hips. “I’m sorry to interrupt the class, but witches from the Magical Militia found this cadet wandering through their grounds in the middle of the night. According to their interrogations of him, he stowed away on one of their vehicles to rescue Evolene.”
Phoenix’s brows drew together. “Bring him here, then.”
The witch placed him on a seat in the front of the class and released her enchantment.
Stafford collapsed onto the desk and let out several gasping breaths. My heart jumped into my throat. Had the witches tortured him? They didn’t take kindly to intruders.
“Thank you, Madam Maritimus,” said Phoenix. “I’d like to continue my lecture.”
The witches walked out of the lecture theatre in silence. As soon as the door clicked shut, Phoenix rushed over to Stafford. “Cadet Perrault, are you in need of medical assistance?”
He shook his head. “They didn’t hurt me.”
I jumped out of my seat and rushed to his other side. “What did they do?”
“Nothing, much,” replied Stafford. “They performed a spell that made me tell the truth.” He turned to me. “Sorry, but they know you’re going to ask someone high up like the Prince Regent or the Magistratus to order the Witch General to set Evolene free.”
I patted him on the back. “That doesn’t matter. At least you’re safe. Did you…” My voice trailed off. If the answer was no, he’d probably get upset, but I had to ask. “Did you get a chance to see Evolene?”
He bowed his head. “I only got a glimpse of her when they moved her from the arena to their carriage.”
“How was she?” asked Phoenix.
“I-I… I’ve never seen anyone look so broken.”
My stomach dropped. Phoenix’s face paled. Did Evolene know she had friends who were trying to save her from an unfair fate? From how Stafford described her, I wondered if she had lost hope. Even if Father wouldn’t help Evolene, there was one last person I could call on.
I squared my shoulders and settled into the seat next to Stafford. “Somehow, I’ll convince the Magistratus to get her an appeal. She should be celebrated as a hero, not treated like a criminal.”
Phoenix cleared his throat. “Indeed. Let’s continue with the class.”
It was hard to concentrate on the rest of History of Dragons after that. Even Phoenix appeared queasy and had to sit behind the desk to deliver the rest of the lecture. With him occupying one of the rooms in the reception area where Evolene used to work, I expect they had become close friends. The way he comforted her when everyone thought her father had died indicated that he cared for her wellbeing.
Stafford stared into his empty patch of the table, not bothering to pull out his writing materials from his knapsack. My heart ached for both my friends. People without the protection of a Noble House were powerless against a huge authority like the Magical Militia, and I couldn’t blame them for falling to despair. I clutched my quill so hard, it bent over double. It was up to me to use my connections to get justice for Evolene.
After several minutes of distracted talking, Phoenix clapped his hands together. “Let’s finish early for today. Those of you who wish to do so may read up on the fall of the Forgotten King in the History of Dragons section in the library.”
I stuffed my writing things back into my knapsack and didn’t bother to mention that King Magnar and his four sisters had borrowed all the books. “Fyri, can you pick us up, please?”
She let out a smoky yawn. “Meet me by the Great Lake.”
“Are you sure about that meeting place?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You nearly drowned there. I would have thought you’d want to avoid water.”
“That was my first time in water as a full dragon,” she replied. “Hyacinthus asked one of the blue dragons who pushed me out to teach me what to do next time I fall in.”
I stood and pulled Stafford up. Wasn’t Hyacinthus the blue-haired master who had healed Master Fosco two days ago? “I didn’t even know dragons could swim.”
“Blues can, but they love water. They’re going to teach me how to use my buoyant air to stay afloat.”
I made my way to the door, passing cadets from other academies who stayed behind to chat. In all the panic from falling out of the sky, Fyrian and I had forgotten about her third and fourth lungs.
Sniffling, Stafford slouched down the hallway. “You should have seen her.”
I gave his arm a comforting squeeze. There wasn’t much I could say to reassure him that Evolene would be all right, because there was no guarantee the Magistratus would consider my request.
A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. It belonged to the half-ogre rider cadet who had burned his hand on the doorknob the day Master Klauw had turned into a rapier red in Flying Safety class. He stood six-and-a-half-feet tall with long hair that shone like polished jade. His beard consisted of two six-inch long braids with golden highlights.
“Bluford, Perrault,” he said. “Hard luck about Evolene. If you want to storm the Magical Militia to get her back, me and my mates will pledge our help.”
Stafford straightened. “Would you?”
“Course we will!” The rider cadet glanced over his shoulder. “Eh, lads?”
“Aye!” chorused seven other rider cadets.
I chewed the inside of my cheek. Anyone serious about participating in a dangerous and secret mission wouldn’t announce their intentions in a public hallway. “Thanks… eer?”
“Muticus, but you can call me Muti. I hail from the Noble House of Pavo.”
“Pleased to meet you,” I replied.
Pavo was the name of a clan associated with the Noble House of Phasia, but I wouldn’t be the one to point that out. He probably thought I didn’t know anything about ogre nobility as I was supposed to be from the United Kingdom of Seven.
“How about it, then?” asked Muti.
I pursed my lips. The last thing we needed was a rumor flying around that I planned to invade the domain of the witches. They would probably have me locked up as a preventative measure. “I’m meeting with the Magistratus. If anyone can help Evolene, it’s him.”
The rider cadet whistled. “You have friends in high places.”
His classmate clapped him on the back. “Think for a minute, Muti. Who is Bluford’s mother?”
My insides writhed like a clump of worms. “I’m not actually a Prince, you know.”
Muti winked. “Your secret is safe with us, eh, Prince Robert?”
His friend gave me a mock salute. “We will not tell a soul.”
Glancing at the passing cadets who slowed to eavesdrop, I clenched my teeth. My identity of being one of Aunt Cendrilla’s twins was the biggest open secret in Mount Fornax. But I had to let the subject drop. The more I protested, the more everyone believed in the rumor.
“How about wishing me luck with the Magistratus?” I asked.
They both gave me hearty claps on the back and sped o
ff toward the mess hall. Now that the conversation was over, the other cadets trailed off.
Stafford turned to me with a frown. He was about to speak when I placed my finger on my lips and pulled him toward the exit to the nearest terrace. I pushed the door open to be greeted with a warm gust of menthol-scented air. Squinting against the glare of the sun, I stepped into a terrace of thigh-deep dragon mint.
“Why didn’t you accept their offer for help?” he asked.
“You know how quickly gossip spreads around here,” I replied. “How soon would the witches notice a convoy of dragons flying towards their wards? The way to help Evolene isn’t by starting a fight with the witches with a gang of strangers.”
We continued through the terrace, taking extra high steps to navigate the thick growth of mint. There were no signs of dragonets, and I assumed they were still recovering from the plague.
“What do you suggest, then?” asked Stafford.
“Let’s try all the official channels first.” At the end of the terrace, I stamped the ground, hoping to activate a stair-stone. “We can also learn what we can about wards just in case. But what we can’t do is rush ahead without a plan. The next time the witches catch you trying to reach Evolene, they might not be so forgiving.”
“At least we’d be together.”
I glanced away. There was no reasoning with Stafford when he was this upset.
“I kind of know how he feels,” said Fyrian. “You took your time in saving me when I was accused of murder.”
My shoulders sagged. “Sorry, Fyri.”
“I don’t blame you. If I was on the run from marriage to King Magnar, I would have done everything I could to avoid him, too.”
“This time it will be different,” I said. “I’m going to exhaust every official channel before doing anything rash.”
Chapter 8
Instead of going to the mess hall for lunch, Stafford and I headed for the reception area to see if we could get a ride to the Drogott Arena. Recess would be soon, and we wanted to catch the Magistratus before it ended. On our way, we bumped into Xeraphine, the green-haired apprentice witch who had brought us back to the mountain the day before.
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