by T K White
The door lurched open and Jemma’s grave face greeted Grishelda. With a sigh, the head of the school motioned for Grishelda to enter and sit. She did so, squirming in her seat under the gazes of Jemma and Professor Fria.
“It’s the third time this week this has happened!” The professor motioned toward the young witch.
Jemma frowned. “Grishelda, you’re the star student in the Magical Abilities class. But in your Myths class, you’re bottom rank.”
“I know.” Grishelda hated the desperateness in her voice. “But please give me another chance. I’ll do better, I really will.”
Jemma sighed again. “Do you know why each of these classes is so important?”
Wishing she had a clever answer, Grishelda just shook her head.
“Because they help empower you to become a whole person. You can’t just learn magical abilities. You have to learn history, theory, mythology, and consequences. We created this academy so we could bolster the reputation and image of magic. So people will trust us to go out into the world and do good. We can’t trust that our students will do good if they can’t complete their courses.”
Tears pricked Grishelda’s eyes. “Please don’t make me leave. Don’t make me go back to . . . her.”
Grishelda didn’t have to say her name for Jemma to know who she spoke of. Jemma covered her hand. “This is your last chance, Grishelda. Make it count.”
Shame swept over her as she left the room. She would do better. She had to do better.
7
“So, did you get expelled?” Harem asked as he, Pippa, and Tarek flanked Grishelda in the bustling hallways.
“I don’t really feel like talking about it.” Grishelda’s feet moved automatically, but she wasn’t sure where to go. As tired as she was, she didn’t think she’d be able to sleep if she went to her room.
“Grishelda.” Pippa grabbed her arm. “We’re your friends. Just talk to us.”
“I didn’t get expelled, but if I fall asleep again, I’m going to. I have to find a way to stay awake.”
“Then we’ll help you.” Harem looped his arm around Grishelda’s shoulders, squeezing her. Grishelda had divulged her sleeping troubles with the tight-knit group.
“How are you going to help me?”
Tarek bit the inside of her cheek. “Listen, Kal is a minder, and she can soothe your nightmares.”
“No.” Grishelda stopped, receiving glares from those who had to work their way around her admidst the herds of students. “No way I’m letting Kal into my mind. I won’t do it.”
“Well, then, we’ll just keep you awake. One of us will always sit next to you in class. We’ll nudge you if you’re falling asleep. We can do it. Right, guys?” Tarek looked around hopefully.
“Absolutely,” Pippa agreed.
For the first time in her life, Grishelda basked in the feeling of having people who actually cared about her well-being.
For the next three weeks, Grishelda was the student of the Academy’s dreams. Despite her troubling nightmares, she stayed awake in every class. It was all thanks to her friends. Harem, Pippa, and Tarek made sure to sit by her throughout the day, and whenever Grishelda that familiar lull made her eyes heavy and her brain foggy, they nudged her—sometimes a little too sharply—to keep her awake.
Even though life was exhausting, Grishelda was grateful she had friends who cared enough to keep her at Mageia.
“Hello, Grishelda?” Tarek waved her hand in front of Grishelda’s face. “You looked like you were about to fall asleep again. Still not sleeping at night?”
Even the sun-filled courtyard wasn’t enough to keep Grishelda awake. She shook her head. “I’m exhausted.”
“I know you said no, but let’s talk to Kal.” Tarek nodded toward the young witch who sat across the courtyard, laughing at something another classmate was saying.
“Tarek, I told you—”
“How long do you think you’re going to be able to keep this up? You need sleep, and if you don’t like the idea of Kal entering your mind, there are other ways she can help you.”
“Such as?”
“She has connections with a lot of the fairies here. Fairies don’t play by the same rules we do. Their magic is limitless, as long as they learn to use the spells.”
“What’re you getting at? Kal is going to talk to the fairies for me? Convince them to make me some potion that will help me sleep?”
Tarek’s eyes softened as they lay upon Kal across the courtyard. “She’s not a bad person, Grishelda. Maybe she has some rough edges. The point is, you can’t know she won’t fix your problem unless you try.”
Deep down Grishelda knew Tarek was right, but she worried how much that help might cost.
Later that day, Grishelda found Kal in the otherwise empty bunk room they shared with Tarek and Pippa.
“Oh, so you finally decided to ask for my help?” Kal’s harsh voice cut off the greeting Grishelda had been about to make. She sat on the lower bunk, pushed against the wall. Her legs hung over the side, and she eyed Grishelda warily.
Grishelda returned the suspicious glare. “How did you know I needed help?”
“Harem can’t keep his mouth shut, you know that.”
Well, that was true. It might not have been smart to tell Harem about her problems. The entire school was probably laughing about her nightmares.
Kal reached into her bag and pulled out a small glass bottle with a white, glittery substance inside. Having a hard time tearing her eyes away from the glimmering powder, Grishelda finally met Kal’s sharp gaze.
The other girl smirked. “This is fairy powder. I know you don’t want me in your mind, and to be honest, I have no desire to go there. But I can give you some of this.”
Grishelda stretched her arm for it and Kal snapped it out of reach. “Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast. I can give this to you, for a price.”
“I don’t have any gold, Kal.”
“Oh, I don’t need gold. What I want is something a bit trickier to acquire.”
Grishelda turned her back on Kal, walking toward the door. “This clearly isn’t going to work. There’s nothing I have that could possibly interest you, and I’m tired of playing games. If you can’t help me solve my sleeping problem, then just say so.”
“Wait.” A sudden hint of desperation crept into Kal’s voice. “I just need an apple. A poisonous apple.”
Rooted to the floor, Grishelda finally summoned her voice. “That’s dark magic. It’s forbidden. Besides, I don’t even have the ability to poison something.”
“It’s not forbidden if it’s used to fight against other dark magic. And you have the ability to make any kind of poisonous plants you want.”
Like ice crept into the filtered rays of sun filling their room, Grishelda’s entire body froze. She couldn’t go along with this. She wouldn’t. Her position at the school was already hanging by the thread. Yet, the question came out anyway. “Who do you want to poison?”
“My mother.”
Lured by the words, Grishelda took a seat across from Kal on the springy bed. “Why?”
“She’s evil.” Kal swallowed, and her eyes watered. “I’m going home for winter break, and I’m going to kill her. She hurts my siblings. I was the only one there to protect them. Now, I’m gone and I need to ensure their safety. Once my mother is dead, my aunt will be able to care for them. But I have to make sure they’re safe. Do you understand?”
Grishelda understood all too well what it meant to have an evil mother. Something inside her wavered as she met Kal’s determined gaze. She had felt that kind of determination before, and she knew what it was like to have it beaten out of you. She didn’t want Kal to give up like she had. Grishelda’s body inched toward Kal’s. She lowered her voice, like she was admitting a dangerous secret. “I’ll make two poisonous apples. One for your mother and one for mine.”
Kal smiled. “So you’ll help me.” She leapt across the bed, hugging Grishelda.
Shock at the s
udden warmth from this icy figure stilled Grishelda. Before she could react, Kal drew back and held up the bottle. “You don’t need a lot. Just take a little each night. Before you go to bed, think of a dreamless sleep and you’ll slumber like a babe. No more nightmares.”
Grishelda smiled. She had solved her sleeping problem, and what’s more, she had just earned herself another friend.
8
Every day, Grishelda became stronger. The fairy powder Kal gave her did as promised. No more nightmares, no dreams tormented Grishelda in her sleep. Now, it was time to return the favor and give Kal what was promised.
Grishelda worked on the balcony of their room to grow a small tree, one that would produce two apples. No more. She didn’t want that kind of poison to be available to just anyone.
Although doubts nagged at her, she knew ridding the world of their evil mothers wasn’t the wrong thing to do. She and Kal had a connection Grishelda didn’t share with anyone else. Every other person came from loving homes they couldn’t wait to get back to over winter break. Kal and Grishelda would be returning to a darkness, one they could both escape from if Grishelda did this right.
Kal had been right, as she seemed to always be. Growing a poisonous plant wasn’t difficult. It just took a bit more grimness, more resolve to do harm than good. In other words, it meant going against everything Grishelda had learned so far at Mageia. The two shiny, red apples she produced couldn’t have been more perfect. Kal would be so proud.
Later, when Grishelda finally had a chance to catch her new friend alone, she told her what she had accomplished.
“That’s fantastic! We’re going to do it. We’ll finally escape the darkness.” Kal clutched Grishelda’s arm as they stood in the empty corridor.
“When do you want the apple?”
“Winter break starts tomorrow. Keep them both in your bags tonight. I’ll get mine tomorrow morning when I wake. And, Grishelda, thank you.” As she spoke, Kal grabbed Grishelda’s hands, squeezing them tight. Grishelda knew she made the right decision.
Deep in her sleep, undisturbed by anything, Grishelda dreamed. It was a dream that hadn’t plagued her since she left home. One she wouldn’t dare speak of, partly for shame, partly for fear her mother would find out and punish her.
Her mother slept soundly, much like Grishelda was doing at that very moment. Eva’s chest rose and fell, and her long hair hung over the side of the bed in perfect waves. Despite her slumbering state, Eva didn’t look peaceful. She never did. Instead, lines etched her faces, her brows furrowed into deep arches, and her mouth turned in a frown. Even in her sleep, Grishelda’s mother still managed to look intimidating.
Grishelda approached her mother, who never woke as she neared. That was how she knew this was all a dream. Eva was never unprepared for visitors, even in her sleep. Vines crept out from underneath the bed, crawling toward Eva. They writhed and eventually wrapped around her body. Eva’s eyes shot open, and for the first time ever, Grishelda saw something that almost made her feel guilty for what she was about to do: fear.
“Grisha, what’s going on?”
“You’re getting what you deserve.” It didn’t matter that Grishelda had thought about this moment over and over; it still gave her no pleasure. She didn’t want her mother to die, but she couldn’t handle the torture, the pain, any longer.
“You can’t kill me. You don’t have it in you.”
It was the wrong thing to say. Grishelda moved her hands and the vines responded, rising into the air and striking her mother in the heart. Eva’s face constricted and her body was a statue, rendered frozen.
“Grishelda, Grishelda.”
The vine embedded itself deep in Eva’s chest. Jerking and wiggling, the plant finally retreated, yanking out her mother’s heart, dripping with blood.
“Grishelda.” What was happening? Her mother should be dead. She shouldn’t be talking right now. Impossible. “Grishelda, Grishelda.” Her voice was raspy, full of urgency.
The dream disappeared, and Kal’s terrified expression replaced that of her mother’s. “Grishelda, wake up. I think someone overheard us talking about the apples. Jemma is on her way here. We have to leave, now!”
Grishelda shot up in bed, not waiting to hear more. Tarek and Pippa slept soundly as Kal and Grishelda tiptoed past them. Kal creaked open the door, cringing at the sound. When Grishelda looked back, their bunkmates still slept. She would miss them.
“How could she have found out?” Grishelda whispered. “No one was in the corridor.”
Kal shook her head. “There are eyes and ears everywhere, Grishelda. You know that.”
They snuck down the dark hallway, their packs slung over their backs.
“So, we’re just going to leave? How will we come back?”
“We’ll figure it out.” Kal’s voice held an air of confidence. “There’s always a way.”
Grishelda stopped. “Kal, you have to stay.”
“Grishelda . . .”
“No, I’m serious.” Grishelda gritted her teeth against the ache in her chest at the thought of never returning. “I’ll write a letter, incriminating myself. I’ll say I forced you to go along with this plan. I’ll come up with something. But we shouldn’t both have to leave.”
A sinister grin spread across Kal’s face. “You’re right. We shouldn’t.” She raised her voice. “She’s over here!”
Out stepped Jemma from the shadows.
The knowing look the head of the school gave Kal made everything all too clear. Grishelda swallowed her jangling nerves. “What are you doing? How could you betray me?”
Kal ignored her. “I did what you asked, Master Jemma. Open her bag, you’ll find the poisonous apples.”
Jemma surveyed Grishelda with a grim look. Grishelda clutched her bag, heart beating wildly. There was no getting around this. The woman held out her hand and Grishelda handed the bag over.
Jemma took out the two red apples. Through the windows, moonlight illuminated the fruit, making them look unearthly in the way they shined so bright. “I had such high hopes for you, Grishelda.” Sadness riddled her voice. “I had thought you were better than this darkness.”
Kal grinned. Grishelda sent a scathing glare her way.
“Kal, I’m not sure why you’re smiling.” Jemma’s stern tone wiped the smile from Kal’s face. “You’re to be expelled as well. For collusion to use dark magic.”
Scowling, Kal asked, “How did you know?”
“As soon as you alerted us to Grishelda’s dark magic, we naturally put a spying fly on your tail. It wasn’t too long before we discovered your intentions. You tricked Grishelda. And you”—Jemma turned her gaze upon Grishelda—“you succumbed to it. Both of you should have acted better. Our seers have said . . .” Jemma closed her mouth, her lips settling into a thin line. “Well, then. It’s dangerous to reveal what seers envision. It can do more harm than good. Let’s just hope you both get on the path you need to in order to stay in the light.”
Grishelda wanted to know more, but from the set line of Jemma’s mouth, she could tell nothing further would be revealed. “What will happen to us?”
“You’re both to be expelled. You may return in one year, after you’ve proven you can stick to light magic only. And we will know if you use any dark magic. The carriage waits for you down below. Now go. Both of you. Before I give you a harsher punishment fit for those who practice dark magic.”
The long ride home was unpleasant, to put it mildly. Magical cuffs had been placed on both Grishelda and Kal to keep them from hurting each other on their journey. The cuffs would only be taken off when they reached their homes.
“I thought you were my friend.” Grishelda wished she could actually spit venom at Kal. Right now, she might hate her more than Eva.
“That’s because you’re not very smart,” Kal muttered.
“Well, apparently, that makes two of us, because we both got kicked out of Mageia.”
“I’d been at that school for fo
ur years.” Kal’s head whipped in Grishelda’s direction. “Excelling at everything! I was planning on applying for the permanent position Jemma was going to offer. Then, you came along and impressed everyone with your magical ability. I knew you were going to take that position from me. I had to eliminate the competition. It was easy to slip into your mind at night. Cause little flutters of terror. Just enough so you couldn’t sleep. Long enough so you’d become desperate.” Kal watched the rolling hills as their carriage passed through the countryside.
“You caused my nightmares.” Now that she thought about it, it made perfect sense.
“You should never have crossed me.”
“That’s why you did all of this? Because you were jealous?”
“You took everything! My friends, my prestige! You even took the gold prize we get for our magic projects. I save that gold. I didn’t lie about my mother, you know. She’s awful. That gold gets me and my siblings one step closer to being free from her. If I couldn’t kill my mother, I could buy our freedom. I was going to get that professor position and pay for a new life for my siblings. One far away from my mother.”
Even though Kal would probably view her as weak, Grishelda felt a stirring of pity. “I’m sorry about your mother.”
“What do you care? What do you know?”
“I know what it’s like to live in darkness. I was hoping Mageia could be my light.”
The carriage came to a halt in front of Grishelda’s home. She couldn’t decide if she would rather face what was out there or what was sitting across from her. It’s not like she had much of a choice. The driver cut her cuffs and Grishelda didn’t so much as look at Kal as she exited the carriage. Good riddance. She hoped she never saw her again. Kal returned the favor and didn’t say a word. The carriage rolled away, and Grishelda watched it until it looked like an ant in the distance.