Crisanta Knight: The Lost King

by Culbertson, Geanna;

  I gazed at the school before me. Whatever lay inside was not a warm welcome, but I couldn’t concern myself with that now. I had summoned Lady Agnue with an agenda and I intended to see it through. As it happened, there was an aspect of this press release that actually worked in my favor. See, I was smart too. Lady Agnue would soon learn that, as would Lenore.

  I drew the Mark Two from my pocket. All my friends and I carried a magic compact now. Pietro had informed us that the devices had finally been released realm-wide a couple weeks ago and had evolved into a hot commodity overnight. Before we left Midveil, he’d found replacements for those of us who’d lost or broken theirs.

  “Lena Lenore.” The Mark Two buzzed three times before the Godmother Supreme’s reflection appeared in the looking glass.

  “Crisanta Knight, what can I help you with?”

  “That’s a hollow offer if I ever heard one,” I said. “My friends and I are back in Book, Lenore. I need to talk to you in person. We’re at the front gate of Lady Agnue’s.”

  “Crisanta, I am very busy.”

  “Lenore,” I said firmly. “This isn’t a request. I have something you’re gonna want to hear. Don’t show and you’ll regret it.”

  Lenore narrowed her gaze in a way that made me feel like I was in the direct sights of a cannon. I didn’t flinch though. I had developed a lot in the course of recent ventures. One tool that had sharpened profoundly was my glare.

  “Well, as it happens, I am currently paying a visit to Lord Channing,” Lenore replied after a pause. “I suppose I can spare you a minute.”

  The connection cut off. Five seconds later, a bright red comet arced across the sky. It shot through the top of our school’s In and Out Spell, causing the higher part of the enchanted dome to become visible with beautiful light.

  The energy ball erupted with a splash of magic sparks when it touched down on the grass near my headmistress. Lena Lenore materialized. She wore a fitted black business dress with cap sleeves and deep V-neck, an assortment of bronze-colored pearl necklaces, and a pair of bronze sleek pumps.

  She nodded to Lady Agnue. “Cornwallace.”

  Lenore placed one hand on her hip, the other clutched her wand, and she addressed me through the thick bars of the entrance. “What is it, Crisanta? My time is short.”

  Then she spotted the document in my hand and smiled cruelly. I hated those smiles. They were scary and powerful and made you feel like she could eat you.

  “I garner by the expression on your face that your headmistress shared my recent press release with you. Don’t tell me you called me over here to complain. The people have a right to know about you, Crisanta. Half the realm was already trading rumors about the ‘magical princess.’ I only replaced rumor with fact. You had this coming.”

  “I am so glad you phrased it that way,” I replied coolly. “Because you’re right. I did have this coming. I gave you the perfect ammo when I admitted I had Pure Magic. It was your biggest blow against me. Yours too,” I said, glancing at Lady Agnue. “But you know what?” I took a step closer to the gate and spoke slowly.

  “You used your one shot, and now I’m taking the cannon away. Everybody knows my big secret now. But you know what they don’t know? That the antagonists are coming for us. That the Author isn’t real. That Liza is your sister and she doesn’t control fates. She’s just like me, and you and the higher-ups have been lying to the realm about that and forging protagonist books for an eternity.”

  I stuck my hands in my jacket pockets and squared off the women confidently. “So here’s the new status quo. The very means you had of keeping us silent until now is gone because I have nothing left to lose. You already hung me out to dry to keep curious minds from asking bigger questions about more dangerous matters, and set an actual date when my fate will be decided. As such—for a refreshing change of pace—the two of you are going to do something for me to protect your own skins.”

  Lenore’s cocky, maleficent smile had faded. “Crisanta, I don’t take threats; I deliver them.”

  “Well, today you’re going to branch outside your character,” I responded. “Until the Century City Summit, you are going to stop with the propaganda. No more press releases that use me as a means to distract from the real problems the realm has. I can’t keep you from contacting the realm’s ambassadors individually, but my friends and I have a knack for finding out things people mean to keep secret. So I’d advise you not to double-cross us and reach out to the ambassadors directly. We are going to play this fair, and when my Pure Magic is put on trial I’ll prove myself justly. And as for you,” I pivoted to Lady Agnue. “Have you already made tonight’s dinner announcements?”

  “Um, Yes,” Lady Agnue said, stuttering for the first time since I’d known her.

  “Okay, well then you’re going to make some additional closing remarks. Lord Channing will need to do the same, so pass on the message. Tonight you both are going to announce our return to school, formally welcoming us back to campus. You’re going to assert that the press release was right about me having Pure Magic, but that I am not dangerous to anyone—I’m still me. And if either of you don’t provide this kind of image assistance now, or in the future if we have a similar request, we are going to play our kill card and reveal what we know about Liza, the antagonists, and the higher-ups. Understood?”

  Lady Agnue and Lenore exchanged a bitter look. We had them. While my friends and I hadn’t been counting on the press release (Pietro had neglected to mention it—maybe in an ill-advised attempt to protect me), it actually worked nicely with how we’d intended to approach our school reintroduction anyway.

  “Is that all?” Lenore asked with venom in her voice.

  “No,” I said, keeping my gaze locked with hers. “There’s one more thing.” I stepped back and pointed to Kai. “This is Kai. She’s Daniel’s girlfriend and a good friend of ours. The antagonists are after her now too, which means she’s not safe at her home in Century City. Lady Agnue, when you spoke with SJ, she told you about her internship plans. While she is gone, Kai is going to share a room with Blue and me. When you speak to the student body later, tell them that her protagonist book just appeared and she is a new student temporarily rooming with us until SJ gets back from her work study. Meanwhile, Lenore, you’re going to lift the In and Out Spell for a moment to let Kai in and you’re also going to station guards at her home in Century City to protect her father, just in case.”

  I paused a moment and remembered something. “Oh, and headmistress, you should probably mention to the schools that Mauvrey is sick and recovering abroad like SJ told you. Wouldn’t want any extra rumors flying about.” I rolled my shoulders a bit and tilted my chin up cockily. “That is all.”

  Our former superiors had another silent conversation with their eyes. Then Lenore stepped forward and raised her wand. For a moment I worried she was going to zap me. She’d done it before. But then she used her wand to lift a small portion of the In and Out Spell in front of the gate like a glistening curtain. Daniel patted Lucky, signaling him to stay, then cautiously stepped through. He held out his hand for Kai and she followed. Once the two of them joined us, Lenore waved her wand again and the spell re-sealed itself. Lady Agnue signaled at the nearby guards and they opened the gate to the school.

  I was amazed. While I’d foreseen my threat working, I was surprised by how Lenore had opened the spell to let Kai in. She was the sole Godmother powerful enough to single-handedly lift it, but I didn’t realize she could lift it in small sections. I thought it was an all or nothing deal.

  “You can manipulate the spell’s magic so only a few people can get through in one spot?” I said, head cocked.

  “Of course,” Lenore replied. “It falls under the same principle of the time-crack spell that opens at the top of the dome so female protagonists on Twenty-Three Skidd teams can get to Lord Channing’s. Though I’m wondering if we may need to adjust that given the new campus renovations.”

  I didn’t thi
nk to ask what renovations she was speaking of. My mind was otherwise occupied putting pieces together. Based on what I’d just seen, I was finally sure that Lenore was the one who’d let the magic hunters in to kidnap me. She’d straight up told me it wasn’t her, but that had to have been a lie. She was literally the only person who could have done it.

  “I get that we’re crossing lines here,” Blue said to Lady Agnue, not realizing what I had. “But play ball with us and we’ll play ball with you. That goes for you to, Miss Godmother Supreme. And btw, I’d suggest you go back to Lord Channing’s with Lucky and the boys to explain things to their headmaster personally.”

  Lenore looked like she was fighting the urge to turn us into dolphins. She resisted the desire, of course, because she knew she’d lost this round. She accepted it with resentment, but with grace.

  “I’ll see you boys at Lord Channing’s in five minutes,” the Godmother Supreme said to Jason and Daniel bluntly. “Land on the training campus. I’ll bring your headmaster. And Crisanta . . .”

  She approached me like a lion hunting its prey. “Take great care. I’ll play by your rules and have you fairly recognized for what you are at the Century City Summit. But mark my words, you slip up, cross me, or break this deal before then, and you’re not going to have to worry about being destroyed in Alderon. I’ll come for you myself. And believe me, they’ll be peeling you off the walls.”

  I gulped, my mind momentarily flashing through all my sins Lenore didn’t know about—the dragon in Century City, the magic hunters in Oz, and all my other experiences crossing the Malice Line.

  Lenore waved her wand and morphed into a ball of energy that promptly volleyed over the sky in the direction of Lord Channing’s.

  “I guess that’s our cue,” Jason said. “We’ll see you guys soon.” He gave Kai a quick hug, me a longer one, and Blue an equally warm embrace that also had a notable hint of awkwardness to it. I couldn’t tell if that was a result of him or her though.

  I felt compelled to smash my head against a tree. You like each other! I wanted to scream. But I held my tongue out of promises to them both and my commitment not to meddle with people’s future like Liza and Merlin.

  Daniel kissed Kai goodbye. The sight made me incredibly uncomfortable, and I averted my eyes. I guess my problems with PDA ran deeper than I thought.

  “Any time now,” said an irritated Lady Agnue, tapping her foot and her watch.

  “Right,” I said.

  I trotted back through the In and Out Spell and gave Lucky a hug on the snout before returning to our group. I only had Daniel left to say goodbye to. We’d see each other again soon, so it wasn’t a big deal. And I could call him on my Mark Two if I really wanted to. Still, I felt something in my chest. I supposed after going through so many near-death experiences, goodbyes carried more weight. I walked up to my friend and hugged him. It was quick but genuine. I noticed Kai gave me another odd look, but this time I didn’t care.

  “See you,” I said.

  “Be safe,” he said in return. Then he angled so he was addressing me and Kai together. “Keep each other safe.”

  He gave Kai a final kiss on the head then climbed aboard Lucky with Jason. I waved, and the three of them took off. The girls and I walked through the school gate and it bolted shut behind us with a clank.

  “So,” Blue said to Lady Agnue, a snarky grin on her face. “In case it wasn’t implied, we’ll be taking dinner in our room. If you could have someone send the food up in an hour or so, that’d be great. Also, a double helping of dessert for each of us. That wasn’t in the deal but consider it an amendment.”

  n Saturday, we slept in.

  Lady Agnue had announced our arrival last night, but we’d hidden in our room for the rest of the evening. Since there were no classes on the weekend, I didn’t have to face the world right away. If I tried really hard, I figured I could probably avoid the majority of my classmates and school staff until Monday.

  On the contrary, Blue hadn’t been bashful about the reintroduction. I woke when she was getting ready for breakfast with Kai, but declined the invitation to go with them. I’d have to venture out eventually; for now I wanted to enjoy the safety of our figurative nest. My room at Lady Agnue’s was familiar and warm. Plus, I needed a bit of space from Kai. Ever since the episode with the dragon in Century City, I could tell she held a grudge against me. I would need to address it. Just not now. Now I wanted more sleep.

  Once Blue and Kai left, I cuddled up in the purple sheets of my canopy bed and fell back into a deep slumber. I rested in a black, dreamless void for a few more hours. By the time my friends returned, it was close to noon.

  I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes as Blue strode in with Kai behind her. For a second, my mind played a trick and I thought Kai was SJ. After all, she was wearing a dress and jacket belonging to my best friend. I knew SJ had told Kai to help herself to such things while staying with us, but it weirded me out. And it made me miss SJ more.

  “I hope you got some rest, because you’ve got places to be,” Blue said.

  “Yeah, I know.” I nodded to the schedule I’d taped to our bathroom door earlier in the semester. “My team has Twenty-Three Skidd practice at 3:30 p.m. today and I am going to be there right on time.”

  There were no matches today since it was the first week back from spring break, but they would resume next weekend and I fully intended to reclaim my spot on the first-string roster of my team.

  “I still have a few hours,” I yawned as I got up from bed.

  “You have a few hours before practice,” Blue corrected. “But you have a date before then.” A sly grin spread across her face as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded note. She offered it to me, the glimmer of mischief in her eyes raising my interest.

  “Who’s it from?” I asked

  Blue continued to smirk but didn’t say anything.

  Okay, now I’m really intrigued.

  I took the note and unfolded it. Then I read the short message aloud:

  “Crisanta,

  I am so pleased you have returned. I have missed you and am eager to finally make good on our deal from the start of the semester. Before joining your team for practice this afternoon, I would like to show you something. I will be riding your dragon over to Lady Agnue’s to pick you up for practice and we shall make a short detour before dropping you off.

  I believe I have at last found a way to show you how genuine my feelings for you are. All I ask is five minutes of your time and that you fulfill your end of our bargain by bringing an open mind.

  Until then,

  Chance Darling”

  I refolded the note. One look at my friends’ faces and I could tell they knew what was in store for me.

  “You’re not going to tell me what he’s up to, are you?” I asked. “Nope,” Blue said.

  “It’s pretty great, though,” Kai commented. “Makes me wonder if this Darling kid is as bad as Daniel described.”

  “Uh-huh,” I said doubtfully.

  I made my way to the bathroom pondering what might possibly await me at this rendezvous. What could Chance have done to change my mind about him? He was the grandson of King Midas, so gold and money were no problem. But he knew I wasn’t impressed by expensive knickknacks. So what—had he captured me a unicorn? Named a castle after me? Given Lucky a pedicure?

  I huffed in amusement thinking about that last one, but I had the sneaking suspicion maybe I shouldn’t scoff at the notion that this was something big. As mentioned, when I talked with Daniel about it in Camelot a while back, even he—who strongly disliked the prince—seemed impressed by the move.

  I peeked my head out of the bathroom again. “Can you at least tell me if—”

  “Crisa.” Blue held up a hand. “Just give the boy a chance.”

  I looked at Kai then back at Blue. Then I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Fine. But if he gives me a golden unicorn or something, you guys are responsible for feeding it.”

&
nbsp; At quarter past three o’clock, I ventured out of my room for the first time all day. Blue and Kai had brought me a breakfast sandwich from the banquet hall, so I didn’t need sustenance. I just needed to get to my designated pick-up spot for Twenty-Three Skidd practice.

  When I’d first made the team, Daniel had ridden Lucky over to collect me. Once Lucky got used to the routine—smart dragon that he was—he came alone on the designated days like clockwork. It was strange that I was going to be picked up by Chance. I knew that various boys at Lord Channing’s had learned to ride my pet earlier in the semester. However, Lucky was my dragon. I had given him life. I was not the biggest fan of letting someone else take the reins while I was on board.

  I’d thrown on a simple white peplum top, some sturdy navy leggings, and my black combat boots. I was almost out the door when I realized I’d forgotten something. I dashed back to my closet and retrieved my team jacket. The white zip-up with navy accents and Seven Suns insignia was one of the most special items in my wardrobe. I had earned it like I had earned my place on the team.

  Now running late, I hurried out of the room and through the hall with the jacket in my hand. I did not run into any girls in the corridor, but glancing down the long, winding stairwell to the ground floor, I could see classmates ascending and descending.

  I didn’t want to talk to any of them; I was still avoiding real life. So I clutched my jacket and executed a move I’d pulled off with Blue at the start of the semester. I leapt onto the smooth silver banister and slid down the railing.

  It was far from a safe choice. The twist of the railing combined with the steep incline made it a fast, risky endeavor. But it sure was efficient.

  I whizzed down six flights of stairs past my various classmates. They were startled, but their reactions, like the fuchsia-carpeted steps, went by in a blur. As I came closer to the bottom of the stairs, I braced myself. When my butt slid off the end of the railing and I launched into the air, I threw my body into the momentum and landed in a run on the checkered tile, slowing down my speed with care so I wouldn’t stumble over.