Crowns and Curses

by V. B. Marlowe

  Molly had tried to escape when she’d first come to Everly Academy, but there was no way out. Ms. Bea had placed a barrier with a two-mile radius around the estate. She had attempted to pass it, but it was like trying to walk through a wall of glass. It was impossible. Molly stared quietly at the doctor, waiting for him to go on.

  He took a swig of water. "I'm not saying that we can defeat Bea's powers, but we can use some leverage to make her release that barrier so that we can leave."

  Molly raised an eyebrow. “And just how do you expect to do that.”

  The doctor grinned. “We can threaten what she loves the most. Those girls and Ms. Halifax. Those are the only people she cares about. Not us. We’re just pawns for her to keep the girls comfortable. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life that way?”

  Molly took a step back. “I’m going to leave now. I didn’t come down here to have a conversation with you. I just wanted to be sure that you couldn’t leave that cage.”

  Dr. Meyer shrugged and sighed. “Well, as you can see I’m not going anywhere. What makes you think I got out?”

  “Strange things happened last night,” Molly said, not sure she should go into detail.

  One corner of the doctor’s mouth curved up. “What kind of strange things?”

  Molly stood there, staring at him.

  “Tell me,” he said. “I might be able to help.”

  “Since we are all stuck inside, Scarlett and Oriana must be locked away at night. Scarlett was released from her cage last night. She tried to attack us.”

  Dr. Meyer widened his eyes and gasped. “Oh, dear. I hope everyone is okay.”

  Molly rolled her eyes at his feigned concern. "There's no way she could have broken free of it herself. You've known these people a

  lot longer than me. Who do you think would be capable of that?"

  Dr. Meyer stroked his thick beard. "I don't know. Someone who's angry and fed up. Someone who wants to get out of here. I bet they are trying to make Everly Academy just as dangerous as being outside so Bea will let us all go.”

  Molly thought that sounded plausible, but she didn't say so. "There's another thing. When we were trying to get away all the bedrooms doors slammed shut and locked. Only someone with magic could have done that."

  Dr. Meyer stepped away from the bars and paced back and forth. “As hard as it is to believe, that one should be obvious.”

  It wasn’t obvious to Molly at all. She had no clue who could have done that.

  The doctor threw his hands up in frustration. “There is only one person who has magic, Molly!”

  Molly was ready to go. He had no clues at all. "Why would Bea do this? She wouldn't. She just wouldn't. Besides she in the middle of her restoration."

  Dr, Meyer shook his head. "The sweet little old lady has really done a number on you, hasn't she? Fine, Molly. Just fine. We'll all grow old here and have no lives of our own. You better hope they don't lock you up in a cage next and feed you peanut butter and jelly sandwiches until you die. This—what's going on here is absolute insanity." He lowered his voice. "Speaking of . . . how is Allison doing?"

  Molly huffed and headed toward the attic door.

  "No, no, no, no!" Dr. Meyer shouted. "Please don't leave me in here. I'm so sorry for what I've done, but if you let me out, I can help all of us. Please."

  Molly froze, but she was still facing the door. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

  “No!”

  Molly hated the desperation in his voice. Even though he had been terrible, she felt a little sorry for him. He had been the witches' pawn. She turned to face him.

  A tear streamed down one of his cheeks. “Please. If you won’t let me out, at least put me out of my misery. I’d rather die than live like this.”

  Molly looked around the attic and realized that she would feel the same way. She couldn’t imagine living that way day in and day out. Being confined to that tiny space. Only having the light of the lantern. Not being able to go outside. Having to eat the same thing for every single meal. But then she remembered that she hadn’t drugged a girl who trusted her for years and kept her out of her mind. He deserves this, she kept telling herself.

  She took one last look at the doctor before reaching for the door. “At least they bring you books to read.”

  Dr. Meyer kept pleading and begging, but Molly left the room quickly, locking the doors behind her. She wished she hadn’t bothered talking to him. All he’d done was put doubts in her mind. If he wasn’t responsible for what had happened the night before, who was?

  Molly spent a great deal of time wandering around the house looking for Ms. Halifax. When she'd returned the keys to her office, she wasn't in there or anywhere else Molly had looked. Passing Tress' studio, she thought it would be the perfect time to stop for a drink. She wondered if the others were in there.

  Molly opened the door and poked her head in. The room was empty, so Molly entered. She pulled the curtain back and pushed on the door. In the staff lounge, she was happy to find Bosco, Emerald, Cinnamon, and Anais inside involved in a hushed conversation.

  “Whew,” Cinnamon said, taking a good look at Molly. “You look like you could use my specialty.” Cinnamon hopped off the couch to make Molly a Cinnamon Surprise. Molly lowered herself into the loveseat as everyone eyed her curiously.

  “Heard about last night,” Bosco said. “Scary stuff.”

  "Yeah," Molly agreed, "It was a horrifying situation, but it's under control now."

  Anais raised an eyebrow. “So, is this a thing? Are we going to have to fear for our lives every night now?”

  “No,” Molly said, taking a good look at the people in the room. She had to get a lot off her chest, and she wondered if it was a good idea to tell them everything she knew. She figured maybe they could help her figure some things out. “I have to tell you guys something. I’m telling you this because I need some advice, not because I want you to freak out.”

  Cinnamon handed Molly a glass of Cinnamon Surprise and took a seat with the others. Bosco leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Sure. Tell us.”

  "Okay. Both Scarlett and Oriana get locked up in huge cages at night. The cages are bolted shut, and large crates are placed in front of them. Somehow Scarlett was able to get out. We're positive that someone let her out."

  The three of them gasped. Emerald shook her head. “But who would do that? And why?”

  Molly couldn’t think of anyone who would do something so devious, not even Isleen, who was in danger herself. If she had to choose a culprit though, it would have been Isleen, but she didn’t want to put her name out there without having any proof. Besides, she seemed just as surprised as everyone else once they’d discovered that Scarlett was loose.

  Molly took a sip of her drink. She cringed as the warm liquid slid down her throat, but it was good and just what she needed. “I have no idea who would do it or why, but we have to find out. There’s something else. Something else that’s even more alarming.”

  Bosco sat back on the couch, crossing his leg over his knee. “You mean more alarming than a werewolf getting loose in the house at night?”

  “Yes. The girls, Ms. Halifax and I were all in the hallway when Scarlett approached us. We tried to run into our bedrooms to get away from her, but all the doors slammed shut on their own and wouldn’t open.”

  Everyone exchanged looks. “What?” Emerald said. “That is really crazy and spooky. There are plenty of magical things that go on here, but they’re all Bea’s doing. Who else would have the power to do something like that?”

  “No one,” Molly answered.

  Anais stood and paced the room. “Pretty obvious, isn’t it? No one else in this house has magic aside from the girls’ weapons. It has to be the witches. They know where we are.”

  The thought made Molly shudder. Were the witches somewhere nearby watching them, waiting for their moment to pounce? Molly hoped not. She remembered not too long ago having a conversation with
Lily at the edge of the forest. Lily had told her that the trees and the wind were warning her that something terrible was coming. Were they talking about the witches?

  “So, what are we going to do?” Bosco asked.

  "For now, we're going to make sure everyone stays tucked away at night. It's what we were supposed to be doing anyway, but we're going to be much stricter with it. Also, Gretchen and Jolie are looking for a way to destroy the beanstalks as we speak. I know it will only be a matter of time before they figure it out."

  No one looked very convinced, and Molly didn't know what else to say to put their minds at ease, so she finished the rest of her drink. "I should go. Please promise me you'll keep your eyes open if you see anything suspicious and make sure you stay in your quarters after sundown."

  Ember made a face. “Don’t worry. We all know better than to wander these halls after dark. Learned that lesson a long time ago. Too many weird things happen around here, but Molly, please, you be careful.”

  Molly set her half-empty glass on the table and rose to her feet. “I will. Catch you guys later.”

  With that, she checked the surveillance camera to make sure that Tress’ studio was still empty and then slipped out.

  In the War Room, Allison sat on the edge of the pool dangling her long, pale legs in the water. Her white lace dress was bunched around her thighs to keep it from getting wet. She was mesmerized by the ripples as she moved her legs in circles.

  Marina had been in charge of watching her while Lily was doing something else.

  Marina poked her head out of the cool salt water and gave Allison a playful splash. "Hey, I could really go for a PB & J sandwich. Want one?"

  Allison nodded enthusiastically, using her hands to make a triangle.

  "Cut into triangles. Got it." Marina hoisted herself out of the water. Within seconds her long aqua fin turned into long, tawny legs. She made sure to towel off so that she could avoid another argument with Jolie about tracking water through the house. Once Marina was nice and dry, she tossed the towel against the wall. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Allison shook her head. Marina frowned. “Why not?”

  Allison cocked her head to the side staring into the water. Marina smiled. “I get it. You’re comfortable. All right. I’ll bring your sandwich here. Don’t move from there.”

  Allison smiled and nodded, eyes focused on the blue pool. Moments after the door had shut behind Marina, it opened again, and someone slipped inside, padding on their tiptoes.

  In the kitchen Marina made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—one cut into perfect triangles. She rested them on a plate as she grabbed two cartons of milk from the fridge. Then she remembered that Allison didn’t like milk unless it was in her cereal, so she put a container back and grabbed a bottle of orange juice.

  Marina was down the hall from the War Room when she heard Allison's bloodcurdling screams. The plate of sandwiches clattered to the floor along with the beverages she held in her hands.

  “Allison!” She sprinted toward the door. Throwing herself against it, she barreled into the room just in time to see Isleen pulling Allison from the water.

  Marina raced over to help, reaching down and lifting Allison’s legs from the pool. “Oh my God! What happened?”

  Isleen was soaking wet and breathing heavily. Her tiara had been thrown carelessly to the ground. Marina could count on one hand how many times she’d had seen her without it.

  Isleen wrung out her short hair. “I came in thinking I would take a swim since we haven’t been able to get to the pool outside. I found Allison struggling under the water.”

  Marina knelt by Allison who was crouched on the ground, shivering. “Oh no! This is all my fault. I thought she’d be okay for a few minutes while I went to grab us a snack. I’m so sorry, Allison.”

  Isleen knelt on the other side of Allison, placing her arm around her. Marina had never seen Isleen show so much compassion for anyone, not even Tress. Allison stared at Isleen with wide grateful eyes. “You’re welcome,” Isleen said before doing something she had never done. She hugged Allison. “It’s okay,” Isleen whispered into her ear. “I’ll take good care of you.”

  Marina squeezed Isleen tight. “Thank goodness you were here. Who knows what might have happened?”

  Isleen smiled. "Yes, thank goodness." Then her smile dropped. "But we don't know if Allison can swim. We've never seen her do it and she certainly wasn't swimming when I came in here. She was drowning. Marina, you know what would have happened if I hadn't been here."

  Marina looked down at the wet tile. “Yeah, I know.”

  Isleen pulled Allison’s wet hair away from her neck. “What would Lily say if she heard about this? You know how she is about Allison. She acts like she’s her kid.”

  Marina’s lips trembled. “She’ll be so mad at me. She’ll never trust me alone with her again.”

  Isleen whistled. “This isn’t good. She’ll start treating you the way she treats me especially because we’re friends. She’ll think you did it on purpose and accuse you of being evil like she does me. She might even say you did it to earn an elixir.”

  Marina’s jaw dropped and her pretty face scrunched into a frown. “But-I-I—”

  Isleen reached over and rubbed Marina's shoulders. "No worries. Of course, Allison isn't going to say anything, and I'm not going to either. It will be our little secret."

  Marina looked over at Isleen teary-eyed. "You mean it? You won't tell her?"

  “Of course not. You’re one of the few friends I have. I would never snitch on you.”

  Marina smiled gratefully. “Thank you so much, Isleen. Thank you.”

  Isleen placed her hand on Marina’s cheek. “Just remember. You owe me.”

  Marina shivered from her cool touch. Although Isleen was smiling, something in her eyes was off. Marina couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but Isleen had just prevented a tragedy from happening. “Yeah, I owe you.”

  10

  Isleen

  ISLEEN SMILED TO HERSELF as she lay across her bed in the darkness of her bedroom. Everything had gone according to her plan, and the timing couldn't have been better.

  Hidden in the corner of the dark hallway, she'd watched Marina leave the War Room carrying a lantern. Once the ball of light had bobbed out of sight, quietly like a cat, she slipped into the room. She spotted Allison sitting on the edge of the pool. Allison hummed to herself so engrossed with the clear blue water that she hadn't even known Isleen was in the room until it was too late. Isleen moved slowly behind her and then shoved her into the water.

  Isleen had no idea whether or not Allison could swim, but it pleasured her to watch her arms and legs flailing helplessly in the water. Her eyes were wide like moons and pleading for help.

  Then came the piece de resistance—after Allison struggled for a number of seconds, long enough to be terrified for her life, Isleen set her tiara on the ground and jumped into the pool to save her dear friend. That was the first step of getting Allison to trust her. As a bonus, she’d also pulled Marina closer to her side by promising to keep a secret.

  If Isleen was to get Allison to latch on to her, she could convince her to tell the location of the second pen before she told the other girls. Maybe she and her alliance could find some way to get there with the stupid fairy's magic.

  The following day the great debate was to take place. Isleen ran her finger over her precious tiara. “It won’t be long now. Everything is going just according to plan.”

  After a breakfast of sliced peaches and oatmeal, Isleen joined the other girls in the great study. As usual, Tress settled down on the couch next to Isleen. She took her hand and squeezed it. “Good luck on your debate.”

  “Thanks,” Isleen replied because poor Tress didn’t know any better. She thought Isleen actually cared about this assignment.

  Lily waltzed in as if she already had the debate in the bag. She was even dressed up. Instead of being barefoot as she usually was, she wore a pair o
f flat, gold sandals.

  Ms. Dillinger started the class off. “Okay, girls. Here are the rules. When it is your turn to speak you will have two minutes to make your point and then a minute for rebuttal. Isleen I think since this was your idea, you and Lily should go first.”

  Ms. Dillinger looked to Lily who nodded. She came to the front of the room holding a small stack of index cards. A gold podium that usually sat in a corner had been moved to the center of the room.

  Lily cleared her throat and looked down at her cards. "Good morning, friends. It's an honor and a privilege to stand before you today. I would like to speak with you briefly about the reasons why I think the thirteenth wise woman in the Grimms' version of the fairy tale was a villain. Just because she was bitter about not being invited to the party, she placed a spell on the innocent baby. She actually wanted the princess to die on her fifteenth birthday, it was only because of the twelfth wise woman, who softened the blow, that Briar Rose was able to live. She made it so that the princess wouldn't die, but she would fall into a deep sleep until she could be awakened by a prince. In this story, I would have to say that the twelfth wise woman and the prince were the heroes and there is no way that the thirteenth wise woman could be seen as one. She did nothing redeemable in this story. You might feel sorry for her for not being invited to the party but what she did after that was inexcusable. Thank you."

  There was a round of applause for Lily as she took her seat. Isleen cleared her throat and approached the podium. She didn’t need note cards. “While Lily’s speech might have been interesting, I should note that I was speaking of my version of the story, not the Grimm’s version.”

  “What do you mean your version?” Ms. Dillinger asked.

  "I mean my life. What really happened to me. Yes, in my version there was a fairy. Her sole job was to protect princesses and grant them special gifts. When a spell was cast on me to ensure that I never had a moment of sleep, this fairy supposedly saved me and gave me a special weapon to defend myself so everyone would look at her as the hero, but what if she's actually the villain?"