Tricked

  “I’m not sick!” Kayla says as two RS members approach her. “I want answers! Where is my mother? Why won’t you give my sisters back? What kind of deal did you make with them?” She looks at the royal court. “He turned my mother and sisters into trees, and I have no clue why. I want to know what happened and how to get them back!” She bursts into tears, and my heart breaks.

  Kayla might be doing what she can to give us a getaway, but her pain is real. I hesitate, not wanting to leave her, but Jax tugs on my arm as we reach the doorway. As we slip down the hall, I can still hear Stiltskin talking.

  “Take her away,” he says gruffly. “I’m sorry for the interruption, everyone. That child is obviously too sick to stay at FTRS. I’ll see to it that she is transferred elsewhere immediately.”

  CHAPTER 12

  The Break-In

  The halls are empty as we slip through one hallway after another, trying to find our way to Stiltskin’s office, but we keep getting turned around.

  “This place is more of a maze than ever!” Ollie groans as we jump through a new doorway and land next to the wand-training room again. Two new hallways open up, and we stare at them warily. “We’ve been down this hallway three times! We’re never going to find our way to his office.”

  “It’s like he’s put the hallway monitor on the fritz so that no one can go anywhere but the bake-off,” Hayley suggests. “Pretty clever.”

  “Where do you think they took Kayla?” Maxine asks worriedly. “Do you think he’s really going to kick her out of school?”

  “My sister won’t let him,” Jocelyn says defiantly. “If she has to, she’ll hide Kayla with cloaking spells, but I don’t think she’ll have to. The teachers won’t let her be kicked out. Even Flora wouldn’t go for that.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I say grimly. “Kayla stood up to Stiltskin for the greater good. All I’ve done since I arrived is tick off Anna. Maybe I’m really just a washed-up hero.”

  “Is this about what Stiltskin said to you?” Jax asks.

  “Flora basically said the same thing,” I remind him. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels.”

  “Then stop spinning!” Maxine yells at me and I blink. Maxine never yells. Not at me. “Since when do you listen to what others say? Especially someone like Stiltskin, a big ol’ baddie who is brainwashing your sister and must have poor Flora under some sort of gag order. The Wicked Stepmother believes in you. She just can’t say it out loud. Trust your gut and know what’s right. We believe in you, even if you don’t believe in yourself.”

  The others nod. I smile. “Okay. I guess I better start pulling my weight.”

  “That’s the thief we know and love,” Jax teases. “Let’s find some clues to get out of this maze.”

  I look around. Every hall in this drafty castle has the same gray stone walls, oil paintings done by students, motivational signs (Why Be Wicked When You Can Be Wonderful Instead?), and mirrors. There are actually loads of mirrors that Miri can spot us in. Why she hasn’t shown up yet to yell at us, I’m not sure.

  Jax pulls one of the torches off the wall and peers down a darkened, empty hallway. “Let’s go this way.”

  “That’s the observatory, Prince,” Jocelyn says. “Can we do this my way? He won’t notice a teensy bit of magic when he’s busy baking.” She blows a puff of smoke, and purple smog lays a trail down a new hall.

  I start to follow but feel squirming in my sweater pocket. Wilson pops his head out and begins to squeak like mad. I think he’s trying to warn us about something. He squeaks louder, and that’s when I see it shining in a small gap in the ceiling—a dagger. “Get out of that hall! It’s a trap!”

  A rumbling sound rocks the hallway. Wilson and I watch as the ceiling opens, revealing a row of daggers. Jax, Jocelyn, Hayley, and Maxine come running back, but Ollie is still behind them. Maxine and I scream as Ollie slides toward us, barely making it out of the hall before a dagger shoots into the floor, pinning his coat.

  “Guess this means I have to go back to my old uniform,” Ollie jokes, sounding out of breath. He shrugs out of it, and Jocelyn makes the coat disappear with a wave of her hand. “How’d you know it was a trap?”

  “Wilson warned me,” I say, surprised myself. I give him a treat from my pocket, and the mouse nibbles it.

  “Of course he did.” Hayley leans in and listens to the mouse’s squeals. “He said the only hall that will lead to the office is the one on the left. The rest are booby-trapped.”

  “You can understand him?” I ask.

  Hayley blushes and spritzes herself with water. “It’s sort of my gift,” she says shyly. “I guess I should come clean. The truth is I’m part mermaid, and mermaids can talk to other animals.”

  “Is that why you’re always doing that water-spritzing thing?” Jocelyn asks. “Because it’s rather odd.” Maxine nudges her. “No offense.”

  “I get parched if I go too long between baths,” Hayley explains. “I don’t want Stiltskin to know what I really am. He’s not a huge fan of mermaids.”

  “Or fairies, witches, or sprites,” Jocelyn adds. “Get in line.”

  “We’d never tell him,” I say, and Hayley smiles. “Let’s get in that office. If Wilson says this is the hall, then this is the hall.”

  We slip into the new hall before it shimmers and disappears. There are no elves on cleaning duty or wayward students on their way to the dorms. The school feels creepy this empty. A new hall begins to waffle in front of us and we dive through it, landing in the castle foyer where discarded signs, confetti, and the red carpet from the princesses’ arrival still cover the floor.

  “Yes!” Ollie cheers.

  Jocelyn rushes to the oak doors of Rumpelstiltskin’s office. She runs her hand along the large, gold lock, then conjures a purple fireball. “Step back. I got this.”

  “Wait!” I shout, but I’m too late. Jocelyn’s magic bounces off the lock and sends us flying backward, where we land in a heap along the back wall. Wilson sticks his head out of my pocket, looking dizzy. “Your magic won’t work on his door! He probably has protection charms all over to keep anyone from breaking in.”

  Hayley lies on her back and stares at the ceiling. “Maybe he has a hideaway key hidden somewhere nearby.”

  “Fish face, Stiltskin isn’t dumb enough to keep a spare key outside his office,” Jocelyn snaps.

  “That was rude!” Maxine tells her. “Apologize.”

  “Guys?” Ollie says as they argue. “Look!” He is standing in front of Stiltskin’s open door waving a set of keys. “Skeleton keys,” he says with glee. “A pirate’s best friend for thieving. Now come on. We don’t have all day.”

  We pile into the office. It looks just like it did when Jax and I were here. The fire is blazing. Stiltskin’s desk is bare and gleaming. His chair is tucked under his desk.

  “Neat freak,” Jax says and tugs on a few office drawers. We peer into them, staring into nothingness. “No quills, no parchments, no school documents. Where is he hiding his things?”

  Jocelyn opens his file cabinet. “Nothing here either. He travels light.”

  “Or he doesn’t plan on staying long,” I say.

  “I doubt we’re that lucky.” Ollie begins stomping around the room. “He’s just a good hider. But he’s no match for a pirate used to keeping things below floorboards.” He stops and hits one spot again. I hear it echo. “We’ve got a winner!”

  Jax crouches down, and we roll back a red oriental rug. There is a small door underneath, but it’s locked. I feel Wilson wiggle out of my pocket and run down my arm. He’s clearly on a mission so I put him down next to Jax. Wilson sniffs the lock, then squeezes himself through the keyhole. Seconds later, we hear a click, and Jax opens the door. “This mouse of yours is pretty smart.”

  Maybe a mouse isn’t such a bad fairy pet aft
er all. “Yes, he is. Good boy, Wilson.” The mouse sniffs the air, and I toss him another treat.

  We peer into the darkness below. Maxine pulls a bag out of her pocket. “Illuminating pixie dust,” she tells us and dumps the contents into the hole. The dust lights up the area below. Jagged rocks in the ground drip with condensation, and cold air rises into the room. “I can’t tell how deep it goes back, but it looks like it’s empty.”

  “Drop me in, and I’ll poke around,” Ollie says, shimmying into the small hole. Wilson disappears in after him. We lean over the edge to look.

  “See anything?” Hayley asks.

  “There’s some hay on the floor, but the hole is empty. Wait! There’s a small jar down here.” He jingles it. “It’s filled with beans.” Jax and I look at each other.

  “Magic beans,” Jax whispers. “Ollie, bring them up. We have to get them out of here before anyone tries to use them.”

  “Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

  We hear a high-pitched whistling sound and hold our ears. The sound is so painful that no one can move. I manage to open my eyes and look around the room. An antique alarm clock on the mantel is buzzing so loudly that it shakes and falls off the fireplace. I reach out and grab it just before it hits the ground.

  “Your time is half up!” a voice inside the clock whispers. “Pay up or pay the price. Pay up or pay the price…”

  “Who is that?” Hayley asks anxiously.

  I hold the clock up to the light and try to read the letters etched into the back. JA. “I don’t know,” I say.

  Boom!

  The door to the office flies off its hinges, knocking me onto my butt. Anna, Hansel, and Gretel come bursting through the door, followed by Stiltskin. When he catches sight of the open trapdoor and the clock in my hands, his skin turns almost violet.

  “Seize them!” he shouts and waves his wand at us.

  “No!” I hear Anna shout, but she can’t get to me in time. Stiltskin’s spell sucks my friends and me up into a vortex, pulling us out of the room and dropping us into cold, dark waters. A scream barely escapes my lips before I begin to sink into the icy waters below. Then the world around me fades to black.

  CHAPTER 13

  Stormy Seas

  I feel a shock and come to seconds later as an electric eel nips at my boots. That’s when I remember: I’m in the water! My body continues to sink and I try to kick up, but my ridiculous outfit is weighing me down. I quickly pull at the heavy skirt, unlooping some of the ribbons and yanking it off so that only a leotard remains. I slip out of my sweater too, and momentarily panic about Wilson. Then I remember he escaped into the trapdoor with Ollie. He’s safe—for now.

  I look around as bubbles escape my nose. I have to get to the surface before I run out of air, but it’s so dark I can’t tell which way is up. A coral reef lies to my left along with what appears to be a cave. Sea grass sways below me, and I feel my foot get tangled in a long vine. I furiously shake myself free and try not to freak out. That’s when I see a long, black cape sinking into the darkness. Jocelyn.

  I kick my way through the murky water to reach her. Her eyes are closed as I rip off her cape and heavy skirt. I hang on to her and try to figure out my next move. That’s when I hear pounding. I look up and see Jax hitting what looks like a glass ceiling as sleek gray creatures surround him. Sharks. I want to scream and warn him, but I can’t. My lungs feel like they are on fire. My heart is pounding in my chest. Jocelyn is still unconscious. I have no clue how we’re getting out of here. That’s when I hear more banging. Through the reeds, I spot Maxine kicking at something invisible in front of her. I grab Jocelyn’s arm and pull her with me toward Maxine, and that’s when I hit an invisible wall of glass. Suddenly I know where we are.

  We’re in Madame Cleo’s tank, but I don’t see the sea witch.

  Holding on to Jocelyn, I use my free hand to join Maxine in pounding the glass. I’ve seen it break before when I was in detention. We pound desperately, panic rising in my chest as a school of fish swims by me. That’s when I see him standing in the center of the room with a smug smile on his face. Rumpelstiltskin.

  He shows no signs of remorse as he watches us fight for our lives. The dark water makes it hard to see, but I wonder if Anna is with him and if she’s trying to do anything to stop this madness. With my last breath, I hit the wall with all my strength. It does nothing. My eyes start to drift closed, and Maxine begins to sink beside me. I grab her arm with my other hand. Soon we’re all descending into the darkness.

  Zap!

  A shock of light behind us makes my eyes flutter open. I feel someone’s hands on me, and then something cold is pressed against my lips. Air fills my lungs. I can breathe! Whatever this thing is, it’s giving me oxygen. I watch as a mermaid places the same object on Jocelyn’s, Jax’s, and Maxine’s lips, and they slowly start to come to. Then I realize who I’m looking at. It’s Hayley in her mermaid form! Her hair is pale blue, like her new fishtail. Her yellow eyes are so mellow that I feel suddenly calm. She squeezes my hand, and I notice her fingers are webbed. Then she motions to the mermaid beside her.

  Madame Cleo does not look calm. Her hair is fiery orange, and her face is almost white with rage as she lets out an ear-splattering scream I’ve only heard her do once before. Rumpelstiltskin steps away from the tank as the glass begins to splinter. I watch Cleo and Hayley swim away, and then, suddenly, there is a flash of light and I see Professor Harlow burst into the room with Wolfington and Blackbeard. She summons the breaking glass toward her, and my friends and I get sucked into a wave of water that pours into the detention room. Members of the RS squad get swept away in the surge of water, but Stiltskin manages to grab hold of a chandelier. Just as quickly, the leak is plugged with a wave of Harlow’s hand.

  I cough violently and take in huge gasps of air. Jax coughs up a small fish, and Maxine is shivering beside Jocelyn. Ollie appears with warming blankets that he wraps around each of us.

  “How…did…you…know…where…to…find…us?” Maxine asks him.

  I see Wilson poke his head out of Ollie’s pocket. “One of the RS members cracked and told me where you were being sent.”

  Anna? I mouth, and he nods.

  She tried to save me.

  “Once I knew where you were, I alerted Miri to let Madame Cleo know, but Hayley was already with her,” Ollie says.

  “Oh, darlings, are you all right?” Madame Cleo says from inside the tank. Hayley swishes alongside her. “We came as quickly as we could. We had to stop for coral hearts first. Hayley and I didn’t think you had enough oxygen left to survive ’til the glass broke.”

  “That girl is half mermaid?” Rumpelstiltskin says with disgust as he swings from the chandelier. An RS member runs underneath, and Stiltskin drops into his arms and hops to the ground. He glares at Hayley.

  “She might be, but the others aren’t!” Professor Harlow cries, rushing to Jocelyn to check on her. “Humans can’t survive that long underwater!”

  “And ye could have hurt my lass, ye scallywag!” Blackbeard points his sword at Stiltskin.

  His RS squad rushes in to protect him. Anna locks eyes with me. She doesn’t say anything, but she looks relieved to see I’m okay.

  “Darling, I’m fine,” Madame Cleo says, and her hair turns red.

  “You see? She’s fine,” Stiltskin says calmly. “Now lower your sword, Professor Blackbeard, or we’ll be taking it from you along with your job.” Blackbeard puts his sword back into its holster reluctantly.

  “Let me through!”

  Flora rushes into the room with Kayla behind her. Flora’s face crumples when she sees us, and Kayla starts to cry. “So it’s true? You placed these students in Cleo’s tank? You could have killed them, you monster!”

  Stiltskin chews on a strand of licorice in his hand. “I’m headmaster, and I’ll dole out punishments as I see fit.” Flora’s
face darkens. “They were trespassing on my private property and needed to be reprimanded.” He glances at Kayla. “Disobedient children cannot be rewarded. They should be dealt with accordingly.”

  “They’re children!” Flora shouts. “You went too far. Threatening to expel Kayla, hurting the others—I want you to leave Fairy Tale Reform School at once!”

  “Finally, she’s come to her senses,” Harlow mutters.

  Stiltskin waves his wand, and a long contract appears in his hands. “Temper, temper, Professor Flora. This is no longer your school, remember? It’s mine.” He smiles with glee. “At my school, children who break into the headmaster’s office must pay.”

  “We know what you’re hiding,” I say, my teeth chattering. “You stole magic beans.” I watch Stiltskin’s expression change.

  “Is this true?” Wolfington asks. “Magic beans are outlawed in Enchantasia. The consequences of just one bean being planted could be disastrous!”

  Stiltskin stares at me. “So where are these supposed magic beans I have?”

  I look down. “They disappeared when you sent us into Madame Cleo’s tank.”

  He laughs. “See? Lies! All lies! Even if I do own beans, who says they’re magic? You? The little hero?” he mocks. “Well, you’re not a hero any longer. You couldn’t even save yourself in that tank. Accept it, Gillian Cobbler. Your shining moment has passed. No one—including your sister—needs you anymore.”

  “That’s not true,” I say angrily. “Maybe the kids here don’t see it, but what you’re doing at FTRS is wrong, and I don’t have to be a hero to know you don’t belong here.” Maxine smiles at me encouragingly.

  “Get them out of here,” Stiltskin says, looking pointedly at Anna. She takes my arm.

  “No!” Flora shouts, and Anna drops it. “You may have tricked me into giving you this school, but I won’t allow you to continue to hurt my students. I know why you took Kayla’s family, and I know the beans you have in your possession are real, and you will—”