Shuffle!
Duchess pushed the pillow aside. The hedgehog was lying on top of the card deck. “Give me that,” she whispered. Shuffle glared at her. Then the critter wrapped her arms around the deck. A little tug-of-war ensued. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m bigger than you.” After a few shakes, Shuffle flew across the room and landed with a soft plop in a pile of towels.
Her finger throbbing, Duchess opened the Wonderland box and removed the deck of cards. Then she slid the school deck into the box. Lizzie was always in such a hurry in the morning, she never took the time to look inside the box. Why would she? No one had ever replaced her cards.
After tucking the Wonderland box back under the pillow, Duchess hid the real deck in Lizzie’s desk, to make it look as if Lizzie had misplaced it. Lizzie would eventually find it, just not tomorrow morning. The deed was done.
After bandaging her finger, Duchess stood at the open window. Tomorrow, Lizzie would be out. She’d be embarrassed when her card trick didn’t work. She’d be furious when she discovered that her own roommate and friend had double-crossed her. But even with a fairy-fail on her record, Lizzie Hearts would still inherit a kingdom, or at least live her life playing croquet and drinking tea on two human legs. So maybe she’d understand Duchess’s motives.
Maybe.
A dim light drew Duchess’s attention. She leaned outside. With Ginger, Faybelle, Sparrow, and Lizzie eliminated, only one competitor remained. And her light was still on.
It was time to see what Raven was planning.
Chapter 19
Raven’s Room
Duchess tucked her wings, then perched on the dormitory’s stone ledge. As gracefully as possible, which is difficult when one has webbed feet, she stepped close to the window and peered through.
Raven’s desk lamp glowed. Her side of the room was a tangle of thorny branches and dark oak furniture. The ambience was foreboding. The decor had been chosen by Raven’s roommate, Apple White, to fit the image of what Raven was expected to be. The future Evil Queen was not supposed to surround herself with ruffles and colors, like Apple’s side of the room.
Raven sat slumped over her desk, writing. She was dressed in black leggings and an embellished hoodie, her purple-highlighted hair tied back from her face. Her expression was serious. Was she working on a to-do list, or writing in her diary? Maybe she was working on the thronework assignment.
“Did you read the hext from Blondie?” Apple asked as she flitted past the desk, her long nightgown drowning in ruffles. Luckily, the window was cracked open, so Duchess had no trouble eavesdropping.
“No.”
“She said that Lizzie Hearts might quit the Next Top Villain contest.”
“So?”
“So?” Apple squeaked. “You should be happy to hear that news. If Lizzie quits, it will make it easier for you to win.” She stood in front of her magic mirror, brushing her hair. “You’re going to win, right?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Apple whipped around. “But you must win. You’re destined to be my Evil Queen.”
“What-ever-after,” Raven grumbled. “Look, I’m trying to read.”
Apple’s eyes widened. “What are you reading? Is it for your General Villainy thronework? What are you going to do? Will it be scary? Am I going to be the victim, which I’m totally willing to do, by the way? Should I alert the dwarves?”
Duchess leaned closer, pressing her beak to the glass. This was it. Raven was going to tell Apple about her rotten and nasty plan. A shiver of anticipation ran through Duchess’s feathers.
But Raven didn’t say anything. She turned the page, then glanced up at the window. Her eyes flashed. Oops. Duchess pulled her long neck away from the glass. Did she see me?
Raven didn’t come to the window, so it appeared that Duchess was in the clear.
“Well, whatever spell you decide to cast, I know it will be the best. I mean, the rottenest.” Apple giggled. “No one else can be the Next Top Villain but you, Raven. And then our destinies will begin, and you’ll become the evilest in our kingdoms and you’ll feed me that poisoned apple, and I’ll fall asleep and be kissed by Daring Charming, and live Happily Ever After, and it will be royally enchanting!”
Hate to tell you this, Duchess thought, but when I get named Next Top Villain, Daring won’t be able to take his eyes off me.
“I think you should stop worrying so much about our destinies,” Raven said. “Sometimes it’s better to live in the moment and not for the future.”
Easy for you to say, Duchess thought.
She shifted her weight on the ledge. Still hidden from sight, she cocked her head, listening for more conversation.
Apple hummed a little song, then said, “I’m going to bed now. Charm you later.”
“Good night,” Raven said drily.
Wow, talk about the odd couple. Duchess thought that she and Lizzie were the most mismatched pair in the dorm, but these two were like sugar and salt.
Suddenly, the window slid open and Raven stuck out her head. “Hello, Duchess,” she said.
Duchess honked.
“Are you spying on me?” She rested her chin in her hand. “Trying to find out what I’m doing for General Villainy?”
Duchess blinked.
“I know it’s you. You want me to think you’re Pirouette, but I can tell it’s you. Want to know how?”
As far as Duchess knew, she and Pirouette looked identical. No one had ever been able to tell them apart. She tore a piece of ivy off the wall and began to eat it, pretending she hadn’t understood a word.
“I can tell it’s you because you stand like a ballerina.” She pointed to Duchess’s webbed feet.
True enough, Duchess’s feet were turned out in first position.
Flustered, Duchess flew away.
Chapter 20
A Rebel Revealed
During breakfast in the Castleteria the next morning, Sparrow Hood joined Duchess and Lizzie at their table. Lizzie had purposefully selected one in the center of the room so her brilliant Villainy thronework scheme could be witnessed by all.
Sparrow set his guitar on the table, then smiled mischievously at Duchess. “What’s up, Swan?” He grabbed a piece of toast from her plate. “Anything new?”
Duchess didn’t reply. She was staring at the nearest mirror. Photos of the six General Villainy students were posted on the screen, three with gold X’s over their faces.
Only Raven, Lizzie, and Duchess remained, and soon, it would be just her and Raven. During last night’s overheard conversation, Raven hadn’t seemed very enthusiastic about the General Villainy thronework, which was good news for Duchess. The A could still be hers to claim.
“Whoa!” Sparrow pushed his guitar aside, narrowly avoiding a splash of hot tea. The teacup in Lizzie’s hand was rattling on its saucer because she was trembling. “What’s your problem, Hearts?”
Lizzie had been a nervous wreck all morning. “Mind your own rabbit hole!”
“You’re in a rotten mood,” Sparrow said. “Hey, you’re not planning something rotten and nasty, are you? I heard you were going to quit.”
“That’s a big, fat fable.” Lizzie clenched her jaw. “I’m not telling you anything, and don’t bother talking to Duchess. She won’t tell you a thing, because roommates do not squeal on each other.” Lizzie set her cup on the table. “Now, I order you to go away. You’re blocking my view.”
“View of what?” He looked around. “Are you drooling over Charming like all the other girls?” Daring sat two tables away, surrounded by his groupies. “What about me? I’m drool-worthy.”
“I don’t care about Daring Charming.” She rolled up her sleeves, preparing for the big surprise. “Listen, stop bothering me. I have a lot on my mind, and I need to pay attention.”
Fortunately for Duchess, Lizzie had been in such a hurry that she’d grabbed the card deck and had shoved it into her pocket without looking inside. There was a very st
rong possibility that Duchess’s sabotage would work, and Lizzie would soon be out of the contest.
That realization made Duchess’s stomach clench. Did evil villains feel guilt? She doubted it.
Sparrow scooted closer to Duchess. “So, if your roommate is going to do something rotten and nasty, should I take cover?” He winked at Duchess. Fortunately, Lizzie did not notice the wink.
She was on the lookout for one person. “Oh, there she is,” Lizzie said with a gasp.
Blondie Lockes hurried into the Castleteria, MirrorPad in hand. She spun left, then right, always on the lookout for a scoop. Spying Lizzie, she headed straight for the table. “So, are you going to quit?” she asked. She didn’t even bother with a “good morning.”
“To quit or not to quit? That is the question,” Sparrow said, stealing another piece of Duchess’s toast.
Lizzie opened her mouth, but Blondie didn’t wait for the answer. “I conducted an official poll,” Blondie said. “Well, maybe not official. I asked a bunch of people, and most of them think you’re going to quit because there’s no way you can compete with Raven.” Blondie pressed the record button on her MirrorPad. “Are you going to quit?”
Lizzie growled. Then she leaped to her feet, almost knocking over her breakfast teapot. Duchess had seen Lizzie throw a fit before, but she’d never seen her like this. Her fists were clenched, and her face turned so red it looked as if it had been painted. “You want to know if I’m going to quit?” she asked as she climbed onto the table. “You want to know if I’m going to quit?”
The Castleteria went silent as everyone turned to watch the spectacle that was unfolding in the center of the room. Raven looked up from her book and raised her eyebrows. For a moment, the only sound was Lizzie’s crazed breathing. Lizzie reached into her pocket and pulled out the box of cards. This was it. Duchess felt a little queasy with anticipation. Blondie was being such a pain, and she totally deserved to be trapped in a card house for the whole day. In fact, she deserved way worse than that. But Lizzie’s revenge wouldn’t happen. The cards had no magic. This was going to be so embarrassing for Lizzie. Duchess wanted to run from the room. She couldn’t face what she’d done.
Lizzie opened the card box. “A Heart might twitter, a Heart might flitter, but the Princess of Hearts is never a quitter! Prepare yourself for something rotten and nasty.” She tossed her cards at Blondie. Everyone gasped.
The cards flew through the air. Lizzie beamed with happiness, believing her revenge to be close at hand. Duchess cringed.
The cards fell at Blondie’s feet. No one moved. Somewhere in the Castleteria, a cricket chirped.
Lizzie stood on the table, her mouth open with surprise. “Holy rabbit hole!” She pointed at the scattered cards. “Those aren’t mine.”
Mr. Badwolf strode over to the table. His coffee mug had the words WORLD’S BADDEST DAD printed on the side. “Throwing cards at someone is neither rotten nor nasty.” He looked up at her. “You didn’t even give your intended victim a paper cut. I’m very disappointed.” He waved his clipboard. “Fairy-fail for you, Ms. Hearts.”
Blondie typed something onto her MirrorPad, and a big gold X appeared over Lizzie’s photo on all the mirrors.
Lizzie jumped off the table and picked up one of the cards, staring at it with confusion. “How did these ordinary cards get into my Wonderland box? I demand an answer!”
Sparrow gave Duchess a conspiratorial look. Duchess stepped close to Lizzie and spoke quietly to her. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” she said. “What’s done is done. Now you can focus on the Princessology thronework. That’s more important to you, right?” Hopefully, Lizzie would see this as no big deal.
But that’s when Daring Charming stepped forward. With a grand sweep of his arm, he bowed before Lizzie. Then, standing as straight as a tree, he cleared his throat and said, “It is my duty, as the hero, to come to the damsel’s rescue.” He pointed at Duchess. “That girl took a deck of cards from the Common Room last night.”
That girl? Duchess grimaced. Would he ever remember her name? It was bad enough that he didn’t pay any attention to her and was crushing on someone else, but now he was ratting on her.
She was beginning to suspect that their love was not meant to be.
“Duchess?” Lizzie turned, her eyes wide with disbelief. “What’s he talking about?”
Duchess wasn’t sure what to do. Her instinct was to deny everything and try to save her friendship with Lizzie. So what if she took a deck of cards? That was circumstantial evidence, right? There were no eyewitnesses to the actual crime, except for a hedgehog, and she was sleeping back in the dorm room.
On the other hand, if Duchess denied doing the deed, then she wouldn’t get credit for it when Mr. Badwolf assigned the grade.
Dilemma drama.
“Did you switch my cards?” Lizzie asked, her voice cracking with emotion. “Did you ruin my thronework?”
Everyone was waiting for the answer. Everyone was staring at her, except for Sparrow, who already knew the answer. He was eating the last of her toast. Duchess stood so stiffly she felt like a statue. What should she say? She wanted to transform and fly away.
“Wait a sweet second,” Ginger Breadhouse said. She pushed her way between Daring and Lizzie. Her felt jacket was decorated with white swirls, like icing. “Now that I think about it, Duchess was in the Cooking Class-ic Room. I thought she was there because she’d smelled my delicious cinnamon trolls, but now I’m thinking she was there to mess up my plan.” Ginger put her hands on her hips. “That’s why my sandman powder didn’t work. She ruined it!”
Then Faybelle Thorn flew forward. “Someone ruined my fairy dust spell. But look what that someone left behind.” She held up a white feather.
Faybelle, Ginger, and Lizzie glared at Duchess. She took a long, deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. Her scheme wasn’t supposed to be revealed yet. She still had to learn what Raven was planning and ruin it. But now Raven would know what she was up to. “I… I…” Duchess swallowed hard. “I really don’t know what you’re all talking about.”
Mr. Badwolf set his coffee cup on the table and began to write on his clipboard. “Sabotaging your competitors, Ms. Swan? That is most promising. However, I must get one thing clear.” He pointed his red pen at her. “Were your intentions to eliminate the other students? In that case, I would be pleased. Or were your intentions to save the rest of the student body from the effects of rotten and nasty plans? In that case, I would be displeased.”
If she denied her intentions, he’d give her a fairy-fail. There was nothing she could do. “I wanted to win,” Duchess admitted.
Mr. Badwolf growled happily. Lizzie’s eyes filled with tears. “How could you? I thought you were my friend.” She grabbed her book bag and ran off.
“Lizzie, wait!” Duchess called. She wanted to explain. But Lizzie was gone, her sobs fading. An ache filled Duchess’s heart, but only for a moment. She held her head high. So what if she didn’t have a friend? She was a ballerina, and solitude was not her enemy.
Mr. Badwolf patted her on the shoulder. “Sabotaging your competitors was a good start, Ms. Swan. But double-crossing someone and making her cry is even better.” He tucked the clipboard under his arm. “I will wait to assign your grade until I’ve seen what Ms. Queen has up her wicked sleeves.”
“You don’t have to wait!” a voice announced.
It was Raven Queen, and she stood on a table on the far side of the Castleteria. Her arms were held wide. What was she doing? “Now it’s my turn!”
Some of the students screamed. Except for Apple White, who was bouncing on her toes. “I knew she’d do it. I knew she’d be bad!”
Students rushed toward the exits. The cooks hid behind their cauldrons. Those with fairy wings flew into the rafters. The daughter of the Evil Queen was about to unleash her thronework assignment!
Duchess should have been scared, but instead, she was frustrated. All her efforts were about to be ruined by
Raven’s sorcery. Duchess would fail General Villainy. She’d fail at being a Rebel. And she’d lose her only friend in the process.
Raven raised her arms higher and higher, and a spell emerged from her mouth.
Chapter 21
Raven’s Ruse
Raven Queen looked like the perfect villain. Her long black hair whipped around her as if caught in a storm. The spell was spoken. She flicked her outstretched fingers.
Blam!
A black cloud of smoke appeared on the table in front of her. This was it. Rotten and nasty. Raven Queen would claim her place as the Next Top Villain.
Duchess held her breath, waiting to see what emerged. Would it be a swarm of bees? A plague of locusts? Or maybe a knot of toads?
Honk!
The smoke faded away, and everyone started laughing. For what sat on the table, its legs splayed, was an ugly baby bird.
“What is that?” Raven asked, her hands on her hips.
“It’s just a duck,” Blondie said, disappointed.
“A duck?” Sparrow laughed. “Oooh, someone call security.”
“It’s not a duck,” Duchess said. “It’s a cygnet. A baby swan.” The little thing looked confused. It started waddling around, honking like crazy. Duchess dashed across the room and grabbed it just before it fell off the table.
“How dare you!” Raven hollered, her eyes flaming. “Did you see that, Mr. Badwolf? Duchess sabotaged my thronework, just like she did to Ginger, Faybelle, and Lizzie.”
What the hex? Duchess looked up at Raven, who still stood on the table.
“I don’t know how you did it, Duchess, but you’ve totally ruined my plans.” Raven folded her arms and pouted. “I’m really, really upset about this.”
As Duchess cradled the cygnet in her arms, she tried to figure out what was going on. Had Raven’s spell gone bad on its own? Or was it possible that Raven was… trying to lose?
“I guess that means I’m out of the contest,” Raven said with a big shrug. “Oh well.”