SaltyDanDan

Red frowned. “Doing what? Killing flowers?”

“I haven’t questioned you running off with Hook and his gang all this while, have I? So don’t question what I spend my time doing!” Faye burst out, shocking Red.

The girl stared as Faye’s expression broke down from anger into sadness and she sat on the bench near her with a heavy sigh.

“I’m terribly sorry, Scarlett. I’m just stressed. I’ve been worried about my Advanced Spellcasting finals and a bunch of other stuff. And I have no right to judge you. You have the right to spend time with who you want.”

“Faye, I get why you’re upset,” Red said, sitting beside her. “I’ve been bailing on you guys without explanation, and that’s not cool.”

“It’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with branching out and making new friends. I was just…scared.”

“For my safety?”

“Yes. But also because…well, the other day, before we broke up, Antoine told me he saw something in his crystal ball. Something bad’s gonna happen to Bridget.”

Red wetted her lips which had grown dry and readied herself to speak.

She had not expected to hear that at all.

“I think I might know what he saw.”

“What? How?”

“That’s actually what I wanted to tell you; I overheard Uliana and Mirana talking. They’re planning to hurt her at Prince Christopher’s ball using these magic flowers she’s allergic to.”

Faye cupped her mouth to hide her screech of shock.

“Oh Flora-Fauna-Merryweather, that’s terrible!”

“I know,” Red responded.

She looked at Faye and her mind went back to the day of the Welcome Event, and the things her mum had said about the Fairy God mother.

At the time, Red had thought the wand-toting woman had been heartless and betrayed her mother, but now, here she was already in tears at just the news of what was being planned.

“Why would they want to do that?

“Uliana has had it in for my mu- I mean, Bridget, since the whole cupcake thing. And Mirana…I think she just hates her sister, I don’t know what caused it, but she does.”

“This is just awful,” Faye said, shaking her head in despair.

Red eyed her cautiously. “You’re not going to tell her…are you?”

“Goodness, no! If she were to find out about this…it would destroy her.”

“Destroy? What do you mean?”

“I’m guessing by now you’ve noticed that Bridget is the kindest girl in this whole school. Her soul is so pure and innocent. If she knew her own blood was planning such evil against her, that purity and innocence will turn to hate and poison. Her heart would turn cold and the good in her would turn to evil, and who knows what might happen then?”

Red felt chills and goosebumps spread under the sleeves she had on.

“I can only imagine,” she said bleakly, knowing she’d lived through the very things she was describing.

“And, I mean, I knew Mirana was a piece of work, but I never expected all this,” Faye added, speaking more to herself than to Red.

“That’s why I wanted to ask for your help.”

“My help?”

Red nodded. “You could transform the flowers before they touch her….right?”

Faye looked down at her wand, the crystals embedded in it catching the sunlight. “I mean, I could. But that would take weeks of practice?”

Now it was Red’s turn to look startled. “Weeks of practice to change a bunch of flowers?”

“I have trouble holding my spells for a long time. It takes a lot of concentration and….I’ve been so distracted lately,” she said.

Red thought of Maleficent, who cast her spells like there were second thoughts, even writing down each new combination she came up with in a small book she always carried with her. She thought of Wonderland, where magic was stitched into everyday life….at times, literally.

“Maybe your problem is that you’re too in your head. What’s been bothering you?” She paused and touched Faye’s shoulder gently. “Wait, did you say you broke up with Antoine?”

“Oh, yeah…that.” Faye shrugged and shook her hair back, but the sadness in her face was evident. “We parted ways mutually. It’s for the best.”

“Does it feel like the best?”

“No, but….”

“Faye, I don’t know much about love, but I do know there shouldn’t be any ‘buts’ involved. You love him, right?”

“I do,” she said, her voice small, but with no hesitation.

“Then there’s your answer. You should speak to him…and at least come to terms that won’t restrict your heart this way.”

Such words felt oddly foreign leaving Red’s lips. She wasn’t exactly known for possessing great wisdom, nor was she used to encouraging others. It felt slightly uncomfortable, like an itch from an ill-fitting sweater, but just like those sort of sweaters brought warmth, it also made her feel good in a way.

Faye pondered on the advice for a bit and found herself nodding. “You know what? You're right.”

“Of course, I am,” Red said, decidedly proud of herself.

If only Chesh could see her now.

She peered round carefully, pretty sure the mystical cat was hovering somewhere near them as he normally would, listening in on the conversation.

“So now,” she continued, “what you need to do is get out of your own head. Just relax and let the magic flow through you.”

“Let the magic flow through me,” Faye echoed.

“Yeah, like…water or something, uh, flowy.”

The fairy stood up and held out her wand, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, she began casting her spell on the flowers again.

“Bibbidi, bobbidi, boo!”

When she opened her eyes, she saw that the flowers had bloomed beautifully, their petals sparkling as the shimmers from her wand settled on them.

She held her breath, expecting them to poof out of their now healthy state, but they stayed as they were.

“Wha- Scarlett, it worked! I haven’t been able to cast a spell that holds well in such a long time; I just thought I needed more practice.”

“Sometimes, no practice is the most practice you’ll ever get,” Red said sagely.

She was on a roll today.

“So you’ll be able to change the flowers the day of the ball?”

Faye raised her wand again. “Bibbidi, bobbidi, boo!”

The pretty purple hibiscus flowers she had conjured up transformed into dainty yellow tulips before them.

“Sure can,” the fairy answered her happily with a smile.

Red felt relieved as she stood from the bench as well, and then she remembered something.

Hook had told her that Merlin had a secret library where he kept special books and records, as well as detailed files on the students of the Academy. He’d tried to find it several times, but failed to, and Red knew as soon as he’d mentioned it to her that it would contain the answers to the questions she had about both Iracebeth and Mirana.

“Hey, Faye, now that I’ve helped you with your little magic problem, do you think you can help me with something? Other than this, I mean.”

“Go ahead,” Faye prompted her.

“I’d like to access Merlin’s secret library,” Red whispered conspiratorially.

“His library?”

Red nodded. “The secret one. I assume you know it because you’re always helping Merlin out, right?”

“I mean, I do know it. I’m just wondering what you want to find in it. It’s also super off limits to students.”

Red paused, her brain working quickly to come up with a lie.

“I just..uh…I wanted to um…uh..”

She faltered off as she felt someone lightly adjust the hair covering her ear.

“Tell her you want to find out about the flowers,” Cheshire whipered softly, completely invisible to both of them, but audible enough for only Red to hear.

“The flowers!” Red said immediately. “I want to research the flowers that I overheard Uliana and Mirana talking about. I already checked the regular library, and all the books there just had surface level info. I heard through the berryvine that Merlin’s library would probably have the books I need.”

She blinked innocently at Faye, hoping her lie was convincing enough.

“Well…I guess that makes sense.”

“Doesn’t it?”

Red exhaled a breath but covered it up with an awkward laugh.

Faye looked around and then leaned in, lowering her voice.

“Look, I’m not sure I should be telling you this,” she said tensely. “But I feel like I can trust you with this information for some strange reason.”

“You can trust me, Faye.”

The fairy nodded, and then lowered her voice even more. “It’s actually not as hidden as you think. It’s near Merlin’s office, but it’s in this really small hallway between his office and another set of rooms; the ones with the pink flowers in the flowerpots. Once you’re able to squeeze through all the way, you’ll find a a handle on the floorboards; knock on it twice and then pull it very fast to open it. You’ll have to go in when no one is around there, but Merlin has to be in his office. When he clocks out for the day, there’s a magic spell over all his property, including the Library. It’s very strong, and it’s meant to catch intruders and…well..vaporize them. So you have to make sure you’re in and out before he leaves.”

Red gulped. Just what she needed; another do-or-die mission.

“Sounds easy enough. Thanks, Faye.”

“Thank you, Scarlett. You’ve saved me weeks of practice and helped me see I really need to reach out to Antoine.”

“Happy to help.”

She got up from the bench, leaving Faye, and as she walked away, Cheshire slowly appeared, floating on his back in front of her.

“Shall we start discussions on how much you owe me?” He purred, stretching out his striped limbs.

“I don’t have anything to give you right now, but thank you. You really saved my butt out there.”

“What else is new?”

“Y’know, you really could just tell me about my family’s history yourself without all this hassle,” Red said, giving Cheshire a pleading look.

“Nope. You’re meant to find out this way. Besides, the time-space continuum is already messed up as it is.”

“What?”

“Although I do enjoy chaos…”

“Okay, point taken, I’ll go check out the secret, creepy library.”

Hopefully, she’d get the answers she was looking for.

—---------------------------------------

Uliana closed her satchel and slung in across her body.

The hideout was dimly lit by moonlight seeping in through the windows and she headed for the door, only for a lamp to turn on behind her.

She paused, knowing she was supposed to be alone.

“Where do you think you’re headed to?” came Hook’s deep, accented voice.

Uliana rolled her eyes and turned around.

He was on the upper floor, perched on his hammock with a book open in his lap.

They hadn’t spoken since Uliana had told him about the plan and he’d laughed in her face.

“None of your business,” she hissed back at him.

Hook stood up from the hammock, dress simply in a limp white tanktop and loose, striped barrel pants, as well as what appeared to be soft slippers shaped like boots.

The rest of the school was asleep, and he was supposed to be in bed, but he liked sneaking off to the hideout to read without disturbances, and he got a lick out of breaking the rules.

He gripped the railing, hoisting himself up and over it to jump to the ground level where Uliana was.

The girl glared at him and he held her stare, his blue eyes still rimmed heavily with black liner even at that hour.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually going to go and get those flowers.”

“Fine, I won’t.”

She turned to continue walking away, but he held her back by the arm. “Uliana!” he all but yelled.

“Let go of me, Hook!”

“Not till you get this stupid idea out of your head,” he said, and then released her arm anyway.

“It’s not a stupid idea; it’s exactly what I need to teach that stupid Princess a lesson.”

“I understand you want revenge, an’ I’m all for it, but this plan is nothing but rotted fish. It doesn’t feel right.”

Uliana folded her arms, which were clad in the three-quarter sleeves of the teal coloured top she was wearing as raised a brow. “How so?”

“Has it not occurred to you that this Mirana girl just wants you to do her dirty work? She’s playing you and making you think you thought it all up by yourself, so when crap hits the fan, you’ll be the only one to blame.”

“I told you already, any and all blame is going to fall on the decorators responsible for the Ball.”

“Oh yeah? You think old man Merlin wouldn’t want to know everything that comes in and out of his school? You think they won’t have lists and records of their inventory and the flowers they’re bringing? It’s all going to lead back to you eventually.”

“Well good! I want everyone to know it was me!” Uliana burst out.

“And when the King and Queen of Wonderland want to bring the person who injured their daughter to justice, then what? Did you think about that?”

Uliana squinted at him in anger. “You’re supposed to be my first mate, Hook. Why can’t you just support me?”

“I am your first mate, Uls,” he replied, his expression softening. “And trust me, any other plan, I’d be more than happy to carry out with you. But I can’t sit back and let you do this one.”

“It’s because of the red head, right? She’s turned you against us. Against me.”

“What? No! Don’t bring Scarlett into this, Uliana. This has nothing to do with her.”

She rolled her eyes and moved in closer to him, getting all up in his face, the lamp light reflecting off her brown eyes, which were lit up with anger.

“Why do you even care when you’re going to leave at the end of the semester anyways?” she questioned pointing at his hammock where the book he’d been reading laid idly. “You’re not even going to be here if crap does hit the fan, so what’s even the point of stopping me?”

Hook opened his mouth to speak, but silence was the only sound he made.

“She made a fool of me, Hook,” Uliana continued, her voice watery and emotional. “She made me look weak. I AM NOT WEAK!”

Her tentacles unfurled as she yelled, spreading out and knocking over a chair near where they stood.

“You’re not,” Hook agreed calmly. “But you have to be rational about this. You have a lot to lose if this goes south. You’re not your sister; she left everything she had and had to gain it all back for herself by paying in blood. You have to forge your own path.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“Is it? Or are you just the executor of another villain’s schemes?”

She gripped her satchel and took a breath, puffing up her chest.

“I’m leaving.”

“Have you even killed someone before, Uli?”

That stopped her in her tracks once more.

“Have you? Taken another person’s life? Watched it slip out of them, knowing you caused it? Because that’s what’s going to happen to that princess if she’s exposed to the flowers for too long. Are you ready for that? To be up a creek without a boat?”

Uliana stiffened and looked over her shoulder, her voice icy cold as she spoke. “Good thing I can breathe underwater.”