The Beginning of the End
The lanterns in the classroom suddenly extinguish, plunging us into darkness. Miri’s mirrors cut out. I hear screaming in the distance as a rumble rocks the castle.
“We need to get out of here and see what’s going on,” I tell Kayla.
The door to the classroom flies open.
“Thief? Kayla? Are you guys all right?” Jax lights a flare so we can see one another. Maxine is with him.
Quack!
So is Peaches.
“What is going on? Where is Miri?” Kayla asks.
Ah-woooo! We hear a wolf howl somewhere close by.
“Stiltskin must have knocked out our magic mirror system and the castle torches. We can’t tell what’s going on,” Jax explains. “Wolfington, Professor Sebastian, and AG will be transforming in Flora’s office. We do not want to be here when they do,” he says. “Flora has most of the students in the gym awaiting instruction while Jocelyn and Harlow try to hold up the barrier. We can meet them there.”
“I need to find my mother,” Kayla tells me, and her wings pop out and begin to flutter.
“Wait!” I say as she flies off. “Shouldn’t we stay together?”
“We need more fairies!” she yells as she flies into the hallway. “I’ll find you!”
I’m not alone, I remind myself, but our group size is dwindling. Another blast sends pieces of the ceiling crumbling down on us. I look up and see a small hole in the ceiling, revealing a red sky.
The Fire Moon is here.
“We need to get outside,” I tell Jax.
“The Magical Fairy Pets classroom is in this hallway,” Maxine tells us. “It has a back door.”
The three of us, with Peaches in tow, rush down the hall and into the classroom. A lion roars in greeting. Cages with fairy pets big and small, with everything from elephants to tigers and peacocks, are locked inside them. Another blast rocks the castle, and the sound of the animals’ combined calls for help is deafening.
“We have to release them. They’re goners if we don’t,” Maxine runs from cage to cage to open them up. An elephant runs past me, and Jax and I press ourselves against a wall to avoid being trampled. The animal crashes right through the wall, giving us a view of the outside world.
The sky is smoky, lit entirely by the red glow of the Fire Moon. I watch as a cannonball blasts into the air, lighting up the cornfields and the forest below. A low-lying fog is seeping out from the trees, which rattle with the appearance of several giants. Overhead, gargoyles fly in front of the moon, followed by harpies whose shrieks are so loud, the fairy pets wail louder with fright. Finally, a large group emerges out of the darkness: Stiltskin and Alva are leading the crowd to the protective shield crackling around the school.
Stiltskin is dressed entirely in gold, and his black beard has only grown longer in his time away. Still, it’s my first sighting of Alva that makes me the most anxious. When we saw her in Cloud City, she was still unconscious after I unwittingly released her from her statue prison. Now Alva’s jet-black hair flies untamed in the wind as she holds up a wand and points it at the shield, lighting it up like a thousand fairies. The massive Stiltskin Squad watches her in awe. Standing front and center, watching, is my sister, Anna.
I’m not sure you can save that one, I hear Grandma Pearl say inside my head, but I try to block her out and focus on Angelina’s instructions: What does your gut tell you?
That my sister is a villain now. I know this to be true. But if faced with a choice, will I have what it takes to destroy Anna to save the kingdom? Can I handle how evil she’s truly become and accept I can’t save her?
For the first time in a long time, I’m scared.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Alva’s voice echoes through the room like a gust of wind. “I know you’ve got the girl.”
I know she means me.
“You think you can hide behind shields that can’t be broken, but we will get inside!” Her laugh bounces off the walls. “Give us what we came for, and there is a chance some of you may be spared.”
“You’re not surrendering,” Jax tells me. “Don’t even think of it.”
“I know, but if she destroys the school to get to me, so many lives will be lost. I can’t let that happen either.” I try to control my breathing like Angelina taught me and not be rash. Don’t rush, I hear a voice inside my head say. Make them wait for you.
“Why won’t they come?” Stiltskin hops up and down angrily. “Cowards!” I’m not sure he realizes his tinny voice is picked up by Alva’s magical speaker spell. It echoes through the castle. “We need to get that shield down!”
“I’m trying!” Alva barks as she lights the barricade again using her wand fire. The shield, however, stays intact. Alva finally throws her wand, frustrated.
“They’re trying to stall us!” Stiltskin shouts. “I know that angers you, but remain calm. I want our future here already, too, my pet.” He takes her hand.
Ugh. My pet? That’s just the worst nickname ever.
“They’re scared.” Alva pulls her hand away. “Good! Let them cower!” She takes a deep breath. “Their fear feeds my soul. You’re afraid to leave the security of your castle, are you?” she shouts and her voice swooshes through the room. “Well, you’ll want to leave when you see who is coming for you.”
“I should show myself,” I say and I hear the voice again. Be patient. So instead, I stay still, watching Alva’s every move.
Suddenly there is a plume of smoke and flames and Alva transforms herself into a wyvern. The two-headed dragon nearly destroyed the royal court the last time Alva managed this feat. But this time, the damage could be worse. The wyvern takes flight, its wings beating fast as it inhales sharply, then emits a long stream of fire at the barricade protecting the school. This time, the shield sizzles and cracks, sounding like fireworks before it finally explodes. Jax and I reach for each other as the holes in the shield grow larger and larger until it completely disintegrates. Within seconds, Stiltskin and his crew begin running straight toward the school.
“We need to move!” Jax says, pulling me back from the opening. I reach for Maxine.
“But the animals!” Maxine cries. “I have to free the rest of them, or they’ll have no chance.”
“Maxine—” I try, but she cuts me off as the wyvern sets the nearby greenhouse ablaze.
“No.” Her jaw is firm. “I must do this, Gilly. Please.”
“But…” I hesitate, but I know what Angelina would say: Everyone has their own path. I nod reluctantly. “Be careful.”
“I will.” Maxine looks at Jax. “Get Gilly somewhere safe. I’ll come find you.” Maxine sets a unicorn free, and it jumps through the hole in the wall.
Jax grabs my arm again, and I feel Wilson scurry out of my pocket and down my arm.
There is so much commotion and noise I can barely understand what he’s squeaking, but I assume it’s about him staying back as well. Everyone needs their own path. I take a deep breath. “Okay, but come with Peaches as soon as you’re done. Promise you’ll find us!” I shout to Maxine, but I can barely see her through all the smoke. I feel Jax reach for my hand again.
“Let’s get you to the fairy grounds! You need to get to Angelina!” he shouts, and we tear off into the field.