Chapter 15: Violet

The sound of the alarm pulled me out of my dream. It was a nice one for a chance, so I wasn’t happy about it.

Celestria was a morning person, but Kenley hated getting up early. She could get cranky at times. Her crankiness became ten times worse in the mornings, and today was no different.

To be fair, after cleaning up our room and going on our little expedition, I was having a rough time myself. I sat on the cold floor, trying to wake up, when a scream echoed through the entire building.

“Okay, I’m awake now,” I said, rubbing my eyes.

Everyone ran out of their rooms to see what the commotion was all about. Allyah stood in the hall in nothing but her nightgown. Her eyes were bloodshot. She was shaking like a leaf. I suppose I would’ve been too if my skin was as purple as a dark-violet flower.

Some of the girls giggled but tried to hide it. Others stared at her, shocked.

“What’s going on here?” Master Rhoslyn flew down the hall and stopped in front of Allyah’s room. I was expecting her to get angry or yell at us until one of us confessed, but, in the most surprising twist of all, she covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled. That was when even the most empathetic girls joined in and laughed alongside her.

Allyah was mean to everyone. She had it coming.

“I won’t repeat myself. Tell me what in the world is going on, so we can all finish getting ready for the day and go eat breakfast,” the master said, but it was all for show because her potions book was the reason why Allyah looked like an eggplant in a blonde wig in the first place.

Since she offered the book to me, she must’ve read it. And if she did, she must’ve been familiar with the potion.

Last night, Celestria, Kenley, and I had snuck into the master’s classroom and borrowed the ingredients I needed. I carefully followed all the instructions and made the skin-changing potion. I didn’t know if it’d work, and it wasn’t like any of us wanted to test it on ourselves.

Still, we slipped inside Allyah’s bedroom. Kenley, being the most athletic and nimble of the group, tiptoed to her bed, and dropped a single drop of liquid on her forehead. Together, we’d watched the color spread from her head to her feet.

I might’ve been wrong, but I was pretty sure Master Rhoslyn winked at me.

“Aren’t you going to do anything?” Allyah shrieked.

“As much as I would love to help you, I’m just a simple potions master,” Rhoslyn said and shrugged. “Why don’t you go and ask Master Bavol?”

Allyah pointed at me. “You and your sneaky little friends did this to me.”

“Why would we ever do such a thing?” I asked.

“Because I destroyed your bedroom.”

Whispers spread through the hallway.

“But there’s nothing wrong with our bedroom,” Kenley said, faking innocence. “And if our bedroom is fine, then there was no need for us to retaliate.”

“I think the color is sinking into your brain. I would get that checked out. Find someone else to blame while you’re at it,” Celestria added.

More laughter filled the air. Allyah ran back to her room. I was sure she wouldn’t be coming out any time soon, or at least not until Master Bavol made her skin go back to normal.

By breakfast, everyone knew what had happened to Allyah.

“Atta girl,” Johnny said, and slapped me on the back.

“Yeah, we heard what you did to that snob,” Willow said.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Really? Come on! We all know she did something to mess with you, so the three of you put a spell on her,” Bartley chimed in.

“We did no such thing,” Celestria said.

It’s not like it was a lie. It wasn’t a spell that had turned her purple.

“Mean girl gets under your skin, so you change hers,” Johnny giggled. “Good one!”

“Master Bavol tried to change her back, but nothing worked,” Tanner said. “I heard whispers that someone used a potion on her, and that Bavol and Rhoslyn haven’t found a way to reverse it.”

That couldn’t be right. In the book, it said that the effects would last no more than nine hours, and that the potion had an antidote. Had I not read it right? Had I made a mistake when putting the potion together?

I was freaking out, but Celestria and Kenley didn’t seem bothered.

“They’re the cleverest people in the entire kingdom,” Kenley said. “They’ll figure it out.”

“Let’s talk about something more pleasant,” Bartley suggested. “What are you guys doing during break?”

“What break?”

“Oswalda gives us a break, so we can go home and see our families,” Tanner informed me. “But mostly, it’s to find out who is going to return. The first break is in three weeks.”

I could feel my face fall. Everyone’s eyes filled with sadness.

“Oh, Drake, I’m so sorry. Where are you going to go if you can’t go home?” Celestria asked, gently touching my wrist.

“Don’t pity me. I’m fine. I’ll think of something,” I assured my friends.

“Well, I’m heading back to the castle, if anyone wants to join me.” Tanner stopped himself and scratched his eyebrow. “Sorry, I sounded like a high-end snob just now.”

“That’s because you are. A royal snob, that is,” I joked.

Everyone laughed. Tanner flicked a piece of corn at me.

“Well,” Celestria started. “I might not have a castle or a royal title, but you’re welcome to stay with me.”

“Are you sure your family would want someone like me around?”

Celestria didn’t speak much about money, and she certainly didn’t brag, but I could tell that she came from wealth. Wealth I couldn’t even imagine.

“Someone like who, one of the best friends I’ve ever had?” she asked. “Yeah, I don’t think they would mind at all.”