Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

I was pretty sure everyone had hit the hay for the night when I started gearing up for some snooping. Like an action hero, I got dressed in all black, and like my mother, I got my most comfortable running shoes, just in case. She always did say to be prepared for anything.

When I was ready, I made the mistake of sitting down on my bed. My two furry mischief-makers, Tilly and Simon, began using my lap as a playground while shedding enough fur to knit a sweater. Each time I plucked them off, they took it as a challenge to come back with more enthusiasm.

"Guys, not now," I said, as I tried to de-fuzz my all-black ensemble. There's nothing like trying to go incognito with cat hair glistening under the moonlight.

A soft tap on the door interrupted my furball fiasco. It was Jessie, no doubt. I shooed the cats away, doing my best ninja impression to ensure they didn't dart out the door. I cracked it open and saw Jessie, decked out in her own version of midnight stealth.

Stepping back, I let her inside before closing the door behind her. "How’s it going?"

She grinned. "I just finished writing some letters to my family members."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I’ve got six siblings, and most of them have kids, so I’ve got like a million nieces and nephews. They started this thing where they write to me, like real handwritten notes, and I write them back. It takes a lot of time, but I kind of love it." She followed her words up with a smile.

"Do you tell them anything about this life?"

She laughed. "We’re not allowed, but I started this thing where I makeup crazy stories about what I’m doing. In reality, they think I’m a part of one of those MLM things, where I sell crazy bright makeup, and I’m really high in the company. Sometimes I even come to family events with my face looking like a clown just to sell the whole thing."

Now, I was laughing too. "Your life seems so much more interesting than mine."

She shook her head. "You have a kid and an ex-husband, that’s way more interesting!"

I gave her a look. "The most interesting thing about me is that I enjoy gardening, but I can’t even do it here. I miss it."

She looked thoughtful. "You know, that’s not true. You could definitely garden here, and we could even get you gardening some of the unique plants we need for potions. That could come in really handy."

I pictured myself gardening with magic plants. "That actually might not be so bad."

We stopped talking, and silence swallowed us. It felt like the whole school was sleeping, which was exactly why we’d chosen this time for our investigation. We exchanged a look and stood, both knowing it was time to get this show on the road without saying a word. She crept to the door, and I followed her.

"Ready to do some detective work?" she whispered, pulling out her wand and waving it at me.

"Absolutely," I said, grabbing my wand and stepping into the corridor. The cats mewed their disapproval as I closed the door behind me, but adventure, and maybe a bit of trouble, awaited.

We crept through the shadowy halls, Jessie's wand lit and casting eerie shapes on the walls. Just as we rounded a corner, I caught sight of Mr. Bently, the Magic Theory teacher, shuffling toward us. I nudged Jessie, and she swung her wand behind her back as we pressed against the wall, blending into the shadows.

I held my breath as Mr. Bently passed by, releasing a loud fart that echoed down the hall before he disappeared into his room. I bit back a snort of laughter. It burned in my chest like a trapped bird wanting out. Jessie's shoulders were shaking too. She was fighting the same battle.

"Okay, let's move," I wheezed out, along with laughter, after I was sure he'd gone .

"I can't believe Mr. Bently is a stealth farter," Jessie whispered back, and I had to stifle another laugh with my hand as I lit up my wand with the other.

We continued, but I was still giggling inside, not paying enough attention. My beam swung wild, straight into Jessie's eyes.

"Ow, watch it," she winced, blinking rapidly.

"Sorry," I said, but it was too late.

Jessie stumbled back, her arm catching a suit of armor that guarded nothing but dust bunnies. The whole suit of armor shifted back and forth for a painfully long moment before it clattered to the ground with a noise I was sure could wake the dead, or at least half the castle.

Darn it.

"Shh," I said reflectively, but the damage was done.

A door creaked open somewhere down the hall. I sensed the presence of someone and the footfall of steps on the ground. Any second, they’d see us.

"Quick, in here," Jessie grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the nearest bathroom. We ducked inside and I held my breath, listening for footsteps. Someone hurried by, then there was a sound of clanking metal as they picked up the suit of armor, probably with magic. After a few minutes, it all went quiet.

"Are they gone?" Jessie whispered, leaning against the stall partition.

"I think so," I said as quietly as possible. "That was close."

"Too close." Jessie checked her messy bun in the mirror. "Let's wait a minute and keep going. This time, watching where our light goes." Her words were followed by a chuckle.

"Good idea," I said, trying to slow my racing heart.

We waited in silence, the only sound our own breathing and the distant, muffled sounds of the castle settling for the night. After what felt like hours, but was likely only a couple of minutes, I peeked out. The coast was clear.

"Let's try not to knock anything else over," I said with a grin, leading the way back into the hall. Jessie followed, a smirk on her face that told me she found all of this just as thrilling as I did. We were back on our path, the courtyard and its secrets calling to us in the dark .

We wandered down hall after empty hall. There were tiny sounds, almost like background noise, but we knew was just the castle settling. When I spotted one of the halls leading to the courtyard, I let out a sigh of relief. Just a little further, then the real investigation would have begun.

The night air was cool as we stepped into the courtyard. Jessie and I split up, each taking a side, our wand lights sweeping over the cobblestones and the neatly trimmed hedges. It was quiet, except for the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant hoot of an owl.

"Find anything?" Jessie hissed from across the way.

"Nothing," I said, frustrated. "Just a lot of old leaves and..."

My light caught on something wedged at the base of a marble statue of a knight with a comically large sword. I crouched down, squinting in the dim light. There, half-buried in the dirt, was a piece of glass, shimmering green under the beam of my wand light.

"Come here." I waved her over.

"What is it?" she asked as she joined me.

"Look." I pointed at the shard. "That's from one of the bottles from the potion room, isn't it?"

"Sure looks like it." Jessie knelt beside me and picked up the curved glass, turning it over in her hands. "From Ms. Ingow's class."

"Could this be related to Jaylyn's disappearance? The hunters did ask me about my knowledge of potions." A knot formed in my stomach.

"Maybe." Jessie's brow furrowed. "But why would a potion bottle be out here?"

"Someone must have been doing something they weren't supposed to."

"Using potions outside of class?" Jessie's tone was incredulous. "That's against the rules."

"Exactly." I stood up, brushing the dirt off my hands. "And maybe that's a clue we can't ignore. The only clue we’ve found so far."

"Everyone has to start somewhere," she says, and there’s a sparkle in her eye that tells me this is far from over.