Page 15 of Switched

“Who sent a Pegasus Post?” asks Jax, pointing to the scroll in my hand.

“Anna!” Maxine can’t contain herself. “To Gilly’s mom, and she claims she’s happy she left town with the Stiltskin Squad and is basically living on a rainbow.” She pauses. “Okay the last part is an exaggeration.”

Jax looks at me, his violet eyes shimmering. “There is no way Anna wrote that scroll.”

“Thank you!” I throw my hands up. “I know she wanted to be in the Stiltskin Squad, but by now she must realize he’s up to no good, right?”

Jocelyn appears out of nowhere and steals the scroll. She and Kayla, who has fluttered over, read it quickly. “Not if she’s meant to be evil,” Jocelyn says. “Evil likes evil, remember?”

“My sister is not evil,” I say firmly. “She’s just confused.” I look at the scroll again. “I think.”

Ollie peeks at the scroll. “She doesn’t sound confused. It sounds like she loves traveling, and your mom thinks she’s having a good time.”

“Mothers always want to believe the best of their kids,” Jocelyn says. “So I’ve heard.”

“Mother would feel better knowing Anna isn’t in trouble, but Anna has been gone for two months. Why send Mother a Pegasus Post now? It’s like she wants to send me a message.”

“She might be.” Jax adjusts his school uniform shirt, positioning the new-and-improved crest (which now includes a skull and crossbones for Blackbeard and a rose for Beauty and the Beast) over his heart. “Raz just got word from the royal guards that there are over a hundred children from our kingdom and neighboring ones working for the Stiltskin Squad now. If he’s getting kids to join him willingly, he’s spinning quite the tall tale. Anna is either telling the truth about enjoying his crew or trying to let you know she’s in trouble.” He frowns. “I’m just not sure which it is.”

I try to ignore the worried feeling gnawing at me.

“New hall!” Ollie shouts as a scrolled archway shimmers before appearing a few feet from us. We break into a run to reach it before it disappears. Jax and I are the last ones through. I slide into the hallway as it closes, landing on my back. I look up and see a giant, gray foot coming down on my stomach.

Jax pulls me away before the foot hits the ground with a thunderous shake.

“Sorry, Gilly!” says Millie, a goblin I know from the RLWs. “Teensy needed a walk before Magical Fairy Pets class, and I got lost.”

Teensy is a full-size elephant that is about to charge down a hallway full of students.

“Ms. Millie!” Headmistress Flora hurries through a doorway that opens behind us. “What have I told you about bringing Teensy through the halls? Always use the outside entrance for large animals.” The headmistress waves a wand, and a doorway to the yard outside our classroom opens up. Millie leads Teensy outside. A baby giraffe and a cow are already grazing in the gated area. The cow makes me think of Jack again. I wonder if he’s in this class.

“Come in, children,” says Flora, motioning to the door to her left, which has recently been patched after an ostrich pecked its way to freedom. “Class starts in ten minutes.”

I didn’t think Flora would keep teaching after regaining her title as headmistress, but I guess she doesn’t mind being pooped on a few days a week. I slip into my seat in the second row and pull Winston out of my pocket, resting him in a tiny pen on my desk. I plunk a small piece of cheddar cheese that I saved from last night’s dinner in the pen with him to nibble on. He squeaks gratefully. I wink back at him as a symphony of neighs, baas, tweets, barks, and other sounds take over the room. Ollie’s parrot is sitting on his shoulder, while Jax’s dog is doing flips on his desk.

“Quack!”

Peaches swoops over my desk and swallows Winston’s cheese in one gulp. Winston immediately starts yelling at her. Peaches quacks back.

“Maxine! Would you please keep Peaches on a leash in here?” I push the duck away, and it nips at me. “She can’t eat everything in sight!”

Maxine gently pulls Peaches back to her desk and puts the duck on her oversize chair next to her. “Peaches hates the leash.” Maxine frowns. “She ate the last two I bought her.”

“Well, you have to do something,” I say as the goose coughs up a pencil.

“Oh good, I needed one of those,” Maxine says. “Thanks, Peaches!” She pats the goose’s head.

“The cafeteria is right down the hall,” I tell Winston. “I’ll be there and back with more cheese before class starts.”

I slip out the door without Flora noticing and follow the scent of tomato bisque down the hall. As I hoped, I’m able to run into the cafeteria and grab cheese without anyone noticing. I’m almost back to class when I spot Jack outside the Fairy Pets classroom. For some reason, I slow up so he can’t see me. He’s talking to someone… Wait. It’s something. I step closer. A mirror? Jack spins around.

“What are you doing?” I ask, looking at him strangely.

Jack hides the gold mirror behind his back sheepishly. “Nothing! I’m on my way to Magical Fairy Pets and I-I…” I walk closer. “Okay, you caught me.” He pulls the mirror back out. “I was giving myself a pep talk. I’ve been doing it every morning since I got here.” He looks into the mirror again. “Hey, you. You’re going to do great today and find your mum before you know it. Stay strong.” He looks at me worriedly.

I want to laugh, but it’s not such a bad idea. Jack doesn’t know anyone here. Why would he trust anyone other than himself?

“Do not tell the others,” he begs. “Please?”