Authors: Stephanie S. Sanders
Sitting next to the countâto my surpriseâwas Morgana. She wore head-to-toe white and looked more stunning than ever. However, her painted-on smile did not reach her emerald eyes. She kept watch on me as I entered the room. I got the sinking feeling that I'd made a new enemy.
“Attention,” the Dread Master said after we'd reached the platform. Even though he spoke quietly, the room grew quickly silent.
“Today, a villainous Plot has been completed. Unfortunately, it was not the Plot you were all aware of. I am afraid Chad and
Morgana's
students failed utterly in their Plot.”
Nobody missed the emphasis the Dread Master put on Morgana's name. Her lips pursed, her eyes narrowed at Master Dreadthorn, and I could see her knuckles turning white as they strangled her napkin. Master Dreadthorn pretended not to notice.
“However, some of our own students took on a very dangerous, very secretive Plot, and I am pleased to report they succeeded! A baby was stolen, a princess kidnapped, a capcaun made into a villain's henchman, and a kingdom overthrown!”
The hall erupted in cheers.
“Would you like to meet the Conspirators?”
More cheers. Wolf's dad was howling. Dracula held out one of his hands and was patting the top of it delicately with his other hand. Morgana didn't clap at all.
“Big Bad Wolf Junior, please come forward.”
Wolf moved next to my dad, who placed a medal around his neck.
“You are awarded the status of Fiend!”
More cheers. Wolf left a puddle of happy-drool on the floor, and his wagging tail made contact with the count's crystal goblet, knocking the drink right into the vampire's pallid face.
I was happy to see the flying liquid hadn't missed Morgana. Her white dress was now spotted with red ⦠and so was her face. A small skirmish broke out in which Morgana accused Dreadthorn of causing Wolf Junior to splash her on purpose. Dracula grabbed Wolf Junior's tale as if to bite it. Wolf Senior grabbed Dracula by the hair, exposing his neck as if to bite
him
for trying to bite Wolf Junior. And it all ended with Morgana throwing her drink at Wolf Senior, missing, and splashing her beloved Count Dracula full in the face ⦠again.
After exchanging several napkins and a round of insincere apologies, the chaos finally settled down. Then it was Jez's turn.
“Countess Jezebel Dracula,” my father said.
Jez joined Wolf (whose tail was now hanging limply behind him) next to Master Dreadthorn.
“You are awarded the status of Apprentice!”
The hall erupted again as Master Dreadthorn gave Jez her medal. There were even a few whistles and catcalls from some of the vampire boys. I made mental note of who they were so I could hex them later. Then dad called me up.
“Rune Drexler,” he said with a long pause. He looked as if it pained him to admit my success. Finally, he got the rest of the words out. “You are awarded the status of Fiend!”
A slow smile spread across my face. No more kitchen duties. Everyone was clapping. I was finally a Fiend. I felt like nothing could ruin this moment. Then the Dread Master whispered to me, “I want to see you in my study. Midnight.”
I deflated like a balloon. What could he possibly want to see me for? A familiar twitching began in my left eye.
“Congratulations to all the Conspirators!” my father said aloud. Then we feasted. Jez's dad even looked the other way as she enjoyed a well-earned cup of cocoa.
I decided to forget about my dad for a while. Maybe he just wanted to congratulate me personally. Slowly, I relaxed and enjoyed the moment. It was the best night I could ever remember having at Master Dreadthorn's School for Wayward Villains.
In honor of our accomplishments, all classes had been canceled for the rest of the night. So, after the feast, everyone enjoyed a little after-party out in the moonlight. The vampires plied Jez with questions about her role in the Plot, while Wolf gave me an if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them shrug and howled at the moon with the werewolf halfsies. Everyone was buzzing about Chad's Plot failing, and I was bombarded by Crooks and Rogues all wanting to get in line to be my new roommate. Yeah. I was popular.
“Well done, Rune,” Princess Ileana said to me. “Turns out being kidnapped was one of the best things to ever happen to me.”
“Thanks,” I said with a laugh. “So, your mom might let you come here?” I nodded toward Queen Catalina, who was talking to Master Dreadthorn and Master Stiltskin.
“I think she's arranging it right now. I can't wait!”
I secretly hoped Queen Catalina would let Ileana enroll at Master Dreadthorn's School. It might be cool to have her around. She was, after all, a very skilled lock picker. She definitely had villain potential.
I was talking to Jez and Wolf when Queen Catalina caught up with us. She hugged each one of us in turn, first Jez, then Wolfâboth of whom stood rigid and stiff, looking very uncomfortable. Last, she hugged me.
“I've arranged with your father to have you visit next summer.”
“Really?” I asked in disbelief.
Master Dreadthorn was going to let me have
fun
? Who could've predicted that?
“There are a few things I still don't understand, though,” I said as the queen and I stepped away from the crowd.
“Oh?” she asked.
“What exactly happened between all of you? All those years ago? I mean, whatever it was made Padurii pretty angry. And Morgana keeps giving me the evil eye, and obviously something happened between you and my dad.”
“Veldin doesn't like to talk about it. We both swore never to bring it up, but with all that's happened, well ⦔ She trailed off for a moment before speaking again.
“When I first came to this school, I was already a princess. My father was a king, my mother a sorceress, but my father kept it secret from the public. If word got out he'd married a villain, it would have ruined his political career. So my mother secretly enrolled me, telling my father I was attending a finishing school. I quickly made allies and found I was rather talented in Spelling and lock picking.”
I smiled, thinking of Ileana's skills.
“My closest allies were Veldin, Morgana, and Muma Padurii. Veldin and Morgana were very competitiveâalways fighting to be best in our class. And Padurii ⦔
“Was ugly and evil?” I asked.
“No,” the queen said, sounding surprised. “She was beautiful.”
“What!” Muma Padurii had
really
let herself go in the last few years.
“She was lovely and
in
love. With your father.”
“Oh,” I said. The
L
-word was always a bit uncomfortable for villains, plus I couldn't really picture anyone being in love with the Dread Master.
“But he had already given his heart to somebody else.”
“Really? Who?” I asked.
She smiled at me. “Oh!” I said. “You?”
“That's right. In fact, during our final year at school, we were secretly married.”
“Whoa.” I was completely stunned. I couldn't believe how little I knew about my own father.
“It didn't last, though,” the queen continued. “When Padurii found out, she was heartbroken. She wrote a letter to my father, revealing that I was actually attending a school for villains. He forced me to leave Veldin and arranged for me to marry another man that same month.”
“Your husband, the king?” I asked.
“That's right.”
“But how did Padurii and my dad â¦? I mean, you know, where did Chad come from?”
“Padurii tricked your father. She used a spell to take on my likeness. He thought she was me. When he found out the truth, there was a fight. She cast a spell, but it backfired, aging her into an ugly old hunchback.”
“So that's why she's so ⦠you know. And Chad's all blond and blue eyed?”
“Right,” said Queen Catalina.
“Wow,” was all I could say. “And that's why she was so mad and wanted revenge?”
“Yes,” said the queen. “Actually, it's a pretty amazing coincidence, isn't it?”
“What?” I asked.
“That Veldin gave you a Plot leading you to my front doorstep. That you were able to restore my kingdom and save me and Ileana.”
“Whoa, hold on a second. I see what you're getting at,” I said. “But it had to be a coincidence. I mean, it's not like he
sent
me to your kingdom. I could've chosen
any
kingdom to overthrow.”
But was that true? What had made us choose to go to the kingdom of Kaloya in the first place? Then I remembered Jez had overheard my dad talking about it on Cook's pirate ship the night I told him that Wolf and Jez were my Conspirators. Was it possible my dad had planted that information? Staged a conversation when he knew one of my Conspirators would be listening? Then sent me not as a villain to overthrow a kingdom but to
save
the woman he used to love?
There was no way. Because if it was true, that would mean Master Dreadthorn, my evil villain father, had done something
heroic
. I just couldn't believe that. But now that the idea was there, I couldn't stop thinking about it either.
I noticed Queen Catalina was watching the emotions play across my face. She looked so much like Ileana. It made me think of something.
“Hey, did you know my mother back then?” I asked.
The queen paused a moment, pursing her lips.
“If your father hasn't mentioned her, then I don't think I should either.”
I wanted to ask more, but the queen excused herself, and I was left alone.
Later, in the middle of the party, I managed to slip away. It was nearing midnight, and I had just remembered something important. I stopped by my room to pick up the Dread Master's crystal ball.
Soon, I made my way to Master Dreadthorn's study. I knocked, but no one answered, and the door was locked. Quickly I produced my stolen key and let myself inside. I was just replacing the crystal ball when the door opened and in stepped Master Dreadthorn.
Busted.
“What do you think you're doing?” he demanded.
“Uh ⦠Chad stole your crystal ball, but don't worry. I got it back for you,” I lied.
“Indeed? And you broke into my study to return it. How thoughtful.”
Somehow I didn't think he was being sincere.
“Sit down, Rune,” the Dread Master said.
I took a seat in the leather chair while Master Dreadthorn walked around his desk to sit opposite me. Just then, Tabs jumped between us to land on the desktop. She blinked at me with her green cat-a-bat eyes, and I flashed back to the eyes I had seen during my Plot. So
that's
how Master Dreadthorn knew what happened on our Plot! He'd had Tabs trailing me the entire time!
A thought suddenly sprang to my mind, something I'd subconsciously been wondering since I started my Plot. I uttered it aloud before I knew what I was doing.
“Did you know that Chad would fail?” I asked. “Or was it me you wanted to fail?”
There was an endless, menacing pause. It might have only been the span of two or three heartbeats, but it seemed like an eternity to me.
“Am I not the master of this school, Rune?”
“Yes, uh ⦠no ⦠uh ⦔
Cat-a-bats!
I never could figure out how to correctly answer questions like that. It was like trying to work out a puzzle ⦠something to do with double negatives â¦
“I never want any of my students to fail. It does not reflect well on a school's master when students fail.”
I should've known he'd say something like that.
“Then why pit us against each other? I know you told Chad not to let me succeed. And you told me to do the same to him.”
“I simply gave each of you what you needed to be successful villains. Chad was too soft for a villain. I knew he had ulterior motives thanks to Morgana and his mother, and that was encouraging. However, I thought a little jealousy might motivate him to try even harder. You, on the other hand, are a natural leader, but you get bored, Rune. I motivated
you
by making you think you had to compete with Chad.”
This was the most my father had ever said to me in one sitting. I decided to keep the ball rolling.
“I know he's my brother,” I said.
“What of it?”
“Well, are you ever going to talk about what happened? You know, back then?”
“The past is past. I will not speak of it,” he said. That was the Master Dreadthorn I knew. Cold. Uncommunicative. And kind of mean. I almost asked him about my mother, but I decided to let it go. For now.
Instead I asked, “Is he going to be exiled?”
“I don't know what will become of Chad.” The Dread Master's tone alerted me that the topic of Chad was now closed. Time to change the subject.
“What will happen to Morgana?” I asked.
“Should something happen to her?” Master Dreadthorn looked confused.
“Shouldn't she be punished or anything? I mean, she tried to destroy your school!”
“Isn't that what villains do?” he asked. I couldn't really argue.
“And what about Princess Ileana? You know she's part witch,” I said. He looked at me for a long time. I started to wonder if he'd heard my question.
“Ileana is a special case. It would've been easier if she had just lived a quiet life with her mother, but I suppose after all that's happened ⦠well ⦠I have a feeling you'll be seeing Ileana again very soon.”
This cheered me up immensely. I stood to leave and had just made it to the door when Master Dreadthorn spoke.
“Oh, Rune?” he said.
“Yes?”
“You don't really believe I'm finished with you?”
I sat back down, wary.
“Don't think it's escaped my attention how miserably you performed on this Plot.”
“
What?
” I shouted. “I thought I did pretty good for my first Plot.”